PKN Packaging News: The Podcast

• April: Packaging News Unpacked

  In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, is joined by Wayne Robinson, Associate Editor of PKN and Editor of Print21, to provide insight, analysis and commentary on the top news stories shaping change in Australia’s dynamic packaging industry in April.This month was quieter with the Easter break, which didn’t stop us from assessing the impacts of microplastics, packaging formats, and tackling food waste during a family holiday in Queensland. We then explore the misleading claims made by Clorox Australia, which is now facing greenwashing penalties due to falsely claiming their products being made from ‘ocean plastic’, and we review the newly released 2025 Sustainable Packaging Trends Report, from the Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA), which identifies the need for improving regulation, collaboration, circularity, innovation, and digital technologies to improve the circularity of packaging. The discussion moves on to Visy’s ‘Visycell’, a fibre-based, kerbside-recyclable insulation liner made from cardboard offcuts designed to replace expanded polystyrene (EPS). Visy’s New Zealand glass operation also achieved 70 per cent average recycled glass content in locally made bottles and jars in 2024.We wrap up with a calendar update for May with plenty of upcoming industry events, including the Australasian Packaging Conference, PIDA Awards, HIVE Awards, and PacPrint.Links:Sponsor - Trimattwww.trimatt.com - 03 8761 6171 - info@trimatt.comClorox fined $8.25m for greenwashing on GLAD bagswww.packagingnews.com.au/latest/clorox-fined-8-25m-for-greenwashing-on-glad-bagsFaBA report maps path to circular packaging for F&B sectorwww.packagingnews.com.au/news/research-and-analysis/faba-report-maps-path-to-circular-packaging-for-fandb-sector Visy trials fibre-based EPS alternative for food deliverywww.packagingnews.com.au/latest/visy-trials-fibre-based-eps-alternative-for-food-deliveryVisy NZ achieves 70% recycled glass in 2024www.packagingnews.com.au/latest/visy-nz-achieves-70-recycled-glass-in-2024Eventswww.packagingnews.com.au/events/events-calendar ------------------------------The PKN Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of PKN Packaging News, owned and published by Yaffa Media.The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of PKN Packaging News, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact PKN Packaging News via their website www.packagingnews.com.au or send an email to editor@packagingnews.com.au.MC: Grant McHerronHost: Lindy HughsonEditor: Chris VisscherProducer: Steve VisscherPKN Packaging News - © 2025

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• March: Packaging News Unpacked

  In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, is joined by Wayne Robinson, Associate Editor of PKN and Editor of Print21, to provide insight, analysis and commentary on the top news stories shaping change in Australia’s dynamic packaging industry in March.This month we review a number of interesting material developments, including the ‘paperisation’ trend in packaging, taking a closer look at Australia’s first recyclable and scalable paper bottle developed by Zipform Packaging, along with an update on innovative fibre-based packaging that has come to market from brands like Carmans and Cadbury. The discussion expands to metal packaging, with Visy setting a new benchmark for recycled content in beverage cans, and NCI Packaging introducing digital metal decoration technologies. And on the soft plastics front, we review innovation in flexible packaging to improve recyclability with monomer materials, Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia’s proposal to manage a national soft plastics recycling scheme for post consumer soft plastics, and recycling advances for industrial flexible packaging, with Fonterra participating in a new big bag recycling system developed by Circular Communities Australia.We wrap up with further developments in reuse systems and a reminder that entries for the PKN Women in Packaging Awards for ANZ industry are open until 11th of April.Links:Sponsor - Trimattwww.trimatt.com - 03 8761 6171 - info@trimatt.comZipform pioneers scalable, recyclable paper bottlewww.packagingnews.com.au/latest/zipform-pioneers-scalable-recyclable-paper-bottleHive Awards: Best Packaging – who made the cut?www.packagingnews.com.au/food/hive-awards-best-packaging-who-made-the-cutPaper 'bottoms up' on Cadbury Drinking Chocolatewww.packagingnews.com.au/beverage/paper-bottoms-up-on-cadbury-drinking-chocolateVisy unveils Aus-first 83% recycled content canwww.packagingnews.com.au/latest/visy-unveils-aus-first-83-recycled-content-canNCI splashes out on digital metal decorationwww.packagingnews.com.au/latest/nci-splashes-out-on-digital-metal-decorationAmcor honoured with two flexible packaging awardswww.packagingnews.com.au/sustainability/amcor-honoured-with-two-flexible-packaging-awardsSPSA seeks green light to activate national soft plastics schemewww.packagingnews.com.au/latest/spsa-seeks-green-light-to-activate-national-soft-plastics-scheme Fonterra joins Australian big bag recovery program

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• Packaging transformation: A unified path forward

