Producers today are caught between stricter regulations on the one hand, including around sustainability, and changing consumer demands on the other. There is tension between the two, but there are also several hidden contradictions in the demands of tomorrow’s buyers. At Empack Mechelen, these will finally be unravelled.
At Empack 2025, professionals from across the packaging industry will meet for inspiration, innovation and insight. One of the most notable attendees this year? PakPraat, the packaging podcast of Belgium and the Netherlands that explores the future of packaging with fresh eyes. Initiators Ariane van Mancius (Now New Next), Lucy van Keulen (L’Atarimae) and Emmilie Kuks (Now New Next) give a sneak preview of the sharp analyses, honest questions and boundless energy they will bring to the show.
From waste to future vision
Lucy van Keulen, waste expert and founder of L’Atarimae, starts from a special mindset: the Japanese tradition of leaving a place more beautiful than you found it. “I assist companies that want to make a difference in their growth,” she says. “That requires more than just recycling or a green tint. It’s about tackling the whole chain.”
L’Atarimae advises companies, designers and researchers on innovative and circular strategies. Not a classic consultancy story, but hands-on: “I don’t stop at putting down an advice, I also look with you at how it can be implemented. The proof is in the eating. Indeed, in this sector, the next step is often the most difficult.”
Designing for Gen Next
At Now New Next, an authority on packaging design, that ‘next step’ means above all: packaging for tomorrow’s consumers. Emmilie Kuks works there at the intersection of strategy, sustainability and consumer behaviour. “The younger generation buys differently, thinks differently, and chooses differently. That requires a whole new strategy.”
At TikTok – now the fourth largest retailer in the UK – the buying process starts with a scroll. The physical packaging in the supermarket has long since ceased to be the first moment of contact. “As a brand these days, you have to be able to stand out in a video. Young people choose bold design and colourful packaging as a counterbalance to the sometimes heavy messages that reach them from the world.”
In addition, the emphasis is increasingly on trust: does a product fit with the values they promote themselves? Think sustainability, but also so-called peer review: do their friends use it too? “And they interpret ‘friends’ broadly; they can also be influencers.”
At the same time, young people opt for convenience, so their choices may sometimes clash with their ideals. Emmilie: “Values are sometimes pushed away by what buyers are exposed to. That doesn’t make it easy for producers to assess what the drivers are for Gen Next. We expose that area of tension in our sessions and in the podcast.”
PakPraat Live: get wrapped up
In PakPraat, Ariane, Lucy and Emmilie bring topics such as microplastics, legislation, innovation or consumer behaviour to a wide audience in an accessible way. No dry analyses, but honest conversations with diverse voices: from immunologists to bankers, from writers to waste handlers.
“What binds us is the drive to turn our energy into something positive,” says Lucy. “We want to get the sector moving. Not by handing out advice, but by showing what can already be done!”
During Empack, they record several episodes straight from the show floor. Sometimes short and sweet with students or trend watchers, sometimes in-depth with key industry players. Visitors can watch live, listen in, or socialise.
Expert sessions that will broaden your view
In addition to the podcast, Lucy and Emmilie are also featured in the content sessions at Empack:
- Gen Next: drivers & barriers + Packaging & TikTok + Hero Image: from off- to online – by Now New Next
Emmilie Kuks will show in three different sessions how packaging needs to adapt to young consumers’ behaviour: visually powerful, suitable for e-commerce and aligned with values young people care about. But also: how to deal with their paradoxical behaviour between convenience and sustainability? - Why are recyclers falling over? – by L’Atarimae
Lucy van Keulen analyses why sustainability is so tricky and where the system falters. She explains why recycling and innovations have such a difficult course – and why solutions are sometimes closer than thought after all.
Why you should attend
Empack is the place where designers, manufacturers, marketers and policymakers come together. With PakPraat live, interactive sessions and an open look to the future, the event is more relevant than ever. At a time when innovation is under pressure, voices like Lucy’s and Emmilie’s offer perspective, direction and a healthy dose of inspiration.
Come and listen, talk and learn at Empack, and discover what your role can be in tomorrow’s packaging chain.
