Weekly Roundup: Smurfit Kappa expands Polish corrugated plant, Billerud releases kraft paper wrap

12 May 2023 --- This week in industry news, Smurfit Kappa expanded its Pruszków corrugated plant in Poland and Billerud released a machine-glazed kraft paper wrap. Meanwhile, Krones supplied Makkah Water Company with two additional high-speed filling lines and a water treatment system. 

In brief: Facility expansions 
Smurfit Kappa completed its latest investment project in Poland, expanding its Pruszków corrugated plant. The expansion makes the plant Smurfit Kappa’s largest in Poland and includes the installation of a new high-tech corrugator and a range of “ultra-modern” converting machinery. The plant was also equipped with a new finished goods warehouse, accommodating upward of 12,000 pallets. The investment will double the output from the plant, which now spans 37,500 m2. 

TekniPlex Consumer Products’ molded fiber solutions.TekniPlex Consumer Products announced plans for a new manufacturing facility in Ohio, US. Planned to commence operations in early 2024, and with room for future expansion, the 200,000-square-foot dedicated specialty molded fiber solutions facility will further expand the company’s capacity and capabilities with various products, including high-performance egg cartons. This new technology allows for stronger, better-quality egg cartons to enhance egg protection.

In brief: Product launches 
Billerud presented a machine-glazed kraft paper adapted and validated for wrapping toilet and kitchen paper rolls. The company said the machine-glazed kraft paper is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable while enduring handling. Due to its long virgin fibers, drop tests show the new paper has just as much resilience as PE plastics. Besides its environmental sustainability features from being made from kraft paper, Billerud’s white, long, soft virgin fibers enable printability.

Roberts Metal Packaging relaunched its popular classic Softline Extreme aluminum jar range with two new collections. The pack, which features a threaded lid and flat, angular bottom, is now available in deep and shallow ranges. Softline Extreme Deep includes 75 mL up to 250 mL capacity, with a new 170 mL option. These sizes provide the perfect packaging format for health and beauty products such as hair care and body butter. Softline Extreme Shallow is available from 25 mL up to 120 mL capacity but with a new 100 mL pack now available. The new shallow collection provides ergonomic packaging options for hand and face creams or household products such as natural furniture polish.The Softline Extreme aluminum jar range by Roberts Metal Packaging.

Sappi North America, a producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, announced the debut of its latest volume of The Standard series. Designed for Sappi by Kit Hinrichs, principal of Studio Hinrichs, volume seven of The Standard is printed on Spectro, Sappi’s environmentally sustainably manufactured premium paperboard, and highlights the importance of sensory packaging in creating a memorable and profitable brand experience. The company said Standard seven examines how packaging has become the pivotal touchpoint reinforcing all the marketing efforts that preceded it. Brands of any tier, from value to luxury, must appeal to customers beyond cerebral logic. 

Cocovibe announced it is launching a line of organic, plant-based, low-sugar, additive-free, dispensed, functional electrolyte drinks. Cocovibe will aid foodservice operators to reduce their carbon footprint and packaging waste by as much as 90% versus packaged beverages. The company said the drink ships in liquid concentrate form and mixes with tap water on-site to reduce carbon emissions during transport and packaging waste during consumption. Cocovibe claims a single pallet of Cocovibe concentrate yields the same volume of a drinkable product as ten pallets of packaged single-serve beverages. Cocovibe is served in reusable drinkware or environmentally friendly cups and eliminates single-serve plastics.

Krones’ new high-performance water treatment system.In brief: Business news 
Saudi-Arabian drinking water producer Makkah Water Company finished updating and expanding capacity at its main plant in Jeddah. The new, high-performance water treatment system from Krones passed final acceptance testing in October 2022. Acceptance testing on two new high-speed filling lines was completed in the spring of 2022. The main plant in Jeddah now has seven complete lines from Krones running. In its second plant, Al Janoub in Gizan, Saudi Arabia, Makkah Water is still working with mix-and-match lines that include a variety of blow molders, fillers and labelers from Krones.

Tipa Compostable Packaging acquired Bio4Pack, for an estimated US$8 million. From the acquisition, the firm will now be able to offer its customers three new products in the form of paper packaging produced from agricultural waste, nets and trays. According to Tipa, adding Bio4Pack enables it to create a complete compostable packaging portfolio to keep up with the increasing interest in more circular solutions.

AMP Robotics (AMP), working in AI, robotics and infrastructure for the waste and recycling industry, has received financing from Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund. This latest investment brings AMP’s Series C round, led by Congruent Ventures and Wellington Management, to more than US$99 million. With its Series C funding, AMP is scaling its operations, including deploying technology solutions to retrofit existing recycling infrastructure and expanding new infrastructure based on its application of AI-powered automation. The company recently unveiled a compact, AI-enabled automated sortation solution, AMP Cortex-C, along with an integrated, standalone facility offering for waste management companies.

TriMas announced that its TriMas Packaging group has commercialized its patented Singolo product line, a range of fully recyclable, single-polymer dispensers. The Singolo 2cc dispensing pump is made solely from PP material, allowing it to be ready for recycling after use. The product received a Class “A” rating by RecyClass, a cross-industry initiative dedicated to advancing the recyclability and traceability of plastic packaging in Europe. 

By Sabine Waldeck