Packaging Today Show

In this festive episode of  Packaging Today , Evelio Mattos, Cory Connors, and Adam Peek break down the latest  holiday packaging trends  and reveal which seasonal designs  actually boost sales —and which are just expensive distractions. We cover: What design elements are trending this holiday season (and why) How brands are using limited-edition packaging to drive urgency and shelf appeal The pow...

From QR codes and NFC chips to pop-ups, reveals, and boxes that move—interactive packaging is having a moment. But is it actually worth the cost, engineering, and complexity? Or is it just a flashy gimmick brands can’t stop chasing? In this episode of Packaging Today, we dive deep into interactive packaging that goes beyond tech. Think: lids that lift the product, drawers that slide out, compartme...

How do you design packaging that is the most sustainable for your brand? Let's ask the questions that get you to the results that matter. What does Sustainability mean to you?

Think your turkey is the only thing getting roasted this Thanksgiving? Think again. In this holiday episode of Packaging Today, we carve into the worst examples of Thanksgiving packaging—products that miss the mark, confuse the consumer, or straight-up kill the vibe at the dinner table. From tone-deaf graphics to frustrating form factors that turn gravy into a game of chance, we’re breaking down h...

Ever wonder who designs the cereal box sitting on a sitcom kitchen counter—or how a 1980s soda can ends up looking perfectly era-correct in a Netflix period drama? In this episode of Packaging Today, we dive into the fascinating world of movie packaging design:How brands use product placement to steal scenesWhy fake brands (hello, Los Pollos Hermanos) sometimes hit harder than real onesWhat it tak...

This week on The Packaging Today Show, we’re tackling a seismic shift in the CPG world: skyrocketing metal‑packaging prices driven by U.S. tariffs — and how brands are scrambling to re‑engineer their grocery‑aisle packaging from steel and aluminum cans to stand‑up pouches, paper cartons, and other alternatives. We’ll dig into:How the doubling of tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to 50% has fo...

Today on Packaging Today, we’re peeling back the headlines and digging into what's really happening in the packaging world:🧾 Packaging Tax Pain in the UK: UK food firms say the new packaging tax—part of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme—is pushing up prices. For example, one brand reported £153,000 in extra costs this year just from this levy. We’ll talk: which packaging forma...

Today on Packaging Today, we’re covering the biggest packaging news you need to know—including regulatory shake‑ups, major plant closures, and breakthrough materials. What’s lined up:Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR): U.S. states are moving fast with packaging‑specific obligations that could force brands to rethink material choices and supply chains. FoodPrintPlant Closures Alarming the Indus...

In this episode, Evelio Mattos, Adam Peek, and Cory Connors hit the mic fresh from the floors of Pack Expo Las Vegas and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition event. We’re diving into:🔍 What we saw, who we met, and which booths actually blew our minds.🌍 The new sustainability trends that are more than just buzzwords (yes, there were some real standouts).🥇 The emerging materials, packaging formats...

In this episode, Evelio Mattos, Adam Peek, and Cory Connors hit the mic fresh from the floors of Pack Expo Las Vegas and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition event. We’re diving into: What we saw, who we met, and which booths actually blew our minds. The new sustainability trends that are more than just buzzwords (yes, there were some real standouts).The emerging materials, packaging formats, and i...

It’s Wednesday — which means Can We Solve It is back! Tonight, Evelio, Adam, and Cory tackle your toughest packaging riddles. Send us the questions — if we can’t crack them live, you win a T‑shirt (thanks, SmartSolve).But first — we dig into the week’s most provocative headlines:🏷 Aldi’s Private Label Rebrand: Aldi is finally putting its name front and center on nearly all its private-label produc...

Recycling is collapsing in real time. In this episode, Evelio Mattos, Cory Connors, and Adam Peek break down the shocking closure of rPlanet Earth, California’s $100M vertically integrated PET recycler. Why are domestic recyclers shutting down while brands claim to be “sustainable”?We dive deep into the real economics of plastic recycling, the softening PET markets, and why chemical recycling isn’...

One wrong word on a bottle. One missing allergen warning. One incorrect dosage. That’s all it takes for a packaging error to turn into a fatal recall. In today’s episode of Packaging Today, Evelio, Cory, and Adam dive deep into the terrifying world of packaging-related recalls, where bad information, sloppy approvals, or rushed production can literally cost lives. We discuss:🧯 How packaging error...

