Jan 30, 2026

rPET Food Packaging: What Food Businesses Need to Know Beyond the Sustainability Hype

At a Glance  rPET in food packaging is in high demand, but supply can’t keep up — creating cost premiums, regulatory considerations, and sourcing challenges for food businesses.  U.S. collection rates remain low for recyclable plastics, driving shortages and limiting how much recycled content brands can realistically use.  Although rPET costs more than virgin PET, it can meet FDA food-grade safety standards when properly […]
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Jan 23, 2026

Impact Testing: The Hidden Secret to Packaging That Actually Works

At a Glance  Impact failures with packaging aren’t bad luck — they’re the result of containers that weren’t designed or tested to withstand stacking, drops, and cold storage.  Impact testing reveals how containers behave at their weakest points, especially corners, across real-world temperatures where plastic becomes more brittle.  When packaging fails, the true cost goes far beyond lost product, adding labor, safety risks, […]
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Jan 16, 2026

How Did the U.S. Plastics Pact’s Roadmap to 2025 Fare?

At a Glance  The U.S. Plastics Pact set ambitious 2025 goals, but many depended on recycling infrastructure and end markets that simply weren’t ready, creating a gap between commitments and reality.  Recycling rates and access to food-grade recycled content proved to be the biggest obstacles, not a lack of intent from participating companies.  Some brands stepped back […]
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Jan 09, 2026

Black Plastic Food Packaging: Premium or Problematic?

At a Glance:  Black plastic food packaging looks premium and hides things like excess sauces or grease, but it’s nearly invisible to recycling scanners.  The carbon-black pigment absorbs light, sending recyclable PET trays straight to the waste stream.  If black plastic happens to be sorted, there aren’t many end markets for it because it can only become other black plastic products — limiting the number of different applications.  Detectable pigments and new scanners exist, but high costs slow adoption.  Brands […]
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Dec 23, 2025

Why We Need to Talk About Closed-Loop Recycling

At a Glance  Closed-loop recycling keeps materials in use — a PET clamshell becomes another clamshell, not carpet fiber.  The main issue isn’t tech, it’s collection — recyclers lack a clean, consistent material supply.  Local systems and smart design (APR guidelines, no black or mixed materials) can keep recycling truly circular.  Real progress needs access, economics, and behavior […]
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Dec 17, 2025

The Risk of Betting It All on One Shiny New Product

At a Glance  Chasing every new product innovation in food packaging can be risky — flashy features don’t always mean long-term reliability.  The biggest danger in concentrating all your supply with a single new partner isn’t the product itself — it’s the uncertainty around their capacity to scale and deliver with consistency.  Food pros know […]
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Dec 11, 2025

Making Sense of Extended Producer Responsibility: Your Simple Guide to New Packaging Rules

At a Glance  EPR fees are now showing up on invoices, and many food brands are paying more than they need to because they don’t understand how the rules work.  Businesses that use recyclable, single-material packaging (also called mono-materials) often qualify for lower fees, while heavier, multi-layer packaging can drive costs up.  In most cases, […]
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Nov 24, 2025

Smart Labels and Other Packaging Trends for 2026

At a Glance  Smart packaging trends are redefining 2026, led by smart labels that monitor temperature, time, and humidity to ensure food safety and transparency throughout the cold chain.  Sustainability is getting practical — pulp and paper materials are emerging as leaders thanks to recyclability and lightweight design, though barrier layers still pose challenges.  Testing […]
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Nov 19, 2025

What Makes Packaging Eco-Friendly and Why Does It Matter?

At a Glance  Eco-friendly packaging decisions require looking beyond marketing claims — some “compostable” options contain hidden plastic linings that contaminate compost and may have a larger footprint than expected.  Each material type — from paper and pulp to traditional plastics — has trade-offs in water use, energy demand, emissions, and end-of-life performance.  Local waste […]
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Nov 12, 2025

Technically vs. Actually Recyclable or Compostable Food Packaging: What Some Manufacturers Don’t Want You to Know

At a Glance  “Technically vs. actually recyclable” means an item may be recyclable in theory but isn’t collected, sorted, or reprocessed locally, so it doesn’t become new material.  Multi-layer films, PLA, other bioplastics, and many compostables fail in real systems and can contaminate streams.  Clear PET and polypropylene move through existing infrastructure and retain value […]
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