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9 March 2010
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has indicated that it intends to finalise an action plan on BPA in the very near future. Agency administrator Lisa Jackson reportedly made the remarks on Monday (8 March) at a National Press Club luncheon.
During her speech, she commented on a number of issues, including that of BPA. "Consumers want to know that their products don’t have hidden health and environmental costs. Companies must respond to parents who refuse to buy bottles with BPA in them, or that leach dangerous chemicals into drinking water."
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5 March 2010
UK plastics industry organisations have challenged a government consultation paper that sets out new packaging targets that would require 56.9 per cent of plastics to be recycled by 2020. Jan-Erik Johansson from the Plastics 2020 Challenge said, “Targets on plastics packaging recycling should be ambitious but also realistic and achievable. Although the Plastics 2020 Challenge welcomes the Government’s commitment to increased performance, it’s essential that industry and Government work in partnership and recognise the trends and learning on recycling from across Europe and worldwide before setting a target well beyond what any other country achieve today."
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5 March 2010
Malcolm Harrison has been named Group Director Plastic Packaging of Rexam, charged with focusing the company's global plastic packaging resources on creating value-added product and service solutions that help customers build their brands and businesses.
Harrison has previously held positions with Mars, Britvic Soft Drinks, Bass Brewers, InBev and Nestle.
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3 March 2010
Bemis Co has completed its US$1.2 billion acquisition of the Food Americas business of Alcan Packaging. The sale included 23 flexible packaging facilities mainly producing products for the food and beverage industries. All of the plants are located in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and US.
2009 consolidated net sales for the unit were $1.4bn.
Chief executive Henry Theisen said, "During the next two years, we expect to generate strong cash flow which we will use to invest in growth opportunities, pay down debt and deliver attractive total returns to our shareholders. This acquisition complements our manufacturing capabilities and technological expertise around the world. We are looking forward to an exciting and successful 2010."
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25 February 2010
US beverage giant Coca-Cola is to acquire the North American operations of its largest bottler, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), in a deal worth around $15 billion, according to industry reports.
The deal includes the assumption of $8.9bn of CCE debt and all of the bottling company's North American assets and liabilities, while CCE will buy Coca-Cola's bottling operations in Norway and Sweden for $882 million. CCE will also get the right to acquire Coca-Cola's 83 per cent equity stake in its German bottling unit.
Once the cashless deal is completed, Coca-Cola expects to generate operational cost savings of around $350m over four years.
The news follows hot on the heels of PepsiCo's decision to acquire its two largest bottlers - Pepsi Bottling Group and Pepsi Americas - and will give Coca-Cola direct control over its investment in North America to accelerate growth and drive long-term profitability.
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24 February 2010
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| CSI and Has Plastik are joining forces to supply closures from Istanbul |
Closure Systems International and Has Plastik have created a strategic partnership in Turkey aimed at accelerating the growth of both companies while delivering greater value to global and regional beverage bottlers.
The partnership expands CSI's presence in the Europe region to include five manufacturing plants, multiple sales offices and a technology R&D centre. Closures will be supplied from a manufacturing site located near Istanbul, with shipments to begin during the first quarter of 2010.
CSI is part of the Reynolds Packaging Group, an operating division of Rank Group.
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22 February 2010
UK-based plastics recycler Thermodynamix Thermoforming Specialist Services (TDX) is to install a second recycled PET (rPET) plastics extrusion line at its plant in Gateshead, which will double production and help build sales from £9 million ($13.9m) to £16m ($24.7m) within 18 months.
The company, which recycles household plastics for the food packaging industry and installed its first rPET machine last year (Plastics in Packaging, Nov 2008), plans to install a third line in just over two years' time.
When the new line becomes operational in July, the site's total capacity will become 12,000 tonnes per year of finished product. Among the companies TDX supplies, Danish firm Plus Pack recently signed a contract with the UK recycler for finished material.
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19 February 2010
UK-based retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) has announced plans to invest directly in four local authority waste partnerships in a bid to improve kerbside recycling collections.
In a pioneering approach to recycling, M&S aims to increase the amount of dry recyclables collected at the kerbside by 60,000 tonnes per year by 2015, which would be equivalent to the amount of packaging the company produces annually.
The Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) is the first waste authority to agree to the deal and will receive £1.25 million ($1.9m) from M&S over the next five years.
M&S’ head of packaging, Dr Helene Roberts, said: “This is a pioneering project that we believe will change the face of recycling in the UK. We are providing funding directly to the people that can make a difference – local authorities.”
The funds should allow SWP to purchase new vehicles and allow it to collect plastics bottles and cardboard in its kerbside for the first time.
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18 February 2010
British environmental broadcaster, photographer and journalist, Chris Packham, has joined the Oxo-biodegradable Plastics Association as its environmental adviser.
Packham said he has been concerned for some time about the effect on the environment of plastics waste which does not get collected, but that despite our efforts to educate people to recycle their waste, we will never collect it all.
