The Latest in Labeling: Driving Innovation Across Industries

Improvements in labeling have appeared in multiple areas.

Barcode stickers on label roll. — Image courtesy of HERMA

The packaging industry has been transformed by significant innovations in labeling.

Few elements of a package are more important than the label. Labels convey critical information about a package’s contents, in addition to helping market the product in a consumer context. Improvements in this area of the packaging industry have come in the form of materials, technology and machinery. Learn more about the latest in labeling below.

Barcode transforming into a QR code, depicted with an orange scanning line transitioning between the two.

Courtesy of GS1

Why Packaging Is Becoming Your Most Powerful Digital Channel in 2026

GS1's Sunrise 2027 deadline requires 2D barcodes on consumer-facing products, and what looks like a technical swap is actually forcing a fundamental rethink of what packaging does. Read article

Clear plastic "Eat fresh & go" food containers with HERMA labels, showcasing packaging solutions.

Courtesy of HERMA

Streamlining Salad Packaging with Advanced Labeling Solutions

HERMA, a leading manufacturer of precision labeling machines for a variety of sectors, has partnered with one of the nation’s top grocery store chains to enhance efficiency and accuracy of its clamshell salad packaging lines. Read article

An apple and an orange with TIPA compostable packaging labels on a wooden surface, with blurred green foliage.

Courtesy of TIPA

TIPA Compostable Packaging Launches Home-Compostable Label for Fresh Produce

TIPA^® Compostable Packaging, a global leader in developing and manufacturing compostable flexible packaging solutions, together with Bio4Pack, its European subsidiary, has launched a new certified home-compostable label for fresh produce suitable for a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Read article

Woman looking at HERMA GreenGuide on computer

Courtesy of HERMA

HERMA Launches Digital GreenGuide on Sustainable Self-Adhesive Labels

Virtually any type of packaging can become more sustainable — and labels often play a more significant role in this process than is generally recognized. HERMA’s new digital GreenGuide demonstrates with just a few clicks how labels can contribute to more sustainable packaging and which self-adhesive materials provide a viable solution. Read article

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Bobby Douglas is an Associate Editor of Packaging Strategies and Flexible Packaging. Having started this position in December 2022, Bobby is still new to the industry, but he’s excited to tackle important issues and topics within this dynamic field. He currently resides in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and he likes to stay active and watch basketball in his free time. Bobby graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2022, where he majored in Psychology with a minor in Business Economics.