It felt a bit like a test run for the upcoming drupa, but Interpack is a major trade show in its own right. Occupying the same halls at Messe Düsseldorf as drupa, Interpack is focusing on technologies and materials for filling and packaging. Part of the offering is traditionally printing of packaging, which concentrated in two halls, although it felt that in 2023 the presence was smaller than in 2017.

Like drupa, the 2020 Interpack outing had to be cancelled due to the pandemic. However, since Interpack is on a three-year cycle, it returned a year ahead of drupa. It proved to be a good opportunity to test orientation skills and stamina in and around the fairground.

While sustainability has been promoted for many years, it seemed to become the central topic of almost every booth this year. While the intention is commendable, it is becoming simply a necessity as well, with brands and consumers becoming more environmentally aware. Government regulations in particular will drive the uptake in the near future, such as the rules laid out in the EU Regulation on Packaging & Packaging Waste (which I wrote about here).