The global packaging industry is undergoing a pivotal transformation. Driven by mounting environmental pressures, evolving consumer expectations, and increasingly ambitious regulatory frameworks—like the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)—businesses across the value chain are rethinking the way packaging is designed, used, and recovered. The traditional linear model of "take-make-dispose" is giving way to a circular system, where materials are kept in use for as long as possible, waste is minimized, and value is regenerated at every stage.
In this new landscape, packaging is not just a vessel—it’s a critical interface between sustainability and product performance. Innovations in recyclability, reuse, smart systems, and material science are enabling companies to reduce carbon emissions, improve resource efficiency, and meet rising compliance standards. However, achieving circularity is not a one-size-fits-all endeavour. It requires collaboration, data-driven strategies, and a clear understanding of trade-offs.
This article explores how leading organisations—including Sonoco, STADLER, Sun Chemical, Tetra Pak, TG PACK, Tosca, UPM Raflatac, and Valpak—are pioneering circular economy practices in packaging. Their stories reveal a dynamic shift from intention to action, as the sector embraces scalable, practical, and often groundbreaking solutions that are reshaping the future of sustainable packaging.
Sonoco: Designing Recyclability into Everyday Packaging
Sonoco is at the forefront of sustainable packaging innovation through its focus on recyclable, fibre-based solutions. In a recent interview, Francesco Giannolo, VP & GM of RPC Europe, emphasized the importance of designing packaging that functions within current recycling infrastructure. Products like EnviroCan® and GreenCan®, part of the company’s EnviroSense® portfolio, offer strong product protection while reducing environmental impact. A recent collaboration with Nestlé brought to market a 95% fibre paper end solution for coffee packaging.
Beyond technical innovation, Sonoco works closely with industry partners such as Kellanova and the Alliance for Fibre-Based Packaging to enhance recyclability standards. Giannolo stresses that cross-sector cooperation is essential to drive circularity, urging brands to rely on experienced providers for effective transitions.
STADLER: Engineering Digital-Driven Recycling Plants
STADLER Anlagenbau GmbH is reshaping recycling with a blend of physical infrastructure and digital intelligence. Its STADLERconnect platform uses real-time data and AI to improve plant efficiency, from predictive maintenance to material flow optimisation. This digital tool supports operators in preventing downtime, reducing waste, and increasing recovery rates.
At the same time, STADLER’s engineering expertise is on full display at Circular Plastic, Italy’s largest plastic sorting plant. Developed with Iren SpA, the facility processes over 100,000 tonnes annually with a recovery rate of up to 97%. Smart systems, including 22 NIR sensors, ensure consistently high-quality output. By combining smart automation with robust partnerships, STADLER exemplifies how large-scale, tech-enabled recycling facilities can advance circular economy goals.
Sun Chemical: Driving Circularity Through Chemistry and Collaboration
Sun Chemical approaches packaging sustainability through its comprehensive 5R strategy: Reuse, Reduce, Renew, Recycle, and Redesign. Its innovations include SunLam solvent-free adhesives and SunPak DirectFood Plus inks—products that improve recyclability and compostability. Sustainability is woven into their manufacturing processes, with environmental metrics tracked to drive continuous improvement.
Collaboration remains central to their success. Working with organizations like CEFLEX and APR, Sun Chemical helps shape industry standards while preparing clients for upcoming regulations. By balancing product innovation, operational efficiency, and collaborative action, Sun Chemical is helping reshape the packaging industry into a more circular and resilient system.
Tetra Pak: Reimagining Food and Beverage Cartons
Tetra Pak is making significant strides in sustainable packaging, particularly in the food and beverage sector. With cartons primarily made from FSC™-certified paperboard, the company aims to reduce environmental impact without compromising food safety. Tetra Pak invests €100 million annually into making its packaging more renewable and recyclable, and is exploring paper-based alternatives to aluminium barriers.
The company also supports infrastructure with €40 million annually to improve global recycling systems. Its partnership in a new Netherlands-based polyAl processing facility is a prime example of how it closes the loop. Tetra Pak's broader initiatives—including AI-driven verification and connected packaging—highlight a systems-level approach to enabling a circular economy.
