As California rolls back landmark legislation like SB 54, once dubbed the most significant plastics and packaging reform in the state's history, we’re reminded that progress isn’t linear. While 2.9 million tonnes of single-use plastic flooded the California market last year alone, sweeping measures to curb this crisis are being diluted under the guise of “fair implementation.”
At the same time in the UK, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is becoming more than a distant policy, it’s now a very real cost on the balance sheets of businesses. The contrast in countries is staggering. Yet, these regulatory shifts, both forward and backward, highlight the same thing: the packaging industry is at a tipping point. And businesses have a choice to either adapt with genuine circular solutions or risk falling behind.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach. And collaboration is becoming the key driver for many in the sector for solutions focused outcomes.
For example, in 2024, three certified B Corps - BioPak, Huskee and decent packaging - joined forces to tackle packaging from all sides: compostable, recyclable and reusable. This cross-functional model is what the circular economy demands. Not just one-off innovation, but a connected system that prioritises low-carbon materials, end-of-life solutions, and scalable reuse.
Circularity isn’t just about product design. It’s about infrastructure. It’s about behaviour change. And it’s about making it easy and commercially viable for businesses and consumers to do the right thing.
There are still many challenges and roadblocks when trying to navigate and work towards such an ambitious target as a world without waste. Which is why the power of partnerships is so important. By pooling resources, businesses can build decentralised systems that can work today, with the vision and mission to scale tomorrow. The opportunities, prospects and capabilities are limitless when we work together.
The truth is, bans will come and go. Policies will shift with elections. But what doesn't change is the environmental impact of the status quo and our responsibility to disrupt it. So, as the headlines bounce between progress and rollback, we’re staying focused on what we can control - building a better packaging system from the inside out.
Because if we want a truly circular economy, it’s not just about replacing plastic. It’s about replacing the mindset that waste is inevitable.
And that shift starts now.
Lea Maguero is the Head of Sustainability at BioPak, an award-winning, global leader in compostable packaging that provides innovative, plant-based alternatives to foodservice plastics and helps businesses work towards a circular economy. For more information on BioPak click here.