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Global Plastics Treaty meeting

UN Global Plastics Treaty: INC Chair Cordano addresses accountability concerns ahead of Bangkok meetings

Julio Cordano, Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution, responds to NGO concerns regarding the omission of plastic production and accountability in his Global Plastics Treaty “Aid to Negotiations.” He highlights that negotiations are between the representatives of the countries members of the UN, as the next phase of informal meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, approaches this September 27-30. “Discussions are ongoing as there is still significant work ahead, including on issues where views remain divergent,” Cordano tells Packaging Insights. “One of the challenges that the INC is facing is making sure that it remains a coherent document that takes into consideration not only its own provisions, but also the complex processes that are implied in its future implementation.”   
A person typing on a computer in a factory
AI expands across packaging design, production and traceability
The packaging and manufacturing industries have reached a new point in their adoption of AI, with transformations taking place across plant operations, container glass manufacturing, and automated robotics. Packaging Insights speaks to Aicomp, Vetropack Group, Myneral Labs, and Chef Robotics to explore how AI is shifting the packaging sector, from raw material design to end-of-life reuse cycles.
Maren Klose
Leibinger highlights coding role in dairy traceability and compliance
Traceability is “critical” in dairy production because companies must comply with strict food safety requirements, says Maren Klose, marketing communications at Leibinger, adding that integrated printing capabilities play a “key role” in ensuring reliable coding processes. Such food safety requirements include the EU General Food Law, hygiene rules for products of animal origin, and market-specific recall and recordkeeping requirements, including traceability rules under the US Food and Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act. Packaging Insights sits down with Klose to discuss the role efficient printing plays in dairy product traceability, as well as how to minimize downtime and recent company innovations. 
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Climate-smart packaging
Innova Market Insights data indicates that consumers globally are concerned about how packaging contributes to excessive CO2 emissions. New product launches show that dairy products account for the largest share of carbon-neutral claims, while sauces and seasonings have seen an increase in climate-smart claims.
Constantia Flexibles technical paper on low carbon aluminum for CO2-reduced flexible packaging
Low Carbon Aluminum: Certified CO2-reduced option for flexible packaging
What if reducing your packaging footprint was this simple? This white paper reveals how Low Carbon Aluminum enables real emission reductions without sacrificing performance. Discover emission drivers, certified reduction pathways, and verified product carbon footprint data that help companies cut Scope 3 emissions while keeping processes unchanged and product protection intact.This Technical Paper is brought to you by Constantia Flexibles.
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Smart Robotics showcases AI-driven Smart Palletizer 2.0
Smart Robotics’ co-CEO Felix Schmidt spoke with us about the company’s Smart Palletizer 2.0, an AI-driven robotic palletizing system capable of stacking 30 to 40 cartons per minute with 99.7% uptime. Drawing on data from 1.9 billion pallets across 120-plus deployed systems, Schmidt revealed how the platform works with minimal operator training and same-day commissioning.

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Fabric launches Gripper V2 reusable bottle with “permanent” antimicrobial...
Bottles standing in a row
Fabric, a manufacturer of bicycle products, has introduced the Gripper V2, the brand’s first water bottle featuring “permanent” antimicrobial protection. The Gripper V2 is said to retain the ergonomic features. According to Fabric, the integrated, dotted texture around the neck of the bottle allows easy, secure handling in all weather conditions.
SIG and Mengniu Dairy advance carton recycling in China
A group of people at an event
On the occasion of the fourth China National Ecology Day, SIG and Mengniu Dairy held a sustainability-themed event at Mengniu’s Horinger factory in Hohhot, China, to promote carton recycling.The event showcased examples of products made from discarded beverage cartons, including stationery, everyday household items, and office supplies. The products were made possible through local collection networks and recycling technologies jointly developed by SIG and its upstream and downstream partners.
Ardagh considers divestment of Metal Packaging business following...
Metal cans
Ardagh Holdings, Ardagh Group’s parent company, has announced preparations for the potential sale of “some or all of the equity interests” it holds in Ardagh Metal Packaging to a third-party buyer. The potential transaction may see Ardagh Holdings acquire the ordinary shares of Ardagh Metal Packaging not currently held by it to facilitate a sale of all equity interests in Ardagh Metal Packaging to a third-party buyer, the global packaging supplier adds. Ardagh Holdings has selected Evercore International Partners as its financial adviser and Kirkland & Ellis International as lead legal adviser. 
SIG and Leibinger: Material and ink innovations cut dairy packaging waste
a woman enjoying a spoonful of yogurt indoors
Dairy products are facing increasing consumer demand for clean label solutions and reduced production emissions, alongside growing concern over packaging waste. Innovations in the dairy packaging space revolve around material developments, strengthened aseptic conditions, and efficient ink and labeling processes. But central industry innovation is: reducing packaging impact while maintaining shelf life, food safety, and affordability.
Lucid Imaging enters US market with automated label inspection system
OptiCheck Label inspection system
Lucid Imaging has brought its OptiCheck Label inspection system to the US market with an installation at Imageworx in Levittown, Pennsylvania. The India-based manufacturer of automated print-inspection systems is marketing OptiCheck Label under the SureMax brand in the US. It says the machine has been integrated directly onto a Berkeley Machinery slitter rewinder. “OptiCheck Label has been developed with a focus on combining high inspection performance with ease of operation in day-to-day production,” Dheeraj Kumar, product manager at Lucid Imaging, tells Packaging Insights. “The system uses high-resolution line-scan imaging to continuously inspect the complete web width and detect print defects at production speeds.” 
Protein innovation enters diversification era as quality and functionality...
Healthy bio dairy products on shelf of supermarket.

