Brand owners & design

Polytag calls for UK recycling industry collaboration

Piotr Wnuk — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 01:03:30 +0000

Polytag has urged the UK recycling sector to unite behind industry-wide collaboration to overhaul the country's struggling plastics recycling system, launching a new whitepaper outlining a practical blueprint for circular economy transformation.

The London-based recycling innovator, specializing in packaging tagging and tracing technology, presented its call to action at an industry event on June 19, attended by high-profile sector players.

The company's whitepaper outlines four key recommendations for future-proofing the recycling system, emphasizing the need for barcode-level traceability and next-generation sorting infrastructure using currently available technology.

'It's time to move from rhetoric to reality,' said Alice Rackley, CEO at Polytag. 'For too long, the industry has relied on estimates, assumptions and outdated systems that simply don't deliver, and often result in widespread downcycling of valuable plastics. We've shown that item-level traceability is possible now.'

Polytag's recommendations include prioritizing item-level traceability to move away from estimates and enable real-time, barcode-level data on packaging. The company also advocates for scaling collaborative infrastructure through co-investment in detection technology and data sharing across the value chain.

The whitepaper calls for adopting next-generation sortation technologies to sort plastic by food-grade status, polymer type and brand ownership, minimizing contamination and enabling closed-loop recycling. The fourth recommendation focuses on embedding continuous innovation to adapt to evolving policy and material streams.

The push comes as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the Plastic Packaging Tax, and new Recyclability Assessment Methodologies increasingly require robust, verifiable data and measurable environmental outcomes. Effective enforcement of these frameworks depends on accurate, granular data achievable only through full lifecycle traceability of plastic packaging.

'With regulation tightening and the pressure to prove impact mounting, the sector faces a clear choice: keep guessing, or get serious about data, collaboration and real results,' Rackley added. 'The technology is ready. The infrastructure is growing. What we need now is collective action to scale it together.'

Polytag currently works with organizations including Pellenc ST, Citeo, Biffa, Waitrose and Ocado Retail to build a network of material recovery facilities capable of creating a closed-loop recycling system for single-use plastics.

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The company's whitepaper outlines four key recommendations for future-proofing the recycling system.

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Fedrigoni Top Award 2025 winners announced

Akanksha Meena — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 08:24:25 +0000

Fedrigoni has revealed the results of Fedrigoni Top Award 2025, a competition designed to celebrate design excellence and highlight the creations of those who use Fedrigoni paper and self-adhesive materials to craft unique masterpieces.

The winners of this edition were announced on June 5 during a ceremony at the Pavillon Gabriel in Paris. Five categories: packaging, publishing, label, creative communication, and graphics applications. Additionally, students and young researchers participated by submitting projects in the Young Talents section.

Designers, printers, publishers, brands, and young creatives from around the world had their projects evaluated by an expert jury, including Simon Esterson (publication designer), Silvana Amato (graphic designer and professor), Paul Boudens (graphic designer), Marianne Givone (head of Global Content Factory at Diptyque), Gustavo Greco (founder and creative director of Brazilian independent design firm Greco), Kate Marlow (co-founder of Here, a collective of writers and designers), Melanie Mues (founder of Mues Design studio in London), and Sebastián Yañez (co-founder of YG Branding & Design Experts Agency, now renamed Thingular Creative Partners).

‘I want to congratulate the winners and all Top Award participants for their dedication in selecting, evaluating, and creating this incredible collection of projects. At the core of Fedrigoni’s mission is the desire to craft products that inspire brands worldwide,’ said Marco Nespolo, CEO of Fedrigoni Group. ‘The beauty and quality of the submitted projects motivate us even further and drive our constant pursuit of the perfect balance between sustainability, aesthetics, and performance.’

In the label category, ‘Sentinella’, from the Marche-based winery La Lepre e la Luna won for its label. The bottles feature a label with simple shapes and a touch of vibrant color, enhanced by the natural texture of 100 percent cotton paper.

Next was ‘Cline Family Cellars, The Sneak Wines’ by The Sneak (USA). Inspired by the rebellious character of winemaker Henry Cline, The Sneak is a wine that pays tribute to the courage to defy the status quo, a concept echoed in its refined and minimalist packaging design.

