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Bagging & Pouching
New Origins Sample Pack Swaps Foil for Paper
Estée Lauder brand Origins debuts a recyclable 80% paper sample sachet, replacing foil with a more sustainable format that meets repulpability standards and cuts plastic use by 76%.
May 7, 2025
The 80% paper packette features a simplified, two-ply, mono-dose structure of paper and a dual-purpose barrier and sealant layer and will be used for Origins’ skin care product sampling. Image courtesy of Arcade Beauty.
Sustainability
Community Poll: Commercializing Sustainable Packaging
Learn how effectively your peers are able to commercialize their sustainable packaging and innovations.
May 7, 2025
Recycling
H2R Launches Cal SB 343-compliant Store Drop-Off Label
The transition to the new label design is scheduled for August 2025, aligning with H2R’s upcoming July Guidelines for Use, which will incorporate findings from CalRecycle’s SB 343 Material Characterization Study.
May 6, 2025
The new label symbology with unambiguous icons. Store drop-off on the far right of the series.
Recycling
Mondelez International, Nestlé Dessert, and Blue Heron Botanicals Utilize Paper-based Packaging
ThePackHub
See a few examples of paper-based packaging innovations from Mondelez International, Nestlé Dessert, and Blue Heron Botanicals from ThePackHub’s Innovation Zone.
May 5, 2025
The new design incorporates over 60% recycled cardboard and is fully recyclable in Australian curbside bins.
Workforce
Clemson's Robinson and Laster Receive Packaging Scholarships
Clemson University announces two Spring 2025 awards. Lyndsey Laster is the Robert Testin Outstanding Senior in Packaging Science winner, and Emilia Robinson becomes the Packaging World Outstanding Packaging Science Senior.
May 1, 2025
Emilia Robinson (l.) and Lyndsey Laster (r.) are recipients of spring 2025 packaging program scholarships at Clemson.
Wrapping
Mars' Kind is Next in Line with Curbside Recyclable Paper Wrapper
The repulpable paper used to flow-wrap these bars is a curbside recyclable, How2Recycle pre-qualified paper film supplied by Printpack. The move is more evidence of a growing global, now national trend toward paper films able to run on existing equipment.
May 1, 2025
The Kind Dark Chocolate Nuts & sea salt bars will be sold in singles in the paper wrapper at Whole Foods, so a consumer will not purchase a carton.
Sustainability
Amazon and Microsoft Redesign Packaging for a Circular Future
At SPC Impact 2025, Amazon and Microsoft share how they’re transforming packaging systems through curbside-friendly materials, automation, and cross-functional design.
April 30, 2025
Patrick Lindner, VP Mechatronics & Sustainable Packaging, Amazon
Package Design
Bridging Innovation, Commercialization in Sustainable Packaging
At SPC Impact, industry professionals from Kraft Heinz and Emerald Technology Ventures discuss how key partnerships are pushing packaging innovations forward, and which elements are key to scalability.
April 30, 2025
Tim Sykes, Brand Director, Packaging Europe, Neil Cameron, Partner, Emerald Technology Ventures, and Linda Roman, Director, NA R&D Fellow, Packaging R&D, Kraft Heinz Company at SPC Impact in Seattle.
Reusable/Returnable
Scaling Reusable Packaging Through Policy and Collaboration
At SPC Impact 2025, industry experts share how reuse can scale through a combination of supportive policy, infrastructure development, and collaborative partnerships.
April 30, 2025
Olga Kachook of SPC (l.) and Crystal Dreisbach of Upstream
Package Design
The Clear Can Conundrum
Although eye-catching from a marketing standpoint, beverage producers struggle to crack the code on a cost-effective and sustainable way to package beverages in clear cans.
April 29, 2025
Orka energy drinks are filled in a PET bottle with aluminum closures seamed on, and what appears to be a lightly printed, otherwise transparent pressure-sensitive PE label.
Digital Transformation
20% Sales Lift? The Case for Connected Packaging
Connected packaging is emerging as a powerful tool for brands to drive engagement, deliver personalized experiences, and unlock valuable consumer insights—one QR scan at a time.
April 28, 2025
Image courtesy of Getty Images
Sustainability
MSU School of Packaging to Lead New NSF-Funded Center For Packaging End-of-Life Solutions
The new Center for Plastic, Paper, and Hybrid Packaging End-of-Life Solutions (C3PS) will explore novel solutions to the challenges posed by plastic and plastic-coated paper waste.
April 28, 2025
The C3PS mission is centered on collaboration across the packaging value chain, tapping into the expertise of 24 cross-disciplinary faculty members from eight U.S. universities.
Sustainability
Aldi, Plastipak, and Alava Reduce Packaging
ThePackHub
See a few examples of packaging innovations that reduce materials from Aldi, Plastipak, and Alava from ThePackHub’s Innovation Zone.
April 28, 2025
The change will impact 46 different wines and is expected to prevent 38 tons of packaging waste annually.
Recycling
How Communities are Tackling the Recycling Gap
A TRP webinar spotlights how local leaders and corporate partners are confronting recycling system challenges through community-driven solutions and collaboration.
April 25, 2025
Top left, Keefe Harrison, The Recycling Partnership; top right, Ann Canela; bottom, Caroline Mitchell
Beverage
How Equipment Can Ease Beverage Packaging Workforce Woes
Beverage company representatives believe increased development of equipment can help make up for industry labor issues.
April 25, 2025
Beverage Packaging Equipment Development Image
Containers & Closures
Paper Cup Marries Finnish Licorice with Forest Innovation
From forest to shelf, a new package from Finnish licorice maker Kouvolan Lakritsi delivers a circular economy story rooted in regenerative forestry, renewable materials, and collaborative design.
April 23, 2025
Kouvolan Lakritsi, a family-run confectionery known for its traditionally cooked licorice, has unveiled a new recyclable and reclosable paper cup for retail. Image courtesy of Metsä Group.
Home
Community Poll: Global Sustainability in Packaging
Learn more about how your peers view sustainability outside of the U.S.
April 23, 2025
Controls & Machine Components
Controls Architecture Ready to Scale with Machine as Disruptive Tech Emerges
When JOA began looking to develop a never-before-seen dry molded fiber converting machine and platform, it found the technological capability and know-how with Bosch Rexroth’s ctrlX Automation toolkit.
April 22, 2025
The platform’s dedicated control, ctrlX Core, uses the Linux-based ctrlX OS, which serves as the framework of the uniquely modular, app-based architecture.
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