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indonesia, waste pickers, informal waste management, picking up waste for recycling, asia, ocean pollution

Poor packaging design undermines waste-picker earnings, industry report finds

A recent report by the Consumer Goods Forum, a global industry organization, has revealed the importance of recyclable packaging design for waste pickers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In many LMICs, informal waste pickers collect and sort millions of metric tons of plastic waste annually. The report highlights how their livelihoods are linked to the value of the materials they collect, meaning materials that are difficult to recycle are likely to reduce earnings. 
woman working in a bakery, packing a pastry into a brown paper bag in a shop with various bread and pastries behind her
The cherry on top: Bakery packaging puts visual appeal at the center of recyclable design
Most bakery products require packaging that protects their delicate structure and intricate ingredients. Meanwhile, converging recyclability and consumer convenience trends are pushing manufacturers to balance these demands while maintaining bakery packaging’s visual appeal. Packaging Insights speaks to Coveris, Klöckner Pentaplast (KP), Korozo Group, and Solidus about current trends in the bakery packaging landscape, as well as prominent formats, and the challenges unique to the fragile nature of pastry and breads. 
Ryo Himuro
Material Week Tokyo 2026: Avery Dennison targets labor and plastic reduction
Avery Dennison highlighted its plug-and-play packaging manufacturing solutions targeting markets in Asia at Highly-Functional Material Week Tokyo 2026 (Sep 30 – Oct 2). Ryo Himuro, senior business development specialist at Avery Dennison said local producers balance environmental sustainability demands with expectations for extreme production speed. 
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Next-gen packaging reshapes bakery aisle
Innova Market Insights data indicates that bakery packaging launches grew at a CAGR of 4% from July 2021 to June 2026. Flat pouches were the leading format, with plastic remaining the top packaging material and carton gaining momentum. Recyclable was the leading sustainability claim, while responsible source claims continued to gain ground.
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Circular by design: unlocking sustainable packaging solutions
Meeting the global challenge of plastic waste and building a low-carbon and circular economy requires innovation, investment and collaboration. Read the LyondellBasell (LYB) white paper to explore how smart packaging design can help optimize packaging performance, reduce material complexity, improve recyclability and support circularity goals.This Technical Paper is brought to you by LyondellBasell.
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Material Week Tokyo 2026: Brückner Group highlights film stretching and testing systems in Japan
Christian Stadler, sales director, Eastern Hemisphere at Brückner Servtec, and Boris Pasternack, head of sales, East Asia, at Brückner Machinenbau, stress the growing importance of the Japanese market for the German plastic and packaging group. They highlight stretching equipment and systems for testing and developing packaging films.

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Tetra Pak enters ice cream packaging category with 85% paper wrap
person opens ice cream packaging
Tetra Pak has advanced into the ice cream category with its new Ice Cream Wrap made from up to 85% paper. The company says the packaging solution responds to increasing consumer interest in environmentally conscious packaging in the ice cream category.  Peter Lindstrom, VP for Food Solutions at Tetra Pak, comments: “Ice cream is one of the world’s most loved food categories, and innovation now extends beyond flavors and formats. Packaging is becoming an increasingly important way for brands to differentiate, attract attention, and respond to changing consumer expectations.”  
EU Parliament committee backs EPR reprieve for SME packaging
SME e-commerce seller packages order
Yesterday, the European Parliament’s (EP) Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety voted in favor of a proposal to temporarily suspend authorized representative requirements for micro, small, and medium enterprises (SMEs) under packaging EPR rules.  According to the EP, the proposal comes from the European Commission’s (EC) Environmental Omnibus package and aims to reduce administrative burdens. If adopted, the requirement for SMEs to appoint authorized representatives to export packaging and single-use plastics within the EU will be dropped until 2035. 
Duo Packaging launches graphene-enhanced PE film to boost strength and recycled...
bag
Duo Packaging has launched a graphene-based PE flexible packaging film for retail and e-commerce bags in partnership with the University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), UK. The film solution, 2DPE, incorporates recycled content while maintaining tensile strength and tear resistance properties. Graphene is an extremely thin form of carbon that comes from the naturally occurring mineral graphite. 
Mondi brings vibrant digital printing to brown paper packaging
Mondi packaging
Mondi has developed a digital print packaging solution for brown paper packaging. The offering uses multi-color digital printing technology, which results in defined colors and contrast on brown substrate, according to the company. Applying a white underprint is also possible, the paper packaging provider highlights.  The printing and packaging solution supports the market launch of a Kärcher push sweeper for pavements and roads. Mondi says it designed the brown paper packaging to help communicate the product’s recycling content inclusion and to meet the brand’s requirements for packaging impact and print quality.   
ALPLA expands US plastic bottle production with Las Vegas plant
packaging facility
Alpenplastik Lehner Alwin (ALPLA) is set to open a plant in Las Vegas, US, to strengthen its production of plastic bottles for domestic consumers by providing access to “major transportation corridors and regional distribution networks.” “This investment represents an important step in ALPLA’s long-term North American growth strategy,” says Tasos Pourloukakis, regional managing director at ALPLA North America. 
Beyond Meat signals shift toward nutrient stacking in plant-based foods
girl holding plant based burger