Third place went to ‘Sulcus – Extra Virgin Olive Oil’ by Sulcus, a project that perfectly expresses the features and qualities of the native land of this oil, Apulia: the red letters of the name Sulcus rest on a textured label that reflects the rocky landscape and the roughness of land cultivated for generation

Fedrigoni also recognized ‘Laberinto de Cidonia’, by UNESDI (Spain), a mysterious name that ideally takes us to the surface of the planet Mars, in the Cydonia region. The labyrinth occupies almost the entire label, distinguished by a high-relief finish and surrounded by six enigmatic symbols, ranging from a face to a pyramid.

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The best international creations from designers, publishers, brands, and printers using Fedrigoni paper and self-adhesive materials were unveiled.

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ITC improves packaging sustainability across its brands

Akanksha Meena — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 07:22:16 +0000

Indian conglomerate ITC has reaffirmed its commitment to contribute to India’s initiatives to manage, recycle and replace plastic packaging waste in tune with this year’s World Environment Day theme of ‘Ending Plastic Pollution Globally’.

ITC’s integrated strategy focuses on large-scale and impactful community-based waste management programs as well as investments in sustainable packaging innovations, anchored on a robust three-pronged framework of ‘no plastic, better plastic and less plastic’. This approach encourages ITC to improve recyclability and optimize packaging across its own FMCG brands and also enables it to offer sustainable packaging for a range of consumer industries, replacing plastic with biodegradable materials, designed for recycling.

ITC has achieved plastic neutrality status for four years in a row having collected and sustainably managed 76,000 tons of plastic waste in FY 2024-25. The company’s integrated waste management initiatives have also earned it the distinction of being a solid waste recycling positive enterprise for 18 years.

Going forward, ITC aspires to make 100 percent of its packaging recyclable, reusable, compostable, or biodegradable by 2028, as part of its Sustainability 2.0 Vision.

ITC’s initiatives to curb single-use plastic pollution aim to contribute to the Indian government’s ‘Swachh Bharat’ vision and recent nationwide initiative‘One nation, one mission: end plastic pollution’.

S. Sivakumar, group head – agri and IT businesses and sustainability, ITC, said: ‘As a part of its credo of “Responsible competitiveness”, ITC has adopted a 360-degree approach towards enabling a circular economy. The integrated strategy includes spearheading a number of scalable, replicable and sustainable community-led waste management programs, while also driving a robust sustainable packaging plan anchored on the principle of “No plastic, better plastic and less plastic”. This framework inspires us to innovate and optimize packaging across our businesses and operations, besides offering a range of eco-friendly packaging solutions for various industries.’

ITC’s plastic sustainability model comprises of the three strategic pillars – no plastic, focusing on enabling industry-wide transitioning to sustainable, non-plastic packaging alternatives; better plastic, promoting the use of recyclable plastics and improved circularity in packaging and less plastic, which aims to reduce plastic usage through innovative design and material optimization.

ITC’s ‘no plastic’ approach enables the company’s paperboards and packaging businesses to develop a range of biodegradable paper-based packaging and premium molded fiber products made from plant-based renewable natural fibers. For this, ITC has recently established a molded fiber manufacturing facility in Madhya Pradesh.

Some of ITC’s sustainable packaging brands include the ‘Filo’ series – a range of recyclable, compostable and barrier coated boards suitable for food and beverage applications eliminating the use of plastic filament coatings, ‘Bioseal’ – a bio-compostable food-grade coating, ‘Ecobyte’, a differentiated B2C range of eco-friendly packaging products.

‘No plastic’ packaging innovations in ITC’s FMCG business include the Aashirvaad Khapli Atta pack, which features an eco-friendly dual-layer ‘bag in bag’ design. The outer pack is made of 100 percent paper, while the inner pack is a recyclable pouch, replacing conventional laminated packaging. The Sunfeast Farmlite Core Digestive large pack was launched in a 100 percent paper outer bag.

As part of the ‘Better plastic’ initiatives, ITC’s agarbatti brand Mangaldeep’s 3-in-1 scent portfolio shifted from multi-layered plastic laminates to 100 percent mono-material laminates. Fiama Handwash was launched in a recyclable monolayer pouch, replacing the multi-layered structure. The PET bottles of Fiama Showergel and Handwash contain 50 percent recycled plastic.

