*Net sales for the third quarter of $466 million, up 25 percent from prior year quarter *Income from continuing operations for the third quarter of $18 million *Higher prices across all segments partially offset by inflation on key input costs

*Net sales of $1.4 billion, flat as reported; up 5% constant currency *Net earnings of $133 million, up 23% *Earnings per share (Diluted) of $0.91, up 28% *Cash flow from operations (year to date) of $321 million, down 15% *Accelerating growth investments - CapEx of $184 million, up 19%, in 2022

SEE announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Liquibox, a pioneer, innovator and manufacturer of Bag-in-Box sustainable Fluids & Liquids packaging and dispensing solutions for fresh food, beverage, consumer goods and industrial end-markets. This acquisition is highly complementary to Cryovac Fluids & Liquids business, the fastest growing area for SEE. Fluids & Liquids flexible packaging solutions are a $7 Billion addressable potential revenue opportunity with an attractive projected annual growth rate of approximately 6%.

We’re pleased to announce the opening of our new 34,000 square foot facility in Henderson, Nevada, which will further support our growing West Coast customer base as well as the continued adoption of sustainable packaging alternatives. Located just outside of Las Vegas, the facility serves as a new shipping point for Atlantic Packaging customers in addition to operating as a showroom and shipping hub for A New Earth Project, a coalition powered by Atlantic Packaging comprised of outdoor enthusiasts, brands, and packaging suppliers leading a global effort to create, scale, and advocate for sustainable packaging solutions.

Greif’s Paper Packaging and Services (PPS) business has announced two significant investments in its recycling operations to support its growth strategy in sustainable paper packaging solutions. A new 81,000-square-foot paper recycling facility for collecting, processing, and baling has opened in Florence, Kentucky, bringing Greif’s total number of recycling facilities across North America to 19. In addition, Greif has more than doubled the size of its paper fiber recycling plant in Nashville, Tennessee, to enhance efficiency and support accelerated growth. The expanded facility covers a floor space of 72,000 square feet. Both plants are located in areas where demand for a collection of waste fiber and the supply of recycled paper and board is experiencing continued growth.

Winners of the 2022 awards, which cover achievements in 2021, are as follows: The Environmental Sustainability Award recognizes excellence in environmental protection by minimizing the impact of the Company's operations, reducing material consumption or improving recycling or reuse. Our Chihuahua, Mexico beverage glass plant received this award for saving over 15.5 million gallons of water and improving the quality of the facility's wastewater. The Dahej, India plant in Crown's Transit Packaging Division received the Sustainability Award for Safety for its comprehensive approach to workplace safety and extensive track record of incident-free days – which currently stands at 2,342, or approximately six-and-a-half years. Crown's Conroe, Texas beverage can plant received the Social Sustainability Award, which recognizes activities that significantly impact the well-being of the workforce and/or the local community. The team has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to their community by participating in mentorship programs, food drives, job fairs and many other volunteer opportunities.

The Board of Directors of Metsä Board Corporation has decided to launch a share buyback of company’s own shares. The number of shares to be acquired based on the authorisation shall not exceed 1,000,000 B shares, which corresponds to approximately 0.3% of all the shares in the company. The shares will be acquired for use as part of the company's share-based incentive system and to prepare for the remuneration of the Board. The aggregate amount to be used for the acquisition of own shares shall not exceed EUR 11,000,000. The shares are acquired in one or more lots in trading organised by NASDAQ Helsinki Oy on the regulated market at the market price valid at the time of acquisition. The shares shall be acquired and paid for in accordance with the rules of NASDAQ Helsinki Oy and Euroclear Finland Oy.

Third Quarter 2022 Highlights *Third quarter net earnings (loss) attributable to International Paper of $951 million ($2.64 per diluted share) compared with $511 million ($1.38 per diluted share) in the second quarter of 2022 and $864 million ($2.20 per diluted share) in the third quarter of 2021. Third quarter 2022 net earnings include a net after-tax benefit of $563 million ($1.56 per diluted share) related to the settlement of the previously announced timber monetization restructuring tax matter. Third quarter 2021 net earnings include a net after-tax gain of $350 million ($0.89 per diluted share) on the sale of our Kwidzyn, Poland mill. *10% year-over-year revenue growth based on strong price realization *$70 million of earnings achieved from Building a Better IP initiatives, bringing year-to-date to $175 million *Cash provided by operations of $435 million, bringing year-to-date to $1.4 billion *Returned $434 million to shareholders through share repurchases of $269 million and dividends of $165 million, bringing year-to-date to $1.6 billion

January–September 2022 (compared to 1–9/2021) *Sales were EUR 1,879.7 million (1,565.6). *The comparable operating result was EUR 420.0 million (295.3), or 22.3% of sales (18.9). Operating result was EUR 436.8 million (285.0). *Comparable earnings per share were EUR 0.90 (0.65), and earnings per share were EUR 0.94 (0.63). *Comparable return on capital employed was 23.0% (19.4). *Net cash flow from operations was EUR 161.7 million (209.8). July–September 2022 (compared to 7–9/2021) *Sales were EUR 647.3 million (516.1). *The comparable operating result was EUR 152.5 million (104.0), or 23.6% (20.1) of sales. Operating result was EUR 153.4 million (99.4). *Comparable earnings per share were EUR 0.33 (0.23), and earnings per share were EUR 0.33 (0.22). *Comparable return on capital employed was 24.7% (19.1). *Net cash flow from operations was EUR 66.4 million (59.1).

The demand for more sustainable alternatives has driven the development of technologies designed for paper recycling programs in consumable products and packaging. Tough, affordable, recyclable and a viable alternative to single-use plastic packaging, paper e-commerce mailers like the ecoMLR are a more sustainable way to send small goods. The pros of using a paper e-commerce mailer such as the ecoMLR: *Cost savings – Lightweight to reduce postal and shipping costs *Waste reduction – More efficient with less free space & waste than cartons *Safe and Secure – Water-resistant with a secure opening *Easy to use – Self-seal is fast and simple to use and forms a water-resistant secure package *Easy to recycle – Recycle with your household paper waste *Easy on the environment – Kraft paper is made from 70% recycled paper *Premium quality – Kraft provides an ideal surface for showcasing your brand *Local Manufacture – Produced in Leeds supports British manufacturing *Advertising opportunities – Batch printing with your brand or third party offers to drive additional sales and revenue streams *Reusable – Single or multi-use designs

Inteplast Engineered Films (IEF) has invested heavily in expanding its InteGreen™ family of sustainable films. Updates include new mailer bag films made with up to 80% recycled content and low- and ultra-low seal initiation temperature (SIT) films. Mailer bags have increased the conveniences of shipping and deliver for both merchants and consumers by offering weather-resistant packaging for everything from jewelry to books. The SIT films are significant sustainable alternatives for companies who integrate recyclable materials in their stand-up pouches. For example, pouches containing microwavable rice, pet treats, or granola can be made more efficiently without sacrificing the quality of the special film that keep its contents fresh. It’s a win for manufacturers and end users.

Mondi has helped Reckitt on its sustainability journey by designing new paper-based packaging for the company’s market-leading Finish dishwasher tablets. Packaging for dishwasher tablets must be sealable, durable and water resistant, so using paper has traditionally been challenging. However, by working closely together along Mondi’s EcoSolutions approach, Mondi and Reckitt were able to create a solution that is sustainable by design: the new Finish packaging has successfully replaced 75% of the plastic with responsibly sourced paper. The remaining plastic is used to strengthen the paper structure and provide barrier protection to ensure the quality and safety of the Finish product as well as a re-closable seal. The new paper-based packaging for Finish will initially launch exclusively with Carrefour in France, where the packaging is recyclable in the existing paper recycling streams.

Silgan Holdings Inc. reported record third quarter net sales of $1.97 billion, a 19.3 percent increase over prior year third quarter net sales of $1.65 billion, and record third quarter 2022 net income of $138.7 million, or $1.25 per diluted share, as compared to third quarter 2021 net income of $106.3 million, or $0.96 per diluted share. “The Silgan team continued to deliver new all-time record adjusted EPS in both the third quarter and year-to-date periods, with a 25 percent increase as compared to the prior year quarter and an over 20 percent increase for the year-to-date period,” said Adam Greenlee, President and CEO.

Q3 2022 Highlights *Net Sales were $2,451 million versus $1,782 million in the prior year quarter. *Net Organic Sales increased 5% in the quarter and 4% year-to-date driven by global demand for sustainable, innovative fiber-based consumer packaging solutions. *Net Income was $193 million versus $73 million in the prior year quarter. *Global liquidity was $1.4 billion at quarter end. *Repurchased $15 million of common stock during the quarter; returned $38 million in total to stockholders in share repurchases and dividends. *In October, published 2021 environmental, social and governance (ESG) report reaffirming organization-wide focus on continuous improvement and highlighting the milestones achieved during the year advancing the Company's Vision 2025 ESG goals.

Packaging Corporation of America reported third quarter 2022 net income of $262 million, or $2.80 per share, and net income of $266 million, or $2.83 per share, excluding special items. Third quarter net sales were $2.1 billion in 2022 and $2.0 billion in 2021. Reported earnings in the third quarter of 2022 include special items primarily for certain costs at the Jackson, AL mill for paper-to-containerboard conversion related activities. Excluding special items, the $.14 per share increase in third quarter 2022 earnings compared to the third quarter of 2021 was driven primarily by higher prices and mix in our Packaging $1.60 and Paper $.23 segments, lower interest expense $.04, a lower share count resulting from share repurchases $.04, and a lower tax rate $.02. These items were partially offset by higher operating costs ($.77), lower volume in our Packaging ($.52) and Paper ($.05) segments, higher freight and logistics expenses ($.20), higher scheduled outage expenses ($.10), higher depreciation expense ($.07), higher converting costs ($.04), and other expenses ($.04).

Net sales in the third quarter were $3,259 million compared to $2,920 million in the third quarter of 2021 reflecting increased beverage can unit volumes and the pass through of higher raw material costs partially offset by unfavorable foreign currency translation of $127 million. Income from operations was $297 million in the third quarter compared to $348 million in the third quarter of 2021. Segment income in the third quarter of 2022 was $336 million compared to $379 million in the prior year third quarter reflecting higher energy prices, costs associated with higher inventory levels and unfavorable foreign currency translation of $8 million.

Taking a quantum leap forward in reducing weight in packaging, Amcor Rigid Packaging has developed a revolutionary two-step, lightweighting technology that eliminates more than 50% of the material and weight in the finish of the bottle. A leader in developing technology that produces more sustainable packaging options, ARP’s new Quantum™ technology for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles delivers sustainability benefits, lowers cost, and improves packaging appearance. By removing more than 50% of the material and weight from the finish, the new Quantum™ technology reduces manufacturing costs and GHG emissions, resulting in energy savings and lower carbon emissions compared to bottles with a traditional finish. Quantum™ technology also allows for up to 100% recycled material use and provides a superior consumer experience with a more sustainable, fully recyclable package.

Packaging is essential to our capacity to deliver wholesome, premium food and beverages to people all over the world, but we are convinced that this cannot be done at the expense of the environment. The typical packaging system in use today is unsustainable since it is still essentially linear: raw materials are used to create packaging for products, which is then discarded once the products have been used. Important problems are being caused by this approach, especially when it comes to plastics. At Stora Enso, we are inspired by the mission "Do good for people and the world," which is why we seek to collaborate with businesses that share our values. And we couldn't be more pleased to collaborate with Dizzie in the United Kingdom, a truly inspiring circular solution for home delivery of dry food products. Customers can buy necessities without packaging waste by utilizing the same reusable pots produced in Biocomposites by Stora Enso, which helps cut 114 billion pieces of plastic from shop shelves in the UK alone each year. So, how does it work? Products are packed in waste-free packaging that is delivered to the consumers’ doorstep with carbon-neutral delivery. When they run out of product, Dizzie will collect the pots, wash them, and fill them again & again & again…

Stora Enso has decided to invest approximately EUR 1 billion to convert the remaining idle paper machine at the Group’s Oulu site in Finland into a high-volume consumer board production line. The investment supports the Group’s growth strategy in renewable packaging by providing new volume for growing packaging segments. Production on the converted machine is estimated to start in early 2025. Following the first machine conversion at the Oulu site in 2021 from paper to kraftliner, the remaining idle paper line will be converted into a state-of-the-art highly flexible consumer board line for folding box board (FBB) and coated unbleached kraft (CUK). The total annual capacity will be 750,000 tonnes of consumer board. The target end-use segments are food and beverage packaging, especially frozen and chilled, and dry and fast food, mainly in Europe and North America.

Q1-Q3 2022 in brief • Net sales increased 31% to EUR 3,375 million (EUR 2,575 million) • Comparable net sales growth at Group level was 18 % and 19% in emerging markets • The impact of currency movements on the Group’s net sales was EUR 186 million and EUR 16 million on EBIT • Capital expenditure was EUR 185 million (EUR 147 million) • Free cash flow was EUR -60 million (EUR 28 million)

PPC Flexible Packaging LLC announces the acquisition of Kansas City, KS-based Plastic Packaging Technologies, LLC (PPT). PPC, headquartered in Buffalo Grove, IL, is a leader in printing and converting of flexible films, pouches, and other innovative packaging designs, including prototypes. It is a recognized pioneer in cleanroom packaging for healthcare and medical applications, consumer snack and organic brands, specialty produce, pet, nutraceutical, bakery and horticulture markets. With the addition of PPT, the firm now operates thirteen manufacturing facilities in Buffalo Grove, IL, Mission and Kansas City, KS, Rome, GA, Payson, UT, Pewaukee, WI, Colombia, South America, McKinney, TX, Columbus and Alliance, OH, North Salt Lake, UT, and Hartland, WI. Its facilities are AIB, SQF level II and ISO-9001 certified. Founded in 2017 with its first acquisition, PPC provides the highest quality products with best-in-class lead times to service both emerging and recognized brands.

Intertape Polymer Group Inc. in collaboration with IMA, world leader in the design and manufacture of automatic machines, introduce the “Pack Station of the Future” at Pack Expo International 2022 in Chicago, IL on the 23rd of October, South Hall Booth S-2814. “Over the next decade, in all geographic regions, e-commerce sales continue to grow as a percentage of overall retail sales. Advanced packaging automation will be necessary to help e-tailers improve both throughput and their cost position as labor markets remain tight,” states Zach Kissel, VP Global E-Fulfillment with IPG. “The introduction of the E-CO Flex1 would allow for multiple pack stations to be combined into one without losing throughput and utilizing much less real estate than the multiple pack station model being used today.”

Mondi has announced the approval of a €400 million investment in a new paper machine at its flagship Štětí mill in the Czech Republic. The investment forms part of the Group’s €1 billion expansionary capital investment programme to accelerate growth in sustainable packaging and will further strengthen Mondi’s leading position in the market. The investment will help Mondi to meet the growing demand for paper-based flexible packaging, underpinned by growth in eCommerce and sustainable packaging, and will contribute to increasing Mondi’s range of innovative, sustainable packaging and paper solutions. The new machine will produce around 210,000 tonnes per annum of sack kraft paper supporting Mondi’s Paper Bags business thanks to the benefits of a vertically integrated value chain. It will also allow Mondi to optimise production across the remaining kraft paper portfolio and strengthen its leading position in speciality kraft paper across a broad range of applications such as functional barrier papers.

ePac Flexible Packaging, the industry leader in quick turn, short and medium run-length flexible packaging, is expanding its offering to include long run orders for brands of all sizes, while continuing to serve its SMB core customer base. The point at which the run length of a job makes it more cost effective to use conventional vs. digital printing is known as the crossover point. This, and factors such as lead times, plates, freight, and inventory obsolescence costs combine to determine when a job is best run digitally. Increasing this crossover point is where the company has been focused. ePac has been steadily building its infrastructure to increase the run length of jobs that are cost effectively produced on its fleet of over 50 HP Indigo digital presses located across the globe.

Governor Laura Kelly joined officials from Pratt Industries as they opened their new state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing corrugated box plant in Park City. The plant represents a $200 million investment that will create 58 new high-paying, quality jobs in Sedgwick County over the next five years. The almost 1 million-square-foot Park City facility will accommodate increased production capacity, employ 300 full-time “green collar” manufacturing jobs, and increase its presence in the greater Wichita area. The company will continue its recycling operations at the existing Wichita facility and use the new plant for manufacturing operations.

Halloween is just around the corner, marking for many in the United States the start of a busy holiday season. And the one holiday on every retailer's mind is, of course, Christmas. Christmas spending is an annual opportunity to increase sales and create new customers for your business. As we know, custom packaging is an effective way to achieve brand-loyal customers during this key time period. Custom holiday packaging require businesses to plan ahead during the first half of the year. It’s been a busy year for everyone in retail and, now that fall is already here, ordering custom packaging for the upcoming season might not be possible due to the reality of lead times. Think that means it’s too late to incorporate special holiday packaging for the 2022 season? Think again. Seaman Paper has your business covered with 12 in-stock and ready-to-ship holiday tissue paper designs.

How2Recycle has been the gold standard of on-product labeling for recyclability since 2008. Sonoco Alloyd has been pre-qualified to carry the How2Recycle label on the EnviroSense® PaperBlister™ package. The PaperBlister has been embraced by manufacturers, customers and consumers since its debut in 2019. The product has won multiple awards in recent years for smart design and innovative, sustainable features. The How2Recycle pre-qualification is the latest sustainable achievement for the PaperBlister™ and will allow Sonoco to continue helping brands meet their sustainability goals and expand on products’ curbside recyclability. The PaperBlister package is all paper, plastic-free, made entirely from renewable resources and can be fully recycled into the paper stream unlike traditional plastic blisters. How2Recycle labels help customers and consumers understand the difference in lookalike packaging, as well as what can be recycled, and how.

