The packaging sector is entering a new stage.<\/p>\n
The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, known as the PPWR<\/strong>, establishes a common framework to move towards a more circular, efficient and sustainable packaging model across the European Union.<\/p>\n The new regulation affects the entire value chain: packaging manufacturers, brands, distributors, retailers, logistics operators and waste management companies.<\/p>\n But its impact goes far beyond waste management.<\/p>\n The PPWR introduces a new way of understanding packaging from the very design stage, placing particular emphasis on areas such as:<\/p>\n For the packaging industry, this represents a major technical, production and regulatory challenge.<\/p>\n But it also represents an opportunity.<\/p>\n An opportunity to innovate, simplify structures, develop new materials and rethink packaging from a global perspective.<\/p>\n At Universal Packaging Group<\/strong>, this transformation is directly aligned with our philosophy: bringing together specialised expertise in different packaging technologies to deliver solutions adapted to each project.<\/p>\n One of the key pillars of the new regulation is design for recycling<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It will no longer be enough for packaging to perform correctly during transport, storage or display.<\/p>\n It will also be necessary to consider what happens to it after use.<\/p>\n This means analysing all the components that make up the packaging solution:<\/p>\n European regulation will progressively establish criteria and recyclability performance categories.<\/p>\n This will make correct design decisions from the outset increasingly important.<\/p>\n The PPWR also establishes progressive targets for the incorporation of post-consumer recycled content in certain categories of plastic packaging.<\/p>\n This creates new challenges related to:<\/p>\n Not all products have the same requirements, and not all materials are suitable for the same applications.<\/p>\n Each project must therefore be assessed individually.<\/p>\n Another objective of the regulation is to reduce unnecessary packaging and optimise the amount of material used.<\/p>\n This does not simply mean using less material.<\/p>\n It means using it better.<\/p>\n Efficient packaging must achieve the right balance between:<\/p>\n protection + functionality + communication + logistics + sustainability.<\/strong><\/p>\n In this context, lightweight formats and properly optimised solutions can play an increasingly important role.<\/p>\n The PPWR also promotes new reuse and refill models in certain categories.<\/p>\n For some applications, this may completely transform the relationship between the primary container and the packaging used to refill the product.<\/p>\n Flexible Packaging refill solutions<\/strong>, for example, can help reduce weight and volume compared with certain rigid formats.<\/p>\n This change opens up new opportunities for innovation, both from an industrial perspective and in terms of user experience.<\/p>\n The information displayed on packaging will also play a fundamental role.<\/p>\n One of the European objectives is to make it easier for consumers to correctly identify and sort packaging waste.<\/p>\n This means moving towards clearer and more harmonised labelling systems.<\/p>\n For brands, it will become increasingly important to ensure that claims related to recyclability, materials or sustainability are understandable, verifiable and consistent with the actual characteristics of the product.<\/p>\n One of the most important changes brought about by this new stage is the need to analyse packaging as a whole.<\/p>\n A container, label, sleeve or closure should not be assessed only in isolation.<\/p>\n They are part of the same system.<\/p>\n For example, a bottle may be made from a highly recyclable material but then incorporate elements that make correct identification, sorting or recycling more difficult.<\/p>\n That is why the future of packaging will require greater collaboration between all the parties involved in its development.<\/p>\n Brand.<\/p>\n Designer.<\/p>\n Packaging manufacturer.<\/p>\n Label manufacturer.<\/p>\n Sleeve manufacturer.<\/p>\n Flexible packaging manufacturer.<\/p>\n Material supplier.<\/p>\n Packer.<\/p>\n Recycler.<\/p>\n The earlier these factors are considered in the project, the easier it will be to develop efficient solutions.<\/p>\n Universal Packaging Group brings together companies specialised in different areas of the packaging sector and has more than 100 years of combined experience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n This structure allows us to combine expertise and industrial capacity in areas such as:<\/p>\n Sleeves<\/strong> make it possible to use a large proportion of the packaging surface as a communication area.<\/p>\n Their ability to adapt to complex shapes makes them a particularly powerful solution for brands looking for visual impact and differentiation.<\/p>\n Regulatory developments now make it even more important to carefully assess the relationship between the container and the material used for decoration.<\/p>\n Film selection, recycling behaviour and compatibility between components are becoming increasingly important.<\/p>\n Roll-Fed Labels<\/strong>, meanwhile, are a highly efficient solution for large production volumes and high-speed packaging lines.<\/p>\n Material optimisation, industrial efficiency and appropriate structure selection will also be key to their evolution.<\/p>\n Pressure-sensitive labels serve a dual purpose.<\/p>\n On the one hand, they are a fundamental tool for identification and communication.<\/p>\n On the other, they physically form part of the complete packaging solution.<\/p>\n This means that their design and composition can also influence how the package is managed at the end of its life.<\/p>\n The choice of facestock, adhesive, liner, inks and finishes should therefore be assessed both in terms of performance during use and in relation to the primary packaging.<\/p>\n The group\u2019s industrial experience in pressure-sensitive labels and sleeves<\/strong> makes it possible to approach projects from both a technical and functional perspective.<\/p>\n Flexible Packaging offers significant opportunities in terms of weight reduction, logistics optimisation and customisation.<\/p>\n Formats such as:<\/p>\n allow packaging to be adapted to the specific needs of multiple products and sectors.<\/p>\n At Bolsaplast, the company specialised in flexible packaging within the group, we work with different formats and customisable structures, including mono-material solutions and alternatives designed to support greater circularity.<\/p>\n The challenge over the coming years will be to maintain performance in areas such as barrier protection, resistance, preservation and sealing while continuing to improve recyclability and material optimisation.