O-I Glass discloses $21M severance charge amid furnace closures

The company detailed an optimization plan in July. In the past two months, O-I has disclosed multiple furnace closures impacting hundreds of employees and a Q3 charge related to expected Q4 severance payouts.

PulPac leverages partnerships to advance its dry molded fiber technology

The company is experiencing growth as it touts its technology's carbon footprint benefits over the wet molding process. Identifying coatings free of PFAS is a sticking point, says Chief Commercial Officer Sanna Fager.

CEOs from Ball, Ikea, Nestlé, H&M, others call for climate action ahead of COP29

A letter, signed by senior executives from over 100 corporations, urges governments and businesses to collaborate to address challenges related to climate risk mitigation.

‘Everybody benefits’: Why the beauty industry needs to get serious about accessible packaging

Rare Beauty and Target have taken steps to develop guidance around universally accessible design, but the industry isn’t prioritizing it yet.

Silgan completes acquisition of Weener Plastics

Weener Plastics is Silgan’s latest major purchase in recent years to grow its dispensing and specialty closures division.

Updated Oct. 15, 2024

How2Recycle doesn’t want to abandon the chasing arrows

Consumer comprehension data played a central role in how How2Recycle redesigned its instructional label, leaders of the process explained. But potential restrictions in California pose a challenge.

Updated Oct. 14, 2024

International Paper, DS Smith shareholders vote to approve combination

The shareholders’ approvals push the deal closer to closing, which the parties still expect to occur this quarter. The combined companies anticipate pro forma sales of over $28 billion.

Packaging innovations: United Airlines’ canned wine, Chivas Regal’s light spirits

Plus, RXDco puts cannabis in a cocoon, Novolex flags product tampering and KYSU switches from plastic to paper. 

Brands make packaging design changes for e-commerce compatibility

Pandemic-related and sustainability trends, along with Amazon's requirements, are among the factors prompting Clorox, Mars Wrigley and Nestlé to tweak product packaging designs they use for e-commerce.

Danone chooses cartons for initial How2Recycle Plus rollout

The company also detailed other packaging formats where it’s considering adding the labels, which include a Recycle Check QR code. It’s unclear how much consumers engaged with those QR codes during other brands’ pilots.

Updated Oct. 11, 2024

Clorox says 2023 cyberattack hurt progress on 2030 plastic, waste reduction goals

The company is reassessing some sustainability goals, according to its latest annual report. Data shows the company stagnated on lowering virgin material and upping PCR in packaging.

Inside the debate over PLA, the packaging industry’s favorite bioplastic

Polylactic acid has been around for decades, but it only became popular as an option for compostable packaging more recently. While some environmental groups question its credentials, the packaging sector expects demand to grow.

Longtime Plastipak Packaging CEO steps down, welcomes ‘next generation of leadership’

William Young, who co-founded the family-owned company in 1967, passed the torch this week to his son-in-law, Edward Morgan, who has worked at Plastipak for more than 20 years.

Yum! Brands’ 2025 virgin plastic reduction target remains in question

The corporation described packaging sustainability efforts across its fast-food brands in an ESG report, including updating Pizza Hut box graphics to promote recycling and expanding mail-in recycling for Taco Bell sauce packets.

Washington state fines 35 companies violating recycled plastic law

Clorox, Ocean Spray and Albertsons are among the companies facing the highest penalties. Under the law, plastic beverage containers had to use at least 15% recycled content in 2023 and plastic trash bags had to contain 10%.

Consumers are confused by packaging sustainability claims

Between greenwashing, confusing terminology and a lack of information, a lot gets lost in translation, according to speakers from the National Retail Federation, NielsenIQ and others at recent industry events.

How2Recycle Plus ready to take dynamic labels mainstream

The new offering features a QR code so consumers can access localized recycling information. It will come at a higher price to brands than the more traditional How2Recycle Pro label. Danone will be the first to adopt it.

Packaging innovations: Hot Pockets go sleeveless, Henkel’s coating lightens dry food packaging

Plus, hair care brand Overtone joins a Target sustainability initiative as it launches tubes with a new look and PCR.

Hush-hush: Is greenwashing pushback prompting pivot to ‘greenhushing’?

Companies must focus on data to back their sustainability claims instead of resorting to silence, or exaggerations, said sources from groups such as the U.S. Plastics Pact, Glass Packaging Institute and McCormick & Co.

Paying their fair share: CAA and states detail approach to EPR enforcement

The new CEO of Circular Action Alliance and state producer responsibility leads shared how they’ll collaborate on compliance and enforcement. A Colorado deadline this week brought a surge of producer registrations.

Packaging trade shows to watch in 2025

Mark your calendar: These U.S. conferences and events will cover timely trends in sustainable packaging design, recycling technologies, regional market trends, substrate evolutions, automation and more.

BPI Summit highlights ongoing compostable packaging debate ahead of USDA decision

World Centric, the California Compost Coalition, Athens Services, Dirt Hugger, A1 Organics, Moonshot Compost and others weighed in with their thoughts about this growing category of packaging.

Dart Container, Origin Materials announced workforce cuts in September

New data shows U.S. manufacturing contracted and layoffs rose last month. News of workforce reductions by Berry Global and Origin cropped up in Canada, as well as at Dart’s corporate headquarters in Michigan.

The How2Recycle label is getting a new look

The campaign to transform the instructional label program involves a refreshed design, enhanced data sources and partners handling different aspects of the system, and planning for greater investment in consumer education.

Pactiv Evergreen divests 2 facilities to Suzano for $110M

The sale of sites in Arkansas and North Carolina is the culmination of a strategic review by Pactiv as the company also restructures its beverage and food merchandising businesses and explores footprint optimization.

Updated Oct. 1, 2024