Destocking trend lingers, June data suggests

Labor data and purchasing managers’ index readings shed new light on the state of manufacturing and inventories, as economists and analysts weigh in.

By Maria Rachal • July 13, 2023

Origin Materials begins operations at first plant for biomass-based PET component

The intermediate component, known as CMF, can be manufactured from a variety of materials, including pulp mill residuals and agricultural residue. The company expects it to result in a lower carbon footprint than recycled PET.

By Katie Pyzyk • July 12, 2023

At Colgate, supply chain and sustainability come from the same tube

The CPG aims to reduce its carbon footprint and plastic waste while converting to packaging deemed recyclable for the billions of tubes of toothpaste it sells.

By Ben Unglesbee • July 6, 2023

PepsiCo struggles to advance its plastic sustainability goals

The food and beverage company’s ESG report attributed its increased use of virgin plastic from nonrenewable sources, in part, to “limited availability and high cost of recycled content.”

By Katie Pyzyk • July 5, 2023

Digital printing boosts ‘unboxing’ e-commerce trend and customized consumer experiences

The technology also unlocks sustainability and consumer loyalty benefits, according to panelists on a “future of packaging” webinar.

By Katie Pyzyk • June 29, 2023

DS Smith anticipates improved box volumes following dip that dragged down financial results

The U.K.-based packaging company is investing heavily in innovation, especially to help customers replace plastic products with fiber.

By Katie Pyzyk • June 26, 2023

Emissions data request could be precursor to carbon border tax on steel, aluminum

While tariffs tend to drive up costs for metal-related businesses such as can producers, carbon tax research suggests recycled-content products would fare better in this scenario.

By Katie Pyzyk • June 23, 2023

Arglass launches ‘clean glass’ collection and recycling partnership to ease supply woes

Arglass and The Upcycling Co. anticipate the program will divert 210 million glass bottles from disposal each year in parts of Georgia and Florida.

By Katie Pyzyk • June 22, 2023

CG Roxane launches second in-house rPET plant to supply bottled water operations

The company also upped its bottles’ minimum recycled content to 50%, which is expected to save nearly 33,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

By Katie Pyzyk • June 20, 2023

Destocking is out, higher-priced ‘urgent orders’ are in, Greif CEO says

Although the company’s numbers were down year over year, executives reiterated that this Q2 was the second-strongest in company history. They also discussed initial results from recent acquisitions.

By Katie Pyzyk • June 14, 2023

Slowdown in new orders visible in May manufacturing data

Companies are still working through backlogs and there are signs of production slowdowns for the coming months, analysts say.

By Maria Rachal • June 6, 2023

Walmart switching to paper mailers, rightsized boxes to cut packaging waste

The world’s largest retailer says it could eliminate 65 million plastic mailers by early next year while also implementing technology that can reduce the need for box filler by creating custom-fitted packages.

By Maria Rachal • June 1, 2023

Specright CTO says to take advantage of AI for packaging, data is key

Ayman Shoukry, from data platform Specright, sees great potential in using artificial intelligence to better manage supply chains and reporting. But none of it will work without standardized data.

By Cole Rosengren • June 1, 2023

Wood vs. plastic: Which pallets are more sustainable?

More pallet companies are marketing their products’ sustainability amid growing attention to ESG practices, fueling the ongoing debate of whether one substrate is superior.

By Katie Pyzyk • May 24, 2023

US inflation again eased in April

The plastics manufacturing workforce saw a little growth last month, while paper manufacturing’s workforce declined.

By Maria Rachal • May 12, 2023

E-commerce, packaging demand dips are linked but don’t necessarily signal a wider downturn

Blaming softer e-commerce sales for falling demand in corrugated packaging and beyond may be “overblown,” sources say, highlighting a return to moderated pre-pandemic business levels instead.

By Katie Pyzyk • May 11, 2023

Destocking effects linger for packaging manufacturers

Q1 and April inventory trends — and what they might mean for the second half of the year —  were discussed by paper, glass, metal and plastic packaging executives in recent earnings calls.

By Katie Pyzyk , Maria Rachal • May 9, 2023

What April manufacturing data said about paper and plastics

Recent data from the Institute for Supply Management and S&P Global provide insights into key commodities as packaging companies experience ongoing demand shifts.

By Maria Rachal • May 2, 2023

How packaging manufacturers fared in Q1

Follow what top companies said in quarterly earnings reports about consolidation efforts, consumer demand and projections for the rest of 2023.

By Packaging Dive Staff • Updated May 10, 2023

PCA misses earnings targets due to box demand ‘well below our expectations’

Despite indicators becoming “more negative as the months went on” related to containerboard demand, executives from Packaging Corporation of America said they’ve seen volumes turn around in April.

By Katie Pyzyk • April 25, 2023

Bold Reuse launches retail glass packaging reuse pilot

Portland, Oregon-based Bold Reuse saw an opportunity to “plug and play” by leveraging its washing infrastructure, ongoing work with a local grocery chain and support from a government grant, explained one program lead.

By Maria Rachal • April 17, 2023

Curbside film recycling can be a reality with the right equipment and policy updates, pilot suggests

End markets exist and EPR could spur the investments to upgrade MRFs to handle flexible plastics, but “you’ve got to figure out that last step” to capture existing packaging, said the Flexible Packaging Association’s CEO.

By Katie Pyzyk • April 12, 2023

How the pandemic’s e-commerce boom drove new packaging trends

While the effects are finally settling out, industry experts say the last three years have seen an uptick in “ships in own container” packaging as well as changes in design.

By Leslie Nemo • April 10, 2023

What’s next if 20% of companies shift 2025 plastic targets?

Gartner research anticipates that companies will abandon plastic recycling targets, instead opting for climate action such as greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. Plastic recycling advocates disagree.

By Katie Pyzyk • March 30, 2023

How second-use boxes are helping customers advance their circularity goals

Companies like Philadelphia’s American Box have been collecting and reselling cardboard containers for decades, but the concept is gaining renewed attention as a way to extend the lifespan of this ubiquitous packaging.

By Lela Nargi • March 28, 2023