A sweeping state recycling bill calls for scores of companies to stop using plastic wrap when packaging products, which critics gripe could leave crucial everyday items such as diapers and toilet paper soggy. The proposed...

Political, PRO and packaging leaders shared their thoughts on the direction EPR is headed, including implications for data management, sustainable design and measuring success. U.S. packaging stakeholders have learned a lot this past year since...

Like the high-energy musical number “June Is Bustin’ Out All Over” from the musical Carousel that celebrates the arrival of summer, this issue of FlexPack VOICE® celebrates new arrivals, along with new breakthroughs and innovations....

This year’s Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition carries special significance as we proudly celebrate the 70th anniversary of our flagship awards program—seven decades of honoring excellence, innovation, and leadership in flexible packaging. Since its inception...

Consolidation in the packaging sector is gaining pace as companies respond to cost pressure, sustainability demands, and shifting supply chains. The global packaging industry remains highly fragmented, yet rising input costs, regulatory requirements, and the...

With growing interest in various approaches to packaging regulation, developments in state packaging policies continue to unfold. Below are some key issues shaping the future of packaging. New York extended producer responsibility (EPR): New York...

Emerald Packaging, Inc. won two Silver Awards—for Packaging Excellence and Technical Innovation—in the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition for 2026. The entry that won the awards was the “30% Food-Contact Post-Consumer...

Jim Pease founded Sun Centre USA Inc. in 2015, leveraging his experience in the packaging industry to create a company that handles all packaging needs. From custom tooling to technical and mechanical support, Sun Centre’s...

For the past 70 years, the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) has held its annual Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards competition. Gold Awards and Silver Awards, as well as a Highest Achievement Award, were handed out at...

Every surgical procedure in the U.S. depends on flexible sterile packaging, often in ways patients never see. It is estimated that a major inpatient surgery can require more than 200 sterilized instruments, devices, and accessories,...

For packaging manufacturers seeking new ways to develop sustainable products, gas analyzers play a vital role by helping monitor products’ environmental performance. Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are emitted during many packaging production processes. These...

What does a risk-based path forward for healthcare packaging look like? This podcast episode shares insights from the SPMC (Sterilization Packaging Manufacturers Council) on a risk-based sustainability assessment model grounded in regulatory compliance and patient...

Late spring and early summer typically mark a busy legislative period on Capitol Hill. This is especially true in 2026. Because it is an election year, pressure is on legislators to complete as much work...

In each issue, FlexPack VOICE® interviews an industry leader or a professional who supports the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) in its various efforts, such as industry advocacy. In this edition, we profile Pallavi Joyappa, president,...

A war is being waged against industrial progress, a quiet assault on the materials that empower human life. It is fought in the name of “sustainability” and “naturalness” by those who find virtue in limitation....

Founded in 2016, SmartSolve initially focused on water-soluble labels and paper. From the start, CEO Jonathan Jakubowski understood that water-soluble paper would serve as a foundation for a broader platform to launch water-soluble breakthroughs. One...

The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) and its Emerging Leadership Council (ELC) are well underway with the 2026 Student Flexible Packaging Design Challenge. In its 22nd year, the program remains one of the industry’s most respected...

On May 1, 2026, Maximilian Peter will take over as head of WACKER’s Polymers division. Holding a doctorate in chemical engineering, he has been with WACKER since 2012. After working in process development, he took...

Michelman announced the introduction of two new bio-based, plastic-free coatings, Nuvita® Life 4002 & Nuvita® Life 4605, designed to deliver high barrier performance while supporting recyclability and compostability for fiber-based retail food packaging applications.

Siegwerk, one of the leading global providers of printing inks and coatings for packaging applications and labels, and Enplater Group, a specialist in the printing and production of rigid and flexible packaging, announced today the...

The global market for post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic packaging is at a crossroads. Growing steadily but falling short of legislative demands, the industry faces a defining decade. With binding targets looming in Europe and beyond,...

Packaging suppliers may not always have great visibility into the retail sector’s most pressing needs. A new collaboration aims to bridge that gap. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s Retailer Forum was founded on the premise that...

Miraclon has been named a recipient of the 2026 Technical Innovation Award by the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) for its FLEXCEL Prime Plate, a next-generation flexographic plate technology designed to deliver greater consistency, predictability and...

Wikoff, a leading manufacturer of high-performance printing inks and coatings, today announced the appointment of Cara Gresio as Chief Commercial Officer, effective May 4, 2026. Gresio succeeds Jeff Czarnecki, a 35-year industry veteran who joined...

The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), the leading advocate for the U.S. flexible packaging industry, opposes proposed packaging extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation in New York, A.1749/S.1464. While some positive and negative changes have recently been...

In March 2026, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed specific actions for reversing the 2024 National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP), a program under the Clean Air Act that regulates emissions of...

Earlier this year, about $7.4 million in grants from public and private entities allowed the city of Providence, Rhode Island, to jump-start its program to divert waste from landfills and into systems that create new...

Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, opened an advanced healthcare packaging coating facility in Subang Jaya, Selangor, marking a significant expansion of its manufacturing footprint in Malaysia and Southeast Asia....