Elliot Hyams - Insights in Packaging 2025

As we progress through 2025, sustainable packaging continues to be one of the defining issues for brands across every sector. Yet, for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), navigating this evolving landscape is anything but straightforward. While multinationals commission custom-designed, zero-waste systems, SMEs are still fighting for access to materials that are truly fit for purpose.

I’m Elliot Hyams, Director and Sustainability Lead at SPS Pouches. Through a mix of lived experience, close collaboration with sustainable brands, and years of frontline exposure to packaging supply chains, I’ve learned where the system is broken—and where we can actually make it work. This article reflects my personal observations, challenges from the field, and the practical solutions we’re putting in place.

Why Flexible Packaging Still Makes Sense

Let’s start with a common misconception: that flexible packaging is inherently unsustainable. In reality, flexible formats offer significant environmental advantages over rigid alternatives—particularly in terms of carbon footprint and transport efficiency. The issue lies not in the format, but in the materials and the infrastructure around them.

In my recent article for the British Plastics Federation, I made the case that flexible packaging can absolutely play a role in the circular economy—if SMEs are given access to mono-materials and support in understanding recycling frameworks. It’s not enough to switch to 'something that looks greener'; it has to function in the system we have now.

Mono-Materials: More Than a Buzzword

There’s now broad industry consensus that mono-material packaging is key to achieving wide-scale recyclability. We’re working closely with suppliers to offer pouches made from a single polymer that meet the requirements of OPRL guidelines and major UK recycling streams. What makes this shift viable is the inherent functionality—and that means supplying packaging that SMEs can actually afford to trial, adopt, and scale their business with.

At SPS Pouches, we focus on low-barrier entry to sustainable materials. The idea isn’t to gatekeep solutions behind minimum orders of 100,000 units. We’re helping brands access recyclable mono-material pouches in practical volumes, so sustainability becomes achievable, not aspirational.

Greenwashing: The Elephant in the Room

There’s no shortage of packaging marketed as 'sustainable'. Compostables, biodegradable plastics, refill models—all have their place. But most SMEs I work with have been misled at least once, investing in materials that either can’t be recycled in the UK or degrade only in industrial composters that don’t exist locally.

In our blog, 'Sustainable Pouches – Are They Really Better?', I dissect the lifecycle of these materials and highlight why a pouch’s end-of-life pathway is just as important as its material origin. Real sustainability means thinking practically, not just using slogans that sell well.

2025 Packaging Trends That Matter

This year, we’re seeing clearer consumer demand for packaging that matches their values—but without compromising product protection or convenience. It’s not about a paper lookalike. It’s about delivering something recyclable, functional, and beautifully branded.

Technically, this means moving beyond single-feature solutions. We now see mono-material structures with oxygen and moisture barriers, matt finishes, and reclose options that still allow for recyclability. This is where packaging truly becomes sustainable in practice—not just in PR.

What SMEs Actually Need

Here’s the part too many overlook: SMEs don’t need a 100-page white paper on sustainability. They need honest guidance, viable quantities, and packaging that protects product and brand integrity. Our blog on the shift to recyclable mono-materials outlines how this evolution is unfolding, and why it matters most for emerging brands who can’t afford to get it wrong.

Most of the sustainable packaging advice out there is written for big business. What we’re doing differently at SPS Pouches is putting the SME first—creating technical clarity without the jargon, and giving our partners the tools to be both compliant and competitive.

Why My Name Is On This

This isn’t a corporate press release. This is my commitment to ensuring sustainability becomes accessible to the people building the next generation of brands. I’ve worked across commodity trading, business and packaging, but what matters most now is impact, and that starts with making information accessible to all.

When someone searches for 'Elliot Hyams', I want them to find real thought leadership, not outdated headlines. I want them to see action, not ambiguity. That’s why I write, why I speak up about greenwashing, and why I work with SMEs every day who are trying to make a difference.

Final Thoughts

We don’t need perfect packaging. We need packaging that’s fit for purpose, grounded in science, and accessible to the businesses that need it most. If we get that right in 2025, we’ll be miles closer to a packaging system that truly works—for the economy, for the planet, and for the people building tomorrow’s brands.

You can learn more about my work or connect with me on LinkedIn. Let’s build packaging that delivers—ethically, technically, and sustainably.

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