Cannabis continues to grow with many countries legalizing its usage, creating a new packaging segment. In 2018, Canada is expected to fully legalize marijuana, and the U.S. appears to be heading down the same path as more states approve its medical and recreational use.
University researches method to make biodegradable plastic using bacteria and algae. The world is awash in discarded plastics. A recent estimate of the amount of plastic in the earth’s environment puts it at 6.3 billion metric tons.
va-Q-tec, a provider of thermal packaging solutions for temperature controlled transportation, has opened a headquarters and operations facility in Langhorne, PA. The site will become the U.S. welcome and innovation center and showcase va-Q-tec’s latest products. The company will manufacture small box containers in the new facility, and use the location as a key hub for its rental and repair station.
The U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires that food manufacturing and processing companies identify potential hazards in their production systems and then put in place preventive controls to address those hazards.
PinnPACK, a thermoforming company specializing in sustainable food packaging, has acquired the rights as the exclusive North American manufacturer and distributor of DeLight Ltd.’s first-of-its-kind hybrid foodservice tray. With this partnership, PinnPACK brings the dual ovenable hybrid tray, made from renewable paper sources and enhanced with plastic polymers, to North American markets.
Edelmann USA, Inc. has joined the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC), the North American association for paperboard packaging manufacturers and their suppliers. A wholly owned subsidiary of Germany-based Edelmann GmbH, Edelmann USA was formed in June 2016 and has locations in Ontario, Calif. and Pulaski, Tenn.
The BoxMaker, a Pacific Northwest leader in digital print production for corrugated packaging, held the inaugural Packaging Experience Summit on January 16, 2018. Major brands from Washington, Oregon and beyond were in attendance to learn from industry experts how to leverage the potential of digital print.
Smart & Final Stores Inc.—the neighborhood warehouse grocery store—selected packaging design agency Voicebox Creative to refresh the look of its signature First Street private label brand, which makes up over 75 percent of Smart & Final’s private label sales.
Tom Wetsch, chief innovation officer at Pregis LLC, has been invited to join the Michigan State University (MSU) School of Packaging Industry Advisory Board. The objective is to share knowledge with the university to help educators prepare students for their transition to the corporate world.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, The Ellen MacArthur Foundation announced that the list of leading brands, retailers and packaging companies working toward using 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025 or earlier has grown to 11.