Josh Brooks
Divisional Director – Packaging Portfolio, Easyfairs
The transition to pEPR is accelerating change across the packaging value chain, placing greater emphasis on partnership, optimisation and measurable environmental outcomes.
The UK’s packaging industry is entering a period of significant transformation. New environmental regulations, evolving consumer expectations and the transition towards the pEPR framework are changing how businesses approach packaging decisions.
Sustainability meets compliance
What was once viewed primarily as a design, procurement or operational consideration is now increasingly recognised as a strategic business issue. Packaging choices can simultaneously influence environmental performance, regulatory costs, consumer perception and supply chain efficiency.
As a result, sustainability is becoming less about individual materials and more about understanding how packaging performs across its entire lifecycle.
This shift is increasingly evident in conversations across the industry. Packaging Innovations & Empack has become a focal point for discussions on packaging reform, circularity and future regulation, bringing together businesses, policymakers and industry bodies to explore the challenges and opportunities ahead. Milestones such as the exclusive launch of PACKUK, alongside participation from government ministers and senior industry leaders, demonstrate the growing importance of collaboration in shaping a more sustainable packaging system.
Collaboration across the value chain
Meeting these challenges cannot be achieved in isolation. Brands, manufacturers, retailers, recyclers, policymakers and packaging suppliers all have a role to play in creating systems that are both commercially viable and environmentally responsible.
This growing need for collaboration is creating greater demand for industry platforms that bring together different parts of the packaging ecosystem. Opportunities to share knowledge, understand emerging regulations and explore new technologies are becoming increasingly important as businesses prepare for future requirements.
Sustainability is becoming less about
individual materials and more about
understanding how packaging
performs across its entire lifecycle.
From policy to practice
The challenge facing many businesses is no longer understanding why change is necessary but determining how to implement it successfully.
Packaging optimisation is becoming a key area of focus. Companies are exploring ways to reduce material use, improve recyclability, increase operational efficiency and minimise waste, while maintaining product performance and controlling costs.
Alongside this, sustainable packaging incentives and regulatory frameworks are encouraging organisations to rethink long-established approaches to packaging design and recovery.
Turning ambition into action
Events such as Packaging Innovations & Empack provide an important platform for these conversations. By bringing together packaging professionals from across design, materials, automation, manufacturing and fulfilment, they create opportunities to examine how sustainability ambitions can be translated into practical action.
As environmental requirements continue to evolve, the businesses best positioned for success will be those that view sustainability not as a compliance exercise, but as a catalyst for innovation, collaboration and long-term resilience.
