Packaging industry news this week mixed antitrust pressure with real material breakthroughs: federal prosecutors are looking at containerboard pricing, paperboard and bio-based films kept taking ground from rigid plastics, and EPR regulators in California and Rhode Island pushed their programs forward. Here’s our packaging industry news roundup for the week ending November 8, 2026, sorted into materials, supply chain, and regulation so you can find what matters to your brand.
Materials & Sustainability
Graphic Packaging’s Boardio Canister Comes to Nutraceutical Brands
On November 4, Graphic Packaging International and Indiana co-packer Combined Technologies Inc. (CTI) announced they are bringing the Boardio paperboard canister to North American supplement brands. According to Graphic Packaging’s announcement, Boardio can use more than 90% less plastic than a rigid plastic can, depending on configuration. It also offers 360-degree print with no separate label and high-barrier options. Because CTI handles filling, brands can switch without buying new equipment.
Mondi Builds a StripPouch From 98% Sugarcane-Based PE
Mondi is now making its re/cycle StripPouch with at least 98% of Braskem’s “I’m green” bio-based polyethylene, which comes from sugarcane. Packaging Gateway reported on November 6 that laser marking during converting replaces inks and printing steps. Mondi’s own assessment found lower CO₂ emissions than a fossil-based, printed, and laminated stand-up pouch. The pouch is aimed at food, home, and personal care.
Nottingham Gets £1.4M to Grow a Mushroom Replacement for EPS
The University of Nottingham secured £1.4 million from EPSRC’s Materials Innovation Partnerships programme for a two-year project on mycelium composites that could replace expanded polystyrene in protective and transit packaging. Swansea University, the University of Bath, and the Magical Mushroom Company are partners, and the team will develop fluorine-free surface treatments to improve moisture resistance. For brands trying to drop foam today, our guide on how to reduce packaging waste without slowing fulfillment covers practical swaps.
Tetra Reva and FlexCube Show That Pack Shape Saves Material
Packaging Dive’s Pack Expo innovations roundup highlighted Tetra Pak’s Tetra Reva, a square paperboard cup for chilled spoonable foods in 125–200 mL sizes. It fits up to 57% more units per pallet and launches in the first half of 2027. American Packaging Corp.’s FlexCube pouch uses 30–40% less material than traditional flexible formats. Both show that the shape of a pack, not just its material, is becoming a sustainability tool. Our explainer on structural packaging shapes, from pillow boxes to gable boxes covers the basics.
A Stainless Steel Coffee Pod Built for 1,000+ Uses
In a November 7 guest piece for Sustainable Packaging News, French company Caps’Me explained why it built a refillable stainless steel capsule designed for more than 1,000 uses. It works in Nespresso Original, Dolce Gusto, and Senseo machines. The company says it has avoided roughly 80 million single-use pods across more than 100,000 customers.
Industry & Supply Chain
DOJ Subpoenas Four Containerboard Giants Over Pricing
The biggest packaging industry news of the week: Smurfit Westrock, International Paper, PCA, and Cascades disclosed grand jury subpoenas from the U.S. Justice Department’s Northern District of Illinois over containerboard pricing. Packaging Dive reports that containerboard prices are running about 20% above last year after three rounds of hikes. Several of the companies are also still defending a class-action price-fixing suit filed in July 2025.
Graphic Packaging Moves to Quarterly Price Resets as Inflation Bites
Graphic Packaging reported Q3 net sales of $2.19 billion. Net income fell to $22 million from $142 million a year earlier. The company now expects $170 million of inflation this year, up from $150 million, and blames mainly tariffs and energy costs. In response it is restructuring customer contracts from semi-annual to quarterly pricing openers. Buyers should expect more frequent price conversations. Our guide to packaging supplier deposits and how to negotiate them can help.
DS Smith Details Its Overhaul Ahead of the International Paper Split
DS Smith has cut about 3,100 jobs (roughly 10% of its workforce) and announced or started 29 site closures since International Paper acquired it. It is targeting €480 million in run-rate savings by the end of 2027. IP’s split into two geographically focused companies remains on track for Q1 2027 or sooner. The spun-off DS Smith will have 14 paper mills and about 180 packaging sites.
Ringmetall Buys U.S. Bag-in-Box Maker Rapak
German packaging group Ringmetall announced on November 6 that it is acquiring Rapak LLC, a bag-in-box producer with plants in Indianapolis and Woodridge, Illinois, about 50 employees, and roughly $20 million in annual revenue. It is Ringmetall’s fourth acquisition of 2026.
