Materials & evidence
PLA vs PHA vs PBAT: How These Bioplastics Differ in Packaging
Feedstock, polymer structure, processing and degradation explain why PLA, the PHA family and PBAT are not interchangeable packaging materials.
Packaging industry intelligence
Evidence. Context. Perspective.
News
View All ArticlesCompany moves, launches and industry developments, reported with clear dates and sources.
UL’s EPR expansion puts the packaging data handoff in focus
A broader service offer does not establish reporting outcomes. Follow the pack record, supply period and correction history through to the proposed output.
SCA Östrand fiberline: completion leaves a production-stability test
The 14 October update describes a completed installation and a conditional test. Buyers need to keep those milestones separate from sustained, allocated supply.
YESTAR’s ruby gift pack: a recycled paper choice is not a whole-pack specification
A named premium gift-pack case shows the material choice. Its broader lesson is to connect paper-level evidence to the complete construction and approved converted sample.
Aliplast opens R3GID in Modena; announced capacity is not measured output
Aliplast reports the opening of its Modena recycling plant. The announced annual capacity remains separate from actual throughput and qualified sales.
UPM, Siegwerk and Uteco report paper-based secondary packaging trial
A joint converting trial brings paper, coating and application technology together. Its secondary-pack scope matters when interpreting the companies’ claims.
Tetra Pak Announces Ice Cream Wrap With Up to 85% Paper, With Validation Under Way
Tetra Pak reports an ice cream wrapper with up to 85% paper plus protective layers. European validation and a phased introduction are distinct from broad commercial adoption.
Regulations
View All ArticlesPackaging policy, producer responsibility, standards and regulatory developments, with jurisdiction and evidence kept in view.
Ontario Blue Box: proposed contract powers and reporting follow different tracks
The 23 October proposal creates contract questions for producers. A separate RPRA consultation concerns reporting records; each needs its own owner and decision trigger.
Oregon RMA: two October deadlines belong to different approval tracks
Identify the docket before using an RMA deadline. Two official October notices describe different processes, with proposed rule action still ahead.
Freiburg’s 2027 cup-tax change needs a separate 2026 close-out record
The city reports an adopted change for January 2027. Preparing the future cup mapping and closing the broader 2026 record are separate tasks.
England RPS 383: enforcement relief leaves recycling obligations on the record
England’s RPS 383 changes the enforcement planning boundary. Compliance teams still need to distinguish the full recycling obligation, the conditional minimum and the certificate record.
Council EPR mandate proposes a small-volume representative exemption, not an immediate waiver
The Council negotiating text proposes conditional relief for small packaging flows. Its territorial test, safeguard and proposed end date remain part of a proposal.
EU Single-Use Cup Marking: A Paper Base Does Not Settle Plastic Scope
The EU marking framework distinguishes single-use cups made partly from plastic and wholly from plastic; classification starts with the actual construction.
Market Trends
View All ArticlesDemand, capacity, investment and market data, read with their geography, period and measurement limits.
North American aluminum demand rebound leaves packaging buyers a supply-route question
The Aluminum Association reports a regional rebound alongside falling domestic mill shipments. Packaging-grade demand and order availability need separate evidence.
PCA’s Q3 shipment growth changes meaning when the acquired business is separated
PCA reports higher total Q3 corrugated shipments but a small legacy-business decline. The two scopes must stay separate when interpreting demand.
SCA Q3 kraftliner: higher prices and earnings, lower sequential deliveries
SCA’s latest segment report points to better prices and earnings, with fewer tonnes delivered than in the second quarter. Maintenance timing and a refund also matter.
Billerud Q3: recovery depends on the comparison and the paper grade
The Q3 report’s useful buyer signal is grade-specific. Statutory and adjusted earnings also tell different year-on-year stories.
Ireland’s 2024 plastic packaging: energy recovery outweighs recycling
Keep the plastic denominator and treatment destination visible. National recovery observations guide better procurement questions, not product-level recycling claims.
