Weekly Roundup: Constantia Flexibles acquires Drukpol Flexo, Stora Enso completes paper mill closure

09 Jun 2023 --- This week in industry news, Constantia Flexibles acquired Poland-based packaging company Drukpol Flexo. Meanwhile, Stora Enso completed negotiations at its Finnish production unit concerning the closure of a paper line and Beiersdorf shared its implementation progress across brands. 

In brief: Acquisitions and partnerships
Constantia Flexibles obtained Polish packaging company Drukpol Flexo. Drukpol Flexo, known for its printing and converting capabilities, built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality packaging solutions in the food and high-performance computing markets for local and international customers. The acquisition of the company by Constantia Flexibles is meant to strengthen the companies’ global reach and environmentally sustainable product portfolio by investing in the growth of the European flexo printing platform.

Danone ordered five ErgoBloc L wet-end blocks from Krones for Volvic’s recycled PET water bottles.As part of a European strategic partnership between Danone and Krones, Danone ordered five ErgoBloc L wet-end blocks in 2020, which will be installed in various plants in France and Spain by the end of 2023. The arrival of the innovative ErgoBloc technology was said to be a turning point for Volvic’s parent company, Danone, in Europe. The first ErgoBloc L in Volvic, France, is already in operation, filling the still water brand Volvic eau minérale naturelle at 56,000 square 1.5-liter recycled PET containers per hour. The second Krones wet-end block is nearly ready to go online. It will fill the natural mineral water in square 0.5-liter bottles fully made from recycled PET at a speed of 75,000 containers per hour. 

PepsiCo and UEFA (Union of European Football Association) announced they are finding innovative ways to make UEFA Champions League Finals zero waste to landfill by 2026, through its brands, Pepsi, Lay’s, Doritos and Gatorade. At the Women’s UCL final at PSV Stadium in Eindhoven, the Netherlands and the UCL final at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Turkey, PepsiCo and UEFA are implementing circular economy practices. The practices are centered around reduce, reuse and recycle to minimize the impact of football on the environment and drive resource efficiencies.

In brief: Business news
Stora Enso completed negotiations concerning consolidating its book paper production and the permanent closure of one of the two paper machines at the Anjalankoski site in Finland. The closure of the line producing uncoated mechanical grades will reduce the site’s annual capacity by 250,000 metric tons and sales by approximately €100 million (US$108 million). The closure is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023Sayso replaced its box packaging with pouches for cocktail tea bags..

Elopak announced that it would build a new plant in the US to serve its customers in the Americas better and accelerate regional growth. The new plant will allow the company to build on its growth driven by high customer demand in the region. Elopak will invest around US$50 million in the new plant between 2023-2024. Elopak will finance investment by utilizing its existing Revolving Credit Facility. The plant is expected to commence production in the fourth quarter of 2024 and create more than 100 new jobs.

Aimplas, the plastics technology center, reported €19.3 million (US$20.7 million) in revenue in the financial year 2022, a 10% increase over 2021, reportedly due to the trust of its 3,100 clients, 789 member companies and staff of 218 people. Aimplas also revalidated its certification in 2022 as a Great Place to Work (GPTW) in Spain through GPTW consulting.

Beiersdorf shared its progress in implementing its “Climate Care” mission on product level. Following last year’s sustainability innovations around Nivea’s Shower lightweight bottle and Nivea’s Soft more climate-friendly formula, Beiersdorf now brings Nivea Sun and Nivea Lip Care to market with relevant improvements and a reduced CO2 footprint. Also, Eucerin progresses well with its product transformation, recently launching a refill jar for its Hyaluron-Filler range.

Path Water’s refillable limited-edition summer bottle.In brief: Launches
Sayso, the “world’s first” craft cocktail tea bags, unveiled new product packaging and two new flavors in time for the brand’s first anniversary. Starting this month, Sayso replaced its box packaging with pouches made from post-consumer recycled materials, which are available on the brand’s website. The packaging redesign follows a retail expansion across 36 premium specialty stores and boutiques across the US and is a result of the brand’s commitment to offering a more eco-friendly product at a more affordable price. 

Indian online payment service provider PayU and global consumer internet group Prosus launched their Scaling Sustainable Packaging Report. The report takes a comprehensive look at India’s waste management challenges arising from population growth, accelerated urban expansion, the availability of waste management services and changing consumer buying habits across food, grocery and electronic retailing. The report addresses how businesses can reduce packaging waste, increase recycling rates and foster innovation in regenerative materials for a more environmentally sustainable future.

Path Water launched a limited-edition summer bottle for on-the-go summer activities. The refillable aluminum 25 oz still water bottle is available between June-September. The bottle is sold at Rite Aid and other retailers across the US for US$2.99-3.79. It will also be available on drinkpath.com beginning June 12 while supplies last.

By Natalie Schwertheim