PCR Packaging: A Market Outlook
A new infographic draws on the latest primary research from Smithers to map the current state and near-term trajectory of the global post-consumer recycled (PCR) packaging market.
Unpacking PPWR: How Brands Can Prepare for EU Regulation
The PPWR becomes legally enforceable on 12 August 2026, but for many brands and converters, the practical questions are only just starting. In this episode, we sit down with Smithers packaging specialist Rob Outram to unpack what the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation actually means in practice, and how businesses across the value chain can get ahead of it.
Rob draws on 30 years of consulting experience across chemicals, materials and packaging – working with major brands including Unilever, Nestlé and Tetra Pak – to break down:
- The difference between PPWR and EPR, and why brands need to understand both
- Which packaging formats (polystyrene, laminates, flexible plastics) are falling out of favour with recyclers, and why
- Why mono-materials are becoming the ‘Holy grail’
- How Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) vary by territory, and why that matters for fees and strategy
- The real story behind the shift to paper-based packaging, and its limits
- Whether PPWR has gone too far, and where genuine regulatory grey areas remain.
Whether you’re a brand owner managing multi-market compliance or a converter rethinking your material mix, this episode offers a grounded, practical view of where packaging regulation is heading next.
Listen to the full episode:
