The Latest

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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    Tracking packaging mergers and acquisitions in 2026

    Specialized Packaging Group is growing in Texas and LidWorks has a new owner in Florida.

    Updated Sept. 10, 2026
    M&A
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    Deposit Photos/ Grigorenko

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    Sponsored by SonicAire

    The next stage of evolution for combustible dust management in packaging is proactive

    Packaging plants run on automated production. Why are they still cleaning dust by hand?

  • A US map is overlaid on cardboard boxes with a recycling and pfa symbol.
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images 

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    Tracker

    Tracking US state packaging policies

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom approved SB 633, which adds reporting requirements for imported material, including third-party certification, for beverage manufacturers using PCR in plastic containers.

    Updated Sept. 22, 2026
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    EPR for packaging laws: Dates to know

    Maine regulators will revise an RFP for a stewardship organization; Oregon and Minnesota agencies are accepting public comments on key documents; and Colorado is beginning to see impacts from its EPR program.

    Updated Sept. 18, 2026
  • Close-up view of the edge of flattened corrugated boxes, showing the corrugating medium between the linerboard layers.
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    Third time’s the charm? Index partially recognizes latest containerboard price hikes

    This is the first month that Fastmarkets RISI recognized North American containerboard producers’ most recent price hikes — the third such wave in 2026.

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    Packaging has changed. Recycling systems haven’t kept up, report says.

    U.S. households’ generation of cartons surged from 2020 to 2026, while mixed paper dropped notably. The Recycling Partnership released data intended to inform simultaneous evolutions of the packaging and recycling sectors.

  • tan plastic bags at a grocery store checkout
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    Plastics get pulled into tariff turmoil

    Plastic bags, lids and caps are among products listed at a 50% tariff rate, but there's still confusion. “It's up to the exporters and importers to identify what the correct codes are,” said a packaging and logistics analyst.

  • Juice cartons with red screw cap in supermarket shelf.
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    Mill survey shapes polycoated paper recycling design guidance

    The guide considers white and brown fiber mill compatibility. PCPA wants it to be reflected in Circular Action Alliance’s California program plan.

    Updated Sept. 18, 2026
  • A close-up view of several flexible paper pouches.
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    6 CPGs team up on paper flexibles R&D

    Colgate-Palmolive, Nestlé and PepsiCo are among the CPGs focusing on small-format, recyclable and biodegradable flexible fiber packaging. Such solutions “do not exist today” at scale, per the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

  • A trailer with the Greif logo on the side is parked at a loading dock.
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    Katie Pyzyk/Packaging Dive
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    Greif to exit CRB market with Georgia mill closure

    Nearly 100 employees will be affected. Greif’s end to CRB production comes at a time when numerous fiber producers are reshuffling their product offerings. 

  • Atlantic Packaging
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    Permission granted by Atlantic Packaging
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    Passing the sniff test: Overcoming PCR’s odor and color challenges

    Sensory issues related to scent and tint pose unique hurdles for brands looking to incorporate more recycled plastic in consumer goods packaging. It’s spurring more creative applications for PCR.

  • A close-up view of stacked PET water bottles.
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    NAPCOR envisions cutting PET bottle life-cycle emissions 57% by 2050

    Lightweighting is a leading strategy to accelerate decarbonization. Srinivasan Prabhushankar, technical director at NAPCOR, highlighted "credible methodologies where the proof is there that this is achievable."

  • Four different colored tubes of Colgate toothpaste with the message "Recycle Me!" printed on the tubes.
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    Courtesy of Colgate-Palmolive
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    Judge sets date for Colgate toothpaste tube recyclability trial

    Attorneys now indicate they plan to subpoena MRFs and waste management companies, including WM and Republic Services, for additional information.

  • The target bulls-eye logo featured in a storefront against a sunny sky
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Target extends packaging recyclability goal to 2035

    The retailer also had a hard time moving the needle on PCR use, but made some progress with lightweighting and refill efforts, per its 2026 sustainability and governance report.

  • A stacked of unassembled folding cartons.
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    3 paper packaging CEOs talk market volatility, pricing

    During a Jefferies conference, CEOs from Packaging Corporation of America, International Paper and Graphic Packaging International discussed trends including supply and demand dynamics and cyclosporiasis outbreak​​​​​s.

  • Oregon's state capitol building in Salem, Oregon.
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    Lawsuits poised to strengthen future packaging EPR policies, advocates say

    A first-of-its-kind ruling in Oregon may give new confidence to legislators in other states and improve the clarity of policies going forward, said leaders from the Product Stewardship Institute and The Recycling Partnership.

  • A tightly packed bale of crushed plastic bottles, compressed into a rectangular block and wrapped in clear plastic film. The bale contains various colored plastic bottles, flattened and compacted together, ready for recycling.
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    Alamy
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    New Jersey delays PCR requirements for food-contact packaging to 2030

    The state’s Department of Environmental Protection said technologies still don’t exist at scale to reliably meet the requirements. The Association of Plastic Recyclers disagreed, citing concerns about stranded assets.

  • Stacks of flattened pizza boxes move across a production line in a manufacturing facility.
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    Katie Pyzyk/Packaging Dive
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    Smurfit Westrock, Pratt seek investigation into ‘unfairly traded’ pizza box imports

    The two companies petitioned the U.S. International Trade Commission and Department of Commerce to investigate and deliver duties for pizza boxes imported from three countries.

  • Stacks of cardboard boxes in a logistics center
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    Getty Images
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    Fastmarkets RISI plans to add corrugated box cost index

    This is a “major development” that could affect the decades-old model for monthly corrugated pricing, according to analysts. The public has less than a month to provide comments about the proposal.

  • Two people in protective gear shift through various-sized pieces of metal on a wooden table.
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    Alamy
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    In the bin or not? How MRF operators decide which packaging to take.

    As EPR laws and reputational concerns drive brands to push for their product packaging in accepted material lists, those debates have grown more complex.

  • Close-up view of the edge of flattened corrugated boxes, showing the corrugating medium between the linerboard layers.
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    Getty Images
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    Judge denies motion to dismiss containerboard price-fixing lawsuit

    The federal judge cited significant consolidation within the containerboard market and “nearly lockstep price increases.” Many of the industry’s largest companies now move ahead to discovery.

  • A collection of cans, cartons, glass and plastic bottles laid out on grass
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    Getty Images
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    New IOPP president supporting digital transformation, chapter growth

    Conor Carlin, who became president of the Institute of Packaging Professionals in August, emphasized the group’s ambitions with enhancing its digital learning platform.

  • Numerous white bottles with light gray markings sit in a line.
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    Permission granted by LasX
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    On the mark: Laser technologies offer alternative to packaging labels

    Recent advancements have helped laser-marking technology achieve wider applicability for packaging. Mondi, Procter & Gamble and LasX are among the companies using the innovation to boost sustainability and speed.

    Updated Sept. 3, 2026
  • A knife next to a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and a PBR box featuring a Jason Voorhees cut-out mask.
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    Courtesy of Pabst Blue Ribbon
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    Packaging innovations: PBR creates fear with beer

    Plus, BW Converting makes pet food pouring easier, Green Food Pack Co. wants consumers to give their paper cups a spin and Ahlstrom creates a path to grease resistance.

  • The dome of the U.S. Capitol building is shown with a U.S. flag flying on the roof.
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    Finn Gomez / Staff via Getty Images
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    With California’s SB 343 stalled, push for federal labeling law continues

    Ameripen President Lynn Dyer said questions arose about the need for the Pack Act after a court acted on California’s policy. “But the reality is, we still don’t know what's actually going to happen there, and that’s only one state.”

  • Discarded items on a recycling belt
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    EPR legal challenges

    After novel Oregon EPR ruling, attention turns to other legal battlegrounds

    Attorneys are unpacking how the judge’s opinion could possibly shape future legal arguments, while preliminary injunction pursuits remain pending in cases in California and Colorado.

    Updated Sept. 2, 2026