Packaging Award, Paper Recycling & Digital Product Passport | FlexPack.News with Dominik Lichtenthäler

In this episode, Julian Thielen talks with Dominik Lichtenthäler (Interzero) about the key developments in the flexpack industry in July.Episode Topics:✅ Recap of the German Packaging Award jury session in early July – around 220 entries, 36 winners, and tips for future applicants✅ Winner spotlight: push-pull closure from Werner & Mertz and Abda Closures made from 100% PCR material, produced using a new in-mould assembly process✅ Recycled content in flexpack – new entries with 30–35% PCR content sourced from Germany's yellow bag system, including applications in detergent and food packaging✅ ProPakMa study on the recyclability of paper packaging – why rigid thresholds like Germany's 95/5 rule fall short, and how other EU countries apply significantly different ratios✅ Practical insights after 8 years of "Made for Recycling" testing: comparing extrusion, dispersion, and wax coatings plus metallization – and why wax coatings, despite good CEPI test results, cause real problems in practice✅ Why the quality of paper/board/carton from yellow-bag sorting (LVP) remains poor, and why the blue bin must not become "the new yellow bin"✅ Digital Product Passport: the EU has launched an official register along with a testing environment – what this means for manufacturers, brands, and recyclers✅ Confidentiality vs. disclosure obligations – why suppliers hesitate to share material data, and why clear contractual agreements will become essential going forward✅ Inside Interzero's "Check for Recycling" tool for creating conformity declarations – onboarding experiences ranging from large corporations to overwhelmed SMEs✅ Preview of the InnoPouch Conference in Barcelona: talks on the Digital Product Passport (Albin Kaelin) and Check for Recycling (Alexandre Zuber)✅ PPWR Day on August 12 – are companies ready with their conformity declarations, or will many not tackle the topic until 2027?A conversation about recyclability, data quality, the German Packaging Award, and the upcoming PPWR deadlines for the flexpack industry.