Apple's iconic packaging is just about to change and it's due to regulations that are challenging all brands to rething their packaging.- What Apple’s “carbon neutral” mark looked like—and why it’s being phased out globally- How new EU regulations are tightening claims and pushing brands to rethink sustainability messaging- Why this matters beyond Apple—any brand calling itself eco-friendl...

If flexible packaging isn’t recyclable today why do brands insist on calling it sustainable? Today on Packaging Today, K-Pack Demon Hunters Evelio, Cory, and Adam dive into a critical turning point for flexible packaging recycling in the U.S. with the launch of the U.S. Flexible Film Initiative (USFFI) a coalition of CPG giants like General Mills, PepsiCo, Nestlé, and more, aiming to finally make...

Is the marketplace shrinking—or are boxmakers simply boxed in? This episode of Packaging Today dives deep with Bloomberg analyst Ryan Fox to decode the alarming year-over-year slide in cardboard packaging—and what it says about consumer behavior, the economy, and sustainability. What you’ll hear:Why cardboard shipments are the unconventional economic red flag everyone should be watchingHow tariffs...

Join hosts Evelio Mattos, Cory Connors, and Adam Peek as they break down the latest packaging news and share a step-by-step guide on how startups can design packaging that stands out in today’s market. Learn how to choose the right materials, create cost-effective designs, and build packaging that tells your brand story while meeting sustainability goals. Perfect for new business owners, entrepren...

Discover the strange but lucrative world of flipping empty luxury packaging. From Loewe bags to Chanel boxes, people are reselling what most of us throw away for hundreds online. Learn why buyers pay top dollar for used packaging, how this resale economy works, and what designers and brands can take away from it to add value, boost sustainability, and create collectible packaging experiences.

Engine Organic Gin's packaging design is gassed up and ready to disrupt your bar cart. Today on Packaging Today, Evelio, Cory, and Adam break down the bold branding move that puts high-end gin in what looks like a motor oil can and why it works. We’ll dive into:Why Engine Gin’s packaging stands out in a saturated spirits shelfThe psychology behind unexpected formatsOther brands taking wild ris...

You’ve been lied to. That compostable bag? Not compostable. That “recyclable” pouch? Only in your dreams. In this episode of Packaging Today, Adam Peek and Evelio Mattos blow the lid off the biggest packaging myths brands and consumers still believe and expose the truth behind so-called “sustainable” materials. From fake eco claims to greenwashed innovation, we’re naming names and breaking down ho...

Today, we reveal the Label King of Utah, the behind-the-scenes powerhouse who's printing labels. But here's the real question:Is a label considered packaging? Evelio and Adam dig deep into the wild world of labels:Why they’re often overlooked in packaging strategyWhen a label is packaging… and when it’s just decorationThe sustainability questions brands should be asking label printersAnd h...

Today on Packaging Today, Evelio Mattos and Adam Peek are joined by Matthew Wright, the founder of Specright, to uncover a critical but overlooked tool in EPR compliance: specifications management. As states roll out Extended Producer Responsibility laws, brands need accurate reporting and traceability more than ever. Overly complex packaging, multiple tiers of material, and diverse supply chains...

3 packs enter, 1 pack leaves. This isn’t your usual polite packaging panel — this is an all-out brawl. Each host enters the ring with their contender for best packaging of the week. From genius sustainability plays to outrageous luxury flexes, only one design will be crowned victorious.👊 Evelio. Cory. Adam. Each brings one pack. We debate. We defend. We dissect. And at the end — only one survives...

Did you register your company with CAA for EPR?EPR is not a one-and-done conversation so we’re back with round two. This week on Packaging Today, Evelio Mattos, Adam Peek, and Cory Connors continue the deep dive into Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) with guest Paul Kearns, who helps us dig deeper into the realities brands are facing as reporting deadlines approach and questions keep piling u...

Today we’re joined by Liz Morris from Anthesis Group, one of the world’s leading sustainability consultancies, to break down Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) what it is, where it’s going, and what your brand needs to do to stay ahead. With deadlines approaching fast in the US, UK, and EU, and states like Colorado requiring producer data now, brands can’t afford to stay in the dark. We cover:...