Innoform at the Sustainable Packaging Summit exploring the question: How can FlexPack circular economies become economically viable?
These agenda items make the trip to Utrecht worthwhile. From PPWR and functional packaging papers to intelligent sorting: As an official media partner, we will be in Utrecht and have selected six sessions that are particularly relevant to the future of flexible packaging.
The packaging industry now knows quite well where the journey should lead: less waste, more recycling, higher recyclate contents, and material loops that are as closed as possible. However, several challenges remain between regulatory targets and industrial reality. Especially for flexible packaging, a crucial question arises: How do we create circular loops that not only work technically, but are also economically viable?
We want to explore this question at the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht. Innoform will be on site, discussing with experts, and summarizing the key insights for the FlexPack industry.
We looked at the agenda and picked out six topics that we consider particularly interesting. They shed light on different parts of the same challenge: regulation, material development, sorting technology, recycling markets, and the necessary data.
1. European Regulation at the Crossroads – How much regulation can the circular economy handle?
Day 1 | 12:00–13:00 | Main Stage
The PPWR is intended to fundamentally change the European packaging industry. However, many companies are still waiting for further details, while concerns about the competitiveness of Europe as an industrial location are emerging at the same time.
This makes the discussion with Emmanuelle Maire from the European Commission, Hans van Bochove from EUROPEN, and Joe Papineschi from Eunomia Research & Consulting particularly exciting.
This is where regulatory objectives meet the practical perspective of the packaging industry.
For manufacturers of flexible packaging, it is particularly interesting to see how the PPWR, its secondary legislation, and the Circular Economy Act will relate to one another.
After all, the industry requires not only ambitious targets, but above all reliable framework conditions for long-term investments.
Our question: Does European regulation provide sufficient planning certainty for companies to actually invest in new recycling technologies, material structures, and production facilities?
2. 2030 Plastics Agenda for Business – Where is the Ellen MacArthur Foundation heading?
Day 1 | 15:00–15:20 | Main Stage
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is one of the most influential organizations when it comes to transforming the plastic packaging industry.
With its new Agenda for 2030, it aims to formulate concrete priorities for businesses. Aisha Stenning, Business Action Lead Plastics, will present the conclusions of recent research work and a practical roadmap.
For the FlexPack industry, it should be particularly interesting to see what role alternative materials, reuse, and new circular systems will play in the future.
The Foundation is also increasingly focusing on fiber-based alternatives for flexible packaging. This raises important questions: Which applications can realistically and meaningfully be switched from plastic to paper? And what consequences does this have for product protection, recycling infrastructure, and economic viability?
We want to take a closer look at whether this opens up new perspectives for functional packaging papers – or whether the focus remains more heavily on the further development of existing plastic loops.
Our question: What role will flexible plastic packaging play in the circular economy of 2030, and where does the Foundation see the greatest opportunities for innovation?
3. Paperization – Is paper really the better alternative?
Day 2 | 09:10–10:00 | Main Stage
Paper is gaining increasing attention in packaging development. However, switching from plastic to fiber-based materials is not automatically an ecological or economic step forward.
This is precisely the discussion promised by the “Paperization” panel.
Featuring Kiril Dimitrov from Nestlé, Camille Lecointe from Bel Group, and Arco Berkenbosch from Smurfit Westrock, both brand owners and the paper packaging industry are represented.
For us, it is particularly interesting to see how major brand owners evaluate the requirements for functional paper packaging.
Especially in flexible packaging, barrier properties, runnability, sealability, and product protection are critical. Paper must first fulfill these functions before a material switch can make sense.
Furthermore, there is the question of how functional coatings and additional barrier layers affect recyclability in the paper recycling stream.
Our question: Where is paperization a technically and ecologically convincing solution – and where does flexible plastic packaging remain the better choice?
4. HolyGrail 2030 – Can intelligent sorting save flexible packaging?
Day 2 | 17:00–18:00 | HolyGrail Breakout Session
Recyclability is often discussed purely as a material property. However, no matter how recyclable a package is designed to be: if it is not recognized and correctly sorted in the waste stream, no high-quality recyclate can be produced.
