The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released the May 2026 Packaging Papers Monthly report. According to the report, total packaging papers & specialty packaging shipments in May increased 12% compared to May 2025. They were up 6% when compared to the same 5 months of 2025. The unbleached packaging papers operating rate declined to 89% in May after nearly hitting 93% in April. Shipments of bleached food wrapping were up 5.6% from last May, and up 3.4% year-to-date.

Kruger Packaging announced investments of over $30 million to modernize its Place Turcot Containerboard Mill in Montréal. With this important transformation to be completed in 2025, the Place Turcot facility will be the first in North America to manufacture 100% recycled saturating kraft board, a product that is used to make high-pressure laminates for furniture, countertops and decorative paneling. In support of this innovative project, the government of Canada is contributing $10 million through the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program, while the Québec government is providing a combined sum of more than $3 million through the Innovation Bois Program, as well as the ÉcoPerformance program, which stems from the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy. In addition to eco-friendly saturating kraft board, Place Turcot will make other specialty products from 100% recycled fibres, including gypsum board paper, customized board for residential construction, folding box board for FDA-compliant food packaging, and white top linerboard.

TIME featured 200 innovations this year in its annual list of the best inventions, and Cruz Cool is featured in the Reuse & Recycle category. Cruz Cool is a curbside-recyclable cold-chain cooler from Cruz Foam, a circular materials company. This modern take on cold-chain packaging replaces traditional EPS foam coolers and is perfect for protecting temperature-sensitive products for up to 48 hours. Cruz Foam is made from chitin, a material derived from shrimp shells and sustainably sourced from naturally occurring waste streams in the seafood industry. Whether it’s meal kits, fish packaging, or frozen-food packaging, it has the same temperature control performance as its non-sustainable predecessors. Cruz Foam, which forms the inner insulation layer of Cruz Cool, is home compostable, and the entire unit is certified through Western Michigan University (WMU) as curbside recyclable. The Cruz Foam is washed out and separated from the cardboard during the recycling process, eliminating any impact on the cardboard recovery.