TG PACK: A Pragmatic Voice on Packaging Sustainability
Dr. Thomas Gröner of TG PACK SOLUTIONS brings a refreshingly honest perspective to sustainability in packaging. With over 30 years in the industry, Gröner warns against overly simplistic solutions. He argues that sustainable packaging decisions must be fact-based and holistic, noting the trade-offs between material types, recycling capabilities, and consumer willingness to pay.
Gröner also stresses the need for better sorting infrastructure to support “Design for Recycling” strategies. He advocates for recycled content quotas and questions the overreliance on chemical recycling due to its high carbon impact. In the realm of food packaging, he emphasizes that preventing food waste often has a bigger environmental return than optimizing packaging materials. His message: pragmatic, tailored solutions are the key to real sustainability.
Tosca: Making Reuse a Business Imperative
Tosca champions reusable packaging as a powerful tool for reducing environmental impact. Unlike recycling, which requires intensive processing, reuse models extend the lifespan of materials and reduce total waste. This strategy is particularly relevant under the new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which sets a 40% reuse target for transport packaging by 2030.
Tosca’s circular pooling model, used in partnerships like the one with Simpsons Beverages, has helped businesses reduce plastic waste, lower costs, and enhance compliance. With EPR schemes increasingly favouring reusable systems, reuse is becoming not just a sustainable option but a cost-effective one. “Recycling alone isn’t enough,” says Tosca’s Karin Witton. “We must start with reuse.”
UPM Raflatac & Henkel: Aligning with Regulation through Innovation
The upcoming PPWR regulation is reshaping Europe’s packaging landscape, and companies like UPM Raflatac and Henkel are proactively adapting. Both firms emphasize that packaging strategies must be comprehensive, considering recyclability, carbon footprint, and lifecycle impact—not just material choices.
A major focus is on labelling technologies. UPM Raflatac’s wash-off adhesives enable cleaner recycling streams, particularly in PET and HDPE packaging. Meanwhile, Henkel is investing in packaging data systems and workforce training to meet compliance requirements and reduce EPR fees.
Their message is clear: collaboration and innovation are essential to make the transition to smarter, circular packaging systems that can withstand regulatory scrutiny while delivering performance.
Valpak: Data-Driven Solutions for Smarter Packaging
Valpak by Reconomy takes a data-first approach to packaging sustainability. With access to over 55 million packaging SKUs, it uses Life Cycle Assessments to help clients find the most sustainable and cost-effective solutions. Their consulting has already led to significant emission reductions, including an 88% cut for one brand after a packaging redesign.
Valpak sees regulation—particularly EPR and eco-modulation—as a way to incentivize better packaging design. It also cautions that enthusiasm for reuse and smart tech must be tempered by real-world viability and carbon accounting. Director James Skidmore encourages businesses to adopt a balanced strategy that includes design efficiency, responsible consumer behaviour, and evidence-based decision-making.
Conclusion: A Collective Shift Toward Circularity
The path to a circular economy is not linear—and neither is the journey toward truly sustainable packaging. As highlighted across these case studies, there is no universal solution. Instead, progress depends on a diverse ecosystem of innovation, where every stakeholder plays a role—from materials scientists and engineers to policymakers, retailers, and consumers.
The future of packaging is being shaped by those who can balance function with sustainability, aesthetics with recyclability, and innovation with regulation. Companies like Sonoco are proving that recyclable paper-based solutions can rival plastic in performance. STADLER is showing that data and AI can redefine how we recover value from waste. Tosca and Valpak are demonstrating that reuse and data-driven strategy are no longer fringe ideas—they are fundamental to mainstream operations.
What unites these players is a shared recognition: packaging is both a problem and a powerful lever for change. When redesigned with circularity in mind, packaging can reduce carbon footprints, prevent waste, and extend the life of valuable materials. As we approach critical climate and resource thresholds, the packaging sector must continue to evolve—not just faster, but smarter.
Ultimately, the circular economy is not about perfection. It’s about continuous improvement, grounded in evidence, collaboration, and creativity. And as these leaders demonstrate, the shift is not only necessary—it’s already underway.