At this year’s Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 in Birmingham, I was reminded just how quickly and profoundly the packaging landscape is evolving. The whole event had a real buzz to it: packed talks, busy aisles, and conversations that felt simultaneously more urgent and more collaborative than ever.
Across just one day I managed to catch up with colleagues, partners and new connections, and still squeeze in five excellent talks. What struck me most wasn’t just the volume of change the industry is facing, but the appetite to navigate it together.
Below are my reflections on the sessions that shaped the day and why I’m leaving feeling surprisingly optimistic about where we’re headed.
Turning EPR Pressure into Value Creation – Gill Garside‑Wight, Aura
Gill opened with a clear-eyed view of the complexity we’re all dealing with: overlapping and often conflicting local and global legislation, rapidly proliferating EPR systems, eco‑modulation on the horizon, and shifting consumer expectations that often outpace understanding. For businesses, this creates a perfect storm of cost and time pressure to enable compliance and make the right packaging decisions.
One point that really landed with me was:
“Getting your packaging to “80% right” is relatively easy, it’s the final 20% that takes 80% of the work”
In our current projects at Aura, we’re seeing this trend more and more. Brands and retailers have often already right-sized, reduced or switched packaging as much as they feel they can. It’s that elusive 20% to meet ambitious targets and drive down EPR fees that takes the most strategizing.
Increasingly, the differentiator won’t be technical capability alone, but access to accurate, validated, real-time data to steer and enable informed decisions.
Aura’s global consumer research also revealed something important: while consumers want clearer sustainability messaging, trust remains fragile and inconsistent, and that gap leaves brands exposed.
Gill’s three strategic takeaways were simple but powerful:
- Understand obligations early and align with consumer expectations
- Focus closely on your packaging data to unlock meaningful change
- Don’t lose hope. Together, a sustainable future is achievable
As ever, the audience left the room feeling steadier and more empowered than when we walked in.
PackUK: A Year of pEPR Delivery, and a Big Year Ahead.
PackUK delivered an update that reflected both progress and the very real challenges of rolling out a scheme that remains under close industry scrutiny. As part of its remit to operationalise UK EPR policy, their CSO shared that £1bn of producer payments has already been distributed to local authorities to improve recycling infrastructure and service quality – signalling that EPR is now real and operational, not theoretical.
Key points that stood out:
- Local authorities will be financially rewarded for higher-quality recyclate, pushing the system towards better outcomes
- Councils are pooling funding collaboratively to deliver wider improvements – a hopeful sign of cross-region cooperation
- The updated Recyclability Assessment Methodology (RAM) will land in July 2026 for 2027 implementation, laying the ground for eco‑modulated fees
- With around 20% of packaging currently classified as “Red”, design changes alone could uplift UK recycling rates from 64% to as high as 84% if problematic components are removed
There will be more updates to come, with the UK’s PRO for pEPR due to be announced in March. The message was clear: legislation is accelerating, expectations are rising, and the opportunity to design better has never been bigger.
Talking Rubbish Live: Collaboration vs. Antitrust (A Very US Debate)
The Talking Rubbish podcast brought a lively and slightly surreal discussion about how environmental collaboration is being framed and challenged in the United States.
A recent letter from Florida’s Attorney General made the audacious suggestion that organisations like GreenBlue, the US Plastics Pact and the Consumer Goods Forum could be “anti‑competitive” under the Sherman Act for bringing brands together to solve systemic sustainability challenges.
Given that these bodies have been responsible for landmark shifts towards better and more sustainable packaging and consumer messaging, the idea that this collaboration could ever be framed as “cartel-like” feels counterintuitive to say the least.
As an example, industry collaboration on toothpaste tubes was cited, where competitors worked together to align on an industry-wide move from multi-layer laminates to recyclable mono-material tubes.
The room was united on the message:
“Necessary, proportionate collaboration does not distort competition, it delivers environmental progress that no business can achieve alone.”
A useful reminder that collective action often requires courage and clarity, especially against the backdrop of heavily politicised narratives.
A Snapshot of a Sector in Motion
Across every talk, one theme kept resurfacing: the sheer pace of change in packaging right now.
Between UK EPR activation, RAM updates, PPWR in Europe, rising consumer scrutiny, and new US state-level EPR schemes rolling out year by year – it’s no wonder the industry feels like it’s at a transformational tipping point.
But what was refreshing was the tone of the conversations. Yes, the challenges are significant. Yes, the stakes are rising, but there was a noticeable focus on solutions, shared learning, and cross-industry action.
One thing that became even clearer to me at the event is just how vital robust packaging data, clear strategic frameworks and real-time guidance are going to be over the next 12–24 months.
This is the space where Aura, through our consulting expertise and our e-halo platform, is already helping global brands and retailers turn legislative pressure into:
- clearer decision-making
- reduced fee exposure
- improved recyclability
- stronger consumer trust
- future‑proofed packaging strategies
It’s the kind of support that transforms complexity into confidence.
Closing Thoughts: Hope, Momentum and Collective Action
After a jam-packed day of industry debate, I left with a genuine sense of optimism. Despite the noise, despite the complexity, despite the pace, the direction of travel is clear, and it’s positive.
Because when the industry comes together…
When we share knowledge…
When we design for the system rather than the silo…
Progress accelerates.
And the sustainable future we all talk about becomes more achievable than it sometimes feels.
I’m grateful for the conversations at Packaging Innovations 2026, and I’m excited about the role Aura will continue to play in helping businesses navigate this landscape with clarity, data and collaboration at the heart.
If you’re exploring how to build resilience into your packaging strategy this year, I’d love to continue the conversation.
Together, it’s absolutely achievable.
