In numbers

Industrial packaging products and services provider Greif has entered an agreement to acquire Lee Container for a purchase price of US$300m

Organic vertical farming company Upward Farms has launched new resealable packaging with over a third less plastic 

US-based aluminium packaging provider Novelis has started construction on a US$50m recycling centre in Ulsan, South Korea that will have an annual casting capacity of 100kt of low-carbon sheet ingot 

Canadian packaging company Winpak has recorded revenue of US$302.5m for the third quarter (Q3) of fiscal 2022 (FY22), up 19% from the same period of fiscal 2021 (FY21) 

US-based diversified packaging company Sonoco has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Skjern, a privately owned paper manufacturer from Denmark for kr675m (US$88m) 

European takeaway salad bar company Picadeli adopts formed-fibre lid to replace plastic lids in a bid to save around 120t of plastic waste a year. 

In brief

Riedel selects SIG’s combismile carton pack for juice brands 

Dutch beverage company Riedel has selected SIG’s portable combismile carton pack for its juice range. Riedel will use combismile to package its Appelsientje, CoolBest and DubbelDrank juice brands in combination with the SIGNATURE FULL BARRIER packaging material. SIG’s combismile carton features a curved, modern shape with easy-grip corners, which are designed to make it easy to open, handle and hold for consumers of all ages. 

Alpla opens production facility in Lanseria, South Africa 

Austrian packaging and recycling firm Alpla Group has opened an advanced production site in Lanseria, South Africa. Located in the industrial area north of Johannesburg, the site features 35,000m² of covered production, administration and storage space. It also has a further 12,500m² of space for future expansion, as well as 30,000m² of roof area equipped with solar panels. 

Bacardi removes plastic pourers from bottles in its portfolio 

Bermuda-based spirits company Bacardi has started removing plastic pourers from its bottles as part of its efforts to replace plastic with sustainable alternatives. The company will make the changes to its bottles available in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, Spain and Portugal. Bacardi expects this move to reduce its use of single-use plastic by 140tpa. 

KM Packaging introduces sustainable lidding films in Australia 

British flexible packaging company KM Packaging has introduced a range of sustainable lidding films for the Australian market. The company said the films are designed to help customers comply with the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) led National Packaging Targets. The product range includes REDcycle, post-consumer recycled material/resin (PCR), compostable and tethered. 

In pictures

Feast & Fettle and TerraCycle launch recycling initiative in US

US-based meal delivery company Feast & Fettle has partnered with recycling firm TerraCycle for a recycling initiative in the US. 

TerraCycle will recycle Feast & Fettle’s containers into raw material to use for manufacturing outdoor furniture, watering cans and other products. Credit: Dave Pinter / Flickr (Creative Commons). 

Mars and Berry Global develop snack jars with recycled plastic 

US-based food company Mars has partnered with plastic packaging manufacturer Berry Global to launch snack jars made with recycled plastic content.

Berry Global and Mars introduce packaging made with recycled content. Credit: Business Wire / Berry Global Group / Mars.

AMP Robotics creates AI-powered solution for material recovery 

US-based robotics company AMP Robotics is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) powered automation system to help recover films and flexible packaging.

The AI-powered Vortex platform is designed to increase the recovery of film and flexible packaging. Credit: F Kesselring, FKuR Willich / commons.wikimedia.org.

Mondi and Reckitt develop paper packaging for Finish tablets 

UK-based consumer goods company Reckitt has partnered with packaging and paper provider Mondi to improve the sustainability of its product packaging.

Finish’s new packaging will be launched exclusively with Carrefour. Credit: Mondi.