New launches to look out for at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025

With the eyes of the packaging world focused on the Birmingham NEC, Packaging Innovations & Empack makes the perfect platform to launch new products with a bang. Here are just a few of the latest innovations making their debuts at this year's event.

Packaging Innovations goes green with EP Group partnership

We're proud to reveal that we've chosen the RePapaPac® bag, made by sustainable packaging leader EP Group, as our official visitor bag for the 2025 event.

With over 6,900 visitors expected to attend, the switch to a fibre-based visitor bag underscores the show's commitment and action towards environmental responsibility.

The RePapaPac® bag, crafted from high-strength biodegradable paper, is manufactured in the UK and delivers on durability and strength, with a low carbon footprint. Even with its lightweight structure, the bag can hold up to 20kg and thorough testing has proven its durability for up to 50 uses. At the end of its lifecycle, every bag is fully recyclable through standard kerbside recycling.

Since its successful launch, this award-winning bag has gained significant traction within the UK retail market, with notable partnerships including Marks & Spencer and Morrisons.

EP Group has also been named as the official VIP Lounge sponsor at Packaging Innovations.

To enhance the VIP experience, EP Group will host a daily competition. Those attending Packaging Innovations are invited to challenge themselves to hold a RePapaPac® bag filled with household items at arm's length for as long as possible. This interactive contest will test the endurance of participants while demonstrating the remarkable durability and strength of RePapaPac® bags. The winner will earn a luxurious weekend break to London with West End theatre tickets for two.

SVP to unveil innovative reclosable bags

SVP will showcase its innovative reclosable bags at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025, highlighting a range of packaging solutions designed to reduce plastic waste and support a more sustainable future. These bags are reusable, recyclable, and designed to minimise plastic consumption.

Among the offerings are oxo-biodegradable bags, landfill-degradable bags, and zipper bags with up to 50% recycled content. The oxo-biodegradable and landfill-degradable options are engineered to break down more efficiently by utilising oxygen in the air or microbes in the landfill, ensuring that plastic waste has a lifecycle. Additionally, SVP's bags made with up to 50% recycled content help to close the loop on plastic use by incorporating recycled materials.

SVP's commitment to using recycled materials and creating packaging solutions with a reduced environmental impact reinforces its dedication to supporting the circular economy. Visitors to the show will be able to explore these cutting-edge products and discover how SVP is meeting the needs of customers while contributing to reducing the overall plastic footprint.

SVP Stand: C76

Circularity takes centre stage for Berry at Packaging Innovations

The Berry Global stand at Packaging Innovations and Empack 2025 will showcase the huge variety of rigid and flexible plastic packaging that the company offers for retail and industrial applications. Samples on display will cover a wide range of end-markets including food and beverage, beauty and personal care, surface coatings, homecare, horticulture, and agriculture.

Central to the company's ongoing new product development work is the creation of solutions in line with circular economy principles, designing out waste and emissions wherever possible while keeping products and materials in use. Examples on show include products with high content of post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic, solutions that offer improved recyclability, lightweighted packs, mono-materials, and reusable solutions. Berry will also showcase its proprietary, closed-loop CleanStream® technology - the UK's first domestically recovered, mechanically recycled PP for contact-sensitive, homecare, and industrial applications.

New to the company's extensive range of beauty and personal care products is the introduction of additional smaller sizes – 15ml, 20ml and 25ml - into its Exclusive Stick and Refill range, offering a convenient, attractive, and refillable on-the-go pack solution.

Berry Global Stand: K42

Rottneros Packaging AB to launch NATURE™ sustainable packaging solutions

Rottneros Packaging AB, a leader in thermoformed moulded pulp packaging, has announced it will launch its NATURE™ range of sustainable food packaging trays at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025. Building on over 130 years of excellence in pulp production within the Rottneros Group, the company has been at the forefront of advancing responsible alternatives to traditional packaging.

The NATURE™ range represents Rottneros' dedication to reducing plastic usage and optimizing food packaging performance, all while minimizing environmental impact.

Crafted using FSC-certified raw materials from North European sources and produced with 100% renewable energy, they are made from 86-98% renewable materials and incorporate barrier properties designed to extend the shelf life of food, while reducing plastic content to below 10%. Each NATURE™ tray is fully recyclable in paper streams, in line with CEPI and 4EverGreen protocols, and offers the added benefit of utilising bio-based inner liners that can be separated and composted.

Rottneros Packaging Stand: F84

Sovereign Labelling Machines presents new labelling innovation

Sovereign Labelling Machines has a simple goal for this year's Packaging Innovations - to exhibit the very best labelling and sleeving machinery on the market.