Amcor released its first Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) report, which includes the results of Amcor’s climate scenario analysis exercise, along with information about the company’s climate governance structure, risk management approach and performance metrics. As a leader in sustainability, the report marks another milestone for the organization, ensuring continued transparency of its climate-related business risks as well as providing a roadmap on how to best integrate climate risk management opportunities within its operational strategy. Michael Casamento, Chief Financial Officer at Amcor, said, “The report represents the latest example of how Amcor has integrated climate-related considerations into its growth strategy and risk management framework. Adding TCFD standards to our sustainability-related reporting that already adheres to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), as well as leading the packaging industry by reporting against SASB standards, helps us continue to lead with transparent, forward-thinking environmental stewardship.”

Aptar Food + Beverage, a global leader in dispensing solutions for more than 50 years, proudly announces Slide, a new approach that is set to revolutionize the dispensing closure market. This new offering is unique, because it does not require the application of a foil liner for shelf-stable food products, which is the market norm today. “We conducted multiple consumer studies while developing this solution, and in almost every case, we heard that removing the liner is a point of frustration today,” states Matt Schalewski, Senior Global Business Development Manager at Aptar. “Slide enables consumers to access their product with one opening gesture, delivering a convenient and memorable packaging experience while still protecting product shelf life and reducing the potential for product tampering.”

Smurfit Kappa, world leader in paper-based packaging, is investing almost USD100 million in a sustainable biomass boiler which will reduce its global Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO2 emissions by approximately 6%. The ambitious project is the latest example of the circularity that permeates every aspect of the company’s operations. Smurfit Kappa has successfully implemented biomass boilers at several other locations including the Nervion, Piteå and Sangüesa paper mills in Europe.

Sonoco ThermoSafe one of the largest global providers of temperature assurance cold chain packaging, is expanding its Orion Rental packaging program in Europe, adding an additional reclamation service station in Brussels. The new Orion reclamation station is at CEVA Logistics in Brussels, chosen as an ideal location for its proximity to existing biopharma customers, prospects, and other western European countries. CEVA Logistics is a well-established logistics partner to 500+ healthcare and life science companies, fully compliant to GxP and ISO standards. The BRU Orion Rental Station will perform full reclamation, cleaning, and refurbishment processes necessary to return Orion boxes back into circulation in ‘like new’ quality condition, suitable for healthcare products.

Sonoco announced that the new uncoated recycled paperboard (URB) #10 machine is operational as part of its previously announced Project Horizon—the $125 million investment to transform its former corrugated medium machine in Hartsville, S.C to a state-of-the-art URB operation. Project Horizon was initiated, in part, to ensure the long-term viability and sustainability of Sonoco’s 100-year-old Hartsville Mill Complex, at which the Company produces almost one-third of its U.S. and Canadian URB. The introduction of the new operation is projected to drive $30 million in annual cost savings by 2024 and will ensure the mill remains globally competitive. This launch also marks Sonoco’s move to 100% recycled fibers in the Hartsville Mill Complex, which eliminated the manufacturing complex’s virgin pulp processing and chemical recovery operation.

Pregis® recently introduced the Performance Flexibles Renew™ Series as the company continues to innovate and expand its sustainable offerings. Pregis has offered a wide range of Renew solutions for the inside-the-box packaging category, and this brand of solutions represents the most sustainable option within resin-based packaging alternatives as the brand continues to expand across product lines. The newest addition to the Pregis Renew Series is designed specifically for critical flexible packaging applications, including food, pharmaceutical, medical, and household consumer goods, incorporating innovative materials and recycled content that is custom engineered to the client’s specification. Engineered with a focus on three critical components of sustainability – recyclable, recycled content, and renewable – the Renew Series meets the growing demand for flexible packaging products that enable a circular economy.

WestRock Company announced it will permanently close the corrugated medium manufacturing operations at its St. Paul, Minnesota, recycled paper mill. The production of coated recycled board at this location will remain in operation. WestRock is committed to improving its return on invested capital as well as maximizing the performance of its assets, and the corrugated medium machinery at the St. Paul location would require significant capital investment to maintain and improve going forward. The shutdown of these assets will result in the reduction of 200,000 tons of annual corrugated medium production. “Shutting down operations and impacting the lives of our employees is a difficult decision to make,” said David B. Sewell, chief executive officer at WestRock. “As we implement our plans to close the corrugated medium operations in St. Paul, we are incredibly appreciative for the many contributions this team has made. We plan to assist these team members in exploring roles at other WestRock locations and with outplacement services.”

At Pratt Industries, we take a holistic approach with our customers to look beyond basic packaging needs to develop vertically integrated, sustainable solutions to help protect, transport and drive sales for our customers’ products. To do this, we employ an extensive network of highly skilled experts who apply the knowledge they’ve gained from various industries to utilize best practices, reduce operational costs and improve efficiencies. Below are a few examples of how Pratt was able to assist our customers in creating beyond the box solutions for their organizations. Partnering with our Value Improvement Program (VIP) team, a customer was able to reduce costs across its operations, including material, pallets, warehouse and freight. Pratt experts partnered with the customer to evaluate packaging, shipping and storage requirements for nearly 200 items. The Pratt team then performed tests to understand how changing containerboard grades, packaging dimensions and pallet configuration affected the items and overall supply chain costs. Based on these studies, Pratt recommended using less corrugated material more efficiently and optimizing the balance of case stacking on pallets. The result was more cases per pallet layer and a reduction in truckloads to create substantial savings in material, warehousing and freight.

Pregis®, a leading global manufacturer of flexible packaging and protective packaging solutions, today announced it is expanding its senior leadership roles, with Kevin Baudhuin adding the title of chairman in addition to his chief executive officer role, and Laurin Darnell promoted to chief operating officer. These leadership changes will allow Pregis to continue driving long-term growth while maintaining continuity as it builds upon recent successes. Baudhuin will intensify his focus on strategic growth, M&A, and advancing the company’s ESG efforts. Darnell assumes responsibility for day-to-day business operations, leading the company’s global operations and maintaining its growth trajectory to double in size in the next few years.

Smurfit Kappa has won 21 awards for its forward-thinking and innovative packaging solutions at this year’s Flexographic Industry Association (FIA) UK awards. Since 2013, Smurfit Kappa has received over 130 FIA awards, consolidating its industry-leading position in the packaging industry. Smurfit Kappa’s sustainable packaging solutions received three gold, seven silver, seven bronze and three Highly Commended awards. Their Markham Vale site’s DRO - Operator Vince Ward also took home the highly coveted Student of the Year award, and the site themselves won the Silver award for the Best in Show category.

The latest consumer poll results by Every Can Counts (ECC) highlight that a truly sustainable future will require close collaboration between governments and beverage brands. The Recycling Habits and Attitude in Europe 2022 survey explores current recycling habits, identifies barriers and motivations to increase recycling, assesses knowledge around the recycling of aluminum beverage cans and uncovers messages that connect with European consumers. The message is clear: Recycling in Europe is not living up to its potential. Consumers need help from governments, brands, retailers and the packaging industry to do better. The top three initiatives consumers would like to see implemented to increase recycling rates are: using only 100% recyclable packaging (53%); more recycling in public areas (52%); and a deposit return program (50%).

Huhtamaki launches ICON® packaging, a breakthrough paper technology, initially for use for ice cream containers and lids, which enables recycling in communities with paper product recycling programs across the United States. This is a significant breakthrough in delivering a sustainable solution for consumers which combines Huhtamaki’s proprietary water-based barrier coating with SFI-certified paperboard and results in the entire package being made with 95% renewable biobased material. This enables the ice cream containers and lids to be recycled along with other paper products such as folded carton packaging. “Our paper-based technology and barrier solutions are the key differentiators in ICON® ice cream packaging. The technology allows ice cream packaging to enter the existing North American recycling stream more easily. At Huhtamaki we are driven by innovation and operational excellence, designing for circularity and developing next generation innovation. ICON® packaging has been developed by Huhtamaki’s Technology and Development (T&D) and operational team as an alternative packaging solution for ice cream. Our teams use their expertise in barrier functionality, paper forming and printing to drive differentiation and deliver game-changing sustainable food packaging to our customers,” explains Ann O’Hara, President of Huhtamaki North America.

Carlisle Container Company, a corrugated packaging converter founded in 1965, will significantly decrease turnaround times and boost efficiency with the acquisition of an EFI™ Nozomi 14000 LED single-pass inkjet corrugated packaging press from Electronics For Imaging, Inc. The business will install the new press in a facility adjacent to its main plant scheduled to open in early 2023. The Nozomi 14000 LED press is an important next step toward growth for a packaging company that has long appreciated the impact digital can have. “We implemented digital printing in the early days, acquiring our first VUTEk® printer in 2004,” said Carlisle Container CEO Diane Wolf. “Back then, we could print eight to ten 4x8-foot sheets per hour, and over time we updated technology to continue increasing throughput and quality. The Nozomi was the next logical move for us, and it will be a game changer.”

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, has developed a recyclable high-barrier packaging solution for Norwegian pet food manufacturer Felleskjøpet, that keeps material in circulation and avoids waste. Felleskjøpet is using Mondi’s FlexiBag Recyclable, a pre-made mono-material polyethylene (PE) bag, for the relaunch of its Appetitt range of dry cat and dog foods. It will replace the previous unrecyclable multi-layer solution, delivering packaging that is designed for recycling, according to CEFLEX D4ACE guidelines, and is recyclable in existing Norwegian plastic recycling streams. Mondi’s FlexiBag Recyclable provides excellent product protection and preserves the premium pet food, thanks to its high barrier material. A slider enables easy opening and closing for the bigger bags to ensure long-lasting freshness, while a handle allows for convenient transportation. FlexiBag Recyclable has excellent print qualities that guarantee good visibility on-shelf and can communicate all product and recycling information clearly.

The Mayr-Melnhof Group has successfully completed the acquisition of Essentra Packaging, which was agreed in June 2022, following the approval of all relevant competition authorities. The transaction includes 100% interest in ESNT Packaging & Securing Solutions Limited (UK) and 100% interest in Essentra Packaging US Inc (US) and its affiliated companies. With this acquisition, MM Packaging is expanding its range of folding boxes, package inserts and labels for the resilient and profitable healthcare & pharmaceutical market, creating an attractive platform for further growth. Essentra Packaging comprises 21 manufacturing sites in 10 countries across Europe, the US mainland and Puerto Rico, ideally complementing MM Packaging's current position in pharmaceutical packaging in Scandinavia and France. Essentra Packaging employs around 3,500 people and reported sales of around £370m (currently around EUR 410m) for 2021.

Further to an announcement made in July 2022, Mondi confirms that all conditions have been satisfied and the merger of Mondi Tire Kutsan Kağıt ve Ambalaj Sanayi a.ş. and Mondi Olmuksan Kağıt ve Ambalaj Sanayi Anonim Şirketi will come into effect from 30 September 2022. Mondi currently holds 84.65% of the shares of Mondi Turkey Oluklu Mukavva Kağıt ve Ambalaj Sanayi A.Ş. . The new entity Mondi Turkey Oluklu Mukavva Kağıt ve Ambalaj Sanayi A.Ş., is part of Mondi’s Corrugated Packaging business unit. Mondi Turkey Oluklu Mukavva Kağıt ve Ambalaj Sanayi A.Ş. operates a network of nine corrugated solutions plants across the country, a containerboard mill in Tire and a waste paper collection facility in Adana. Mondi Turkey Oluklu Mukavva Kağıt ve Ambalaj Sanayi A.Ş. employs more than 1,600 people and has a listing on the Istanbul Stock Exchange (BIST).

Sonoco announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire S.P. Holding, Skjern A/S, a privately owned manufacturer of paper based in Skjern, Denmark. The acquisition expands production capacity for customers and Sonoco converting operations throughout Europe and bordering regions. The estimated $88 million (675 million DKK) all-cash transaction has been unanimously approved by Sonoco’s Board of Directors and is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions. Founded in 1965, Skjern is a leading producer of high-grade paperboard from 100% recycled paper for rigid paper containers, tubes and cores, and other applications. The company has robust sustainability programs in place for renewable energy and CO2 emission reduction and operations are powered by a biomass boiler, which reduces reliance on natural gas. In 2022, Skjern is expected to achieve annual sales of $50 million and the transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to both earnings per share and cash flow.

Georgia-Pacific has announced plans to invest more than $425 million to build a Dixie facility in Jackson, the largest single investment in the city’s history. Once operational, the plant will employ more than 200 people and produce well-known tableware products, including the Dixie® and Dixie Ultra® lines of plates and bowls. The 900,000-square-foot facility will sit on 241 acres west of the city. Construction is slated to begin by the end of the year and startup is expected in the summer of 2024. The fully air-conditioned workspace will include a printer, associated plate forming converting assets, and other state-of-the-art manufacturing technology. Georgia-Pacific directly employs approximately 460 people and operates six facilities in Tennessee.

Berry Global Group, Inc. is collaborating with snack and treats leader Mars, Incorporated to launch its popular pantry-sized treats in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) jars that have been optimized to be lighter weight and include 15% post-consumer resin (PCR). With the shared mission of creating more sustainable packaging solutions, Berry and Mars will launch the new jars for the M&M’S®, SKITTLES®, and STARBURST® brands later this month. The easy-grip square jars are produced at Berry’s manufacturing facility, using a single-pellet, food-grade resin to assure a clean, consistent substrate sourced from mechanical recycling. With a history of results in light-weighting, Berry approached Mars with the new concept including PCR. Berry brought its problem-solving and technical expertise to the table to help Mars make progress toward their sustainability goals. In addition to the inclusion of PCR, the jar is also widely recyclable.

Sonoco ThermoSafe and United Cargo are pleased to announce a global lease agreement for the new Pegasus ULD® temperature-controlled bulk shipping container. The agreement enables pharmaceutical freight forwarders access to Pegasus ULD® containers directly from United Cargo. Sonoco ThermoSafe’s Pegasus ULD® is the world’s first FAA and EASA-approved passive bulk temperature-controlled ULD container for pharmaceutical use, which enables it to speed through international air freight handling and customs processes at the lowest possible cost. With a focus on sustainability, the Pegasus ULD® is engineered with composite materials, offering a lighter solution that is also substantially more damage-resistant than traditional metal containers. Additionally, the Pegasus ULD® contains a fully integrated, FAA-approved telemetry system providing real-time, cloud-based data on payload and ambient temperature and key environmental factors, precisely synchronized with GPS location.

Amcor Rigid Packaging (ARP) introduces the DairySeal™ line of packaging that features ClearCor™, an advanced polyethylene terephthalate (PET) barrier. With the introduction of DairySeal, the exploding nutritional, dairy alternatives, and ready-to-drink (RTD) market will now have a more sustainable packaging option that can be leveraged across all retail channels. The ClearCor PET barrier technology is a concentrated capsulation in the center of the preform that allows more flexibility and resin options. This technology positively impacts the overall performance of the barrier in the packaging and maintains recyclability. The DairySeal line of packaging can be made with up to 80 percent of recyclable material while maintaining superior taste and performance for the brand.

Koehler Paper is presenting Koehler NexPure® Wrap, a sustainable, lightweight packaging paper for fast-food products, to the public for the first time at the FachPack trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany, from September 27 to 29. The new paper, designed for burger and wrap packaging, has a grammage of 29.5 and uses natural raw materials for the barrier function. Koehler NexPure® Wrap is a sustainable fast-food packaging that is entirely free from fluorinated chemical coatings while offering the same properties. The product exclusively uses pulp from certified sustainable forestry and controlled sources as its primary fiber. Koehler NexPure® Wrap is the perfect addition to Koehler’s ‘Seal & Wrap’ campaign and, with its excellent grease barrier and adapted water vapor barrier, it is a fantastic alternative to solutions that are not fully recyclable, which are currently still in widespread use in fast-food system catering. Koehler NexPure® Wrap is primarily used in packaging for burgers, sandwiches, and wraps.

Mondi, a global leader in sustainable packaging and paper, has helped Austrian food company Handl Tyrol to wrap their bacon in an eye-catching solution that will contribute to a circular economy by keeping materials in circulation. The mono-material polypropylene (PP) film is recyclable in existing recycling streams for mixed polyolefins and keeps the bacon fresh, providing a ‘second skin’ that seals securely with both a high-barrier top and bottom film. The packaging has been designed to look like a wooden chopping board, providing instant on-shelf appeal and brand recognition. Working closely with Handl Tyrol, Mondi employed its collaborative EcoSolutions approach to ensure the packaging is best for the manufacturer, product, end user and environment. The mono-material PP packaging was also shortlisted for the Green Packaging Star Award 2022.

The recyclable and fiber-based wood foam Fibrease™ by Stora Enso can replace e.g. polymer-based foams in packaging solutions. A partnership with Nefab has made it possible to scale up the production and broadly introduce Fibrease to the market, and it’s already being used by customers. We are all familiar with the polyurethane (PU) foam used for cushioning in packaging. It performs well when it comes to protecting products. It’s made of fossil raw materials and used frequently within a variety of industries worldwide. Now, after a successful collaboration between Stora Enso and Nefab, the fiber-based material Fibrease is ready to broadly replace polymer foams; offering brand owners sustainable packaging solutions. “We see a growing demand from eco-conscious companies to replace plastic-based foams with more sustainable alternatives. With Fibrease we can give them that,” says Johan Tegell, Product Manager, Fiber-based solutions at Nefab.

