Packaging Enters a New Economic Era as Regulation Reshapes Competitive Advantage

Smithers, in partnership with London Packaging Week 2026, reveals how PPWR, EPR and circularity are transforming packaging into a source of competitive advantage. The packaging industry is entering a new economic era, where decisions once driven by design, functionality and sustainability will determine cost, competitiveness and long-term profitability, according to a major new report from Smithers, produced in association with London Packaging Week 2026. The report, The New Economics of Packaging: How PPWR, EPR and Circularity Will Redefine Competitive Advantage Through 2031, argues that European packaging has reached a tipping point. As the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) begins to apply from August 12, 2026, packaging will become an increasingly important source of competitive advantage. The choices businesses make around materials, recyclability, recycled content, and packaging efficiency will influence margins and environmental outcomes.

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