Similarly, ‘less plastic’ initiatives include design optimization undertaken for the packaging of Engage deodorant spray cans, which resulted in a reduction of 31 percent in packaging weight.

ITC’s flagship waste management program ‘Well-being out of waste (WOW)’ drives behavioral change and creates awareness about waste segregation among communities in collaboration with urban local bodies. ITC WOW’s outreach spans 29 million citizens across 7.2 million households. The program has supported sustainable livelihoods for over 17,900 waste collectors.

ITC’s ‘Sunhera kal’ social investment program, a community-led decentralized solid waste management model has also been implemented across towns, villages and temples. This program, operational in 34 districts across 12 States, has reached out to over 75,00,000 households. The initiative focuses on minimizing waste to landfill by managing waste at source, promotes plastic circularity among citizens and supports livelihood of rag pickers.

ITC’s Foods brand YiPPee! has launched the ‘Yippee! Better world program’ creating awareness about plastic waste management among students. During 2024-25, the intervention reached out to 14,00,000 children across 4,175 schools. This initiative, along with ITC’s social investments program has, provided schools with over 1,125 benches and tables and 350 sports kits made from recycled plastic.

In line with its ethos of ‘Responsible luxury’, ITC Hotels has also reduced usage of single-use plastic from 150 touch points across hotel operations, helping eliminate nearly 2,50,000kg of plastic per year.

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ITC improves packaging sustainability across its brands

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Indian conglomerate invests in alternative packaging to plastic through innovative product development for varied industries.

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JoySpoon breathes freshness into packaging with HP Indigo

Adyasha Sinha — Mon, 26 May 2025 09:40:57 +0000

JoySpoon, a young Indian brand reimagining mukhwas (mouth freshener), has leveraged the digital power of HP Indigo 25K to modernize the packaging of this heritage snack. The brand collaborated with Noida, India-based Hora Art Center to design and produce premium labels that reflected the uniqueness of the product inside.

JoySpoon could experiment with a label design, produce limited editions and make quick design updates while avoiding inventory waste and daily cost pressures in conventional printing.

The stakes have never been higher for emerging brands, particularly in the food, beverage, and personal care sectors. Limited shelf space, short consumer attention spans and growing demand for clean, ethical and visually compelling products mean that packaging needs to resonate.

'Packaging is the first conversation our product has with the customer,' said Yash Mehta, founder of JoySpoon. 'With digital printing, we could innovate, test and grow on our terms. HP Indigo made that possible for us.'

Launched in 2024 by Mehta and his wife Vaishali, the brand appeared on Shark Tank India Season 4 and even presented personalized packs to each judge, printed using HP Indigo technology—a detail that helped reinforce the brand’s thoughtfulness and visual identity and ultimately contributed to securing investment.

Ritesh Agarwal, one of the judges on Shark Tank India and the founder and CEO of OYO, an Indian multinational hospitality chain of leased and franchised hotels, homes, and living spaces, commented: 'What impressed me about JoySpoon wasn't just the product, the packaging felt premium, thoughtful, and ready for modern retail. From the personalized Shark Tank kits to their clean, contemporary label design, the team clearly understood that packaging is not just wrapping. It's brand storytelling. That attention to detail gave me the confidence that JoySpoon wasn’t just a great product, but a brand built to scale.'

JoySpoon operates a 100 percent women-run production facility, highlighting another dimension where packaging and purpose intersect. By choosing HP Indigo’s digital technology, the brand ensures that its packaging aligns with its values—supporting sustainability, empowering women and celebrating cultural heritage through design.

According to HP, it is enabling India’s booming startup landscape by bridging the gap between creativity and execution. HP Indigo's digital technology helps startups move faster, reduce waste and bring their visions to market without compromise.

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JoySpoon breathes freshness into packaging with HP Indigo

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The Indian mouth freshener brand collaborates with Hora Art Center to leverage the capabilities of HP Indigo 25K digital press.

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Winners of Finat Label Competition 2025 announced

Akanksha Meena — Thu, 22 May 2025 11:36:39 +0000

Finat has revealed the results of the 45th Finat Label Competition. The 2025 edition attracted a total of 184 entries, with 47 companies and 21 countries from all over the world participating.