The label manufacturer UPM Raflatac and the industrial labeling and identification solutions provider Logopak have agreed on a collaboration, which provides their customers the first robust linerless solution in print and apply labeling. With linerless labeling, omitting the label liner significantly increases the running length and capacity of the label rolls, saves costs, and benefits the environment by reducing the CO2 footprint in production and logistics. As a first step the collaboration will improve especially the automatic labeling of secondary packaging. The benefits of the collaboration for customers are realized through the excellent compatibility between Logopak’s linerless labeling technology and UPM Raflatac’s Linerless Opticut™ label material. Logopak has tested the functionality of the linerless printing with more than one million cuts with UPM Raflatac’s OptiCut material without any significant pollution or major abrasion of the cutter. This remarkable result is proof that together Logopak and UPM Raflatac can provide a labeling solution that takes automatic linerless labeling to unprecedented level of speed, accuracy and reliability tackling the challenges linerless labeling has conventionally faced.

WestRock Company has acquired an HP PageWide T1190 Press to complement and expand its portfolio of unmatched corrugated printing capabilities, increase value and enable customers to win in the marketplace. Vertically integrated from paper manufacturing to printing to converting, WestRock offers customers a single source solution for high impact graphics, retail cases and displays on demand. The 110-inch wide inkjet digital press is capable of running at 1,000 ft/min and will enhance existing offset litho, flexo preprint, flexo direct print and sheet-fed digital printing used within the Company’s global network of corrugated box plants and specialty facilities.

Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group, announced in May 2022 that it will explore possibilities to increase folding boxboard capacity in Finland or Sweden in order to support its customers’ growth and to strengthen its service capability. As result of the study, the company will start pre-engineering for a new folding boxboard mill with an annual capacity of approximately 800,000 tonnes at the Kaskinen mill site in Finland. The pre-engineering phase will include technical design, design of infrastructure and logistics solutions and tendering for the main equipment. As part of the pre-engineering, an environmental impact assessment and an environmental permit process will be launched. The company estimates that a possible investment decision could be made in 2024 at the earliest. The pre-engineering for the new folding boxboard mill is based on fossil-free production and world-class resource and production efficiency. Thanks to the best available technology, the consumption of raw materials, energy and water per tonne of folding boxboard produced would be significantly lower when compared with the existing mills. The product concept would benefit from Metsä Board's long-term development work in the production of premium lightweight paperboards.

Amcor announced a further strategic investment of up to $45 million in ePac Flexible Packaging (“ePac”), a leader in high quality, short run length digitally-based flexible packaging. The investment will increase Amcor’s minority shareholding in ePac Holdings LLC. Amcor’s Executive Vice President of Strategy and Development, Ian Wilson, said, “This additional investment reflects our confidence in ePac’s entrepreneurial team and their proven ability to rapidly scale in the high growth, often higher value short run segment. Since our initial investment last year, we have been deeply impressed with ePac’s focused and innovative business model centered around deploying a very high level of digitalization and customization. ePac’s proven digital technologies enable the delivery of exceptional service levels and significantly reduced lead times. These specializations are designed to meet the unique speed to market and service needs of locally based small to medium customers, skill sets that are highly transferable to areas of Amcor’s core business.

Pregis® announces the expansion of its Inspyre™ product line with the new Inspyre™ Mailer, amplifying its contributions to help fight water insecurities in communities around the world. Inspyre™ packaging is a brand member of 1% for the Planet, with one percent of the product line’s sales funding Uzima, a charity that makes and distributes water filters that provide clean drinking water to people in need. The Inspyre mailer offers an efficient, lightweight, and sustainable way to ship non-fragile items and soft goods such as apparel, linens, in direct-to-consumer e-commerce applications. Made with a minimum of 30 percent recycled content, the new Inspyre poly mailer offers customers a unique packaging solution that contributes to sustainability goals and positive change.

UPM Specialty Papers presents the latest innovative additions to its extensive selection of sustainable and recyclable packaging papers. UPM Confidio™ and UPM Confidio™ Pro combine moisture-, and grease resistance with excellent heat sealing properties. This makes the materials stand out in the market and offers a concrete competitive edge. In building a future beyond fossils, UPM Specialty Papers provides the packaging industry with innovative and renewable solutions from sustainably managed forests. Known for its high expertise in technically demanding papers and cutting-edge solutions, UPM Specialty Papers adds heat sealable products to UPM’s wide packaging product portfolio. This ground-breaking feature allows for a streamlined conversion process and an accelerated time-to-market. Made from renewable fibres, UPM Confidio and UPM Confidio Pro are repulpable and designed to be recycled in regular fibre recycling streams.

WestRock Company announced an expansion of its CanCollar® family of multipack solutions with the introduction of CanCollar® X, a fiber-based solution for sustainable large format canned beverage packaging enabling as much as fifty percent material reduction compared to fully-enclosed traditional packaging. As the newest addition to the family of solutions automated by the patented CanCollar Fortuna® platform, CanCollar® X uses a similar fiber-based, glue-free minimalist design preferred by consumers to maximize can visibility, is comfortable for consumers to handle and optimizes the use of material to bundle multipacks for larger formats. “Whether it’s beer, soft drinks, or sparkling water, across the globe large multipacks of cans are packaged in shrink film,” said Chris Davidson, vice president, Sustainability at WestRock. “With CanCollar® X we have an opportunity to significantly reduce materials when compared to fully-enclosed cartons and replace hard-to-recycle plastic shrink wrap with recyclable fiber-based packaging, improving circularity at impressive scale.”

Sonoco ThermoSafe and American Airlines Cargo are pleased to announce a global partnership lease agreement for the new Pegasus ULD® passive temperature-controlled bulk shipping container. The Sonoco ThermoSafe’s Pegasus ULD® will join the carrier’s fleet of container products in the coming months. With a focus on sustainability, the Pegasus ULD® is engineered with composite materials, offering a lighter solution that is also substantially more damage-resistant than traditional metal containers. The Pegasus is also the world’s first FAA and EASA-approved advanced passive bulk temperature-controlled ULD container for pharmaceutical use, outfitted with real-time tracking and temperature-measuring capabilities.

At Crown, we continue to prioritize initiatives that enhance sustainability and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This is reflected in our Twentyby30 sustainability strategy, which includes a commitment to dedicate at least half of Research & Development (R&D) efforts toward minimizing the footprint of our products and manufacturing processes. Our ambitious plan also strives to decrease GHG emissions by reducing packaging material use by making aluminum cans 10% lighter in weight by 2030 (compared to a 2019 baseline). In 2021, after several years of intensive development efforts, our R&D and Customer Technical Services (CTS) teams achieved a 4% global average reduction in our standard 12 oz. (330 ml) can weight. The CTS team, composed of expert engineers offering training and production analysis support, was pivotal in ensuring these lighter-weight cans did not sacrifice performance or the critical barrier and strength properties that brand owners’ demand. Lightweighting efforts add to metal’s superior properties in terms of recyclability and the benefits are compounded as the material circulates through the process time and time again. Weight reductions allow us to produce more cans with the same amount of aluminum used previously for standard cans, which has a positive impact on GHG emissions through energy savings.

Inteplast’s AmTopp Division has begun production on one of its two stretch film extrusion lines and will increase its current workforce by more than 37 percent in time for mid-September, when the second stretch film line goes into production. Stretch film, made from linear low-density polyethylene, is used to secure goods during their transport, allowing for palletized loads and other profile types to be stabilized, unitized, and protected from dust or other unhygienic or corrosive elements. Combined, the stretch film and pre-stretch extrusion lines are estimated to yield a monthly average of 2 million pounds in product until the startup of the second stretch film line, when it increases to 5 million pounds. Currently the plant’s pre-stretch production has averaged more than 500,000 pounds per month for the last year-and-a-half. The Remington facility is slated to produce up to 60 million pounds of film per year. AmTopp Division President Homer Hsieh said that the stretch film product offerings available at Remington now mirror the facility’s four sister plants in Lolita and Houston, TX; Charlotte, NC; and Phoenix, AZ.

Stora Enso acquires De Jong Packaging Group, based in the Netherlands, for an enterprise value of approximately EUR 1,020 million. This acquisition will advance Stora Enso’s strategic direction, accelerate revenue growth and build market share in renewable packaging in Europe. De Jong Packaging Group is one of the largest corrugated packaging producers in the Benelux countries. Its product portfolio and geographic presence will complement and enhance Stora Enso’s offering, especially in fresh produce, e-commerce and industrial packaging. The acquisition of De Jong Packaging Group will significantly strengthen Stora Enso’s European market presence in corrugated packaging and provide an entry into the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK. With this acquisition, Stora Enso’s Packaging Solutions division will increase its corrugated packaging capacity by approximately 1,200 million m2 to more than 2,000 million m2, including De Jong Packaging Group’s ongoing expansion projects. This will secure a platform for continued growth in key markets. The European corrugated packaging market is fragmented, with local presence key for sustainable growth.

5 years after the last edition of the fair, Drinktec will be the meeting point once again for the international beverage and liquid food industry from September 12-16, 2022, in Munich. Lecta, which has dramatically expanded its innovative and natural ranges of specialty papers for label, beverage, packaging and food service applications, will not be missing out on this event. Visitors will be able to appreciate the excellent quality and versatility of our product lines including Metalvac metallized papers, the exclusive range of Adestor self-adhesive materials, Creaset one-side coated papers and Eurokote cast-coated papers, plus Linerset, Lecta's new range of release liners. These papers have been designed in keeping with the new criteria for sustainable packaging, product design and consumer trends that, according to Drinktec, will shape the future of the beverage industry.

Huhtamaki has sold its operations in Russia to Espetina Ltd. Espetina is a holding company owned by Alexander Govor and Iury Kushnerov. The transaction includes four manufacturing units in Russia, employing 724 people. On April 14, 2022, Huhtamaki announced its intention to divest its operations in Russia. This followed an earlier decision to stop all investments in Russia at the outbreak of the invasion of Ukraine. “We consider that the current evolution of the situation and the long-term outlook in Russia will prevent the realization of our growth strategy and long-term ambitions in the country. We are pleased to bring to a close the subsequent review of our strategic options in Russia. As part of the process, we conducted extensive due diligence to find the best possible buyer and future partner for our local employees – the safety and wellbeing of whom remain important to us. We feel that Espetina will be a good and committed owner for the business and the future of our employees”, says Charles Héaulmé, President and CEO, Huhtamaki.

Amcor has announced the first batch of recipients for its ground-breaking Amcor Lift-Off seed funding initiative. Launched in April, Amcor Lift-Off targets breakthrough, state-of-the-art technologies that will further advance Amcor’s initiatives to make the future of packaging more sustainable. Following multiple pitch rounds, the winners of the initial Lift-Off program are: • Bloom Biorenewables Ltd: A chemical and biomaterials company, which converts plant waste into chemicals used in packaging; and • Nfinite Nanotechnology: An advanced materials company, which leverages smart nanocoatings to make packaging recyclable and compostable. Each company will receive investments of US $250,000 and access to Amcor’s best-in-class research and development resources.

Fortis Solutions Group LLC announced the acquisition of Digital Dogma Corp. based in Santa Fe Springs, California. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Digital Dogma is a digital manufacturer of pressure sensitive labels, shrink sleeves and flexible packaging serving the food and beverage, wine and spirits, nutraceutical, health and beauty, and industrial end markets from its locations in Santa Fe Springs and Paso Robles, California. Fortis President and CEO John O. Wynne, Jr. said, "As an early adopter of digital printing technology, Digital Dogma has always been at the forefront of innovation within our industry. With this acquisition, we are excited to extend our digital printing capabilities to California and offer coast to coast solutions for our customers. I am looking forward to working with Paul Mulcahey and the Digital Dogma team as we enhance our shrink sleeve, flexible packaging and pressure sensitive offerings."

With a major investment of EUR 40 million in a now operational production asset, Ahlstrom-Munksjö cements its market position, upgrading its production platform in its well-established Beverage & Casing business. The advanced Voith paper machine line was installed on the Chirnside site in the Scottish Borders. This investment enables an improved product portfolio, higher quality, and significantly increased manufacturing capacity in addition to upgraded supply-chain security. The machine is now starting commercial grade production, marking a new era for the Beverage & Casing Business. To consolidate the success of the new line, the Radcliffe long fiber production facility in Scotland has also expanded to enable seamless vertical integration. “Commissioning the new paper machine allows us to serve our existing customers faster and better whilst facilitating our growth ambitions,” says Philippe Sevoz, Vice President of Beverage & Casing business. “Thanks to our Chirnside and Radcliffe team’s extensive knowledge and capabilities in Tea, Coffee and Casing we can continue to provide best-in-class innovative and sustainable products to our customers worldwide and can cement our unique position to become our customers’ supplier of choice.”

Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l. announces that due to continued inflationary pressure on the business it will raise prices by 70EUR/ton or 60 GBP/ton for the UK on all tube and core grades sold in the Company’s EMEA regions. The increase is in direct response to the continued escalation of its cost base and will be effective for all shipments made on or after September 1, 2022. “We continue to experience further cost increases in all sectors of our operations and supply chain, mainly related to volatile gas and electricity prices raising to record high levels. We are again forced to pass on cost increases to the market, as we are unable to absorb them any further. Supply security and quality remains our primary focus. No shortages are currently foreseen but we need to cover our cost to maintain our operational status,” said Karsten Kemmerling, Division VP - Sales & Marketing EMEA. Sonoco Alcore S.a.r.l. is wholly owned by Sonoco (NYSE:SON) and operates 24 tube and core plants and five paperboard mills in Europe.

“SEE is on a journey to become a world-class, digitally driven company automating sustainable packaging solutions. Over the past five years, Ted has architected our purpose-driven transformation and energized our growth during one of the most challenging times in the company’s history. We are confident that Ted is the right leader to continue to successfully advance our long-term strategy and accomplish our vision,” said Henry Keizer, SEE’s Chairman of the Board. “SEE has a bright future ahead of it. I’m grateful to serve as CEO for another five years and for the opportunity to continue to lead our talented people to reach our vision,” said Ted Doheny. “Since 2017, we have transformed the business significantly, and there is still more to accomplish. We are cultivating a diverse and caring growth culture for our people and creating exceptional experiences for our customers by accelerating our growth in digital, automation and sustainability. We work each day to deliver world-class performance, create long-term value for our shareholders and make our world better than we found it.”

Fortis Solutions Group LLC ("Fortis"), a leading provider of high impact printed packaging solutions and a portfolio company of funds managed by Harvest Partners, LP, announced the acquisition of Identi-Graphics, Inc. based in Montgomery, Illinois. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Identi-Graphics is a manufacturer and printer of pressure sensitive labels and flexible packaging products serving the snack, bakery, confectionary, cosmetic and chemical end markets in the U.S. and Canada. The company specializes in the printing of bar wrappers for the nutritional supplement industry, in both heat and cold seal applications. Fortis President and CEO John O. Wynne, Jr. said, "Fortis is excited to bolster its flexible packaging and label capabilities in key end-markets with the acquisition of Identi-Graphics. With its great technical aptitude and central location, Identi-Graphics is well positioned for future growth. We welcome the experienced Identi-Graphics team and look forward to working with them."

Smurfit Kappa has developed a new sustainable eCommerce packaging solution for RareBoots4u, a supplier of classic football boots to many well-known names in world football, including Karim Benzema, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount. RareBoots4u approached Smurfit Kappa to create a customised and sustainable packaging solution that had the flexibility to accommodate a wide variety of sizes of football boots alongside promoting its brand. The new RareBoots4u box creates a positive customer experience with its striking design and clean lines. It also enhances the company’s sustainability credentials as it uses a reduced amount of material and is recyclable, renewable and biodegradable.

When it comes to packaging innovation, the industry is seeing something of a revival in paper and paper-based packaging, thanks to growing consumer demand for plastic alternatives, increased urbanization and an uptick in extended producer responsibility (EPR) legislation related to packaging. The great news is that paper and paper-based packaging, such as the recycled containerboard that will be produced at our Kingsport Mill starting early next year, is made from sustainable wood fiber and is easily recyclable. In fact, the paper recycling rate hit 68 percent in 2021, with paper and paper-based packaging make up the majority of packaging that is recycled each year. In 2021 91.4 percent of cardboard boxes were recycled, up from 88.8 percent in 2020. Today’s interest in plastic alternatives is spurring a new wave of packaging innovation, in part through a series of design challenges. In 2021, Domtar was named a winner in the Beyond the Bag challenge for its strong yet stretchable cellulose fiber-based bag.

Ecommerce sales have increased over the last three years, primarily due to the pandemic, but now shoppers are leaning into the convenience of having packaged goods delivered. This puts sellers in a situation where they need to adjust their packaging processes to keep up with demand. There are a few common ways product manufacturers pack and ship products. Bagging is a go-to solution for excellent reasons. Poly bags are safe, efficient and secure. They come in various sizes and film blends to meet application requirements, and can even be customized or printed to enhance a company’s marketing capabilities. Bagging machines, also known as automatic bagging machines, automatic baggers, or auto baggers, are equipment that quickly and consistently adds products to a poly bag. The machines can also assume a lot of the tiny tasks associated with putting a package together to be shipped safely. If you’ve found yourself wondering whether or not you need a bagging machine in your operation, there are a few things to consider. click read more below...

Amcor announced the opening of its latest Innovation Center in Jiangyin, China. The new center brings advanced packaging technologies and more sustainable material science to Asia Pacific, helping to drive growth and innovation across the region. At the core of all Amcor innovation centers are three key programs designed to encourage collaboration on how to develop, in real-time, the best solution that meets customer requirements that will help facilitate growth. • The Catalyst™ program - a flexible, collaborative, and creative approach of co-innovation that allows customers to customize solutions for their markets and customers, leveraging advanced analytical and material science labs. • The Ideation and Prototyping Innovation Lab – taking consumer insights and ideas to conduct rapid prototyping, helping significantly shorten product development and evaluation cycles. • The Applications Lab – offering a range of production machinery testing capabilities to identify potential issues quickly and early, helping to make the product development process more efficient, cost-effective and seamless.