This is precisely where HolyGrail 2030 comes in.
The initiative focuses on intelligent sorting technologies and the question of how packaging can be identified more reliably in the future and fed into appropriate recycling streams.
With representatives from PepsiCo, Mondelēz, and MCC Label, different perspectives from across the value chain come together.
Particularly interesting is the link between digital identification, advanced sorting, and high-quality recycling processes.
For flexible packaging, improved sorting could be decisive in extracting better-defined material fractions from heterogeneous waste streams.
However, the economic question remains: Who finances the additional technology, and does better sorting actually lead to a correspondingly higher value for the recyclate?
Our question: Can intelligent sorting systems decisively improve the quality and economic viability of FlexPack recycling?
5. Compositional Analysis of Post-Consumer Waste – Do we even know exactly what is in our waste?
Day 2 | 11:40–12:20 | Future Forum
There is much talk about recycling rates and material streams. But how well do we actually know the real composition of our packaging waste?
This question is the focus of a session featuring Mike Jefferson from CEFLEX, Stefaan D’Hoore from Sun Chemical, and Yaseed Chaumoo from Greyparrot.
The analysis of real waste streams from sorting plants provides crucial information on which packaging materials are actually collected and what quantities are available for specific recycling processes.
For flexible packaging in particular, this database is critical.
Because investments in new sorting and recycling capacities require reliable information regarding material quantities, composition, and quality.
The use of artificial intelligence is also an interesting factor here. AI-supported waste analysis could help capture material flows more precisely and make changes in the packaging market visible more quickly.
Our question: Can better data on real waste streams help organize the recycling of flexible packaging more economically?
6. Compliance Tools – Is packaging knowledge becoming a data challenge?
Day 3 | 12:10–12:30 | Main Stage
The PPWR not only faces companies with new requirements for their packaging. It also increases the need for reliable data and traceable proof.
With Vivian Loftin from Recyda and Fabian Bacher from osapiens, two companies take the stage that deal with digital solutions for regulatory requirements.
This is particularly relevant for the FlexPack industry because packaging data is often spread across multiple companies.
Film manufacturers know the material composition, converters know the finished packaging structure, and brand owners know the specific application. To assess recyclability and comply with regulatory requirements, this information must increasingly be brought together.
As a result, collaboration within the supply chain is also changing.
A technically well-developed packaging solution will no longer be enough in the future. Companies must also document its properties and be able to provide verifiable proof to customers and authorities.
Our question: How can packaging data be organized in such a way that fulfilling regulatory requirements does not become a disproportionate cost factor?
The crucial question: Who pays for the closed loop?
What connects these six sessions is a challenge that is often overlooked in discussions about sustainable packaging: economic viability.
New materials must not only be recyclable, but must also remain affordable and industrially processable. Sorting technologies must create measurable added value. Recycling companies require sufficient high-quality material streams and reliable sales markets. At the same time, requirements for documentation and regulatory proof are increasing.
Especially in the case of flexible packaging, with its low material consumption and comparatively low unit values, this represents a particular challenge.
The crucial question is therefore not only whether we can keep flexible packaging in the loop.
It is: Under what conditions is it actually worthwhile for all stakeholders to close this loop?
We will listen closely at the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Utrecht to see what answers the industry has to offer.
And of course, we will subsequently share the most interesting insights, discussions, and developments via our Innoform channels and FlexPack.News.
To Utrecht with Innoform – secure a 15 % discount
Anyone who wants to see for themselves and discuss with experts on site can save 15 % on their ticket for the Sustainable Packaging Summit using our discount code INNOFORM15.
Discount code: INNOFORM15
We look forward to exciting discussions in Utrecht – especially with anyone who is also asking how technically feasible FlexPack loops can become economically viable solutions.
Which of these questions is currently concerning you the most? And which topic should we definitely bring back from Utrecht?
