Paper Clips Industry News | Midland Paper Packaging + Supplies

Are lawmakers serious about cutting emissions? Here’s one way to find out.

The trucking industry has made massive strides in reducing tailpipe emissions over the past 35 years thanks to innovation and achievable regulatory targets and timelines: ✅We’ve cut harmful NOx and particulate matter emissions by 99%. ✅We’ve eliminated virtually all sulfur-dioxide emissions. ✅Between 2014 and 2027, we stand to cut 1.37 billion metric tons of CO2. The problem? Not nearly enough of these newer and cleaner trucks are on the road today because of a century-old federal excise tax (FET) on heavy-duty trucks that penalizes trucking companies for upgrading their equipment.

JICMAIL Releases Results Of Major New Mail Attention Study: The Time We Spend With Mail

The average piece of Direct Mail is looked at for 108 seconds across the course of a month, while the average Door Drop is viewed for 46 seconds. The mail channel is more attention efficient than a host of other media platforms, resulting in the recommendation that it is a “must-have” channel on attention-based media plans. JICMAIL (The Joint Industry Currency for Mail) has today revealed the findings from a major year-long study – The Time We Spend With Mail. This research into consumer attention with mail has involved collaboration with multiple measurement partners including Kantar, PwC and Lifestream. The year-long measurement program has seen JICMAIL roll out full attention measurement across its entire panel of 1,000 households per month (capturing time-spent metrics for Business Mail, Direct Mail, Door Drops and Partially Addressed Mail). At the same time, the AI-driven video analytics company Lifestream has provided directly observed mail attention data with which to validate the panel findings, while PwC has scrutinised the mail efficiency calculations that JICMAIL has generated to compare the delivery of time spent to other media channels.

Greif Reports Second Quarter 2023 Results

-Second Quarter Financial Highlights include (all results compared to the second quarter of 2022 unless otherwise noted): *Net income of $111.2 million or $1.90 per diluted Class A share decreased compared to net income of $125.1 million. Net income, excluding the impact of adjustments(1), of $103.8 million decreased compared to net income, excluding the impact of adjustments, of $144.9 million. *Net cash provided by operating activities increased by $71.6 million to $210.8 million. Adjusted free cash flow(3) increased by $70.7 million to a source of $185.5 million.

Transcontinental Inc. Announces Results for the Second Quarter of Fiscal 2023

Highlights *Increase in adjusted operating earnings before depreciation and amortization(1) of 5.2% for the quarter, including organic growth of 18.5% in the Packaging Sector. *Revenues of $747.2 million for the quarter ended April 30, 2023; operating earnings of $43.8 million; and net earnings attributable to shareholders of the Corporation of $22.2 million. *Launched the new innovative flyer raddar™ in Montreal on May 15, 2023. *Won the "Company of the Year - Large Business" award at the business competition of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ). *Appointment of Thomas Morin as President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Transcontinental on June 7, 2023.

Executive Changes at TC Transcontinental

*Thomas Morin named President and Chief Executive Officer *Isabelle Marcoux named Executive Chair of the Board *Donald LeCavalier named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. The Board of Directors of Transcontinental Inc. announced the appointment of Thomas Morin as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective immediately. Mr. Morin previously served as President of TC Transcontinental Packaging, beginning in 2019. He replaces Peter Brues, who is leaving the Company. The Board also announced expanded roles for Isabelle Marcoux and Donald LeCavalier.

Ennis Acquires UMC Print (piworld.com)

Ennis, Inc. announced its acquisition of the operating assets of UMC Print in Overland Park, Kansas. UMC Print has been a leading trade-only printer and provider of commercial printing services since 1936. As one of the largest sheet-fed commercial printers in the area, UMC Print’s capabilities serve a wide range of distributors and trade sales organizations throughout the Midwest and beyond. “The addition of UMC Print continues our commitment to adding strategic locations and capabilities to drive growth with our distributor partners,” said Keith Walters, Chairman, President & CEO of Ennis, Inc.

