https://www.packworld.com/sustainable-packaging/recycling/article/22972730/packaging-recycling-from-epr-policy-to-practicePackaging Worlden2026-08-20T16:16:08.000ZPRS26: From EPR Rules to Recycling Realityhttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/flexloop.LSHTD318Pz.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70FlexLoop uses solvent extraction to remove inks, adhesives, odors, and other contaminants from recycled plastic, improving material quality for new applications.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/2-mrf-1b.q09lcoDeLC.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70(l. to r.) Moderator Matt Reynolds of <i>PW</i> speaks with Van Dyk Recycling Solutions’ Mark Neitzey and WM’s Jim Marcinko about MRF sorting and recovery challenges.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/2-mrf-2-small-format.fwRMGYw1Hq.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70(l. to r.) <i>PW</i>’s Matt Reynolds leads a discussion on small-format packaging recovery with Sarah Pamplona Santos of Closed Loop Partners, Scott DeFife of GPI, and Kenneth Laverdure of Estée Lauder.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/4-pcr-2-churchill-we-b.RZzWLyGuv2.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Erik Johnson of Churchill describes the technical and supply-chain work required to turn post-consumer PP into food-contact drinkware.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/4-pcr-3-churchill-web.hOMxmjqStT.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Churchill’s 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship souvenir cup was made with 100% rPP produced through PureCycle’s physical dissolution recycling process.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/2-mrf-6-szaky.JoxpSTpAma.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70According to Tom Szaky of TerraCycle, recyclability is an economic equation. A material is more likely to be recycled when the value of the recovered material exceeds the cost of collection and processing.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/featured-image.sp1nELcJzv.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70At <i>Packaging World’s</i> 2026 Packaging Recycling Summit, speakers examined how EPR is reshaping the packaging recycling system, from design and collection through sorting, processing, and use of recovered materials.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/1-epr-2-hite-web.Na9BJA9Rt5.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70TRP’s John Hite explains how EPR is bringing new compliance responsibilities for brands while directing producer funding toward recycling infrastructure, collection, and education.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/1-epr-1-baumgardner.mdAFUrK0Cj.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Packaging EPR is now law in seven states, but requirements vary widely in covered materials, B2B applicability, funding models, and implementation timelines.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/2-mrf-6-szaky-web.JVQG4qIFX8.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/6-consumer-2.QmWgW00gdz.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Kenvue redesigned Nicorette’s package as a more discreet, paper-based pocket pack, while also cutting plastic use by 85%.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/3-flexible-1-panel-copy-web.6B08zLRgHl.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70(l. to r.) Moderator John Nygaard of Glenroy, Raj Bagaria of GDB Circular, Patrick Keenan of General Mills, and Teo Medellin of P&G discuss the challenges and opportunities in scaling flexible film recycling.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/1-epr-3-ashcraft.rh2CTPIyET.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Charlotte Ashcraft of Just Born explained that EPR is less a policy problem than a packaging-data problem.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/5-redesigns-1-copy-web.CwotVWMxeZ.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70(l. to r.) Moderator Brent Lindberg of Fuseneo, Kerri Clark of Mars, Joey Giacomini of Google, and Eric Bell of Nestlé discuss the challenges of moving packaging from plastic to paper while maintaining performance, manufacturability, and consumer acceptance.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/1-epr-5-roxas.5THPFj24KE.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70A rapidly changing patchwork of state and local packaging laws is forcing Ahold Delhaize to manage different definitions, targets, and reporting requirements, increasing the need for accurate, flexible packaging data.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/2-mrf-3-small-format-web.4zGZvMOKWK.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Small-format packages can fall through MRF screens with broken glass and travel to glass recycling facilities, where new sorting solutions may help recover them before they are landfilled.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/sambazon.PTpjKEpzB4.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Sambazon halted a planned PP bowl after consumers questioned its recyclability, then developed a custom plant-fiber package aligned with the brand’s sustainability goals.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/3-flexible-2-panel.3szmTaLAZm.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70CalFFlex, USFFI, and FlexLoop are working to build the collection, processing, and material-quality systems needed to move flexible film recycling toward scale.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/4-pcr-1.Vsq2NYSO9T.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Rigid-plastic recycling depends on producing PCR that is consistent, clean, and suitable for new packaging, a challenge that becomes more difficult as brands face higher recycled-content requirements.