At first glance, packaging might seem a simple act—wrapping a product, protecting it on a shelf, or catching a shopper's eye. Yet, at its core, packaging is a quiet alchemy where material meets message, and shape becomes story. London Packaging Week has been the crucible of this transformation for fifteen years: a vibrant gathering where visionaries converge, design sparks dialogue, and the future of brand experience is continuously reimagined.
This milestone isn't just a measure of time passed but a celebration of profound evolution. Over a decade and a half, London Packaging Week has traced the shifting contours of consumer desire and creative possibility, from the whisper of hand-drawn concepts to the bold clarity of sustainable innovation. It has been a stage for pioneers and provocateurs, artisans and engineers, each contributing to a symphony of texture, tone, and technology defining modern packaging.
As London Packaging Week steps confidently into its next chapter, it does so not as a static exhibition but as a dynamic eco-system—responsive, restless, radiant. Ahead lies the frontier of circular systems, intelligent materials, and design, dissolving the boundaries between product and planet. This story of transformation is told best by those who live it: the Voices of Packaging. Weaving together insights from the industry's brightest minds, we explore how packaging has changed and where it's headed next.
From afterthought to strategic powerhouse
"Back in 2010, packaging was often the afterthought that kept a product safe on its way to the shelf," reflects Lisa Cain, Technical Manager at Smurfit Westrock. "Fifteen years later, it's the meeting point of regulation, brand reputation, and resource efficiency, and it tends to set the brief rather than follow it." The shift Lisa describes marks a revolution in packaging's role—from simple protection to strategic driver.
Joanna Stephenson, Managing Director of Think B2B Marketing, agrees: "Fifteen years ago, packaging was rarely centre stage—functional, maybe decorative, but seldom strategic. It's a critical touchpoint for regulation, sustainability, and brand trust today. It must perform technically, communicate clearly, and prove its environmental impact—all at once." The evolution from trend-chasing to navigating complex global regulations, supply chains, and consumer expectations requires confidence and collaboration across every stage of development.
This transformation is powered by data. "The biggest change has been the move from 'recyclable' as a tick-box to sustainability as a measurable system," Lisa Cain explains. "Carbon data, refill loops, and EPR fees now shape material choice long before artwork appears, and a design that cannot prove its footprint rarely survives the concept stage." Packaging's story is no longer told just by its form or look but by the numbers, science, and traceability embedded deep within.
Paul Jenkins, Founder and Managing Director of ThePackHub, whose perspective captures the full scale of change across the global packaging landscape, frames this evolution: "Since London Packaging Week began in 2010, sustainability has gone from a burgeoning concern to the industry's central driver—fuelled by consumer awareness, landmark programmes like Blue Planet II, and ever-tighter EPR and PPWR regulations. Today, compliance and innovation are inseparable."
The sustainability revolution: Beyond surface fixes
Sustainability lies at the heart of the industry's transformation, and few understand this shift as deeply as Neil Farmer, 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award winner at London Packaging Week. "Since 2010, the packaging sector has transformed rapidly, driven largely by a growing focus on environmental sustainability. Environmental performance is now a key benchmark, seen in greater use of recycled materials and improved recycling systems," Neil notes. "Though the industry looks very different in 2025, much remains to be done."
This journey hasn't been straightforward. "Early sustainable packaging efforts focused on simple swaps—plastic for paper, complex trays for mono-materials," Joanna Stephenson recounts. "But real progress demanded a system view: Can this pack be collected and recycled in real-world conditions? Does it perform through filling, transit, and disposal? Will it meet global criteria, such as PPWR? The industry responded fast, moving from superficial fixes to frameworks built around full-pack recyclability and traceable performance."
Roger Wright, Waste Strategy & Packaging Manager at Biffa, expands on this critical turning point in packaging design: "As the last decade ended, a brand new notion of great design came forward, along with a renewed focus on plastic in particular that changed everything. A new recycling mindset to innovation and a circular approach to packaging blew the lid off 'less is more'. This meant the previous idea that a leaner design philosophy for packaging was, at best, only less bad, shocked every packaging professional into a new reality." From the mid-2010s onward, "a global obsession on packaging we only used once, shifted that old-fashioned notion of consumption to take, make and dispose of materials into one which kept valuable resources in circulation forever."
Margaret Bates, Head of EPR Scheme Administrator at Defra, adds a regulatory and behavioural perspective: "I think it's interesting to see how sustainability has become mainstream. Producers now highlight the sustainability of their packaging, having labels showcasing the recycled content, recyclability or other attributes. This has all been done in anticipation of pEPR, so I will be watching to see how linking packaging sustainability with an economic impact will accelerate that transition."
Robbie Staniforth, Innovation and Policy Director at Ecosurety, offers a candid look at how far the concept of producer responsibility has come. "Back in 2010, there was almost no talk about producer responsibility, never mind the 'extension' to include the total costs of collection, sorting, and recycling packaging," he reflects. "While many responsible companies tried their best to make packaging recyclable back then, it was usually a secondary thought."
He underscores how the drive toward simplicity has led to more meaningful outcomes: "The shift to simplifying packaging by using mono-materials has been a major recent step forward."
Despite the progress, Robbie emphasises the journey is far from over: "While all the recent talk about recycling labels and modulated fees signifies significant progress in the last 15 years, there's still a way to go before we can think of packaging as 'sustainable'." Looking ahead, he sets a bold aspiration: "In 15 years' time, I hope the industry is celebrating reusable packaging systems, rather than recyclable packaging items."
