Sealed Air has launched the ProPad Mini, a protective packaging cushion that maximizes limited pack station space and reduces operator movement in e-commerce products.  The company says that e-commerce operations demand faster, more streamlined workflows. The ProPad Mini is said to offer paper cushioning in small environments and provides flexible installation, including shelf, tabletop, swing-arm, and floor stand options.  “ProPad Mini fills an important role in that portfolio, giving operators a flexible, easy-to-use paper cushioning solution that fits smaller workspaces while delivering the protective performance and operational reliability they expect from Sealed Air.”

Sonoco announced it is implementing a price increase for all resin-based products sold in North America. The increase amounts by formulation are: CPET/PET – 15 percent, PE – 10 percent, PP – 5 percent. The increase, which impacts thermoformed, injection-molded and extrusion-molded products, is effective with shipments beginning October 15, 2017. “With the unfortunate events surrounding Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, we are seeing a significant inflationary spike affecting the entire industry, not just Sonoco,” said Jeff DiPasquale, vice president and general manager for Sonoco’s Global Plastics division. “The unprecedented occurrence of these natural disasters has greatly impacted the North American resin supply chain in terms of both production and distribution. We are doing everything possible to minimize the impact of this disruption to our customers.”

PMMI (the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies) puts on multiple Pack Expo events each year, like the most recent show in Las Vegas from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1. This year, the event’s more than 30,000 registrants had the opportunity to respond to questions about their packaging materials. Specifically, they were asked to select up to three materials their company would replace in the next five years, if any. According to all of the U.S. data currently available, the top responses for materials to be replaced in the next three to five years were polystyrene, foams (including PS) and polyvinyl chloride. As for the materials most likely to be adopted in that same time frame, recycled options topped the list. The most popular responses were rigid and flexible PCR, as well as recycled paperboard with a forestry certification.