Essity is advancing a sale-or-spin-off process for its Consumer Tissue division, home to the Lotus, Tempo and Cushelle brands, with Morgan Stanley advising on options including an external sale or a separate Stockholm listing. External valuations diverge, with one report putting the unit at EUR 2.5bn-3bn and a separate Bloomberg report citing sources who value the business at around SEK 34bn, with a sale process potentially launching as early as October 2026. Activist investor Cevian Capital has built a stake and is pressing Essity to focus on its core hygiene and health businesses; the strategic review, launched in May 2026, is expected to conclude in the first half of 2027.
Why this mattersA multibillion-value tissue carve-out would reshape Essity into a pure hygiene and health group and could create a new standalone European tissue player.
- Morgan Stanley is advising Essity on a dual-track separation of Consumer Tissue, either a sale to an external buyer or a spin-off listed in Stockholm, according to Bloomberg
- Bloomberg sources say the process could start as early as October 2026 and value the toilet paper business at about SEK 34bn
- One report values the division, home to Lotus, Tempo and Cushelle, at EUR 2.5bn-3bn, below the company's own valuation projections
- The strategic review was announced in May 2026 and is expected to conclude in the first half of 2027
- Activist investor Cevian Capital has increased its stake and is pressing for a focus on core high-margin hygiene and health businesses
CCL Industries completed its acquisition of French shrink-sleeve labelling specialist Sleever International on 1 June 2026, adding a technique used widely on beverages and personal-care products to its label portfolio. On 12 August 2026 the Toronto-listed group reported second-quarter sales of CAD 2,110.2m and net income of CAD 223.8m across its CCL, Avery, Checkpoint and Innovia divisions, results it described as records, and it renewed its buy-back programme on 22 May 2026.
Why this mattersThe bolt-on continues CCL's long-run strategy of consolidating a fragmented labels market through targeted, technology-specific acquisitions rather than transformative mergers.
- CCL completed the acquisition of French shrink-sleeve labelling specialist Sleever International on 1 June 2026, deal value undisclosed
- CCL reported Q2 2026 sales of CAD 2,110.2m and net income of CAD 223.8m for the three months to 30 June 2026
- Divisional Q2 sales were CAD 1,340.2m at CCL, CAD 287.2m at Avery, CAD 251.0m at Checkpoint and CAD 231.8m at Innovia
- H1 2026 sales reached CAD 4,049.2m with net income of CAD 428.7m
- CCL renewed its normal course issuer bid and automatic securities purchase plan on 22 May 2026
- CCL declared dividends of CAD 0.3575 per Class A share and CAD 0.36 per Class B share, payable in September 2026
Yakult Honsha and Nippon Paper Crecia began full-scale joint trunk transport between Kanagawa and Okayama on 1 September 2026, following a June-to-August trial. The scheme mixes loads of ambient-temperature beverages and household paper products to raise truck load factors as Japan's freight sector faces capacity pressure from stricter driver working-hour rules.
Why this mattersCross-industry load pooling shows how shippers are restructuring logistics to offset Japan's driver-hour caps and rising transport costs.
- Full-scale joint trunk transport between Kanagawa and Okayama began on 1 September 2026, after a June-to-August trial
- Yakult's ambient-temperature beverages are combined with Nippon Paper Crecia's household paper products in mixed loads
- The scheme aims to raise truck load factors amid Japan's tightened driver overtime rules effective 2024
- Yakult reported consolidated revenue of JPY 486.425bn (USD 3.16bn) for the year to March 2026
- Nippon Paper Crecia reported revenue of JPY 128.2bn (USD 832m) for the year to March 2026
Mondi has ceased production at its Brzeźno plant in eastern Poland and will fully close the site on 30 September 2026, cutting 162 jobs. The company announced the liquidation in late April 2026 after more than 20 years of operation at the location; machinery is now being dismantled, with some equipment reportedly heading to Germany and some sold to Ukrainian buyers.
Why this mattersEquipment leaving the site for Germany and reportedly for Ukrainian buyers indicates the 162-job Brzeźno plant will not restart, removing Mondi capacity from eastern Poland.
- Production at Mondi's Brzeźno plant in Dorohusk municipality has stopped, with the site to close fully on 30 September 2026.
- The closure eliminates 162 jobs: 43 in administration, 92 in production, 18 in logistics and 9 in technical roles.
- Mondi announced the liquidation decision at the end of April 2026.
- The plant had operated for more than 20 years, employing residents of Chełm and Chełm county.
- Machinery is being dismantled; some equipment is reportedly being sent to Germany and some sold to Ukrainian buyers rebuilding a bombed factory.
- Local unemployment in the Chełm labour office stood at 4,742 people at end-August 2026, before the Mondi layoffs take full effect in October.
SCG Packaging has completed acquisition of a 90% stake in Jin Zhong Fa Paper Industrial (JZF), a corrugated containers producer in Chonburi, Thailand, for Baht 68 million. The deal adds 28,000 tonnes of annual production capacity and expands SCGP's customer base among fruit exporters to China. JZF's results will be consolidated into SCGP's financial statements from October 2026.
Why this mattersThe bolt-on deepens SCGP's fibre packaging footprint in Eastern Thailand's fruit-export corridor, letting it reallocate orders and free capacity elsewhere.
- SCGP acquired a 90% stake in Jin Zhong Fa Paper Industrial (JZF) for Baht 68 million.
- JZF adds 28,000 tonnes of annual production capacity in Chonburi province, Thailand.
- JZF is a corrugated containers producer serving customers in the China-bound fruit export market.
- JZF reported FY2025 revenue of Baht 205 million and total assets of Baht 240 million.
- JZF's financials will be consolidated into SCGP's accounts from October 2026.
- SCGP CEO Wichan Jitpukdee said the deal supports growth of its fibre packaging business across ASEAN.
Saica Group has commissioned a third fully automated rotary die cutter at its Ashbourne corrugated packaging plant in Ireland, raising output capacity at the site. The machine began production in September 2026, part of Saica's ongoing investment programme across its five Irish sites.
Why this mattersA third die cutter lifts Saica's Irish converting capacity, tightening competition for corrugated volumes as PPWR pushes customers towards automated packing lines.
- Third fully automated rotary die cutter commissioned at Ashbourne plant, Ireland
- Machine began production in September 2026
- Saica operates five sites across Ireland
- Saica Group reported consolidated group revenue of EUR 3,962m for 2025
- Company cites EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) as a driver of automated packaging demand
- Saica has invested in Ireland since establishing presence there in 2008
Mayr-Melnhof's MM Packaging Deeside has upgraded its GreenPeel fibre-based food tray with a continuous double-rim structure to improve seal integrity for skin-sealed fresh protein products such as meat, fish and chilled meals. The first application, a 20mm tray, was developed with a major French poultry producer and required changes to machinery and tooling; wider adoption across the GreenPeel range is planned.
Why this mattersReinforced fibre-tray designs that match plastic-tray seal performance widen the addressable protein-packaging market for cartonboard converters at plastics' expense.
- MM Packaging Deeside has added a double-rim structure to its GreenPeel cartonboard food tray, replacing the prior single-rim design.
- GreenPeel uses up to 90% less plastic than conventional plastic trays.
- The first application is a new 20mm tray for fresh protein, developed with a major poultry producer in France.
- MM Packaging modified its machinery and tooling to produce the new format.
- Wider rollout of the double-rim design across the GreenPeel range is planned.
Austrian dairy SalzburgMilch has begun commercial production of its Alex and Lisa children's drinks in SIG Group's DomeMini carton-bottle pack, the first commercial European use of SIG's DomeMini 12 Aseptic filling line. The line runs seven pack sizes from 180ml to 350ml at up to 12,000 units per hour, with format changeovers of about 15 minutes.
Why this mattersThe launch gives SIG a European reference customer for its aseptic carton-bottle format aimed at displacing plastic bottles in on-the-go children's drinks.
