A benchmark for assessing a packaging manufacturer's carbon footprint is a long way off, concluded delegates at the Intertech Pira conference on reducing carbon footprint in the FMCG supply chain’, held from 27-28 November 2007, in London, UK.

Global supply chain standards and solutions organisation GS1 UK, based in London, has announced that packaging manufacturers should start preparing to adopt a new, smaller bar code by 1 January 2010.

The UK’s London Assembly has called for a national levy on all free throw-away shopping bags to reduce their usage and subsequent environmental impact.

The Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials now includes non-food packaging, announced the British Retail Consortium (BRC) at the standard's launch on 17 December 2007

Packaging companies may soon find it easier to obtain the rights to radio frequency identification technology (RFID) with the launch of a multiple licensing agreement for RFID patents. The agreement is being set up by the RFID Consortium to speed up widespread use of the technology.