PKN Packaging News: The Podcast

In this special Year in Review episode, PKN Packaging News editor and publisher Lindy Hughson looks back at the big packaging stories of 2025. From the mega merger between Amcor and Berry, and Abbe Group’s acquisition of Oji Fibre Solution’s Australian operations, to the voluntary administration of Pro–Pac and the collapse of compostable disruptor Great Wrap, we unpack the market moves that reshap...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, speaks with Tony Ibbotson, Founder and Creative Director at The Creative Method, about key trends for packaging design for 2026 and beyond. ahead. We begin our discussion by reviewing the evolution of packaging design from surface level design to a strategic brand driver, and how digital media, storytelling, and...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, is joined by Senior Journalist Navan Kaur, to provide insight, analysis and commentary on the top news stories shaping change in Australia’s dynamic packaging industry in October. We begin our review of this month's news stories with Abbe Group’s acquisition of Oji Fibre Solutions’ Australian operations, Jamestr...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, speaks with Tom Szaky, the founder of TerraCycle and Loop, about implementing reuse at commercial scale. We begin our discussion by exploring why the Loop platform was launched, how it is operating at an industrial scale across 345 Carrefour stores in France, and why it is so successful in France. We also review...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, speaks with Mark Dingley, CEO of Matthews, about the evolution of the Matthews and Reynolds partnership. We begin our discussion by getting a history of the partnership, what prompted the new brand identity, and how it will enhance its capabilities in Australia and New Zealand. We get an insight into the new ite...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, is joined by Senior Journalist Navan Kaur, to provide insight, analysis and commentary on the top news stories shaping change in Australia’s dynamic packaging industry in September. We begin our discussion by reviewing breakthrough recycling developments, as Samsara Eco launches Australia’s first enzymatic recyc...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, is joined by Grant McHerron to provide insight, analysis and commentary on the top news stories shaping change in Australia’s dynamic packaging industry in August. We begin our conversation by reviewing the push for a mandatory national coordinated producer responsibility scheme, we assess the increased momentum...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, speaks with Barry Cosier, co-CEO of Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia (SPSA), about the organisation’s role in shaping a national soft plastics recycling scheme. The conversation begins with reflections on the recent open day at iQRenew’s SPEC facility, exploring how infrastructure like this underpins future r...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, talks with Darren Thorpe, Managing Director of APR Plastics, about the company’s major investment in advanced recycling for soft plastics. The conversation begins with an overview of APR Plastics and its role within the APR group, before moving into the drivers behind the decision to invest in pyrolysis technolo...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, talks with Patrick Manley, CEO and co-founder of Cercle, about reusable systems for take away cups and food packaging. We begin our discussion by getting an overview of Cercle’s history, how it is inserting itself as an accessible reusable coffee cup system for cafes, and the technologies involved in tracking an...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, is joined by Senior Journalist Navan Kaur, to provide insight, analysis and commentary on the top news stories shaping change in Australia’s dynamic packaging industry in July. We begin our discussion by reviewing the increased investment into local packaging and manufacturing with the opening of Suntory Oceania...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, talks with Fiona MacLeod, General Manager Strategic Retail at Visy, about introducing sustainable packaging solutions in Australia. We begin our discussion by getting an overview of Fiona’s career, her recent win at the Women in Packaging Awards in the Manufacturing Leader category, and get an insight into how h...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, talks with Dr Elissa Foster, Head of Sustainability at Who Gives a Crap, about the challenges of sustainable packaging in multiple countries. We begin our discussion by getting an overview of Elissa’s career, how Who Gives a Crap is reducing green house gas emissions, keeping forests intact, reducing water usage...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, is joined by Zaidee Jackson, the National Business Development Manager Sustainable Packaging at Ball & Doggett. We kick off our discussion by celebrating some of Zaidee’s recent industry award recognition, including PKN's 2025 Women in Packaging Award for Communications & Marketing Excellence while also...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, is joined by Deputy Editor Jan Arreza and Senior Journalist Navan Kaur, to provide insight, analysis and commentary on the top news stories shaping change in Australia’s dynamic packaging industry in June. We kick off our discussion by celebrating our placement in the top 5 out of 20 packaging podcasts globally...

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 micro...

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 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 demonstr...

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)....

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. Ju...

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 February. We begin our discussion with an overview of the temporary lock out conducted by the Opal Maryvale M...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News, talks to Belinda Chellingworth from BC Consulting about how we can implement reuse systems to replace single-use packaging. We begin by examining how ‘reuse’ differs from recycling, as it involves using packaging again in its original form without reprocessing, thereby maintaining its circularity. The discussion...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News talks to Cory Connors, the host of the Sustainable Packaging podcast in the USA, about his insights on developments in sustainable packaging. We start our discussion with a background of how Cory launched his podcasting and social media content channels during lockdown to engage and communicate with people to sha...

In this episode, Lindy Hughson, Managing Editor & Publisher of PKN Packaging News talks to Tom and Kath Long, the founders of TomKat, about the inspiration and development of their innovative KoolPak product. We start our discussion with a look at TomKat’s beginnings in the fishing business and devotion to sustainable practices. We explore how their business moved from using expanded polystyre...

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 discuss Lindy's recent globetrotting to attend a number of events at home and abroad, bringing you updates from the dynamic global packaging industry. We begin by celebrating our 100th episode of PKN and we review the trends from the...