What to look out for at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026

The future of packaging is on show at the NEC, Birmingham on 11 & 12 February, when Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 opens its doors.

From breakthrough materials and compostable solutions to robotics, smart labels, next-generation automation, and design-led premium packaging, Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 brings the industry’s most forward-thinking technologies, products, and ideas together under one roof. Over two days, attendees can explore innovations that are reshaping sustainability, efficiency, design, and local resilience, discover solutions that deliver both operational performance and consumer appeal, and connect with experts, start-ups, and global brands who are driving change.

Whether it’s recyclable films, circular logistics solutions, AI-powered machinery, or paper-based alternatives to plastic, this year’s showcase offers a holistic overview and hands-on opportunity to engage with the ideas and technologies that will define the next era of packaging.

Here’s your guide to the innovations you won’t want to miss.

Robotic Palletising: RARUK Automation

Stand U150

RARUK Automation showcases the PE10 Robotiq Palletising Solution for Universal Robots cobots, designed to automate repetitive palletising tasks and improve worker safety. With options including the ready-to-run PAL Ready and modular PAL Series, the system offers flexible configurations, compact footprints, and intuitive software with multi-product handling. Ideal for manufacturers seeking efficiency, adaptability, and safe, high-speed palletising.

Biotransformable Cup: eGreen & Polymateria

Stand G40

eGreen and Polymateria present VeriGreen® Plus, a world-first bio-based, biotransformable cup made from recycled cooking oil. Fully recyclable and fossil-fuel free, it behaves like conventional plastic for up to three years before safely transforming into a biodegradable wax with no microplastics or toxins. Early trials, including at Twickenham Rugby, demonstrate high collection rates, combining scientific innovation with practical usability for sustainable single-use packaging.

Atera by e-Green transforms rice husk by-products into durable, food-safe tableware. Microwave and dishwasher safe, with up to 72% lower CO₂ emissions than conventional plastics, Atera proves performance and sustainability no longer have to be trade-offs.

Smart Label Innovation: Harkwell

Stand C106

Harkwell launches InfoPeel™, a newly branded extended-content labelling range designed to simplify complex regulatory, sustainability, and consumer-information demands. From multi-page peel labels to digitally printed InfiWrap solutions, InfoPeel™ enables brands to deliver clear, compliant messaging while reducing material waste, speeding production, and maintaining premium shelf appeal. The range includes Multi, Tab, Concertina, and InfiWrap formats, offering flexible solutions for diverse applications, alongside Harkwell’s recyclable films and NFC/QR-enabled smart labels for supply-chain visibility and consumer engagement.

Compostable Sachets: Futamura

Stand G76

Futamura, Repaq, and GK Sondermaschinenbau have developed a fully compostable liquid sachet solution using NatureFlex™ cellulose technology. Designed for condiments, sauces, and personal care creams, the sachets deliver full product protection, hermetic sealing, and up to 12 months of shelf life, while being certified for industrial and home composting. The solution addresses the recycling challenges of small multi-layer sachets, offering high-speed production compatibility with existing machinery and a true end-of-life solution, turning waste into a biodegradable, eco-safe material without compromising performance.

Britain’s First Sparkling Wine Bottle: Croxsons

Stand B142

Croxsons, the 150-year-old family business, has launched Sovereign, the UK’s first sparkling wine bottle manufactured entirely on British soil. Designed for English and Welsh winemakers, the amber-hued bottle delivers shelf standout, sustainability, and local supply chain resilience. Made with 77% recycled content and produced domestically, Sovereign reduces transportation “road-miles” while supporting premium British wine provenance. Production begins March 2026, with orders available directly through Croxsons.

Foodservice Packaging: Klöckner Pentaplast (kp)

Stand H72 – FPA Food Service Zone

kp makes its Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026 debut with next-generation food-to-go packaging designed to combine recyclability, performance, and operational efficiency. Highlights include kp Infinity®, an expanded polypropylene (EPP) solution that replaces banned polystyrene, keeping hot food up to 10°C warmer while remaining cool to the touch, and kp FlexiStretch®, a high-performance catering film range available in PVC and recyclable PO that helps reduce food waste, maintain hygiene, and maximise efficiency. Both solutions are designed for easy handling, minimal material use, and integration with professional kitchens, providing practical, circular alternatives without compromising functionality.

Translucent Paper Packaging: one.five

Stand Q152

Glassleaf is a next-generation paper-based flexible packaging material that delivers visibility, recyclability, and performance in a single solution. Made from over 90% paper with a fully bio-based coating, it provides the transparency brands expect from plastic films while remaining PFAS- and PVDC-free, food contact compliant, and recyclable within standard paper streams.