UPM inaugurates its Paso de los Toros pulp mill in Uruguay

UPM inaugurated its Paso de los Toros pulp mill in the department of Durazno in Central Uruguay. The inauguration event was attended by the President of Uruguay Luis Lacalle Pou, several ministers and representatives of other stakeholders who have participated in the successful execution of UPM’s growth project in Uruguay. The UPM Paso de los Toros pulp mill has an annual production capacity of 2.1 million tonnes of eucalyptus pulp. The mill represents the latest and best available technology. It is energy efficient with minimal environmental impacts and optimised maintenance. With an increase of more than 50% in UPM’s current pulp capacity, this growth investment creates a step change in the scale of UPM’s pulp business and future earnings. It also has a significant impact on Uruguay’s economy and creates significant opportunities for the country’s people and communities.

REI Co-op enters the running shoe business with the Swiftland MT, its first multi-terrain trail shoe designed using recycled and bio-based materials

Based on years of gear designing, experience, customer feedback, and industry-leading sustainability insights, REI Co-op introduces its first foray into running shoes since the 1970s, with the introduction of the REI Co-op Swiftland Multi-terrain (Swiftland MT). This versatile trail runner maximizes recycled and bio-based materials without compromising technical expectations, while giving runners the freedom to take their adventures over multiple surfaces beyond the pavement. The Swiftland MT is a foundational running shoe that joins a wide variety of running apparel, equipment and gear for REI customers to choose from, and continues the co-op's commitment to broaden its running assortment and more deeply invest in this activity category.

Mail More Trusted Than Email

Email may be more convenient and less expensive for brands, but if you really want your customers to look at a communication, mail is much more effective, according to a new report. A study by automation specialist Quadient has found that almost two-thirds (62%) of UK consumers say they are more likely to open a physical letter than an email, with many citing the fact that letters feel more personal. When asked why a physical letter from a business might be better than email, 39% said letters feel more personalised to them and their needs than bulk email messages, while 42% said there is no risk of hacking, phishing or being infected by viruses. A further 37% said they appreciate the lack of spam messages received through physical mail. “Companies need to think strategically about the different scenarios in which they contact customers and choose the communication channel that best fits the situation.”

FPA Responds to ABC News’ “Trashed: The Secret Life of Plastic Recycling” Investigation

ABC News’ recent “Trashed: The Secret Life of Plastic Recycling” investigation isn’t about plastic bags or even plastic packaging, it is about the current U.S. recycling system. Put trackers in any recyclable item today and chances are they may end up in an incinerator or landfill. This should be the intended result, given that these trackers are actually contaminants to the recycling stream and would be filtered out for disposal through most recycling processes. It is also because we have over 20,000 different municipal recycling programs across the country that are based on the value of the materials being collected and recycled. This value changes with market conditions and when it does, some products destined for recycling are diverted to disposal instead. Also, until recently, much of that value was in exporting our recyclables overseas. Because of these foreign markets, governments running the recycling programs here in the U.S. did not invest in the infrastructure needed to manage our own recyclables. When China, the biggest importer of U.S. recyclables, stopped accepting them, the markets collapsed.

Amid new disruptions, NRF urges Biden to intervene in West Coast labor negotiations (chainstoreage.com)

June 6, 2023
Midland Paper Clips
Misc

As contract talks drag on, tensions are rising at West Coast ports. Following a shutdown at the Ports of Oakland and Long Beach, which combine to form the country’s largest cargo complex, over the weekend, the National Retail Federation called on the Biden Administration to intervene. (At least one terminal at the Port of Long Beach shut Monday, according to reports.) The new disruptions come as the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association have failed to reach and ratify a new labor agreement following more than a year of negotiations.

Barnes & Noble Announces The Best Books of 2023 (So Far)

Barnes & Noble today announces their selections for The Best Books of the Year (So Far). The list is a stunning collection of books selected by the B&N bookselling team, representing the very best works published across various categories since January of 2023. As readers know well, narrowing down to a few choice titles can feel insurmountable when so many fantastic new books are published every week. This year, the booksellers of Barnes & Noble tackled the task first by compiling three-title shortlists across lots of categories ... and they liked the results so much that they have kept them. They now announce over 50 of the best shortlists, an original and hopefully inspiring way of looking at the best new books of 2023 — so far.

