Flexible Packaging Community Celebrates, Educates for 75th Anniversary

The Flexible Packaging Association’s 2025 Annual Meeting, held March 5–7 at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort in Florida, marked a milestone for FPA as the association celebrated 75 years of advocacy and industry leadership. More than 400 flexible package manufacturing professionals gathered to discuss market trends, regulatory shifts, and strategies for the future. The strong turnout — surpassing last year’s attendance of 355 — underscored the value of in-person engagement in an era of rapid industry transformation.

The FPA 2025 Annual Meeting provided a platform for thought leadership and business intelligence at a time when legislative changes, market shifts, and technologies are substantially impacting flexible packaging printing companies.

Growth Amid Challenges

One of the most anticipated speakers for this event was FPA’s new president and CEO, Dan Felton, who provided an in-depth analysis of the association’s proprietary research on the state of the flexible packaging industry. Felton reported U.S. flexible packaging sales reached $42.9 billion in 2023, with projections indicating growth to $47.3 billion by 2028.

Dan Felton delivers his first FPA president’s address at an FPA Annual Meeting.
| Credit: PRINTING United Alliance, Linda Casey

While the flexible packaging manufacturing industry continues to grow, it also faces opportunities and challenges. Felton noted that sustainability pressures, regulatory changes, and evolving consumer expectations are shaping the future of flexible packaging, with several U.S. states enacting laws that directly impact packaging manufacturers and converters. At the same time, mergers and acquisitions are reshaping the competitive landscape as companies seek scale, innovation, and supply-chain efficiencies.

European Market Trends

Felton was followed by Guido Aufdemkamp, executive director of Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE). Aufdemkamp delivered a comprehensive update on the European flexible packaging market, providing key insights into economic shifts, production trends, and policy changes.

Guido Aufdemkamp, executive director, Flexible Packaging Europe, gives FPA members an update of the state of the flexible packaging industry in Europe. | Credit: PRINTING United Alliance, Linda Casey

A major focus was on the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), a policy requiring all European packaging to be recyclable by 2030. Aufdemkamp opined that while the legislation creates challenges for certain materials, it also opens the door for investment in sustainable solutions and new recycling infrastructure.

Beyond regulation, Aufdemkamp highlighted market fluctuations and shifting consumer behaviors. As demand for sustainable and circular packaging grows in Europe, converters and brands are investing in innovative material science, compostable solutions, and mono-material structures to enhance recyclability and meet legislative requirements.

Maximizing Performance through Flow State

Beyond manufacturing-specific discussion, the event also tackled how leaders can maximize performance despite the evolving nature of work. Performance strategist Jeska Brodbeck ended the first day of the event’s educational program with a session about flow state — a cognitive state that enhances focus, efficiency, and well-being.

Brodbeck led attendees through interactive exercises designed to cultivate focus, creativity, and sustainable high performance.

Buyer’s Perspective

Chris Aiello, principal environmental scientist, WD-40, at the 2025 FPA Annual Meeting discusses the package development decision making behind the WD-40 Specialist EZ-Pods. | Credit: PRINTING United Alliance, Linda Casey

The final day of the three-day event and the second day of the conference also brought in the perspective of the packaging buyer with a session by Chris Aiello, Principal Environmental Scientist at WD-40, discussing how packaging innovation is being used to enhance both sustainability and consumer interaction. “We are leveraging packaging not just as a protective barrier but as a way to engage consumers, educate them on product use, and guide them through sustainability messaging,” he said.

Although the FPA announced at the meeting that it would be sunsetting its Circularity Committee, sustainability remained an important topic of discussion among attendees and speakers.

Sustainability Still Matters

One of the most urgent priorities discussed at the meeting was the industry’s response to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation. Remarking on the impact of EPR programs as more states formalize their EPR strategies, Felton said, “The companies that anticipate and adapt to sustainability mandates will be in a much stronger position. We must work collectively as an industry to ensure that policies recognize the value of flexible packaging and support realistic recycling solutions.”

Attendees discussed the aggressive packaging regulations implemented in California, Oregon, and Maine, and EPR regulations in earlier stages of the legislative process, all of which are creating a patchwork of packaging requirements that complicates compliance.

John Richard, FPA Director of Government Affairs, emphasized the importance of the flexible package manufacturing industry’s role in shaping these laws. He said, “We’ve seen attempts to create policies that pile on unnecessary requirements, and if we don’t engagement, we could see restrictions that make it impossible for flexible materials to remain viable in certain states.”

Complex Labeling Laws

Another hot topic at the 2025 meeting was the increasing complexity of state-led packaging labeling laws, especially California’s SB 343. Richard explained how the incomplete understanding of how these state laws impact packaged goods manufacturing across the nation has the potential to destroy the economies of scale that enable affordable consumer packaged goods that come to market quickly. He said, “It’s not feasible to label all packaging sold across the country down to the local level of what’s being recycled in California. That’s why we are pushing for a federal preemption standard to create consistency for our members.”

