The global biodegradable paper packaging materials market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of close to 11% from 2017 to 2021, according to a new market study from Technavio. The study covers the present scenario and growth prospects for global biodegradable paper packaging materials and also lists bioplastic packaging materials and paper packaging materials as the two major application segments, of which bioplastic packaging materials dominated the global market in 2016, accounting for 54% of the market share in 2016.

Smurfit Kappa held its eighth Innovation Event this year in Paris. More than 250 customers came to the “Packaging and Perspectives” event, which took a look at how packaging will be affected by supply chain and network fragmentation using a variety of media. Alongside the conference, visitors had the opportunity to participate in an interactive live session with two Smurfit Kappa design teams tasked with developing complete shelf ready packaging and display solutions in real time. The designs that were created were based on votes from the customers.

Following “The Easy Way”, Flint Group Flexographic Products expands its product range with a further inherent flat top dot flexo plate, which provides significant fluting reduction on various corrugated boards from fine to rough flute. Holding the finest highlights, the nyloflex® FTC Digital plate offers outstanding print quality - sharp and defined elements with precisely reproduced text and codes, inviting printers to push the boundaries of print resolution in corrugated postprint. Furthermore, the new flexo plate features excellent ink transfer, resulting in very smooth solids with even ink laydown, which allows for high and consistent print quality on a variety of substrates. “With a continuing trend for lower quality liners due to cost reasons, however, uncompromised requirements for quality printing, printers, retailers and brand owners demand good quality in corrugated postprint, both for superior liners and more challenging materials,” says Dr. Eva Freudenthaler, Vice President Technology, Flint Group Flexographic Products. “With the development of nyloflex® FTC plate, we therefore had two focal points with regard to print quality - to reduce the fluting effect across many different liner qualities and to further enhance the quality of fine highlight screens in corrugated postprint - while at the same time keeping it simple for the pre-press operation by providing a plate that can be processed like any normal digital printing plate.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Mondi Industrial Bags, in collaboration with its customer and cement producer LafargeHolcim, has created SPLASHBAG – a paper-based solution designed to satisfy the need of dealing with materials that are often exposed to wet conditions or environments. The product has been developed as a direct response to the customer’s packaging needs in this area, and is suitable for the protection of moisture-sensitive filling goods, including building materials, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Having successfully launched in Europe, the product is now gaining traction in many other markets around the world. Based on Mondi`s Advantage Protect sack kraft paper – a grade that offers both a water-repellent surface and high wet tensile strength – the bag maintains high strength even in wet environments. Thanks to its bespoke benefits, within the last year SPLASHBAG has quickly gained global recognition – from Azerbaijan and Bulgaria to France and La Réunion. The key to SPLASHBAG‘s success lies in its enhanced sack kraft paper properties – absorbing less moisture than conventional paper bags and maintaining both integrity and product quality. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l. announced it will again raise prices for paper-based tubes and cores, effective from shipments beginning on 24th July 2017. "Prices of coreboard continue to rise, driven by fundamental changes in recovered paper markets. As this trend continues, we are forced to keep pace and apply a further increase to our tubes and cores," said Karsten Kemmerling, Director of Sales and Marketing - Tubes and Cores, Europe. "We continue to invest in our operations to generate manufacturing productivity, but this will not cover the significant increase in material costs. The outlook for the second half of this year could well be a further tightening of material availability and inevitably further price increases for our base raw material."