HH Global aligned to the Net Zero Standard

As part of our commitment to continued sustainable leadership, environmental impact and accountability, we are proud to be the first company in our space, and among the first companies in the world, to receive approval from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) for our greenhouse gas emission reduction targets aligned to the Net Zero Standard. The Net Zero Standard is developed by SBTi and is the first global science-based standard for companies to set net-zero targets. Using our FY22 performance as our baseline, we received approval for three targets: *Overall Net-Zero Target: HH Global has committed to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by Financial Year 2040 (FY40). *Near-Term Target: HH Global has committed to reduce absolute scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions 50% by FY30. *Long-Term Target: HH Global has committed to reduce absolute scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions 90% by FY40.

Sigma Stretch Film invests in new capacity in Ontario (canplastics.com)

Blown and cast film maker Sigma Stretch Film, a division of Sigma Plastics Group with operations in Ontario, is boosting its production capacity by 30 million pounds through two new Davis-Standard equipment installations. Sigma’s plant in Belleville, Ont., will receive a Davis-Standard seven-layer agricultural stretch film line aimed at expanding the current silage film offerings. According to Sigma officials, the new line allows production using the latest resins, expanded exploration in sustainability options, and better service for both domestic and international agricultural customers. The new line adds fifteen million pounds of silage film capacity in Belleville. The second machine is a three-layer Davis-Standard blown film line for Sigma’s Shelbyville, Kentucky location. “Supporting the ever-growing demand for prestretched hand films and the Vortex product lines, this equipment will add fifteen million pounds of capacity,” Sigma officials said.

Brand new fibre-based Muoto® gift packaging

Metsä Group is cooperating with Fiskars Group on a brand new fibre-based gift packaging. The innovative Muoto 3D inner packaging and a box made of Metsä Board’s folding boxboard encase Fiskars ReNew scissors made of recycled material. Pure, safe, sustainable, easy to use and recyclable. That is what the plastic-free Muoto 3D fibre packaging, originating in northern forests and set to revolutionise packaging, is all about. Renewable and sustainably grown Finnish wood is the main raw material of the Muoto 3D fibre packaging. The packaging is made of wet wood-fibre pulp in Äänekoski, at Metsä Group’s and Valmet’s joint demo plant.

Approved July ’23 USPS Price Increases (Royle.com)

Last week the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) approved the proposed price increases to take effect on Sunday, July 9th 2023. The new rates include a three-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 63 cents to 66 cents. See below for percentage changes by class of mail: *PERIODICALS – 8.1%; *MARKETING MAIL LETTERS – 5.2%; *MARKETING MAIL FLATS – 7.4%; *BOUND PRINTED MATTER FLATS – 3.5%. Please note the USPS recently approved the 2024 USPS Promotions Calendar; these offerings are a great way to offset postage costs and increases. The 2024 calendar will be released online in the coming weeks.

Average Time to Deliver Across Postal Network Steady at 2.4 Days

FY23 third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through May 26, included: *First-Class Mail: 92.1% of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 1.2 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 96.0% of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 1.4 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 88.9% of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.4 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

Novolex Offers New Choices for ProWAVE Tote, a Recyclable, Reusable Bag for Delivery or Takeout

Hilex®, a Novolex® brand, announced today new options for its popular ProWAVE® Tote, a recyclable, reusable tote bag that simplifies deliveries and carry-out for supermarkets, restaurants, retailers and their customers. Customers can now choose a ProWAVE Tote that features a 2.25-mil gauge film that’s manufactured with a minimum of 40% post-consumer recycled material — attributes that allow the totes to meet most legislative requirements for reusable bags, including those in California. Customers also can now opt for a ProWAVE Tote made with 1.7-mil gauge film. The ProWAVE tote boasts folded handles and a sturdy double-ply top, ensuring that the bag remains open for easy loading. The flat bottom design allows for efficient packing of larger grocery or retail products.

DS Smith annnounces multi-million investment to expand our Cartogal packaging plant in Spain

Our Cartogal packaging plant located in the town of A Pobra do Caramiñal, in Galicia, Spain, will soon see an increase in size, production and storage capacity after a milestone investment of 11.35 million euros. The major investment and expansion plans aim to improve service to customers, as well as to open up new business opportunities in the northwest of Iberia. The project will add 6,000 square meters to the current 11,000 square meters, to see the packaging plant become an industry leader, operating at more than 17,000 square meters. During the seven months that the works are estimated to last, the construction and roofing of the new buildings will be carried out using sustainable and environmentally friendly materials.

Lakeside Book Company welcomes Marquis Book Printing, Inc.

