Packaging waste, especially plastics, is the sustainability issue of our time, driven by growing public and media attention. Yet just two years ago, we were talking about food waste and one ...

When 2025 began, packaging experts agreed that the number one trend in their industry this year would be sustainable materials, ranging from biodegradable and compostable packaging to eco-friendly ...

At this point, most people know that microplastics are everywhere. Scientists have shown that tiny particles, amounting to the weight of a plastic spoon, can be found in our brains; hundreds of ...

Food packaging has a number of key roles. Firstly, it aims to keep food safe from its environment, so it doesn’t get dirty or contaminated. Secondly, it makes it more convenient to transport. Thirdly, ...

Paul Antoniadis is CEO and Executive Chair at good natured Products Inc, one of North America’s leading eco-friendly packaging companies. As someone deeply entrenched in the packaging industry, I've ...

In 1938, a 27-year-old chemist named Roy Plunkett stumbled across a new type of chemical, one with a bond so strong it would end up sticking around long after he died—in fact, almost forever. Today, ...

If you’ve ever gone into a semi-fugue state while devouring a bag of chips (just us?), you may have missed some key details about the package. No matter your chip flavor of choice, there are bound to ...

Advances in materials are supporting this shift. Organic materials and fiber-based liners are enabling thinner, lighter and ...

A version of this story appears in the August 2019 issue of National Geographic magazine. Around tables strewn with Exacto knives, bowls, cutting boards, tape, funnels, and bags of hemp powder, ...