Engineered for modern form-fill-seal lines, Glassleaf is heat- and ultrasonic-sealable and compatible with sachets, flowpacks, pouches, doypacks, and overwraps. It offers excellent print quality, reliable sealing, and high-speed production, making it suitable for a wide range of food and non-food applications.

Recycled Polypropylene: Prevented Ocean Plastic

Stand M160

Prevented Ocean Plastic introduces the first food-safe recycled polypropylene (rPP) for European markets, tackling one of the hardest-to-recycle plastics that contributes heavily to ocean pollution. Collected through franchise operations in coastal communities, discarded PP cups are sorted, washed, and processed using novel Starlinger Viscotec technology to produce high-quality, EU food-contact-compliant material.

The recycled PP can be used for cups, bottles, caps, trays, and flexible films, enabling brands to maintain performance while achieving circularity. In its first year, the initiative is expected to prevent 500 million plastic cups from entering oceans, providing a scalable, replicable model for other plastics like HDPE. Early adopters include Innovia Films and Spectra Packaging, demonstrating the material’s versatility across flexible and rigid packaging formats.

Sustainable Logistics: Inter Pack

Stand H154

The cardboard Inter Pack pallet (1200×800) offers a lightweight, high-strength alternative to wood or plastic. Fully recyclable and designed for automated handling, it reduces transport emissions and simplifies end-of-life recycling — an operationally smart, sustainable solution.

High-Tech Coding: Masca id UK

Stand V110

iLumiFlex uses UV laser technology to mark flexible packaging directly, without ribbons or consumables. Codes are abrasion-resistant and food-safe, offering efficiency, sustainability, and clarity for complex packaging lines.

Compostable Labels: TIPA

Stand E104

TIPA, in collaboration with Bio4Life, introduces certified home-compostable fruit and vegetable stickers. Fully compostable, adaptable to multiple surfaces, and compliant with upcoming EU PPWR regulations, these labels align consumer convenience with sustainability.

Luxury Embellishments Redefined: Scodix

Stand B25

Scodix introduces Scodix Luxe, its 17th application, enabling digital embellishment on a curated collection of premium substrates, including leather, linen, silk, and canvas. Visitors can explore how designers and printers are using Scodix Luxe to create luxury packaging, high-end publishing, and bespoke print products with unprecedented tactile and visual richness. Live demonstrations highlight the flexibility, creativity, and high-value opportunities this technology brings to premium print markets.

Smart Manufacturing Solutions: Nulogy

Stand T136

Nulogy showcases its full suite of Manufacturing Operating Systems (MOS), including Shop Floor, Smart Factory, and Quality & Compliance platforms, designed to boost efficiency, reduce downtime, and improve quality in contract packing and manufacturing. Visitors can see live demonstrations and explore how digital solutions enhance operational agility and margins. As sponsors of the Supply Chain Stage, Nulogy will also lead panels on technology’s role in modern co-packing and engage with industry leaders on the future of manufacturing innovation.

Responsible Packaging Solutions: Amcor

Stands E40 & F40

Amcor showcases its expanded portfolio of rigid and flexible packaging, from bottles and containers to films, pouches, and wraps, allowing brands to streamline sourcing from a single partner. Visitors can explore innovations that combine performance, design, and sustainability, including recycled polymers, lightweight structures, and refill-ready systems. Live demonstrations highlight how Amcor helps brands meet regulatory demands, reduce environmental impact, and differentiate in the market.

Recyclable Shrink Sleeve Innovation: Taghleef Industries

Stand P126

Taghleef Industries presents SHAPE360® TDSW, a high-performance, floatable white polyolefin shrink sleeve film designed to enhance recyclability without compromising design impact. The film delivers optimal opacity, strong ink adhesion, and excellent shrink performance, enabling glossy, high-quality decoration on clear PET bottles while supporting bottle-to-bottle recycling. Its inherent floatability ensures clean separation during recycling, improving PET recyclate purity and reducing plastic waste.

Green Fibre Paper Flexible Innovation: Tungate x Mondi

Stand B76

Tungate and Mondi showcase their latest ultra-low polymer, rustic MG paper extrusion-coated laminates, designed for kerbside recyclability and low-barrier applications. Launching at the NEC this February, the range includes a cost-effective 44gsm grade and a pre-tinted brown 84gsm option, all classified within the lowest taxable EPR band for paper and card. Fully FSC-certified and printable in up to nine colours using Tungate’s low-energy LED HD flexo and offset technologies, the materials offer a compelling, sustainable alternative for food and non-food packaging.

To witness these innovations and many more first-hand, make sure you’ve registered for your complimentary ticket for Packaging Innovations & Empack 2026, the home of the UK’s packaging and processing industries and innovation and necessity collide to shape tomorrow’s world.