Europe’s circular economy is no longer a sustainability ambition — it’s a structural reset of how packaging is designed, priced, regulated, and proven. For the print and packaging industries, this shift turns every material choice, ink, adhesive, and label into a commercial decision with regulatory consequences. As the EU tightens rules on packaging waste, recyclability, and data transparency, businesses that treat circularity as compliance will struggle.

Food waste is becoming a defining issue for retail sustainability in 2026. This insight explores how tighter reporting and greenwashing scrutiny are reshaping expectations for UK retailers.