Europe has set its sights high: to lead the world in the circular economy, decarbonise its industries, and boost the continent’s strategic autonomy. It’s a bold vision, but one sector is already making quiet progress on all three fronts.
Packaging doesn’t always grab the spotlight, but it is part of the everyday infrastructure Europe relies on. It keeps trade moving, delivers food and medicine safely, and prevents waste by protecting goods in transit. At the same time, the industry has been driving innovation – delivering sustainable packaging solutions that meet customer needs while making measurable progress in decarbonising operations.
This makes packaging one of the sectors at the forefront of Europe’s circular transition. Across the continent, the industry has helped build one of the world’s most advanced markets for secondary raw materials, with paper and cardboard consistently leading the way on recycling rates. And when fresh materials are needed, Europe sets the benchmark too, with fibre sourced from forests managed to the highest sustainability standards, delivering wide-ranging benefits for climate, biodiversity and local communities.
But packaging’s continued progress is under pressure. Rising costs, fragmented regulation, and growing competition from countries with less stringent sustainability demands are standing in the way of the sector’s full potential. To stay on track, we need a shift in perspective.
