Upcoming Trade Shows in for Packing & Packaging

The course ahead for the packing and packaging industry revolves around sustainability as its top priority. Today, packaging ranks second only to energy consumption in its impact on the planet, which has put a target on its back from businesses and policymakers alike. As environmental concerns mount, innovations are squarely directed towards waste reduction, the lowering of carbon footprints, and the rethinking of traditional packaging materials. There’s a good reason for all of this, if you look at the numbers. Recent research reveals that 34% of man-made greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions stem from the food sector, with packaging alone responsible for over 60 million tons of CO2 emissions annually. In response, governments worldwide are enacting regulations aimed at curbing the environmental impact of packaging materials, and single-use plastics (SUPs) are first to get the axe. The European Union has been at the forefront of this movement, mandating that all packaging must be recyclable or reusable by 2030. This goes hand in hand with the pressure on packaging designers to increasingly seek alternatives to fossil-based materials. The industry has responded with innovations such as bio-attributed plastics and barrier papers, which offer sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic packaging. These materials maintain the necessary protective and functional qualities of packaging while significantly reducing environmental impact. The pressure on the packing and packaging industry to go green is already having an impact on the global market for recycled plastics is projected to see significant growth, with estimates placing its 2024 valuation at $53.69 billion. Some of the industry's biggest players are investing heavily in advancing plastic recycling technologies. A notable example is ‘Ultra-Pure Polypropylene,’ an innovation pioneered by Procter & Gamble and commercialized by PureCycle. The company aims to reach a production capacity of 450,000 tons of UPRP by 2025, signaling a major shift towards circular plastic solutions.