According to FANUC, an industrial robotics manufacturer, there are approximately 1.9 jobs per unemployed worker in the United States. Why? Well, e-commerce is still creating strong labor demand across all areas of the supply chain. To add to that, U.S. businesses are reshoring their sourcing to domestic suppliers in hopes of combating the long overseas lead times; all of which means the creation of even more job openings across North America. Pregis attended Automate in Detroit, MI last week, and returned with a wealth of innovation trends that are adding value within the fulfillment centers of so many industries – from third-party logistics to retail. Timely Takeaways from the Event: 1. Picking and packing goes autonomous: The days of workers wearing out the warehouse floor as they transport goods from inventory to the packing area are numbered. Robotics manufacturers, such as Fetch (now owned by Zebra technologies), are now offering automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and automated mobile robots (AMRs) that autonomously transport goods from storage to pack stations. 2. Machine vision & artificial intelligence: Software and hardware capabilities within the optics space are beginning to reach sci-fi levels. 3. [Insert technology] as a service: Software-as-a-service (SaaS) has been around for a while, but now, technology companies are leveraging this business model for varying forms of technology – one of which is robotics. 4. The rise of integration: As businesses increasingly adopt autonomous equipment, internet-of-things (IoT), and warehouse management systems (WMS), integrators are emerging as key partners.

Containerboard production was 2.0 percent higher compared to August 2016. The month-over-month average daily production compared to July 2017 was 1.0 percent lower. The containerboard operating rate for August decreased from 97.9 percent to 96.9 percent, which was 0.8 percentage points higher compared to August of last year. Year-to-date production of containerboard for export is up 4.4 percent.

In alignment with its operational Impact 2025 sustainability goals, Berry Global Group, Inc. announced all of its Health, Hygiene, and Specialities Division facilities located in China as zero waste to landfill. These facilities join the Division’s global list of 12 facilities to receive the prestigious internal recognition. Berry encourages all sites to embark on a zero waste to landfill journey, defined internally as diverting over 90% of waste away from disposal, with less than 1% of waste being disposed via landfill. Announced in 2019, Berry set a goal to reduce landfill waste intensity by 5% per year. Just this year, Berry reduced the amount of waste disposed via landfill by over 2,000 metric tons, achieving a landfill waste intensity reduction of 12%, well above the year-over-year target of 5%; this also reflects a 9% reduction from 2019. Guided by the waste management hierarchy, Berry leverages continuous improvement to reduce waste generation and maximize the value recovered from any waste that is generated.