The Protective Solutions division of Sonoco, North America’s leading provider of protective packaging, components and material handling solutions, has released its Cost of Damage Calculator, a robust online tool designed to calculate the real cost of damage to businesses when shipping their products. With packaging an essential part of the supply chain, determining how best to ease risk for product damage throughout the entire process is paramount. The calculator successfully breaks down the customer’s e-commerce and retail damage to show the percentage of damage, number of units, total cost and the percentage of profits this affects. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Cascades Flexible Packaging, a Cascades unit that specializes mainly in the manufacture of flexible plastic packaging for the food market, has earned the IFS PACsecure certification, which is recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). IFS PACsecure is one of the world's leading food safety standards for primary and secondary packaging materials. Cascades Flexible Packaging passed the independent evaluation with a score of 99.16%. The plant, based in Mississauga, Ontario , proved that its processes and products comply with global packaging materials safety standards notably in terms of maintenance, hygiene, traceability, management commitment and food defense. "Although the [Cascades Flexible Packaging IFS PACsecure certification] program is young, it has been well developed and a strong commitment to the standard is evident," states the final audit report. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Color-Logic--the leader in metallic color communication and decorative effects--has certified Platinum Recycled Cast Coat, a luxury carton stock offered by Midland Paper, for use with the Color-Logic process. Discussing the certification, Mark Geeves, Color-Logic Director of Sales and Marketing, said : "The new Midland stock for carton applications, in combination with Color-Logi c BEST Silver ink and software, is a game changer for luxury packaging applications. The samples submitted for certification--produced by a Midland client--have the smoothest glass-like surface of any cast coat we have seen." Also commenting on the certification, Mike Jacobson, Midland Paper Senior Vice-President Sales, said: "We knew our new Platinum Recycled Cast Coat stock would provide exceptional print quality. After tests with the Color-Logic software and BEST silver ink, however, we now know our customers can enjoy dramatic effects at an economical production cost. What can be done with five ink colors--and the fact that all the decorative effects can be done at the design stage with no post finishing necessary--opens up new markets for our new recycled board." Click Read More below for additional detail.

Dole GO Berries!™, which utilizes Sonoco’s packaging, was awarded Best New Packaging as part of the Produce Innovation Awards at United Fresh 2017, an expo dedicated to innovation in produce and fresh foods. The berries are packaged in 3-packs of fun, snack-sized containers that offer snap, rinse and go convenience. The ventilated packaging promotes increased airflow around the berries, aiding cooling and improves freshness, while also making rinsing easy for consumers. “Nearly half of people snack three or more times a day, and Sonoco has developed a suite of solutions – ranging from pouches to composite cans to single-serving plastic tubs – that protect food on the go, while also offering convenience to busy consumers,” said Pete Gioldasis, director of marketing, Sonoco. “Our latest solution for Dole is exciting because it’s a great way for consumers to take fresh and healthy food on the go.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Adestor HM300 is a permanent hot-melt adhesive with a very high tack especially formulated for high-speed air-blow labelling. It performs well at low temperatures and can be used at room temperature of -5ºC. Its immediate strong adhesion makes it ideal for rough and curved surfaces. The new HM300 adhesive has been designed for use in the food industry and is available in a range of different paper and film face stock. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Graphic Packaging International, Inc., has completed the previously announced acquisition of substantially all the assets of Carton Craft Corporation and its affiliate Lithocraft, Inc.

In order to ship summer produce like peaches, tomatoes, and berries safely, it’s important to partner with a packaging company that understands the unique needs of agricultural packaging. Each crop requires special handling and unique packaging design in order to ensure food safety and minimize loss. The following considerations are key to ensuring successful shipping from farm to store. •Ventilation: allows heat to escape and accelerate cooling •Protection: reduce loss through successful package design •Water Loss Reduction: maintain freshness by reducing the potential for water loss. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Smurfit Kappa’s SupplySmart service has reached 50,000 supply chains, taking optimisation of packaging to a new level. The industry-leading service uses evidence-based analytics and insights, to work with businesses to benchmark risk and optimise efficiency in their supply chain. SupplySmart is the first service of its kind that combines big data from over 50,000 supply chains in over 30 countries with creative solutions, expert knowledge and years of practical experience. The service enables businesses to reduce logistics costs, streamline production and lower packaging costs without compromising on performance. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Sonoco-Alcore S.a.r.l. today announced it will again raise prices by a further €50 per tonne (£40 / tonne) on all recycled paperboard grades sold in the Company's European regions. The price change is effective with shipments on or after 17th July 2017. "Demand for raw materials has continued to rise throughout the year as a result of China's "National Sword" initiative, new capacity within the paper packaging sector, and the European economy currently being stronger than we have seen in recent years. The resultant continued increase in raw material costs are again unsustainable and we now have no choice but to pass these increases through into the market," said Phil Woolley, Director - Paper Europe.