October Dealmaking: Paragon Films, Trivium, and Centor
Packaging Dive’s October M&A recap, published November 2, listed several big deals. Grafine Partners and Atlantic Ridge Capital are buying Paragon Films for an estimated $900 million. Silgan and American Industrial Partners agreed a joint deal for Trivium, under which Silgan receives about $2.3 billion in cash. Apax closed its roughly €750 million purchase of Gerresheimer’s Centor unit. Taken together, the deals show strong appetite for flexible and metal packaging assets.
Regulations & Design
CalRecycle Publishes Its SB 54 Source Reduction Baseline Update
On November 2, CalRecycle published its Update to the Source Reduction Baseline Report and a new Source Reduction Guidance webpage under California’s SB 54 packaging EPR law. Public comments on Circular Action Alliance’s producer responsibility plan are open through November 13, and an Advisory Board meeting took place November 6 in Sacramento. This is the most consequential packaging industry news for anyone selling into California.
Rhode Island Weighs EPR and Deposit Return to Recover $35M
Rhode Island’s draft Needs Assessment estimates the state loses $35.5 million a year in commodity value from about 674,000 tons of disposed material. It currently diverts only 13% of its waste. The report models several scenarios: EPR plus deposit return reaches about 33% diversion, and an “EPR Plus” option reaches about 47% at a cost of up to $77 million. Comments are due in mid-November, and the final report goes to lawmakers by December 1.
EU Commissioner Clarifies PPWR Reuse Rules
Answering a parliamentary question, Commissioner Jessika Roswall confirmed that reusable packaging already on the market can stay in circulation without being redesigned for PPWR. Packaging Europe notes that new label specifications will apply 24 months after their implementing act takes effect. A separate implementing act will set how reuse rotations are counted.
RECOUP Releases Recyclability by Design 2026
UK plastics recycling charity RECOUP published version 12.0 of its free Recyclability by Design guide on November 5, marking 20 years of the guidance. The new edition is aligned with the UK Recyclability Assessment Methodology and upcoming modulated EPR fees. It covers materials, colours, labels, closures, and sleeves, so it is useful for anyone redesigning flexible or rigid plastic packs.
Newport Starts Curbside Soft Plastics Collection
About 10,000 homes in Newport, Wales, are starting curbside collection of carrier bags, crisp packets, and other soft plastics this month. The rest of the city follows next year, and collection goes Wales-wide in 2027. It follows the Nottingham crisp-packet program we covered in last week’s Packaura Weekly. Soft plastics currently make up about 8% of Newport residents’ bin waste. Together, these programs signal that flexible film recycling is finally scaling in the UK, which is notable packaging industry news for film converters.
Sources
- Packaging Dive — DOJ subpoenas Smurfit Westrock, IP, PCA, Cascades over containerboard pricing
- Packaging Dive (via Yahoo Finance) — Graphic Packaging reworks customer contracts to recover inflation costs
- Packaging Europe — University of Nottingham secures £1.4 million for mushroom EPS packaging alternative
- Packaging Dive — Rhode Island needs assessment explores recovering $35M in lost commodities
- Packaging Dive — Packaging innovations: Tetra Pak squares up food cartons, Hormel slims down bacon portions
Featured image — Photo: brownpau / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the biggest packaging industry news this week?
The U.S. Justice Department subpoenaed Smurfit Westrock, International Paper, PCA, and Cascades as part of a grand jury investigation into containerboard pricing. Containerboard prices are running about 20% higher than last year.
What is Graphic Packaging’s Boardio?
Boardio is a paperboard canister that replaces rigid plastic tubs and bottles. It can use more than 90% less plastic, depending on configuration, and is now offered to nutraceutical brands through co-packer Combined Technologies Inc.
What did CalRecycle publish for SB 54 this week?
On November 2, 2026, CalRecycle published its Update to the Source Reduction Baseline Report and a Source Reduction Guidance webpage. Comments on Circular Action Alliance’s producer responsibility plan are open through November 13.
Do reusable packages already on the EU market need redesigning under PPWR?
No. EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall confirmed that reusable packaging placed on the market before the new rules apply can stay in circulation without redesign.
Is mushroom packaging a realistic replacement for polystyrene foam?
It’s getting closer. A new £1.4 million University of Nottingham project with the Magical Mushroom Company is working to improve the durability and moisture resistance of mycelium composites as an EPS alternative for protective packaging.