2026 Global Packaging Predictions Webinar – EMEA

Recycling was meant to close the loop. Instead, it’s exposing the cracks.

Environmental urgency, shifting regulation and rising consumer scepticism are converging to redefine what sustainable really means. Once the hero of circular design, recycling is rapidly becoming its cautionary tale.

In this exclusive webinar from Mintel, we unpack why the recycling myth is collapsing and what must replace it.

Consumers who once believed recycling could “do the job” are losing faith in the system itself. Confusing labels, inconsistent infrastructure and unfulfilled promises have created fatigue and frustration. Doing the right thing no longer feels enough.

At the same time, brands and retailers face a critical moment of reckoning. As 2025 sustainability pledges pass, performance gaps are becoming visible to regulators, investors and, most importantly, consumers.

The result? A new era of consumer pragmatism, material honesty and design restraint that will reshape trust, loyalty and brand value over the next five years.

In The End of the Recycling Myth, Mintel experts will explore:

What happens when the recycling myth collapses and what comes next?

Join Mintel as we explore how the next chapter of sustainable packaging will be written, and how brands can reflect this new reality with clarity, credibility and confidence.