The new swatch books for Metsä Board’s product portfolio are designed to demonstrate the performance of each of the paperboard grades. The images used in the product sample cards have been selected to match the typical end-use area of each product. In addition to a printed sample card, there is an unprinted card of each grade in the folder. Metsä Board’s sustainable folding boxboard range includes lightweight paperboards with a natural look and feel as well as coated paperboards for premium image reproduction and luxury appearance. Metsä Board’s portfolio includes both PE extrusion-coated paperboards and an easily recyclable and compostable dispersion coated barrier paperboard. The barrier board sample cards are flexo or offset printed, depending on the most typical printing method used for each board.

Pregis® announced today that it's Grand Rapids, MI facility received the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS, a globally recognized system for the sustainability certification of recycled and bio-based materials in support of its Performance Flexibles solution offering. The ISCC PLUS certification includes the mass balance chain of custody option, providing traceability along the supply chain. This third-party certification enables Pregis to produce solutions that are classified as circular, bio-circular, and/or bio-base. Becoming ISCC PLUS certified highlights our commitment to supporting customers in enabling a circular economy. The company is able to engineer its Pregis Performance Flexibles Renew™ Series film solutions with these bio-certified materials, meeting the growing demand for flexible packaging options that align with customers’ sustainability and performance goals. Pregis applies responsible sourcing and advanced recycling to custom engineer films that are setting the sustainability standards withing the industry.

TC Transcontinental Packaging, the Packaging Sector of TC Transcontinental (TSX: TCL.A TCL.B), a leader in flexible packaging in North and Latin America, has been named a Top Performer 2022/2023 by the Pet Sustainability Coalition (PSC) in the Earth Defender Category, based on its environmental focus and leadership in working towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This prestigious award, given annually to the top 20% of PSC-accredited companies, recognizes TC Transcontinental Packaging’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) leadership. TC Transcontinental Packaging was accredited by PSC earlier this year after a third-party validation of its positive environmental and social impact. “TC Transcontinental Packaging is committed to creating flexible packaging that is 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025. We are honored to be recognized for our sustainability initiatives,” said Thomas Morin, President, TC Transcontinental Packaging. “By demonstrating leadership in sustainable packaging, we proudly provide our customers with a roadmap to lessen their environmental footprint and create long-term value for stakeholders.”

Georgia-Pacific is making a significant investment of more than $20 million at its plant in Lebanon, Tennessee. Its existing corrugator will be replaced with a new one to provide the plant with more throughput and provide customers with a better-quality product. “This is as much an investment in our current and future customers as it is in our Lebanon operations,” said Rob Streeter, Georgia-Pacific’s area general manager. “This new technologically advanced corrugator will give us the ability to supply the independent and integrated box and display customers throughout the mid-South, with upgraded offerings such as two-sided high-quality print, including Georgia-Pacific’s Hummingbird® digital print, on a variety of fluting options for the converted board.” The project will be conducted in phases through 2023 while the existing corrugator continues to operate. The planned startup of the new unit will be sometime in the first half of 2024.

ePac Flexible Packaging, the industry leader in quick turn, short and medium run-length flexible packaging, has announced it will accelerate its growth and transition to a global enterprise over the next 18 months. Eleven new sales and manufacturing locations will be established across Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East/North Africa, and North America bringing ePac’s global footprint to 36 locations. In Europe, a second plant will be added in each of the UK, France, and Poland. In Austria, ePac Innsbruck will open in Q4 2022, along with a new site(s) to serve the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries. In the Asia Pacific region, second plants will be added in Indonesia and Australia, and a new operation will start up in Malaysia. The company also plans to establish an Asia-based Global Services group to manage operations in the region. In the Middle East/North Africa region, ePac West Africa in Ghana will open in Q4 of this year, while evaluations of new sites in Kenya and Turkey are underway. Finally, in North America, previously announced ePac Montreal is planned to open in early 2023, along with 3 additional plants in the US.

Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l. announces that due to the continued escalation in the cost of European energy it will raise prices by €70 per tonne on all recycled paperboard grades sold in the Company’s EMEA regions effective for shipments made on or after the 1st September 2022. “In light of the significant increases seen across the recent energy markets, the uncertainty facing the forthcoming winter period and the resultant impact on our supply costs we have no choice but to raise prices accordingly,” said Phil Woolley, Vice President – Paper Europe. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will take every action necessary to maintain supplies to our customers. We cannot however rule out further increases or surcharges being required at this stage.”

Amcor announced that it has closed the acquisition of a world-class flexible packaging plant located in the Czech Republic. The strategic location of the site immediately increases Amcor’s ability to satisfy strong demand and customer growth across its flexible packaging network in Europe. “With this acquisition we are investing to accelerate the organic growth momentum of our flexibles business in Europe in attractive segments,” said Michael Zacka, President, Amcor Flexibles Europe, Middle East & Africa. “The scalable nature of the acquired site and its attractive location further bolsters our ability to service strong customer demand and generate strong returns for Amcor shareholders.”

The 3D fibre product demo plant jointly owned by Metsä Group's innovation company Metsä Spring and Valmet was inaugurated in Äänekoski on Monday, 22 August 2022. The demo plant was inaugurated by Minister of Science and Culture Petri Honkonen, President and CEO of Metsä Group Ilkka Hämälä and CEO of Valmet Pasi Laine. The new Muoto® product, which is manufactured by the demo plant, is a significant new opening in the packaging market. Made from renewable and sustainably grown wood raw material, Muoto is an excellent alternative to plastics in many end uses, for example food packaging of different sizes and shapes. "It is important that new types of value-added products are developed from Finnish pulp, of which Muoto is a great example. It is a packaging material made from fossil-free raw materials for people's everyday life. We continue the development work towards a broader business," says Ilkka Hämälä.

One Clean Carton®, from Colbert Packaging Corporation, once again passed a series of laboratory tests to confirm its suitability for pharmaceutical and food-safe secondary packaging. New for 2022, Colbert submitted test samples of water-based, flexographic printed cartons as well as an agri-based, offset printed version. Both cartons samples included an agri-based offset printed insert glued inside. All components of One Clean Carton, including inks, coatings and adhesives, are tested to ensure they meet environmental and safety agency standards to be considered clean and safe for indirect food and drug contact. In order to state the Clean Carton claim, packaging samples underwent comprehensive analytical testing. “Pharma and Consumer product managers tasked with sourcing environmentally-friendly packaging have more reasons to choose One Clean Carton with confidence,” says Lon Johnson, vice president of sales and marketing. “In this round of testing, we elected to test both flexographic and offset printing on sustainably sourced paperboard, using water- and agri-based inks, and Clean Carton passed again.”

Duro®, a Novolex® brand, is introducing Load & Fold® Shopping Bags and Load & Seal® Shopping Bags, tamper-evident paper bags that offer more secure transport and deliveries for restaurants and retailers. The bags feature a wide opening for easy loading, a flat bottom to keep items secure and sturdy paper twist handles for easy and reliable carrying. The Load & Fold bags offer an upscale folded top security option using a customer-supplied branded label or other adhesive to seal the bag; the Load & Seal bags offer a built-in tamper-evident adhesive strip to securely seal the bag.

Amcor CEO Ron Delia said: “Fiscal 2022 was another outstanding year for Amcor. Our financial performance accelerated throughout the year as we delivered our strongest quarter in June with organic sales growth of 6% and adjusted EBIT growth of 9%. For the full year, strong execution resulted in 11% adjusted EPS growth, at the top end of our guidance range and supported by organic sales growth of 4%. We generated over $1 billion in adjusted free cash flow, supporting $600 million in share repurchases and an increase in what we believe is a very compelling dividend." “This is our third consecutive year of accelerating top line growth, and we expect to sustain this momentum including by stepping up investments in areas such as higher value-add priority segments. This gives us confidence the business will deliver another year of strong underlying EPS growth in the range of 7% to 12%. We also plan to continue returning capital to shareholders while actively exploring opportunities for value-creating acquisitions across our portfolio."

Walki Group has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the shares in Westpak Oy Ab and Flexipack Oy Ab. Since years, these two companies form an integrated value chain, providing high quality flexible packaging solutions to leading Nordic food brands. In 2021 Flexipack and Westpak generated combined sales of about Euro 40 million. Together they are employing some 100 employees. Westpak is based in Säkylä, Finland, whilst Flexipack production facility is located in Vaasa, Finland. “With this acquisition we continue to implement our strategy to expand our offering of more sustainable packaging alternatives by leveraging on our strong material science know-how. Flexipack and Westpak have a very complementary offering of high-quality printed products and a proven commitment to a dedicated customer service” says Leif Frilund, President and CEO of Walki Group.

A great deal is required of today's packaging materials. Brands are expected to be on top of things, choosing packaging with many factors – safety, recyclability, functionality, and product appeal – in mind. Furthermore, choosing the right packaging can be an important aspect of a brand's marketing strategy. So, what’s in it for brands and the packaging industry if they decided to switch bio-based plastics like PEF? Sustainability is one of the most cited factors in defence of changing to bioplastics. The good new is, it is not the only one. In this article, we take a look at four major advantages of switching PEF – and look at different aspects for packaging companies and brand owners. 1. A fossil-free alternative - As we all probably know by now, the use of plastic is associated with many problems, like the release of fossil carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at its end-of-life. In addition, one of the largest bulk plastics worldwide, traditional polyethylene terephthalate (PET), contains fossil-based terephthalic acid (PTA). Switching to its bio-based alternative polyethylene furandicarboxylate (PEF), which uses furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) instead of PTA, could bring about significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

Sole Source Capital LLC, an industrial-focused private equity firm, announced that its portfolio company, Dallas Plastics, a leading manufacturer of blown polyethylene film with printing, embossing, and other value-added capabilities for the medical, food, and industrial end markets, has acquired Emballage MPP, Inc. (“MPP”). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, MPP manufactures a diversified range of polyethylene-based blown film products, selling primarily to defensive end markets including medical, food packaging, and logistics. MPP’s location gives Dallas Plastics a foothold in Canada, significantly expanding the company’s addressable geographic market. The increased scale and geography enhances Dallas Plastics’ customer base and strengthens its leadership position in the production and distribution of high-performance specialty films used in flexible packaging.

Esko, the global developer of integrated hardware and software solutions for the print, packaging, and label industries, has acquired imposition A.I. software company Tilia Labs, in a deal that delivers on the need of brand owners and converters to connect and integrate the entire value chain through upstream digitalization. Tilia Labs’ range of intelligent algorithms for sheet layout, estimation, and planning complement Esko’s existing software suite and the two companies will work together to develop next generation integrated solutions.

The consolidated sales of the group increased by EUR 928.9 million to EUR 2,218.5 million (H1 2021: EUR 1,289.6 million). This increase resulted primarily from the acquisitions of the previous year and from passing on cost increases through higher prices. At EUR 285.0 million, the operating result was EUR 192.9 million higher than in the previous year (H1 2021: EUR 92.1 million). The significant increase results in particular from the MM Board & Paper division. In the previous year, one-time expenses from adjustment and restructuring measures amounting to EUR 26.1 million were recorded in the packaging division. The Group's operating margin thus reached 12.8% (H1 2021: 7.1%). The profit for the period increased by EUR 143.6 million to EUR 205.8 million (H1 2021: EUR 62.2 million).

WestRock Company has delivered its flexible and efficient Cluster-Pak® EvoTech™ packaging solution for a joint partnership between Budějovický Budvar and Mattoni 1873 to advance their shared commitment to improving circularity in the Czech Republic. The solution has been deployed to package BIRGO, a non-alcoholic beer featuring unique flavor profiles developed by Mattoni in partnership with Budějovický Budvar, the Czech Republic’s largest international exporter of craft beer and the exclusive producer of BIRGO. Cluster-Pak EvoTech features easy, repeatable changeovers along with an optimized use of water, heat and electricity to improve both energy and operating efficiencies on high-speed lines. Its use of recyclable fiber-based packaging made from materials sourced from responsibly managed forests is key to establishing circularity on the BIRGO production line.

Second Quarter Financial Results Highlights: *Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") from ongoing operations for Aluminum Extrusions of $21.9 million was $2.2 million higher than the second quarter of 2021 *EBITDA from ongoing operations for PE Films of $7.1 million was $1.9 million lower than the second quarter of 2021 *EBITDA from ongoing operations for Flexible Packaging Films of $7.6 million was $0.6 million lower than the second quarter of 2021

In its second quarter financial report, Kingsey Falls, Quebec-based packaging producer Cascades Inc. has announced its Bear Island conversion project in Ashland, Virginia, has been impacted by the "current inflationary environment." The company says higher cost levels combined with labor and material availability constraints have led to temporary delays in certain construction milestones and have increased the total cost of the project near $470 million to $485 million. The conversion originally was projected to cost approximately $380 million when the project first was announced in October 2020. "Our team is working closely with contractors to mitigate any potential delay caused by these elements in order to meet the targeted mid-December 2022 start date," Cascades President and CEO Mario Plourde says.

Hood Container Corporation announced that it has acquired the corrugated packaging business of Walker, MI based Kentwood Packaging Inc. The transaction includes all of Kentwood’s design, manufacturing, assembly, and fulfillment operations in Walker, including its membership in Great Lakes Wax Coatings, LLC. Jack Skoog and Tom Boluyt, co-owners of Kentwood Packaging Corporation, stated, “We have built this business successfully over the last 30 years by creating a customer-centric business model. Our focus has been to partner and collaborate with our employees, customers, and suppliers. We are extremely excited to be joining a family-owned company in Hood, whose values and culture truly mirror ours. We will be a stronger partner for our customers with the benefits of Hood’s national footprint and their ability to offer vertical supply chain integration.” Jack Skoog will continue his leadership role in this market as General Manager and Tom Boluyt after 41 years at KPC will be enjoying his retirement. Tom commented, “We have incredible employees and customers at KPC, and I have enjoyed working with them over all these years. I think they will benefit from being part of Hood Container.” Jack added, “I expect a seamless transition and look forward to a successful future with Hood Container.”

Q2 2022 Highlights *Sales of $1,119 million (compared with $1,038 million in Q1 2022 and $956 million in Q2 2021) *Operating income (loss) of $32 million (compared with $(4) million in Q1 2022 and $23 million in Q2 2021) *Operating income before depreciation and amortization (OIBD) of $95 million (compared with $56 million in Q1 2022 and $87 million in Q2 2021) *Net earnings per common share of $0.10 (compared with net loss per common share of ($0.15) in Q1 2022 and net earnings per common share of $0.02 in Q2 2021)

Crown Embalagens Metálicas da Amazônia S.A., a subsidiary of Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (Crown) (www.crowncork.com), has partnered with Brazilian beverage producer, Socorro Bebidas (Socorro), to extend its line of mineral water to include infinitely recyclable beverage cans. The brand, Acquíssima, is currently available in supermarkets across Brazil in two SKUs: Personnalité (natural mineral water) and Passion (carbonated mineral water). Both are now available in 355ml (12oz.) sleek cans to support a premium, modern image. Over the last decade, still packaged water consumption per capita in Brazil has increased by 105% and continues to take market share from tap and bulk water. This growth in demand for packaged water has presented local beverage producers with an opportunity to diversify their brand portfolios and many are exploring how to bring these products to market while also supporting sustainability. This was particularly important to Socorro, as the brand has a robust social responsibility program in place.

The Smurfit Kappa paper mill in Nettingsdorf, Austria, has launched a sustainable district heating project that will benefit 20,000 homes across three communities when completed. The scheme will capture excess heat generated from the Nettingsdorf paper mill to provide heating for local homes, businesses and schools. Civil works have commenced on the ambitious project with the first trenches excavated and pipes laid in June. The central heat distribution building and equipment will be erected in the coming months and it is planned that a local elementary school and the kindergarten in Nettingsdorf will be the first premises to benefit from the scheme early next year.

Net sales were $1.8 billion in the second quarter of 2022, up from $1.7 billion in the prior year quarter. Unfavorable foreign currency translation impacted sales by $95 million and $11 million of lower sales was due to divestitures. Higher average selling prices contributed $208 million to sales. Shipments (in tons, excluding divestitures) improved approximately one percent while sales declined $1 million due to the net effect of higher sales volume and a slightly unfavorable change in mix. Other sales improved $17 million driven by higher machine part sales. Segment operating profit was $257 million in the second quarter of 2022 compared to $232 million in the prior year quarter.

The net sales growth is primarily attributed to increased selling prices of $301 million due to the pass through of inflation. On a two-year basis, organic volumes were up 3%, as we reported strong organic volume growth of 5% a year ago, compared to a 2% decline in the quarter. The volume decline is primarily attributed to general market softness in industrial markets and the moderation of advantaged products related to the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic. Net sales were also impacted by a $151 million unfavorable impact from foreign currency changes and prior year quarter divestiture sales of $16 million. The operating income decrease is primarily attributed to a $22 million unfavorable impact from foreign currency, and an $11 million unfavorable impact from the volume decline, partially offset by a $28 million favorable impact from price cost spread and product mix.

Pregis® announces the expansion of its Inspyre™ product line with the new Inspyre™ Mailer, amplifying its contributions to help fight water insecurities in communities around the world. Inspyre™ packaging is a brand member of 1% for the Planet, with one percent of the product line’s sales funding Uzima, a charity that makes and distributes water filters that provide clean drinking water to people in need. The Inspyre mailer offers an efficient, lightweight, and sustainable way to ship non-fragile items and soft goods such as apparel, linens, in direct-to-consumer e-commerce applications. Made with a minimum of 30 percent recycled content, the new Inspyre poly mailer offers customers a unique packaging solution that contributes to sustainability goals and positive change. The mailer, available in fanfold and roll stock, runs through Pregis Sharp automated bagging systems, which can increase throughput by four times that of manual packing applications, helping fulfillment centers maximize efficiency and minimize labor constraints.