- SalzburgMilch, Austria's third-largest dairy, processed 344 million kg of milk in 2025
- SalzburgMilch uses SIG DomeMini for its Alex chocolate and Lisa vanilla children's drinks
- Installation is the first commercial European use of the SIG DomeMini 12 Aseptic filling line
- The line handles seven pack sizes from 180ml to 350ml at up to 12,000 units per hour
- SIG states the format cuts plastic use by more than 80% versus comparable plastic bottles
- Changeover between pack formats takes about 15 minutes
Paranova has partnered with fresh produce supplier AMFresh to roll out around one million fibre-based punnets for its BOOMBITES grapes, using Paranova's FibreFresh HeatSeal range. The launch extends the fibre punnet format beyond its earlier use in tomatoes, positioning it as an alternative to plastic trays for fresh produce.
Why this mattersFibre-based punnets gaining traction in a new produce category signals wider retailer and grower appetite to replace plastic trays across fresh produce lines.
- Around one million FibreFresh HeatSeal punnets produced for the BOOMBITES grape launch.
- Punnet is part of Paranova's FibreFresh HeatSeal range, previously used for tomatoes.
- AMFresh is the fresh produce supplier partnering on the launch.
- Punnet is designed for respiration and transpiration management and compatibility with existing packing lines.
Huhtamaki India, the Indian listed arm of Huhtamaki, reported net sales of INR 723 crore for the quarter ended 30 June 2026, up 23.1% year on year, with pricing, volume and product mix contributing in roughly equal measure. First-half EBITDA margin widened 2.2 percentage points year on year to 10.5% and first-half earnings per share rose 36% to INR 9.18. Management said commodity cost increases linked to Middle East supply disruption were passed through under index-linked contracts, and the company holds nil net debt.
Why this mattersFull pass-through of raw material inflation without losing volume shows converters in Asia retaining pricing power as resin costs move with geopolitical supply risk.
- Net sales rose 23.1% year on year to INR 723 crore in the quarter ended 30 June 2026
- First-half EBITDA margin widened 2.2 percentage points year on year to 10.5%
- First-half earnings per share rose 36% to INR 9.18, after a one-time depreciation charge of INR 8.8 crore in the prior quarter
- The company holds nil net debt, with INR 270 crore in bank balances, INR 125 crore in liquid mutual funds and INR 427 crore of unused fund-based limits
- Exports account for about 30% of sales volume, shipped to Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas
- A solar captive power plant due online in the third quarter is expected to supply nearly 50% of power at the Khopoli plant
Visy sold the land under its Ettamogah paper mill near Albury, New South Wales, to Australian-American neo-cloud computing company Sharon AI for AUD 50m, with the transfer of 302.37 hectares completed on 29 June 2026. Visy is understood to be leasing the site back to continue its current operations. Sharon AI has not said what it will build and had lodged no development application as of 16 September 2026; Visy paid AUD 85m for the combined land and assets in 2019, buying them from Norske Skog.
Why this mattersMonetising mill land to a data-centre buyer while leasing back the plant gives paper producers a capital release that leaves production capacity untouched.
- The sale of 302.37 hectares at Ettamogah, near Albury, NSW, completed on 29 June 2026 for AUD 50m, according to data lodged with property platform Cotality
- Visy is understood to be leasing the premises back from Sharon AI for its current operations on an ongoing basis
- Visy paid AUD 85m in 2019 for the combined land and assets, acquired from Norske Skog
- Sharon AI, based in Sydney and New York, has not disclosed its plans and had lodged no development application as of 16 September 2026
- Albury MP Justin Clancy has called for guarantees on electricity and water use, infrastructure costs and local jobs; a local petition against a data centre had 350 verified signatures on 16 September 2026
H.B. Fuller has named Huhtamaki a winner of its 2026 Customer Innovation Award for ProDairy, a paper-based dairy cup that cuts polyethylene content by moving from a two-layer PE coating to a single poly-coating. The cup uses an H.B. Fuller varnish to provide moisture and abrasion protection without an external PE layer, and is described as commercially scalable. Winners will be recognised at an event on 29 September 2026.
Why this mattersA single-poly-coated paper cup that keeps moisture barrier performance points to a route for dairy packaging to cut plastic use and improve recyclability.
- Huhtamaki's ProDairy cup cuts polyethylene content from a 2PE structure to a single poly-coating
- The design uses an H.B. Fuller high-performance varnish in place of the external PE layer while protecting against moisture and abrasion
- H.B. Fuller describes the solution as commercially scalable and aimed at products stored in chilled conditions
- Winners of the 2026 Customer Innovation Award will be recognised at an event on 29 September 2026
Kleannara has scheduled an extraordinary general meeting for 4 November 2026 in Seoul at which shareholders will vote on appointing Choi Byung Min, currently an advisor to the company and its former honorary chairman, as an inside director. The move is presented by the board as reinforcing leadership continuity at the South Korean hygiene and household paper products maker.
Why this mattersReturning a former honorary chairman to the board points to continuity rather than change in strategy at the South Korean household paper producer.
- Kleannara's board has called an extraordinary general meeting for 4 November 2026 in Seoul.
- Shareholders will vote on appointing Choi Byung Min as an inside director.
- Choi Byung Min currently serves as an advisor and formerly held the role of honorary chairman.
- Kleannara is listed under ticker KR:004540 and makes tissues, diapers and other household paper products for the South Korean market.
Arauco has begun lifting the 18 beams of a 270-metre rail bridge over the Sao Mateus stream at Inocencia, Mato Grosso do Sul, part of a BRL 2.4bn, 45km spur linking its Sucuriu pulp mill to the Rumo Malha Norte network and on to the Port of Santos. The company has also taken delivery of the first 108 of 254 forestry harvesting machines ordered under a BRL 500m investment, with the first harvesting module due to start in December 2026. Arauco expects to complete the railway and start up the mill, which it describes as the world's largest single-line pulp mill, at the end of 2027.
Why this mattersRail-to-port capacity and a harvesting fleet on the ground remove two of the main execution risks from the end-2027 start-up of Brazil's largest pulp mill.
- Beam lifting on the 270-metre, 18-beam rail bridge over the Sao Mateus stream began in September 2026 and is due to finish by the end of the month
- The rail project carries planned investment of BRL 2.4bn, covering 45km of track to the Rumo Malha Norte network plus 9km inside the industrial site
- Planned operations involve 26 locomotives and 721 wagons, with each train carrying up to 9,600 tonnes of pulp, removing about 190 truck trips a day from local roads
- Arauco has received the first 108 of 254 forestry machines ordered under a BRL 500m investment; the first harvesting module starts in December 2026 and the second in February 2027
- Arauco expects to complete the railway and start up the Sucuriu mill at Inocencia at the end of 2027
- More than 14,000 jobs are expected during construction and about 6,000 in industrial, forestry and logistics roles once operating, out of up to 20,000 opportunities in total
The first barge of major equipment for Irving Pulp & Paper's CAD 1.5bn Project NextGen arrived at the company's Saint John, New Brunswick mill site on 13 September 2026. The upgrade, backed by a CAD 660m loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank closed in September 2025, will add a new recovery boiler, steam turbine and green energy generator while retiring an oil-fired boiler. It is expected to cut kraft pulp emissions per tonne by 50%, make the mill energy self-sufficient and lift softwood kraft pulp output by over 70%.
Why this mattersA single mill moving into the global top ten for softwood kraft with 70% more output shifts NBSK supply and the fibre cost curve for premium tissue buyers.