A specialist in labelling and sleeving for 30 years, its machines are renowned for their longevity and robust design, offering flexibility and ease-of-use for a variety of applications. Its new labeller was developed in response to customer enquiries for an entry-level range of machinery, offering and affordable and simple desktop labelling solution that still maintains all the hallmarks of the 'Sovereign Standard' and does not compromise on quality.

Sovereign Labelling Machines Stand: Q30

Complete Co-packing Services bringing innovative one-stop shop offering to Contract Pack & Fulfilment Zone

Complete Co-packing Services Limited will take to the Contract Pack & Fulfilment Zone having recently formed a partnership with wellness brand SIIP, helping to bring innovative beverage products to market via a range of trials and testing.

Development work has included the blending of the product using high shear mixers and filling the liquid into PET squeezy bottles designed to dispense the correct amount of product per serving. The bottles are then capped and shrink-sleeved with a full body sleeve and built-in anti-tamper, giving it a premium, sleek finish.

After production, the finished bottles are transported to Complete Co-packing Services' 54,000 square foot Warehouse and Fulfilment Centre, where they are stored and prepared for online orders, including those placed via the Amazon platform. As part of the Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) prep work, a team at Complete Co-packing Services pack the bottles into multi-pack gift boxes, allowing customers to sample each flavour and enjoy 90 drinks that can be served hot, cold, still or sparkling. This partnership has allowed SIIP to bring a high-quality and versatile product to market, while reducing its supply chain and carbon footprint.

Complete Co-packing Services Stand: R62

Viscose Closures shaking up shrink sleeves with plastic-free self-shrinking sleeves

Following a successful showing at London Packaging Week back in September, Viscose has signed up to exhibit at Packaging Innovations & Empack . This will be the first time they have exhibited at this show for over five years.

This marks a special opportunity for attendees to experience the benefits of its plastic-free shrink sleeves, which have been shortlisted as one of the most innovative products in the annual Innovation Gallery showcase. These sleeves, made from sustainable wood pulp, are Viscose's flagship products.

In line with Viscose's belief that small choices can add up to make a big difference in packaging, these innovative sleeves hold immense potential and are likely to attract a lot of attention at the show.

They are plastic-free, biodegradable, and home compostable, yet can self-shrink without the use of heat, making them ideal for heat-sensitive applications while also reducing energy consumption. Each sleeve can also be applied by hand, eliminating the requirement to invest in sleeving machinery.

Viscose Closures Stand: Q74

Zeus exhibits revolutionary Apollo pallet wrap monitoring system

Zeus Packaging, a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and a manufacturer of both pallet wrapping machinery and high-performance industrial application stretch films, will provide visitors with a first look at the Apollo Pallet Wrapping System, a groundbreaking innovation that could transform the pallet wrapping industry. Guided by the mission of "saving the planet, one pallet at a time," the Apollo Pallet Wrapping System underscores Zeus' unwavering commitment to sustainability, efficiency, performance, and innovation.

The Apollo Pallet Wrapping System is a revolutionary pallet wrap monitoring solution designed to reduce plastic consumption by up to 60%, saving time, cutting costs, and significantly reducing businesses' carbon footprint and Scope 3 Emissions. By digitally empowering businesses with real-time data on wrap usage, it enables informed decisions and optimises operations.

The system combines high-performance nanotechnology films manufactured by Zeus, a global agreement with Noxon on custom fit pallet wrapping machinery geared for high performance, and fitted specific data collection sensors incorporated into the pallet wrapping machinery that provide real time data into the Apollo monitoring software. This enables businesses to not only cut costs, plastic usage, and waste, but also to improve holding force stability, mitigating collapsing pallets.

Zeus' team of experts on the stand is offering free audits to companies to show them exactly how much time, money, and waste can be saved by the Apollo Pallet Wrapping System.

Zeus Stand: K30

Univest investments pay off with new circular innovations

Univest, designer and manufacturer of a number of successful circular packaging innovations for the food industry, will be bringing its latest launches to its stand at the show.

It has implemented a new coating line that enables the creation of an alternative water-based barrier coating to replace polyethylene in cup production. This new solution, which is compatible with both hot and cold beverages and can be applied to single-wall or double-wall containers, played a part in the development of Univest's fully recyclable and compostable tableware, UniCup™ and UniLids™.

The UniCup features a high-quality virgin (pure cellulose) cup, the inner wall of the cup is then coated with a unique water-based dispersion mixture, which effectively prevents leaks. Univest is fully flexible when it comes to the customisation of these cups. Currently, the company produces up to 50 million per month, all available in various sizes – from 6oz to 20oz – with or without printing, and in both standard and custom format.

Univest's UniLids, which are made from moulded fibre, are cost-effective and more economically viable than their polystyrene- and polyethylene-coated paper counterparts. UniLids are also known for their strength, smooth texture, and high-quality appearance.

