https://www.packworld.com/trends/logistics-supply-chain/article/22971183/rfid-supply-chain-pilot-walmart-hanes-achieve-100-trackingPackaging Worlden2026-07-23T21:06:18.000ZPilot from Walmart, Hanesbrands, Teaches Cartons to Talk via RFID, 2Dhttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/img-1164.RvfyvSKY8p.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Auburn University's Soundarya Korlapati (center) and GS1's Jon Gregory demo Project Brilliance live at GS1 Connect 2026, scanning a pilot carton to check its contents against what the brand owner packed.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-23-at-32229-pm.2t0tig1D3h.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70The concept in one slide: a web address encoded in the logistic unit's tag lets a carton "phone home" to the sender's EPCIS repository at every step, from manufacturer to retail store.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-23-at-32454-pm.DwlUCHfRo2.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Verification, not discovery: the reader pulls a carton's expected contents from the tag and checks them off in real time, returning a simple "verified" result without opening the box.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-23-at-32713-pm.bsEn5yQSjl.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70The pilot captured read events at four stages, brand-owner DC, 3PL cross-dock, retailer RDC, and store, with each event posted to a shared EPCIS repository.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-23-at-32858-pm.KeAdTXC4gL.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70A single pilot carton, 28 Hanes socks packed March 17, becomes the demo: scanning the SSCC++ tag turns each expected item from yellow to green as the handheld confirms it.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-23-at-33048-pm.X7XX6T5ZYG.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70The value case cuts both ways: suppliers gain early exception detection and chargeback defense, while retailers gain trusted receiving and better inventory accuracy, with no carton isolation required.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-23-at-33204-pm.BSlaEslv9U.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70A perfect packing-validation match to expected GTINs, 100% detection across redundant downstream reads, easy data access across multiple solution providers, and no need to isolate cartons to validate contents.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-23-at-33249-pm.EpKgtegEf5.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Walmart reads the cartons again at the 3PL dock door, RDC inbound and outbound, and the store stockroom and sales floor, so a read missed at one stage is caught at the next.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-23-at-33214-pm.7yXhsKFiQC.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70An RFID tunnel captures and validates each carton's EPC contents and encodes the SSCC++ label in a single pass, so nothing slows the line. Note the 2D barcode already on the Hanes sock package, and the DSDC pick-and-pack label routed to a specific Walmart store.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/screenshot-2026-07-23-at-33229-pm.lOKjeu1jUx.png?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Cartons are confirmed to their pallet, then confirmed again outbound, with each event posted to the EPCIS repository before the truck leaves the Hanesbrands DC.https://www.packworld.com/leaders-new/business-drivers-specialty/sustainability/article/22971025/paper-packaging-success-google-mars-nestlePackaging Worlden2026-07-21T20:50:36.000ZGoogle, Mars & Nestle Make Paper Packaging Workhttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/vital-proteins-web.9r4bi5OMrb.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified fiber, a new paper-based package will reduce the plastic used across all Vital Proteins canister offerings by more than 90%.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/kind-web.JUPamPwlSm.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Kind tested a paper wrapper for its Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt bar to evaluate how the material would perform on existing equipment, withstand distribution, and appeal to consumers accustomed to the brand’s clear plastic packaging.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/paperization-2.kBIR7vQk7P.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70From l. to r., Joey Giacomini of Google and Eric Bell of Nestlé discuss the engineering and operational changes required to make paper packaging perform, from protecting printed surfaces to improving automated handling and distribution durability.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/google-web.5tPjdHlWpO.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70In 2024, Google rolled out a new version of its 100% plastic-free packaging, with a new speckled paper solution.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/panel-web.FymSWg4SGW.