Last week, European packaging converter, Masterpress, invited us to its main headquarters in Białystok, Poland, providing a behind-the-scenes look at its operations and outlook on the European packaging industry.
Established in 1996, Masterpress specializes in decorative packaging solutions, covering shrink sleeve and self-adhesive labels, as well as offering sleeve label application machinery, application services and robotic workstations. In late 2023, the company expanded its production capacity thanks to two new hybrid printing machines, significantly increasing output, with further investments in print presses and infrastructure set to be announced in the coming weeks.
Gabriel Magdaleno, Strategic Product Management and Marketing Director at Masterpress, emphasized the importance of transparency in engaging with external stakeholders.
“Opening our doors to journalists allows us to show our consistent growth and leadership in responding to industry-wide challenges, like U.S. tariffs, and regulatory developments, such as the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU PPWR),” Mr. Magdaleno noted.
“Most importantly – to innovate, we must collaborate – this is why we are thankful to our supply chain partners, Siegwerk and Taghleef Industries, who joined us today to discuss the importance of collaboration in delivering innovative products ready for changes arising from the new EU regulations.”
During the Media Day, Masterpress outlined its sustainable growth strategy, predicated on the development of both people and products, and provided an overview of some of its flagship projects seeking to position the company as a leader in the sustainable packaging transition. Among them is the TINE 300g Dairy Cup Sleeve, a project recognized within the industry for its 42-micron (µ) SHAPE360 TDS shrink sleeve – a downgauged version of the original 50µ film developed by Taghleef Industries and used by Masterpress in 2023 – making it the slimmest polyolefin shrink sleeve on the market today.
A central theme during the Media Day was the EU PPWR and cross-industry collaboration, research & development (R&D) and emerging trends in the packaging industry, which included a panel discussion featuring representatives from Masterpress, Taghleef Industries and Siegwerk.
“We are, for the first time, combining sustainability with economic feasibility,” said Alina Marm, Head of Global Sustainability & Circular Economy at Siegwerk during the panel discussion.
“The regulations [PPWR] must fix today’s market challenges,” Ms. Marm also said, noting that recycled materials today are less affordable than virgin materials.
Other speakers further highlighted the role of cross-industry collaboration and R&D.
“It is essential to deliver a shared vision across multiple parts of the supply chain to internal stakeholders, in order to promote effective research and development projects [such as sustainable projects]” said Diana Dedeic, Product Manager at Taghleef Industries.
On the impact of the EU PPWR, Marc Larvor, Head of Technology at Siegwerk, said that proactive R&D and close partnership play a “key role” in adapting to ongoing changes arising from the new regulations.
In 2024, Siegwerk, together with Masterpress, completed its deinking system, CIRKIT CLEARPRIME UV E02, aimed at improving recyclability of labeled plastic packaging and enabling the recovery of high-quality recyclates that are suitable for reuse in non-food packaging applications.
Lastly, during a site tour at the Media Day, Masterpress showcased its expanded R&D capabilities, now featuring a dedicated printing press for rapid prototyping and innovation testing.
Watch the whole panel discussion, Removing the “buzz” in collaboration – delivering a “Competitive” EU PPWR through collaborative efforts across the packaging supply chain, here: Masterpress Media Day – Panel Discussion.mp4