Food Ingredients First

Plant protein company Beyond Meat’s recent move toward nutrient stacking reflects a wider shift from meat replacement toward multi-benefit plant nutrition. The approach taps a broader formulation trend — combining plant protein with fiber, phytonutrients, and other functional ingredients rather than relying on protein alone.
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EU drafts waste export list as Tomra urges recycling...
The European Commission (EC) has published a draft list of countries outside the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that could be allowed to import non-hazardous waste from the EU after May 2027, under the Waste Shipment Regulation. Non-hazardous waste includes recovered paper and cardboard, metal scrap, glass, and certain textiles and rubber, depending on composition and contamination levels. 
September review graphic
Packaging & Technology News
September in review: Industry navigates decarbonization,...
In September, the packaging industry continued to navigate supply chain, market, and sustainability challenges, with companies taking different approaches across packaging formats. We explored the competing pathways to packaging decarbonization, from PET’s carbon footprint to bio-based additives, as well as the practical challenges facing flexible packaging and machinery manufacturers as recyclability demands evolve.We also examined regulatory developments across the UK, EU, US, and Latin America, including diverging approaches to recyclability, the expansion of EPR, and new rules around packaging claims.
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Packaging & Technology News
Material Week Tokyo 2026 live: Oji showcases bio-based...
Oji Holdings, one of Japan's largest paper, pulp, and packaging companies, is presenting an array of solutions at the ongoing Highly-Functional Material Week in Tokyo 2026 (September 30 – October 2). On the show floor, Packaging Insights catches up with Vipavan Sae Gang, manager at Oji Paper, a subsidiary of Oji Holdings, to discuss the company's material innovations, which span food containers for fresh food products and fabrics aimed at replacing conventional bubble wrap. 

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Trends in AI use for packaging manufacturingOct2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that more manufacturers are launching products in new packaging formats. The growing number of formats, materials, and sustainability requirements is creating mor...

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Caps & closures reimagined Sep 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that product launches have increased over the past two years, with reclosable claims showing particularly strong growth, reaching a +15% CAGR from July 2021 to June 2026. As reclosability gains momentum, caps and closures are becoming an increasingly important area for packaging innovation.

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Next-gen packaging reshapes bakery aisleSep 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that bakery packaging launches grew at a CAGR of 4% from July 2021 to June 2026. Flat pouches were the leading format, with plastic remaining the top packaging material and carton gaining momentum. Recyclable was the leading sustainability claim, while responsible source claims continued to gain ground.

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Material Week Tokyo 2026: Brückner Group highlights film stretching and testing systems in Japan

Christian Stadler, sales director, Eastern Hemisphere at Brückner Servtec, and Boris Pasternack, head of sales, East Asia, at Brückner Machinenbau, stress the growing importance of the Japanese market for the German plastic and packaging group. They highlight stretching equipment and systems for...

Dr. Shekhar Nath, Hindalco Industries
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Material Week Tokyo 2026 live: Hindalco presents ceramic solutions for pharma glass
Bahar Koyuncu, CBE JU
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CBE JU highlights bio-based packaging projects including fiber bubble wrap
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Video22:13
SIG on advancing aseptic packaging through lightweighting and innovation
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