Week 45, 2026 17 items
UK & Europe technology
UK brand Soleau has joined Polytag's QR Squared project, adding QR codes to its canned spring water that reveal sourcing information and let customers support charitable causes.
via The Canmaker — read the original
Written by us
An EU antitrust probe into a dominant calcium carbonate supplier and continued weakness in containerboard output expose how concentrated the fibre packaging supply chain has become.
The European Commission is investigating whether Swiss supplier Omya abused a dominant position in calcium carbonate, a mineral used as filler and coating pigment in paper packaging.
Trials across Europe found Fresh Inset's Vidre+ stickers extended table grapes' marketable life by nearly five days on average, improving stem appearance and reducing decay-related food waste.
A government evaluation of the UK's Plastic Packaging Tax found it has driven greater recycled content use, lower packaging waste and reduced greenhouse gas emissions since 2022.
Exchange for Change has confirmed that waste collection and processing contracts for Wales's Deposit Return Scheme have not yet been awarded, despite a UK-wide launch planned for October 2027.
ExxonMobil worked with Nivea, recycled-content supplier Green Worms and converter Vardhaman Polypacks to create a high-performance collation shrink film incorporating recycled polyethylene, aimed at improving sustainability in secondary packaging.
A shareholder lawsuit accuses O-I Glass, its CEO and CFO of concealing serious problems with the company's Fit to Win restructuring programme, raising questions about disclosure and investor confidence.
North American containerboard production fell for a second consecutive quarter but at a slower pace, while boxboard output rose slightly, pointing to tentative stabilisation in packaging paper demand.
LyondellBasell is prioritising chemical recycling expansion in the EU over a planned second Texas plant, citing weaker US regulatory support and uncertainty over domestic demand for recycled plastics.
Outlook Group has acquired ABX's Pewaukee facility, gaining conductive film, specialty label and flexible packaging production capabilities and expanding its US manufacturing operations.
Pune-based label converter Samyak has bought a 450mm die-cutting and converting machine from Vinsak, announced at Loupe India 2026, to expand its in-mould labelling capacity and high-end production.
Packnology and Haotian secured two machine orders for customers in northern and western India at All in Print China 2026, including a Haotian WCMYK digital label press with inline foiling and spot UV.
Provin Technos, the Indian distributor for Spande, secured three orders for its S5 ten-colour flexographic press at Loupe India 2026, including two units ordered by label converter Marks Emballage.
The City of Boroondara will close its temporary soft plastics collection points next November, replacing them from January 2027 with a new recycling service for plastic plant pots.
The NSW EPA confirmed businesses will not be required to offer reusable cups from 2030, dropping an earlier mandate, with cafes and retailers instead required to use recyclable takeaway cups.
Innovia Films has introduced Propafilm CHBM, a metallised BOPP film combining strong oxygen and moisture barrier protection with mono-material compatibility, aimed at helping brands shift toward more recyclable flexible packaging.
Swanline Group, a trade-only supplier of paper-based POS and packaging products, became the first company to link non-BOBST machinery directly to the BOBST Connect platform, extending data-led production tracking.