Lakeside Book Company announced that it has acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Marquis Book Printing, Inc. (“Marquis”). Lakeside is the leading book printing and distribution company in the United States and has been creating quality crafted books for more than 150 years. Marquis is a premier book manufacturer in Canada providing high quality print services to the publishing and communications industries in Canada, the United States and Europe. With this acquisition, Lakeside will enhance its service offering with access to the Canadian market, while improving lead time and overall service capabilities for small and large publishers alike. Marquis will operate as a division of Lakeside. Dave McCree, Lakeside’s Chief Executive Officer, will lead the business. Serge Loubier will continue to manage Marquis, continuing in his capacity as president.

Ahlstrom and Terre de Couleur develop fiber-based hair cap to curb single-use plastic consumption in the beauty industry

Through a unique value-chain collaborative innovation, sustainable specialty materials leader Ahlstrom and cosmetic brand Terre de Couleur have launched a biodegradable and reusable, fiber-based hair cap for home and professional cosmetic use. Terre de Couleur had an ambitious goal – to remove or decrease the plastic content in their single-use 100% plastic hair cap without compromising the performance nor the usage experience and comfort of hair professionals and consumers alike. The cap offers many advantages in cosmetic applications such as shower use, hair mask applications, and hair coloring in professional or home setting to allow: *Hair protection *Maintains optimal humidity and heat for color or hair care setting *Hand washable and reusable *Chain-of-Custody Forestry Certified according to FSC® and PEFC™ standards *Ahlstrom’s Genuine Vegetable Parchment certified home compostable with OK COMPOST HOME from TÜV and industrially compostable with OK COMPOST from TÜV (EN13432)

Update on the proposed disposal of Mondi Syktyvkar

Mondi plc confirms that it has advised Augment Investments Limited that it is withdrawing from the agreement to sell Mondi’s most significant facility in Russia, Joint Stock Company Mondi Syktyvkar, together with two affiliated entities, to Augment. This follows recent discussions with Augment on its lack of progress in gaining the necessary approvals to complete this transaction. As per the terms of the Sale and Purchase Agreement, the Disposal to Augment will therefore be terminated and will not complete. The Board remains committed to divest Syktyvkar and will continue to assess all alternative divestment options.

Resolute Announces Ratification of Collective Agreement Covering Quebec Woodlands Operations

Resolute Forest Products Inc. today announced the ratification of a four-year master labor agreement with the Unifor union covering 525 hourly employees at ten company woodlands in Quebec, following an agreement-in-principle reached on May 11. "We are pleased to renew this agreement, which underscores the contribution of our woodlands employees to the company's success and provides stability for our customers, communities and other partners," said Remi G. Lalonde, president and chief executive officer. The individual collective agreements ratified on May 26 cover Resolute's Abitibi and Nord-du-Québec (Comtois, Senneterre), Côte-Nord, Lac-Saint-Jean (Girardville, La Doré, Mistassini, Péribonka, Saint-Félicien, Saint-Thomas) and Mauricie woodlands operations.

U.S. Postal Service Releases Dog Bite National Rankings

More than 5,300 Postal Service employees were attacked by dogs while delivering the mail last year. Aggressive dog behavior is a common safety concern USPS employees face. To keep its workers safe, the organization is providing important information on how dog owners can be good stewards for safe mail delivery as part of its annual National Dog Bite Awareness Week public service campaign. The campaign runs Sunday, June 4, through Saturday, June 10. This year’s theme is “Even good dogs have bad days.” Spread the news of the campaign with the hashtag #dogbiteawareness.

Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports May Sales Results

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $18.45 billion for the retail month of May, the four weeks ended May 28, 2023, an increase of 1.2 percent from $18.23 billion last year. For the thirty-nine weeks ended May 28, 2023, the Company reported net sales of $174.07 billion, an increase of 5.1 percent from $165.56 billion last year.

DOE Delivers Potentially Crucial Finding in Fight Against Book Bans

Freedom to read advocates are applauding a final report and resolution agreement from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights that could help blunt the surge of book bans in schools. In a May 19 letter and resolution agreement, DOE officials concluded that the Forsyth County (Georgia) School district’s removal of books largely featuring Black and LGBTQ characters created a potentially “hostile environment” for students, in violation of their civil rights. And in a potentially landmark resolution agreement, the district agreed to work with the DOE to address student discrimination issues arising from the book bans.

