WestRock Company has delivered its flexible and efficient Cluster-Pak® EvoTech™ packaging solution for a joint partnership between Budějovický Budvar and Mattoni 1873 to advance their shared commitment to improving circularity in the Czech Republic. The solution has been deployed to package BIRGO, a non-alcoholic beer featuring unique flavor profiles developed by Mattoni in partnership with Budějovický Budvar, the Czech Republic’s largest international exporter of craft beer and the exclusive producer of BIRGO. Cluster-Pak EvoTech features easy, repeatable changeovers along with an optimized use of water, heat and electricity to improve both energy and operating efficiencies on high-speed lines. Its use of recyclable fiber-based packaging made from materials sourced from responsibly managed forests is key to establishing circularity on the BIRGO production line.

The Biodegradable Products Institute is ramping up its push for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to publish an interim final rule on compost that could improve clarity on acceptable compost inputs across the United States. The member organization recently sent a letter to the agency urging it to act related to an August 2023 petition from BPI. USDA did not act directly on that petition, which requested a revised regulatory definition of “compost feedstock.” BPI’s February letter garnered dozens of supportive signatories. The list included associations such as Ameripen, the EPR Leadership Forum, the Foodservice Packaging Institute and the Consumer Brands Association. Producers in support included Georgia-Pacific, InnoPak, CJ Biomaterials, Atlantic Packaging and NatureWorks. Composters and haulers that signed on included Black Earth Compost, Veteran Compost, Garbage to Garden and Earth Matter.

Eco Guardian says its Aurora, Ontario, plant is fully operational, manufacturing paper cups and bowls as the company positions its Canadian production and non-U.S. raw material sourcing as alternatives for buyers facing trade uncertainty. According to the company, the facility has annual capacity exceeding one billion cups and already supplies national quick-service restaurant chains, grocery retailers, and national and regional foodservice distributors. Another production line is on order, with startup expected within three to four months of its September 2 announcement.Products include cups and food containers for hot and cold applications, with polyethylene (PE) or polylactic acid (PLA) lining options, as well as bamboo-paper alternatives. Matching lids are sourced from partner manufacturers rather than produced at Aurora.