The Sustainable Packaging Summit 2025 will run from 10 to 12 November at the Jaarbeurs Event & Exhibition Centre in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The program combines panels, workshops and main-stage presentations with structured and informal networking, including an International Block Party at the end of day one. Speakers include representatives of global brands such as Procter & Gamble, Nestlé and Mondelēz, alongside organisations including Plastics Recyclers Europe, GreenBlue and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Over three days, the agenda addresses regulatory compliance, long term strategic planning, the scaling of reuse systems, emerging technologies and extended producer responsibility implementation, as well as how nonprofits, coalitions and brands are rethinking plastics in light of public perception and evolving international policy. The summit also features an exhibition zone, a dedicated start up area and a research hub. In addition, the Sustainability Awards 2025 will recognise finalists and announce winners on 11 November, highlighting recent sustainable packaging innovations and initiatives.
Day one: regulatory compliance, the 2045 roadmap and scaling reuse systems
Day one opens with Trayak’s workshop on transforming data into regulatory compliance. The session is designed to help product and packaging manufacturers, designers, developers and sustainability teams improve compliance readiness and reporting accuracy. A 2045 roadmap panel will consider what decisions can be made now to face the future with greater strategic certainty, and what competencies companies will need to meet the demands of the next twenty years. Contributors include speakers from Reloop, the New European Reuse Alliance and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. In the afternoon, Perpetual co‑founder Dagny Tucker and Tom Domen of Eunomia Research & Consulting will discuss the commonalities and contrasts between their experiences scaling up the implementation of reuse systems. The evening’s International Block Party will offer an opportunity to sample a range of cuisines, explore research posters and hear from startups.
Day two: emerging technologies, EPR learnings and rethinking plastics
Day two will feature main stage presentations of the latest emerging technology in the packaging industry, with insights from the R&D journeys of leading enterprise. Afternoon sessions will bring perspectives from EU and US industry players on EPR learnings and different approaches to implementation. The program will also examine how nonprofits, coalitions and brands are rethinking their approach to plastics, taking into account public perception, international packaging policy and the global plastic treaty discussions. In the evening of 11 November, the Sustainability Awards 2025 will celebrate the finalists and announce the winners, providing an opportunity to learn about notable sustainable packaging innovations and initiatives while networking with innovators and delegates.
Day three: diversifying fibre sources, compliance reporting and future innovation
The final day will see Jerome Zhang of Yutoeco and Horst Bittermann of Pro Carton examine the challenges and implications of utilizing a broader range of fibre sources in packaging. A round table will address the successes and failures of emerging best practice in compliance reporting. The program will conclude with R&D leaders, VCs and incubators discussing the current state and trajectory of sustainable packaging innovation, along with a selection of worldwide startups they believe will make an impact in the packaging landscape.
Exhibition, startup zone and research hub
Alongside the conference program, this year’s summit includes an exhibition zone for companies and organisations to display and discuss products and innovations. A dedicated startup zone and a research hub will facilitate interaction between innovators, researchers and industry delegates throughout the event.