Flexible package manufacturers also must ensure sustainability claims are both credible and legally compliant, as skepticism about sustainability claims grows amongst consumers, with whom the industry already has perception challenges. Attendees spoke about the necessity of striking a balance between regulatory requirements and messaging that resonates with environmentally conscious consumers. Manufacturers that closely monitor these changes and take a conservative, fact-based approach to environmental claims will be in a stronger position to avoid legal risks and maintain customer trust.

Evolution of Flexible Packaging Materials

The need to balance demand for sustainable packaging against needs for product protection was also discussed. In an update from the Sterilization Packaging Manufacturers Council (SPMC), the workgroup’s chair, Dhuanne Dodrill, emphasized the complexity of this challenge. “The shift to sustainable materials is not just about recyclability; it’s about ensuring that packaging still protects its contents. Whether it’s sterile medical packaging or food packaging with extended shelf life, we have to balance functionality with sustainability,” she said.

Members noted the challenge of developing films that maintain barrier proprieties while meeting the evolving sustainability mandates coming from brands and regulators, especially as they push for recyclable and compostable packaging solutions.

Hope might come in the form of new material developments, such as high-barrier monomaterial films that improve recyclability while maintaining oxygen and moisture resistance. Excitement for lightweight, flexible packaging was evident, as lightweight materials lower carbon footprints without sacrificing the barrier properties of the actual material used.

While much angst was expressed over the challenges in the chasm between sterile packaging performance and the demands for package material circularity, a clear path forward from the conversations emerged for package manufacturers: Collaborate with suppliers to benefit from their investments in material research and development, so your package manufacturing business will be well positioned to meet the next wave of regulatory and brand-owner requirements.

Advanced Recycling Regulations

One of the most contentious policy areas discussed at the FPA Annual Meeting was the future of advanced recycling technologies. While some states have accepted advanced recycling as a viable manufacturing process for converting plastic waste into reusable materials, other regions are moving to ban or heavily regulate advanced recycling.

Attendees debated the need to prevent advanced recycling from being categorized as waste disposal, which could subject it to restrictive regulations and limit its growth potential. Richard notes that FPA and its advocacy partners are working to help policymakers understand the role advanced recycling plays in diverting plastic waste from landfills and closing the loop on material reuse. He said, “In 2025, officially half of the United States supports advanced recycling, but we are facing increased headwinds. Some states are trying to introduce bans or regulatory barriers, and that’s why our members need to stay engaged in advocacy efforts to protect their business interests.”

Push for Recycling Infrastructure Improvements

FPA members noted that while the industry actively invests in making more flexible packaging recyclable, infrastructure gaps prevent many materials from being adequately recovered. Elaborating on the challenge of collecting and sorting spent flexible packages, Richard said, “We cannot ignore the fact that circularity depends on improving infrastructure. Packaging manufacturers, brands, recyclers, and policymakers need to align efforts so that the materials we are designing for recyclability actually get recycled.”

Attendees noted several packaging companies and industry groups are investing in store drop-off programs, chemical recycling partnerships, and EPR initiatives. However, the lack of flexible recycling collection and sortation at the curbside level continues to thwart efforts to support true circularity in flexible packaging.

A key insight about sustainability from discussions at the FPA 2025 Annual Meeting is investing in recyclable and compostable materials, collaborating with waste management partners, and ensuring compliance with emerging sustainability standards will be critical to the long-term success of flexible package printing companies.

Technology, Innovation Paving the Path

Interestingly, some attendees continue to report workforce shortage as a challenge. Therefore, they are looking at automation as a key solution for businesses looking to maintain productivity and quality standards as manufacturing continues to struggle to attract new entrants to the workforce. Peter Schotland, executive director of American Packaging Corp., a FPA and PRINTING United Alliance member, highlighted the increasing role of automation and digitalization. He said, “Automation and AI are not just buzzwords anymore. They are essential tools that help us drive efficiency, reduce waste, and meet customer expectations for faster turnaround times and customization.”

Kathy Bolhous, president and CEO of Charter Next Generation, underscored the importance of material innovation. She said, “We are entering an era where sustainability is not just about recyclability. It’s about making packaging more intelligent, more efficient, and more aligned with consumer needs. The companies that succeed will be the ones that innovate across multiple dimensions, from substrates to print technologies.”

As the flexible package manufacturing industry continues to evolve, companies that embrace change, invest in innovation, and participate in industry-wide collaboration will be best positioned for long-term success.

Attending events such as FPA’s Annual Meeting and PRINTING United Expo can help packaging converters stay ahead of emerging trends, leverage transformative technologies, and develop essential business relationships.

Bridging the gap between client expectations and manufacturing realities is necessary for any printing industry segment, including those manufacturing printed flexible packaging. To help your teams communicate more effectively with even the most demanding customers, consider enrolling your team in PRINTING United Alliance’s iLearning+ course Customer Service Professional Certification. More information about the course can be found at www.ilearningplus.org/courses/customer-service-professional-certification