Continuing a rapid development journey of sustainable and fiber-based packaging innovations, Ahlstrom passes Western Michigan Recyclability Certification for several food packaging base papers that utilize Ahlstrom’s proprietary FluoroFree® technology. “We are proud that our food packaging products passed Western Michigan University’s testing protocol for recyclability,” says Travis Dahlke, Vice President, Food Packaging Americas. “Achieving this certification offers our customers and the marketplace yet another fiber-based solution to reduce traditional non-renewable materials in packaging engineering and creates a positive end-of-life scenario that consumers are demanding.”

Increasing consumer preference for healthy, convenient, zero-calorie beverages are expected to drive revenue growth of the Brazil flavored water market by 7.3% CAGR through 2024. In response, Eklo Water, based in Rio de Janeiro, has partnered with Crown Embalagens Metálicas da Amazônia S.A. (Crown Brazil), a subsidiary of Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (Crown) (www.crowncork.com), to introduce the first flavored water to be packed in aluminum beverage cans to the Brazilian market. “It is clear that Brazilians want healthy, flavorful alternatives to teas, soft drinks and sugary beverages,” said Fabio Nono, Co-Owner of Eklo Water. “Our flavored water meets that demand and sleek style beverage cans are the perfect format to market them in. While we originally launched the drink in cartons, we transitioned to sleek style beverage cans as we are seeing consumers display an increased preference for package attributes such as portability, eye-catching design and overall durability.” Click Read More below for additional information.

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.