Univest Stand: G86

Hartmann deliver game-changing FiberWise™ trays for fresh meat applications

Hartmann's FiberWise™ innovation is aiming to change the meat industry with its fibre-based tray solutions as it makes its Packaging Innovations debut. Designed to address growing environmental concerns, the new tray offers a sustainable alternative to conventional rigid plastic trays, boasting key benefits that make it a clear choice for eco-conscious producers of fresh meat and convenience foods.

Hartmann has used its near-century of experience in rough moulded fibre technology to develop, FiberWise™, a tray range made from 100% renewable resources FiberWise™ reduces plastic usage by 70%, compared to traditional rigid PET or PP plastic trays, which provides a tangible solution for reducing waste and contributing to a circular economy.

One of the standout features is its separability, which allows for efficient recycling of the fibre and plastic components, ensuring materials are repurposed. This innovation enables consumers to make responsible choices by opting for a packaging solution that is easy to recycle and environmentally friendly.

Hartmann FiberWise™ Stand: A23

MM Packaging to showcase sustainable cartonboard solutions with debut at Packaging Innovations and Empack 2025

MM Packaging Deeside's first appearance at Packaging Innovations and Empack 2025 will see the business showcasing its wide range of sustainable board and paper options for food and drink customers – including the latest enclosed cartons, wraps, and clips.

Demonstrating MM Packaging's extensive cartonboard knowledge and expertise, visitors to at the UK's leading packaging show, which runs from 12-13 February at Birmingham's NEC, will see a focus on four key areas.

The first is MM Packaging's paper-based food tray GreenPeel with its lightweight design using up to 90 percent less plastic compared to regular plastic trays. The product comes in standard and custom sizes, as well as skin and modified atmosphere packaging formats.

In addition, the business will highlight plastic replacement concepts for fresh fruit and vegetables. These can be easily adapted depending on the product. A catalogue of concepts will highlight the wide variety of shapes, sizes, and options on offer.

Barriers and coatings for the bakery sector is another key area for the show with MM Packaging demonstrating technology that can reduce plastic with a coating on the reverse of the cartonboard, providing a grease barrier for goods such as cookies and doughnuts.

The business will also present its solutions for the beverage industry, including its cartonboard range which can replace shrink wrap for multipack cans and bottles in applications such as fizzy drinks, beer, cider and pre-mix cocktails.

MM Packaging Stand: J54

FACER enters innovation gallery for second year running with plastic-free blister pack

Following a debut Top 10 position in last year's Innovation Gallery with its plastic-free blister pack FACER Progressive Printed Packaging has entered the Innovation Gallery again for 2025.

This year the Leeds-based printed folding carton manufacturer has entered its own-brand

plastic-free solution for pen packaging. The all-paper pack remains a heat-seal solution that utilises the same packing processes and machinery as conventional blister packs while retaining the benefits of this long-established packaging solution. The specially designed packaging achieves the shelf presence of a traditional blister pack without compromising on sustainability and is a completely recyclable, mono-material solution.

FACER will also showcase an alternative to the plastic-free blister pack. It has combined a conventional tuck-end folding carton with an extended back panel. This retains the size and marketing real estate while still hanging by a euro slot. This will be exhibited alongside a variety of client packaging and folding cartons produced with alternative sustainable materials.

FACER Stand: L44

Coveris supports industry in transition to pEPR

Driven by its industry leading No Waste agenda, Coveris will showcase its latest sustainable paper, plastic and hybrid solutions designed to support upcoming pEPR requirements.

With pEPR leading the agenda for both Packaging Innovations and the industry as a whole, the Coveris team will be on hand to advise on the latest guidelines, while showcasing its leading packaging solutions.

With extensive knowledge spanning both paper and plastic packaging, Coveris' specialists will work with visitors to review their packaging needs and assess pEPR impact, utilising tools and product roadmaps to help visitors make informed choices to minimise environmental impact and reduce financial liabilities.

Visitors will be able to explore Coveris' portfolio of product offerings featuring light weight designs that prioritise recyclability, use mono-material structures, and incorporate recycled content to align with RAM and modulated fee requirements, in accordance with evolving regulatory standards while driving sustainability goals.

Product highlights include Coveris' award-winning MonoFlex range, lightweight paper alternatives, including lidding and trays, and a new range of wash-off labels designed for improved recyclability.

Coveris Stand: M64

The time for talking is almost over, and on 12 & 13 February, the NEC's doors will soon be open for Packaging Innovations & Empack. This will give attendees the chance to experience the above innovations for themselves, along with our biggest-ever programme of expert speakers, networking events, and industry-leading insights.

Don't miss out – register for a free ticket today.