All Reports articles
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ArticleHow the packaging industry is embracing intelligent sorting
We take a look at some of the most widely talked-about advanced sorting technologies available to meet the demands of the various packaging formats and types, examining the recent advances in the field and the enabling conditions required to scale them to the levels needed to meet regulatory demands.
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ArticleA look at the global extended producer responsibility landscape
What does the global regulatory landscape look like right now when it comes to extended producer responsibility (EPR)?
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ArticleReport: How are the top brands progressing on packaging sustainability in 2026?
How have the top six FMCG signatories of the Ellen MacArthur Global Commitment – The Coca-Cola Company, L’Oreal, Mars, Inc., Nestlé, PepsiCo and Unilever – performed across key metrics and the initiatives they have taken to cut plastic waste and pollution across their portfolios?
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ArticleMaking the business case for a circular plastics industry
How far has the packaging industry come in terms of key metrics such as virgin plastic reduction, recyclability and meeting reuse targets? In this report, we examine the annual Ellen MacArthur Foundation Global Commitment Progress Report, which tracks industry-wide progress in these areas.
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ArticleThe ultimate guide to packaging innovation in 2026
This report examines the most impactful sustainability-driven innovations shaping the packaging industry today, drawing on insights from Sustainability Awards judges and real-world commercial examples.
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ArticleStrategic learnings from the 2025 Sustainable Packaging Summit
As ever, the 2025 Sustainable Packaging Summit was designed to bring as many key value chain players together as possible – over 900 delegates at final count – in order not only to lament the ongoing and emerging challenges we all face but to discuss possible solutions. Here is a summary of the key talking points.
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ArticleHow AI is being harnessed to make packaging more sustainable
We have heard about and indeed reported on many of the emerging uses of artificial intelligence (AI) tech when it comes to helping the packaging industry meet its sustainability goals, whether that’s retrieving ocean plastic waste, monitoring recyclability, improving supply chain visibility or veering into the vaguely apocalyptic. Here, however, we are going to focus on one particular application – that of using AI to create more sustainable and more efficient polymers.
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ArticleEverything you need to know about bioplastics and packaging
We all know the environmental arguments for transitioning to bioplastics are compelling, and European Bioplastics says it expects global bioplastics production to almost triple over the next few years. Yet even so, its market share still only stands at around 1%. Why?
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ArticleReaching net zero in the glass industry: pathways and strategies
Europe’s glass industry is actively working towards the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 – but how will it achieve this, and what progress has it made?
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ArticleDiscovering the next generation of packaging innovators
We hear – and write – a lot about the sustainability challenges faced by the packaging industry as viewed from the perspective of those who have been working in this sector for many years. But we hear less about the importance of fostering the next generation of packaging technologists who will be facing these challenges in the years to come.
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ArticleCan paper bottles move from niche to mainstream?
We have been following the evolution of the paper bottle for near-on a decade. In this time, we have observed how it has caught the imagination and attention of the industry in a way that few other packaging innovations have. But can it really move beyond niche to mainstream? This is the question we will be asking in this report.
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ArticleCan edible packaging solve the packaging waste crisis?
Edible packaging, which can be eaten along with its contents, is being hailed as a potential solution to the packaging waste crisis. Can it live up to the hype?
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ArticleReport: Everything you need to know about Deposit Return Schemes
Almost 20 European countries now have live Deposit Return Schemes, with more to follow soon. In our latest Report, we take a look at the big question: Is DRS the key to meeting Europe’s collection targets?
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ArticleReport: The ultimate guide to global packaging sustainability regulation in 2025
Packaging Europe members may already be aware of the previous guide to global plastics regulation we published last year. This year’s report again explores how plastic regulation continues to evolve but opens up the field to include all materials and formats.
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ArticleReport: How are the top brands progressing on packaging sustainability in 2025?
How are the biggest brands performing in the realm of sustainable packaging? In this in-depth report, we assess the extent of progress these leading brand owners have made in their self-directed initiatives towards establishing a circular economy for plastics, and we explore the future phases of their journeys.
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ArticleReport: Strategic learnings from the 2024 Sustainable Packaging Summit
How are leading figures in the packaging industry approaching sustainability? Our latest Report captures the critical strategic insights and lessons learned from the 2024 Sustainable Packaging Summit, where innovators and thought leaders from across the value chain convened to address the most pressing sustainability challenges in the packaging sector.
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ArticleSustainable Innovation Report 2025: Current trends and future priorities
Packaging Europe’s renowned Sustainable Innovation Report returns for 2025, packed with more insights than ever. Dive into the year’s most impactful packaging innovations and solutions, inspired by the cutting-edge entries from our 2024 Sustainability Awards.
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ArticleAccessible packaging report: Has progress been made?
The industry has focused more on inclusive design over the past few years, but there is still some way to go before all packaging can be deemed truly accessible to all. Victoria Hattersley reports.
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ArticleWhat can the world learn from South Korea’s world-leading performance in plastics circularity?
How has South Korea achieved such high recycling and recovery rates in recent decades? In our latest report, published ahead of INC-5 in Busan, we take an in-depth look at the country’s progress in several key areas.
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ArticleFashion packaging: The route to a more sustainable future
What is the fashion industry’s problem when it comes to packaging sustainability – and what are the major routes to positive change? We explore these questions, with essential input from Georgia Parker, innovation director at Fashion for Good – a platform for sustainable innovation in fashion.