Second Quarter 2022 U.S. GAAP Summary: Net sales of $1.4 billion increased 7% as reported, with the Americas increasing 13%, EMEA decreasing 4%, and APAC decreasing 3%. Net earnings were $114 million, or $0.77 per diluted share, as compared to net earnings of $109 million, or $0.71 per diluted share. The current period results were impacted by pre-tax losses including a $16 million impairment of an equity investment and an $11 million loss on debt redemption. Income tax expense was $43 million, resulting in an effective tax rate of 27.2% in second quarter 2022. This compares to an income tax expense of $46 million in the prior year, or an effective tax rate of 29.7%, which was unfavorably impacted by legislative changes to foreign statutes.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has released its Q2 2022 Containerboard Quarterly report. According to the report, total containerboard production in Q2 increased 2% compared to Q2 2021. It was also up 2% when compared to the same 6 months of 2021. New supply of containerboard (domestic production plus imports) was essentially flat compared to Q2 2021, as well as year-to-date. The Linerboard operating rate in Q2 was 94.3%, up 1.5 points from the previous quarter. The Medium operating rate for the quarter was 96%, down 0.6 points from Q1 2022.

O-I Glass, Inc. will build a new greenfield glass plant in Bowling Green, KY. In line with strong consumer trends towards healthy, recyclable, and sustainable food and beverage packaging, the company is adding capacity to support its customers with brand-building premium glass containers. The company plans to invest up to $240 million in multiple expansion waves over time and create approximately 140 new jobs in the region. The new plant will be the first facility purposely-built for O-I’s revolutionary MAGMA technology that is set to redefine the glass production process for the future. MAGMA is expected to further enhance O-I’s capabilities to support multiple product categories and expand in today’s highly differentiated product segments. The production facility is also expected to set new standards in sustainable glass manufacturing. Using renewable electricity, gas-oxy fuel, and other innovative solutions, it will significantly advance O-I’s sustainability roadmap and make glass an even more compelling choice for consumers, customers, and the environment.

Second Quarter 2022 Summary *Reported sales grew 4% and net income increased 15% to $64 million *Core sales increased 10% and adjusted EBITDA increased 8% to $160 million *Reported earnings per share increased 17% to $0.95 compared to $0.81 in the prior year *Adjusted earnings per share increased 13% to $0.96 compared to $0.85 in the prior year (including comparable exchange rates) *Each segment achieved sales growth through improved volume as well as increased pricing, with Pharma and Beauty + Home segments reaching double-digit core sales growth

WestRock Company announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the remaining interest in Grupo Gondi for $970 million, plus the assumption of debt, representing an estimated implied enterprise value of $1.763 billion. Upon completion of this transaction, WestRock will further enhance its leading position in the growing Latin American containerboard, paperboard and consumer and corrugated packaging markets. Grupo Gondi operates four paper mills, nine corrugated packaging plants and six high graphic plants throughout Mexico, producing sustainable packaging for a wide range of end markets in the region. The tuck-in acquisition will provide WestRock further geographic and end market diversification as well as position the Company to continue to grow in the attractive Latin American market. "Acquiring the remaining interest in Grupo Gondi is the next strategic step in our broader North American paper and packaging expansion strategy," said David B. Sewell, chief executive officer of WestRock. "As onshoring continues to grow in the region, WestRock will be well positioned to meet this growing demand with fully integrated operations in Mexico. We will also have expanded capabilities to serve customers across many geographies, driving additional productivity and cost savings.”

SECOND QUARTER 2022 HIGHLIGHTS Second quarter net earnings attributable to International Paper of $511 million compared with $360 million in the first quarter of 2022 and $432 millionin the second quarter of 2021. 13% year-over-year revenue growth $65 million of earnings achieved from Building a Better IP initiatives, bringing year-to-date to $105 million Cash provided by operations of $390 million, bringing year-to-date to $978 million Returned $565 million to shareholders through share repurchases of $395 million and dividends of $170 million in the second quarter, bringing year-to-date to $1.1 billion

JANUARY–JUNE 2022 (compared to 1–6/2021) *Sales were EUR 1,232.5 million (1,049.5). *The comparable operating result was EUR 267.4 million (191.3), or 21.7% (18.2) of sales. Operating result was EUR 283.3 million (185.6). *Comparable earnings per share were EUR 0.57 (0.42), and earnings per share were EUR 0.61 (0.41). *Comparable return on capital employed was 23.0% (19.3). *Net cash flow from operations was EUR 95.3 million (150.7).

Novolex® released its fourth annual sustainability report, detailing progress towards its greenhouse gas reduction target and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments. The 2021 Novolex Sustainability Report highlights Novolex’s expanded new target for greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions from operations — 30% by 2030. The new goal came after the company in 2021 met its original commitment to reduce GHG emissions by 2025. Emissions-related data were verified by a third party. This year’s report also includes a new metric, aligned with Sustainability Accounting Standards Board guidance, sharing that 78% of applicable revenues derive from products that can be recycled, composted or reused.

Highlights *Earnings per diluted share (EPS) of $0.83 *Achieved record revenue in each business segment *Achieved record segment income in Dispensing and Specialty Closures and Custom Containers *Confirmed record full year earnings outlook *Renewed long-term contract with largest steel food container customer *Announced transfer of stock listing to NYSE, effective August 1, 2022

CANPACK S.A., part of the CANPACK Group, and a global leading manufacturer of sustainable packaging announced it will increase its manufacturing capacity of aluminum beverage cans with a new production facility in Poços de Caldas, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Officials from CANPACK along with state and local officials and economic development leaders jointly announced the new facility following the approval of the project earlier today, with economic development incentives provided by both the state and local governments. With a total investment of approximately BRL 710 million (USD 140 million), this new facility represents CANPACK’s continued commitment to developing the Brazilian packaging sector. The announcement of this new plant takes place only a few months after the company committed to investing BRL 360 million (USD 70 million) in an aluminum beverage can ends production facility in Manaus (Amazonas). The total value of both investments exceeds BRL 1 billion.

Pregis continues to expand its Easypack® portfolio of paper-based packaging solutions with the introduction of GeoTerra™, a sustainable, expandable paper product that provides light cushioning and interleaving protection. Made from recyclable Kraft paper, GeoTerra helps brands throughout the North American market meet their environmental goals while providing customers more circular curbside recyclable packaging options. This inside-the-box packaging is a wrappable solution that is efficient to store and use while also providing exceptional protection attributes. GeoTerra expands during dispensing forming a lattice structure that provides a protective cushioning and interleaving for fragile products, such as glassware, cosmetics, candles, and jarred food products. The pattern nests together to lock products in place, providing six-sided protection without the need for tape or fastening, further increasing efficiency and convenience. GeoTerra arrives in compact and stackable rolls to minimize warehouse space. The proprietary dispenser is designed for easy tension adjustment allowing for a quick pull, tear, and pack motion, and the rolls are light weight and easy to load on the dispenser. The GeoTerra rolls are also available in a convenient dispenser box for mobile packing needs.

Tetra Pak announced that it will be exiting its remaining operations in Russia. This is due to the cumulative impact of the restrictions on exports to Russia leading to an unsustainable supply chain, as a result of which the company is left with no other option than to exit the country. This follows the company’s earlier decision to suspend all new investments and projects in Russia, restricting its operations to support customers for essential food items only, in line with its strongly held commitment to the principle of people’s right to access safe food. Tetra Pak has now reached an agreement to divest its Russian business to local management, with the intention of enabling business continuity for its customers, minimizing the impact on employees, and continuing to support consumers’ access to essential food.

Klabin, Brazil’s largest producer and exporter of paper for packaging and sustainable solutions for paper packaging, besides offering hardwood pulp, softwood pulp and fluff to the market, has reported Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) of R$1.843 billion in the second quarter of 2022, excluding non-recurring effects, an increase of 2% from the same period last year. Net revenue reached R$ 5.039 billion in the second quarter of this year, up 24% year on year, driven by higher sales volume and consistent growth across all business lines, which offset the impact caused by the higher real vis-à-vis the dollar on exports during the period.

Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE: PKG) today reported second quarter 2022 net income of $301 million, or $3.20 per share, and net income of $304 million, or $3.23 per share, excluding special items. Second quarter net sales were $2.2 billion in 2022 and $1.9 billion in 2021. In the Packaging segment, total corrugated products shipments and shipments per day were flat (0.18%) compared to last year’s second quarter, which was up 9.6% versus the previous year. Containerboard production was 1,256,000 tons, and containerboard inventory was up 2,000 tons versus the first quarter of 2022 and up 5,000 tons compared to the second quarter of 2021. In the Paper segment, sales volume was down 17,000 tons compared to the second quarter of 2021 and down 10,000 tons from the first quarter of 2022.

Tony Smurfit, Group CEO, commented: “I am pleased to report a strong first half performance with revenue growth of 36%, EBITDA of €1,174 million, an EBITDA margin of 18.4%, EPS growth of 85% and ROCE of 19.3%. “Our strong performance is a result of the many actions we have taken over a number of years. These actions include significant customer-focused investments to meet growth, providing the most innovative and sustainable paper-based packaging in the marketplace and selective acquisitions ensuring security of supply to our customers.

A $500 million expansion is underway at Georgia-Pacific's Broadway mill. The investments will significantly enhance the company’s retail consumer tissue and towel business. Investments include building a new paper machine using through-air-dried (TAD) technology and adding associated converting equipment and infrastructure. The improvements will allow the expansion of Georgia-Pacific’s premium brands and support the growth of current and potential customers’ premium private label brands. It's expected to be complete in 2024.

Net Sales increased 36% to $2,358 million in the second quarter of 2022, compared to $1,737 million in the prior year period. The $621 million increase was driven by $278 million of pricing and $379 million of improved volume/mix related to organic growth from conversions to fiber-based packaging solutions and acquisitions. Net sales were unfavorably impacted by $36 million of foreign exchange. EBITDA for the second quarter of 2022 was $294 million, compared to $214 million in the prior year period

The Georgia-Pacific corrugated plant in Bradford, Pennsylvania, will undergo a significant upgrade with an investment topping $34 million. The funding will provide new equipment to modernize the plant’s operations. The upgrades include a new corrugator, two new converting lines, and upgrades to the shipping department, which will help the plant operate more efficiently. Newer converting equipment will improve the plant’s throughput and print capability to better meet customer needs. The plant team will begin preparing the facility for installation in the coming months, with the first equipment expected to be installed in the first quarter of 2023. It will take approximately 12 to 14 months to complete the upgrades.

Two Sides have produced a NEW Packaging fact sheet, Paper Packaging: The Natural Choice. The journey to a more sustainable future goes far beyond our packaging choices. But as packaging is often the first interaction between consumers and businesses, it is a critical element that, if poorly designed, can have a lasting effect on both consumer perceptions and the environment. Paper packaging is made from renewable materials. It is durable, attractive, recyclable and biodegradable. It is an essential component of the circular economy. Read and download the NEW fact sheet at twosides.info/fact-sheets

Net sales for the second quarter of 2022 were a record $1.91 billion, compared with last year's second quarter sales of $1.38 billion. GAAP net income attributable to Sonoco in the second quarter of 2022 was $131.7 million, or $1.33 per diluted share, compared with a loss of $(334.1) million, or $(3.34) per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2021. GAAP gross profit was $387.0 million in the second quarter of 2022 compared to $262.7 million in the same period of 2021. Quarterly gross profit as a percentage of sales was approximately 20 percent compared to approximately 19 percent in the second quarter of 2021.

Sealed Air announced it has launched a BUBBLE WRAP® brand paper bubble mailer, a fiber-based padded mailer that can be recycled in curbside bins. On the outside, the BUBBLE WRAP® brand paper bubble mailer looks like a traditional mailer but it’s what on the inside that makes it different. The inner padding is made of a paper material that mimics the original BUBBLE WRAP® brand cushioning. Benefits of the BUBBLE WRAP® brand paper bubble mailer: *Smaller and lighter than traditional boxes, which reduce shipping costs and dimensional weight *Durability: Completed testing done in International Safe Transit Association certified labs that assess packaging durability through the rigors of shipping *Curbside recyclability: Certified by the Western Michigan University OCC equivalency testing protocol. The mailers will first be available to customers in SEE’s North America market, before expanding globally by early 2023.

Net sales increased by 31% in the second quarter. In comparable terms, growth reached 17%, driven by pricing actions. In most markets, demand developed favorably and has returned to pre-pandemic levels, however with some exceptions, particularly in China. Tensions on raw material availability limited our capacity to further grow volumes according to the demand, most notably in North America. We continued to mitigate the significant inflation which impacted all our major input costs, including raw materials, freight costs, energy and labor. We protected our profitability through operational efficiency improvements and pricing actions, with the adjusted EBIT increasing by 29%. Cash flow remained impacted by increased working capital and capital expenditure. We continued our organic investment into sustainable product innovation and business expansion. For example, we announced the expansion of our molded fiber product manufacturing unit in Hammond, Indiana, US. This investment in fiber technology supports market demand for more sustainable solutions in North America, such as egg cartons and cup carriers. The planned USD 100 million investment will start ramping up towards the end of 2023.

Mondi is investing nearly €65 million in three Consumer Flexibles packaging plants in Europe in order to meet growing customer demand for sustainable pet food packaging solutions. The European pet food market has grown significantly in recent years, driven by a consistent rise in pet ownership. This trend increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and is expected to continue for many years to come.(1) This project is part of Mondi’s previously announced €1 billion expansionary capital investment programme to accelerate growth in sustainable packaging and will further strengthen its leading position in the pet food packaging market.

O-I Glass, Inc. announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Paddock Enterprises, LLC, has emerged from Chapter 11 protection, following affirmation by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware on June 22, 2022, of an order confirming Paddock’s Plan of Reorganization. The Plan was previously confirmed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on May 26, 2022. Paddock emerges from Chapter 11 having achieved a final and fair resolution of its asbestos-related legacy liabilities under the Plan. “Paddock’s Chapter 11 process has been completed in a manner that provides finality for the company and, importantly, fair and equitable resolution for claimants,” said Andres Lopez, CEO of O-I Glass. 

Waddington™ North America (WNA), a Novolex® brand, announced today that it is introducing a new stand for Cutlerease®, a patented dispenser that offers customers one disposable utensil at a time. The new stand allows Cutlerease to be set up anywhere, saving even more space for foodservice operations. The stand is available for the triple-tower base to hold forks, knives and spoons or any combination of the three types of utensils. The new stand is 28 inches high and is both sturdy and easy to assemble. This triple-tower stand adds to the already versatile Cutlerease line-up, which includes the single and double bases that are ideal for small counters.

Silgan Holdings Inc. announced today that it is transferring the listing of its Common Stock from the Nasdaq Global Select Market (Nasdaq) to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The NYSE is home to many leading companies, including 70% of the S&P 500. Silgan expects that its Common Stock will commence trading on the NYSE at market open on August 1, 2022 under its current ticker symbol “SLGN”. Silgan’s Common Stock will continue to trade on Nasdaq until the transfer is completed. The transfer is expected to be seamless for Silgan’s investors and stockholders, and no action is required on their part. Silgan also announced that it will ring the opening bell on the NYSE on August 1, 2022, its first day of trading on the NYSE.

Industrial packaging must be strong, which is why heavy-duty corrugated board doesn’t immediately spring to mind as the perfect solution. But for many packaging challenges, it can save time, money and resources. Automotive components, chemicals, DIY products, household appliances, sporting goods…the list of industries and manufacturers that need to package and ship their products reliably and efficiently is virtually endless. This is not by any means a trivial challenge, especially when import regulations or other issues in production and logistics or distribution bring additional complexity. Such issues usually include shipping, storage, safety, or the simple matter of handling of packaging on site. At the same time, companies need to consider their own CO2 footprint and overall sustainability, which is an area many companies struggle with. With those challenges in mind, a high-performance and reliable alternative to wood or metal is heavy-duty corrugated board, as industrial packaging for heavy loads. Weighing up to 80% less than wood or metal industrial packaging, it undergoes a broad range of tests during development, oriented to a broad range of anticipated conditions: drop tests in the lab, climate chambers, and comprehensive shipping simulations for a wide range of conditions. Most heavy-duty corrugated board solutions are better than more rigid types of packaging in absorbing shocks and vibration during transportation. And heavy-duty corrugated board can withstand demanding conditions such as heat or humidity. Especially when shipped by sea, contents are exposed to high ambient humidity and high condensation, often for several weeks. All of Mondi’s heavy-duty corrugated board grades are therefore bonded based on wet-strength parameters and are made using high-quality papers for durability across different climatic regions.

Miraclon, home of KODAK FLEXCEL Solutions, has announced its plans to open a third Flexo HUB as it continues to invest in the development and growth of the flexographic industry. Based in Oakdale, Minnesota, the new Flexo HUB will allow customers, partners and industry stakeholders based in North and South America local access to KODAK FLEXCEL NX Technology demonstrations, training and networking events. “With our hubs positioned across the globe – one representing the Asia region in Shanghai, China, and the other co-located in Europe with Miraclon’s corporate headquarters in Brussels, Belgium – Miraclon is well positioned to collaborate with customers, partners and stakeholders in the flexo industry from a truly global, yet local perspective”, says Grant Blewett, Miraclon Chief Commercial Officer. Miraclon appointed Charles Schoen as Flexo HUB Manager, Americas to oversee the HUB construction and with responsibility for all Flexo HUB technology demonstrations and training activities. He brings over 30 years of flexo platemaking and managerial experience to the role.

Inteplast Group has released the 2021 Sustainability Report outlining initiatives, partnerships, and quantitative data centered around environmental, social, and corporate sustainability goals via its website www.inteplast.com. The 2021 Sustainability Report includes Inteplast Group’s: *Collective carbon footprint *Recycling programs, associations, and supply chain partners *Components of Inteplast’s Quality Policy *Community and social sustainability updates *Natural resource and waste management practices. The document can be accessed at www.inteplast.com/media/2226/sustainability-report-2021.pdf.