<\/p>\n One of the most common mistakes when discussing sustainable packaging is to look for a single material capable of solving every application.<\/p>\n Industrial reality is far more complex.<\/p>\n Coffee packaging has different preservation requirements from detergent packaging.<\/p>\n A pharmaceutical product requires different performance characteristics from a cosmetic product.<\/p>\n A food product that is highly sensitive to oxygen cannot be assessed using the same criteria as a product that requires little barrier protection.<\/p>\n Sustainability must therefore be considered from an overall perspective.<\/p>\n Where technically feasible, moving towards simpler structures can make sorting and recycling processes easier.<\/p>\n Mono-material solutions are one of the most important areas of development within Flexible Packaging.<\/p>\n However, they must always guarantee the performance required to protect the product correctly.<\/p>\n The development of films and materials compatible with recycling streams will become increasingly important.<\/p>\n The key will be to achieve the right balance between functionality, industrial efficiency and environmental performance.<\/p>\n The use of recycled raw materials will progressively increase across different applications.<\/p>\n Their use will need to be assessed according to the technical, health and regulatory requirements of each project.<\/p>\n Reducing thicknesses or eliminating unnecessary elements can help reduce raw material consumption.<\/p>\n However, reducing material at the expense of product protection can result in a greater environmental impact if it causes product loss, damage or waste.<\/p>\n Optimisation means finding the right balance.<\/p>\n The new regulatory environment also changes the relationship between brands and their suppliers.<\/p>\n Developing new packaging will require an increasing level of technical expertise.<\/p>\n Companies will need to assess areas such as:<\/p>\n This transforms the traditional role of the manufacturer.<\/p>\n The packaging supplier is no longer simply a producer.<\/p>\n It increasingly becomes a technical partner throughout the development process<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The diversity of technologies and areas of specialisation within Universal Packaging Group makes it possible to assess each project from different perspectives.<\/p>\n Not every product requires the same packaging.<\/p>\n And not every brand faces the same constraints.<\/p>\n The starting point should therefore always be to understand:<\/p>\n What product needs to be protected.<\/strong><\/p>\n How it will be packed.<\/strong><\/p>\n How it will be transported.<\/strong><\/p>\n How it will be sold.<\/strong><\/p>\n How the brand needs to communicate.<\/strong><\/p>\n And what will happen to the packaging at the end of its life.<\/strong><\/p>\n From there, the most suitable solution can be selected from among different packaging, labelling and decoration technologies.<\/p>\n Innovation does not simply mean introducing a new material.<\/p>\n Innovation only makes sense when it works under real conditions.<\/p>\n It must print correctly.<\/p>\n It must convert correctly.<\/p>\n It must perform on the production line.<\/p>\n It must protect the product.<\/p>\n It must withstand transport.<\/p>\n It must maintain graphic quality.<\/p>\n It must meet the relevant requirements.<\/p>\n And it must be industrially viable.<\/p>\n This practical approach is particularly important in the context of the PPWR.<\/p>\n Over the coming years, new materials, technologies, processes and requirements will continue to emerge.<\/p>\n The ability to assess them and turn them into industrial solutions will be one of the key drivers of competitiveness.<\/p>\n The PPWR is not simply a legislative change.<\/p>\n It is accelerating a transformation that was already underway.<\/p>\n The packaging of the future will need to be:<\/p>\n But it will still need to fulfil its primary purpose:<\/p>\n protecting the product and adding value to the brand.<\/strong><\/p>\n The real challenge will be achieving both.<\/p>\n At Universal Packaging Group<\/strong>, we approach this transformation through specialisation and collaboration across different technologies and areas of expertise.<\/p>\n Sleeves.<\/p>\n Roll-Fed Labels.<\/p>\n Pressure-Sensitive Labels.<\/p>\n Flexible Packaging.<\/p>\n Solutions designed to support increasingly sustainable packaging.<\/p>\n A global vision to support brands from initial development through to the final solution.<\/p>\n The implementation of the PPWR opens a new chapter for the entire European packaging industry.<\/p>\n The decisions made today regarding materials, structures, design and processes will determine how effectively products can adapt over the coming years.<\/p>\n Anticipating change will be essential.<\/p>\n At Universal Packaging Group<\/strong>, we want to support our customers throughout this transition by combining industrial experience, specialisation, innovation and development capabilities.<\/p>\n Because the packaging of the future will not depend on a single technology.<\/p>\n It will depend on knowing how to select and combine the right solution for each project.<\/p>\n A global vision. Specialised expertise. Packaging ready to move forward.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A new era for packaging in Europe The packaging sector is entering a new stage. The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, known as the PPWR, establishes a common framework to move towards a more circular, efficient and sustainable packaging model across the European Union. The new regulation affects the entire value chain: packaging manufacturers, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-528","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n
What changes with the PPWR<\/h1>\n
1. Packaging must be designed with recyclability in mind<\/h2>\n
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2. Greater use of recycled material<\/h2>\n
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3. Packaging reduction and optimisation<\/h2>\n
4. Greater emphasis on reuse and refill<\/h2>\n
5. Clearer and more harmonised labelling<\/h2>\n
Packaging must be understood as a system<\/h1>\n
Universal Packaging Group: specialisation with a global vision<\/h1>\n
Sleeves and Roll-Fed Labels<\/h2>\n
Pressure-Sensitive Labels<\/h2>\n
Flexible Packaging<\/h2>\n
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Sustainability does not depend on a single solution<\/h1>\n
Structure simplification<\/h2>\n
Recyclable materials<\/h2>\n
Recycled content<\/h2>\n
Material reduction<\/h2>\n
From manufacturer to technology partner<\/h1>\n
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A comprehensive solution for every project<\/h1>\n
Innovation with industrial application<\/h1>\n
The future of packaging will be collaborative<\/h1>\n
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Ready for the future of packaging<\/h2>\n