The Flexible Packaging Association has created a Brand Owner Council, a new membership category giving brand owners direct input on flexible packaging issues. Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble are the inaugural members, sitting alongside converters, suppliers and policymakers.
Why this mattersDirect brand-owner engagement in a US trade body signals growing buyer influence over flexible packaging's sustainability and policy agenda.
- FPA launched a Brand Owner Council as a new membership category
- Inaugural members are Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble
- The council includes brand owners, converters, suppliers and policymakers
- Focus areas include circularity, design innovation, consumer education and public policy advocacy
- FPA expects additional companies to join the council over time
Pulpex has started production at its first commercial-scale fibre bottle plant near Glasgow, with initial capacity of 40 million units a year and an ambition to scale to 1 billion units. More than 90% of the plant's capacity for the current financial year has already been secured, including by Purely Scottish Natural Mineral Water and smol.
Why this mattersFirst industrial-scale supply of plastic-free fibre bottles gives brand owners an alternative to PET and glass, and gives licensees a route into the format regionally.
- The plant near Glasgow started commercial production in October 2026 with initial capacity of 40 million units a year.
- Long-term target is 1 billion units globally.
- More than 90% of the plant's capacity for the current financial year is secured; early adopters include Purely Scottish Natural Mineral Water and smol.
- Pulpex is backed by a consortium including Diageo, Unilever, PepsiCo and Kraft Heinz.
- Swiss manufacturer Perlen Industrieholding holds licence rights for Switzerland, Austria, Italy and southern Germany.
- India-based Alternicq holds exclusive development rights for India and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Flexible Packaging Europe's aseptic bag market group ABMA has started a three-year cross-industry project to build a collection and recycling system for industrial aseptic bags, used to transport tomatoes, fruit preparations and juices, ahead of EU PPWR recyclability requirements taking effect on 1 January 2030. Participants include Smurfit Westrock, Aran Group, Goglio, Hansin, Kagome, Kraft Heinz and Tesseraux; ABMA warns that without a recycling system the bags could be barred from the EU market, disrupting supplies of tomato and fruit-based food products.
Why this mattersIf unresolved by 2030, non-recyclable multi-material aseptic bags could be excluded from the EU market, threatening supply continuity for major food processors and their packaging suppliers.
- ABMA represents about 90% of the global industrial aseptic bag market
- Industrial aseptic bags range from 220 litres to 1,600 litres and combine polyethylene with barrier materials such as metallised PET, aluminium foil or polyamide
- PPWR recyclability requirements for packaging placed on the EU market apply from 1 January 2030
- The initiative is a three-year project covering technology qualification, an EPR-compliant collection scheme, Design for Recycling guidelines and recyclate food-contact suitability
- Participating companies are Aran Group, Goglio, Hansin, Kagome, Kraft Heinz, Smurfit Westrock and Tesseraux
Kraft Heinz launched a limited-edition Capri Sun Big Pouch, a refillable and resealable 24-oz format holding about three times the juice of the classic 6-oz pouch, sold empty exclusively through Walmart.com. The USD 6 product was offered in daily drops from 21 to 24 September 2026, with consumer feedback to determine whether the format becomes permanent.
Why this mattersA refillable, zip-sealed scale-up of an iconic single-use pouch format tests whether reuse can be retrofitted into an established flexible-packaging design.
- The Big Pouch has a 24-oz capacity, about three times the classic 6-oz Capri Sun pouch.
- It measures approximately 6.125 in wide by 9.08 in high and is sold empty for USD 6.
- It was sold exclusively on Walmart.com in daily drops from 21 to 24 September 2026.
- The pouch adds a press-to-close zipper for refilling while retaining the metallic look and poke-through straw.
- Kraft Heinz says nearly 80% of recent fan requests on pouch size asked for a larger format.
- A third-party vendor packs the empty pouch and a coupon into a mailer, as the product is not filled through Capri Sun's normal beverage line.
Eunomia and Delterra published a report identifying eight end-use applications that could absorb up to 800,000 tons per year of recycled polyethylene from household film in North America, and launched the Recycled Flexibles Demand Accelerator with Amcor and Kraft Heinz to pilot such uses. The report found only 27 mechanical film reclaimers operate in North America, fewer than half able to process lower-grade household material, as state EPR targets for flexible plastics approach.
Why this mattersWeak reclaiming capacity and thin end markets for household film threaten brand owners' ability to meet incoming state recycled-content and EPR recyclability thresholds.
- Report identifies eight end-use applications able to absorb up to 800,000 tons per year of recycled PE film in North America.
- Only 27 mechanical film reclaimers operate in North America, and fewer than half accept lower-grade household material.
- The Recycling Partnership estimates only 2% of US households can recycle film and flexible packaging.
- California's EPR programme targets a 65% recycling rate by 2032 for single-use plastics, versus under 5% currently for flexible plastics.
- Oregon has a 25% PE film collection target by 2028, rising to 50% by 2040.
- The Recycling Partnership's Film & Flexibles Recycling Coalition has granted about USD 5m across 19 projects since 2020.
