Weekly Roundup: Firmenich invests in Loop, Centerplate, Ball and Bud Light launch recyclable aluminum cups at Super Bowl

31 Jan 2020 --- This week in packaging, Firmenich is to invest in green packaging pioneer Loop while a collaboration of Centerplate, Ball and Bud Light will present recyclable aluminum cups at the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, LastObject launched LastTissue, which contains six reusable handkerchiefs made from 100 percent organic cotton, aiming to eliminate single-use tissues and their plastic packaging.

In brief: Investment and Funding
Perfume and taste company Firmenich has joined in green packaging pioneer LOOP’s Series A equity round, in collaboration with Quadia. Announced at the American Cleaning Institute’s (ACI) annual convention, the investment demonstrates the Group’s commitment to the circular economy and addressing sustainability in a single-use era. Supported by some of the largest consumer brands, with early partners including Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Nestlé, LOOP is an e-commerce and retail distribution service based on reusable packaging. “As a global environmental player with a legacy in responsible business, we are firmly committed to eliminating non-recycled plastics in our operations and supply chains,” notes Gilbert Ghostine, CEO Firmenich.

In brief: Launches and releases
Centerplate, a hospitality partner to North America’s premier sports entertainment venues, Ball Corporation and Bud Light have announced an agreement to bring Ball’s infinitely recyclable aluminum cups to guests at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens for Super Bowl LIV on February 2. Ball, a sustainable aluminum beverage packaging company, designed the lightweight aluminum cups in response to growing consumer preference for more sustainable products. Centerplate, the exclusive catering partner for Hard Rock Stadium, is adopting the cups as part of the company’s Better Tomorrow 2025 goals and as part of goals to phase out 99.4 percent of single-use plastics this year. As the National Football League’s official beer and the presenting sponsor of the Super Bowl LIV cups, Bud Light is also doing its part to support Anheuser-Busch’s ambitious 2025 sustainability goals. The aluminum cups will help eliminate more than 500,000 plastic cups annually from Hard Rock Stadium’s supply chain.

Click to EnlargeCenterplate, Ball and Bud Light will present recyclable aluminum cups at the Super Bowl.  Following a successful crowdfunding campaign that raised US$1.3 million on a reusable Q-tip called LastSwab, LastObject is back with their second product, coined LastTissue. The new product launched on Kickstarter this week and aims to bring the handkerchief back to mainstream culture. One LastTissue pack contains six reusable handkerchiefs made from 100 percent organic cotton, fitted into a 100 percent silicone, dishwasher-safe carrying case. “We designed LastTissue because the paper and pulp industry is the third-largest industrial emitter of global warming gasses. The climate emergency we are in is a sign that humans must stop and think differently about single-use items. Says LastObject Co-Founder, Isabel Aagaard. Every LastTissue tissue replaces a single-use tissue and saves two liters of water. One LastTissue pack relieves the planet of more than 3,100 single-use tissues as well as their plastic packaging, the company affirms.

Polish soft fruit packaging producer, SoFruPak has chosen Futamura’s renewable and compostable NatureFlex films for the windows in its soft fruit tray lids. NatureFlex is made from responsibly managed wood pulp and is certified by TÜV Austria OK Compost for home composting, while meeting the EN13432 EU standards for industrial composting. SoFruPak has partnered with Marex to develop an innovative Cellulose Coated Cardboard Technology (CCC) that combines sheets of corrugated cardboard with Futamura’s compostable NatureFlex film. Due to the use of this compostable cellulose film, the entire packaging is biodegradable and plastic-free. Moreover, it is the first of its kind on the fresh fruit and vegetable market. The innovative packaging allows retailers to meet the growing consumer demand for biodegradable and compostable alternatives to conventional plastic packaging.

Following the debate on plastic waste at the World Economic Forum (WEF) last week, the British Plastics Federation (BPF) released two videos to address public misunderstanding about plastic’s role in society and the best ways to prevent plastic waste. The videos were released in support of the BPF’s recent document Understanding the Debate about Plastic, which outlines why plastic is important for modern life and the evidence on effective ways to reduce waste. “We hope that through widely sharing content, such as these videos, we can help clear up public misunderstanding about plastic,” says Director-General of the British Plastics Federation, Philip Law. 

In brief: Business news
A&R Carton, a European producer of carton packaging and part of the Swedish group AR Packaging, joined Colorpack, A&R Carton’s recently acquired subsidiary, in announcing a tender offer to subscribe for the sale of shares in BSC Drukarnia Opakowan. A&R Carton is offering PLN 40.38 (US$10) for each share of this Polish manufacturer of carton board and paper packaging. A&R Carton, as part of AR Packaging, intends to increase its stake in BSC Drukarnia Opakowan from 60.82 percent currently, to 100 percent.

Supplier of rigid packaging for consumer goods products Silgan Holdings signed a binding offer to acquire Albea’s dispensing business for US$900 million. This business is a global supplier of highly engineered pumps, sprayers and foam dispensing solutions to major branded consumer goods product companies in the Beauty and Personal Care markets. It operates a global network of ten plants across North America, Europe, South America and Asia. The proposed acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2020 and is subject to the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of certain customary conditions. 

By Kristiana Lalou

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