Between Trade Fair Review, Regulation and Raw Material Pressure

What Is Really Moving the Flexpack Industry Right Now

For many in the packaging industry, early June is a moment to take stock: What remains of interpack 2026? Where do the PPWR and its national implementation stand? And what do examples like Calbee tell us about the vulnerability of global supply chains?

In the latest Inno‑Talk, Julian and Thomas Schmidt discuss exactly these topics – painting a picture of an industry that is under pressure and in motion at the same time: caught between regulatory uncertainty, growing implementation requirements, cost sensitivity and the question of which packaging solutions will remain viable at all in the future.

interpack 2026: A Strong Signal – Despite Changing Conditions

interpack 2026 took place from 7 to 13 May 2026 in Düsseldorf and once again sent a clear signal for the international processing and packaging industry. The fair itself speaks of a global industry meeting point spanning the entire value chain.

The conversation makes one thing clear: the impression on site was largely positive – even though trade fair behaviour is changing noticeably. Less walk-in traffic, more focused visits, more carefully planned appointments and a new sensitivity to costs and benefits evidently characterise many exhibitors’ presence.

The duration of major trade fairs remains an issue. Seven days of exhibiting are a considerable organisational and financial effort for companies with large teams. At the same time, interpack, with its breadth and international relevance, remains a central point of orientation for the industry. The real conclusion is therefore not that leading trade fairs are losing relevance, but rather: leading trade fairs have to deliver their added value more precisely than they used to.

“I believe the industry would do well to stop complaining at some point and prepare for what is simply going to come.”
– Thomas Schmidt in the Inno‑Talk

PPWR and VerpackDG: The Time of Waiting Is Over

The second major topic of the conversation is regulation. The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) applies directly in all member states from 12 August 2026. In parallel, the German Verpackungsrecht-Durchführungsgesetz (VerpackDG) is intended to adapt national responsibilities and enforcement. In spring 2026, however, this legislative process temporarily came under pressure due to objections from the EU Commission and an extended standstill period. At the end of May, the detailed opinion from Brussels was withdrawn, making adoption before the PPWR takes effect fundamentally possible again.

In the conversation, what matters is less the legal fine print than the practical consequence: The industry needs planning certainty – and the ability to move into implementation now.

Many companies have understood by now: the real problem is no longer a lack of information. The problem lies in application. Who counts as a producer? What evidence is required? What data must be reliably available in the future? Where do reporting obligations apply? And which packaging actually qualifies as compliant under which conditions?

Small and medium-sized companies in particular face a double challenge. On the one hand, regulatory requirements are rising. On the other hand, many still lack the data basis to meet these requirements properly. One point is therefore made very clearly in the Inno‑Talk: The PPWR is not just a material or design issue, but above all a data and organisation project.

Calbee Shows: Raw Material Crises Suddenly Become Visible

How globally interconnected the packaging world has become is shown by the example of the Japanese snack manufacturer Calbee. In May 2026, the company announced that it would temporarily ship 14 products in black-and-white packaging only. The reason was an unstable supply of certain petroleum-based feedstocks for printing inks, especially naphtha, as a result of the tensions around the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz. Products with reduced colours were due to reach stores from 25 May 2026.

What sounds like a footnote at first is in fact a strong signal. The example makes three things visible:

1. Printing and packaging have long been global raw material markets. Even companies that only produce regionally or nationally depend on international supply chains for intermediate products.
2. In a crisis, packaging design suddenly becomes operational. When inks, resins or intermediates are missing, design is no longer just branding – it becomes a matter of supply security.
3. Reduction can create attention. Especially on a visually overloaded shelf, a radically simplified design can become a differentiator.

The conversation draws an interesting conclusion from this: what starts as an emergency measure can also have a marketing effect. A monochrome pack immediately stands out in a colourful environment. For international brands, however, this is far from trivial. Colour worlds, brand integrity and consistency across materials, printing processes and countries are normally highly sensitive issues.