- First barge of major components for Project NextGen arrived at Lee Cove, Saint John, on 13 September 2026
- Project NextGen is a CAD 1.5bn upgrade of Irving Pulp & Paper's west-side kraft pulp mill in Saint John, New Brunswick
- The Canada Infrastructure Bank closed a CAD 660m loan to Irving Pulp & Paper in September 2025 to support the project
- The project includes a new recovery boiler, steam turbine and green energy generator, and decommissioning of an oil-fired boiler
- The upgrade is expected to cut emissions per tonne of kraft pulp by 50% and make the mill energy self-sufficient
- Once complete, the mill's softwood kraft pulp output is expected to rise by more than 70%, placing it among the top 10 global producers
Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper will receive more than CAD 2.4m in Ontario provincial funding to plan boiler and chemical-plant upgrades expected to raise daily kraft production by 11%. The upgrades would also cut bleaching-chemical use by around 30% and reduce annual natural gas consumption by more than 5 million cubic metres. Separately, Ontario is providing CAD 93,000 to AUX Energy for a biomass generator project in Fort Frances and CAD 33,000 to Weyerhaeuser for production-line upgrade studies.
Why this mattersThe upgrade would lift kraft capacity at a Northwestern Ontario mill while cutting gas and chemical use, supporting the region's forestry-sector cost base.
- Ontario will provide more than CAD 2.4m for planning of boiler and chemical-plant upgrades at Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper.
- The upgrades are expected to raise daily kraft production by 11%.
- The mill would need over 130,000 tonnes of additional annual forest biomass to support the higher output.
- Bleaching-chemical use would fall by around 30% and natural gas consumption by more than 5 million cubic metres a year.
- AUX Energy will receive CAD 93,000 to plan a biomass-powered generator project in Fort Frances.
- Weyerhaeuser will receive CAD 33,000 to study production-line upgrades.
The general superintendence of Brazil's competition authority Cade has gathered more than 2,000 pieces of evidence in an investigation into the alleged systematic exchange of salary, pay-rise and benefits data between HR executives at more than 50 large companies between 1994 and 2021, among them Klabin and Suzano. People following the case say the technical staff is weighing whether to recommend that Cade's tribunal convict the companies, and whether the conduct amounts to a cartel; a finding against them could bring fines of up to 20% of gross revenue in the year before the alleged infringement, plus damages claims in court. Several of the companies say they comply with competition law and describe the exchanges as benchmarking, and some argue Cade has no jurisdiction over the practice.
Why this mattersA conviction would expose two major Brazilian forest-products groups to fines measured against group revenue and make labour-market information sharing an antitrust risk sector-wide.
- Cade's general superintendence has collected more than 2,000 pieces of evidence in the case
- More than 50 companies are under investigation, including the listed groups Klabin and Suzano
- The alleged exchanges of salary, pay-rise and benefits data ran from 1994 to 2021
- A conviction could bring fines of up to 20% of gross revenue in the year before the alleged infringement began, and open the way to damages claims in court
- The investigation began in 2020 from a leniency agreement with a company whose name is confidential; the administrative proceeding was opened in 2024
- Of the companies contacted by Folha, 16 replied and generally said they comply with the law, 12 declined to comment and 30 did not respond
Domtar and machinery supplier BW Converting Solutions completed the Factory Acceptance Test on 17 September 2026 for a new PCMC PARAGON converting line destined for Domtar's Calhoun, Tennessee facility. The FAT confirms the equipment meets specification ahead of shipment; no installation or start-up date has been set.
Why this mattersA cleared factory test is the step before shipment, putting added converting capacity at Calhoun in prospect without a disclosed installation or start-up date.
- The Factory Acceptance Test for the PCMC PARAGON line was completed on 17 September 2026.
- The line is supplied by BW Converting Solutions, whose PCMC brand builds converting machinery.
- The line is destined for Domtar's Calhoun, Tennessee facility.
- No installation or start-up date has been disclosed.
Stora Enso has appointed Chief Financial Officer Niclas Rosenlew as Deputy CEO with immediate effect from 17 September 2026, while retaining his CFO role. He will deputise for President and CEO Hans Sohlström, who continues in post. Rosenlew joined the group as CFO in January 2025.
Why this mattersPairing the CFO and deputy CEO roles gives Stora Enso a second senior voice with customers and investors while leaving Sohlstrom in charge of strategy execution.
- Niclas Rosenlew becomes Deputy CEO with immediate effect from 17 September 2026
- Rosenlew retains his role as CFO and Group Leadership Team member
- Rosenlew will deputise for President and CEO Hans Sohlström, who remains in post
- Rosenlew joined Stora Enso as CFO in January 2025
- Stora Enso employs approximately 19,000 people and reported EUR 9.3 billion sales in 2025
Montes del Plata, the Uruguayan pulp joint venture of Stora Enso and Arauco, has produced exclusively talc-free eucalyptus pulp since spring 2026, replacing talc with an organic additive that controls resin deposits. Stora Enso announced the change on 20 August 2026, citing customer expectations and regulatory scrutiny of talc. The switch followed evaluation from 2023, lab trials in 2024, and subsequent industrial trials.
Why this mattersThe move signals rising regulatory and customer pressure on talc in pulp processing, with implications for other eucalyptus pulp producers.
- Montes del Plata has produced exclusively talc-free eucalyptus pulp since spring 2026
- Talc has been replaced by an organic additive that controls resin (pitch) deposits
- Stora Enso announced the change on 20 August 2026
- Stora Enso and Arauco began evaluating replacement solutions in 2023, with lab trials in 2024
- The additive reportedly meets US FDA requirements and German BfR recommendations for food contact
- Montes del Plata supplies eucalyptus pulp to global markets
Bulgarian glass value-chain stakeholders have launched Close the Glass Loop Bulgaria, a national platform coordinated by ECOBULPACK to improve glass collection and recycling. The initiative follows a Sofia workshop on 16 September 2026 and aims to build a national action plan, with Bulgaria becoming the 15th country in the European Close the Glass Loop network.
Why this mattersMore coordinated national collection schemes support the glass industry's push toward higher recycled content and lower reliance on virgin raw materials.
- Bulgaria collected 84% of glass packaging waste for recycling in 2024, per Close the Glass Loop data
- The platform is coordinated by ECOBULPACK Bulgaria, with BA Glass and FEVE among supporting partners
- It follows a workshop held in Sofia on 16 September 2026 with over 50 industry experts
- Bulgaria is the 15th national platform in the European Close the Glass Loop network
- FEVE's stated EU-wide ambition is a 90% glass packaging collection-for-recycling rate by 2030
- BA Glass operates two glass packaging production facilities in Bulgaria
Schott Pharma has delivered the first full batch of vials packed in trays made with recycled polypropylene to Takeda's manufacturing site in Singen, Germany, taking a closed-loop system developed with tray maker Corplex from pilot phase into routine operation. The trays contain up to 70% recycled polypropylene drawn from a controlled loop, and a peer-reviewed independent life-cycle assessment puts their greenhouse gas emissions up to 50% below equivalent all-virgin trays. Formal change controls and trials at Takeda confirmed the trays are processable in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Why this mattersA qualified closed-loop recycled-content system for single-use pharma intermediate packaging gives drugmakers and tray suppliers a template ahead of tighter EU rules.
- The first full batch of vials in recycled-PP trays reached Takeda's Singen site in Germany in August 2026, following a pilot phase
- The trays contain up to 70% recycled polypropylene sourced from a controlled closed loop
- A peer-reviewed independent life-cycle assessment by The LCA Centre in October 2024 found up to 50% lower greenhouse gas emissions than equivalent trays made entirely from virgin polypropylene
- Development ran over two years and included a risk assessment, a ton-scale production study and equivalency testing against virgin-material trays
- Corplex returns the closed-loop material into new tray production and Schott Pharma uses the trays as intermediate packaging for vial shipments to Takeda
- The system targets Scope 3, Category 1 emissions across the three companies' value chain
Vetropack has developed a transparent glass bottle with functional UV protection for Brasserie Pietra's Limoncella beer, a Corsican white beer introduced in 2025. The bottle is made at Vetropack Straza in Croatia using feeder colouring, in which UV-protective frits are added to colourless base glass in the feeder rather than in the melting tank. It is the first bottle Pietra has had custom-made for one of its beers.
Why this mattersThe project shows glassmakers using feeder colouring to offer brand-differentiating clear bottles with functional UV protection, a niche capability for smaller beverage customers.