Colbert Teaches Midwest Elementary Students About the Lifecycle of Trees and Sustainable Packaging

135 second-grade students from Trevor, Wisconsin, and Mishawaka, Indiana, celebrated Earth Week by learning about the cycle of life from trees to paper and back to trees. The educational outreach program was presented by corporate neighbor Colbert Packaging. The interactive session is dubbed TICCIT for, “Trees into Cartons, Cartons into Trees.” Created by the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC), of which Colbert Packaging is a member, the program teaches young learners about the role trees play in the environment and our circular economy. The program teaches the importance of recognizing sustainable packaging and supporting the recyclability of paper-based packaging. The visual presentation was topped off with a hands-on session where students were invited to prepare and take home their very own tree sapling in a paperboard planter. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to share the importance of environmental stewardship with an enthusiastic audience of local students,” said Colbert Marketing Manager Wanda Speer.

Light Wrap: The innovative packaging solution tackling CO₂ emissions

Light Wrap, which has been specifically designed as a wraparound for cartons such as milk and juice cartons, offers a clever design that improves packaging while using less fibre. This results in a remarkable 19% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to current, alternative packaging methods. Not only does Light Wrap effectively support the weight of stacked packs during transportation and at the point of sale, but it also ensures the safe transportation of cartons without any damage or deformation. By using 19% less paper fibre than other solutions, the innovative design not only minimises environmental impact but also improves protection, efficiency and packaging costs.

AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report for Friday, 6/02/23

June 2, 2023
Midland Paper Clips
Misc

National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $3.567; Month Ago: $3.596; Year Ago: $4.715. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $3.945; Month Ago: $4.112; Year Ago: $5.556.

Key Currency Exchange Rates for Friday, 6/02/23

June 2, 2023
Midland Paper Clips
Misc

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.744806; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.141512; American Dollar to Euro = 1.076063; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.007198; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.057034.

The Impact of Omnichannel Integration (jschmid.com)

Chances are, you’re currently trying to reach your audience in a variety of ways. Maybe digital ads, search, social media, catalog, direct mail and your retail environment. What if you could tie all those efforts together with a single creative concept—a “Big Idea” that unifies all of those touchpoints? And what if that consistent message was delivered in such a unique and bold way that you now stood out from the competition? People now notice you. They remember you. And now they will consider you. THAT’S the power of a campaign. Learn more at: https://www.jschmid.com/blog/the-impact-of-omnichannel-integration/

UPM Biochemicals and Selenis form strategic alliance to develop sustainable PETG

UPM Biochemicals and Selenis, a subsidiary of the IMG Group that produces speciality polyester resins for a wide range of applications, announced a partnership today that will help the packaging industry reduce its CO2 footprint and redefine the sustainability goals of its customers. The goal of the strategic partnership is to produce sustainable polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) resin that will accelerate the introduction of renewable, sustainable forest-sourced materials into plastic applications and reduce fossil resource dependency. PETG is a highly transparent, FDA approved material used in a large variety of applications including cosmetics and personal care packaging, heat shrink sleeves, and durable goods, such as bulk dispenser.

UPM Specialty Papers introduces the “LinerLoopTM compatible” label to help customers choose release papers that are designed for closed-loop recycling

Resonating with the ambitious EU regulatory targets for reducing waste, UPM Specialty Papers has introduced a new “LinerLoop compatible” label to promote closed loop recycling of release papers used in self-adhesive labels and tapes. Release papers carrying the label qualify for recycling in UPM LinerLoopTM, which is the first commercial-scale closed-loop recycling solution for silicone coated release papers. Currently some 50% of used release papers and matrix materials are recycled in Europe, but it is estimated that only 15% are recycled back to release papers in a closed loop (source: CELAB, AWA). As a member of CELAB-Europe and AFERA, UPM Specialty Papers works towards increasing the share of closed-loop recycling. Recycling silicone coated papers in a circular fashion is a technically demanding process. One factor, for instance, impacting closed-loop recycling is the shade of paper. As the typical shade of glassine used in label applications is white or some other light shade, recycling darker coloured glassine grades in the same stream would contaminate the recycled pulp.

