February 2026: Sustainable Packaging Trends
Welcome to the Sustainable Design Lab Newsletter, your monthly update on the innovations, regulations, and real-world strategies reshaping the future of packaging. We’re sharing what we’re seeing across our labs, our supplier ecosystem, and the conversations happening with brands every day.
If you crave to have the latest insights, trends, and expert advice sent directly to your inbox or phone every month, then subscribe to Sustainable Packaging Newsletter now!
Fiber Frenzy: Fiber is stepping out of the background and taking the lead as packaging’s most strategic material, driven by EPR economics, regulatory pressure, and real cost implications. With new advances unlocking performance once reserved for plastics, fiber is quickly becoming the material brands are betting on to stay compliant, competitive, and design-forward.
Natural Polymers: Natural polymers are moving from lab curiosity to real-world contender, emerging as one of the most credible material shifts in packaging. As performance catches up with promise, these seaweed-, protein-, and polysaccharide-based solutions are unlocking PFAS-free, microplastic-reducing pathways that actually work at scale – making 2026 the year they move from “interesting” to inevitable.
From Waste to Worth: Waste-to-resource materials are turning circularity into something you can actually ship, using agricultural byproducts, textile waste, and even algae as viable packaging inputs. In 2026, these materials stand out not just for their sustainability story, but because they deliver real performance and cost stability while helping brands cut virgin inputs and show measurable Scope 3 progress.
Cross-Category Mimicry: In crowded markets, structure is becoming a strategic differentiator. By borrowing familiar forms from unrelated categories, cross-category mimicry uses packaging architecture to trigger recognition, curiosity, and built-in storytelling without relying on added marketing spend.
Refillable Design: Refillable packaging is evolving into a design-first system where durable, desirable primary packaging is paired with refill architectures that protect usability, aesthetics, and performance – giving brands a practical way to reduce waste, build loyalty, and create long-term value without sacrificing the product experience.
Digitally Enabled Packaging: Digital functionality is turning packaging into an interface – connecting physical products to data, compliance, and real-time insight through tools like QR-enabled instructions, digital watermarks, AR layers, and trackable labels. These capabilities are reshaping how brands build trust, improve recyclability, and gain visibility across the supply chain.
Download the Cold Chain Packaging 2026 Trends Report: HERE
+ Veritiv
A Packaging
Collaboration
Purpose-driven partnership: Flexi-Hex’s expanding honeycomb sleeve is paired with a custom-engineered corrugated outer box Veritiv’s Sustainable Design Lab designed and manufactured, creating a fiber-based system built for performance and scale
Plastic-free system by design: A combined solution that replaces foam and bubble wrap with a paper-based sleeve and corrugated structure
Right-sized performance: The sleeve expands to fit the board securely, while the corrugated box is precision-designed to eliminate excess material and void fill
Designed for circularity: Made from recyclable, fiber-based materials that are straightforward for end users to dispose of responsibly
Collaboration beyond the package: Listen to our co-created podcast episode with Flexi-Hex to hear the design thinking, partnership, and innovation behind the solution.
Listen to the full podcast episode: HERE
1. 2026 Packaging Trends
In this episode of the Sustainable Design Lab Podcast, hosts Chris Bradley and Brodie Vander Dussen dive into “The 10 Sustainable Packaging Trends Defining 2026”, unpacking the key shifts shaping the future of packaging. From materials innovation to circular-design strategies and measurable impact frameworks, they explore how brands can stay ahead of the curve while accelerating meaningful sustainability outcomes. Whether you’re a packaging designer, sustainability leader, or brand strategist, this conversation reveals actionable trends that will define packaging excellence in the year ahead.
2. A Billion Pounds Better:
4ocean’s Vision for the Future of Packaging
In this episode of the Sustainable Design Lab Podcast, the team sits down with Leah Ford and John Licata from CJ Biomaterials to break down the PHA Toolbox and what it takes to apply biopolymers in real-world packaging systems. This conversation explores how PHAs differ from conventional plastics, why performance and proof matter outside the lab, and how end-of-life outcomes like composability and biodegradation should guide smarter material decisions.
3. The PHA Toolbox:
CJ Biomaterials on Performance, Proof, and End-of-Life
In this episode of the Sustainable Design Lab Podcast, hosts Chris Bradley and Brodie Vander Dussen sit down with Alex Schulze, Co-Founder and CEO of 4ocean, to explore how the company’s mission to remove millions of pounds of plastic from the ocean ties into smarter packaging design and measurable sustainability action. Together they discuss plastic neutrality, consumer pressure, and how innovative, outcome-focused strategies can help brands prevent plastic from ever reaching waterways.
Material Bans: More than 10 U.S. states and dozens of municipalities have enacted or proposed restrictions on materials like EPS, expanded plastics, and certain multi-material formats, with additional bans tied to EPR laws now active in 7 states and expanding. In some regions, non-compliant packaging can trigger higher EPR fees or outright market exclusion. Click here to learn more.