Food Ingredients First

Protein innovation is moving into a new phase. For years, much of the discussion focused on animal protein versus plant protein, or conventional protein versus alternative protein. That is changing. Food and beverage companies are now looking at a wider mix of proteins, including dairy, plant, fungal, and yeast proteins, as well as proteins made through precision fermentation. The goal is not to find one protein that does everything. It is to use the right protein, or combination of proteins, for the right product.
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Research & Science news
US-China researchers propose UN Global Plastics Treaty...
Researchers have identified a gap in the draft UN Global Plastics Treaty text, which does not require countries to report how much plastic they produce, which chemicals are used in its manufacture, or how much plastic pollution enters the environment. Published in Science, the paper has introduced a detailed, practical framework for standardized global reporting and accountability by researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), and the University of California, Berkeley, US, along with Tsinghua University, China.
regulatory review
Policy & regulation news
EU’s PPWR comes into effect as packaging industry innovates...
The widely discussed and hotly debated EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has come into effect, generally applying as of today, August 12, marking a major milestone for the packaging industry in Europe and beyond. The regulation is already shaping packaging strategies, material innovation, and compliance discussions across the industry. The PPWR applies to all packaging placed on the EU market. It applies to packaging and packaging waste of any material, setting requirements for manufacturing, composition, reuse, and recovery. As companies and organizations across the value chain react to the new requirements, Packaging Insights takes a look back at innovations in material and packaging design, software solutions, as well as pushbacks from industry and NGOs since the text of the regulation was published.  
Plastic production worker
Policy & regulation news
New UN Global Plastics Treaty document omits accountability...
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released an informal “Aid to Negotiations” as part of efforts to develop a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty, and to help structure engagement in the next phase of informal meetings of Heads of Delegations (HODs), set to take place in Bangkok, Thailand, next month. In response to the publication, the Environmental Investigation Agency tells us there has not been a treaty text directly addressing plastic production for “quite some time,” adding that the Aid is not an exception.   “All of the provisions that would tackle the scale of plastic production have been weakened, bracketed, or removed over the course of the negotiations; you’ll see the word ‘production’ has been met with brackets or removal in the Aid,” Amy Youngman, legal and policy specialist at the Environmental Investigation Agency, tells Packaging Insights.

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Nutrition packaging formatsAug2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that as consumers increasingly incorporate supplements and sports nutrition into their daily routines, product launches continue to grow, driving innovation in nu...

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Transparent supply chains Aug 2026

According to data from Innova Market Insights, 65% of consumers globally find transparency at least very important when choosing sustainable food and drink products. Twenty-two percent say that supply chain details matter to them the most in a sustainable product. New launches support sustainability claims with third-party certifications and clear information on responsibly sourced renewable materials and recyclable packaging. 

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Climate-smart packagingAug 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that consumers globally are concerned about how packaging contributes to excessive CO2 emissions. New product launches show that dairy products account for the largest share of carbon-neutral claims, while sauces and seasonings have seen an increase in climate-smart claims.

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Smart Robotics showcases AI-driven Smart Palletizer 2.0

Smart Robotics’ co-CEO Felix Schmidt spoke with us about the company’s Smart Palletizer 2.0, an AI-driven robotic palletizing system capable of stacking 30 to 40 cartons per minute with 99.7% uptime. Drawing on data from 1.9 billion pallets across 120-plus deployed systems, Schmidt...

ProAmpac video thumbnail: Man standing beside sustainable product packaging displays, including chocolate nutraceutical protein powder and dried mang
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ProAmpac spotlights fiber-based flexibles and active moisture technology
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Video07:43
Masterpress spotlights non-laminated, single-layer pouches for PPWR compliance 
Jano Crema, Huhtamaki
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Huhtamaki Australia calls for packaging regulatory reform to facilitate paper recycling
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