Gartner, Inc. provides tactics for chief procurement officers attempting to deal with packaging material shortages amidst supply instability and rising costs. Supply instability and rising costs are prompting chief procurement officers (CPOs) to adopt new...

Last year two states, Oregon and Maine, enacted extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging laws. By the time you read this, Hawaii may have joined them. Several other state legislatures are still considering EPR, while...

Before the pandemic, workforce issues were a growing concern for Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) member companies. For several years, the industry faced the initial phase of the massive exit from the labor pool of retiring...

The explosion of e-commerce over the last two years fueled a burst of creativity that will leave a lasting mark on flexible packaging, even if online sales retreat from their pandemic-era highs. The mark is...

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s due to their useful properties. There are thousands of different PFAS, some...

2021 witnessed landmark passage of new laws on recycling and packaging policy, and 2022 is becoming a year of conflicting state perspectives over potential new laws that will govern how flexible packag­ing is made and...

Three judges in the annual packaging compe­tition sponsored by the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) examine the wrapping of the Celebrate HerSHEy’s Bar, a version of the iconic candy company’s mainstay. The design set off the...

The COVID-19 pandemic altered consumer behavior largely by accelerating trends that were already gaining traction, particularly in e-commerce. The question for retail brands and their vendors is to what degree consumers will stick to their...

The judges for the 66th Annual Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition have been involved in the packaging industry for decades. Jim Peters, Brian Ludwick, and Martin Golden brought their varied careers in academia, publishing, and...

The United States has one of the fastest growing packaging markets in the world and is expected to have an annual growth rate of 3.5% between 2021 to 2026. In March 2022, the United States...

Inkjet printing reduces prepress costs and make-ready waste while offering mass customization and shorter production runs. We identified these five trends and opportunities that address the fragile foundation of consumer demand and regulatory requirements.

One of the hottest holiday gifts last year was a virtual reality set for gaming. Globally, the VR gaming market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% from 2020...

Perishable items and nut butters will be among foods requiring increased traceability records under FDA proposed ruling expected later this year. Automation, increased due diligence, and additional staffing are in offing for affected food processors....

The Flexible Packaging Association (FPA), the leading advocate and voice for the growing U.S. flexible packaging industry, is pleased to announce the winners of its 66th Annual Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition. The winning entries...

Despite the challenges of the last two-plus years, the sterile packaging community remains steadfast in its commitment to protect and serve patients and their caregivers. Every stakeholder — from regulatory agencies and manufacturers to sterilization...

As more than half of consumers in the US are likely to switch to new products in case the ones they normally use have unsatisfactory packaging, it becomes evident that package design matters quite a...

The cannabis market is expanding rapidly. About one third of US residents live in a state with access to recreational cannabis, and 37 states allow medical cannabis. In Canada and Mexico, marijuana is legal for...

As we covered in our annual Executive Forecast for 2022, the pandemic may not be at the forefront of everyone’s minds directly, but its ripple effects are still spreading outward. Those ripples are impacting the...

The search for packaging alternatives can be frustrating because of the cumbersome methods of designing and testing materials under various shipping and distribution scenarios. However, if those tests could be done virtually, a company could...

Packaging is an integral part of a product in today’s developed world. And yet, with today’s environmental concerns, reducing waste and energy usage while increasing overall product sustainability has been the priority. A major challenge...

‘Eco-friendly’ and ‘sustainable’ have both become climate change buzzwords in recent years, increasingly used by brands in campaigns to promote their climate-saving credentials, The main issue with this is that many of these brands are...

As more and more consumers become environmentally conscious, it’s vital for businesses to embrace sustainability in their packaging. In fact, this should be a priority among businesses across all niches, as statistics show that more...

The pandemic-driven surge in e-commerce sales has resulted in an increased number of packages crossing the threshold of people’s homes — and packaging is a critical component as the e-commerce industry continues to expand at...

Post COVID, the fresh food industry can see clearly that the struggle between time and distance must be solved, as well as protecting the supplies and goods as they move through the chain, said Jeff...

Ecommerce packaging development and improvement took another leap forward in June 2021, when Amazon announced an expansion of its Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP) program. Now, half a year later, we not only get a progress update,...

When CPGs and OEMs discussed challenges surrounding packaging formats, designs, and materials, most said improving industry partnerships is the solution. As consumers and legislators demand more environmentally friendly packaging, and e-commerce continues to drive new...

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it created a shift in the already expanding e-commerce market. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, U.S. online retail sales grew from less than 10% in...

If the last two years have shown us anything, it’s that no number of restrictions will decrease people’s coffee consumption. Unable to visit their favorite cafe for that daily (or multiple-times-a-day) caffeine fix, many have...