Australasia’s packaging and processing machinery sector entered 2025 with a cautiously optimistic outlook, buoyed by resilient demand across food, beverage and emerging categories, and supported by continued investment in automation and system upgrades.

The global consumption of sustainable barrier coatings is projected to reach 3.7 million tonnes in 2025, valued at US$9.2 billion, according to new research from Smithers.

The AIPIA & AWA World Congress 2025 delivered a packed two-day programme with brand owners, solution providers, and innovators showcasing how smart packaging is moving from concept to commercial reality. Andrew Manly reports for PKN.

A new international position paper highlights the delicate balance between reducing food loss and waste while meeting packaging sustainability targets – a paradox that demands careful design, innovation and global collaboration.

Against the backdrop of PPWR changes, Henkel explores how smart design, material choices and recycling-compatible adhesives can unlock the true potential of fibre-based packaging in a circular economy.

The global rigid plastic packaging market, valued at $220.2 billion in 2025, is holding its ground amid sustainability and retail shifts, with Smithers forecasting it will expand to $262.7 billion by 2030

Smithers’ latest white paper highlights the forces driving change across the global packaging landscape. It identifies five interlinked themes – sustainability, economics, regulation, performance, and circularity – that are reshaping how packaging is designed, manufactured, and used.

EXCLUSIVE: In a new report, Sustainable Packaging 2035, Matthew Rogerson, founder of The Pack Scout, outlines the seismic shifts set to reshape packaging over the next decade. He shares with PKN why alignment across business functions, credible consumer communication, and regulatory foresight will define success for Australasian companies.

Over the past two decades, sustainability assessment using rigorous scientific methodology, such as Life Cycle Assessment, has transformed from a niche, reactive exercise into a core component of packaging design and corporate sustainability strategies, writes Tim Grant, director of Lifecycles.

Smithers forecasts extra growth in the $132.8 billion folding carton packaging market, and anticipates consumption volume for folding cartons to double in growth for the Australasian region in the period between 2025-2030.

Across packaging, the drive to improve sustainability is increasing. For adhesives, this includes the development of more bio-derived ingredients, as well as solutions that allow brand owners to simplify designs or switch materials. Smithers' new report takes a closer look.

US tariff policies could reshape the global packaging industry, with potential impacts reaching into the tens of billions of dollars, according to a new white paper from Smithers.

A new global study reveals strong consumer appetite in Australia for systemic change towards a circular economy, with a clear mandate for business and government to step up support and incentives.

Australians are calling for clearer, more informative food labelling, with new findings from FSANZ showing that while trust in labels remains high, many consumers still struggle to interpret key elements.

Global demand for printed packaging labels, release liners, and sleeving is set to rise steadily over the next five years, according to a new report from industry analyst Smithers

A new report from FaBA provides a roadmap for Australian food and beverage businesses to transition to more sustainable packaging. Identifying 12 key trends and offering five practical recommendations, the report highlights the urgent need for collective action, innovation, and investment.