The judging of this year’s Finat Label Competition took place under the new chairmanship of Z. Murat Sipahioglu, Heidelberg Turkey. After long years of chairing this event, Anthony White and his wife Connie decided to retire. The panel now consists of Messrs Z. Murat Sipahioglu, and fellow judge Steve Wood, both with more than 15 years’ experience and in-depth technical knowledge of the processes used in the label industry; two newcomers with technical expertise in their own right within the label industry: Phil Baldwin (Bobst, UK) and Fahri Ilazi (Kocher+Beck, DE), and Mick de Reuver from FroQ Brandservices BV (NL) who provided his marketing experience.

Türkiye and Austria topped the list of countries entering with a combined total of 47 entries followed by Spain with 18 and Germany with 16 entries. The highest number of entries by category was led by wines (38), beers and spirits (28) and with sets of labels in third place (16). The number of entries using digital as one of their main printing processes increased slightly to 88.

This year, the food and beverages and industrial and automotive categories, previously included under general applications, were separated hence increasing the number of categories from 21 to 23. This modification not only enabled Finat to see how many participants were actually interested in participating in each category, it also showed that the food and beverages category is still a popular category.

The awards ceremony, presented by Dr. Vlad Sljapic, was held on May 21 on the occasion of the Finat European Label Forum in Amsterdam. Overall, the 2025 Finat Label Competition was again a testament to the dedication of the Finat community and the high quality of label printing around the world.

The full list of winners can be found here.

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L&L China hosts summit for beauty label industry

Akanksha Meena — Wed, 14 May 2025 07:26:51 +0000

Labels & Labeling China has concluded summit focused on ‘Break the homogenization in beauty industry’, held in Shanghai New International Expo Center on May 12, the first day of CBE (China Beauty Expo). Founded in 1998, CBE is a long-standing beauty industry event, which has extensive brand resources and deep market insights in the beauty industry.

In the beauty industry, label and packaging serves as a key carrier of product image and brand value. However, at present, the homogenization of beauty labels is becoming increasingly severe.

‘This is our first collaboration under the Informa Group. We aim to fully utilize our respective strengths in the beauty industry and label packaging printing. We hope to establish a chance for in-depth interaction within beauty brand owners, designers, label converters and suppliers,’ said Liu Tao, group director China of Labelexpo Global Series, in his opening remarks.

The opening presentation highlighted brand owner, Wen Mu, general manager of Shanghai Yuanwu, the owner of Towind brand. As both a designer and brand owner, he noted that label and packaging accounts for only a small portion of the whole beauty product costs and the innovation in label packaging must be cost-effective. In today's low-margin market, packaging no longer just protects products—it now plays multiple roles in shaping brand identity, improving user experience, and meeting sustainability goals.

The converter presenter, Donald Liao, deputy general manager of consumer packaged goods business unit, Cymmetrik Group, emphasized leveraging technology to meet customers' changing needs. Currently, digital innovation has emerged as a pivotal force in the beauty industry. Especially for small batch, fast delivery orders, digital printing technology offers significant advantages. He also shared cutting-edge digital label technologies and application achievements in this industry, enabling brands to stand out in an intensely competitive market.

For smart labels, Gu Qiuyan, senior manager at Toppan (Shanghai), shared the opportunities of NFC technology in the beauty sector. He noted that NFC technology links digital identities with IoT, creating virtual-real experiences, which could attract consumers to get more product details, tutorials, brand stories, and join virtual activities, boosting brand interaction. He also shared some successful case studies to provide new ideas for beauty brands.

Other session presenters included HP, Avery Dennison and GMG, sharing innovative thoughts in beauty label and packaging industry from suppliers’ roles.

For more cutting-edge technologies on the latest materials and process technologies for label packaging, visit Labelexpo Aisa 2025, at SINEC E1-E4 in Shanghai from Dec 2- 5.

