As sustainable packaging regulations, technologies, and expectations continue to evolve around the world, progress increasingly depends on what we can learn from one another.
In a recent interview with Packaging Europe, Cory Connors, host of the Sustainable Packaging Podcast, shares his perspective on the issues shaping the industry ahead of the 2026 Sustainable Packaging Summit. From EPR and Europe’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) to plastic reduction, recyclable materials, reuse, and emerging technologies, Cory points to both the challenges ahead and the opportunities for meaningful progress.
A central theme of the conversation is collaboration. While the U.S. and Europe may be moving at different speeds and taking different approaches to packaging policy, Cory sees tremendous value in learning across markets.
“Sustainable packaging is truly a global issue, and we all need to work together to create positive outcomes.”
He also highlights the growing role of pre-competitive collaboration, including efforts to accelerate the development and adoption of more sustainable packaging solutions. For Cory, that willingness to work together is one of the most encouraging signs of progress across the industry.
At the 2026 Sustainable Packaging Summit, Cory will continue that conversation as host of the Emerging Tech Stage, where startups and emerging companies will have an opportunity to share new materials, technologies, and ideas with the global packaging community.
Read Cory’s full interview with Packaging Europe to hear his perspective on what’s next for sustainable packaging and what different regions can learn from one another: An American perspective on sustainable packaging progress