CMT conference spotlights circular redesign of flexible packaging in Latin America

Centre for Management Technology will host the 3rd Sustainable Flexible Packaging LATAM Conference in Mexico City on Oct. 27-28, 2026, as brands, recyclers and policymakers respond to stronger circular economy rules and demand for recyclable packaging. The event will focus on design, procurement, recovery and regulatory changes shaping flexible packaging across the region.

Why it matters: - Circular economy policy, extended producer responsibility rules and demand for recyclable packaging are forcing changes across Latin America’s flexible packaging market. - The conference is designed to connect packaging design, procurement, regulation and recovery in one place, which could help speed practical adoption across the value chain. - The meetings take place as companies look for ways to improve circularity without losing performance, affordability or supply security.

What happened: - Centre for Management Technology, with support from ECOCE A.C., will hold the 3rd Sustainable Flexible Packaging LATAM Conference on 27-28 October 2026 at the Mexico City Marriott Reforma Hotel. - The event will bring together packaging producers, consumer brands, recyclers, material suppliers, technology providers, industry associations and policymakers. - Event sponsors include ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell Advanced Polymer Solutions. - The conference agenda covers the flexible packaging value chain from film design and procurement through transformation, regulation, recovery and secondary-market development.

The details: - Omar Gonzalez of Oben Group will discuss ultra-thin films, mono-material solutions and bio-based films as ways to reduce regulatory costs. - Dr. Gerardo Teran of LyondellBasell Advanced Polymer Solutions will present sustainable packaging design approaches that incorporate PCR and mono-material structures. - Massiel del Rio of Unilever Mexico will address how buyers can secure sustainable flexible packaging at scale while balancing circularity, cost, performance and supply reliability. - Dr. Carlos Ludlow Palafox of Environmental Value UK will lead a session framing the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation as a global benchmark. - That discussion will cover alignment across markets, design for recyclability, recycled content and packaging minimization. - AMEE will examine how circular solutions can extend the value of flexible packaging and shift discarded material from waste to resource. - Dayana Sabie Naranjo of BF Empaques Flexibles de Mexico, also known as Bioflex, will focus on moving from corporate commitment to practical implementation. - Adrian E. Velasco Jácome of ECOCE A.C. will review strategies for valuing flexible plastics in Mexico and the links among packaging design, collection, recovery and end markets. - Jade Manzano Kuri and Roberto Llano of Evertis de México will present delamination as a way to recover higher-value polymers from multilayer flexible packaging. - The technology program also includes label innovation and barrier coatings for mono-material packaging. - On 28 October, the conference expands into joint sessions with the co-located 22nd LAPET Series – Circular Plastics Packaging LATAM conference. - Mexico’s circular economy law and implementation roadmap will be discussed by Mayra Hernandez Navarro of ECOCE A.C., Luz Elena Aristizábal Alviar of Essity, Dr. German Ruiz Mendez of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, and Eduardo Solano of NSM Ecosistemas Circulares. - Isabel Bena of Wood Mackenzie will provide an update on global polyolefins and PET market outlook. - Eduardo Ragasol of NIQ Mexico will share consumer data and insights shaping packaging demand in Latin America. - Ksenia Portnova of Walmart de México y Centroamérica will discuss retailer-driven circular packaging adoption in the consumer goods market. - Fernando Rosas Garcia of Alpek Polyester Mexico will address Mexico’s new circular economy regulatory framework and the question of whether there is enough RPET to meet the targets. - Brand-owner panelists include Juliana Chala Ortega of Mars Mexico, Beatriz Elena De la Pena Lavalle of Coca-Cola FEMSA, Sofia Diaz Rivera of Danone and Frederico L'Abbate of Mondelez International. - Their sessions will connect regulation with resin supply, consumer expectations, procurement and packaging design. - The 3rd Sustainable Flexible Packaging LATAM Conference runs back-to-back with the 22nd LAPET Series – Circular Plastics Packaging LATAM on 28-29 October 2026 at the same hotel. - Together, the two conferences will span flexible packaging, circular plastics packaging, PET, polyolefins, recycling technologies, material innovation and circular economy implementation. - Delegates registering for both events may ask about a bundle discount. - CMT has also arranged an optional site visit to the Azcapotzalco Transfer Station and Sorting Plant on the afternoon of 29 October, and registrations are open to all conference participants. - More information is available through CMT’s social channels, Instagram, Facebook and X.

Between the lines: - The agenda shows that flexible packaging circularity is no longer just a materials issue; it now spans regulation, procurement, recovery economics and brand-owner requirements. - The presence of retailers, consumer brands, regulators and recyclers suggests the market is moving toward coordination rather than isolated sustainability pledges. - The emphasis on mono-materials, PCR and delamination indicates the industry is still searching for packaging designs that can scale commercially and still meet recycling goals.

What's next: - The Mexico City meetings will test how much common ground exists on design standards, recycled-content targets and recovery infrastructure across the region. - Sessions on circular economy law, RPET supply and consumer demand should help define the next phase of packaging changes in Latin America. - Organizers say registration remains open, including options for the conference bundle and the site visit.