Weekly packaging news this week centers on stalled EPR legislation, fresh pressure on flexible film recycling, packaging plant closures, and new material shifts in aluminum, paper, and reuse systems.
Materials & Sustainability
Paper and paperboard production declined in 2025
AF&PA data showed paper and paperboard production declined in 2025, with containerboard capacity down 5.1%, according to Packaging Dive. The signal matters because containerboard is one of the clearest indicators of corrugated demand, e-commerce shipping intensity, and broader goods movement.
For buyers, the key question is whether reduced capacity reflects short-term demand weakness or a more durable reset in mill strategy. Packaging teams working through corrugated specifications should pair this market signal with disciplined testing, including the performance thinking covered in Packaura’s guide to drop test standards for packaging engineers.
Corporate plastics disclosures keep rising
More companies are reporting plastics data, mapping their exposure, and disclosing how plastic use connects to environmental risk, Packaging Dive reported. That does not mean plastic footprints are solved, but it does mean investors, customers, and regulators are getting more comparable information.
The trend pushes packaging teams toward better SKU-level material accounting. It also raises the bar for procurement teams that need to know resin type, recycled content, format, weight, recyclability claims, and end-market assumptions before sustainability claims reach the public.
Hotels could move from plastic amenities to aluminum systems
Swedish company Meadow is targeting U.S. hotels with aluminum-based dispensing systems as hospitality operators phase out certain plastic formats, according to Packaging Dive. The company plans to work with contract manufacturers and focus on hotels that already have sustainability strategies.
For hospitality and beauty packaging suppliers, this is another sign that refill and dispensing systems are moving from pilot language into channel-specific commercial plans. The move also intersects with cosmetics and personal care packaging trends, especially where brands are trying to reduce single-use plastic without weakening the guest experience.
A new reusable packaging symbol enters the conversation
Trellis reported that a new symbol can indicate when a bottle, cup, or container is reusable, tied to standards being developed by PR3: The Global Alliance to Advance Reuse. The practical value of a common symbol is clarity: reuse programs only work when consumers, operators, and reverse-logistics partners understand what a package is meant to do.
Packaging designers should watch this closely because labels and symbols are not just decoration in reuse systems. They can shape return rates, sorting accuracy, and whether a package is treated as durable infrastructure or disposable waste.
Industry & Supply Chain
Amcor, Hilex Poly and Origin Materials announced closures
Amcor, Hilex Poly, and Origin Materials were among companies announcing closures or layoffs in May, Packaging Dive reported. Plastics were the subsector most represented in the update, underscoring continued pressure across parts of the packaging manufacturing base.
The closures matter beyond the affected sites. Procurement teams may need to check supplier concentration, secondary tooling availability, lead times, and qualification plans, especially for rigid packaging, bags, and emerging materials.
Nippon Dynawave cleanup and questions continue
A week after a white liquor tank implosion, cleanup and questions continued around Nippon Dynawave’s Longview, Washington, mill community, according to Packaging Dive. The story remains both an industrial safety issue and a community impact story.
For packaging supply chains, mill incidents can affect more than immediate production. They can trigger scrutiny of maintenance practices, environmental response, worker safety systems, and resilience planning across pulp and paper operations.
Canpack aims to mainstream resealable can ends
Canpack is working with Florida-based Canovation on a scalable pilot line for resealable can ends, Packaging Dive reported. Canovation says the ends are made from the same 3xxx series aluminum as the can body and could incorporate more recycled content.
If the concept scales, resealable ends could give beverage brands a new way to compete on convenience without leaving the aluminum can format. Brand teams comparing format choices should also revisit Packaura’s guide to aluminum beverage can specifications.
P&G hired a forester for fiber sourcing goals
Trellis highlighted why P&G, maker of Bounty and Charmin, hired a forester as the company works toward buying all wood pulp from Forest Stewardship Council-certified sources by 2030. For fiber-heavy consumer goods, sourcing credibility increasingly depends on forestry expertise, not just procurement scorecards.
This is relevant for packaging because paper, cartonboard, tissue, and molded fiber all sit inside the same broader conversation about forest certification, biodiversity, traceability, and responsible fiber demand.
Regulations & Design
New York packaging EPR bill will not move in 2026
New York’s Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act will not move forward in 2026, according to Packaging Dive. The bill faced another stalled legislative cycle, keeping one of the country’s most closely watched packaging EPR debates unresolved.
For brands, the takeaway is not that EPR pressure has disappeared. It is that state-by-state uncertainty remains a planning problem, especially for teams already tracking rules such as California SB 54 through resources like Packaura’s California EPR requirements guide.
California deadlines raise urgency for flexible film recycling
California EPR deadlines are putting pressure on flexible film recycling systems, Packaging Dive reported. Film recycling infrastructure needs rapid upgrades to meet strict requirements, making pouches, wraps, bags, and other flexible formats a major compliance challenge.
This is one of the most important design stories of the week because flexible packaging is everywhere, but collection and recycling systems remain uneven. Brands should expect closer scrutiny of material choices, store drop-off assumptions, and claims that depend on future infrastructure.
CDP faces an uncertain future after 25 years
Trellis reported that CDP faces an uncertain future after 25 years of progress. For packaging teams, this matters because CDP has become part of the disclosure landscape that companies use to report environmental risks, including plastics, forests, water, and climate-related data.
Any uncertainty around disclosure frameworks can create friction for suppliers and brand owners. Still, the direction of travel is clear: packaging decisions are becoming more measurable, more comparable, and more exposed to external review.
Reuse standards could influence packaging design language
The reusable packaging symbol reported by Trellis also has design implications. If reuse markings become more standardized, package graphics may need to reserve space for symbols that communicate system participation, return pathways, and durability expectations.
That could affect bottles, cups, containers, and transport packaging. The important point is that reuse is not only a material substitution issue; it is a design, labeling, logistics, and behavior system.
Sources
- Packaging Dive — New York packaging EPR bill won’t move forward in 2026
- Packaging Dive — Paper and paperboard production declined in 2025: AF&PA
- Packaging Dive — Canpack aims to mainstream resealable can ends
- Packaging Dive — California EPR deadlines spur urgent flexible film recycling solutions
- Trellis — Latest sustainability news page
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the biggest packaging policy story this week?
New York’s packaging EPR bill failing to move forward in 2026 was the biggest policy story because it keeps a major state-level packaging reform effort unresolved.
Why does the AF&PA production data matter?
Paper and paperboard production trends help packaging buyers understand corrugated capacity, fiber demand, and potential shifts in mill strategy.
What is the main issue with flexible film recycling?
Flexible film remains difficult to collect and recycle at scale, and California EPR deadlines are increasing pressure to improve infrastructure quickly.
Why are resealable can ends important?
They could add convenience to aluminum beverage cans while keeping brands within a familiar, widely recycled packaging format.
What should packaging teams watch next?
Teams should track EPR timelines, plastics disclosure expectations, fiber sourcing claims, flexible film infrastructure, and commercial adoption of reuse systems.