Original Research & Reports
2027 Packaging Sustainability Trends: Regulation, Supply & Recovery
A 2027 packaging sustainability outlook comparing regulatory milestones, Chinese supplier disclosures and evidence for recovery in destination markets.
Packaging industry intelligence
Evidence. Context. Perspective.
News
View All ArticlesCompany moves, launches and industry developments, reported with clear dates and sources.
Kenya’s Circular Economy Draft Puts Packaging Recovery Routes in Focus
Kenya’s strategy workshop puts packaging in focus. See why the collection and receiving route can shape material and reuse decisions.
Egypt’s Packaging EPR Registration Plans Put Supplier Data in the Spotlight
Egypt’s packaging EPR registration plans put supplier records in focus. See how importers can reconcile component data and quantities.
South Africa’s Waste Strategy Tender Puts Funding Before Packaging Outcomes
South Africa’s waste strategy tender seeks costing and a funding plan. See what buyers can learn about collection and sorting capacity.
Smurfit Westrock Details R$120 Million Blumenau Plant Upgrade
Smurfit Westrock said on November 3 that it was investing about R$120 million to modernize its corrugated packaging site in Blumenau, Brazil.
Lagos collection pilot reports 76 tonnes of plastic over seven months
The Okun Ajah plastic collection centre in Lagos gathered about 76 metric tonnes of plastic from February through August 2026, Polysmart supply chain head Medinat Bakare said at the closing ceremony of…
Valmet discloses €100 million-plus order for Rizhao pulp mill
Valmet disclosed an equipment order worth more than €100 million for Century Sunshine’s new pulp mill in Rizhao, China, on October 21.
Regulations
View All ArticlesPackaging policy, producer responsibility, standards and regulatory developments, with jurisdiction and evidence kept in view.
Ghana’s Announced Foam Ban Puts Takeaway Packs Through a Buying Test
Ghana’s EPA announced a January 2027 foam ban. Compare takeaway alternatives by meal, transport, cost and availability.
Nigeria’s Recycled PET Targets Put Qualified Local Supply to the Test
Nigeria sets two food-grade rPET milestones. See what the Gazette says and how buyers can qualify a traceable local supply.
India Proposes Two Routes for Recycled Plastics in Food Packaging
India's Food Safety and Standards Authority has proposed two additions to the country's rules for plastic materials used in food-contact packaging.
China’s revised recycled-pulp standard changes the import evidence file
The October revision tightens the evidence around feedstock, processing and testing for imported recycled pulp used in papermaking.
EU Opens Bio-Based Plastic Packaging Consultation Under PPWR Article 8
The EU consultation runs to 13 January 2027. It assesses bio-based packaging evidence and possible measures, without adopting PLA exemptions or content targets.
NSW drops mandatory reusable-cup schemes and retains other cup reforms
The 28 October EPA and minister statements remove a mandatory-scheme assumption. Customer-cup acceptance and takeaway-cup reform remain separate planning tasks.
Market Trends
View All ArticlesDemand, capacity, investment and market data, read with their geography, period and measurement limits.
Ranpak’s Q3 automation growth does not measure paper demand
Equipment sales, recurring paper orders and installed-system counts answer different procurement questions in Ranpak’s Q3 disclosure.
Stora Enso’s Q3 board gains leave a Q4 delivery question
Higher board deliveries, a changed box-making footprint and planned mill maintenance answer different sourcing questions.
Metsä Board’s Q3 profit needs a separate refund baseline
A one-off tariff refund, mill differences and annualized savings require separate records before a paperboard renewal.
UFP Packaging’s Q3 growth calls for separate pallet and freight signals
Organic units, acquisition growth and transport costs answer different sourcing questions. UFP’s Q3 disclosure shows why buyers need separate records.
Verallia’s Q3 margin resilience masks divergent glass supply signals
Weaker group sales and maintained margin can coexist with different category and factory conditions. A glass order needs evidence on all three.
Elopak’s Americas growth leaves carton buyers an allocation question
Equipment and service growth coexist with board prioritised to existing customers. Carton buyers need programme-specific supply commitments.
Packaging Trends
View All ArticlesHow packaging formats, designs and applications are changing—and what the available evidence supports.
China’s fibre food packaging: what to test on a bagasse tray and lid
Bioleader’s T056 tray illustrates three separate checks for foodservice buyers: tray performance, lid fit and the disposal route for each component.
Paper pallet wrap: the machine decision comes before the roll
Dedicated equipment and existing-wrapper compatibility are different commercial routes. The useful comparison keeps the paper, machine and accepted load together.
