News

Oliver Smith
25. September 2026

Who Packages AI? How the Massive AI Build-Out Is Creating New Business for B2B Packaging

The United States is investing in artificial intelligence on a scale never before seen for a single industry. Around USD 10.3 trillion is set to flow into data centres and the related infrastructure by 2032, the Wall Street Journal reports. What sounds like a pure tech story is in fact a vast industrial project made […]

Read more

Jenny Walther-Thoß
24. September 2026

Webinar: The EU Machinery Regulation from 20 January 2027 – what to do now

On 15 October 2026, we are hosting a free webinar for manufacturers of machinery, plant and packaging machinery. The occasion is 20 January 2027: on that date, Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 becomes fully applicable, and the Machinery Directive is repealed with effect from the same day. Which legislation applies to a machine is determined not […]

Read more

Jenny Walther-Thoß
23. September 2026

PPWR: why every package needs a cut-off date

On 12 August 2026, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) became directly applicable. For manufacturers, logistics providers and buyers, this raises a very practical question: which requirements apply to packaging that is already in circulation, has already been procured or is currently being procured? Those who answer this question systematically now will avoid […]

Read more

Jenny Walther-Thoß

EcoVadis 2026: insights from practice

Sustainability and ESG criteria remain important topics for the packaging industry. The pressure no longer comes from regulation alone. Customers, banks and investors also expect reliable information – and are once again increasingly requesting an EcoVadis assessment. We reveal why good measures do not automatically lead to a good rating, what good preparation looks like […]

Read more

Louisa Kröning

EmpCo in practice: from wording to process (and to success)

How must corporate communication change when every environmental and/or sustainability claim has to be substantiated if challenged – and a lack of evidence can lead to severe penalties?  In our Q2 newsletter, we used a current project to show you that false green claims rarely arise from bad intent. In this article, we pick up […]

Read more

Jenny Walther-Thoß

News in brief from Brussels, Strasbourg and Berlin

Even though the PPWR currently dominates the headlines, there is plenty to report beyond it. Our news in brief covers such important topics as the approaching EmpCo Directive deadline, changes to the EUDR shortly before the rules take effect, a ruling on the system participation obligation for carrier bags and the new minimum standard for […]

Read more

Jenny Walther-Thoß

PPWR blog: summer break? Far from it!

In our PPWR blog, we provide an overview of developments in the period from 16 July to 10 September 2026. We divide the articles into EU level and national level (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). As always: this overview makes no claim to completeness and does not replace legal advice.   EU level PPWR now applies The […]

Read more

Matthias Giebel

Packaging volumes in the EU: a fact check (and a more nuanced view)

In July 2026, the EU’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) published a study on the quantities of packaging placed on the market between 2011 and 2025. Its headline alone attracted considerable attention. It made two key statements. First: quantities stay significant. And second: plastic was the only packaging material to grow – by 11 %. We […]

Read more

Oliver Smith

The top 10 applications in the cosmetics packaging market

We have taken a look at the Eastern and Western European cosmetics packaging market for you. In which applications or market segments are the most primary packaging units used? Where is growth positive and where is it stable? Which markets (countries) lead the way? Which brands dominate? Which pack types do the players mainly rely […]

Read more

Oliver Smith

From analysis to implementation – what really counts in the age of AI

AI has quickly become a powerful tool in the day-to-day work of many companies. Especially in information gathering and analysis, the barriers to entry are comparatively low and the gains in speed are high. Traditional desk research has become less important. At the same time, however, the demands on evaluating and contextualising the data obtained […]

Read more