Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 opened at Birmingham’s NEC with 475 exhibitors occupying halls 2, 3 and 3a, presenting solutions across the full packaging supply chain. The event runs for two days and brings together stakeholders from design, materials, automation, robotics, AI and contract packing. During the opening, Pack UK confirmed that over £1bn has been collected and distributed to local authorities to support waste management systems under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
The show was formally launched with a ribbon-cutting by Josh Brooks, Divisional Director – Packaging Portfolio at Easyfairs, and Councillor Annette Mackenzie, Mayor of Solihull. Packaging Innovations focused on design and materials, Empack on processing technologies including automation, robotics and AI, and Contract Pack & Fulfilment on outsourced solutions.
“Today promises to be the biggest and the best edition of this show in our 21-year history,” said Brooks. “This event is all about innovation, it’s in the name, and it’s all about creating the future of packaging, whether we’re thinking about design, whether we’re thinking about materials, whether we’re thinking about processing technologies or outsourcing opportunities. It’s all here and we hope that you will, as visitors to the show, have a fantastic experience of discovery and you will go away with the toolkit to create your next product. It’s also extremely human and I really encourage you all, at an event like this, to not just discover the things, but to discover the people and make those connections, come away with new connections and new future partners for the projects that you work on. That’s the joy and the fun of any work that we do, and certainly for us who have the privilege of putting on events, it’s what we do.”
Councillor Mackenzie said: “Packaging plays a vital role in our economy, enabling food supply, healthcare, e-commerce, and consumer goods, while supporting jobs, skills, and resilient local supply chains. Our region is proud to be a hub for manufacturing excellence and innovation, and today’s SMEs and local manufacturers are driving progress through new technologies, smarter design, and more sustainable solutions. Innovation and sustainability are clearly at the heart of this event, as the sector works collaboratively to reduce impact, improve efficiency, and create long-term value.”
On the Circular Economy Stage, Chief Strategy Officer Esther Carter reviewed Pack UK’s first year of operation. The scheme, launched at last year’s show, has moved from policy development into full implementation. First notices of liability have been issued to producers. Over £1 billion has been collected and distributed to local authorities.
The total cost of the scheme is £1.4 billion. Just over 4,000 producers contribute to the household packaging waste element, with 4,299 obligated producers receiving notices of liability. Across the full scheme there are around 7,000 obligated producers. Funding is being distributed to 388 local authorities across the four nations. Pack UK operates with a team of around 60 people responsible for digital systems, risk management and operational oversight to manage large-scale payments.
“We anticipated there were going to be some bumps along the way,” said Carter. “There have been some challenges, and we are working with stakeholders across the value chain to refine our approach, ensuring we adjust policy alongside our policy colleagues while providing as much clear guidance and communication as possible to everyone in this room and beyond. Notably, last year, we not only began collecting payments but also began issuing them to local authorities. As of today, we have paid out over a billion pounds to support investment in local waste management systems.”
Addressing reports of a potential shortfall in year-end invoices, she said: “What I think perhaps has not always been as clear to people in developing this scheme is that Pack UK is required to balance the books at the end of each year. Pack UK can have no surplus rolling into the next year, nor can it have a gap. If any of those items change, there is a need to think about how we calculate fees in order to account for that. And we are the first to recognise that in year one, that creates a lot of challenge. We are working to figure out how to amend the legislation to make sure that we can create as much stability as possible for producers in future years. We have heard the calls from industry loud and clear. It is absolutely our intent to make sure that we are providing multiple years in advance visibility as to what is to come. None of us like surprises. Local authorities don’t want surprises, producers don’t want surprises. We also have to make sure that we are operating in line with the law.”
Paul East, Head of Packaging Recycling & Design at Recoup, outlined how recyclability trials are conducted through a materials recycling facility. He said: “We do trials and tests on members’ packaging, taking them through a materials recycling facility to see what actually happens,” adding that “Our guidelines show exactly what changes you can make to make your packaging more recyclable.”
Alison Bramfitt, Nestlé’s Head of Packaging UK & Ireland, said: “Designing for recycling isn’t just about the material, it’s about understanding the system, the capacity, and consumer behaviour in every market we operate in,” and added: “We must take our suppliers on the journey with us, ensuring innovations meet our requirements and are available when we need them.”