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Kind launches fully recyclable paper wrapper

Akanksha Meena — Tue, 06 May 2025 05:33:50 +0000

Snacks brand Kind Snacks has introduced its first curbside recyclable paper wrapper pilot in the US. This packaging innovation marks a significant step in achieving a recycle-ready wrapper for the bars category while the brand continues to make progress towards its goal of ensuring all packaging is designed for recyclability by 2030.

Made with pulpable paper, Kind's pilot will leverage a curbside recyclable, How2Recycle pre-qualified paper type. This packaging material will help make it possible for consumers to recycle, enabling them to make a kinder choice - both on the shelf and for the planet.

The Kind paper wrapper will be available exclusively at select Whole Foods Market stores across Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Texas, southern California and select stores in Louisiana, Arizona and Nevada starting May 1 through October 1 while supplies last for Kind's best-selling Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt single bars.

‘Our collaboration with Kind represents a true paradigm shift in sustainable packaging,’ says Whole Foods Market principal packaging advisor, Sandra Lewis. ‘Through their innovative development of this recyclable paper wrapper, they're fundamentally reimagining how snack foods can be packaged. Working together to bring this solution to our shelves represents a significant milestone in our mission to reduce single-use plastics.’

This innovation builds upon Kind's first pilot of a paper-based wrapper in 2023, which was an e-commerce trial available exclusively on kindsnacks.com. This initial pilot gave the brand a robust foundation of consumer feedback and performance insights, such as preliminary shelf life, transit and machinability data. After spending the last year in R&D integrating learnings, Kind and its partners are have brought this improved, fully recyclable wrapper to market.

‘At Kind, we're constantly listening to our consumers, and what we hear is clear -- they want products that not only deliver exceptional quality but also align with their values,’ said Osher Hoberman, chief marketing officer of Kind North America.

‘This new paper wrapper pilot is a direct result of that feedback. We're proud to continue to lead the industry with bold, forward-thinking and innovative solutions, not just for our packaging, but across our entire product portfolio.’

Kind's technical packaging partner, Printpack, was instrumental in developing this latest version, which is a How2Recycle pre-qualified curbside recyclable wrapper.

‘Developing a recyclable paper wrapper in less than two years demonstrates remarkable progress in sustainable packaging innovation,’ said Printpack chief strategy officer, David Love. ‘This breakthrough sets a new standard for sustainable solutions in the food packaging industry and shows what's possible when companies prioritize environmental stewardship.’

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The brand's second paper wrapper pilot will be available at select Whole Foods Market stores across the United States.

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Inside Metropolis Coffee’s packaging process

Akanksha Meena — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 05:04:16 +0000

Brand owners & design 02 May 2025

Inside Metropolis Coffee’s packaging process

Chicago-based brand Metropolis Coffee Company’s innovative packaging strategies balance storytelling and flexibility while actively pursuing sustainable practices.

Metropolis Coffee Company, a family-owned business founded by Tony and Jeff Dreyfuss, has been in the specialty coffee industry for over 21 years. Known for its high quality, the brand emphasizes traceable sourcing to support farmers while bringing organic beans to coffee lovers across Illinois.

Metropolis has successfully expanded into Costco and is now available in almost every major retail chain in the Midwest.

Known for its consistency, the company ensures the quality of its coffee year-round through careful curation under the watchful eye of its expert roasters.

Metropolis roasts approximately 1000,000 pounds of coffee annually at its 18,000 sqft roastery along the North Branch of the Chicago River. The company also operates a flagship café in Edgewater, a vibrant neighborhood on Chicago’s northeast side. While the café has remained a community hub for over 20 years, the heart of Metropolis’ business lies in its wholesale, private label and roasting operations.

Revamped packaging

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Metropolis Coffee faced significant challenges, with an 80 percent decline in business as Chicago’s hospitality sector and offices shut down.

Despite these setbacks, the company used the downtime to reimagine its packaging and storytelling. These efforts helped the business recover and boost growth by 20 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels.

‘Grocery doubled for us during COVID because everybody was buying their coffee to drink at home,’ says Anne Djerai, CEO of Metropolis Coffee Company. ‘And our old packaging was not standing out on the shelf. The packaging had muted colors, and the lettering was tiny.’

Recognizing the need for a more substantial shelf presence, branding studio EightySeven, led by brand director and founder Maxwell Billings, revamped the brand’s story, its packaging and presentation to align with the business’s larger goals and stand out in a new and exciting way.

