Travelling the world: Industrial goods in safe, sustainable packaging

Global trade presents companies with many challenges. Industrial packaging for machines, systems, electronic components or hazardous goods has a special role to play in this context, as industrial packaging faces increasing international trade flows, stricter regulatory requirements, new sustainability requirements and the surge in digitalisation brought about by artificial intelligence.

The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, in particular, is bringing circular economy, resource conservation, waste reduction and verification of the origin and reusability of materials more sharply into focus for manufacturers of industrial packaging and logistics service providers. The PPWR comprehensively governs transport packaging and makes pallets, crates and containers important components of a functioning circular economy.

As a consequence, circular economy is the number one topic across all packaging materials. Take plastic pallets, for example: pallet manufacturer Craemer, for instance, demonstrates how circular economy can work on an industrial scale with its recycled raw material Zero Virgin. The interpack exhibitor recovers polyethylene from used products and processes it back into heavy-duty pallets, such as the new E3-5 Zero Virgin. The quality is equal to that of new goods; the sustainable pallet is robust, stable and fully recyclable.

Closed circuit for strapping bands

The EU packaging regulation places high demands on reusability – quotas were also set for stretch film and strapping bands. A group of 13 companies in the strapping industry, including Mosca and Teufelberger, see risks for safety during transportation and have launched a campaign for an exemption. They met with success: in October 2025, the EU Commission decided to exclude pallet wrapping and strapping bands from the PPWR’s reuse quotas.

Mosca had previously launched the “Loop that!” recycling project: companies that accumulate strapping waste can collect it by type and chop or press it before partner Interzero collects, pays for and recycles the material. The new approach also invites competitors to work together to create a standardised, industry-wide cycle.

And the German Federal Association for Wooden Packaging, Pallets, and Export Packaging (HPE) also presented its own recycling system for World Recycling Day 2025: HPECycle. Users of pallets and wooden packaging can return them to regional collection centres after use. The pallets are professionally inspected, cleaned and repaired (if necessary) at the collection centre so that they can be reintroduced into the economic cycle.

Classic industrial packaging becomes more climate-friendly

Drum specialist Greif recently expanded its sustainable EcoBalance line beyond plastics to include steel drums made of XCarb steel from ArcelorMittal. XCarb is made in Europe from recycled steel and reduces the CO₂ footprint by around 60 per cent compared to conventional steel drums.

In its new Combi drum, exhibitor Schütz even combines the stability of steel with the chemical resistance of plastic. This industrial packaging with double leakage protection is particularly suitable for aggressive and corrosive products. The basis is a standard painted steel drum, which is fitted with an inner container made of HDPE plastic.

Whether steel, plastic or wood – interpack 2026 is set to show a broad trade audience which developments and innovations are currently driving the industrial packaging industry.

Clear labelling and tracking

Transporting goods by ship, rail, lorry or plane not only places special demands on the packaging, but also on the labelling. Logistics labels ensure that pallets, drums and IBCs can always be clearly tracked and managed. To this end, Herma and label printing specialist Cab have jointly developed a sustainable label solution that is free of liner material. The companies combine print and apply technology with initially non-adhesive, silicone-free logistics labels that dispense with backing material.

“Our customers are currently worried about the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation and the Digital Product Passport as their implementation is also going to put labelling technologies to the test,” says Frank Debusmann, National Sales Director at REA Elektronik. According to him, direct labelling is the solution if packaging is to be as recyclable as possible from summer 2026. At Interpack 2026, the company will be showcasing the new UV laser from the REA Laser product line for labelling plastics, films and new mono-material packaging. The new REA Laser CL100 is even more powerful at 100 watts and can mark at higher speeds than the standard CO2 lasers in the REA Laser CL series. The REA Jet HR NX inkjet printer was developed specifically for the requirements of the Digital Product Passport: with its 1-inch cartridge, it can print codes at a sufficient height.

Large-load carriers made from recyclate

Cabka has developed the CabFold Hybrid from scratch, specifically for the storage and dispatch of body and chassis parts. The foldable large-load carrier consists of 94 percent recycled material and, thanks to its new design, offers the largest internal volume in its class at 755 litres. Empties can also be reduced to less than a third of their previous volume for return transport.
With the Intrabox, Werit is presenting a new container series at interpack 2026 that is made from 60 per cent PP new material and 40 per cent PP reclaimed material. An optional partition wall system enables variable use, while handle openings ensure ergonomic handling. The boxes can be stacked with up to 50 kg under load and are 100 per cent recyclable.

Stirring viscous filling products safely inside IBCs

Intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) are generally used for the storage and transportation of liquids or bulk goods. Many filling products, in particular viscous substances such as paints and varnishes, sealants and adhesives, must also be stirred inside the IBC before they can be processed. With its built-in Impeller, Schütz offers a complete solution made of HDPE and recently introduced a new version with a wing profile as an alternative to the version with a cup stirrer.

AI in everyday logistics

Cargo monitoring plays a key role in the transport of industrial goods. Today, artificial intelligence helps to analyse real-time data from sensors, detect irregularities and damage at an early stage and control processes automatically. An additional application is precision measurement of packages for transportation. Exhibitor Krones, for example, faces a particular challenge when it comes to packaging the machines it produces: the packages are often irregularly shaped, but have to be measured so that they can be loaded onto precisely fitting freight pallets and then wrapped in shrink film. If the actual dimensions differ from those specified, the lorry provided may be too small or the planned freight capacity on a container ship may not be sufficient. Krones is therefore now using an AI-based system developed jointly with Telekom MMS for precise 3D measurement of the packages. The solution is based on state-of-the-art LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology and uses three time-of-flight cameras to fully capture the differently sized packages. The AI-supported evaluation recognises even complex and irregular contours reliably and measures them precisely. The system achieves an accuracy with an average deviation of less than one centimetre.

From 7 to 13 May 2026 in Düsseldorf, the exhibitors at interpack present how to pack industrial goods safely and sustainably for transport today. Visitors will find current solutions in Halls 5 and 6 as well as in Halls 11 to 14. Further information on the specialist trade fair is available at www.interpack.de.