The sustainable packaging landscape is moving faster than regulatory frameworks can track. Here are the six trends CHI is watching most closely — and what each means for talent strategy.
1. Paper-Based Alternatives Reaching Commercial Scale
Fibre-based barrier packaging — paper with water-based coatings replacing plastic laminates — is moving from pilot to commercial scale. The demand for R&D chemists with barrier coating expertise and process engineers who can run paper-based converting lines has increased dramatically.
2. Chemical Recycling Infrastructure
Chemical recycling plants are being commissioned across Europe. This creates demand for a new category of talent: process engineers with both chemical engineering credentials and packaging materials knowledge.
3. The Recyclability Labelling Arms Race
As mandatory recyclability labelling spreads, the demand for technical directors who understand recyclability assessment and can manage the regulatory complexity across multiple geographies simultaneously has surged.
4. Refill and Reuse Models
Consumer-facing reuse schemes are creating demand for operational leaders who understand reverse logistics — a genuinely different skill set from conventional packaging operations.
5. Biodegradable Films at Scale
PLA and PBAT-based compostable packaging is moving beyond foodservice into retail. The technical complexity of processing these materials at industrial scale is creating demand for specialist R&D and process engineering profiles.
6. ESG Reporting as a Core Leadership Competency
With CSRD coming into force, the ability to manage sustainability data, engage with ESG rating agencies, and write credible sustainability reports is becoming a core expectation for all senior commercial and operational leaders — not just sustainability specialists.