- Vetropack Straza in Croatia manufactures the transparent UV-protective bottle for Pietra Limoncella, a beer introduced in 2025
- The bottle uses feeder colouring, with UV-protective frits added to colourless base glass, leaving a slightly greenish tinge where the glass is thicker at the base
- It is the first custom-designed bottle Brasserie Pietra has used for one of its beers
- Vetropack Straza holds the widest range of glass colours in the group and runs smaller batches of special and UV-protective colours through feeder colouring
- Brasserie Pietra was founded in 1996 in Furiani, near Bastia in Corsica, and employs almost 50 people
JSC Plant Protey has opened a second cosmetics-packaging production site in Zhukov, Kaluga region, Russia, lifting its plastic packaging capacity by 80% to 800 million vials and cans a year plus 850 million caps. Total investment exceeded RUB 4bn, including a RUB 500m concessional loan from Russia's Industrial Development Fund, and the 36,000 square metre site introduces single-cycle PET injection moulding and almost 300 jobs.
Why this mattersThe expansion signals continued localisation of cosmetics packaging in Russia, reducing reliance on imported PET containers as import substitution runs through the category.
- Total investment exceeded RUB 4bn, of which RUB 500m came from the Industrial Development Fund as a concessional loan under its Development Projects programme
- Capacity for plastic packaging rose 80% to 800 million vials and cans a year
- The new site adds capacity for 850 million caps a year
- The site in Zhukov, Kaluga region, covers 36,000 square metres
- The project creates almost 300 jobs
- The loan funded injection moulding equipment, moulds, a centralised raw material loading system, cooling and product handling and packaging equipment
Amcor and Dow announced a strategic collaboration on 17 September 2026 to accelerate adoption of low-carbon packaging, combining Dow's low-carbon polyethylene and carbon-footprint expertise with Amcor's packaging design and manufacturing. The partners will use a Carbon Footprint Ledger methodology, aligned with ISO 14067 and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, to give customers verified product carbon data supporting Scope 3 reduction targets.
Why this mattersA resin supplier and converter jointly offering assured low-carbon PE data could shift how brand owners source packaging to meet Scope 3 targets without redesign.
- Dow and Amcor announced the collaboration on 17 September 2026
- It pairs Dow's low-carbon polyethylene, materials science and carbon footprint expertise with Amcor's packaging design, manufacturing and global reach
- Central to it is the Carbon Footprint Ledger, which applies mass-balance greenhouse gas accounting and issues product carbon footprint information
- The methodology is aligned with ISO 14067 and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Standard, with limited third-party assurance
- The aim is drop-in low-carbon polyethylene packaging that helps brands cut Scope 3 emissions without redesign or new infrastructure
- The partners named no specific packaging applications, participating customers, emissions-reduction figures or implementation timeline
Toppan Holdings' Italian film subsidiary Irplast has inaugurated a new manufacturing line for biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film, marking the event with a ceremony on 15 September 2026. The line lifts the plant's high-performance BOPP capacity to up to 30,000 tonnes a year and is expected to reach full commercial operation by late 2026, targeting recyclable mono-material packaging demand in Europe.
Why this mattersAdds local European capacity for mono-material BOPP film as converters and brand owners seek PPWR-compliant recyclable substrates.
- New BOPP film line inaugurated at Irplast, Italy, on 15 September 2026
- Combined line capacity reaches up to 30,000 tonnes per year of high-performance BOPP film
- Full commercial operations expected by late 2026
- Line uses Bruckner's LISIM simultaneous stretching technology
- Development targets down-gauging and retort-sterilisation-resistant applications
- Films aimed at recycle-ready mono-material packaging for EU PPWR compliance
Time Technoplast has completed a greenfield plant at Bhilad, Gujarat, for conical polymer pails and injection-moulded packaging, with production due to start on 25 September 2026. The fully automated, robotics-equipped facility has an annual capacity of 6,000 tonnes and cost approximately INR 24 crore, with expected turnover of about INR 100 crore at 90% utilisation.
Why this mattersAn INR 24 crore line carrying about INR 100 crore of turnover at 90% utilisation adds Indian industrial pail capacity at low capital intensity.
- Plant located at Bhilad, Gujarat, India, completed within scheduled time.
- Production start scheduled for 25 September 2026.
- Annual production capacity is 6,000 tonnes for conical polymer pails and injection-moulded products.
- Investment of approximately INR 24 crore.
- Expected turnover of approximately INR 100 crore at 90% capacity utilisation.
- Facility is fully automated and uses robotics to cut human intervention and administrative costs.
Plastipak has begun commercial rollout of O2Blox, a PET oxygen barrier technology designed to stay compatible with bottle-to-bottle PET recycling. Eckes-Granini Group is already using the technology for oxygen-sensitive products such as juice and functional beverages, with further customer projects in testing and validation.
Why this mattersA barrier layer that does not disrupt PET recycling streams could let brand owners meet EU recyclability and recycled-content rules for oxygen-sensitive products without switching packaging materials.
- O2Blox is Plastipak's new PET oxygen barrier technology aimed at products such as juice, ketchup and functional beverages.
- Eckes-Granini Group has already adopted the technology; several further customer projects are in testing and validation.
- O2Blox holds APR Design for Plastics Recyclability recognition and RecyClass Technology Approval.
- O2Blox is a finalist in the Circular Plastics category of the Sustainability Awards 2026, with winners due 11 November 2026 in Utrecht.
Futamura and Bio4life have developed a certified home and industrially compostable pressure-sensitive adhesive label for fresh produce, combining Futamura's NatureFlex cellulose film with Bio4life's BioTAK adhesive. The product is aimed at retailers and packers seeking to remove conventional plastic fruit stickers, which the companies say contaminate organic waste and anaerobic digestion streams. No commercial volumes or launch customers were disclosed.
Why this mattersA compostable fruit sticker closes a long-standing contamination gap in food waste and anaerobic digestion streams as retailers face rising compostability requirements.
- Futamura's NatureFlex cellulose film is combined with Bio4life's BioTAK adhesive technology in the new label
- The label is certified for both home and industrial composting
- It targets fresh produce such as apples, avocados, kiwis and citrus fruit, replacing fossil-based plastic stickers
- Conventional PSA labels are cited as a contamination risk in organic waste and anaerobic digestion streams when disposed with produce skins
- NatureFlex films are offered in clear, white or metallised variants and can be used at thinner grammages than other compostable alternatives
Aptar Active Material Science, part of Aptar, has reported the first commercial use of its Activ-Film technology in a capsule-based dry powder inhaler, extending a platform previously used in oral solid-dose drugs, implants and diagnostics. The material sits in a separate cavity within the aluminium blister, connected by a channel to the drug cavity, and is engineered to manage moisture, oxygen and VOCs without contacting the drug. Aptar declined to name the inhaler manufacturer, citing confidentiality.
Why this mattersExtends active packaging beyond solid-dose pharma into inhalation devices, opening a new application area for stability-control materials in drug delivery.
- Aptar Active Material Science reports the first commercial deployment of Activ-Film in a capsule-based dry powder inhaler.
- Activ-Film sits in a separate cavity in the aluminium blister, linked by a channel to the drug cavity to avoid direct contact.
- The technology is built on Aptar's 3-Phase Activ-Polymer platform and can manage moisture, oxygen and VOCs.
- Aptar opened a New Jersey manufacturing facility in 2025 dedicated to clinical packaging for oral solid-dose drugs and capsule-based DPI products.
- Aptar declined to identify the inhaler manufacturer using the technology, citing confidentiality agreements.
- The platform is already used in FDA-approved oral solid-dose drugs, implants and diagnostic products.
Aptar Beauty has added the Novus Advance cosmetic pump to its Advance Collection, a full-polyolefin dispensing platform designed for recyclability. The pump combines polypropylene and polyethylene, is compatible with PET, PE and PP bottle streams, and can incorporate post-consumer recycled resin.
Why this mattersMono-material pump designs help brand owners meet packaging recyclability targets without changing dispensing performance or design.