Why it matters: Material choice is no longer just a sustainability decision. It directly impacts market access, compliance costs, and speed to shelf, making early design decisions more critical than ever.
PCR Pricing Trends: PCR content pricing has shown 20–40% volatility over the past 18–24 months depending on resin type, grade, and availability, driven by limited supply, rising regulatory demand, and stricter quality requirements. In some cases, PCR premiums now rival or exceed virgin material pricing. Click here to learn more.
Why it matters: Brands committing to recycled content need smarter material strategies. Without design optimization and sourcing flexibility, PCR can quickly become a cost risk instead of a sustainability win.
Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) Show | March 8-10 | Austin, TX
We’ll be in Austin showcasing TempSafe® at the Healthcare Distribution Alliance show, connecting with pharmaceutical and healthcare distribution leaders focused on safe, reliable temperature-controlled shipping. Stop by to see how TempSafe® supports compliant, scalable cold chain performance while balancing cost, sustainability, and real-world distribution realities
ENSURE Conference | April 13-15 | Boston, MA
Join us at ENSURE Conference in Boston, where packaging, quality, and regulatory leaders gather to explore the evolving landscape of healthcare and pharmaceutical performance. Chris Bradley is currently on the agenda to share insights on designing packaging systems that align with compliance, sustainability, and real-world distribution demands. We’ll also be on site connecting around scalable solutions that support operational efficiency, risk mitigation, and long-term performance.
Whether you’re preparing for EPR, exploring material innovation, or looking for LCA-backed decision-making, our team can help you build a future-forward packaging strategy.
Want to collaborate on an R&D project?
Need help evaluating your packaging portfolio?
Want a tour of the Sustainable Design Lab?
We’d love to work with you. Let’s innovate together.
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Sustainably Packaged Newsletter – March 2026
You’re committed to making better, more sustainable packaging choices and we’re here to help you do that. The Veritiv Sustainable Design Lab Newsletter is your monthly link to the latest insights, trends, and expert advice directly to your inbox, so you can stay ahead in the fast-evolving world of sustainable packaging.
Whether it’s new material innovations or practical design strategies, we’ve got the knowledge you need to make informed decisions and drive your sustainability efforts forward.
Sustainably Packaged Newsletter – Jan 2026
You’re committed to making better, more sustainable packaging choices and we’re here to help you do that. The Veritiv Sustainable Design Lab Newsletter is your monthly link to the latest insights, trends, and expert advice directly to your inbox, so you can stay ahead in the fast-evolving world of sustainable packaging.
Whether it’s new material innovations or practical design strategies, we’ve got the knowledge you need to make informed decisions and drive your sustainability efforts forward.
Masterclass: Cold Chain
It is no secret that more and more companies are shaping strategies around sustainability – both in operations and products.
Whether your strategy includes colorful e-commerce boxes, corrugated displays, or both, sustainable practices are a must.
Masterclass: EPR
It is no secret that more and more companies are shaping strategies around sustainability – both in operations and products.
Whether your strategy includes colorful e-commerce boxes, corrugated displays, or both, sustainable practices are a must.
Sustainable Benefits of Digital Printing
It is no secret that more and more companies are shaping strategies around sustainability – both in operations and products.
Whether your strategy includes colorful e-commerce boxes, corrugated displays, or both, sustainable practices are a must.
Cold Chain 101
What does “Cold Chain” mean? Cold Chain can be used to describe the process or products involved in shipping temperature-sensitive products…
Purpose-Driven Change
At Orora, our purpose has become so much more than a statement. It is our guiding light, our reason for pushing further, and our WHY. It not only inspires us to help our customers reach their sustainability goals through our solutions, but it also motivates our internal coworkers to make Orora more sustainable as a whole.
Sustainability Done Right
The aisles of supermarkets are stocked with products advertising their use of recycled content, their eco-friendliness, or incorporating buzzwords like “eco,” “renewable” or “recyclable”. With the rise in popularity of sustainability claims, we must recognize the importance of verifying such claims and be on the lookout for “greenwashing.”
Want to learn more about
Sustainable Packaging?
We have created some resources to guide you in your transition to sustainable packaging:
Sustainably Packaged Magazine
Veritiv’s magazine dedicated to Sustainable Packaging insights, trends & ideas. Available for download now.
Sustainable Design Lab Podcast
Chris and Brodie chat with industry leaders about sustainable packaging options, new products, and how we can improve packaging sustainability.
EPR for Packaging Masterclass Series
A companion piece to Veritiv’s SDL Packaging Masterclass Podcast series that explores the big ideas reshaping packaging. This guide walks you through the key elements of EPR programs and what they mean for your packaging strategy.