Sonoco ThermoSafe and Turkish Airlines are pleased to announce a global partnership agreement for leasing the new Pegasus ULD® temperature-controlled bulk shipping container. The agreement enables pharmaceutical freight forwarders access to Pegasus ULD® containers directly from Turkish Cargo. Sonoco ThermoSafe’s Pegasus ULD® is the world’s first FAA and EASA-approved passive bulk temperature-controlled ULD container for pharmaceutical use, which enables it to speed through international air freight handling and customs processes at the lowest possible cost. With a focus on sustainability, the Pegasus ULD® is engineered with composite materials, offering a lighter solution that is also substantially more damage-resistant than traditional metal containers. Additionally, the Pegasus ULD® contains a fully integrated, FAA-approved telemetry system providing real-time, cloud-based data on payload and ambient temperature and key environmental factors, precisely synchronized with GPS location.

Smurfit Kappa has harnessed its experience in eCommerce and sustainability to help a prestigious vineyard in the UK tap into the flourishing online wine space. The Kingscote Estate and Vineyard in West Sussex, which sells a range of fine wines through its ‘The Wine Caverns’ sub-brand, needed a sustainable packaging solution to drive online sales and reflect the premium nature of its brand. Smurfit Kappa utilised the eCommerce insights, knowledge and data that sit behind its eBottle portfolio as the starting point for the collaboration. The portfolio has a range of single bottle, multi-bottle and bag-in-box solutions designed to protect fragile liquid products throughout all stages of the supply chain.

The CEFLEX initiative brings together more than 180 European companies, associations and organizations that represent the entire value chain of flexible packaging. To help boost recycling rates and expand sustainable end markets, a team of CEFLEX stakeholders developed a Quality Recycling Process (QRP). The scope of QRP is to mechanically recycle a higher percentage of PE and PP than currently done for non-food contact film applications, since flexible packaging from household waste has very low recycling rates in Europe. After five semi-industrial trials, the final objective is to now build an industrial scale QRP waste processing demonstration plant that will run commercially by 2023. The trials show that flexible packaging waste can indeed be sorted and recycled into fractions that can be made into resins to produce film destined to non-food packaging applications. This can include household cleaning products, like dishwasher tablets.

Silgan Holdings Inc. a leading supplier of sustainable rigid packaging solutions for consumer goods products, announced today that it has concluded a settlement with the European Commission to end a long-running investigation of Silgan's metal packaging operations in Europe. This investigation was started in 2015 by the German antitrust authority and was transferred in 2018 to the European Commission only after the German antitrust authority determined it would be dicult for it to impose nes under German law. As part of the settlement, Silgan has agreed to pay a ne of €23,852,000 to put an end to the investigation, although Silgan does not fully concur with the facts and legal qualications put forth by the European Commission. The European Commission has agreed to fully close its investigation and not proceed any further with respect to this matter.

The Curby Mailer is a tri-laminated mailer employing a patented production process that allows for the mailer to use a paper honeycomb structure, encapsulated between an inner and outer layer of paper, to form a padded mailer. It is curbside recyclable and can be easily disposed of with other recyclable materials. "This unique production methodology delivers cushioning performance from edge-to-edge and seamto- seam, making the Curby Mailer the most effective form of sustainable replacement of bubble cushioning in the market," states Zach Kissel, IPG VP of Global E-Fulfillment. The Curby Mailer is one of several solutions that complete the entire Curby® line of sustainable packaging products which includes water-activated tape (also known as gum tape), paper void fill solutions, and paper fragile wrapping solutions. “With e-commerce shipping volumes rapidly increasing and consumers becoming ever more aware of their environmental impact, Curby products promote a circular economy and help answer these e-commerce growth challenges,” explained Kissel.

Performance White Barrier is a new sack paper from BillerudKorsnäs where a coating replaces the plastic film barrier commonly found in paper sacks. The sack paper is on par with traditional alternatives regarding shelf-life expectancy and other performance factors. Some of the main benefits are easy recycling in regular paper streams, a good printing surface for branding and product content display and no need for any changes in the supply chain. Performance White Barrier can replace most slit and perforated plastic films without significant changes in shelf-life performance, and works for a wide variety of sack paper applications including animal feed, building materials, chemical substances, dry food and mineral products. Brand owners get sustainable product packaging, and users get packaging that only consists of paper, making the sacks easy to recycle in the well-established paper recycling process.

Mondi has entered the bike packaging market with its Protector Bags, providing a new sustainable solution for Diamant to replace plastic wrapping used around the handlebars of its Trek and Diamant brands. Germany’s oldest bike manufacturer will now use Mondi’s recyclable Protector Bags that are made from renewable materials. The change means that Diamant will reduce its plastic use by 16 tonnes every year – around 85% of its previous consumption – as well as saving costs in logistics and transportation. The pre-made paper bags do not require additional wrapping or taping, as they are ready to use with a tailored closure strip developed specifically for the bicycle industry. Created from two plies of paper, Mondi’s Protector Bags are strong and flexible, making them highly puncture-proof – and they protect the bikes during storage and transport with a softer interior glaze that is friction-resistant. Due to the air permeability of paper, the bags are also breathable. Additionally, handlebar grips made of rubber can emit moisture or gas that can evaporate easily with this new packaging.

Aptar’s continued dedication to build an outstanding working relationship in the areas of product quality, delivery, customer service, plant management, and engineering let to this recognition. The five-time award-winning Daisy Sour Cream package, first introduced in the market in 2015, features Aptar’s innovative dispensing solution for inverted pouches. It combines Aptar’s proprietary SimpliSqueeze® flow control valve and flip top closure allowing for clean and controlled dispensing, in addition to an easy-to-remove tamper-evident pull ring. This solution is manufactured at Aptar Food + Beverage’s plant in Mukwonago, Wisconsin, USA.

Smurfit Kappa has completed a large-scale sustainability project at its Zülpich paper mill in Germany, which significantly reduces the plant’s CO2 emissions. The €11.5 million investment included a major redesign of the plant’s multi-fuel boiler to provide a more sustainable fuel source for the generation of steam and electricity. The mill, which produces approximately 500,000 tonnes of paper annually, is now powered by a combination of its own biogas, which is a by-product of its circular water treatment plant, natural gas, and the residual materials or so-called ‘rejects’ which occur in the paper recycling process that would otherwise be considered waste. The project reduces CO2 emissions at the Zülpich paper mill by more than 25% and saves 55,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, which represents a 2% reduction in Smurfit Kappa’s global CO2 emissions. Smurfit Kappa has the goal of achieving a 55% intensity reduction in fossil CO2 emissions by 2030 and at least net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. The packaging leader has also had its 2030 emissions reductions targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative as being in-line with the Paris agreement.

Atlantic Packaging is pleased to announce that it has joined The Conservation Alliance, an organization that harnesses the collective power of business and outdoor communities to advocate for the protection of North America’s wild places. Atlantic Packaging is the first packaging company to join the more than 270 member companies whose collective annual membership dues are dispersed to grassroots environmental organizations that contribute to the long-term health of outdoor recreation and help ensure access for future generations. Family owned-and-operated for 75 years, Atlantic Packaging is committed to supporting the intelligent transition to a circular packaging supply chain and a waste-free world. With packaging accounting for over 40 percent of plastic waste according to 2018 EPA data, Atlantic Packaging has recognized its corporate responsibility to have a positive impact on sustainability. “By joining The Conservation Alliance, Atlantic Packaging is aligning with like-minded businesses collaborating around a common purpose and proudly investing in a wide range of the most compelling conservation projects in North America,” said Atlantic Packaging President Wes Carter.

Mondi has partnered with Japanese consumer goods manufacturer Kao to create a recyclable, lightweight packaging solution for its Goldwell hair lightening products. The new stand-up pouch reduces plastic usage without compromising on strength and durability and thus supports Kao and its salon business in their efforts to reduce their environmental footprint and to help salons run their businesses more sustainably. Goldwell is a salon-quality brand of Kao Salon Division, the fourth biggest professional hair care business in the world. Its broad offering of hair care, styling and colour products also includes a range of hair lightening products created for in salon use. These were previously packed in rigid plastic containers, however working with Mondi and along its EcoSolutions approach, Kao is reducing the overall amount of plastic in individual packs by 80%. Mondi’s innovative solution packs the powdered products in flexible, re-closable stand-up pouches that are made of mono-material, meaning they are recyclable. The pouch is provided to the user together with paper instructions inside a carton box, enabling the pouch to be stacked when stored, and results in a lower carbon footprint compared to the previous packaging alternative.

Huhtamaki has welcomed the conclusions of a new report, which reviews 26 scientific studies comparing the environmental impact of single-use packaging vs. reusable tableware used in takeaway settings. Conducted by Ramboll, a leading global engineering, design and consultancy company, the ‘meta-analysis’ of 26 previous scientific studies concludes that the additional and specific burdens of reusable tableware, when used for takeaway food and beverages, makes it far less sustainable than paper-based single-use tableware. The reasons for this are the energy and water required for sanitization, together with the impacts of take-back transport and the breakage rates associated with takeaway systems. Previous Life Cycle Assessments, undertaken by Ramboll for the European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA), revealed that when used within in-store settings in Quick Service Restaurants, reusable tableware systems generated 2.8 times more CO2-equivalent emissions and consumed 3.4 times more freshwater than paper-based packaging.

Intertape Polymer Group Inc. is pleased to announce the receipt of the approval under the Investment Canada Act in respect of the previously announced acquisition of the Company by an affiliate of Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. for CDN$40.50 per share by way of a plan of arrangement in accordance with Section 192 of the Canada Business Corporations Act. The parties to the Arrangement intend to complete the Arrangement on June 28, 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

Pregis joined 1% for the Planet, pledging to donate one percent of sales of its Inspyre brand products to support nonprofit organizations. 1% for the Planet is a global organization with a mission to inspire businesses and individuals to support approved environmental nonprofits to build a better world and future for all. Pregis introduced its Inspyre brand in 2018 with the mission of providing customers with the option to choose packaging that does good for the world. Since the introduction, Pregis has donated a portion of the proceeds of these products, including Inspyre hybrid cushioning with water blue color tint and tissue paper packaging, to Uzima Clean Water Mission. The company plans to expand the Inspyre product offering to increase its global impact. Uzima provides water filters, hygiene kits and education to communities across the world to overcome water insecurities improving overall wellness in those communities through access to clean water.

“Packaging waste, climate change and other environmental crises demand an urgent and joined up response from the CPG [consumer packaged goods] community. The Sustainability Awards sets the agenda on best practice, turns the spotlight on the most important areas of R&D, and helps separate greenwash from the innovations that make a genuine difference. This year’s competition has introduced five new Pre-Commercialized categories, dedicated to showcasing the most important areas of emerging innovation that will hit the market in the years to come. Among the categories for commercialized products and initiatives, there are two new categories: ‘Climate’ and ‘Renewables’” – Packaging Europe. At Stora Enso, our approach to innovation combines our capabilities with renewable materials to drive change towards a more sustainable future. We address trends that affect our customers and end-consumers, while advancing solutions to reduce dependence on fossil-based materials. One of these innovations is Papira® by Stora Enso. Papira is a natural, bio-based and recyclable alternative, ideal for protective and cushioning applications in packaging. This lightweight and shock absorbent foam material is made from pulp fibers. With Papira, you can forget fossil-based foams and ensure that your packaging is renewable, biodegradable and fully recyclable in currently existing paper and board steams.

Mayr-Melnhof Group (MM) has entered into an agreement to buy Essentra Packaging (100% equity interest in ESNT Packaging & Securing Solutions Limited (UK) and its affiliates and 100% equity interest in Essentra Packaging US Inc (US)) from Essentra plc (UK) for GBP 312 million - currently around EUR 365 million. The acquisition of Essentra Packaging serves to implement MM Packaging's strategy to grow in profitable and resilient segments such as pharma secondary packaging and strengthens its position in the European market for pharma folding boxes and leaflets. Additionally, this acquisition expands MM's presence in the US market with a significant position in the East Coast pharma hub. Essentra Packaging reported sales of around £370m for 2021 - currently c.€430m. The company comprises 21 production sites in 10 countries in Europe and North America, ideally complementing MM Packaging's current position in Scandinavia through the recently acquired Eson Pac and the existing business in France. Essentra Packaging serves over 800 customers worldwide, including 19 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies, and employs over 3,500 people.

See short video at: https://www.atlanticpkg.com/2022/06/atlantics-stretch-film-recycling-equipment/ Atlantic has invested in recycling equipment to: *Recapture used stretch film from our customers *Transform used stretch film into high-quality post-consumer resin (PCR) *Repurpose that PCR into new stretch film!

Transcontinental Inc. announced that it has acquired Banaplast S.A.S., a flexible packaging company founded in 2009 and based in Armenia, Colombia. Banaplast is active in the protection of crops in the banana and plantain agro-industrial sector and other fruit plantations. “The acquisition of Banaplast is aligned with our growth strategy of innovation and proximity to key markets in the agro-industrial segment” said Ricardo Garcia Merlo, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Latin America at TC Transcontinental Packaging. “With Banaplast we are expanding our offering, namely with banana tree bags and agro-mulches, and our network with the addition of Banaplast to our existing operations in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico. This acquisition opens new and exciting opportunities to better serve our customers”.

Kimberly-Clark Professional, a global leader in contamination control solutions for cleanrooms and laboratories, has expanded The RightCycle Program, the first large-scale recycling effort for non-hazardous lab, cleanroom and industrial PPE waste. Flex-film plastic packaging from Kimtech™ and KleenGuard™ products will now be accepted for recycling through the program. "This is a significant step in addressing a challenging waste stream that currently has very low recycling rates compared with other commodities, such as paper and cardboard," said Mike Haley, Vice President of PPE at Kimberly-Clark Professional. "As the program continues to grow and evolve, we remain committed to finding ways to expand our recycling capabilities in order to help our customers reach their goals and to deliver on our purpose of Better Care for a Better World." Since 2011, The RightCycle Program has empowered more than 900 customers to divert 3.7 million pounds of waste.

Mondi has been recognised by the Swiss Packaging Institute (SVI) for its RetortPouch Recyclable solution. The packaging won the Swiss Packaging Award for the Sustainability category and was developed for Coop’s private label range of healthy pulses and grains sold in Switzerland. RetortPouch Recyclable, made of polypropylene (PP)-based mono-material, offers exceptional shelf life and reduces potential food waste. The innovative packaging can replace complex multilayer unrecyclable packaging that uses aluminum or metallised layers to provide high barrier food protection. RetortPouch Recyclable is able to withstand high temperatures during the retort process used in food preparation and is suitable for a wide range of applications in the ready-made food and pet food industries. The packaging, which is used for Coop’s products that are manufactured by Hilcona, has an attractive yet sturdy stand-up design that includes a transparent window to allow consumers to view the product on-shelf.

The recyclable and compostable UPM Solide Lucent is a highly versatile specialty kraft paper with endless possibilities for recyclable packaging innovations. The paper is suitable as a coating base or for lamination, single-packs, bags, and wraps; UPM Solide Lucent can do it all and more! UPM Solide Lucent is a brilliant example of the type of packaging innovations the world needs right now. Through co-creation, it enables brand owners to effectively reduce the amount of fossil-based or non-recyclable materials and increase usage of materials from renewable sources in their packaging. “Together with customers and partners, we can develop truly sustainable medium and high barrier packaging solutions, matching customer needs in a wide range of food and non-food applications,” explains Mika Uusikartano, Senior Manager, Product Portfolio Management, UPM Specialty Papers. “Thanks to its outstanding sustainability credentials, this paper is a safe and smart choice for converters and brand owners looking to co-create new products with us. The target is also to reduce value chain recycling fees in the long run,” continues Tommi Heinonen, Head of Sales, UPM Specialty Papers.

A study released by R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company found the market’s most pressing challenges forced packaging decision makers to shift priorities and rethink operations, with 90% changing how their packaging is sourced. The Unpackaging Reality Report explores how converging disruptive issues like supply chain volatility, inflation, labor shortages, and increasing sustainability pressures have impacted the industry. Surveying 300 packaging decision makers in the U.S., RRD’s study found that material price hikes and supply shortages presented the biggest hurdles for the industry over the past year, with over half of respondents reporting they have been strongly impacted. These challenges, among others, forced organizations to reprioritize packaging materials (68%), budget (52%), packaging design and aesthetics (49%), and sustainability goals (45%). Despite the many challenges brought on by the pandemic and downstream issues, the report found that overall, the packaging industry proved resilient and continued to track toward a more sustainable and innovative future.

The first HolyGrail 2.0 sorting prototype was successfully validated in March this year following semi-industrial trials, using NIR and digital watermarks detection to sort packaging waste with a 99 percent detection rate and the potential to develop new, more granular post-consumer recycling streams. The Digital Watermarks Initiative HolyGrail 2.0, driven by AIM – European Brands Association, and powered by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, has the goal of assessing whether the digital watermarks technology can enable better sorting and higher-quality recycling rates for packaging in the EU. Today, more than 160 partners across the value chain are working together to refine and commercialize this concept. Sonoco, one of the largest global sustainable packaging companies, is a member of the HolyGrail 2.0 initiative to prove the viability of digital watermarking for sorting packaging waste and the business case at scale, likely with global implications. Trials in Copenhagen found that using digital watermarks on packaging resulted in 98 - 100 percent being correctly detected, with a subsequent total ejection rate of 90 - 100 percent.

Committed to bringing innovative and sustainable solutions to the market, Klabin, Brazil’s largest producer and exporter of packaging paper and paper packaging, has developed a new version of its paperboard Klamulti, designed for beverage packaging (multipack), which now has microfibrillated pulp (MFC) in its composition. This innovation, led by the Product Development and Technology Center teams at Klabin, was produced at the MFC plant located in Telêmaco Borba, Paraná. Experiments proved that the addition of MFC in the paperboard composition significantly improves the product’s properties and performance while also reducing grammage. As such, the new solution is capable of creating lighter and more resistant packaging, enhancing the efficiency of the material. The MFC production process develops the microfibrillation of the walls of pulp fibers, enabling a wider connection area between them, thereby increasing the paper’s mechanical strength.