- Novus Advance is part of Aptar Beauty's Advance Collection, first introduced in 2025
- The pump combines polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) in a full-polyolefin cartridge
- It is compatible with PET and PE recycling streams when paired with HDPE, PP or PET bottles
- The design is POM-free and can integrate post-consumer recycled resin (PCR)
- It offers medium doses of 500 microlitres and 350 microlitres for hair, body and sun care
- The pump has passed Aptar Beauty's in-house ISTA-6 e-commerce shipping test protocols
A pet food brand, Elementary Cold Pressed, has adopted the award-winning Pouch3 Cuboid flexible pouch made by converter Sun Centre USA, extending a design first used for coffee packaging by Lake Michigan Coffee Company and EDC Coffee. The headspace-free, single-web LDPE format uses up to 30% less material than a comparable stand-up or flat-bottom pouch, which HP's flexible packaging category manager said is prompting brands to switch as US states introduce weight- or volume-based extended producer responsibility fees.
Why this mattersUS state EPR fees based on weight or volume are starting to steer brand-owner format choices toward material-lean pouches, a lever converters can sell on.
- Elementary Cold Pressed pet food is using the Pouch3 Cuboid pouch, made by converter Sun Centre USA
- The format uses up to 30% less material than an equivalent flat-bottom or stand-up pouch, per FPA
- It is built from recyclable LDPE in a single-web structure
- The design won two Gold awards from the Flexible Packaging Association after debuting on a coffee pack for Lake Michigan Coffee Company and EDC Coffee
- Several US states charge EPR fees to producers based on packaging weight or volume, giving material-reducing formats a direct fee saving
- The Elementary pouch substrate was printed on an HP Indigo digital press
Pöppelmann Famac has developed spouts and caps containing more than 90 percent post-consumer recycled polyethylene for non-food spouted pouches, targeting household and personal care applications. The components can be heat-sealed to mono-PE pouch film using a patented welding base designed to reduce thermal stress on the film. A 10.5mm spout is launching first, with additional sizes planned.
Why this mattersExtends recycled content beyond pouch film to spouts and caps, helping brand owners meet PPWR recyclability and recycled-content requirements for flexible packaging.
- Pöppelmann Famac's new spouts and caps use more than 90 percent PCR-PE sourced from household recycling collections
- Initial launch covers a 10.5mm diameter spout for non-food uses such as cosmetics and detergents
- The patented welded base uses a wave structure to reduce heat damage to mono-PE film during sealing
- The PCR components are aimed at non-food only; food applications continue to use existing LowSealing PE/PP spouts
- Development is part of the company-wide Pöppelmann Blue sustainability initiative
- Products will be shown at the Fakuma trade fair, Hall A1, Stand 1001
Coveris has commercially launched MonoFlex Thermoform, a monomaterial film for tortilla packaging that replaces non-recyclable PA/PP laminates while keeping at least six months' shelf life. The company will also showcase PFAS-free pet food packaging, including paper-based MonoFlexFibre Max and monomaterial MonoFlexBE, at PATS UK 2026 in Birmingham from 27-29 September, as EU PFAS restrictions and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation push converters toward recyclable mono-material designs.
Why this mattersNew EU rules on PFAS and packaging waste are pushing converters to redesign multi-material food films around single-polymer recyclability across categories.
- MonoFlex Thermoform replaces PA/PP mixed-material laminates for tortilla packaging, developed at Coveris' Food Science Lab in Gainsborough
- Product maintains at least six months' shelf life and is compatible with existing packaging lines
- Coveris will exhibit PFAS-free pet food packaging at PATS UK 2026, 27-29 September, NEC Birmingham
- MonoFlexFibre Max is a paper-based structure designed for the paper recycling stream
- MonoFlexBE is a recycle-ready monomaterial with a metallic inner layer for high-barrier use
- Coveris cites new EU PFAS restrictions and PPWR as drivers for the redesigns
Alpla has taken over the closure production operations of Serbian manufacturer Energoplast in Belgrade, adding compression and injection moulding capacity for PE closures. The transaction, which includes personnel, production lines and existing business, closed on 1 November 2025 after regulatory approval; financial terms were not disclosed.
Why this mattersThe deal expands Alpla's system-provider footprint in South-East Europe and consolidates local closure supply for beverage customers in the Balkans.
- Alpla acquired Energoplast's closure production facility in Belgrade on 1 November 2025
- The 2,000 square metre plant uses compression and injection moulding to make PE closures
- The deal includes personnel, production lines and existing business
- Alpla now operates four plants in Serbia, two plants in Croatia and one in Slovenia
- Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed
Spectra Packaging has unveiled its Classico jar range for personal care products, made with 55% recycled PET, under its PCR55 initiative. The company says the recycled content exceeds the UK Plastic Packaging Tax's 30% threshold and the EU PPWR's 2030 and 2040 recycled-content mandates. The jars are shown at London Packaging Week in the UK, running 16-17 September 2026.
Why this mattersSuppliers pre-empting rising EU and UK recycled-content mandates signal where converters expect regulatory thresholds to move next.
- Classico jar range contains 55% recycled PET, above the UK Plastic Packaging Tax's 30% threshold.
- Range available in seven sizes from 50 mL to 400 mL, made via injection stretch blow moulding.
- EU PPWR requires 30% recycled content in contact-sensitive plastic packaging from 2030, rising to 50% from 2040.
- Spectra's 55% rPET packaging received a Green rating under the UK packaging EPR recyclability assessment methodology.
- Spectra is also developing a Rotondo PET jar range as part of the same PCR55 initiative.
- Launch took place at London Packaging Week, held 16-17 September 2026 in the UK.
Syntegon reported first-half 2026 sales up 7% to EUR 883m, with adjusted EBITDA up 16% to EUR 148m and margin rising 130 basis points to 16.8%. Growth was driven by Pharma, where sales rose 14%, while the Food business, notably chocolate and bars packaging, was held back by cautious customer investment amid cost pressure. The company maintains its full-year 2026 guidance for profitable growth, backed by a record order backlog of EUR 1.3bn.
Why this mattersPharma and biotech demand is offsetting a slowdown in food-sector capex, underlining a widening divergence in machinery investment across end markets.
- H1 2026 sales rose 7% year on year to EUR 883m
- Adjusted EBITDA grew 16% to EUR 148m, margin up 130 basis points to 16.8%
- Order intake reached EUR 964m, book-to-bill ratio of 1.09, backlog at a record EUR 1.3bn
- Pharma segment sales grew 14% and remained the main growth driver, including gains in US biologics
- Food segment growth was limited, particularly in chocolate and bars, on cautious customer investment
- Company reaffirms guidance for continued profitable growth in 2026
MotionTech, a European automation company, has launched operations in the United States, appointing Kristian Hulgard as executive sales director to lead the business from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The initial US offering covers end-of-line packaging, storage and conveying equipment, building on more than 30 prior US installations including projects for Dematic and Knapp.
Why this mattersA direct US presence lets MotionTech bid for end-of-line projects without local partners, adding a competitor in North American packaging automation.
- MotionTech is a European automation company entering the US market
- Kristian Hulgard appointed executive sales director for the US, based in Dallas-Fort Worth
- Initial US focus is end-of-line packaging, storage and conveying solutions
- MotionTech has completed more than 30 US installations in recent years
- Past US customers include warehouse automation firms Dematic and Knapp
Wiliot has partnered with Austrian testing specialist CISC Semiconductor to deploy a standardised functional test system, BLE Xplorer, for its battery-free IoT Pixels. The system tests up to 6,500 units per hour per lane, more than four times a conventional station, with pass-or-fail validation on every unit. CISC begins pre-sales of BLE Xplorer in September 2026, targeting faster onboarding of manufacturing partners.
Why this mattersFaster, standardised testing lowers the barrier for converters to add IoT-tag production lines, supporting wider adoption of battery-free sensing in packaging and logistics.
