June in review: New York packaging law fails, EU considers greenwashing directive withdrawal

Last month, the New York State Senate voted to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, but shortly after, the State Assembly failed to pass it. Meanwhile, the European Commission announced plans to withdraw the European Green Claims Directive.

Mondelēz sued Aldi for imitating its snack packaging design. 

We reported on the UN Ocean Conference in France and the Environmental Packaging Summit in the UK. 

New York State Senate passes Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act
The New York State Senate voted 33 to 35 to pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, set to be one of the most comprehensive plastic reduction legislation in the US. 

Mondelēz sues Aldi supermarket for alleged packaging design imitation
Mondelēz International sued supermarket chain Aldi for allegedly imitating its packaging design for cookie and cracker snack products. The company seeks monetary damages and a court order preventing Aldi from selling products Mondelēz said infringe on its trademarks. In a federal lawsuit filed in Illinois, Mondelēz alleged that Aldi “blatantly copies” the “highly distinctive” packaging of its brands to deceive customers into thinking they were buying a Mondelēz product when purchasing a store-brand version.Borro’s co-founder told us about scaling digital reuse systems at large venues.

Pakistan ramps up single-use plastic ban with fines and confiscations in Islamabad
The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA) and the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration carried out multiple crackdowns on using single-use plastic amid waste removal campaigns. Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, banned single-use plastic in the city and administration area in 2023. The legislature prohibits manufacturing, importing, distributing, selling, and using single-use plastics. Pak-EPA is a government agency that implements environmental policies, regulations, and programs in Pakistan.

World Environment Day 2025: Global push against plastic pollution amid rising waste concerns
This year’s World Environment Day focused on solutions to the global plastic pollution crisis and underscored the need for collaboration. Researchers from the Alliance of Biodiversity and CIAT created biodegradable films from cassava starch, a cheap carbon source available in South East Asia. We spoke to researcher Dr. Theirry Tran at the Alliance Biodiversity and CIAT to hear more about this latest development.

UN Ocean Conference 2025: Greenpeace USA and Surfrider Foundation slam draft treaty
The UN Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) 2025 took place in France this month. Under the theme “Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean,” the conference aimed to promote urgent and expanded ocean protection efforts, as outlined in the UN draft declaration. However, global NGOs Greenpeace and the Surfrider Foundation Europe argued that the draft fell short of adequately addressing plastic production.

Recycling in India: Environment agency flags national policy loopholes and illegal imports
A recent report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) found some stakeholders in India are undermining the country’s EPR framework by exploiting regulatory loopholes and following outdated practices. Next month marks three years since India’s landmark ban on single-use plastics came into effect, targeting items such as plastic bags, cutlery, straws, food packaging, and disposable water bottles. Amy Youngman, legal and policy specialist at EIA, told us more about India’s EPR regulation and its informal recycling sector.We interviewed an MSU professor about a new packaging center for industry, academics, and policy actors.

California EPR: “Toughest” US packaging bill under fire for delays and loopholes
California’s Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, also known as the Senate Bill 54 (SB 54), had drawn criticism from businesses who opposed rising financial burdens, and environmental advocates who argued the packaging bill does not go far enough. We spoke with the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery and national organizations Plastic Pollution Coalition and The Last Plastic Straw to explore the latest developments surrounding SB 54.

Kopu Water founder explains why aluminum bottles outshine plastic and glass
Recyclability claims are not enough for hospitality clients looking for products that “actually eliminate landfill waste,” Justin Mahy, the founder of Kopu Water, a US-based premium water brand, told Packaging Insights. Mahy detailed why sustainability concerns and aesthetic considerations led the luxury water brand to select aluminum bottles from Trivium Packaging instead of glass or plastic bottles. Kopu Water builds partnerships with upscale hotels, resorts, restaurants, cruise ship lines, and arenas.

Environmental Packaging Summit 2025: Industry to talk carbon footprint, design and regulations
The seventh annual Environmental Packaging Summit took place in London, UK. Packaging industry experts gathered to explore the latest developments in packaging manufacturing, design, technology, sustainability, and supply chain opportunities. We discussed the upcoming event with featured speakers Tim Barbary, director and co-founder at Benchmark Consulting, which offers a CO2 estimation and quotation software solution for the packaging industry, and Martin Kersh, executive director of the Food Service Packaging Association.

UN Ocean Conference 2025: UNESCO urges marine literacy to tackle plastic pollution
The third UN Ocean Conference concluded with a joint call to expand marine protection and curb ocean pollution. The event highlighted the role of education in changing consumer behavior, particularly in addressing packaging as a major source of plastic pollution. Packaging Insights spoke to Valentina Lovat, associate programme specialist at the Ocean Literacy project within UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), about how the IOC promotes ocean literacy and raises consumer awareness by integrating ocean sciences into standard education. 

New York State Assembly fails to pass Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act
New York State did not pass the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act, which would have required the packaging industry to pay a tax for the disposal of plastic waste. Tuesday marked the end of the legislative session, but for the second consecutive year, the State Assembly did not hold a vote on the proposed law, even though, according to the US NGO Beyond Plastics, a sufficient number of lawmakers would have supported the bill if it had been brought to a vote. We spoke to Jackie Nuñez, advocacy and engagement manager at the Plastic Pollution Coalition and founder at The Last Plastic Straw, about the voting outcome.TNT Group told us about the quality and sustainability advantages of wood packaging.

African Development Bank: Tackling waste management challenges with regulations and investments
Effective waste management strategies across Africa continue to be hindered by imported waste, lack of recycling infrastructure, and fragmented policies, according to Sarra Ovuike, chemicals and waste specialist consultant for the African Development Bank (AfDB). Packaging Insights spoke to Ovuike about Africa’s waste management challenges, including fractured policy and “deeply rooted challenges” that hinder progress toward efficient packaging recycling infrastructure.

Polytag and Biffa boost pack waste management in London with UV tags
Polytag announced a further development of its partnership with UK waste management company Biffa, extending the reach of its packaging traceability network across the region. The collaboration includes the installation of Polytag’s detection technology at Biffa’s Edmonton Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in North London. Alice Rackley, CEO of Polytag, told us more about how UV-tagging technology changes Biffa’s packaging data availability. 

Kenya EPR Organization CEO unpacks new waste management legislation
Kenya enacted EPR legislation, which requires producers to take responsibility for packaging’s end-of-life management in line with the “polluter pays” principle. The new law is enforced under the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022, which laid out Kenya’s pathway to more responsible waste management. Packaging Insights interviewed James Odongo, CEO at the Kenya EPR Organization, about the legislation’s impact and challenges.

EU may revoke “greenwashing” directive, NGOs call for consumer protection
The European Commission (EC) announced plans to withdraw the European Green Claims Directive to reduce the administrative burden of providing on-pack consumer information for micro businesses. The decree was proposed in 2023 to combat greenwashing. We spoke to the EC and environmental NGOs to hear more.