‘We used our storytelling expertise and understanding of consumer behavior to design packaging that would stand out on the shelf,’ says Billings. ‘Working directly with the leadership team, we quickly refined key elements of the brand to establish a new presentation for Metropolis, starting with color.’

Compostable materials need to be designed in a specific way to break down properly. However, when you fill the bag with coffee that has a certain weight, it can cause the material to weaken and break

EightySeven analyzed the shelf to understand the existing color environment on the shelf and explored how the brand could use contrast to stand out. The designers strategized with color while emphasizing the ‘M’ logo on the pouches as a unifying mark for Metropolis. The team reimagined existing brand elements to be more consistent and easily recognizable in the aisle, making it easier to spot Metropolis products.

Djerai emphasizes that specialty coffee is a luxury, and customers are willing to pay more for a premium product. Packaging must reflect that value with thoughtful details that make it feel like a gift — something that stands out, whether it’s a unique logo, intricate design or striking color.

The redesign

Metropolis embraces its Chicago roots by incorporating the city’s identity into its branding. The back of the bags features a ‘Proudly Roasted in Chicago’ sign-off with four Chicago stars, instantly recognizable by locals.

‘Coming to the Metropolis roastery, you can feel how much creativity flows through this team and organization,’ adds Billings.

‘We wanted to bring that to life through their packaging experience. By weaving storytelling and design into every part of the package, customers uncover different layers, from the meaning behind Metropolis to key messaging, coming together to create an immersive experience.’

The designers finished off with a subtle surprise on the bottom of the pouch, a brand-focused story reintroducing Metropolis to craft coffee lovers.

Metropolis employs several techniques to ensure quality from roastery to shelf, including nitro flushing its coffee. Since the coffee will not be used immediately, especially on a grocery shelf with an extended shelf life, the pouches feature a one-way valve to push out the oxygen using nitrogen. The coffee naturally releases gas after roasting, therefore without the valve, the bag could explode.

Currently, the brand uses metallized polyethylene with a heat seal at the top of the bag and a reusable zipper, allowing customers to reseal the bags after opening to keep the coffee as fresh as possible.

In the packaging space, these creative choices, like a foil or fi nish paired with a story and vision can instantly give people a feeling for the product

‘Previously, brands used EVOH for its cost-effectiveness and thicker structure, but during COVID, supply issues with plastics plants and aluminum mines forced a material shift. Now, we use a different type of metallized polyethylene, which has a foil-like appearance but is less dense.

This helps maintain the critical oxygen barrier necessary for preserving freshness. When coffee is exposed to air, it goes stale, which impacts the flavor. This is specifically true for ground coffee, so the packaging has to have a barrier to keep it fresh,’ Djerai explains.

The pouches feature labels categorizing the brand’s products into 12 to 15 different roast blends, making it easy for customers to tell them apart. The labels provided flexibility, allowing all coffees to fit into the light or dark roast categories.

Metropolis also supports its wholesale customers with lower minimum order quantities (MOQs) than most specialty roasters. When a customer cannot meet the MOQ for custom bags, Metropolis works directly with them to find practical alternatives, such as using stock bags or simplified options.

Additionally, the company leaned heavily into the single-serve coffee market, launching innovative projects such as the first compostable espresso capsules in North America. The new packaging design also prioritized flexibility to accommodate collaborations with other brands while maintaining consistency in design across packaging formats. These efforts positioned Metropolis for continued growth and new opportunities in the post-COVID market.

The brand’s packaging is currently produced in Korea and China, while the espresso capsules are made in Germany.

Compostable packaging

Metropolis is at the forefront of sustainable practices, such as using compostable material in its packaging. However, Djerai notes some current limitations to applying those materials across its entire product line, specifically with whole bean coffee.

‘The challenge is ensuring the bag material is strong enough to handle the beans’ weight. Compostable materials need to be designed in a specific way to break down easily. But, when the bag is filled with coffee, the weight can weaken or even break the material,’ she says.

‘We can use compostable materials for smaller quantities and formats, which is why we offer a lot of fraction packs made from compostable materials. But when it comes to larger packages, especially those over a couple of pounds, that’s where we face challenges. We’ll switch when we identify a solution but, we use a metallized polyethylene material for now.’

