CHINAPLAS 2026 "Application Seminar Forum" Preview: How Can Food Packaging Film Companies Innovate in Collaboration with Brands?
On April 23, 2026, a thought-provoking event will take place at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai, exploring the future trends of the food packaging industry.
This forum reflects a key shift in the industry: food brands’ packaging decisions are moving from a “purchasing decision” to a “strategic decision.” Questions like whether ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals are met, if packaging is recyclable, and how to reduce carbon footprints are no longer just internal considerations for brands. These issues now increasingly depend on technical support from packaging film companies. How food packaging film companies collaborate with brand owners to drive innovation will become a critical factor in shaping the competitive dynamics of the industry.
1. Brand ESG Goals: From “Passive Compliance” to “Active Evolution”
1.1 The Concrete Implementation of ESG Commitments by Brands
Driven by the global push toward a circular economy and the “dual carbon” strategy, the ESG commitments of the food and beverage industry are evolving from aspirational goals to stringent requirements. For example, Unilever has committed to reducing its use of virgin plastic by 50% by 2025; PepsiCo plans to increase the amount of recycled materials in its packaging to 50% by 2030; Nestlé has set a target to make over 95% of its packaging recyclable by 2025. Achieving these ambitious goals requires collaboration across the entire packaging supply chain.
These goals can’t be achieved by the brands alone. They need cooperation and innovation across the entire packaging value chain. As Chen Yili, Chief Sustainability Officer at Baijia Plastics, emphasized, “ESG should not just be a ‘pass’ or ‘stepping stone’ for compliance, but should be the ‘moat’ that helps businesses navigate through business cycles.”
1.2 The Collaborative Role of Packaging Film Companies
With increasing ESG pressure from brands, food packaging film companies need to shift from a “reactive” role to one of “active empowerment.” This means suppliers must move beyond offering off-the-shelf products to deep collaboration with brand owners, co-designing packaging solutions that align with sustainability goals.
At the “Application Seminar Forum” during CHINAPLAS 2026, several leading companies will showcase successful collaborative innovation cases with brand owners, demonstrating an end-to-end partnership from material research and development to final application.
2. The Demand for Lightweight Packaging: Achieving "Thinner Without Compromising Performance" with High-Barrier Films
2.1 Brand Expectations for Lightweight Packaging
For food brands, lightweight packaging offers two key benefits: reduced raw material costs and a smaller carbon footprint. However, lightweight packaging must not come at the expense of preserving food freshness—food waste can contribute far more to carbon emissions than the packaging material itself.
Take the bottled water industry, for example: Retailers like Sam’s Club and Hema introduced label-free PET bottled water, reducing plastic use by over 34 tons annually and cutting CO2 emissions by approximately 200 tons. This example shows that lightweight packaging is not only a technical challenge but an important part of a brand's value proposition.
2.2 The Thinning Advantage of PVDC High-Barrier Films
In the high-barrier packaging sector, PVDC (Polyvinylidene Chloride) films have shown remarkable potential in “thinning” without sacrificing performance, making it a core technology for achieving lightweight packaging. As one of the top three high-barrier materials globally, PVDC offers a much lower oxygen permeability than standard packaging materials and remains stable in high-humidity environments. By using PVDC as a barrier layer, multi-layer films can achieve barrier properties equivalent to much thicker materials while maintaining a thickness of just 2-3 microns.
This enables brands to significantly reduce the amount of packaging material used without compromising food protection. For food brands, this translates not only into direct savings on raw material costs (which can add up to tons of material savings annually) but also into a significant contribution to carbon footprint reduction. From a lifecycle perspective, reducing packaging material leads to a carbon reduction that far exceeds the potential cost increase of the packaging itself.
3. The Label-Free Trend: From “Container” to “Brand Asset”
3.1 Market Drivers Behind the Label-Free Trend
Since 2025, the label-free beverage trend has gained significant traction in the domestic market. Retailers like Sam’s Club and Hema have introduced label-free PET bottled water, and sales of Hema’s label-free water skyrocketed by 246% in just six months. The trend has been particularly well received by younger consumers, with 67% of repeat buyers of label-free water being from the post-90s generation.
The two main drivers of this trend are: first, environmental considerations—removing labels reduces plastic consumption and simplifies the recycling process by eliminating the need for label removal; and second, brand value—when consumers can identify and purchase a product without the need for colored labels, it reflects a deeper connection to the brand.
3.2 The Role of Packaging Film Companies in Supporting Label-Free Packaging
As the label-free trend grows, packaging film companies can play a pivotal role in two areas:
Optimizing Compatibility with Laser Marking: Label-free packaging typically uses laser marking to engrave product information on the bottle or film. However, laser marking effects can vary significantly between materials—some materials may not have enough contrast for easy reading, while others may risk damaging the barrier layer. Packaging film companies can work with laser equipment manufacturers to develop films optimized for laser marking. Adjustments to surface energy and the inclusion of laser-sensitive additives can ensure clear marking while maintaining barrier performance.
Single-Material Recyclable Structures: The value of label-free packaging is in simplifying the recycling process. However, if the packaging is still a multi-layer composite structure, the purpose of removing labels is undermined. Packaging film companies can develop single-material structures using polyethylene or polypropylene, ensuring both barrier performance and recyclability. For example, ExxonMobil and Lida Packaging jointly established the “Single-Material Packaging Lab,” successfully commercializing full polyethylene structures that increase packaging recyclability to over 90%.
4. FAQ: Common Questions About Collaborative Innovation Between Food Packaging Film Companies and Brand Owners
Q: How can high-barrier films be designed for recyclability while maintaining freshness?
A: This is a challenge faced across the industry, but significant progress has been made in recent years. There are three main technical solutions:
Single-Material Design: Using polyethylene or polypropylene as the sole material, packaging can be made recyclable without compromising barrier performance. ExxonMobil and Lida Packaging’s collaboration has demonstrated that through material modifications and layer structure optimization, single-material barrier bags can perform similarly to traditional multi-layer composite films.
Separability of Multi-Layer Structures: Designing multi-layer films with pre-formed separation interfaces allows different materials to be separated during the recycling process using specific techniques.
Chemical Recycling Technology: For PVDC multi-layer composites, chemical recycling methods such as gasification or alcoholysis can break down the films into monomers or basic chemicals, which can then re-enter the production cycle. Research by Shisoco in 2025 confirmed that PVDC-containing multi-layer structures are fully recyclable in standard PE waste streams. As a leading producer of PVDC high-barrier films, your company is collaborating with downstream customers to drive the commercialization of these technologies.
On April 23, 2026, the “2026 Plastic Packaging Green Development Technology Innovation Forum” will take place during CHINAPLAS 2026. Industry leaders from packaging film companies, food brands, and recycling organizations will gather to explore the collaborative innovation paths within the packaging industry under the theme “Smart Plastic for the Future, Green Innovation for Value.”
For food packaging film companies, this forum provides a platform for in-depth discussions with brand owners and a unique opportunity to showcase the full value loop from “materials to applications.” Whether you’re focused on high-barrier PVDC film thinning technology, breakthroughs in recyclable design, or innovations in label-free packaging, this is the place to learn, connect, and lead change in the industry.
