Beyond The Headlines: Berry Global’s chemicals bottle, Mondi to present luxury packaging paper

This week in industry news, Berry Global introduced a specialized bottle to contain chemicals found in cleaning products, and Mondi announced plans to present its paper solutions for luxury packaging. Innovia Films opened a new line for labels and packaging films near Leipzig, Germany, and EP Group received the Product Innovation Front of House Award from the Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA). 

In brief: Launches and releases

Berry Global provided cleaning product manufacturer Vamoosh with tailored packaging for its Plug Hole Unblocker. The packaging company said it conducted research and testing to determine the packaging material necessary to contain the specialist chemicals in the cleaning product. Berry Global incorporated an “environment stress crack resistant” additive and increased the thickness of its 600 mL Alpha bottle. The neck of the bottle was adapted to fit a standard CRC cap and meet regulatory requirements.

Valmatic launched a paper-based PaperDose Multicolor packaging solution made from FSC-certified paper. The single-dose packaging range features volumes from 1–50 mL, with applications across industries, including cosmetics, food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and veterinary. The PaperDose Multicolor can contain liquids, gels, creams, and powders and supports customizable packaging graphics. 

Lecta introduced its barrier-based paper Linerset FP for flexible packaging solutions, such as converters and printers, seeking to incorporate advanced barrier properties into their packaging. Lecta says that the Linerset FP offers a strong, flexible, and translucent alternative that can be used in bags, pouches, and wrapping applications. The solution is also made for use in flexographic printing processes. 

In brief: Trade shows

TekniPlex Healthcare's radiation-sterilizable PVC compounds (Image credit: TekniPlex).Mondi announced it will debut its paper for luxury packaging at the upcoming Luxe Pack 2025 in Shanghai, China, to be held April 9–10. The company will present its Pergraphica, IQ Board, and IQ Grass + Packaging papers. The latest addition to its Pergraphica portfolio is a grammage specifically developed for perfume packaging. Mondi said that the environmental sustainability of the packaging for luxury items is increasingly relevant. 

TekniPlex Healthcare announced that it will showcase its radiation-sterilizable PVC compounds at the upcoming China International Medical Equipment Fair, to be held April 8–11 in Shanghai. The PVC compounds are formulated to minimize yellowing and ensure material integrity. The company says its compounds were designed to avoid the discoloration and brittleness associated with conventional PVC when exposed to sterilization radiation.

In brief: New facilities and expansions

Innovia Films opened a new line for labels and packaging films near Leipzig, Germany. The company says the new 8.8-meter-wide multi-layer co-extrusion line will produce thin gauge label films to address the growing demand for lower resin content materials. The line is also expected to produce enhanced property and recycled content films to comply with the EU’s new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The scope of Innovia Films’ overall investment in this site is €70 million (US$75.8 million). 

Innovia Films opened a new line for labels and packaging films near Leipzig, Germany (Image credit: Innovia).Vemag opened a new 4,600-square-meter production hall for the manufacturing of double screws and infeed scrolls for vacuum filling machines. Such double screws are vital to the making of filling machines and to transporting flowable products using the double-spindle principle. The production hall is located in Verden, Germany, and the opening ceremony was attended by Vemag management and the mayor of Verden.

Waste management provider Republic Service and recycler Blue Polymers celebrated the opening of “North America’s first polymer center and blue polymers plastics recycling complex.” The Polymer Center and Blue Polymers facilities in Indianapolis, US, are designed to produce 175 million pounds of recycled plastics annually for sustainable packaging and other uses. 

Saudi Arabia’s Gulf Packaging Industries, a leading manufacturer of BOPP, CPP, and metalized films, signed contracts to enhance its production capacity and address the growing demand from global customers. Gulf Packaging said it plans to install two new 10.4-meter-wide BOPP production lines at a new facility, increasing its BOPP film capacity from 183,000 tons per annum (TPA) to approximately 318,000 TPA. The new lines are scheduled to begin production in 2026 and 2027.

In brief: Awards and certifications 

EP Group received the Product Innovation Front of House Award from the FPA Awards 2025 (Image credit: EP Group).EP Group received the Product Innovation Front of House Award from the FPA Awards 2025 for its Splashstop Cup Cover. The cup cover was celebrated for targeting several issues and needs prevalent in the foodservice industry: spillage and contamination, ability to drink with a Splashstop “sip,” and improving the end-user delivery and collection experience. 

UPM Speciality Papers’ packaging papers were certified as recyclable by the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) and the US WMU testing methods. The certified papers, according to the CEPI method, include the barrier papers: UPM Asendo, UPM Asendo Pro, UPM Confidio, and UPM Confidio Pro. The certified barrier-based papers are the UPM Prego and the UPM Solide Lucent. The recyclable C1S packaging papers include the UPM UniquePack, UPM UniquePack Strong, and the UPM FlexPack. 

Flint Group, a global supplier of inks and coatings for the print and packaging industry, reinforced its commitment to Nitrocellulose-free (NC-free) ink systems in Europe. The company states that this supports flexible packaging recycling in alignment with the newly updated EU PPWR. The PPWR mandates that by 2030, all packaging on the EU market must be 100% recyclable. The company says that NC-free inks offer improved compatibility with the mechanical recycling process.