With the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) poised to present its annual sustainability awards this spring, it makes sense to take a look at some of the latest advances in sustainable packaging materials, especially those related to printing and labels.

In addition to world packaging events going all digital, companies themselves have stepped up and taken control of showcasing their new products to a broad audience by creating their own virtual press events.

Designed to power innovation across the industry, PMMI’s PACK EXPO Las Vegas and co-located Healthcare Packaging EXPO, Sept. 23-25, will cover 900,000 net sq. ft. of exhibit space, with 2,000 exhibitors and 30,000 attendees from nearly every market.

Three experts from around the industry weigh in on the latest trends, technologies and practices that brands can leverage to effectively tackle multiplying stock keeping units (SKUs) and bolster efficiency, sustainability, security and brand experience through customization and personalization.

Packaging Strategies spoke with Dow market manager Chris Gandy and associate marketing director Heather Turner about Dow’s Design for Recyclability platform and the evolution of recyclable pouches designed to fit the circular economy.

OMAC and OPC Foundation jointly released a PackML OPC UA Companion Specification in 2018 — a nearly two-year effort to standardize how PackML information should be modeled in OPC UA. Since its release, technical solution providers have started to create real implementations of the specification.