"Neither central or local government in the UK is doing anything about this component of waste but we now have a solution - oxo-biodegradable or 'Controlled-life' plastics," he said. "If collected during its useful life it can be recycled with normal plastics, but if not, it takes care of itself by harmlessly degrading then biodegrading - more quickly than straw and twigs and much more quickly than ordinary or recycled plastics."
For further information, go to www.biodeg.org
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17 February 2010
The German plastics packaging industry suffered a decrease of around 10 per cent during 2009, but the German Plastics Packaging Association (IK) says that a largely stable consumer climate prevented a worse scenario.
Turnover in the industry was €12.5 billion ($17bn) while production volume shrunk by around 8 per cent to 3.8 million tonnes.
However, despite these slumps, IK claims that most companies managed to maintain jobs, and the association is encouraged by the €300m ($410m) of funding that Deutsche Bank will be supplying to medium sized companies.
“This is a sensible way to support company equity and therefore is a good way forward in this situation,” says IK managing director Ulf Kelterborn.
The last two months have shown an increase in turnover, which gives reason for optimism in 2010.
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17 February 2010
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| Graham Chipchase is relying on the company's ongoing restructuring to restore margins in 2010 |
Global consumer packaging manufacturer Rexam is hoping for improved consumer confidence in the current year after reporting a loss of £59 million ($93m) for the 12 months, ended 31 December 2009.
The company's loss compares with a net profit in 2008 of £171m ($270m).
Sales improved during 2009 in Rexam’s beverage can business but the challenging global economic environment had a considerable effect on Plastic Packaging, with sales down 3 per cent to £1.24bn ($1.9bn).
In particular, Closures was negatively impacted by reduced consumer demand for bottled beverages in the US.
However, chief executive Graham Chipchase remains confident that the benefits from the company’s ongoing cost saving measures will start to be felt in 2010.
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17 February 2010
Full-year sales were down 18 per cent at Clariant as the specialty chemicals manufacturer continued to restructure in a challenging global economy.
Sales were CHF 6.614 billion (US$6.2bn) in 2009 compared with CHF 8.071bn ($7.5bn) the previous year, as they were impacted by lower demand levels, which resulted in significant capacity underutilisation and a depressed gross margin in the first quarter.
As the year progressed, capacity utilisations rose as sales volumes improved quarter-by-quarter, therefore reducing capacity utilisation costs. In addition, the company took decisive measures to address production overcapacity such as temporary shutdowns, short time work or involuntary vacation. Clariant was able to maintain sales prices at 2008 levels, while on the other hand raw material prices were lower.
Although operating income decreased, Clariant reported a reduction in its net debt to CHF 545 million ($510.7m) from CHF 1.209bn ($1.1bn) the previous year.
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15 February 2010
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| The APPE initiative means more collected post consumer PET containers can be reused in packaging applications |
Artenius PET Packaging Europe (APPE) is to offer a range of preforms and containers with increased levels of post-consumer recycled PET (rPET) following the signing of an exclusive agreement with plastics recycling specialist AWS Eco Plastics.
AWS will become sole supplier of rPET pellets to APPE, delivering around 13,000 tonnes per year to the APPE plant in Gresford, UK. APPE is investing in a new mixing facility at the site, where the pellets will be combined with virgin material. The mixing takes place offline before being introduced into APPE's injection moulding machines.
APPE already supplies a limited amount of 75 per cent virgin, 25 per cent rPET blend and the intention with the new kit is to introduce a standard resin to this specification. However, the recycled content can be as high as 70-80 per cent if required.
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15 February 2010
Australian bioplastics firm Plantic Technologies has announced a distribution agreement with Klockner Pentaplast, a producer of packaging materials for the pharmaceutical, medical device, and food industries, as part of its plans to expand in the US.
Klockner will exclusively sell Plantic rigid sheet products in the Americas, replacing the current distributor DuPont. The Australian company says that Klockner's focus on biodegradable packaging products suits its plans.
Plantic, which announced a new range of eco-plastics this month, had originally extended its marketing of starch-based sheet materials with DuPont to cover the South American territories back in September 2008, having worked with the company already in North America and Japan.
In December 2009, Plantic and National Starch announced plans to establish a site for the manufacture of Plantic products in the US, in order to improve economies of scale and shorten the supply chain, by integrating the supply of the key raw material, which National Starch supplies.
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12 February 2010
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| After 17 years under common ownership, Key Filters and Parkinson have now merged |
Melt filtration equipment supplier Key Filters has merged with Parkinson Technologies, having shared common ownership since 1993.
Key Filters has produced its line of manual, hydraulic and continuous screen changers out of the same building as Parkinson for several years, with Parkinson continuing to supply a number of brands including Marshall & Williams Plastics, Dusenbery Converting Systems and Parkinson Winders.
The merging of engineering, sales and production resources between the two Rhode Island, US-based companies, will provide a more competitive business, claims John Whaley, business manager - Key Filters Products.
