Through the Line Podcast: 2026 Automation Annual Outlook Report

How are CPGS approaching automation in 2026? Editors Sean Riley and Casey Flanagan sit down to discuss why companies are turning to automation to solve labor constraints and throughput demands while simultaneously grappling with higher costs and internal alignment challenges.

Casey FlanaganSean Riley

Apr 14, 2026

Follow this podcast on your favorite streaming platform - links can be found by clicking here.

The packaging innovations from PACK EXPO worth your attention.

Discover Leading Suppliers

Redefine What’s Possible in Packaging & Processing—Register Now & Save!

Machinery Basics

Pt 26 8 Cartoning Equipment Thumbnail (1)

A Look into the World of Cartoning Equipment

Pt 25 7 Feeding & Inserting Equipment 2026 Thumbnail

A Look at Feeding and Inserting Equipment on the Packaging Line

Pre Made Bag Loading & Sealing Thumbnail

How Products are Loaded and Sealed into Pre-Made Bags and Pouches

Pt 26 5 Wrapping Equipment Final 00 00 01 11 still001

Learn About 4 Different Types of Wrapping Machines for Your Product

A shopper scans a clamshell of Salinas Valley strawberries and sees where and when it was harvested, a suggested storage temperature, and a pairing idea. In Bonin's framing, the 2D barcode is where the supply chain's operational intelligence finally reaches the person in the aisle.

Walmart: FSMA 204 Compliance as the Floor, Not the Ceiling

At GS1 Connect last month, Walmart’s Ed Bonin argued that the same item-level data that brand owners and CPGs collect to satisfy FSMA 204 can become a freshness intelligence layer. It can score every lot, reroute fresh product before it spoils, and finally show growers what happens after the loading dock.

(from l. to r.) Moderator Matt Reynolds, Packaging World; Sarah Pamplona Santos, Closed Loop Partners; Scott DeFife, Glass Packaging Institute; and Kenneth Laverdure, Estée Lauder Companies.

The Billion-Package Problem: Small-Format Recycling Solutions Emerge

End of the Line Video Series: Mole Mapping, Career Development, and Robots vs. Human Labor

Recent Innovations from Heinz, Tequila Tromba, and Ecopak

The tag is read at every node and reports back to one shared EPCIS repository, replacing a tangle of bilateral data-sharing deals with open, real-time visibility from manufacturer to store shelf.

Pilot from Walmart, Hanes/Gildan Teaches Cartons to Talk via RFID, 2D

Co-packers: the competitive gap is widening

Brands want more than low bids. See what automation, services, and sustainability mean for CM/CPs in 2026.

Discover How to Stay Ahead of the Competition at PACK EXPO International

See new solutions from 2,600 exhibitors. Gain insights from 150+ free educational sessions. From automation & robotics to real-time data insights, find the tech for your company’s future at North America’s largest packaging & processing event.

Products

Through the Line Podcast: 2026 Automation Annual Outlook Report

The packaging innovations from PACK EXPO worth your attention.

Discover Leading Suppliers

Redefine What’s Possible in Packaging & Processing—Register Now & Save!

A Look into the World of Cartoning Equipment

A Look at Feeding and Inserting Equipment on the Packaging Line

How Products are Loaded and Sealed into Pre-Made Bags and Pouches

Learn About 4 Different Types of Wrapping Machines for Your Product

Walmart: FSMA 204 Compliance as the Floor, Not the Ceiling

The Billion-Package Problem: Small-Format Recycling Solutions Emerge

End of the Line Video Series: Mole Mapping, Career Development, and Robots vs. Human Labor

Recent Innovations from Heinz, Tequila Tromba, and Ecopak

Pilot from Walmart, Hanes/Gildan Teaches Cartons to Talk via RFID, 2D

Visit Piab at PACK EXPO International!

Advanced Beverage and Can Cartoner

METTLER TOLEDO Introduces X56 DXD+ Dual Energy Photon-Counting X-ray System with AI Capabilities

July/August 2026

May/June 2026

March/April 2026

Jan/Feb 2026

External manufacturing's new competitive standard

Retail multipack systems: complete supplier directory

Retail multipack systems: complete supplier directory

SPC Impact 2026 Examines Packaging's Path Forward