TheAmerican Institute for Packaging and the Environment (AMERIPEN) has signed four prominent new companies as Voting Members: Anheuser-Busch LLC, General Mills Inc., The Hershey Company, and McDonald’s USA, LLC, bringing the total membership to 26 companies.

The organization has also announced the date and location for its second Annual Meeting of Members, where work on the roadmap to a future where all production, distribution, and consumption are sustainable continues. It will take place June 26-27 at the Waterview Conference Center in Arlington, VA. The meeting will include a President's Report, updates on the substantive progress made on the group's initiatives, a review of progress in AMERIPEN collaborations with other groups, government affairs discussions, and the election of officers for the coming year. The output of this meeting will also set the agenda for AMERIPEN actions for the next year.

Companies interested in AMERIPEN's actions are urged to join soon and participate in this event to influence the future of packaging and the environment. Event space is finite, and members will have opportunities to provide input prior to the meeting; therefore, only members as of April 30 can be accommodated at the Annual Meeting. Registration details will be provided at that time.

“We're pleased to welcome our newest members, and we look forward to their input as we plan and execute initiatives that advocate for the future of packaging that enhances overall sustainability, both at our Annual Meeting and in the months beyond," says  AMERIPEN Executive Director Joan Pierce. "We invite all stakeholders in the packaging value chain to follow their example: to become members now, and join us in this important work.”

Membership materials are available on the AMERIPEN website. AMERIPEN welcomes companies that support united trade and industry organization, active and cooperative issue resolution, and material and packaging system neutrality. Voting Membership is open to all packaging value chain economic operators, such as:

- Raw material producers
- Packaged goods manufacturers
- Retailer of packaged goods
- Packaging supplier and/or converters
- Waste haulers
- Distributor of packaged goods
- Recyclers

About AMERIPEN

 The American Institute for Packaging and the Environment engages with thought leaders in the packaging industry ‒ including representatives of trade associations, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and government agencies ‒ to facilitate relevant research and identify key data and standards to advance the organization’s mission.
Additionally, AMERIPEN engages on public policies affecting the packaging value chain on topics related to packaging and the environment, and represents the interests of the industry which includes raw material producers, packaging manufacturers, packaging users and fillers, retailers, and material recovery organizations.

For more information, visitwww.ameripen.org 

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