Our Insights From the Environmental Packaging Summit 2025
From policy shifts to packaging innovation, this year’s Environmental Packaging Summit was a welcome moment to take stock - and look ahead.
With top voices from across the supply chain, the two-day event offered valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities shaping our industry. Here’s our five insights from the summit:
1. Collaboration is gaining momentum, but needs direction
If there was one word that kept cropping up, it was collaboration.
Across speaker sessions and panel discussions, there was broad agreement that no single player can drive sustainable change alone. Success relies on shared responsibility and joint action. Encouragingly, we’re seeing more of this, as well as more opportunities…
💬 Encouraging signs: More organisations are involving suppliers earlier in the decision-making process - not just on product specs, but also on compliance, waste handling, and communications.
🗺️ The opportunity: To move from conversation to coordination - especially in how packaging is developed, introduced, and explained. Cross-functional thinking (procurement + ops + sustainability + marketing) is key.
2. EPR: Progress made, but gaps remain
EPR was spoken about surprisingly less than expected, especially considering Margaret Bates (Head of the UK pEPR Scheme Administrator, DEFRA) and Emma Bourne (Director - Circular Economy, DEFRA) were in attendance.
Margaret had been clear that the new EPR fee structure deadline would be met - which indeed it has, since the summit. While it’s positive to see deadlines being met and clearer guidance emerging, the latest detail has raised eyebrows.
Materials like fibre-based packaging — which are widely collected and easy to recycle — hasn’t seen the fee reductions many had expected when attending the summit. In contrast, glass, aluminium and most importantly plastic - of which less than 15% of plastic film is kerbside collected - has seen a sharper drop.
🤔 Key concern: Fee structures must reflect real-world recyclability and environmental impact, or we risk penalising better choices.
🔄 What’s needed: A stronger feedback loop between producers, recyclers, and policymakers to ensure that fees drive the right behaviour without creating confusion.
3. Let’s not forget the consumer
There was a the strong focus on innovation and regulation, but the end user - the person disposing of the packaging - was rarely mentioned.
Just one panel, led by OPRL’s Jude Allen tackled this head-on, highlighting just how vital it is that packaging makes sense to the average person.
♻️ The reality: Without clear guidance, even the best packaging can end up in the wrong bin. Consumer behaviour is the final link in the chain, and potentially the weakest.
⚠️ A missed opportunity: Much of the innovation showcased could have more impact if supported by visible, point-of-sale messaging and educational campaigns.
4. Innovation is surging, infrastructure needs to catch up
There’s no shortage of innovation in materials, design, or delivery.
We heard from businesses trialling reusable formats, switching to new materials, and pushing for circularity. But it’s clear the UK’s recycling infrastructure still lags behind. And that gap matters.
💷 The challenge: Even fully recyclable formats can fall short if local authorities can’t collect or process them. Infrastructure investment needs to match the pace of packaging change.
🚛 What to focus on: Choose solutions that are not just technically recyclable, but practically recyclable. Materials that can be collected, sorted, and processed at scale today, not just in theory.
5. Recognition fuels progress
Much of the progress and innovation discussed during the summit was recognised in an enjoyable and entertaining awards evening.
In speaking with Stefan Casey (Head of Ecosystem, io.tt), one of the judges of the Environmental Packaging Awards, he revealed that the judging process was stringent, ensuring that any award given was truly earned.
🥇 This further highlighted how important our Gold Award for Sustainable Packaging Initiative of the Year was.
Our submission made it clear: sustainability isn’t a bolt-on at EP Group — it drives everything we do. We showcased our carbon-neutral operations, closed-loop collection systems, and industry-first packaging innovations. We backed it up with hard data, from waste reduction and emissions cuts to third-party audits and EcoVadis Platinum status.
The message? We don’t just talk sustainability. We build it into the business.
🥉 We also picked up a Bronze award for Splashstop® Splash and Spill-Free Cup Cover - the second award this innovation has picked up after winning at the FPA Awards in March!
Final thoughts
The Summit showed just how much progress is being made, and how much still needs to happen.
From policy to product, the conversations reinforced our belief that sustainability only works when it’s practical, collaborative, and clearly communicated.
We’re proud to be part of the momentum driving change.