Prevented Ocean Plastic™ launched what it described as the first-ever polypropylene (PP) recycled to the European food-safe standard. The material has been developed with global partners and is expected to prevent 500 million cups from entering the ocean in its first year. PP is the second most common plastic polluting oceans, with 80 million tonnes produced annually and less than 1% recycled. Raffi Schier said: “The team at Prevented Ocean Plastic is so proud that after many years of work, we’ve been able to use our franchise model, go through audited collection, and bring to the market mechanically recycled, food-safe RPP to the European standard. To date, 80 million tonnes of polypropylene are produced annually, and by most estimates, less than 1% is recycled. Between now and a year from now, we’re expecting hundreds if not thousands of products to be made for the first time ever from mechanically recycled, food-safe RPP, allowing consumers to make a better choice and really do something special,”
Castle Colour presented FibreGuard, its fibre-based barrier solution designed to remove laminate and reduce EPR costs. Managing Director Paul Densley said: “We’re in a huge innovation stage at the moment, which is really exciting. We’re doing lots of embellishment and really funky creative designs, but the biggest thing we’re pushing is FibreGuard, our own devised barrier solution for fibre-based packaging to remove laminate and reduce EPR costs. It takes plastic out of packaging while providing a barrier for grease, soap, not just food, but all sorts of applications. After years of testing, we’re confident taking it to market, and we already have customers in cosmetics and food successfully reducing costs through plastic reduction. Cost is king, sustainability has to stack up commercially.”
The Future Trailblazers 2026 programme, delivered in partnership with IOM3, recognised 26 finalists selected from 78 nominees. Seven winners were announced: Isobel Duignan (Nestlé), Yaseed Chaumoo (GreyParrot AI), Dhruvi Thakkar (Sleeve Office Ltd), Jayne Cunningham (New England Seafood), Jess Morgan Butler (Carlton Packaging), Jordan Scott (James Cropper), and Olivia Tomlinson (Nestlé). Nine professionals were highly commended.
Jordan Scott said: “In today’s market, collaboration is key to success, and within this role, I have been given the freedom to explore some fantastic and powerful opportunities, allowing us to effectively communicate our world-class capabilities and creativity. Over the last few years, I have had the privilege of playing a small role in many exciting projects and partnerships. It never ceases to amaze me how far our product truly reaches and what possibilities this opens for us.”
David Hainsworth, Director of Sheard Packaging, said the event was “the best show I’ve attended in a long time, a fantastic location and perfectly organised.
“The footfall has been excellent, with high-quality visitors throughout. We’ve met everyone we hoped to see, and then some. Really looking forward to day two!” Sheard Packaging, the show’s Official Innovation Partner, showcased its 40-foot Mobile Innovation Centre (MiC).
At the Discovery Theatre, Craig Sterling, co-founder of MarinaTex, presented natural polymer solutions designed to replace single-use plastics. He said 97% of such plastics are never recycled and generate more waste annually than the total weight of all people on the planet. He added: “We think there’s something we can do about it. So what we’ve done is we’ve developed all natural solutions using natural biopolymers that already exist in nature. Nature can make things that are waterproof. Nature can make things that are resilient. And then when it goes back to the environment, the environment then can now be collected and it’s in a fully circular system. We believe that the biggest problem is it’s a systems challenge and not just about the materials; it’s a systems challenge.”
Lena Yipp of Acentrixia demonstrated reusable insulated takeaway bags and said: “The bag is something that everyone touches, everyone carries, and almost forgets immediately. It becomes invisible by design. When something becomes invisible, we stop questioning it,” adding: “Reuse fills best when it’s effortless. When something is useful enough to keep, reuse happens naturally. Packaging stops being waste. It has become something useful that you interact with every day.”
Phil Walker, Technical Director at IPS, part of the Culina Group, said: “We’ve been warmly welcomed by the show organisers and the BCMPA, and the day has been incredibly busy, with high footfall and engaging conversations. Everything we work hard to be good at, quality, flexibility, operational excellence, and technical compliance, resonated strongly with the brands that chose to speak with us. It’s rewarding to see our values and capabilities align so clearly with visiting brands, and we’re very impressed with our debut at the event.”
Organisers said Day 2 will continue with further discussions on sustainable packaging and supply chain development.