This is exactly why Calbee is more than a curiosity. The case shows how quickly geopolitical tensions can reach all the way into the design of individual packs.

Sustainability: Not Over – But Shifted from Debate to Implementation

A particularly interesting part of the conversation concerns the cancelled event InnoCircle. The low response is not hastily interpreted as a sign that sustainability has lost relevance. Instead, a more nuanced picture emerges:

• Budgets are tighter.
• The number of events has risen significantly.
• Many companies have “heard a lot” – and now want concrete help with implementation rather than even more input.

That is an important distinction. Sustainability is not off the table. But the topic has changed its character. The phase of general awareness-building seems to be over in many areas. Now it is about interpretation, prioritisation and implementation within each individual company.

This also fits the observation that companies are increasingly bringing individual consulting in-house instead of attending yet more general lectures. This is a typical stage of maturity for regulatory topics: as soon as the legal framework becomes more concrete, the need shifts from “What does this mean in general?” to “What exactly does this mean for me?”

The Technical Core: Where Recyclability Reaches Its Limits

Towards the end, the conversation becomes very concrete – and particularly relevant for the flexpack industry. Asked where the biggest hurdles on the road to recyclability lie, the answer is unambiguous: laminates containing aluminium remain the most critical, especially in sensitive applications such as coffee or pharma.

This is where regulatory pressure, product protection and technical reality collide. High barrier properties are functionally justified in many applications. At the same time, exactly these material combinations are becoming more problematic under future recycling and design-for-recycling requirements.

The decisive question is therefore not simply “How do we replace aluminium?” but, more cautiously and more precisely: What barrier does the product really need – and over what period of time?

In the past, this question was often not asked with full rigour. Much was technically feasible, economically acceptable and sufficient from a regulatory point of view. In the future, that is unlikely to be enough. Brand owners and packaging developers will have to understand their products better: What oxygen barrier is actually required? What water vapour barrier? What minimum shelf life is functionally necessary – and where did historical practice rely on safety margins?

This is exactly where a central field of work for the industry will emerge over the coming years: between material science, product protection, shelf-life requirements and regulation.

Conclusion: Less Debate, More Ability to Act

This episode makes one thing very clear: the flexpack industry is not facing a single problem, but a whole bundle of interconnected tasks.

• Leading trade fairs have to be evaluated under new cost and time constraints.
• Regulation calls less for outrage than for robust implementation.
• Global raw material dependencies reach all the way into packaging design.
• Sustainability remains central, but is becoming more concrete and company-specific.
• Technical trade-offs – for example with aluminium laminates – are far from resolved.

If you want to sum it all up in one sentence: The industry is leaving the phase of discussion and entering the phase of decisions.

And that is exactly why what is needed now is not another grand statement of principles, but more clarity in data, specifications, material knowledge and strategy.

Frequently Asked Questions About This Episode

When does the PPWR apply?

The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) applies directly in all EU member states from 12 August 2026. In Germany, the Verpackungsrecht-Durchführungsgesetz (VerpackDG) is intended to regulate national responsibilities and enforcement in parallel.

What is the verdict on interpack 2026?

Largely positive: the leading trade fair (7–13 May 2026 in Düsseldorf) remains the central international industry meeting point. However, trade fair behaviour is changing – less walk-in traffic, more focused visits and a new cost sensitivity characterise exhibitors’ presence.

Why is Calbee shipping products in black-and-white packaging?

In May 2026, the Japanese snack manufacturer Calbee responded to an unstable supply of petroleum-based feedstocks for printing inks (especially naphtha), caused by tensions around the Strait of Hormuz – 14 products are temporarily appearing in black-and-white packaging only.

Which types of packaging are most critical for recyclability?

Above all, laminates containing aluminium, for example for coffee or pharmaceuticals. The decisive question for brand owners and packaging developers is: What oxygen and water vapour barrier does the product actually need – and for how long?