  In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, talks with Sandra Dal Maso, Head of Packaging Transformation at APCO about next steps towards implementing the 2030 Strategy.We start our conversation by getting an overview of how APCO’s 2030 strategy builds on the 2025 National Packaging targets, we highlight major opportunities for brand owners, and demonstrate the importance of collaboration to ensure the industry acts as a whole before the government takes potentially punitive action. Sandra also discusses the growing focus on product stewardship, as environmental NGOs and industry organisations have come together to call for a mandated product stewardship scheme for packaging, including for soft plastics. We go on to explore the key elements for an effective scheme, the role of business and policy makers in driving change, the biggest challenges circularity faces, and the innovations that are addressing them.We wrap up by reviewing Sandra’s involvement with the PKN Women in Packaging Awards program, and discuss the importance of highlighting and supporting female leadership in the packaging sector, and how this aligns with APCO’s vision.Links:Sponsor - Trimattwww.trimatt.com - 03 8761 6171 - info@trimatt.com Industry, green groups unite on product stewardshipwww.packagingnews.com.au/latest/industry-green-groups-unite-on-product-stewardshipAPCO charts bold way forward to 2030www.packagingnews.com.au/latest/apco-charts-bold-way-forward-to-2030APCO Report: State of Packaging in Australiawww.packagingnews.com.au/latest/apco-report-state-of-packaging-in-australiaPKN Women in Packaging Awardspknwomeninpack.com.auPKN Women in Packaging Awards 2025 opens for entrieswww.packagingnews.com.au/women-in-packaging1/pkn-women-in-packaging-2025-opens-for-entries------------------------------The PKN Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of PKN Packaging News, owned and published by Yaffa Media.The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of PKN Packaging News, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact PKN Packaging News via their website www.packagingnews.com.au or send an email to editor@packagingnews.com.au.MC: Grant McHerronHost: Lindy HughsonEditor: Chris VisscherProducer: Steve VisscherPKN Packaging News - © 2025

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• Local packaging machinery for local manufacturers

  In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, talks with Nathan Wardell, Managing Director and Owner of Packserv, about the machinery involved in packaging.We start with a history of Packserv as a long-standing family business, with its current focus being a one-stop-shop for providing machinery for the local packaging of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). We learn how Packserv supports manufacturers with implementing technology solutions, review the trends in the FMCG sector, which is relying more on equipment rental options in order to respond to changes in the market, and how Packserv invests in new technology, such as integrating IoT and Industry 4.0 and 5.0, the Internet of Things, to adapt its service to keep up with the needs of businesses.We also discuss the effectiveness of government incentives on supporting businesses, the value of local production, and the viability of exporting products internationally. We wrap up by exploring the challenges facing manufacturers and reviewing the options to address these issues, and a call out for increasing the collaboration between industry, academia and government.Links:packservwww.packserv.com.au------------------------------The PKN Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of PKN Packaging News, owned and published by Yaffa Media.The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of PKN Packaging News, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact PKN Packaging News via their website www.packagingnews.com.au or send an email to editor@packagingnews.com.au.MC: Grant McHerronHost: Lindy HughsonEditor: Chris VisscherProducer: Steve VisscherPKN Packaging News - © 2025

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  21:31
• The Packaging Hippie’s fresh take on produce packaging

  In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, talks with Gilad Sadan, the Packaging Hippie, about current packaging trends in the fresh produce market.The discussion starts with an insight into Gilad’s choice of moniker – the Packaging Hippie – and the scope of work covered by his creative agency which focuses on sustainable packaging for fresh produce. Just back from international travels, Gilad sheds light on tiered systems of packaging in fresh produce aisles of UK supermarkets, and comments on parallels and differences with Australia.Taking a closer look at materials, the conversation turns to how plastic is evolving to enable circular recovery, and rather than being completely removed from packaging solutions, works in combination with fibre as a sustainable proposition for some fresh produce packaging.We also explore the shift towards increasing the value of packaging beyond standard sustainability initiatives, and the increased implementation of automation to improve operational efficiencies.We wrap up by discussing the continued efforts to tackle food waste and how Australia can address our innovation lag when compared to European markets.Links:Sponsor - Trimattwww.trimatt.com - 03 8761 6171 - info@trimatt.com The Packaging Hippiewww.navicoglobal.com------------------------------The PKN Podcast is produced by Southern Skies Media on behalf of PKN Packaging News, owned and published by Yaffa Media.The views of the people featured on this podcast do not necessarily represent the views of PKN Packaging News, Yaffa Media, or the guest’s employer. The contents are copyright by Yaffa Media.If you wish to use any of this podcast’s audio, please contact PKN Packaging News via their website www.packagingnews.com.au or send an email to editor@packagingnews.com.au.MC: Grant McHerronHost: Lindy HughsonEditor: Chris VisscherProducer: Steve VisscherPKN Packaging News - © 2025

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