Mondi has created a range of fit-for-purpose packaging solutions to protect and transport fresh produce from farm-to-shelf-to-home safely, efficiently and conveniently. Grow&Go encapsulates the spirit of Mondi Corrugated Solutions’ new product portfolio for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry. Key to its appeal is the wide range of available options, covering everything from heavy bulk shipments to light fruit and vegetable assortments for on-shelf display. "Steep demand increases are on the horizon for small portion packaging. Small portion packs offer many benefits to the end consumer, such as providing the product to be taken directly from the shelf in its packaging without the fresh produce being touched. They also make the shopping experience more convenient – no more fussing with scales or sachets – and they protect fragile items like tomatoes for the trip home." Jan Blankiewicz, Product Innovation Manager, Mondi Corrugated Solutions The World Star award-winning CoralTray, offering hassle-free handling, protection, ventilation and visibility for up to a kilo of produce, is one of several Grow&Go solutions fulfilling this need.

DS Smith and Ipsos MORI, a global leader in market research, have conducted a new study that reveals despite the global health crisis, shoppers still have their eye on the environment; with 85% of buyers wanting to buy products that use as little packaging as possible, and almost a third (29%) disclosing that they have stopped purchasing specific brands on the grounds that their packaging was not sustainable. Regarding consumer perceptions of sustainability, the research concludes that whilst habits may have changed, attitudes have not, and it is these attitudes which continue to evolve. Notably, we discuss the extent to which consumers continue to prioritize sustainable packaging, and the willingness to act in favour of sustainable packaging has marginally increased. Furthermore, we emphasise the commercial risk for both brands and e-commerce retailers, in the absence of sustainable packaging and just how difficult it has become to ‘intercept’ the shopper journey.

According to FANUC, an industrial robotics manufacturer, there are approximately 1.9 jobs per unemployed worker in the United States. Why? Well, e-commerce is still creating strong labor demand across all areas of the supply chain. To add to that, U.S. businesses are reshoring their sourcing to domestic suppliers in hopes of combating the long overseas lead times; all of which means the creation of even more job openings across North America. Pregis attended Automate in Detroit, MI last week, and returned with a wealth of innovation trends that are adding value within the fulfillment centers of so many industries – from third-party logistics to retail. Timely Takeaways from the Event: 1. Picking and packing goes autonomous: The days of workers wearing out the warehouse floor as they transport goods from inventory to the packing area are numbered. Robotics manufacturers, such as Fetch (now owned by Zebra technologies), are now offering automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and automated mobile robots (AMRs) that autonomously transport goods from storage to pack stations. 2. Machine vision & artificial intelligence: Software and hardware capabilities within the optics space are beginning to reach sci-fi levels. 3. [Insert technology] as a service: Software-as-a-service (SaaS) has been around for a while, but now, technology companies are leveraging this business model for varying forms of technology – one of which is robotics. 4. The rise of integration: As businesses increasingly adopt autonomous equipment, internet-of-things (IoT), and warehouse management systems (WMS), integrators are emerging as key partners.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has released its May 2022 Packaging Papers & Specialty Packaging Monthly report. According to the report, total packaging papers & specialty packaging shipments in May increased 1 percent compared to May 2021. They were up 1 percent when compared to the same 5 months of 2021. The operating rate was 88 percent, essentially flat (+0.2 pts.) from May 2021 and up 1.1 points year-to-date. Mill inventories at the end of April decreased 6,000 short tons from the previous month, and were down 8,000 short tons compared to April 2021.

FEFCO announces that three scientific studies break the stereotypes on reusable packaging. “It is now scientifically proven that reuse should be considered on a case-by-case basis as it is not always the best environmental option. A peer-reviewed study shows that reusable packaging has a stronger impact on climate than recyclable corrugated. EU policies place a strong emphasis on the role of packaging in the circular economy and its design to be recycled and/or reused. Packaging exists for a reason; therefore, it is vital to consider packaging functionality, sustainability, and overall performance from a life-cycle perspective. The three studies released by FEFCO were conducted by an independent consultancy (Ramboll) and a research institute (VTT). The studies evaluate the impact of recyclable corrugated board packaging compared to reusable plastic packaging and revealed a series of important conclusions. These are available here on the dedicated FEFCO webpage.

How people consume is undergoing rapid change. As consumer demands and regulatory requirements intensify, the packaging industry needs to find new ways to protect food safely in more sustainable ways. Eric Le Lay, President, Fiber and Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania at Huhtamaki believes that there is a game-changing technology that can facilitate this transformation: High precision technology to create smooth molded fiber packaging. At Huhtamaki we want to do more. Our aim is to be a pioneer of sustainable packaging solutions. We take a material positive approach, ensuring that the best material is used for the right product. For us, fiber can and will play an important role. Fiber has been used in packaging for decades. Today, Huhtamaki is able to tap into its full potential by applying high-precision technology expertise to take this renewable material to surprising new levels. This innovation, combined with a high-level food-grade barrier, produces smooth molded fiber (SMF) sustainable packaging that offers superior functionality, keeps food safe, maintains its quality and eliminates the need for aluminum resulting in aluminum-zero solutions.

Metsä Board has, once again, been awarded the Platinum level rating by EcoVadis for the company’s sustainability and corporate social responsibility. Having improved the score to a record level 87/100 Metsä Board is among the highest 1% of companies assessed in the manufacture of corrugated paper and paperboard and containers of paper and paperboard. EcoVadis assesses companies covering four themes. Metsä Board was in the top 1% of companies for Environment, Labour & Human Rights and Sustainable Procurement and in the top 7% for Ethics. For the first time Metsä Board scored the full 100/100 in the Environment section. “At Metsä Board, sustainability is an integral part of our strategy and daily operations – now and in the future. Reaching the full 100 score in the Environment section and the Leader status in carbon management assessment acknowledges our journey towards fossil free production and products by the end of 2030,” says Mika Joukio, CEO at Metsä Board.

ProMach, a worldwide leader in packaging machinery solutions, announced today it has acquired Reepack. Reepack is a leading manufacturer of high-quality flexible packaging machinery known for their vacuum chambers, thermoformers, tray sealers, and flow wrappers. The addition of Reepack helps ProMach continue expansion in the food packaging space and solidifies their status as a single-source supplier for protein-packaging automation. Reepack joins six other best-in-class product brands under ProMach's Flexibles & Trays business line. With the acquisition of Reepack, ProMach gains a key application technology in flow wrapping, adding to their overall flexible packaging capabilities, and also expands their existing capabilities in horizontal thermoforming.

The revolutionary 3D-formable BillerudKorsnäs FibreForm® paper offers a low-carbon packaging alternative to plastic and an exciting opportunity for inspiring designs. The creative FibreForm® is cold-formable and available in both white and brown paper. The unique FibreForm® material helps brand owners on their journey towards sustainable packaging. Firstly, the paper’s high strength enables packaging, such as carrier bags, to be reused multiple times. The paper is cold-formable and, therefore, requires less energy than plastic packaging during converting. Furthermore, it is 100% renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable.

At approximately 19.40 BST yesterday evening a fire broke out in an adjacent premises to the Smurfit Kappa SSK Paper Mill in Birmingham. High winds carried the fire which reached the mill’s recovered fibre yard. Smurfit Kappa would like to thank both West Midlands Fire Service staff and the SSK team for their swift and professional response in controlling the fire within a few hours and ensuring the safety of all. The paper mill itself is unaffected and we do not expect any material impact on production.

Spadel and DS Smith launch a new 5 litre package that has been innovatively designed to ensure it’s not only practical, but sustainable too. The respective market leaders, who specialize in natural mineral water and sustainable packaging solutions, joined forces to create the Eco Pack. The octagonal box comprises of cardboard and a flexible inside plastic bag that has room for 5 litres of liquid. Its efficient use of materials enables a 65% reduction in plastic* while also extending the waters shelf life. The octagonal 5L Eco Pack is the latest innovation flowing from Spadel and DS Smith’s partnership over the last decade. As a B-Corp certified company, Spadel consistently seeks new ways to reduce its environmental footprint. DS Smith helped Spadel find and tailor its ideal packaging solution using their PackRight approach. This is a collaborative, four-step development process: starting with gaining insights, then moving on to pack development, testing and implementation. DS Smith’s Supply Cycle Thinking guided Spadel every step of the way to identify specific needs and optimize their 5L SPA® Reine Eco Pack.

American Packaging Corporation has announced that it's opening a new 275,000-square-foot Center of Excellence manufacturing facility in Cedar City, Utah. The new operation will add over 135 high-paying jobs to Iron County. APC purchased the land in October 2021 and officially broke ground on February 8, 2022, during a groundbreaking ceremony with civic leaders and company officials. The new facility is expected to open and be fully operational in June 2023, and will include flexographic printing presses, laminating, preformed pouching and finishing equipment. APC will hire 75 new APC team members as part of phase one, with career opportunities in manufacturing, production, engineering and administration.

Josh Curtis from Ravensbourne University in London triumphed in the UK Packaging Design Impact Award (PIDA) and earned this year’s Gold Award. His entry “Ritini” impressed the jury with its shape, branding, and versatility. “Ritini” is an eye-catching package, a branding tool and a clever dispenser all rolled into one. The word Ritini is Greek for resin and the tear-shaped package design is inspired by the drops of resin that are the key ingredient of the vegan chewing gum. “They are the Tears of Chios,” says Josh Curtis. “The package is designed with a colour palette that is typical of Greece. It’s user friendly, easy to dispense the gum and fits perfectly in your hand.” At PIDA, design students from universities and colleges from seven countries compete with their creative packaging designs. The competition is organized as five separate events: the USA, Sweden, France/Belgium, the UK, China*, and Germany/Austria. The winners of the Gold Award at each event will meet in a Grand Finale at Luxe Pack Monaco in October.

The “sustainable watch packaging” project between the two independent, family-owned companies Koehler Paper and Mühle-Glashütte focuses on developing high-quality yet sustainable packaging for a luxury watch — two characteristics that it has previously been difficult to combine in communication with customers. Koehler Paper came up with the idea of producing environmentally friendly, luxury packaging made from 100% recycled paper and designed to contain a high-quality watch. Family company Mühle-Glashütte, known for its nautical instruments and high-quality mechanical wristwatches, was taken on as a collaboration partner. Sustainability and recyclability are the main requirements for the packaging that Koehler developed together with Mühle-Glashütte and other project participants. Thilo Mühle, Managing Director at Mühle-Glashütte, stresses: “The collaboration project with Koehler Paper makes it clear that luxury no longer needs to be a guilty pleasure. What’s more, the craftsmanship of two family companies steeped in tradition is brought together here. This is reflected in the results.”

Amcor unveiled a product rebrand designed to give customers a clearer, holistic view of its growing portfolio of more sustainable packaging solutions. This significant marketing effort provides customers with greater visibility and transparency of Amcor’s extensive product portfolio that has grown over the years through innovation and strategic acquisitions. The redesign of Amcor’s innovative product portfolio highlights three key differentiating benefits for customers: the most advanced solutions in more sustainable packaging; product functionality and differentiated solutions for high growth market segments such as healthcare, dairy and protein; and performance characteristics across a wide range of material options.

International beauty packaging manufacturer and provider Quadpack and Aptar Beauty + Home, worldwide leader in the design and manufacturing of beauty dispensing solutions, have jointly developed a refillable lipstick which pushes the boundaries of sustainability and sensory appeal in makeup packaging. In a spirit of collaborative innovation, the two companies have blended their respective expertise in wood and stick mechanisms to create a product that delivers a great consumer experience: the Iconic Woodacity® Lipstick. Jeremy Garrard, Quadpack’s Director of Market Development, said, “This has been a project firmly based on shared value. Aptar is a respected partner with whom we have a strong history of collaboration. Now, we are leveraging each other’s complementary technologies, market positioning and customer base, to create a refillable makeup solution that really makes a difference.” Sergi Berthet, Vice-President, General Manager Beauty EMEA at Aptar, said, “This solution combines Aptar’s expertise in mechanisms for prestige lipsticks, with Quadpack’s know-how in high-end wood solutions. Our partnership has led to an innovative and premium refillable lipstick, which illustrates our common goal of a sustainable future for packaging”.

CANPACK commemorated the completion of the steel framing for the new 862,000-square-foot aluminum beverage can manufacturing plant during a Topping Off ceremony with Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and local community officials and leaders. The future plant will be home to approximately 345 well-paying, local jobs. The beam marks a significant construction milestone for the property since its groundbreaking in September 2021. Officials expect construction to be completed in time for plant operations to begin in the fourth quarter of 2022. “It’s an exciting time to be in Muncie to celebrate the construction milestone of CANPACK’s second US-based, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility,” said Peter Giorgi. “We appreciate the warm welcome and look forward to becoming an integral part of the Muncie-Delaware County community and contributing to the remarkable business environment that exists throughout the state.”

Smurfit Kappa has invested USD23.5 million to upgrade its Nuevo Laredo sheet plant in Mexico to become a fully integrated corrugated plant. The investment includes a state-of-the-art corrugator and extension of the building. The new machine, which began operating last week, will have the two-pronged benefits of reducing CO2 emissions by up to 40% and doubling production capacity. The Nuevo Laredo plant is located in the Tamaulipas region in Northeastern Mexico where Smurfit Kappa has strong partnerships in the industrial, electrical appliances and electronics sectors. The region represents 3.3% of the country’s GDP and is home to over 200 companies which manufacture products for the US. The increased capacity will streamline Smurfit Kappa’s operations in San Antonio, Texas where a fast-growing appetite for sustainable packaging is demanding larger production volumes.

Huhtamaki, a key global advanced manufacturer of sustainable packaging solutions, announced plans to expand its molded fiber product manufacturing unit in the city of Hammond, Indiana, as part of its investment in Fiber Solutions. The investment, which is expected to start ramping up towards the end of 2023, will enable Huhtamaki to better serve existing and new customers in North America with a broad range of sustainable, fully recyclable and compostable, fiber-based packaging solutions, manufactured from 100% recycled North American raw material. “The investment in this new manufacturing capacity, adjacent to our existing site in Hammond represents our strong belief in the future development of the region and in the continued success of our customers – both current and new. The expansion will introduce new sustainable fiber-based products such as egg cartons and cup carriers – manufactured on state-of-the-art machinery developed by Huhtamaki – to our portfolio in the region and drive production efficiency. Our know-how in key packaging technologies and our strong track record in sustainability make us extremely well positioned to support our customers and deliver on their sustainability agendas and goals with innovative solutions”, says Charles Héaulmé, President and CEO of Huhtamaki. Amounting to a total investment of almost USD 100 million, the expanded facility covers circa 23,000 square meters and will be built adjacent to Huhtamaki’s existing Hammond manufacturing unit. Huhtamaki has operated in Hammond, Indiana, since 1948 and currently has approximately 140 employees. It expects to employ a further 100 new employees when fully operational.

A conscious golfer's eco-feat is to buy golf balls in packaging that has a new life as an insect hotel once the packaging has been used. This innovative idea and packaging solution has recently received the most public votes in the spring 2022 New Wood project competition. It is a concrete example of circular economy, where a product, after its primary use, has another function before it ends up in the recycling. The Finnish Golf Coat Ltd wanted to create a packaging solution for its best-selling product that supported biodiversity and promoted the circular economy. Golf Coat's brand is based on eco-friendliness and biodegradability of products, so the use of a reusable box was particularly suited to the company's values and mindset. "Our aim was to create a simple, smart and cost-effective structure that would be easy to assemble and fill with, for example, leaves, saw dust or dry grass after its primary use as a golf ball box. Metsä Board and its partners developed an insightful packaging that provides an artificial nesting structure and shelter for insects and pollinators," says Aki Kuivaniemi, CEO of Golf Coat Oy.

Hilex®, a Novolex® brand, announced the introduction of the ProWAVE® Tote, a new recyclable, reusable tote bag that makes e-commerce even more convenient for supermarkets, restaurants and retailers — as well as their customers. The innovative new bag, made with 20% recycled content, is designed for curbside pickup, home delivery or carryout use. The bag features folded handles and a double-ply top that provides stiffness so the bag stays open, making loading easier and more convenient. The rectangular bottom optimizes the use of storage in a vehicle’s trunk or back seating area. The reusable bag is ideal for hot, frozen or refrigerated items. “The ProWAVE Tote is carefully designed to meet the needs of e-commerce retailers and customers alike,” said Frank Lawson, Vice President of Sales for Novolex. “It makes life easier and more convenient for everyone.”

Metsä Spring, Metsä Group’s innovation company, has launched a new 3D fibre product called Muoto®. Muoto has been produced at Metsä Group’s and Valmet’s demo plant in Äänekoski since May 2022, and is made of Metsä Group’s wood fibres. Muoto is a significant initiative in the packaging market. It is user-friendly, sustainable and scalable and features advanced technology. Using brand new technology, the products are pressed into their final form and their properties can be tailored during the production process according to the intended purpose. The raw material of Muoto grows in northern, sustainably managed forests and is fully traceable. Both renewable and recyclable, Muoto is a good alternative to fossil plastic, for example, in food packaging, including serving dishes or containers of various sizes and shapes. Packaging that is produced to meet a specific need is ideal for reducing food waste.

ePac Flexible Packaging, the industry leader in quick turn, short and medium run-length flexible packaging, has announced it will be adding a third location in Canada. Adding to operations in Vancouver and Toronto, ePac Montreal will serve CPG brands of all sizes throughout Quebec province, and its combined 3 Canadian locations will serve all of Canada. According to George Boustani, Managing Director of ePac’s Canadian operations: “Since opening ePac Vancouver in 2019 and Toronto in 2021, demand for our services has grown rapidly. To keep pace, we’ve decided to add a new sales and marketing location – ePac Montreal. In fact we are now accepting orders in Quebec, and fulfilling them from our other Canadian operations.”