- BLE Xplorer tests up to 6,500 units per hour per lane versus about 1,500 for a conventional stop-and-go station.
- The system provides a pass-or-fail result for every unit, enabling 100% output testing.
- It integrates with Wiliot's Physical AI platform to record unit-level test data.
- CISC begins pre-sales of BLE Xplorer in September 2026.
- The partnership targets acceleration of supplier onboarding and expansion of global manufacturing capacity for IoT Pixels.
- Applications cited include supply chain, logistics, retail, post-and-parcel and food and beverage sectors.
Biomaterials developer Kelpi has partnered with household products brand Bower Collective to launch what they describe as the first recyclable paper sachet for a liquid product, using a seaweed-derived coating in place of fossil fuel plastic lining. UK converter Guardpack produced and filled the sachets on standard existing lines, and Bower Collective is distributing them as hand wash samples to its customer base.
Why this mattersA drop-in biobased coating that runs on existing filling lines could open a path to recyclable paper sachets, a format long resistant to plastic replacement.
- Kelpi's seaweed-derived biomaterial coats paper to provide a water barrier without fossil fuel-based plastic lining
- Bower Collective is distributing 5ml sample sachets of its Hand Wash range in three scents to customers
- UK converter Guardpack manufactured and filled the sachets on its existing sachet-filling lines with no equipment changes
- The coated paper sachet is designed to be recyclable via household paper streams and to biodegrade if it enters the natural environment
- Kelpi has separately been selected for L'Oreal's EUR 100m L'Accelerator programme
CERM, the Belgian management-information-system provider for the label and packaging industry, is extending its software with an AI agent called Lexis for order entry, new quality-management and traceability functions, and a new cloud platform called O2. Lexis was in use at 20 customers as at CERM's press release of 10 September 2026, with global release scheduled for 15 September as part of the CERM Extensions portfolio. The O2 platform initially focuses on label printers, and the solutions were announced for LOUPE Americas 2026.
Why this mattersAutomating order intake and adding a cloud option shifts competition among converter software vendors towards AI-driven efficiency rather than feature breadth.
- Lexis reads order emails and attachments, converts them into structured data and checks them against the CERM database through an API before a user approves the sales order
- Lexis was in use at 20 customers as at CERM's press release of 10 September 2026, with global release scheduled for 15 September 2026
- Australian printer Onpack had processed 260 orders containing more than 3,500 products through Lexis, cutting entry time for larger orders from two to three hours to under one hour
- CERM's existing CERM7 system is used by more than 500 companies worldwide
- CERM is adding digital quality checklists tied to individual production jobs and extended traceability logging of production events with timestamps
- The new O2 cloud platform initially focuses on label printers; CERM's partner network includes Esko, Hybrid Software, A B Graphic International and Screen
Syntegon has launched the Sepion 75, a pilot-scale tablet coater extending its Sepion series for oral solid dosage manufacturing. The machine targets pharmaceutical manufacturers and CDMOs handling smaller, more variable batch sizes and higher containment requirements for potent active ingredients.
Why this mattersExtends Syntegon's pharma processing line into pilot-scale, supporting customers' flexible batch scale-up and containment needs ahead of full production.
- Syntegon launched the Sepion 75 pilot-scale tablet coater on 15 September 2026
- The coater covers batch volumes from 8 to 75 litres via two interchangeable drum sizes
- Batch processing range covers 10 to 100 percent of maximum working volume
- Containment up to OEB5 is available as an option across the Sepion series
- The Sepion series uses closed material handling during filling, sampling and discharge
TurboFil Packaging Machines has introduced a Monoblock Glass Vial Filling & Assembly Unit that combines liquid filling, closure placement, tightening, labelling and inspection in one reconfigurable system. The platform targets pharmaceutical, diagnostic and other regulated liquid product manufacturers seeking flexibility for smaller batch sizes and frequent changeovers.
Why this mattersConsolidating multiple filling and assembly steps into a reconfigurable monoblock lets pharma customers cut changeover time as batch sizes shrink and formats proliferate.
- TurboFil Packaging Machines launched the Monoblock Glass Vial Filling & Assembly Unit on 15 September 2026.
- The system integrates filling, closure placement, tightening, labelling and inspection in one compact unit.
- Filling options include peristaltic, ceramic piston or bespoke pumping technologies with single or multiple heads.
- Vials move via an intermittent-motion indexing starwheel and can be fed manually or automatically.
- Closures are delivered via a stainless steel vibratory feeding system with servo-controlled tightening.
- The unit uses an Allen Bradley PLC with touchscreen HMI and recipe-driven production for changeovers.
Neltume Ports has submitted to Uruguay's presidency a USD 884m proposal for a second specialised container terminal at the port of Montevideo, designed for 1.15 million TEU a year across 920 metres of berth and about 38 hectares reclaimed from the sea. President Yamandu Orsi said on 16 September that the proposal was good in principle but that the government must analyse constraints, while port authority ANP is to assess feasibility, including the contract clause protecting incumbent Terminal Cuenca del Plata. Neltume Ports, principal shareholder of Montevideo operator Montecon, recently withdrew a claim against Uruguay linked to the state's terminal agreement with Katoen Natie.
Why this mattersA second specialised terminal would end Terminal Cuenca del Plata's exclusivity at Montevideo and add 1.15 million TEU on a main Southern Cone export route.
- The Montevideo Container Terminal proposal totals USD 884m and became known around 10 September 2026
- Planned capacity is 1.15 million TEU a year, with 920 metres of berth and about 38 hectares reclaimed from the sea, without occupying existing public quays
- President Yamandu Orsi said on 16 September 2026 that the proposal was good in principle but that there are constraints to analyse
- ANP will assess feasibility through a multidisciplinary group; the state's contract with Katoen Natie limited a second specialised terminal until Terminal Cuenca del Plata had operated at 85% of capacity for two consecutive years
- Uruguay's administrative court annulled the clause of the 2021 decree that restricted a second terminal, which Neltume Ports argues clears the way for competition at the port
- Neltume Ports denies that shipping line MSC is behind the proposal and projects 1,800 jobs during construction
McCain Foods has retrofitted the control systems on two high-speed pizza cartoning lines rather than replace the machines outright, engaging PerForm Packaging Solutions, working with Syntegon's Kliklok unit, to carry out the upgrade in 2026. The work, including new servo and variable speed drives, PLC and HMI systems and rewritten control software, was scheduled around planned shutdown windows and completed ahead of time, supporting the start-up of McCain's Prepared Foods plant.
Why this mattersThe case shows food manufacturers extending the life of existing cartoning lines through targeted control-system retrofits rather than full replacement.
- Two high-speed pizza cartoning lines run 24 hours a day, six days a week at McCain Foods.
- PerForm Packaging Solutions carried out the retrofit in 2026, working with Kliklok, part of Syntegon Group.
- The upgrade replaced electrical control systems, including servo and variable speed drives, PLC and HMI systems, cabling and control software.
- Installation was scheduled around McCain's Christmas and Easter shutdown windows.
- The project finished several days ahead of schedule, in time to support the start-up of McCain's Prepared Foods plant.
- PerForm bench-tested the new systems before installation and provided 24/7 on-site support during commissioning.
Dow Chemical has closed the sale of its flexible packaging composite adhesives business to Arkema for USD 150m, a deal first announced on 2 May 2024. The divested unit, which generates about USD 250m in annual sales, comprises five production sites in Italy, the US and Mexico making solvent-based and solvent-free laminating adhesives and heat-seal coatings. Dow retains its water-based and acrylic composite adhesives, which it says remain core to its growth strategy.
Why this mattersThe deal consolidates solvent-based laminating adhesive supply at Arkema, a key input for food and medical laminates, while Dow narrows its packaging materials range.
- Sale price is USD 150m.
- Deal was announced on 2 May 2024 and has now completed.
- Five production sites in Italy, the US and Mexico are included.
- Divested business had annual sales of approximately USD 250m.
- Business supplies solvent-based and solvent-free laminating adhesives and heat-seal coatings.