Packaging Technologies Moving Toward Commercial Scale in 2026: A Six-Month Readiness Tracker
Several packaging technologies crossed meaningful commercialization thresholds in 2026—but factory opening, first batch, machine order, production-scale demo and converter evaluation are not the same milestone.
Packaging Trends
View All ArticlesHow packaging formats, designs and applications are changing—and what the available evidence supports.
PFAS Replacement Is Moving From Chemistry Research to Commercial Packaging Structures
Existing commercial starch products, new laboratory work and joint barrier development highlight the unfinished task of engineering repeatable, qualified packaging systems.
Reuse Is Shifting From Better Containers to Shared Return Infrastructure
European parcel and French retail initiatives are developing shared acceptance, identification and operating arrangements. Their aims should not be mistaken for proven network outcomes.
Paperization Is Scaling—but Recent Packaging Decisions Show Its Limits
Fibre-bottle investment, coating development and Nespresso’s withdrawal decision point toward application selection rather than a universal paper-versus-plastic outcome.
Pharmaceutical Packaging Is Entering a Recyclability Redesign Cycle
PP blisters, dry-use fibre and bioprocess outer bags address different protection jobs. The trend is application-specific redesign, not one winning material.
Paper-Based Flexible Packaging Is Moving From Trials to Collaborative Scale-Up
A consortium and recent paper-coating collaborations shift attention to the interfaces between barrier chemistry, converting and recovery. Commercial maturity remains unproven.
Accessible packaging needs a user test after the pack is made
Physical pack quality and information accessibility answer different questions. Evaluate the actual user, variant, content and handled pack instead of inferring usability from artwork.
Materials
View All ArticlesPackaging materials, coatings, performance and recovery technologies, with claims separated from evidence.
PCL/chitosan paper coatings: oxygen gains leave a moisture question
The best oxygen result does not settle the paper pack’s moisture requirement. The study also leaves solvent residues, migration and whole-construction recovery for further testing.
Citral–chitosan coated paper: the release medium belongs in the specification
An active coating must be assessed with the food and exposure conditions it will meet. The study’s release tests and small ambient raspberry model answer different parts of that question.
Hybrid cellulose paper’s strength depends on its water history
A laboratory cellulose paper became much weaker after complete vacuum drying. Its moisture experiments show why a strength specification needs more than a dry/wet label.
Cellulose films: why wetting, appearance and package performance need separate evidence
MFLC wetting results and real cellulose-film specimens show why material appearance, preparation and converted-package performance need separate evidence.
Chitosan and Alginate Packaging Films: Where Bio-Based Barrier Materials Actually Work
Chitosan and alginate can provide oxygen, grease and active-packaging functions, but humidity, formulation, food-contact status and industrial converting determine where they actually work.
Why the Same Bioplastic Degrades Differently in Industrial Compost, Home Compost and Soil
The same biodegradable plastic can degrade rapidly in industrial compost and slowly in home compost or soil. Temperature, moisture, microbes, crystallinity, thickness and polymer chemistry explain why.
Brands
View All ArticlesPackaging manufacturers, material developers, converters and technology companies shaping the industry.
Bioleader®
Sugarcane bagasse tableware
Foodservice packaging manufacturer and wholesale supplier of sugarcane bagasse tableware, paper cups, paper bowls, cornstarch tableware, cutlery and PLA cups. OEM/ODM, custom printing and private-label…
Sappi
Functional and barrier packaging papers
Sappi supplies functional and barrier papers, heat-sealable papers and packaging board within a broader pulp-and-paper business. Its packaging work combines substrate design, surface treatment and…
Avantium
PEF and renewable polymer technologies
Avantium develops FDCA chemistry and PEF, marketed as releaf, for packaging and other applications. Its relevance spans the Delfzijl flagship plant, material qualification and future…
ALPLA
Rigid plastic packaging systems
ALPLA develops rigid plastic packaging systems, including bottles, preforms and closures, with recycling activities forming part of its materials business.