All Comment articles
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ArticleHow packaging went from hero to villain
Packaging used to be so much more than just a container – it was culture, art, identity. So, why did this change? Kevin Vyse, head of technical RAP products at ProAmpac, tells us more.
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ArticleWhat will the plastics industry look like in 2030?
Reflecting on a decade of progress and learnings, Rob Opsomer, Executive Lead for Plastics at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, calls on companies to join industry leaders in getting behind its 2030 agenda in a bid to tackle plastic packaging waste and build a circular economy.
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ArticleMcDonald’s Japan scraps paper straws
McDonald’s Japan has replaced its controversial paper straws with ‘strawless’ lids made from recycled PET, but consumers are still divided on the new solution’s practicality. Tim Sykes reflects on this demand for convenience, sometimes at the expense of sustainable progress, and what we can learn from getting the balance wrong.
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ArticleFilling the data gap – The European Reuse Barometer
A fascinating new tool has been launched to track the progress of resusable packaging solutions across Europe. In this article, the New European Reuse Alliance tells us more about some of the key findings from this initiative.
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ArticleVacancy: New chair wanted for plastic negotiations – experience necessary
The shock resignation of Ambassador Luis Vayas Valdivieso as chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the Global Plastics Treaty, announced last week, has left everyone wondering: why, what happened, and what’s next?
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ArticleThe problem with Extended Producer Responsibility
More than a decade into Extended Producer Responsibility implementation across Canadian provinces, program costs have ballooned, while recycling rates have flatlined or even declined. Why has this happened, and what lessons can European countries learn as they look to implement their own PPWR-mandated EPR schemes?
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ArticleRethinking the consumer: The rise of solo living
As an industry, we pride ourselves on anticipating consumer needs. We have repeatedly and successfully innovated around safety, light-weighting, and recyclability. But there is one important societal shift that remains underexplored: the rise of solo living. Dr. Igor Popovic, Managing Director Packaging Solutions at Van De Velde Packaging, takes a closer look.
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ArticleLondon Packaging Week 2025: Where London, design, and innovation collide
In this article, Easyfairs details the educational sessions, presentations and displays at this year’s London Packaging Week, due to host over 200 exhibitors from FMCG companies to beauty and personal care brands, and 70 expert speakers.
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ArticleWill greater regulatory certainty spur chemical recycling investment?
The second half of 2025 could see renewed investment in chemical recycling after the EU set out its approach to mass-balance accounting in early July. But what effect will these new rules actually have in practice, and is there still room for additional changes? ICIS’ Mark Victory tells us more.
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ArticleOne Year of Transformation: adapa Group Takes Stock
A year into the transformation initiated in mid-2024, adapa Group’s CEO Noël Kasmi and Head of Group HR Aránzazu Salguero Cruz reflect on the Group’s journey and the road ahead.
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ArticleWhat do brands actually want?
The world’s biggest brands are changing how they package their products. Ton Knipscheer of the European Co-Packers Association and TK Consulting tells us more about the drivers of this trend, and how we can expect it to evolve in the future.
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ArticleINC-5.2: Breaking point or turning point?
INC-5.2 was a failure – but is that necessarily a bad thing? Willemijn Peeters, founder of Searious Business, tells us why this breakdown might be exactly what is needed.
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ArticleThe PPWR countdown is on. Are you ready?
With less than twelve months until the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) takes effect – requiring all to be compliant or face large fees – organisations must act fast to future-proof their packaging portfolio and examine how emerging technologies can help. Anu Solanki, sustainability expert at PA Consulting, and Ryan McGinley, packaging design expert at PA Consulting, tell us more about how companies across the value chain can get it right.
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ArticleINC-5.2 was a failure – what happens next?
1257 days after governments first agreed to develop an international legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, the world is still waiting.
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ArticleThe packaging blind spot that could be costing your company money
The next wave of EPR fees is set to bring in stricter fees, more stringent recyclability demands, and complex data requirements across Europe. Former Reckitt packaging director Arno Melchior explainswhy digitalisation is the key to surviving the next wave of EPR regulation.
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ArticleINC 5.2: Chance for industry to seize ‘historic opportunity’
With talks on a global plastics treaty resuming today, Ambrogio Miserocchi, Plastic Policy Lead and Co-Lead of the Business Coalition for a Global Plastics Treaty, calls on world leaders to stay ambitious and seize a historic opportunity to deliver a robust final agreement to end plastic pollution.
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ArticleWhy are big brands struggling with their packaging sustainability goals?
Last year, we reported on Unilever and PepsiCo revising their packaging sustainability targets downward. Neil Osment, Managing Director of packaging market research company NOA, explores the barriers that have prevented major brand owners from meeting these goals—and offers advice on how to overcome them.
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ArticleEurope’s PET tray recycling industry fights on in face of existential challenges
Only 28% of PET tray material was collected for recycling in 2022, according to ICIS. In the face of confusion around policy, cheap rPET imports, and slowing investment, what can be done to ensure the PET industry meets its 2030 PPWR targets? Matt Tudball, Senior Editor for Recycling at ICIS, takes a closer look.
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ArticleHow to make packaging choices with the PPWR in mind
In light of the EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, every pack must now somehow protect the product, please consumers, and meet stringent sustainability guidelines – all at the same time. Anna Perlina, sustainable packaging consultant at Integrity Solutions, has developed a five-step, data-driven flow that aims to turn this daunting task into a clear decision path.
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ArticleWhere is the European glass industry at in 2025?
In June, Michael Giannuzzi was elected as the new President of FEVE, the industry group representing the European glass packaging industry. In a recent conversation with Giannuzzi, we discussed his ambitions for the new role – plus how he plans to confront the massive headwinds facing the glass packaging sector.