The coffee pouches can’t be recycled because they combine metallized and plastic properties, which must be separated for recycling.

‘Another challange is that, particularly in Chicago, there are no city-funded recycling programs — everything ends up in the landfill unless you have a private recycling service,’ Djerai adds.

However, the brand is heavily involved in offsetting these challenges through other sustainable means, such as using compostable materials wherever possible, especially in its espresso capsules.

Traditional coffee pods made with plastic or aluminum are challenging to recycle. To reduce its environmental footprint, Metropolis espresso capsules are commercially compostable and certified by both BPI and by the Compost Manufacturing Alliance (CMA), meaning they’ll be accepted at any commercial compost facility.

‘Regarding the Metropolis capsule line, every aspect of the packaging is designed with sustainability in mind. While some brands use more extravagant techniques, Metropolis has developed a technology where not only is the capsule home compostable or commercially compostable, but the box they come in is also made from recycled cardboard. As a brand, it’s great to see Metropolis going above and beyond to make these sustainable choices,’ Billings says.

Designer’s perspective

From a design perspective, Billings says that the production technique can be a tool when telling a story on a shelf.

‘When brands are intentional, it shows. Bringing different types of finishes and textures to the packaging experience is essential. It’s another sensory way to connect with people.’

He explains: ‘With the Metropolis packaging system, we created touches of contrasting finishes to grab attention. Pairing a soft touch with the spot gloss on the ‘M’ and the paneling on the sides creates accents that catch your interest. In the packaging space, these creative choices can instantly give people a feeling for the product.

‘What excites me technology-wise is anything that can introduce new finishes and textures, however subtle, that can add up to a unique experience. Let’s say you’re a food or beverage brand focused on the golfer’s lifestyle. Where can you introduce textures of a dimpled golf ball, leather grip or other sensory parts of the experience to tie with your product? Those subtle storytelling opportunities are where brands can connect with people and separate themselves from the competition,’ he adds.

In an industry where sustainability has become standard practice, Metropolis Coffee continues to grind away as it seeks new ways to integrate the latest compostable materials into its offerings. This aligns with the growing discussion around the coffee industry’s impact and the demand by consumers for responsible, eco-friendly packaging without compromising the quality or performance of its products.

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Akanksha Meena

Global Brands Editor

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Avery Dennison enhances Optica portfolio

Piotr Wnuk — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 22:18:07 +0000

Avery Dennison has partnered with TrusTrace, one of the leading traceability and compliance data platforms, and GPRO, an RFID and Industry 4.0 provider, to enhance its Optica portfolio for the apparel industry.

Avery Dennison has partnered with TrusTrace to expand the portfolio's Materials Traceability offering. This partnership addresses brands' and retailers' increasing demands for deeper insight into the origins, movement and impact of raw materials across the apparel value chain.

By leveraging TrusTrace’s platform capabilities as part of Optica, brands can map their upstream supply chains and establish a verifiable chain of custody for each product. The technology supports a wide range of traceability use cases, from sustainability verification to enhanced risk management and responsible sourcing.

With this detailed data on origins, processing steps and supplier relationships, brands can build more trustworthy narratives around sustainability, enhance their regulatory compliance programs by addressing product and supply chain-related regulations rather than just due diligence, and meet consumer expectations for transparency and ethical sourcing.

In a separate but complementary development, Avery Dennison has launched a new WIP Tracking technology within Optica in collaboration with GPRO. It enables apparel manufacturers to capture and track data in real time, providing full visibility into the status of work orders as they move through the production line.

With greater visibility, brands can address production bottlenecks, improve efficiency and reduce lead times. The Optica WIP Tracking technology supports line balancing, performance benchmarking and proactive issue resolution, helping factory operators and brand partners make data-driven decisions on the ground.

Built on RFID technology, the technology integrates with client systems and complements Avery Dennison’s broader connected product capabilities. Digitizing and automating production visibility reduces reliance on manual processes and delivers actionable insights from the shop floor, improving overall responsiveness across manufacturing networks.

This new capability follows pilot programs and feedback from early adopters in key manufacturing markets, forming a core pillar of the Optica production visibility technology.

