HoustonPoly Announces Price Increase

Total Containerboard production in September increased four percent compared to September 2019. It was up four percent when compared to the same nine months of 2019. September 2020 production of containerboard for export decreased 12 percent compared to the same month last year; it was up 19 percent year-to-date. The containerboard operating rate was 95.9 percent, up 3.7 points from September 2019 and up 2.8 points year-to-date. Mill inventories of containerboard at the end of September decreased 67,000 short tons from the previous month and were up 25,000 short tons compared to September 2019.

The 33.9 million euro investment is focused on equipment upgrades including purchasing state-of-the art machinery for innovative packaging to support ongoing plastic replacement and boost productivity as part of our ambitious growth strategy in the East European market. Starting with upgrades at Ierapetra's Box Plant this summer, the investments will not only advance packaging capabilities but also create a safer working environment. Investment into other sites located in Ancient Corinth and Thessaloniki will also see the modernization of equipment and minimize raw material waste. The investments support our customers’ growing demand for sustainable packaging innovations and align with our Now & Next Sustainability Strategy to deliver the circular economy.

The use of face masks during the recent pandemic has justifiably grown to hundreds of millions worldwide. However, masks can easily end up littering public places or natural sites. Metsä Board, the leading European producer of premium fresh fibre paperboards and part of Metsä Group, partnered up with a packaging design agency Futupack and corrugated board converter Capertum to manufacture a corrugated mask bin for the specific disposal of face masks. The design of the bins paid special attention to the materials used to produce the bin and the usability and disposability of the bin. Futupack is a Finnish company that designs and implements sustainable packaging solutions. “We wanted the mask bin to be as aesthetic as possible so that it could be placed easily into any indoor environment. The mask bin is delivered flat, and can be quickly assembled. In addition, full instructions on assembly for the consumers are printed on to the bin itself. When the mask bin is full, it is easy to close the lid, and the entire bin can be safely and hygienically disposed of with the incinerated waste,” says Jani Mäkipää, Lead Packaging Engineer at Futupack.