California seems poised to join the list of states that no longer allow grocery stores to offer the option of plastic bags at the checkout. On Aug. 29, lawmakers in both branches of California state government approved two companion bills that would eliminate all plastic bags from the point of sale. The legislation is focused on checkout bags as opposed to bags used to hold produce or wrap food that could cause contamination. Customers would be encouraged to bring their own bags or purchase recycled paper bags at checkout for a nominal fee.

Tony Smurfit, President and CEO, commented: “I am pleased to report a strong first quarter performance with Net Income of $382 million, Adjusted EBITDA of $1,252 million, in-line with our stated guidance, and an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 16.4%. This performance was driven by good results across all three segments, with notable progress in North America, and is significantly ahead of the combined result for the prior year. “I am especially pleased with how well the combination has come together, with strong operational and cultural integration taking place across all three regions. Coupled with our geographic footprint and our unrivalled portfolio of innovative and sustainable packaging solutions, we have a customer-focused and performance-driven team that is delivering for all stakeholders. “Our synergy program is on track to deliver $400 million, with approximately $350 million in the current year. We believe there is substantial opportunity to continue to structurally improve the business through a sharper commercial and operational focus, at least equal to our synergy target. “We continue to actively optimize our asset base. We have recently announced the closure of over 500,000 tons of paper capacity in North America. We are also closing two converting facilities in our North American region and have initiated consultations to close two of our converting facilities in EMEA & APAC.

Green Bay Packaging (GBP) is thrilled to announce a land acquisition near Phoenix, Arizona. The approximately 80-acre parcel is located at the NEC/SEC of Bianco and Kortsen Roads in Casa Grande. “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Green Bay Packaging to Casa Grande,” said Casa Grande Mayor Craig McFarland. “This investment is a testament to our city’s strategic growth and commitment to fostering a vibrant business environment. We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with Green Bay Packaging.” “Green Bay Packaging is excited to be a part of the great community of Casa Grande Arizona,” said GBP Executive Vice President Bryan Hollenbach. “The surrounding markets are a growing business community that we believe will be a great fit for the future presence of a significant GBP corrugated box operation. We want to thank Newmark and Land Advisors for their help in bringing this important investment to closure.”