Thermal labels are taking different routes beyond developer substitution
A lignin-derived developer and a physical imaging layer change different parts of a label. Their claims need different qualification records.
Paper Food-Packaging Barriers Face an Integrated Engineering Test
Starch-barrier prototypes and commercial cup coatings expose the same challenge: protection, sealing, production and fibre recovery must work in one construction.
PFAS Replacement Is Moving From Chemistry Research to Commercial Packaging Structures
Existing commercial starch products, new laboratory work and joint barrier development highlight the unfinished task of engineering repeatable, qualified packaging systems.
Reuse Is Shifting From Better Containers to Shared Return Infrastructure
European parcel and French retail initiatives are developing shared acceptance, identification and operating arrangements. Their aims should not be mistaken for proven network outcomes.
Materials
View All ArticlesPackaging materials, coatings, performance and recovery technologies, with claims separated from evidence.
PLA vs PHA vs PBAT: How These Bioplastics Differ in Packaging
Feedstock, polymer structure, processing and degradation explain why PLA, the PHA family and PBAT are not interchangeable packaging materials.
PCL/chitosan paper coatings: oxygen gains leave a moisture question
The best oxygen result does not settle the paper pack’s moisture requirement. The study also leaves solvent residues, migration and whole-construction recovery for further testing.
Citral–chitosan coated paper: the release medium belongs in the specification
An active coating must be assessed with the food and exposure conditions it will meet. The study’s release tests and small ambient raspberry model answer different parts of that question.
Hybrid cellulose paper’s strength depends on its water history
A laboratory cellulose paper became much weaker after complete vacuum drying. Its moisture experiments show why a strength specification needs more than a dry/wet label.
Cellulose films: why wetting, appearance and package performance need separate evidence
MFLC wetting results and real cellulose-film specimens show why material appearance, preparation and converted-package performance need separate evidence.
Chitosan and Alginate Packaging Films: Where Bio-Based Barrier Materials Actually Work
Chitosan and alginate can provide oxygen, grease and active-packaging functions, but humidity, formulation, food-contact status and industrial converting determine where they actually work.
Original Research & Reports
View All ReportsIn-depth industry research, original data analysis and forward-looking packaging insights from our editorial team.
Can Starch or Mineral Fillers Cut Food Container Costs as PP Prices Rise?
A China polypropylene price review and a break-even model for mineral-filled food containers, with sourcing checks for starch blends.
2027 Packaging Sustainability Trends: Regulation, Supply & Recovery
Explore 2027 packaging sustainability trends through regulations, China manufacturing data, material innovation, real-world recycling and sourcing decisions.
Regional Sustainable Packaging Outlook 2026: Seven Markets, Different Demand Drivers
Compare 2026 packaging demand drivers in the EU, US, UK, China, Philippines, Brazil and Dubai, separating policy targets from measured market growth.
How to Compare Packaging Markets Across Regions Without Misreading the Data
Learn how to compare packaging markets across regions without mixing GDP, waste, imports, forecasts, regulation and recovery metrics that measure different things.
Packaging Technologies Moving Toward Commercial Scale in 2026: A Six-Month Readiness Tracker
Track packaging technologies moving toward commercial scale in 2026, including fibre bottles, PEF, dry molded fiber, PET chemical recycling and bio-based barrier coatings.
Reusable Packaging Adoption in 2026: Where Systems Expanded—and What Remains Unproven
Review 2026 reusable packaging rollouts, campus return data and shared retail pilots, with launch dates, prior-year results and unproven economics separated.
Brands
View All ArticlesPackaging manufacturers, material developers, converters and technology companies shaping the industry.
Bioleader®
Sugarcane bagasse tableware
Foodservice packaging manufacturer and wholesale supplier of sugarcane bagasse tableware, paper cups, paper bowls, cornstarch tableware, cutlery and PLA cups. OEM/ODM, custom printing and private-label…
Sonoco
Consumer and industrial packaging
Sonoco's portfolio connects consumer packaging with industrial paper formats, including rigid paper containers, metal packaging, tubes and cores.
Metsä Board
Lightweight paperboard production
Metsä Board produces lightweight folding boxboard, foodservice board and white kraftliner, positioning it primarily as a packaging-material supplier rather than a finished food-container brand.
SCG Packaging
Integrated consumer and industrial packaging
SCG Packaging, also known as SCGP, supplies paper-based, flexible and rigid packaging, linking converted products with recovered-material sourcing and packaging services.