- Dow keeps its water-based and acrylic composite adhesives businesses.
Loop Industries' board has formed a Strategic Alternatives Committee to evaluate options including a sale, merger, going-private transaction or licensing deals. The move follows the separation of the Chairman and CEO roles, with the committee's first task to help secure funding for Loop's planned India recycled-PET joint venture. No timetable has been set.
Why this mattersA formal sale-or-merger review at a listed recycled-PET technology developer signals funding pressure on next-generation chemical recycling capacity ahead of stricter recycled-content rules.
- Loop Industries' board formed a Strategic Alternatives Committee on 17 September 2026
- The committee follows Jeff Geygan's appointment as Chairman, separating the Chairman and CEO roles previously held together
- Options under review include a sale, merger, going-private transaction, licensing deals, regional joint ventures and corporate restructuring
- The committee's immediate priority is securing Loop's required capital contribution and project-level financing for its planned India joint venture
- Founder and CEO Daniel Solomita remains in charge of operations, including the India joint venture and commercialisation
- No timetable has been set and the company has not decided on any specific alternative
The Ontario government is investing CAD 5.1m in Bioveld North, the BMI Group subsidiary that bought the idled Espanola pulp and paper mill from Domtar in late 2025, to fund engineering and design work on a possible restart. Bioveld is contributing a further CAD 5.4m, taking the engineering programme to CAD 10.5m, as the site is studied as a bioproducts and biomass hub rather than a conventional pulp mill.
Why this mattersA restart would return capacity and jobs to a mill idled for three years, but conversion to biomass and bioproducts signals conventional pulp production may not return.
- Ontario announced a CAD 5.1m investment on 3 September 2026 through its Forest Biomass Program.
- Bioveld North, a BMI Group subsidiary, bought the former Domtar mill property in Espanola in late 2025.
- The mill has been idle for three years.
- Bioveld is contributing CAD 5.4m, bringing the total engineering programme to CAD 10.5m.
- The funding covers engineering and design work to assess restarting the site as a 'Pulp+' bioproducts hub.
- The plan explores biomass, renewable fuels and other green technology uses for the site.
Technotrans will demonstrate a networked thermal-management cell at Fakuma 2026, combining its temperature-control units with a Sumitomo (SHI) Demag electric injection moulding machine to produce transparent polycarbonate playing-card boxes. The system, which links components via OPC UA and uses a variothermal module co-developed with Contura and CycleTemp, is claimed to cut energy consumption by up to 40 percent while reducing optical defects in the moulded parts. A parallel exhibit at the same stand will show a 48-cavity tool producing beverage closures.
Why this mattersNetworked, energy-efficient thermal control for injection moulding could lower energy costs and defect rates for converters producing optically demanding plastic packaging.
- Technotrans will present a networked manufacturing cell for transparent polycarbonate playing-card boxes at Fakuma 2026 (Friedrichshafen, 12-16 October 2026)
- The cell pairs Technotrans temperature-control units with a fully electric Sumitomo (SHI) Demag injection moulding machine, linked via OPC UA
- A variothermal system, co-developed with Contura and CycleTemp, is claimed to cut energy use by up to 40 percent and reduce internal stress in optical parts
- Two cooling systems in the demonstration use propane (R290) as a natural refrigerant
- A second application shown alongside uses a 48-cavity mould to produce beverage closures
CONAI, Italy's national packaging consortium, has announced increases to its environmental contribution (CAC) charged to producers of wood and glass packaging, effective 1 January 2027. Wood packaging fees rise from EUR 10/t to EUR 12/t and glass from EUR 40/t to EUR 48/t; separately, a new EUR 45/t fee for compostable capsules and pods takes effect from 12 August 2026 following their reclassification as packaging under EU Regulation 2025/40.
Why this mattersHigher end-of-life fees raise input costs for Italian wood and glass packaging producers and extend EPR obligations to compostable capsule and pod makers.
- CONAI's environmental contribution (CAC) for wood packaging rises from EUR 10 per tonne to EUR 12 per tonne from 1 January 2027
- CAC for glass packaging rises from EUR 40 per tonne to EUR 48 per tonne from 1 January 2027
- A new CAC of EUR 45 per tonne is introduced for biodegradable and compostable packaging, effective 12 August 2026
- The new biodegradable/compostable fee applies to EN 13432-certified plastic capsules and pods, now classed as packaging under EU Regulation 2025/40
- The reclassification follows EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation 2025/40/EU, effective 12 August 2026
California Waste Solutions is expanding Pellenc ST optical-sorting capacity at its Timothy MRF in San Jose and installing new EverestLabs AI scanners at its 10th Street MRF in Oakland. The San Jose upgrade targets higher material recovery and product purity, while the Oakland scanners provide real-time item counting and belt-condition data. A further phase involving robotic or additional optical sorting is under consideration.
Why this mattersMRF operators are pairing optical sorting with AI data capture to raise recovery and purity as feedstock composition and contamination levels keep shifting.
- California Waste Solutions is increasing Pellenc ST optical-sorter capacity at its Timothy MRF in San Jose.
- The company is newly installing EverestLabs AI scanners at its 10th Street MRF in Oakland.
- The Oakland scanners will count items and report belt burden depth and exposed belt surface on the container line.
- California Waste Solutions has used optical sorting since the mid-2000s.
- A further phase under consideration could add robotic sorting, additional optical sorting, or both, based on the scanner data.
Circular Action Alliance Colorado, the producer responsibility organisation running the state's extended producer responsibility programme for packaging and paper, has signed funding agreements with the city of Cortez, the town of Dolores and the town of Oak Creek to provide free curbside recycling. The cities of Golden and Thornton, among others, are expected to join soon, while the PRO has also signed service agreements with recycling collectors and processors including Apex Waste Solutions, Boulder County, Bruin Waste, Clean Valley Recycling and Ranch Creek Waste.
Why this mattersEPR fee revenue is now funding municipal collection contracts in Colorado, a template for producers facing similar laws in other US states.
- CAA Colorado signed funding agreements with Cortez, Dolores and Oak Creek for free curbside recycling.
- Golden, Thornton and other cities are expected to join the programme soon.
- First service agreements for processing facilities include Apex Waste Solutions, Boulder County, Bruin Waste, Clean Valley Recycling and Ranch Creek Waste.
- Discussions are under way with Republic Services, Waste Connections of Colorado and WM.
- The programme operates under Colorado's Producer Responsibility Program for Statewide Recycling Act (H.B. 22-1355).
- The law aims to raise Colorado's recycling rate from 25% to 41% by 2030.
Greyparrot has launched a live AI-based dashboard that tracks overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) at materials and plastics recovery facilities, combining equipment availability, throughput and output quality into a single continuously updated score. The tool is intended to let operators identify and act on losses during a shift rather than reconstructing causes afterwards from separate records. It extends the company's Facility Dashboard, launched in May 2024.
Why this mattersReal-time OEE data lets recovery facilities cut material losses and defend recyclate quality, tightening the supply of recycled feedstock for packaging producers.
- Greyparrot launched the dashboard on 16 September 2026, tracking overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) at materials and plastics recovery facilities
- OEE combines running time, throughput versus design capacity and output quality into a single continuously updated score
- The system uses continuous material composition data instead of weighbridge tickets, downtime logs and periodic bale audits assembled after a shift
- It identifies unplanned stoppages, empty-running conveyors and throughput bottlenecks by line and shift
- The launch follows Greyparrot's Facility Dashboard, announced in May 2024, which tracked sorting performance from conveyor belt data
- Biffa's operational support manager for recycling, Ian McSpirit, is quoted on the product
EverestLabs launched Navigator on 24 August 2026, a multi-agent AI platform for materials recovery facilities handling plastics, fibre and metals, combining vision, language and reasoning agents to monitor sorting lines and equipment. The company claims the system can lift facility throughput by 20 to 30 percent and is integrating it with Pellenc ST and Schneider Electric automation systems, with Caglia Environmental as an early customer.