Intertape Polymer Group Inc. announced the completion on July 1 of the previouslyannounced transaction to acquire substantially all of the assets of Canadian Technical Tape Ltd. (d/b/a “Cantech”), a North American supplier of industrial and specialty tapes based in Montreal. The expected aggregate purchase price is approximately $67 million (as updated from the previously-communicated purchase price of $63 million due to certain purchase price adjustments), subject to further post-closing adjustments. All amounts in this press release are denominated in US dollars. Click Read More below for additional detail.

Sappi Limited is pleased to announce that it will bolster its Packaging and Speciality Papers Business through the acquisition of the barrier film technology of Rockwell Solutions Limited (Rockwell Solutions). The transaction will mean that Rockwell Solutions will become a subsidiary of Sappi Europe. Sappi is one of the world’s leading producers of speciality papers and carton board with a strong presence in meeting the increased global demand for sustainable barrier paper solutions. Commenting on the transaction, Thomas Kratochwill, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Packaging and Speciality Papers for Sappi Europe said “By gaining access to the barrier film technology of Rockwell Solutions Sappi will be able to accelerate the development of our own solutions and be able to offer our customers an even wider range of barrier coated packaging solutions.” Click Read More below for additional detail.

Stora Enso has today signed an agreement to divest the business and assets of its Swedish subsidiary Stora Enso Re-board AB, a producer of rigid paperboard for expositions and displays, to Culas AB, which is partially owned by the current managing director of Stora Enso Re-board AB, John-Åke Svensson. “Stora Enso’s focus within packaging is on developing and delivering fibre-based solutions throughout the value chain. Re-board delivers a niche product and we believe that a new owner can better give this business the attention it deserves and develop it further,” says Peter Torstensson, SVP and Head of Corrugated Nordics, Stora Enso’s Packaging Solutions division. Click Read More below for additional detail.

The project consists of building a state-of-the-art recovery boiler by 2020 and a new steam turbine by 2022. This equipment will reinforce the industry-leading position that Smurfit Kappa Nettingsdorf currently holds, by virtue of having the lowest energy consumption in the paper industry. The new boiler will produce energy out of biomass, reducing CO₂ emissions at the Nettingsdorf mill by 40,000 tonnes, which represents a 1.5% reduction in Smurfit Kappa Group’s total CO₂ emissions. Smurfit Kappa recently announced in its 2016 Sustainability Development Report that it has already cut CO₂ emissions by 23%, well on the way to meeting its 2020 target of 25%. Click Read More below for additional detail.

An Elkhart-based manufacturer of cardboard boxes already working to expand its operations in Elkhart is expanding elsewhere through a merger with another box-maker. In a deal announced Tuesday, July 7, Welch Packaging Group is merging with American Corrugated Products, a Columbus, Ohio-based company that specializes in packaging for the automotive industry. “American Corrugated Products has a mix of custom packaging solutions built on strong design capabilities which fits the Welch model like a glove,” Welch founder and CEO Scott Welch said in a statement. “This expands the talent, design and niche products that we can bring to our customer while broadening our automotive industry expertise. American Corrugated Products customers will greatly benefit from Welch’s geographic coverage and product capabilities.” Combined, the companies have 900 employees across six states. Welch Packaging was founded in Elkhart in 1985 and has facilities in Elkhart, Marion, Indianapolis, Chicago, and three Ohio plants in Columbus, Cleveland and Toledo. American Corrugated has plants in Jackson, Mich.; Evansville; Morehead, Ky.; Columbia, Tenn., and Dyersburg, Tenn. A statement from Welch Packaging did not specify how or if the companies’ leadership would be consolidated or how the merger might impact the people currently working at the companies. Calls and emails to a Welch company spokesperson for comment were not returned Tuesday afternoon. Welch Packaging has grown significantly in the last few years through the acquisition of other box-making companies. In May 2014, it acquired Go Packaging LLC in Lombard, Ill., and in March 2014 it bought Marion-based Indiana Corrugated. In November 2013, officials announced the acquisition of Nova Packaging, also in Marion. http://www.elkharttruth.com/news/business/2015/07/08/Elkhart-s-Welch-Packaging-group-merges-with-Ohio-based-American-Corrugated-Products.html