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70From l. to r., Moderator Brent Lindberg, head of curiosity, Fuseneo; Kerri Clark, VP of packaging R&D, Mars Inc.; Joey Giacomini, packaging design engineer lead, Google; and Eric Bell, principal packaging scientist, Nestléhttps://www.packworld.com/leaders-new/machinery/robotics/article/22970899/deploy-mobile-automation-successfully-complete-guidePackaging Worlden2026-07-20T20:14:28.000ZBefore You Buy Robots: Critical Steps for Mobile Automationhttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/formova-slide-2.UapuQkV4wk.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Plan system integration early so automation can communicate with WMS, ERP, and MES platforms, provide real-time visibility, and generate data for continuous improvement.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/formova-slide-1.BjSOlDzVUp.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Begin an automation project by defining the labor, safety, throughput, or cost problem you need to solve, rather than starting with a general directive to add robots or launch a loosely defined pilot.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/formova-slide-4.lJTbj4WMix.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Treat automation as a workforce transition, shifting employees away from repetitive material movement while preparing them for equipment support, exception handling, data review, and other higher-value responsibilities.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/formova-slide-3.pl3xNEb0pE.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Map material flow from receiving through shipment and use operating data to identify the delays, bottlenecks, and manual tasks an automation project should address.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/formova-beauty.AGjnaoXIsH.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70(l. to r.) Mark Longacre, senior strategist, market development, Formova, and  Jordan Guhl, VP of sales, Formovahttps://www.packworld.com/leaders-new/machinery/stretch-wrapping-load-stabilization/article/22970864/cocacola-cuts-stretch-film-costs-20-with-iotPackaging Worlden2026-07-20T17:40:50.000ZCoca-Cola Bottler Cuts Stretch Film Costs 20% with IoT Monitoringhttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/warehouse-automatio-stretch-wrapper.yGmqC3Imn3.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70A mixed pallet of Coca-Cola Consolidated products receives stretch film. Different products require different wrap recipes, each maintained by Must to its own benchmark.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/img-4498-enhanced-nr-1-1.ba1eQ8xeR1.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Properly contained pallets stage in a Coca-Cola Consolidated warehouse awaiting shipment. A "down-load" — a pallet that topples in transit or in the warehouse — means product that cannot be sold, making load containment a direct cost issue.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/img-4491-enhanced-nr.fr9KR4xP09.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70A stretch-wrapped pallet moves through a Coca-Cola Consolidated distribution facility. Proper load containment at this stage — the product of calibrated wrap recipes maintained across more than 70 wrappers in 11 plants — is what separates a clean delivery from a down-load.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/img-5547-1-1.x2y92lDGGw.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70A line operator monitors product at a Coca-Cola Consolidated facility. MUST's real-time data has helped operators and maintenance teams identify equipment issues faster and with less wasted film.https://www.packworld.com/trends/package-design/article/22970963/thepackhub-cocacolas-peelback-labels-for-th-fifa-world-cup-the-hershey-company-launches-collectible-pokmon-packaging-and-casa-gallos-squeezable-olive-oil-bottlePackaging Worlden2026-07-20T13:00:00.000ZCoca-Cola's Peel-back Labels for FIFA World Cup, The Hershey Company Launches Collectible Pokémon Packaging, and Casa Gallo's Squeezable Olive Oil Bottlehttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/gallo.KtdoYL2LGu.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70The format combines malleable PET with a precision nozzle to minimize dripping.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/hersheys.SKTW2h04QG.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70The initiative features 151 individual Poké Ball-inspired foil designs, alongside 10 additional foil variants themed around Team Rocket characters from the Pokémon franchise.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/coca-cola.wqCEppZBcs.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70The campaign includes 12 special-edition stickers featuring soccer players representing 10 nations participating in the tournament.https://www.packworld.com/sustainable-packaging/recycling/article/22970713/brand-owner-bootcamp-2026-key-packaging-takeawaysPackaging Worlden2026-07-17T15:00:00.000ZFour Takeaways from This Year’s Brand Owner Bootcamphttps://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/image00196.vzs2rIDPN4.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70Borouge International's Brand Owner Bootcamp brings together brands and retailers to tackle shared packaging challenges.https://img.packworld.com/mindful/pmmi/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/07/chatgpt-image-jul-16-2026-12-54-44-pm.dQOCM1t5zs.jpg?auto=format%252Ccompress&q=70