Board Member – CPA, Director of Sustainability – Majid Al Futtaim
Laetitia Magentie, Board Member of the Circular Packaging Association and Director of Sustainability at Majid Al Futtaim, shares her perspectives with Ben Daniel, Chief Editor of Packaging MEA, on the significance of the UAE’s single-use plastics ban and the practical pathways shaping circularity in packaging across the region.
Ben Daniel: To begin, would you describe this as a reset of packaging supply chains?
Laetitia Magentie: I would not call it a reset, it’s an adaptation that the world saw coming. Single use plastic bans have been a powerful lever driving reduction of plastic pollution, reduction in emissions and driving behavior towards more responsible consumption. They are successful when legislation is clear, developed with industry engagement, is enforced, and supported by public awareness.
Single-use bans must form part of a comprehensive solution that integrates circular economy strategies such as take-back and collection and recovery schemes, together with effective and efficient recycling mechanisms. Finally, these bans can drive innovation and the development of affordable alternatives
Ben Daniel: Is compliance now a cost centre or a competitive advantage?
Laetitia Magentie: In the short term, compliance can come with an incremental cost on the packaging itself. But framing it purely as a cost would be missing the bigger picture.
The regulation forces companies to step back and rethink packaging as a whole — not just materials, but purpose and design. Do we really need a plastic window on bread or pasta? Do we need a full pizza box when the product is consumed on-site? Is the box the right size and weight for what it contains? These questions often lead to optimisation opportunities that reduce material use, logistics costs, and waste — sometimes offsetting the initial increase in unit cost.
From a manufacturing and brand perspective, compliance will eventually be table stakes: everyone will have to meet the same regulatory requirements. The competitive advantage comes from how you comply. Companies that invest early in smarter design, innovative materials, and scalable solutions will be better positioned — not only to manage costs over time, but also to respond faster to future regulatory evolution and customer expectations.
In that sense, compliance becomes less about cost and more about resilience, efficiency, and innovation.
Ben Daniel: What materials work in theory but struggle at scale?
Laetitia Magentie: The exemption for packaging containing recycled plastic is, in theory, very positive. However, access to reliable, food-grade recycled plastic feedstock remains a challenge — particularly at local and regional scale.
This is why, as the CPA, we have worked closely with authorities to ensure that, for now, there is no minimum recycled content threshold and that sourcing recycled material from abroad remains possible. Looking ahead, we do anticipate that minimum thresholds will be introduced. Industry has also worked with the authorities to develop the standards for the use of recycled content in food contact applications which will further drive demand and the development of the needed infrastructure.
Once Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is fully operational, it should also enable the development of local recycled feedstock streams, which will be critical for long-term scalability.
At the same time, caution is needed around alternative materials labelled as “biodegradable” or “compostable.” These are not automatically better solutions. Their real impact depends on a full life-cycle assessment, local waste segregation rules, available infrastructure, and what actually happens to the material at end-of-life. In some cases, these materials can even complicate existing recycling streams if not properly managed.
Scale, infrastructure, and system compatibility matter as much as material innovation itself.
Ben Daniel: What equipment or process changes are now unavoidable?
Laetitia Magentie: At a minimum, every piece of packaging now needs to be re-evaluated through a few core principles: reducing virgin plastic, incorporating recycled content where possible, ensuring recyclability, and avoiding unnecessary components. These are the basic “golden rules” of packaging design and procurement, and they are no longer optional.
From a manufacturing standpoint, some changes are more structural. Certain production lines will need to be upgraded or newly certified for food-grade recycled materials — a significant investment that requires time, capital, and technical expertise. Process adjustments, quality controls, and supplier qualification also become more complex.
Beyond compliance, ongoing investment in innovation is unavoidable. Materials, regulations, and customer expectations will continue to evolve. Companies that treat this moment as a one-off fix will struggle; those that embed adaptability and innovation into their processes will be better equipped for what comes next.
Ben Daniel: What changed operationally once the regulations came into force?
Laetitia Magentie: From a retailer perspective, the immediate operational priority was awareness and execution. Teams had to be trained and informed on the scope of the regulation to ensure full compliance and to verify that no banned items remained on shelves, in food service operations, or in back-of-house stock.
In practice, because manufacturers supplying the market are subject to the same federal regulation, incoming products are largely compliant by design. This significantly reduces operational friction at store level. However, it does not eliminate the need for internal controls, supplier validation, and clear escalation processes when non-compliant items are identified.
From a manufacturing and brand perspective, the operational shift is more substantial. Companies must secure reliable feedstock to integrate recycled content into their packaging, adapt specifications accordingly, and ensure that products are clearly labelled for both retail partners and end consumers. In parallel, manufacturers must manage clear separation between products destined for the UAE market and those produced for export, as they may fall under different regulatory frameworks. This adds complexity across production planning, inventory management, and quality assurance.
Ben Daniel: Where are performance trade-offs most challenging?
Laetitia Magentie: The most challenging trade-offs sit at the intersection of sustainability, functionality, cost, and food safety.
For both retailers and manufacturers, reducing material use or switching to alternative materials can sometimes affect barrier properties, shelf life, or product protection — particularly for food applications. Incorporating recycled content, especially food-grade recycled plastic, can also increase costs and limit material availability at scale.
There are also trade-offs between innovation speed and regulatory compliance. New materials or formats may look promising in theory but require extensive testing, certification, and approval before they can be deployed safely and legally. Balancing ambition with reliability, while maintaining consistent product quality for consumers, remains one of the most complex challenges.
Ben Daniel: What will separate leaders from laggards post-2026?
Laetitia Magentie: Anticipation and innovation will be the key differentiators.
Companies that wait for the next regulation to come into force before acting will always be one step behind. Leaders are already phasing out packaging formats that are likely to be restricted in the future, taking inspiration from regulatory trends in other regions, such as Europe. This proactive approach reduces risk, avoids last-minute disruption, and builds internal capability over time.
Customer expectations are also accelerating. Consumers are increasingly asking for more sustainable packaging solutions, and companies need to respond with credible, well-designed alternatives — not reactive fixes.
This is even more critical for manufacturers, who are directly impacted by regulatory changes. Staying ahead means continuously monitoring upcoming legislation, investing in innovation, developing new materials and formats, ensuring food-contact compliance, and registering solutions with the relevant authorities. Those who embed this mindset into their operations will be far better positioned to navigate what comes next.