Jude Allan, Interim Managing Director of OPRL, reinforces the pivotal role of clear communication in this transformation: "Over the last 15 years, we've seen significant improvements in the recyclability of packaging and positive shifts in consumer behaviour. OPRL was also launched 15 years ago, and our widespread labelling has played a key role in engaging the public with recycling. Our consumer research consistently shows that people rely on packaging for clear instructions at the point of disposal. With the introduction of EPR, we're now transitioning from a voluntary labelling scheme to mandatory labelling—something that will accelerate change even further."
As recycling systems evolve, so does the vision for what packaging could become. Catherine Conway, Founder of Unpackaged and pioneer of reusable retail, points toward the future: "Imagine a world where all packaging is designed to be reused—no waste, no litter, no plastic in oceans. Since 2010, that vision has edged closer to reality." She highlights how grocery retail and food service trials have built vital knowledge of the commercial and consumer factors shaping reuse systems. "Reusable packaging presents a real opportunity. Beyond environmental impact, it can save brands and retailers money and build customer loyalty." Her insights reveal reuse as a business strategy, not just an environmental aspiration, "Sales data from The Refill Coalition shows between 16% and 30% of customers consistently choosing reuse and refill options over single-use alternatives."
Connected packaging: The digital renaissance
If sustainability rewrote packaging's environmental story, connected packaging is rewriting its digital narrative. Jenny Stanley, Founder of Appetite Creative, has been at the forefront of this revolution. "When I founded Appetite Creative in 2015, packaging was still largely seen as a functional vessel. Fast forward to 2025, and we've seen a revolution in how brands use packaging as a dynamic marketing channel."
Jenny explains that four key developments have driven this shift. "COVID-19 rapidly accelerated QR code adoption, turning a niche tool into a universal gateway. Legislation like the EU's Digital Product Passport and evolving waste regulations made connected packaging a powerful compliance tool. Major brands now consider connected packaging essential, with 88% planning adoption. Finally, its strategic value has multiplied—serving as a tool for engagement, transparency, data collection, direct sales, and media revenue."
Lucy Burgess, Strategy Director at Touch, describes how packaging's role has expanded beyond design to become a core business asset. "From the perspective of a global packaging innovation agency, packaging has evolved from being just a wrapper to becoming a recognised and valued strategic tool for brand and business growth. Rather than being an afterthought or something distinct from the product it contains, packaging is now increasingly seen as an integral component of a brand's overall offering."
She explains that today's packaging innovation demands cross-functional collaboration. "In a landscape shaped by rising costs, strict regulation, and intense competition, brands must extract full value from every packaging decision. Our role has evolved—from purely creative to strategically creative—as we now collaborate across entire businesses, from ESG and product development to marketing and supply chain. This integrated approach helps unlock new occasions, elevate experiences, cut costs, ensure compliance, and even deliver environmental benefits."
From mandates to momentum: The power of policy and people
Behind this wave of transformation stands the powerful regulation engine, as Gillian Gartside-Wight, Consulting Director at Aura and global regulatory expert, points out: "One of the most significant global changes in packaging has been the surge in regulation. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation introduced major rules aimed at reducing waste, mandating recycled content, and promoting reusable systems. EPR schemes have expanded rapidly worldwide."
Governments' decisive action against single-use plastics and ambitious recycling targets—such as the EU's 65% recycling rate by 2025—continue to reshape industry priorities. "Material restrictions have intensified, including bans on oxo-degradable plastics and mandatory labelling," Gillian adds, "while consumer awareness has driven brands to prioritise transparency and sustainability."
Innovation responds in tandem with AI-powered healthcare packaging, AR-enabled tutorials, and bio-innovative materials entering the market. "Materials innovation has accelerated, with shifts toward monomaterial plastics and paperisation. Recycled content in packaging has grown significantly."
Yet the human element remains essential even with rapid technological and regulatory shifts. Lucy Burgess, Strategy Director at Touch, highlights that today's packaging demands strategic creativity that spans beyond the design studio. "We collaborate across entire businesses—product development, ESG, marketing, insights, commercial, communications, and supply chain. Packaging now delivers value in multiple ways: unlocking new occasions, elevating experiences, saving costs, ensuring compliance, and giving back to the planet."
She believes the future hinges on even deeper collaboration: "To unlock the full strategic potential of packaging at pace, we must embrace cross-industry collaboration, bringing deep, holistic expertise into projects early."
Looking ahead: A bold, connected, and regenerative future
Reflecting on the past fifteen years, it's clear that packaging has undergone a metamorphosis—from afterthought to enabler, container to communicator. Lisa Cain offers a powerful glimpse into what lies ahead: "If the past fifteen years were about proving that packaging could be sustainable, the next fifteen will ask whether it can be regenerative, data-rich, and effortless to circulate."
Roger Wright offers a grounded but optimistic lens on the future: "A circular economy decouples growth from the use of finite resources while keeping everything in an uninterrupted technical or natural loop of material. And while that's the theory, the physical manifestation still needs time to develop before we can fully enjoy sustainable systems and solutions that work in the real world. In summary, it's been quite a ride—and we're much further down the road and better equipped to deal with these challenges than we were back in 2010."
Together, these voices tell a story not just of packaging but of an industry that is vibrant, evolving, and increasingly central to how brands connect, communicate, and care for the planet.
As London Packaging Week enters its next chapter, it invites us all to imagine and build this future, where packaging is more than a box or a bag; it is a powerful, dynamic voice in a changing world.