Leading European thermoforming packaging specialist Waddington® Europe, a division of Novolex®, has become the first to supply a full range of soft-fruit punnets to the UK market that are easier to recycle and use less plastic than conventional punnets. Made with Waddington’s revolutionary MONOAIR™ cushion technology, the new 100% mono-material punnets are now available in large rectangular (WE80), square (WE62) and standard rectangular (WE37) versions.

The expansion makes the plant Smurfit Kappa’s largest in Poland and one of the most high-tech and modern packaging plants in Europe. In addition to the state-of-the-art machinery installed at the plant, it is expected that a further 50 new jobs will be created, bringing employment to more than 250 staff at the location. These new jobs will enable the plant to further serve its customer portfolio that includes some of the leading brands in the FMCG food and beverage sectors and serves both international and local customers. The investment in Poland includes the installation of a new high-tech corrugator and a range of ultra-modern converting machinery. The plant was also equipped with a new finished goods warehouse, which can accommodate upwards of 12,000 pallets. The investment will ultimately double the output from the plant which now spans 37,500 m2.

Over the past few years, recycled paper made from 100% secondary fibers has turned the Koehler Paper Group into the premium provider of creative board. A firm favorite of the crafting and office segments, this product has recently established itself in the packaging industry and has even gained traction in the high-end segment. While Koehler Paper Group's plant in Thuringia impresses with its "Blue Angel" eco-label, the brilliant colors of its paper products are the real highlight. The newest addition to the range is called "EcoBlack". Udo Hollbach, managing director of Koehler Greiz GmbH & Co. KG has this to say about the new product: "EcoBlack is an extraordinarily high-quality paper that captivates with a deep, rich black and was specially developed for high-quality packaging. It is the next logical step for our range of vibrantly colored recycled paper. With this product, we are catering to our customers' wish that a product avoids doing harm to human health or the environment, without having to sacrifice its aesthetics. EcoBlack is lightfast, resistant to bleeding, color migration and wear." For the product developers at Koehler, it goes without saying that all its paper is ideally suited to further processing. Since EcoBlack is produced completely carbon-free, it lends itself particularly well to embellishment through foil stamping.