International Paper Completes the Sale of Its Brazilian Corrugated Packaging Business

Green Bay Packaging of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has announced it is expanding manufacturing space at its Great Lakes Packaging Division facility in Germantown, Wisconsin, with the addition of a new building. The company held a groundbreaking ceremony at the location in early July. On its website, GBP describes its Germantown Great Lakes Division as a provider of corrugated containers, point of purchase displays, wood/foam specialty packaging and contract packaging and fulfillment services. While the facility does not convert recovered paper into new paperboard, it engages in downstream functions for GBP corrugated materials, including those made at its recycled-content mill in Green Bay, in which it invested $500 million earlier this decade. The mill consumes old corrugated containers (OCC), mixed paper and other recovered paper grades. The new downstream facility will consist of 270,000 square feet of manufacturing space “for increased capabilities and streamlined operations,” says GBP. Equipment within the facility will include a rotary die cutting (RDC) machine, a laminator and a specialty folder-gluer.

UPM Specialty Papers, Lantmännen Unibake and Adara have co-created a new fibre-based packaging that replaces plastic bags as primary packaging for frozen baked goods. To minimize the use of fossil-based materials, the companies joined forces to create a solution where the plastic bags were eliminated by using UPM Asendo™ barrier paper as an inner liner in the corrugated cardboard box; the barrier paper layer ensures food safety and freshness. “The partnership with Lantmännen Unibake and Adara opened the opportunity to unite our expertise across the food packaging value network to create a renewable and recyclable packaging solution for frozen bread. Lantmännen Unibake and a third-party food industry development company conducted thorough testing and analysis on the impact of packaging materials on the taste of the frozen bread; as a result UPM Asendo was chosen as the inner liner for the cardboard box. The food safe UPM Asendo barrier paper layer has proven to offer the grease and moisture resistance needed while ensuring food safety,” says Kirsi Lahtela, Product Manager, UPM Specialty Papers.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company published its 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) report, demonstrating progress on all pillars in the company's ESG Vision 2025. The company achieved its climate intensity goals three years early and advanced decarbonization by seeking to set new, science-based climate targets to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions. Ethnic diversity reported among the company's U.S. employee base was more than double the industry benchmark, underscoring its commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Graphic Packaging is aggressively pursuing a future fueled by renewable resources. Packaging solutions from the 27-country operation are made primarily with fibers from sustainably sourced trees or recycled materials. Nearly 65 percent of its energy is derived from renewable sources. Most of the company's packaging today is designed to be recyclable, promoting a circular economy.