Smurfit Kappa has demonstrated its commitment to delivering on its sustainability goals through the recent inauguration of two state-of-the-art investments in Spain. Over 12,000 solar panels were unveiled at the packaging leader’s Sangüesa paper mill which will work alongside its biomass and recovery boilers to generate more than 50% of its annual energy requirements, the equivalent to powering 3,600 homes. The photovoltaic system, which is the largest of its kind in the Navarra region, is set to reduce the mill’s annual CO2 emissions by over 3,000 tonnes and represents an investment of €6 million. Since 2005, the Sangüesa paper mill has reduced its CO2 emissions by more than 51%.

Updated estimates show that the investment costs for BillerudKorsnäs' new board machine in Gruvön may increase by approximately 20 percent compared to previously announced investment cost of a total of SEK 5.7 billion. The increase of the investment is mainly due to higher costs for the construction work. The production on the new machine is still expected to start during the first quarter of 2019. "The cost increase is of course not good, and we have worked very hard throughout the project to keep the budget for the project. Unfortunately, we have had a difficult development on the construction side, which will lead to an increase of the investment. We are still seeing a strong development in the liquid packaging segment and other packaging materials that will be manufactured on the machine. We are convinced that we will be perfectly positioned to satisfy global demand in this market with this investment”, says Christer Simrén, BillerudKorsnäs, Senior Vice President and COO.

Pregis, a leading global manufacturer of protective and flexible packaging solutions, has acquired Danco Converting, Carol Stream, Illinois, from its privately-held owners. As Pregis continues to grow its manufacturing footprint, both organically and through acquisition, bringing Danco’s paper converting capabilities and diverse offering into its portfolio will further enhance the company’s vertical integration strategy. Further, the paper converting acquisition is another demonstration of Pregis’ commitment to its previously announced 2K30 sustainability objectives. For more than a decade, the company has brought to the marketplace a portfolio of products that address environmental concerns, as well as deliver protective attributes critical for damage-free delivery of products to consumers. The Danco acquisition will enable Pregis to add complementary curbside recyclable products to its offering and support the explosive demand for paper solutions.