Hosted by Waitrose Packaging Development Manager, Christina Capellaro, Coveris' UK Flexibles Technical Director, Mark Robinson, Coveris Retail Director, Ian Partington, and representatives from IMA Ilapak, the event brought together stakeholders from across the packaging value chain for a practical session exploring the latest developments in food packaging.

Combining packaging, retail and industry insights with live demonstrations and machine trials, the masterclass gave attendees the opportunity to explore packaging fundamentals, material choices and the impact these can have on machine performance and operational efficiency. Discussions covered market drivers, industry requirements and best practices, while hands-on testing of different packaging substrates on form-fill-seal equipment provided valuable insight into packaging performance and pack quality.

The event also demonstrated the benefits of bringing together expertise from across the supply chain. Through a mix of discussion, demonstrations and practical testing, participants explored new materials, technologies and regulatory developments while sharing experiences and learnings.

Christina Capellaro, Packaging Development Manager at Waitrose commented: “Packaging innovation requires collaboration. By bringing the supply chain together to test new materials on live machinery, our recent masterclass with Coveris and IMA Ilapak was a vital exercise in shared expertise. I’d like to thank the teams at Coveris and IMA Ilapak for their partnership in this forward-thinking event, which helps us collectively tackle important and complex challenges like sustainability.”

Mark Robinson, Coveris’ UK Flexibles Technical Director, added: "As packaging materials, technologies and legislation continue to evolve, it is increasingly important that the industry takes opportunities to share knowledge and practical experience. This masterclass combined technical insights with hands-on testing, allowing attendees to explore the relationship between material choices, packaging performance and machinery efficiency. The level of engagement throughout the event was fantastic. By sharing expertise and experiences, we can learn from one another and work together to drive effective and efficient progress towards more sustainable packaging solutions."

Coveris would like to thank the Waitrose team for their engagement throughout the event, IMA Ilapak for its continued partnership, and all attendees for their enthusiasm, insights and willingness to contribute to the discussions and practical demonstrations.

Together, initiatives like these help strengthen relationships across the packaging value chain and support the development of packaging solutions now and in the future.