AkzoNobel’s webinar highlights the company’s ongoing commitment to advancing coatings solutions for packaging, helping brand owners and manufacturers navigate regulatory challenges through technical expertise, collaborative innovation, and industry-wide engagement.
AkzoNobel
Packaging Coatings has recently convened leading figures from across the metal packaging industry in an exclusive webinar, examining how coatings suppliers are building more compliant, resilient, and competitive supply chains amid Europe’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.
The webinar, hosted by Tessa Slagter, Sustainable Innovation Manager at AkzoNobel Industrial Coatings, featured insights from experts in public affairs, consumer brands, and packaging coatings:
- Hans van Bochove, Head of EU Affairs at The Heineken Company, provided a brand-owner perspective. He shared how the leading beverage company is preparing for forthcoming regulatory changes under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and how these developments are shaping packaging strategies. He outlined how The Heineken Company is balancing consumer expectations for sustainability with cost efficiency and brand differentiation.
- The session also included a detailed briefing on upcoming European Union regulations from Diane Watson, Director at Rud Pedersen Public Affairs. Diane highlighted the importance of adopting a forward-looking approach to stay ahead of regulatory changes and ensure portfolios remain future-proof. Key policy areas to watch include reforms to the EU’s chemical regulatory framework, the Circular Economy Act, and updates to food contact materials legislation.
- Representing AkzoNobel, Chris Bradford, Market Director, Coil & Packaging Coatings, AkzoNobel Industrial Coatings, explained that, following a 50-year period of stability, the regulatory landscape is now evolving rapidly, with a patchwork of legislation emerging due to the rising autonomy of different regulatory geographies. He stressed that, despite these differences, the global trajectory is shared – with an increasing focus on bisphenols. Future-proofed coatings innovations, he said, are essential for manufacturers to ensure proactive compliance, reducing the risks and costs associated with frequent conversions.
“The session underscored the need for closer collaboration between regulators, brand owners, manufacturers, and coatings suppliers. The complexity and speed of regulatory change means that no part of the value chain can afford to work in isolation. Our goal with this webinar was to foster dialogue, share insight, and help prepare the industry for the future – Shaping Change Together,” has stated Chris Bradford, Market Director, Coil & Packaging Coatings, AkzoNobel Industrial Coatings.