Delia Glover, vice president of product, innovation and solutions development at Avery Dennison, said: ‘With growing pressure for sustainability and ethical sourcing, supply chain transparency is more critical than ever. Optica’s two enhanced solutions - Materials Traceability and WIP Tracking - each address distinct challenges across the supply chain. Materials Traceability focuses on mapping the upstream supply chain and ensuring transparency of raw materials, while WIP Tracking provides factory-level visibility, allowing brands to monitor production status, reduce lead times, and track quality and lost time.

‘By combining these solutions, brands gain a seamless, end-to-end view of their supply chain, enhancing their compliance programs, improving decision-making, and reducing sourcing and production risks. Factory leaders face no shortage of rising challenges, from pursuing greater visibility of goods to realizing lead time improvements. Providing real-time visibility of order progress and status, along with up-to-date reporting, capacity allocation, and order adjustment capabilities, helps to optimize the network, reduce risk, improve margins, and drive customer satisfaction.’

Avery Dennison has released a dedicated whitepaper highlighting how many fashion brands operate in the dark, exposing them to waste, inefficiencies, shipping delays, lost sales and shrinkage.

Based on findings from a survey of 250 senior fashion retail supply chain leaders in the UK and US, Boosting Margins – The Power of Enhanced Fashion Supply Chain Visibility uncovers serious item-level visibility gaps

Posted date

2 months ago

Short title

Avery Dennison enhances Optica portfolio

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Two new partnerships strengthen apparel supply chain visibility with optimized Materials Traceability and Work in Progress Tracking.

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Two new partnerships strengthen apparel supply chain visibility with optimized Materials Traceability and Work in Progress Tracking.

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Avery Dennison

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Saueressig introduces Matches for Hybrid Software's CloudFlow

Piotr Wnuk — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 00:04:23 +0000

Saueressig Group, one of the leading international providers of innovative products for the packaging and surface industries, has formed a strategic partnership with Hybrid Software to integrate the AI-powered image search solution Matches into Hybrid Software's workflow platform, CloudFlow.

Matches enables fast, intuitive searches for visually similar or identical image content, eliminating manual keywording. Thanks to its integration into CloudFlow, the AI image search is now embedded into existing production workflows, creating new opportunities for process optimization in pre-press and packaging design.

‘By integrating Matches into CloudFlow, we are making our technology available directly within the pre-press production workflow for the first time,’ said Ingo Beutler, product owner of Matches at Saueressig. ‘Our partnership with Hybrid Software significantly expands the reach of our solution and impressively demonstrates how modern AI applications deliver real, practical value.’

The Matches component available within CloudFlow includes all the core functions of the current version, such as text-based content search, intelligent region-of-interest recognition, and optimized visual search tailored specifically for the label, packaging, and decor industries. Users thus benefit from an end-to-end technology that intelligently connects creative and technical processes.

Nick De Roeck, CTO of Hybrid Software Group, commented: ‘The integration of Matches significantly enhances CloudFlow’s capabilities, delivering substantial value to our users. AI-supported image search and analysis is becoming a cornerstone of modern, automated workflows.

‘Together, Saueressig and Hybrid Software bring Matches to market, a high-performance solution that reflects our core values: innovation that’s practical, and always on the pulse of print.’

‘Matches will become an integral part of the digital workflow—from the initial design draft through to production,’ added Beutler. ‘This integration brings greater efficiency, transparency, and speed to customers worldwide. The integration of Matches into CloudFlow offers customers a tangible increase in efficiency and future-ready access to advanced AI technology. Saueressig and Hybrid Software are jointly paving the way for intelligent, next-generation production—enhancing competitiveness, strengthening innovation, and securing long-term success.’

The latest technology is immediately available as a module within the CloudFlow platform.

Posted date

2 months 1 week ago

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Saueressig introduces Matches for Hybrid Software's CloudFlow

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The latest addition is a significant step toward further digitalization and automation in the Design2Print process.

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The latest addition is a significant step toward further digitalization and automation in the Design2Print process.

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Workflow, MIS & inspection

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Avery Dennison enhances Optica portfolio

Saueressig introduces Matches for Hybrid Software's CloudFlow