Weekly Roundup: Avantium increases H1 revenue by 11%, Greif spikes paperboard prices

13 Aug 2021 --- The packaging industry was bustling with business developments this week, as Avantium reported “significant commercial progress” in its H1 financial results and Greif’s uncoated recycled paperboard increase in cost. Meanwhile, the British Plastics Federation (BPF) launched a new job networking website specific to the plastic packaging industry. Research showed recycling confusion among UK adults, while marine plastic pollution rises in the Caribbean Sea.

In brief: Business news
Avantium’s revenues increased in H1 by 11 percent to €4.7 million (US$5.5.million), up from €4.3 million (US$5 million) in H1 2020. Other income decreased by 26 percent to €3.3 million (US$3.8 million) due to lower grant recognition in the first half of the year. “We have secured a total offtake volume of over 50 percent of production capacity for our furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) flagship plant,” notes Tom van Aken, Avantium’s CEO. “We remain in negotiations with banks and other financial institutions for the remainder of our required financing to reach a positive FID.”

Greif implemented a US$70 per ton price increase for all grades of uncoated recycled paperboard and an 8.5 percent increase on all tube and core and protective packaging products. This is in addition to the US$50 per ton price increase implemented on July 26, 2021. These price increases are in response to continued demand across the Greif paperboard network and ongoing cost pressures on raw materials, labor and transportation.

Travtec’s Labelino range targets self-adhesive labels to cans, bottles, pouches and cartons.International Paper completed the previously disclosed sale of its Kwidzyn pulp and paper mill and supporting operations to Mayr-Melnhof Group. The Kwidzyn business has approximately 2,300 employees with an annual capacity to produce 740,000 metric tons of folding boxboard, uncoated freesheet, specialty kraft papers and market pulp on four machines.

Sealed Air invested US$5 million in the Closed Loop Circular Plastics Fund to advance the recovery and recycling of plastics in the US and Canada. This follows an initial investment totaling US$25 million from Dow, LyondellBasell and NOVA Chemicals, followed by a US$5 million commitment by SK Global Chemical into the fund. Sealed Air’s investment brings the fund closer to its goal of deploying US$100 million to advance scalable recycling technologies, equipment upgrades and infrastructure solutions. 

The European Food Safety Authority confirmed the safety of Dentis Recycling Italy’s technology called Starlinger PET direct iV+ that recycles PET. The agency deemed the process as “not of safety concern,” under the condition it is used at up to 100 percent to manufacture materials and articles for contact with all types of foodstuffs for long‐term storage at room temperature, with or without hotfill. The challenge test demonstrated that this recycling process can ensure that the level of migration of potential unknown contaminants into food is below the conservatively modeled migration of 0.1 μg/kg food.

In brief: Launches and releases
The BPF launched a new website called PolymerJobs that lists available positions within the industry. The site specializes in plastics jobs, such as toolmakers, shift engineers, sales managers, project engineers and technicians. The plastics industry has in previous years reported that finding skilled staff is a key area of focus for many companies, with a recent BPF survey finding that 42 percent of plastics companies report difficulty recruiting new staff. 

HexcelPack’s PalletWrap can be stretched to shape, with the ability to nearly double in length.HexcelPack introduced PalletWrap, a fully recyclable, plastic-free alternative to traditional pallet wrapping materials. Developed with high-tension PowerStretch technology designed specifically for pallet use, PalletWrap provides optimal protection and adhesion to ensure the integrity of goods during transport. The solution utilizes a new variation of HexcelPack’s slit paper technology with a unique hexagon slit pattern and eight times more rows of slits than its sister product, HexcelWrap. This process converts extensible paper into a three-dimensional, internationally patented cushioning product by making precise cuts at specific angles. 

Travtec Packaging Engineering made new additions to its conveyor accessories range. The Labelino range targets self-adhesive labels to cans, bottles, pouches and cartons. Ideal for smaller volumes and wide size range, it is particularly suitable for small to medium contract packers where frequent changeovers and limited production runs require maximum efficiency and minimum downtime. The Labelino is available as a full wrap-round, front and back, or top label applicators.

In brief: Research and studies
Nearly half (48%) of UK adults admit to not always recycling single-use plastic packaging because labels on products don’t clarify whether it can or cannot be recycled, according to a Royal Society of Chemistry survey. It flagged 33 percent claim that their local authority does not have recycling services for everything that is labeled as recyclable. The survey further highlighted a particular citizen willingness to improve recycling rates: 57 percent agreed the COVID-19 pandemic showed them more needs to be done to protect the planet, while 38 percent stated they try to only buy products in recyclable packaging.

A study on marine plastic pollution in the Caribbean Sea identified 18 different polymers of plastic, including synthetic fibers, paint flakes and acrylics, in waters across the five Caribbean countries, with the highest concentrations (5.09 particles per m³) located off the San Blas islands in Panama. By contrast, the waters off Antigua, Bonaire and Colombia had lower quantities of terrestrial and marine plastics. Antigua, in particular, had a high diversity of polymers, with the research suggesting the majority of the microplastics collected were likely to have been transported by currents generated in the wider North Atlantic Ocean.

By Anni Schleicher

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