After a three-month consultation with towns and cities, as well as plastic bottle and recycling businesses, the Ministry of Ecological Transition has announced that a mandatory deposit system will not be enforced.

According to The Geo Chronicle, local municipalities fear that introducing deposit return infrastructure could impact existing municipal recycling systems, which derive a ‘significant portion’ of their revenue from plastic bottles and aluminium cans. If these systems end up in a funding deficit, taxpayers may be forced to cover the costs.

The plans were revealed by minister for the Environment Nicola Grigg, who states that the recycling scheme will be managed by the not-for-profit Agrecovery Foundation and replace the current voluntary recycling schemes. It will require producers to contribute a small fee for products sold to support a free network of collection services and take-back sites.

Ahlstrom has launched two new grease-resistant food packaging papers, Grease-Gard PLUS and Grease-Gard PRO, strengthening its offering for the North American quick-service restaurant (QSR) and food service market.

The new papers are designed to address the growing demand for high-performance, paper-based food packaging solutions that combine grease resistance, converting performance and sustainability.

A new European initiative is aiming to tackle one of the packaging industry's most persistent recycling challenges: flexible plastic packaging.

Called InFACT (Infrastructure for the Flexible plastic pAckaging Circular Transition), the project brings together 16 partners from across the packaging value chain to develop and demonstrate a circular system capable of turning used flexible plastic packaging into new packaging materials. The project will run from 2026 to 2028.

A trademark dispute between J.M. Smucker Co. and Trader Joe’s over the appearance of frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is moving forward after a U.S. federal judge rejected Trader Joe’s request to dismiss the case.

The lawsuit, filed by Smucker in 2025, centers on Trader Joe’s Crustless Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam Sandwiches, which Smucker alleges closely resemble its well-known Uncrustables products in both product design and packaging.

Sunscreen branding is getting a new performance-driven twist with Runblock, a new sunscreen brand created specifically for runners. Rather than relying on the clinical and pharmaceutical visual language commonly associated with sun protection, Runblock embraces the realities of running—heat, sweat and intense sunlight—to build a distinctive identity.

Islay Distillery reveals eye-catching new look for all its permanent whiskies.

Greiner Packaging and OMG Bubble Tea have collaborated to bring a fully ready‑to‑drink, retail‑ready bubble tea format to market, adapting Greiner’s K3 cup technology to meet the brand’s production, shelf‑life and consumer‑experience requirements.

OMG Bubble Tea, which has been expanding rapidly across Europe and the US, needed a packaging format that could support fast scaling while preserving the playful, premium identity of the category.