Chicago, IL; May 7th, 2025 - In a world increasingly focused on packaging sustainability and circularity, Packaging World's (PRS) offers packaging professionals a premier opportunity to advance their sustainability goals. Scheduled for June 25-27, 2025 at The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, Las Colinas Resort & Spa in Irving, TX, PRS presents a focused agenda for education and collaboration with key stakeholders across the CPG packaging supply chain.

The third annual Packaging Recycling Summit will bring together brand owners, retailers, packaging material and equipment suppliers, reprocessors and materials recovery facilities (MRFs). Over 40 educational sessions will explore topics including designing for recyclability, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, advanced recycling technologies, materials innovation, and effective consumer education strategies.

Leading industry experts from across the packaging value chain will share insights on navigating the evolving sustainability landscape. The program features keynote presentations, industry spotlights, CPG talks, interactive roundtables, and networking opportunities designed to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Matt Reynolds, Chief Editor of Packaging World, will deliver the welcome address, setting the stage for three days of in-depth discussions on packaging circularity. "As we head into year three, PRS25 will build on the momentum of previous summits by addressing the most pressing opportunities and challenges in designing packaging for circularity and recyclability," said Reynolds.

Among the standout sessions, Jeff Fielkow, CEO of Circular Action Alliance, will share valuable insights on EPR initiatives in the United States, exploring program development, regulatory frameworks, and implementation strategies. Additional EPR-focused sessions will examine programs in Oregon, Colorado, and California, offering critical knowledge for brands preparing for new compliance requirements.

The summit will feature practical case studies on material innovations, including Duracell's transition to paper-based packaging that has significantly reduced plastic use and carbon emissions. Attendees will also learn about advancements in flexible packaging recyclability, PCR content integration, and AI-powered waste recovery systems.

Exclusive research findings will be presented in several sessions, including a roundtable on evolving trends in sustainability and materials use, featuring the latest data from PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Another session will showcase a study on post-consumer recycled stretch film that demonstrates how businesses can improve sustainability without sacrificing performance or cost efficiency.

Morning roundtable discussions will provide intimate forums for attendees to engage with experts on topics ranging from recycling education strategies to deposit return systems and ways for CPG companies to improve recycled content returns.

Registration is now open, with Early-Bird rates extended until May 16, 2025. A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are also available.

For more information, please visit:

In recent years, small sachet formats have received a lot of attention in the media for the environmental challenges that they present. These small plastic envelopes are widely used to dispense condiments, sauces, personal care creams and many other liquid products. While they are convenient for the consumers, they are often highlighted for the issues that they create at the end of their life.

Estimates* suggest that approximatively 855 billion sachets were used globally in 2018. Most of these packs are produced with complex multi-layered packaging that can withstand the nature of the ingredients and preserve the products during the supply chain for their required shelf life. They are usually produced from 3-layer structures including layers of polyolefin, aluminium and often polyester, making the packs extremely difficult to recycle as the components of the laminate structure are incompatible for recycling and not easily separated. Their very small size and the fact that they often remain contaminated by foodstuff, further add to the difficulties in recycling.

Compostable film producer Futamura, flexible packaging converter Repaq and machine producer GK Sondermaschinenbau have worked together to produce a compostable solution for this market segment. This has been a difficult challenge to resolve, one that has been taken many attempts to perfect.

Today, they are delighted to launch a fully compostable solution based on NatureFlex™ technology for this application, capable of wrapping ingredients such as ketchup or mustard, cooking sauces or hand cream. The new compostable laminate includes a barrier cellulose film layer from Futamura as well as another biofilm to provide hermetic seals. The structures have been certified as compostable, both in an industrial and home settings.

The new compostable packaging structures have been proven to make effective sachet solutions, when produced on the newly designed GK Sondermaschinenbau machinery. The demonstration packs delivered have confirmed the required shelf life and protection for a range of sauces. The machineability of the new liquid sachet packs have been repeatedly proven, at scale, by the first brands implementing the compostable structure. There was no difference in efficiency when using this structure compared to a conventional one. That has been reported for all GKS machinery, whether small, medium or large size. The first commercial sachets will enter the market shortly.

Sven Seevers, Technology Manager at Repaq, confirmed: ‘It was very important for us to replace this non-recyclable packaging, which can pollute the environment, with a compostable solution. We succeeded after two years of development work with our great co-operation partners. Our packaging offers excellent product protection and significant ecological benefits at the same packing speeds. For liquids packaging we achieve an OTR of 0.5 at standard conditions of OTR: 23°C, 50% r.h with a shelf life of up to 12 months. In the long term, it is the best end-of-life scenario for this packaging and many others.’

Nico Merkel, Sales Director at GK Sondermaschinenbau, added: ‘We are very pleased that our machinery has been involved in this project and shown to contribute to the production of these unusual and progressive packaging solutions. It has been a pleasure to produce samples in our facilities and participate in the extensive testing of these little packs, proving that they can withstand large pressure over long term. The tests on our machinery have certainly shown that almost no adjustments were required to use the solution supplied by Repaq.’

Joachim Janz, Regional Sales Manager at Futamura stated: ‘This home compostable liquids sachet packaging is indeed a really exciting launch. Ultimately, it means a perfect match to the request for offering a full portfolio of demanding food and non-food items to be packed in compostable packaging choices. Small-portion sachets have always been the tricky ones for recycling, so this success in compostability is good news to be shared.’

The National Circle for Indigenous Agriculture and Food (NCIAF) is proud to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Canadian Food Focus (CFF), establishing a collaborative partnership to elevate Indigenous agricultural knowledge, promote food system awareness, and strengthen educational outreach across Canada.

Grounded in mutual respect, cultural integrity, and a shared commitment to truth, reconciliation, and sustainable food systems, this agreement represents a powerful step forward in advancing inclusive and culturally relevant food literacy for all Canadians.

"Through this partnership, we are ensuring Indigenous voices are recognized and respected in national conversations about agriculture and food,” said Kallie Wood, President and CEO of the NCIAF. “This collaboration with Canadian Food Focus allows us to highlight the rich food traditions and agricultural practices of Indigenous communities across the country.”

Under the MOU, the NCIAF and CFF will collaborate on several initiatives, including:

• Storytelling and Content Creation: Sharing multimedia content—such as articles, videos, and podcasts—showcasing Indigenous food knowledge, practices, and community stories.

• Education and Outreach: Developing materials and campaigns to increase understanding of Indigenous food systems and agricultural traditions.

• Community Engagement: Supporting events and workshops connecting Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences in meaningful ways.

• Capacity Building: Creating mentorship and leadership opportunities for Indigenous youth and community members in agriculture.

“We are excited to work with NCIAF to share and advance Indigenous voices and to engage consumers with stories of Indigenous Peoples’ deep understanding of food harvesting, farming, hunting, and fishing practices,” said Dorothy Long, Managing Director for Canadian Food Focus.

The NCIAF will provide cultural insight and help identify knowledge holders and communities to feature in collaborative content. CFF will contribute its communications expertise and national media reach, ensuring content is published with cultural sensitivity and respect.

Regular meetings will be held to guide and assess the partnership’s progress, with designated representatives from each organization leading the joint efforts. This MOU will remain in effect for three years, beginning April 15, 2025.