???Reporting Live: Unpacking the Packaging Innovations 2025 Summit
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Indira shares her key takeaways, and the innovations your brand should watch
Reporting LIVE from the Packaging Innovations 2025 summit!
Rumour has it if you missed out on Glastonbury tickets this year, Packaging Innovations 2025 was the next best place to be. FTF team member and our in-house packaging pro Indira spent two days running round taking notes, so if you’re sat in your office sad you missed out - don’t be! Today, we’re running through her key learnings…
Scroll on to discover:
> In Focus…
Unpacking the Packaging Innovations 2025 Summit!
If you have come across packaging news in our good news or packaging-section heavy articles in our newsletter, that is probably (most likely) shared by yours truly, Indira. I always try to slip in a little bit of packaging talk, and this time, I finally hit the jackpot!
Two weeks ago, I went to the Packaging Innovations 2025 conference in Birmingham to explore game-changing ideas that are shaping the future of how we package, protect and (hopefully) reuse the things we buy. Think compostables, fiber-based packaging and interesting talks on circular economy.
If you’re even just a little bit curious about the future of packaging or you’re looking for inspiration for your brand - today we’re unpacking it all…
Sessions and Talks:
There were multiple talks spread across three different stages, with each tackling a key aspect of the packaging industry: Manufacturing and Supply Chain, Innovations and Design, as well as Circular Economy. I have scrambled through the topics and selected the juiciest ones to share for you!
One big announcement at the event was the launch of PackUK, an initiative designed to unify the UK’s packaging industry. Representatives of each nation were present and the main topic was about the government's role in implementing the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme: aiming to hold producers accountable for the entire lifecycle of their packaging. This is where PackUK, as the UK’s administrator, will help coordinate the change of shifting the cost of managing household packaging waste from taxpayers to businesses, applying the ‘polluter pays’ principle, with the hope to incentivise innovation and boost investment into recycling services and infrastructure.
2. Paperisation in Practice, can paper actually replace plastic?
This session explored the surge in fiber-based packaging as companies are looking for alternative materials to plastic. With panelists including industry representatives like Reckitt, Interflex Group, and material innovation start-up one.five, dig into real world challenges of one of the hottest trends in packaging, whether fiber-based packaging can actually perform as well as plastic. The discussion included specific details about barrier performance like moisture, durability, and if consumers are really ready for this shift (customer experience changes when the materials change). The big takeaway? Paper is a promising solution in many cases, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all. There’s still a lot of work to be done to make it viable across the board.
3. The Big Debate on Reuse and Refill
The day wrapped up with a lively, interactive debate on whether reuse and refill will overtake single-use packaging within the next 10 years. The proposer argued that there is huge demand and that younger, eco-conscious consumers will drive that demand for reuse and refill further. The opposer (although the panelists interestingly have to take a stand in the opposite side of what they stand for!) pointed out that our entire global infrastructure is built around single-use, and that convenience still rules. It was a passionate, interactive debate with audience members jumping in too. One thing’s clear: whether it happens in 10 years or not, reuse and refill models are gaining momentum, and brands need to start paying attention.
Innovation Spotlight
Honestly, the exhibition floor was full of very interesting innovations. It was like walking in a candy store and stopping to open every jar, trying to get a flavour. With the packaging industry also trying to move away from hard-to-recycle plastic like films, some of my favourite stands are Futamura with their NatureFlex compostable cellulose films, Innovia Films with their high-barrier fully recyclable BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) films, and paper-based pouches by LEIPA UK. It amazes me how passionate these innovators are, telling me the reasoning behind each meticulously designed change that makes such a difference in improving packaging quality.
There was also a Packaging Innovation Competition where some of the most exciting new packaging solutions battled it out for the top prize. The winners in each category were:
So what can your brand learn?
The future of packaging isn’t just about swapping materials—it’s about rethinking the whole system. Brands must embrace circular design, take responsibility for end-of-life disposal, and make sustainable choices easy for consumers. Meanwhile, consumers hold the power to drive change by choosing better packaging and demanding accountability from producers.
With these companies showcasing their innovations and leading the way, a more sustainable packaging future is already in motion!
> In case you missed it…
?? Your Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) refresh, and why Everist are concentrating on waterless products.
Under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s definition, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is an approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. While other policies target a single point in the chain, EPR aims to cover the full value chain, incentivising environmentally beneficial characteristics of both finished goods and production processes.
?? Finisterre announced the integration of regenerative organic cotton into its SS25 collection, making it the primary material for over 75% of its t-shirts. While the brand already uses organic cotton throughout their brand with regenerative cotton being the next step.
?? When in Rome | B Corp? revealed they are repurposing discarded wine bottles from competitors into durable, etched wine glasses, crafted in collaboration with SmoothEdge.
?? CauliBox won the Refill & Reuse award at the 2025 Startup Packaging Awards by ThePackHub, celebrating their efforts to make reuse more accessible through innovative technology. They also achieved their goal of reducing 1 million disposables and are now aiming for a 10 million reduction by 2025.
?? Pulpex secured $78 million in funding, led by the National Wealth Fund and the Scottish National Investment Bank, to build a full-scale packaging facility in Glasgow. The facility will produce 50 million fiber-based, plastic-free bottles annually.
?? Tony’s Chocolonely released their latest FAIR report, showcasing significant progress in ethical cocoa sourcing. In 2023/24, they paid higher prices to 20,296 farmers, helped 1,718 children escape child labor, and ensured that 99.95% of their cocoa farms remained deforestation-free.
?? IKEA updated their emissions goal, now targeting over 90% zero-emission home deliveries by 2028, down from 100% by 2025. Despite challenges like charging infrastructure and vehicle availability, they remain committed to sustainable logistics and see the revised goal as a step toward continued progress.
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Team FTF?
Head of Partnerships at Reposit | Collaborating for a conscious world ??
6 天前Great insights, Putu Ayu Indira Ardiyatna! Thanks for sharing for the benefit of those of us who missed it.
Sustainable Packaging & Circularity Consultant at Anthesis Group
6 天前Wohooo! Definitely the place to be ??