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/6-consumer-1-cohen.4u6M5yJOTy.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Myles Cohen of Circular Ventures shares new consumer research that found that packaging recyclability ranked last among six purchase factors, regardless of demographic group.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/packaging-world-forum-4c.mdzRUqN0zO.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70https://www.packworld.com/sustainable-packaging/article/22972664/eps-transport-packaging-removed-from-us-plastics-pact-listPackaging Worlden2026-08-19T18:04:10.000ZUSPP Drops EPS Transport Packaging from Problematic Materials Listhttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/adobestock-1977427291.kIbcAmZlyU.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Molded EPS transport packaging, engineered with custom cavities to cushion and immobilize a product in transit. Packaging of this type is no longer on the U.S. Plastics Pact's Problematic and Unnecessary Materials List.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/adobestock-1624415495.XYHTq0G0we.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/screenshot-2026-08-19-at-125620-pm.ZHsPjFAzUa.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Criterion One is the gate. A material that passes it is not eligible for the Problematic and Unnecessary Materials List, which is the basis on which EPS transport packaging was removed.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/adobestock-1938635505.KcEa40mH19.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Molded EPS transport packaging, engineered with custom cavities to cushion and immobilize a product in transit. Packaging of this type is no longer on the U.S. Plastics Pact's Problematic and Unnecessary Materials List.https://www.packworld.com/sustainable-packaging/recycling/article/22972613/pack-act-explained-unified-labeling-standardsPackaging Worlden2026-08-19T15:00:00.000ZThe PACK Act: Why Local Voices Matter in a National Labeling Debatehttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/dyer-web.wnowhvMIck.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Lynn Dyer, President, AMERIPENhttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/ameripen-web.9wcuLn6I92.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Policymakers touring packaging facilities can see firsthand how packaging claims affect production and operations.https://www.packworld.com/sustainable-packaging/recycling/article/22972485/recycled-pp-purification-technology-for-stadium-cupsPackaging Worlden2026-08-17T15:00:00.000ZPurification Technology Brings Recycled PP to Stadium Souvenir Cupshttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/churchill-web3.BSWQSq0k4V.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Erik Johnson of Churchill Container, left, and Christian Bruey of PureCycle Technologies discuss the stadium-to-cup recycling loop at the Packaging Recycling Summit.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/churchill-web-1.b4xVROxS8J.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Churchill Container’s 100% PCR souvenir cup for the College Football Playoff National Championship uses purified recycled PP from PureCycle.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/churchill-web-2.DE2m3yR4uv.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70PureCycle’s PureZero program collects and sorts stadium recyclables, purifies recovered PP, and returns the resin to Churchill Container for new souvenir cups.https://www.packworld.com/sustainable-packaging/recycling/article/22972536/thepackhub-pepsico-introduces-recycled-pet-bottles-danones-pilot-for-beverage-packaging-returns-and-mcdonalds-recycled-plastic-cup-replaces-paperPackaging Worlden2026-08-17T13:00:00.000ZPepsiCo Introduces Recycled PET Bottles, Danone's Pilot for Beverage Packaging Returns, and McDonald's Recycled Plastic Cup Replaces Paperhttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/mcdonalds.MNQbffgpcA.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70The packaging has been developed specifically for the new cold drinks range, with both the cup body and lid manufactured from 100% recycled plastic.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/pepsico.ZQ0KrsOqng.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Eastman’s molecular recycling process breaks down mixed and hard-to-recycle PET-based plastic waste into its molecular building blocks before rebuilding it into new PET resin suitable for food-contact applications.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/danone.fixJMXQBaa.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70The pilot is designed to demonstrate how the forthcoming UK Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) will operate before its planned national implementation.https://www.packworld.com/leaders-new/business-drivers-specialty/contract-packaging/article/22972409/food-contract-manufacturing-market-to-poised-to-nearly-double-by-2034Packaging Worlden2026-08-13T20:27:04.000ZFood Contract Manufacturing Market Poised to Nearly Double by 2034https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/growth-of-food.gJ6y7H5SDO.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Large food brands rely on contract manufacturers to cut costs and keep pace with demand for private-label, clean-label foods.https://www.packworld.com/leaders-new/business-drivers-specialty/contract-packaging/article/22972405/being-intentional-in-matching-strategy-and-customer-realityPackaging Worlden2026-08-13T19:48:55.000ZBeing Intentional in Matching Strategy and Customer Realityhttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/robby-martin.aw3prHc4Yf.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Robby Martin is owner and founder of 3-Fold Consulting.