Why this mattersAI-driven orchestration of sorting plants could raise recovery rates and ease EPR compliance reporting, affecting the recycled feedstock available to packaging producers.
- Navigator launched on 24 August 2026 by EverestLabs, a Fremont, California-based industrial AI company
- EverestLabs claims Navigator can boost facility throughput by 20 to 30 percent
- The platform targets what EverestLabs says is the 93 percent of raw materials currently unrecovered
- Caglia Environmental is named as an early Navigator customer
- EverestLabs is integrating Navigator with Pellenc ST and Schneider Electric automation systems
- The claimed performance figures are company-reported and not independently audited
A cross-sector open letter coordinated by One Planet Consulting and backed by Boomerang Alliance, Australian Industry Group and others has asked federal and state ministers to use the Environment Ministers Meeting on 18 September 2026 to confirm principles and a national pathway for regulated extended producer responsibility schemes. It sets out eight actions, including mandatory national EPR for priority products under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020, the National EPA as regulator, and schemes potentially beginning from mid-2027. The scope covers packaging, plastics, batteries, mattresses, tyres, flooring, clothing and solar photovoltaic products, and the letter remains open for further signatures.
Why this mattersA mandatory national EPR framework would move packaging end-of-life costs onto producers and importers and replace the present patchwork of voluntary and state arrangements.
- The letter asks ministers to reflect eight actions in the communique of the Environment Ministers Meeting on 18 September 2026
- It calls on the federal government to use the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 to establish mandatory national EPR schemes for priority products
- It identifies the National EPA as the appropriate regulator for EPR schemes, producer responsibility organisations and obligated producers
- It says schemes could begin from mid-2027, with impact statements and tenders initiated within the next three to six months
- Signatories include One Planet Consulting, Boomerang Alliance, Australian Industry Group, Charitable Reuse Australia, GECA and the Municipal Association of Victoria
- The scope spans packaging, plastics, batteries, mattresses, tyres, flooring, clothing and solar photovoltaic products, with more than 20 international EPR systems cited as precedent
An alliance of four German business associations, led by IHK Schleswig-Holstein, has launched a campaign called 'Stop the Clock for the PPWR' running until 5 October 2026, seeking a temporary suspension of parts of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. The campaign targets the requirement for cross-border online sellers to appoint an authorised representative and labelling rules that could force disclosure of suppliers' contact details on packaging, proposing instead a single 'Responsible Economic Operator' contact point.
Why this mattersContinued industry pushback on PPWR implementation could delay compliance deadlines and administrative requirements affecting cross-border sellers and packaging supply chains across the EU.
- The PPWR has applied since 12 August 2026.
- The 'Stop the Clock for the PPWR' campaign runs until 5 October 2026.
- The alliance comprises IHK Schleswig-Holstein, UVNord, Die Familienunternehmer and the Verband der Unternehmerinnen.
- Online and mail-order retailers may need to appoint an authorised representative in each member state for cross-border direct sales.
- The alliance proposes a 'Responsible Economic Operator' model as an alternative to listing multiple supply-chain contacts on packaging labels.
The French can industry cooperative GIE La Boîte Boisson has asked the government to resume talks on a deposit return scheme after Paris shelved plans for a mandatory nationwide system, urging that aluminium cans be included. France's can recycling rate lags at around 50%, well below the 90% collection rates achieved in EU states with deposit schemes already in place, while cans grew 5.8% year-on-year in 2025 to nearly 4.8 billion units.
Why this mattersA stalled French deposit scheme leaves the country's can collection well below EU peers, delaying recycled-content gains that can producers rely on for cost and carbon targets.
- French government has stepped back from plans for a mandatory nationwide deposit return scheme
- GIE La Boîte Boisson is calling for talks to resume with aluminium cans included in future plans
- French can consumption rose 5.8% year-on-year in 2025 to nearly 4.8 billion units, about 70 cans per resident
- Aluminium can recycling rate across Europe stands at 76.3%, per a Metal Packaging Europe and European Aluminium study
- France's overall can recycling rate is around 50%, with only 26% collected via home recycling bins
- Industry group targets 100% recycled aluminium content, cutting emissions to about 7g CO2e per 330ml can by 2050
The Circular Packaging Association (CPA) and the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on packaging circularity policy and knowledge-sharing across the UAE and wider GCC. The agreement covers policy engagement, industry advocacy and joint workshops but sets no financial or capacity targets.
Why this mattersSignals coordinated industry lobbying on GCC packaging policy, which could shape future regional recycled-content or EPR rules.
- MoU signed by GPCA secretary general Mater Aldhafeeri and CPA chairman Mohamed Ali Eldabaa
- CPA launched in 2023 as an industry working group licensed under Dubai Chambers
- GPCA represents more than 240 member companies across the GCC chemical industry
- GPCA members account for over 95% of GCC chemical output, worth over USD 108 billion annually
- Cooperation areas include policy engagement, knowledge exchange and capacity building
The CGT, FO and CFTC unions at La Rochette Cartonboard plan a rally on 19 September 2026 outside the French cartonboard plant, denouncing unpaid suppliers, raw material shortages and idled machines despite a full order book. The 255-employee plant, with revenue of around EUR 90m, has been owned by German investment fund Mutares since 2021 and was previously part of Italy's Reno de Medici group.
Why this mattersRaw-material shortages and idle machines at a 255-employee, EUR 90m-revenue cartonboard plant point to supply risk for French board buyers.
- The CGT, FO and CFTC unions will rally outside the La Rochette plant in Savoie on 19 September 2026
- The unions say raw materials have run out, suppliers are no longer being paid and machines stand idle despite orders on the books, with staff on paid stand-down
- The plant employs 255 people and has revenue of around EUR 90m
- Works council members invoked their right of alert in December 2025 and requested a financial expertise, but say they have not received the figures sought
- Mutares acquired La Rochette Cartonboard in 2021 from Italy's Reno de Medici
- Management did not respond to the publication's requests for comment
Indian laminating adhesive maker Brilliant Polymers introduced its Max Cure M5411/M599 solvent-free adhesive system at the ElitePlus 2026 summit in Mumbai, offering faster curing and a wider application window for flexible packaging converters. The company, which operates a 60,000-ton-per-year plant in Maharashtra, said it is preparing a further capacity expansion to be announced later this year.
Why this mattersFaster-curing solvent-free adhesives extend the technology into hot-fill and foil laminate applications, pressuring solvent-based systems' remaining share in flexible packaging.
- Brilliant Polymers launched the Max Cure M5411/M599 solvent-free adhesive system at ElitePlus 2026 in Mumbai in August.
- The system achieves primary aromatic amine compliance in about two days and supports hot-fill applications.
- Brilliant Polymers plans a further capacity expansion at its Maharashtra plant, to be announced later in 2026.
- The company's Maharashtra facility has 60,000 tons per year capacity and supplies customers across six continents.
- Solvent-free adhesives made up 74% of Brilliant Polymers' sales volumes, up from 72% a year earlier.
- Brilliant Polymers shifted its manufacturing to green electricity during 2026, eliminating Scope 2 emissions, and targets an 80% Scope 1 cut by 2030 versus FY2023-24.
Indian label converter Artisan Venture has installed a Colorix Jetrix-E hybrid digital label press at its Ahmedabad site, combining five-colour digital printing with pre-flexo and cold foil units. It is the second Jetrix-E installation in India, following the first at Swastik Arts in Mumbai.
Why this mattersHybrid digital-flexo platforms let converters serve shorter, SKU-heavy label runs without dedicated separate lines, a capital-efficiency shift smaller Indian converters are now adopting.
- Artisan Venture installed a Jetrix-E hybrid digital label press in Ahmedabad, India.
- The press combines five-colour digital printing with pre-flexo and cold foil units.
- It is the second Jetrix-E installation in India, after Swastik Arts in Mumbai.
- Colorix is the equipment brand, marketed via Orange O Tec's label and publication division.
