This quarterly newsletter to the Packaging team is designed to share information, keep up to date on market developments that affect our business, and progress towards our vision of being a formidable $1B Global Provider of Packaging Solutions! Inside, you’ll find highlights on market developments shaping our industry, customer shifts that may impact our strategy, and innovations driving packaging forward.

Please share feedback, as well as any articles that you think the Packaging team should know about, with Madeline DuCharme.

Packaging News

Coca-Cola replaces shrink wrap with DS Smith’s corrugated multipack handle: Coca‑Cola HBC Austria, in partnership with DS Smith and Krones, has replaced approximately 200 tons of plastic shrink‑wrap annually on 1.5 L PET multipacks with a 100% recyclable corrugated “Lift Up” handle and paper band—cutting CO₂ emissions by 42% and energy use by 58%. 

How Pack Expo attendees see packaging materials changing: PMMI’s new Material Transitioning Dashboard, based on feedback from more than 30,000 Pack Expo attendees and 48,000 respondents overall, reveals that U.S. packaging companies plan to phase out polystyrene, foams, and PVC over the next three to five years while increasingly adopting recycled-content materials like PCR and certified paperboard.

• You can access the Material Transitioning Dashboard by creating a PMMI account with your BW Packaging email address

P&G’s Tide Laser Marks Cap for Better Dosing Clarity, Recyclability: P&G’s Tide Ultra OXI Boost now features a laser‑marked cap—with permanent, high‑resolution dosing indicators created by LasX’s LaserSharp® technology—eliminating labels and inks, enhancing dosing clarity and recyclability, and compatible with high-speed production lines.

Industry Reports 

(stored on Packaging Market Research Sharepoint)

2025 State of the Industry (September 2025)

• Market Growth Slows: The U.S. packaging machinery market grew just 2.2% in 2025, as economic uncertainty and tariff volatility led many manufacturers to delay capital investments and focus on maintaining existing equipment.
• Automation Gains Momentum: End-of-line automation—especially palletizing, inspection, and product handling—is growing rapidly due to labor shortages and the need for higher throughput in constrained spaces.
• Sustainability Drives Innovation: Equipment must now accommodate thinner, recyclable, and paper-based materials as brands respond to retailer mandates and global regulations. Servo-driven systems and automated changeovers are in high demand.
• Smart Tech Adoption Rises: Predictive maintenance, AI-powered HMIs, and machine vision systems are becoming standard features, helping operators reduce downtime and improve quality control—especially in high-turnover environments.
• Aftermarket Services Expand: Parts and services now represent over a third of total revenue. OEMs are offering subscription-based support, remote diagnostics, and digital training tools to help customers extend equipment life and manage costs.

Along with the yearly State of the Industry report, PMMI publishes a US Packaging Machinery Dashboard that includes estimates on different types of equipment shipped in the US and Canada. To view it, you can make a free PMMI account using your BW Packaging email address.

Winning in sustainable packaging in 2025: Bringing it all together: As CPGs accelerate their shift to recyclable and emerging materials, packaging equipment manufacturers must design machinery to maintain performance, accommodate material variability, and partner more closely with end users to meet evolving sustainability, cost, and regulatory demands.

Customer News 

Kraft Heinz to Split into Two Companies: Kraft Heinz is splitting into two distinct companies: Global Taste Elevation Co., which will focus on high-growth condiments and sauces like Heinz and Philadelphia, and North American Grocery Co., which will manage traditional grocery staples such as Kraft Mac & Cheese, Oscar Mayer, and Lunchables.

TreeHouse Foods to be acquired for $2.9B: TreeHouse Foods, the largest private-label food and beverage manufacturer in North America, has agreed to be acquired by Europe’s Investindustrial for $2.9 billion—underscoring both the growing strategic value of private-label brands amid consumer cost pressures and the challenges the company has faced with recalls and stagnant sales leading up to the deal.

Danone delivers Q3 sales beat with China 'firing on all cylinders': Danone’s third-quarter sales beat forecasts thanks to strong demand for baby food and medical nutrition products in China, highlighting the country’s pivotal role in driving growth for the company.

Feedback

Thank you for reading through the Packaging newsletter! We want this to be useful, so please send feedback, any articles you think should be included in the next newsletter, or nominations of people for recognition if they are working on a project connected to a market trend to Madeline DuCharme.