Published on
31.01.2025
5 thoughts from Paris Packaging Week 2025
Events
The long-awaited Paris Packaging week took place on the 28-29th of January and this year revealed several interesting additions.
The most prominent was the Pentawards Stage with talks focusing largely on design – from process to accessibility to sustainability. Sebastien Greffe, Creative Director at WeWantMore participated in a round table discussion on ‘Designing with Impact: Trends, Challenges and Transformation’.
Additionally, the fair now includes a small but curious to explore Discovery Zone – featuring disruptive start-ups active in the packaging category.
Being both exhibitors and visitors, we gathered our top 5 thoughts on what we took away from this year’s expo.
1. Design-led
Firstly and most importantly, we see a real shift in conversation when talking about packaging. The focus is moving away from purely manufacturing, material choices and embelishment styles to design.
The impact of design is widely recognised, and is becoming increasingly important even for categories that seem (at first glance) to be less design-driven than others.
Signet’s talk on designing the ‘perfect’ drinks packaging brings.
Coca-Cola x Experimenta on the human aspects of design and the key components of creativity.
2. Knowledge gatekeeping
While the notions of trade secrets did not exactly disappear, there is less gatekeeping for ideas and more wiggle room to share ways of working with the rest of the industry.
We especially saw brands sharing insights and ways to get to better results. Overall it felt as a call for change, a reassurance that if ‘we can do it, so can you’.
There is a realness to the exhange and a sense that if we inspire each other and share our know-how, it will bring us further than working in silos as before.
Diageo shared their experiments with paper-based bottles for Johny Walker and Baileys under the motto ‘Progress over perfection’.
Unilever’s use of accessible QR codes on pack for partially sighted inspires all to create more accessible ways to access packaging information.
3. Everything less
Throughtout the expo a big focus on ‘less’ is notable – leading the way to a more sustainable production. From lighter packs with less glass to lack of particular elements of componds – the ‘less movement’ was in full play at the fair.
Particularly notable was the overwhelming focus on plastic-less solutions and airless packaging (especally across the skincare category), with multiple suppliers and manifacturers offering alternatives to brands seeking new ways of engaging with customers through pack.
Pumpaert reveals its paper-based airless tube packaging.
QPearl presenting waterless packaging solutions for hospitality.
4. Focus on fragrance
As the world and market of fragrance continues to explode, the world of packaging follows. We see a clear shift of focus towards perfumery and fragrance packaging that dominates the stands.
It’s easy to notice the influences of the Middle Eastern and African fragrance markets through presence of patterns, materials and forms that blend Western-driven classics and Middle-Eastern and African opulence. This is a space to keep watching, as it is showing no signs of stopping.
mPackting (Minelli Group)’s stand was fragrance heavy, and their raw materials and focus on wood really hit the mark on reflectign cultural needs in the fragrance world.
Luxury glass manufacturer Verescence presented Moon, an oragnically shaped perfume bottle that is lightweight, distinctive and refillable.
5. Sustainability talk
Everyone is talking about sustainability, but it’s hard to pick through the noise and understand who is truly bringing something impactful to the table and actually ‘walking the walk’.
While beauty packs are focusing on finding more efficient refillable solutions, the search for new and exciting materials continues.
Paper is still in the lead, evolving from waste-based materials to more creative and innovative applications. Mycellium and biofoams made a much expected appearance, however this was primarily limited to the start-up zone, with more established players still shying away from more disruptive materials.
Woamy biofoams brings protective layering to the next level, with different levels of softness and ridigness for best results, and embossing for distinction and luxury feel.
Pentawards shortlister Woola uses discarded sheep wool to craft a plastic-free alternative to bubble wrap.
An inspiring two days in Paris, made especially relevant with the newest additions of this year. We look forward to next year, with the hope to see even more focus on innovation and impactful disruptive change.
