Takeaways from the Sustainable Packaging Summit 2025
- Renata Daudt
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
I’ve just returned from Utrecht, where the Sustainable Packaging Summit once again brought together the brightest minds and boldest ideas in our industry. Three days of intense discussion, genuine collaboration, and some needed reality checks — and this year’s edition truly felt like a turning point.
🌍 Imagining Packaging in 2045
The opening keynote asked us to stretch our imagination:
👉🏼 When reusable packaging is as trivial as brushing your teeth.
👉🏼 When today’s regulations evolve into global ISO standards.
👉🏼 When biomaterials we haven’t even invented yet are commonplace.
👉🏼 When no plastic is fossil-based, but some are virgin from renewable sources.
It was a powerful reminder that the future of packaging won’t be defined only by material innovation, but by the systems and reporting frameworks that enable measurable impact.
♻️ Recycling Reality Check
The plastic recycling crisis was front and centre. Cheap PCR from overseas continues to threaten local recyclers, yet there’s real opportunity for those investing in traceability, certification, and technology.Reassuringly, Wolfgang Trunk from the European Commission confirmed that PPWR’s rules are locked in, giving businesses the regulatory certainty they need to invest.
Mireia Boada from Plastics Recyclers Europe highlighted that recyclers are currently under severe pressure, with several recycling facilities in Europe having closed this year. She proposed introducing a CN (Combined Nomenclature) code to differentiate between virgin and recycled plastics, and to ensure that the same regulatory requirements apply to recyclers outside Europe.
Feliks Bezati from Mars raised a pertinent question: “Will flexible packaging become cheaper once we factor in eco-modulation, the premium cost of PCR, and the redesign required for recyclability?”
It was also noted that recycled plastic imported from outside Europe cannot be used for food-grade applications, while only a limited share of material from European recyclers is approved for such use — often commanding a premium price for high-quality PCR.
Important note: On 12 August 2026, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) transitions from the “entry/preparatory” phase into an initial phase of mandatory applicability across all EU Member States.
What this means?
From this date, many of the regulation’s core obligations become legally binding—i.e., businesses must begin compliance rather than just preparation.
For example: companies placing packaging into the European market will need to ensure declarations of conformity, start using measurable recyclability criteria, and verify they understand their role under the regulation (manufacturer/importer/distributor) as defined.
Also, from 12 August 2026 the obligation to appoint an “Authorised Representative” for packaging (in cases of non-EU manufacturers placing products in the EU) becomes mandatory across all Member States.
🌏 EPR Around the World
It was an honour to join Filipe Vieira de Castro, Kellie Northwood, Frank (Fengkai) Wang, and Cory Connors to discuss Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) models across LatAm, ANZ, North America, Africa, and China.
Some striking contrasts emerged:
Kenya led the way with its early plastic bag ban.
South American EPR will only work if engaging with the waste pickers as part of the system.
South Africa’s EPR began as an industry initiative to harmonise standards.
China recycles enormous quantities of PET — but mainly for textiles, not bottle-to-bottle applications.
Belgium and the Netherlands are examples to be followed showing what’s possible when clear frameworks and transparent reporting support circular systems.
My presentation focused on the differences between developing countries and Europe, and how EPR schemes are likely to fail if they do not consider the local context — particularly the crucial role of waste pickers in collection and sorting. Thanks to their work, countries like Brazil achieve impressive recycling rates: 96% for aluminium, 70% for paper, and around 50% for glass.
💬 From Reuse to Regulation
Across the panels, a recurring message surfaced: reuse is no longer a theory.Europe is being pushed by law; the US is being pulled by the market — both still adapting infrastructure, logistics, and consumer behaviour. The technology exists; the challenge is building scalable systems around it.
And while regulation dominated discussions, a key shift was clear: compliance is no longer the goal — it’s the baseline. The frontrunners will be those who integrate sustainability metrics and carbon reporting directly into packaging strategy.
💡 Data Ate the Whole Show
If Utrecht had a sub-theme, it was data. From digital IDs and live tracking to verified EPR reporting, the message was unmistakable: data is the system.
When every package becomes traceable, packaging stops being waste and becomes a measurable contributor to circularity and carbon reduction. Data enables brands to quantify avoided emissions, track material recovery, and connect packaging choices directly to sustainability disclosures.
This is where packaging meets corporate climate reporting — and becomes a visible lever for decarbonisation.
🌿 The Paper Transformation & New Materials
“Plastic-free” isn’t a strategy — impact is. The fibre transformation sessions highlighted how science, LCAs, and carbon accounting now drive material decisions.
The Sustainability Awards showcased how innovation and data can work hand-in-hand to demonstrate measurable carbon savings — from cleantech systems to renewable feedstocks and digital traceability.
The awards happened at the Moulin Rouge (yes, we were having the summit at the same stage!), it was special and definitely unforgettable!
🏅Great innovations such as Vidre+ to extend fresh food shelf life and reduce food waste got the prize and have shown how cleantech is innovating the packaging industry
🏅Shout out to Papacks with the recyclable fibre-based vitamins bottle and
🥇 Zafree Papers from Ethiopia which was the overall winner with the development of paper production without trees, only with agricultural waste such as fibre from the banana waste
The finalists and winners have shown the paper movement taking place and the usage of agricultural waste as an alternative feedstock which also reduces the carbon emissions of the packaging compared to traditional feedstocks
The takeaway was clear: innovation isn’t the bottleneck anymore — adoption and transparent reporting are. Meet all the winners here.
My Closing Reflection
The conversation in Utrecht marked a shift from “what” to “how” — from experimenting with materials to demonstrating measurable progress.
Sustainability reporting is no longer a back-office task; it’s becoming the language of strategy, guiding where brands invest, how they design, and how they prove their impact.Packaging, when designed for circularity, traceability, and efficiency, isn’t just a compliance checkbox — it’s a carbon reduction tool that bridges design and data, helping companies meet both EPR obligations and climate targets.
The future of packaging is measurable, traceable, and accountable — and this summit proved that the industry is finally ready to connect the dots.
✨ As Joachim Quoden from EXTRA mentioned a couple of times: “We already know what to do. We just need to implement it.”
— Renata Daudt
Sharing some pictures about Utrecht and the Summit, join us next year from 10 to 12th November 2026!