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| Friday, February 12 | | · | COCA-COLA MAKES OLYMPIC EFFORT |
| Thursday, February 11 | | · | CASEY CONTAINER ACQUIRES ADDITIVE LICENSING RIGHTS |
| · | GRAHAM PACKAGING HALVES IPO OFFERING |
| Wednesday, February 10 | | · | MALAYSIAN CONVERTER'S PROFITS SURGE |
| · | GRAHAM IPO PRICING DELAYED |
| Tuesday, February 09 | | · | BERLIN MOVES TO ACQUIRE ALL-PAK |
| Monday, February 08 | | · | MANAGEMENT BUYOUT BRINGS BESPOKE EDGE TO PAPERFEEL |
| Friday, February 05 | | · | NAMPAK PLASTICS EUROPE TOP OF THE CLASS |
| Wednesday, February 03 | | · | BEMIS FIGURES DECLINE AHEAD OF ALCAN COMPLETION |
| Tuesday, February 02 | | · | CALIFORNIAN CITY BAG BAN BLOCKED |
| · | AMCOR COMPLETES ALCAN ACQUISITION |
| Friday, January 29 | | · | SUSTAINABILITY DEFINITIONS AGREED BY PACKAGING PROJECT |
| Wednesday, January 27 | | · | BUYER IS FOUND FOR ARTENIUS UK |
| · | GRAHAM UNVEILS IPO TERMS |
| Tuesday, January 26 | | · | GREINER SIGNS SERBIAN JOINT VENTURE |
| Monday, January 25 | | · | SEALED AIR PROFITS UP, BUT SALES DOWN |
| Friday, January 22 | | · | NESTLÉ WATERS CANADA MAKES ECO-SHAPE BOTTLE EVEN LIGHTER |
| Tuesday, January 19 | | · | EQUITY FIRM PURCHASES PRETIUM PACKAGING |
| · | LONDON MAYOR TARGETS PACKAGING |
| Friday, January 15 | | · | DSM TAKES FULL CONTROL OF NORTH AMERICAN JV |
| Wednesday, January 13 | | · | NEW PET CAPACITY COMMENCES AT KLÖCKNER PENTAPLAST'S CRUMLIN FACILITY |
| · | PHOENIX PROCESS GETS MAXIMUM APPROVAL IN CANADA |
| · | FLINT GROUP EXPANDS POLISH OPERATIONS |
| Tuesday, January 12 | | · | BPI ANNOUNCES BRAMPTON CLOSURE |
| · | BASF SELLS AURORA SPECIAL EFFECTS FILMS BUSINESS |
| Monday, January 11 | | · | RELIANCE INDUSTRIES UPS OFFER FOR LYONDELLBASELL |
| Thursday, January 07 | | · | MONDI INVESTMENT STRENGTHENS POSITION IN EUROPE |
| · | WILBERT PLASTIC SERVICE RELOCATES HQ |
| · | CHINESE UNIPOL PLANT COMPLETES SUCCESSFUL TRIAL |
| · | BOROUGE INAUGURATES SALES AND MARKETING BUSINESS IN CHINA |
| Wednesday, January 06 | | · | PETROCHEMICAL PROJECT ANNOUNCED IN RUSSIAN REPUBLIC |
| Monday, January 04 | | · | AMCOR MOVES CLOSER TO ALCAN CLEARANCE |
| · | BEMIS STILL AWAITING REGULATORY APPROVAL FOR ALCAN DEAL |
| · | EASTMAN FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST INDORAMA OVER PET MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY |
| · | REXAM RAMPS UP NORTH AMERICAN PLANT CLOSURES |
| · | NOVOMER SECURES FURTHER INVESTMENT FOR PPC MATERIALS |
| Monday, December 21 | | · | EREMA PET RECYCLING PROCESS EXTENDS ITS SCOPE |
| · | PLANTIC EXPANDS IN NORTH AMERICAN MARKET |
| Friday, December 18 | | · | FRENCH AGREEMENT ON COMPOSTABLE BAGS APPROVED BY EUROPEAN BIOPLASTICS |
| · | LINPAC PACKAGING APPOINTS AUDAS AS MANAGING DIRECTOR |
| · | CSM TO BUILD LACTIDE PLANT IN THAILAND |
| Tuesday, December 15 | | · | AMCOR SECURES EC APPROVAL FOR ALCAN DEAL |
| Monday, December 14 | | · | AMCOR RESTRUCTURES SENIOR MANAGEMENT AHEAD OF ALCAN BUY |
| · | BOREALIS CONTINUES INVESTMENT IN LINZ |
| Friday, December 11 | | · | PRENT TO OPEN NEW FACILITIES IN ASIA AND EUROPE |
| · | HUSKY BREAKS GROUND ON INDIAN FACILITY |
| Thursday, December 10 | | · | BRÜCKNER ORDERS BOOSTED BY CHINESE INVESTMENT |
| · | COST-CUTTING MEASURES LEAD TO STRONG PROFITS FOR BWAY |
| Wednesday, December 09 | | · | WORK TO BEGIN ON INTERNATIONAL PACKAGING STANDARDS |
| Tuesday, December 08 | | · | POLYMIRAE RAMPS UP IN ASIA WITH METOCENE TECHNOLOGY |
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