AI, Chemicals of Concern, EPR Pepper PACK EXPO Discussions

The last of the Pack Expo International 2026 visitors left the halls of Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center on Wednesday following a four-day event that host PMMI estimated would bring 45,000 people to discuss the latest trends in packaging and processing technology and innovation. Various groups held educational sessions to provide updates on the state of the overall industry and its subsectors, as well as highlighting trending topics. Dominant industry priorities are productivity, automation, resilience, and flexibility, said PMMI’s Jorge Izquierdo, vice president of market development. While describing the overall state of the industry, he noted that packaging machinery shipments in the U.S. grew 2.3% in 2025, and PMMI projects this year will be up another 4.5%.

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