Weekly Roundup: Amcor purchases ExxonMobil’s circular PE, Greenglass Recycling boosts Romanian recycling

14 Apr 2022 --- In packaging news this week, Amcor became the first company to purchase certified circular PE material using ExxonMobil’s Exxtend technology for advanced recycling. Also, Greenglass Recycling in Romania invested in a new post-consumer glass waste recycling plant, and Global packaging leader TricorBraun agreed to acquire PB Packaging in Australia.

In brief: Circular economy
Amcor announced it is the first company to purchase certified circular PE material using ExxonMobil’s Exxtend technology for advanced recycling. The packaging giant will leverage this new material across its global portfolio, providing customers in the healthcare and food industries with more recycled content in a variety of solutions and applications. Increasing the use of advanced recycling materials, such as circular polymers, is one way Amcor is meeting its environmental sustainability pledge to develop all of its packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025. The use of these materials will significantly add to the 113,000 metric tons of recycled material Amcor used in its packaging in fiscal year 2021.

Greenglass Recycling, a glass recycling leader in Romania, invested €10 million (US$10.9 million) in a new post-consumer glass waste recycling plant and in the modernization of existing facilities, increasing its production capacity to 260,000 recycled tons/year. The plant will be built in the proximity of Bucharest County, and construction will start in the second half of 2022 and finish in 2023. “The company continues its strategic plan of investing in the most modern recycling technologies, at the same time considering waste as part of the economic circuit, where glass is collected and transformed 100% into a valuable resource. Once the new plant begins activity, Greenglass will be able to recycle all the glass that Romania must meet as a collection target while being the solution for recycling the materials from the deposit return system,” explained Marius Costache, Greenglass’ general manager.Greenglass Recycling invested in a new post-consumer glass waste recycling plant.

VPF, a self-adhesive material specialist, revealed its brand new CoffeeCup Paper consists of at least 25% recycled disposable coffee cups. The recycled paper for label printing is available in two material thicknesses. According to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, around 320,000 disposable cups for hot drinks are consumed every hour in Germany. The share of typical coffee “to-go” cups is up to 44% – that’s almost 3 billion disposable cups per year in Germany alone. A German paper mill has succeeded in extracting recycled fibers from the disposable paper cups that are fed into the recycling loop through waste separation and uses them for paper production. For this purpose, the virgin fiber pulp of the disposable cups is detached from the inner plastic coating and fed into the waste paper recycling process. The result is an uncoated, 100% recycled paper containing at least 25% made from disposable cups.

In brief: New packs
Colpac launched single portion platters to cater to changes in the shared buffet market, extending its range to incorporate two new, smaller individual-sized options to meet demand from the meetings and events sectors for hygienic alternatives to the shared buffet experience. “Due to our agile in-house design and manufacturing capabilities, Colpac is uniquely placed to quickly create packaging solutions which meet customer needs,” said Kate Berry, Colpac’s head of marketing and product. “Our platter range is testament to our creativity and the capabilities of paperboard.”Metsä Board’s new pack for Viipurilainen Kotileipomo.

Viipurilainen Kotileipomo and Metsä Board’s packaging design team based at Metsä Board’s Excellence Centre jointly developed a resource-efficient and 100% recyclable bakery packaging. The new eye-catching packaging reduces material requirements by 25% and carbon dioxide emissions by 34% compared to the previous packaging. At the same time, the bakery was able to reduce its use of plastic by moving away from a PE-coated board. In addition to the environmental benefits, the design of the new bakery box makes it quicker and easier to assemble.

In brief: Laser marking solution
Markem-Imaje, a global provider of end-to-end supply chain solutions and industrial marking and coding systems, unveiled the SmartLase F250. The new compact and high-performance 20W fiber laser delivers high-quality permanent coding on high-density substrates. With customers increasingly adopting laser marking solutions for more of their product identification and packaging applications, the SmartLase F250 is the ideal solution for modern fast pace production lines. The SLF250 is the first new product launched as a result of Markem-Imaje’s acquisition of laser coding and marking solutions specialist Solaris Laser. “The F250 is a printer designed with the future in mind. Fewer line stoppages and the fact it uses no ink can radically reduce OPEX, while the elimination of chemical components makes it ideal for companies who are looking to reduce their impact on the planet,” explained Alex Koudriashov, laser product marketing manager at Markem-Imaje.Colpac’s single portion platter.

In brief: Acquisitions
Global packaging leader TricorBraun agreed to acquire PB Packaging, a wholly-owned business of Pro-Pac Packaging, expanding its presence in Australia. One of Australia’s leading providers of plastic and glass packaging, PB is a one-stop-shop for rigid packaging needs, serving customers in the health, industrial, food, and automotive industries. “We are excited to grow our business in Australia, offering customers expanded solutions and supply chain options,” said TricorBraun’s Court Carruthers, president and CEO.

Berlin Packaging acquired Panvetri, a family-owned supplier of glass and metal packaging for the wine and olive oil industries. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Modugno (Bari) in southern Italy, Panvetri serves a wide range of wine estates, cooperative wineries, oil mills, and food manufacturers, mainly in the Apulia and Basilicata regions. In addition to wine and olive oil bottles, Panvetri’s portfolio includes beer, spirits, and sparkling wine bottles, olive oil cans, food jars, and closures. With its strong local presence and established sales team, Berlin Packaging can help Panvetri expand its product offerings.

By Joshua Poole