Hilex®, a Novolex® brand, today announced the launch of RollStar EZ Open Produce Bags that solve a vexing problem for shoppers: how to open a produce bag with sides that “stick” together. RollStar EZ Open Produce Bags come in different gauges and sizes for fruits and vegetables. Also available are RollStar bags designed for meat, fresh seafood and bakery items. The RollStar compact dispenser makes it simple for shoppers to take one bag at a time, reducing waste by ensuring they take only the bags they need. In addition to being easier to open, the new bags offer a number of other key features: *The Star Seal bottom bags are leak-proof and stronger than conventional flat seal bags; *The universal dispenser is narrow, fits in a variety of spaces and is compatible with most roll bags; *Custom fixtures and custom prints are available; *The bags are made at multiple manufacturing facilities, ensuring business continuity for single-source customers.

Stora Enso’s new 100% virgin fiber-based kraftliner, AvantForte WhiteTop, is now commercially available. The white top kraftliner targets demanding premium segments, such as fresh food, e-commerce, and shelf-ready packaging. AvantForte WhiteTop kraftliner is engineered to meet brand owners’ need for safe, high-performing, and plastic-free packaging. The new product will serve end-uses that require exceptional strength, purity, and visual appearance. Through Stora Enso’s patent-pending technology, Tri-Ply™, the product is equipped with three fiber layers to maximize its strength and help converters and brand owners use less material than with traditional kraftliners.

Our commitment to strengthening the Circular Economy is illustrated by several goals in our Twentyby30 sustainability program, including increasing metal recycling rates in all our major markets. Ambitious targets have been set, from a 70% recycling rate in the U.S. by 2030, to 80% in EMEA in the same timeframe. We are collaborating with industry associations and other partners around the globe to achieve our goals. For example, together with other canmakers and aluminum suppliers, we are working closely with Every Can Counts (ECC) – an initiative to promote recyclability of metal containers among consumers.

Greif has launched a lightweight, high-performance jerrycan in Brazil suitable for packaging agrochemicals, chemicals, flavors, fragrances, and beverages. The JCR20L is almost 20 percent lighter than the standard 20-liter jerrycan. The reduced weight accommodates up to seven percent more jerrycans per pallet and 6.7 percent greater warehouse storage capacity. In addition, the lighter weight means lower collection costs for recycling. Internal analysis indicates that the combination of these factors amounts to a 25 percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the standard 20-liter jerrycan.

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, has collaborated with Austrian mechanical engineering company EW Technology to launch a new machine for paper pallet wrapping that is more efficient and sustainable on small-to-medium production lines. The two companies worked together to design the innovative machine, which fills a gap Mondi identified in the pallet wrapping market. Offering two settings, the machine can be fully automated to wrap up to 60 pallets every hour or semi-automated to wrap 10-15 pallets per hour. The machine takes a full reel of Mondi’s Advantage StretchWrap paper, allowing customers to replace the multi-layer plastic which is currently the industry standard for pallet wrapping. Advantage StretchWrap is 100% virgin paper, created with renewable materials and fully recyclable in existing paper waste streams across Europe. It contains no plastic or coating, but still ensures excellent strength and tension absorption.

The Better with Less – Design Challenge 2022 is now open for submissions. The competition invites designers around the world to create the zero-waste packaging of the future and is open for submissions from 1 June to 1 December, 2022. A world-class jury of renowned package design experts will be looking for lighter, smarter, and circular solutions for some of the most common consumer packages. The competition is organized by a leading European paperboard producer Metsä Board, part of Metsä Group. “In the future, circular economy will guide all consumption. The need for packaging keeps growing, and we must use design in more innovative ways to respect the resources of our planet,” says the Better with Less – Design Challenge jury chairman Ilkka Harju, Packaging Services Director, EMEA and APAC at Metsä Board. “We are asking competition entrants to acknowledge the package’s entire lifecycle from efficient design to easy recycling and purposeful reuse – producing zero waste. It is huge responsibility, but also a brilliant playground for innovation,” he adds.

Ahead of the United Nations World Food Safety Day Tetra Pak announced its new set of research collaborations and programmes to further accelerate efforts to address challenges facing food systems worldwide. The initiative is part of the company’s drive to nurture an innovation ecosystem to open new opportunities in the areas of food availability, safety and sustainability. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation UN FAO, the world is in a very different place compared to six years ago, when it committed to the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition by 2030. The current reality is that we have not been progressing fast enough towards ensuring access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food for all people. As an example, over 2 billion people did not have access to enough safe and nutritious food in 2020.

To gain insight into brand-owner and converter perspectives on over-the-counter pharmaceutical and wellness product packaging, we recently conducted a study with key stakeholders in the field. Through these conversations, we discovered some confusion exists surrounding the sustainability of packaging materials. In this article, we will share some of our findings and help clarify some of the benefits and challenges of over-the-counter packaging sustainability. We will also cover results from an LCA study we recently conducted on fiber-based pharmaceutical packaging. For over-the-counter (OTC) product brand-owners, packaging is critical: high standards for quality and safety mean strict attention to protecting the product inside. On crowded shelves, it’s important to differentiate with packaging that attracts interest, reflects such high standards, and communicates vital information about the product. Furthermore, today’s over-the-counter brands and their retailers seek to improve the sustainability of their packaging and adapt to increasing e-commerce.

For the First Quarter of Fiscal 2022 *Net sales increased 21.0% to $2.3 billion compared to $1.9 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2021 due to the favorable impact of fewer COVID-19 restrictions compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2021. *Comparable sales (sales for stores open at least 14 months and e-commerce sales) increased 18.0%, driven by a 10.0% increase in transactions and an 7.3% increase in average ticket. *Gross profit increased to $941.0 million compared to $753.8 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2021. As a percentage of net sales, gross profit increased to 40.1% compared to 38.9% in the first quarter of fiscal 2021, primarily due to leverage in fixed costs, strong growth in other revenue, and favorable channel mix shifts, partially offset by lower merchandise margin. *Operating income increased to $437.7 million, or 18.7% of net sales, compared to $305.3 million, or 15.8% of net sales, in the first quarter of fiscal 2021. *Net income increased to $331.4 million compared to $230.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2021.

Paddock Enterprises a wholly owned subsidiary of O-I Glass, Inc. , announced that an order confirming its Plan of Reorganization was entered by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, paving way to the implementation of the Plan and the final stage in the Chapter 11 process. “We are pleased to have achieved this significant milestone resolving Paddock’s legacy liabilities in a manner that is fair and equitable, and provides finality for the company moving forward,” said Andres Lopez, CEO of O-I Glass. “The broad support for the Plan among Claimants is indicative of the positive outcome it delivers to all parties. We look forward to implementing the final steps in the Chapter 11 process following this confirmation by the Bankruptcy Court.”

ProAmpac, a leader in flexible packaging and material science, announced that it has acquired Specialty Packaging, Inc., a family-owned manufacturer of specialty paper, film and foil packaging products for the fast food and food services industries. The addition of Specialty Packaging’s complementary product portfolio and manufacturing capabilities extends ProAmpac’s reach with food service customers and expands its footprint to the southwestern United States.Based in Fort Worth, Texas, Specialty Packaging is a leading provider of paper, film, foil bags, sandwich wraps, basket liners and other custom products for longtime blue-chip fast food and food service brands. The company produces custom and stock paper, film and foil products from its state-of-the-art 100,000 square-foot facility. With this acquisition, ProAmpac broadens its portfolio of highly customized, recyclable food packaging solutions and increases its paper bag converting capacity.

The United Group (TUG) National Conference, held in Orlando, FL, awarded Stretch Films the Supplier Industrial Gold Award on April 29. Marketing Manager Ronald Casalino on behalf of the AmTopp Division business unit. The TUG supplier award arrived only a few weeks before the June startup of AmTopp new stretch film lines at its Remington, IN plant, which is a replicate of its sister facility in Phoenix. The capacity of the plant is about 50 million pounds per year. “On the eve of starting up our new Remington plant’s extrusion lines, this award reinforces our confidence as we continuously expand the stretch film business. In turn, the new capacity in Indiana will help us better serve our distributor partners,” said Hsieh.

Klabin, Brazil’s largest producer and exporter of packaging paper, and the leader in the corrugated board packaging and industrial bags segments, takes another important step in its business strategy with the announcement of EkoFlex, its first paper for flexible packaging. The solution is targeted at diverse segments, such as food, hygiene, cleaning and pharmaceuticals, and helps to significantly reduce the use of plastic across the consumption chain. EkoFlex is produced from softwood (pine), resulting in an extensible paper with lower grammage, which offers better performance and greater resistance, with application in diverse market segments, especially in flexible packaging options such pillow bags, flow packs, stand up pouches and box pouches. EkoFlex is produced from Klabin paper, with feedstock from renewable sources derived from planted and certified forests. It is a repulpable and recyclable solution that is also certified for contact with food. The product is already available for sale in both the Brazilian market and for exports.

The operations at Metsä Group’s and Valmet’s 3D fibre product demo plant in Äänekoski has begun. At the end of 2020, Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring and Valmet announced they would be investing a total of approximately 20 million euros in the demo plant. The demo plant is part of Metsä Group’s integrated mill site in Äänekoski, and it produces finished 3D fibre packaging products directly from wet pulp without intermediate phases. The moulded fibre-based packaging can replace plastic for example in food packaging. The demo plant currently employs approximately ten people. “Our fibre-based packaging products are a significant new initiative in the global packaging market. The novelty in our products include their layered structure, which, in turn, allows their production in a raw material and energy efficient manner applying a highly automated production process. The layered structure also allows the products to be easily modified for different purposes. The customers’ reception of the new product has been very positive. We know we’re on the right path,” says Metsä Group’s project lead, VP, Jarkko Tuominen.

Smurfit Kappa, one of the world's largest paper-based packaging companies, has announced the construction of a new packaging plant in Morocco, its first corrugated plant in the country. Located in Rabat and covering an area of 25,000 m2, it will enable Smurfit Kappa to supply innovative and sustainable packaging solutions quickly and efficiently to its local customer base. The plant will create packaging for sectors including industrial, agriculture, FMCG, automotive, pharma and ceramics and serve both local customers and multinationals based in Morocco. In a market where the demand for corrugated packaging currently exceeds supply, the new plant will play an important and strategic role.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has released its April 2022 Packaging Papers & Specialty Packaging Monthly report. According to the report, total packaging papers & specialty packaging shipments in April decreased two percent compared to April 2021. They were up one percent when compared to the same four months of 2021. The operating rate in April 2022 was 94.0 percent, up 1.4 points from April 2021 and up 1.3 points year-to-date. Mill inventories at the end of April decreased 6,000 short tons from the previous month, and were down 8,000 short tons compared to April 2021.

A paper bag that is strong, food safe, recyclable, compostable and both offset and flexo printable. Due to a unique synergy in the value chain, five partners have created this sustainable and innovative solution. The icing on the cake: winning two prizes at the EUROSAC Grand Prix 2022: Bronze and Public Choice Award! Crown Van Gelder is constantly exploring ways to produce paper more sustainably. One of the methods to do this is to replace wood fiber by alternative fiber, such as sugar beet pulp - a result of Cosun Beet Company’s sugar production. Together, Cosun Beet Company, Novidon (also a Cosun company) and Crown Van Gelder developed the sustainable Crown Native sugar beet paper, which was then printed and made into bags by Fiorini and used by DLF. For this unique effort, the collaboration was awarded with the EUROSAC Grand Prix 2022. Grass seed producer and brand owner DLF was looking for a more sustainable, paper-based alternative for its 15 KG bag to reduce the company’s environmental impact, the search led them to Crown Van Gelder. Together with DLF’s bag producer Fiorini, Cosun Beet Company and Novidon developed an open mouth bag consisting of three layers of Crown Native paper and using paper sack glue Novinexx CPB from Novidon.

Following the successful completion of a 15-month commercial technology validation of a polymer-based barrier replacing the aluminium layer, Tetra Pak is now moving to the next level of development - testing a fibre-based barrier that is a first within food carton packages distributed under ambient conditions. This step marks yet another breakthrough in the company’s long-term roadmap towards developing an aseptic package that is fully renewable, fully recyclable and carbon-neutral. The aluminium layer currently used in food carton packages plays a critical role in ensuring food safety; and even though it is thinner than a human hair, it contributes to a third of the green-house gas emissions linked to base materials used by Tetra Pak.

Emily Frieden from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York triumphed in USA Packaging Design Impact Award (PIDA) and earned this year’s Gold Award. Her entry “Lavash” impressed the jury most with its “attention to detail in every aspect of the brand, design, and execution.” Lavash is a volcano-shaped package for a shower set. The design features all stages of volcanic activity – dormant, active, and extinct. Even the typography mimics volcanic eruptions. “When I was researching different elements of nature I was really inspired by the juxtaposition of the restorative parts of volcanoes,” says Emily Frieden. “It’ s just cool, fun, nature. I thought there’ s a lot I can do there, how I can bring that experience to packaging. It was a lot of fun.” At PIDA, design students from universities and colleges from seven countries compete with their creative packaging designs. The competition is organized as five separate events: the USA, Sweden, France/Belgium, the UK, China*, and Germany/Austria. The winners of the Gold Award at each event will meet in a Grand Finale at Luxe Pack Monaco in October.

Mondi has collaborated with German machine supplier beck packautomaten to create a functional paper solution that has the potential to revolutionise eCommerce by replacing plastic packaging and creating right-sized packaging for a wide range of products. Mondi’s FunctionalBarrier Paper is 95% paper and features enhanced barrier properties to guarantee premium product protection against water vapour and moisture. This is essential for many products being shipped, including electronic goods. The paper is made with a higher strength, enabling it to carry heavier items without breakage. It is responsibly sourced, made of renewable materials and recyclable in existing recycling streams throughout Europe. Beck’s automated packing machine ensures that products of different sizes are packed according to their requirements. The machine measures the packed goods and calculates the paper needed, reducing excess usage of the material and thereby minimising waste and costs. Stable sealing of Mondi’s paper on all four sides of the packaging ensures that it meets logistics requirements and protects goods in transit - as successfully proven during tests in Mondi’s ISTA certified lab in its Bupak plant.

Transcendia is excited to announce it is breaking ground on a 52,000 square foot manufacturing expansion at its Hebron, OH location as part of its ongoing commitment to investing in barrier film technologies. The new building will be equipped with additional multilayer blown and cast film lines, specialty converting equipment and a new testing lab dedicated to supporting new barrier applications in the food, pharmaceutical and industrial film markets. Upon completion, the Hebron, OH facility, with its ISO 9001:2015 certified quality systems, SQF certification and class 7 clean room capabilities, will have a total footprint of 84,000 square feet. The new building will complement existing barrier extrusion capabilities, including Transcendia’s most recent seven-layer blown film asset capable of producing films up to 78” wide with thicknesses between 1.0 – 10.0 mil. In addition to multiple asset investments, Transcendia will be adding to its application and process engineering team to provide additional technology resources for customers’ new application development. To support the expansion and 24/7 operation, Transcendia will hire approximately 36 new associates including machine operators, material handlers, maintenance technicians and supervisors.

Tosaf, Inc., a leading global developer and manufacturer of additives, compounds, and color and white masterbatches for the plastics industry, today announced the completion of additional capital investments in its Bessemer City, N.C. plant. The latest commitment of $2 million for a silo system and additional extruders brings the company’s total investment in the facility to more than $20 million. The silos were installed to take advantage of a rail spur that serves the plant. Built in 2016, the facility was designed to accommodate the silo system retrofit, a major part of the enhancements that advance its efficiency and cost-effectiveness. “We now have the needed infrastructure to receive raw materials via rail, which reduces labor and packaging required in our manufacturing processes,” said Tosaf General Manager Chai Tsadaka. “The silos and enhanced production capabilities allow us to better meet short lead times for our rapidly growing customer base. Unlike others, we provide a seven working day or less production order response time.”

Inspired by the Venus Flytrap plant, design students from Brobygrafiska claimed this year’s Gold Award in the Swedish leg of PIDA (Packaging Impact Design Award) with their inventive packaging solution for a set of drink mixer flavours called “Bite Botanical Bitters”. The team, comprising Herman Rydholm, Sofi Hansson and Julia Abrahamsson, impressed the jury with their deft use of “shape and colour that really catches our attention.” “We’re in shock!” says Herman Rydholm. “Very surprising. Actually, we started out with an idea of a pyramid shape, but it lacked colour so we thought we had to change. We happened to think of the Venus Flytrap and that was it. We got both colour and shape.” At PIDA, design students from universities and colleges from seven countries compete with their creative packaging designs. The competition is divided into five separate events: the USA, Sweden, France/Belgium, the UK, China, and Germany/Austria. The winners of the Gold Award at each event will meet in a Grand Finale at Luxe Pack Monaco in October.

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, is presenting its broad portfolio of sustainable packaging solutions at this month’s Interzoo and demonstrating how flexible packaging can drive sustainability in the pet food industry. Packaging for pet food and pet care needs to be both protective and sustainable - the food contents need to remain fresh and intact but the top priority for eight of ten pet owners is packaging that is sustainable, according to a recent Mondi Dow Premium pet packaging survey. Shoppers worldwide are shifting towards mindful consumption and actively choosing brands that reduce their impact on the environment, particularly in light of the rise in eCommerce. Mondi’s expertise helps pet food manufacturers all over the world respond to this, through its EcoSolutions approach. Working closely with customers means the best possible solution can be created. Those solutions use paper where possible and plastic when useful - and help consumers contribute to a better world once pets have been fed.