Macy’s, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2023 Results

Highlights: *Net sales of $5 billion, down 7% versus the first quarter of 2022. -Brick-and-mortar sales decreased 6% versus the first quarter of 2022. -Digital sales decreased 8% versus the first quarter of 2022. *Comparable sales down 7.9% on an owned basis and down 7.2% on an owned-plus-licensed basis. *Gross margin rate for the quarter was 40.0%, up from 39.6% in the first quarter of 2022. Versus the first quarter of 2019, gross margin rate increased 180 basis points from 38.2%.

Nordstrom Reports First Quarter 2023 Earnings

Summary: *Total Company net sales decreased 11.6 percent and GMV decreased 11.9 percent compared with the same period in fiscal 2022. The wind-down of Canadian operations had a negative impact on total Company net sales of 175 basis points. The first quarter of 2023 included one month of sales from Canadian operations, compared with a full quarter of sales from Canadian operations in the first quarter of 2022. *Gross profit, as a percentage of net sales, of 33.8 percent increased 110 basis points compared with the same period in fiscal 2022, reflecting the Company's focus on increasing inventory productivity. *Ending inventory decreased 7.8 percent compared with the same period in fiscal 2022, versus an 11.6 percent decrease in sales. *Loss before interest and tax was $259 million in the first quarter of 2023, compared with earnings before interest and tax ("EBIT") of $73 million during the same period in fiscal 2022.

AAP StatShot Annual Report: Publishing Revenues Totaled $28.10 Billion for 2022

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) today released the StatShot Annual report covering the calendar year 2022, estimating that the U.S. book publishing industry generated $28.10 billion industry-wide during the year, a decline of 2.6% as compared to 2021. In spite of the slight decline, total industry revenue remained 8.6% higher than the $25.87 billion total recorded for the year of 2019, just prior to the onset of the pandemic. “During the year the publishing industry continued to show considerable resilience, with total revenues still above pre-pandemic levels,” commented Syreeta Swann, Chief Operating Officer, Association of American Publishers. “The fact that the five-year trend also shows consistent growth suggests that the industry is well positioned to weather a challenging economic environment and an evolving marketplace over the long haul.”

Two Sides North America Survey: U.S. Consumers’ Preference for Print Media Shows Post-pandemic Gains

Print media saw significant disruption during the coronavirus pandemic as many people moved online for news and information, but consumers’ preference for receiving and reading print on paper has rebounded over the past two years. This according to a new survey commissioned by Two Sides North America and conducted by global research firm Toluna. “Some observers predicted that people who switched from paper to digital media during the pandemic would never return, but this has not been the case,” says Two Sides North America President Kathi Rowzie. “Across every category of media included in the survey, from books and magazines to newspapers and product catalogs, consumers’ preference for paper has increased since 2021.”

European Consumer Preference For Printed Materials Has Recovered Post Pandemic

Carried out every two years, the Two Sides Trend Tracker survey is one of the print and paper industry’s largest examining consumer preferences and perceptions of print, paper and paper-based packaging. This huge piece of research questions more than 10,000 consumers in 16 countries across the world, from South America and the United States to South Africa and Europe, and provides an assessment of consumers’ attitudes towards print and paper. “The Trend Tracker 2023 survey seeks to understand consumer perceptions across a wide range of topics relating to print, paper, paper packaging and tissue products,” says Jonathan Tame, Managing Director of Two Side Europe. “Having carried out the same research in 2017 and 2021, we are able to assess how these perceptions have changed over time, and have uncovered some interesting trends, including the effect that the pandemic has had on consumers’ reading habits.”

Aptar Releases 2022 Corporate Sustainability / ESG Report

“We are pleased to share the significant ESG progress made by our global team in 2022. We are actively working towards a more sustainable future through responsible operations, reducing our carbon footprint and developing even more sustainable solutions for customers, consumers and patients. We are also convinced that our leadership in Sustainability, in addition to helping safeguard the environment, creates a critical competitive advantage,” said Stephan B. Tanda, President and CEO. Aptar focuses on collaboration as one of the pillars of its sustainability strategy. The company works with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, among many others. Aptar is an active member of the CE100 Network and a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact. In partnership with these organizations, Aptar aims to include 10% recycled resin content and achieve 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable solutions in our personal care, beauty, home care and food and beverage solutions by the end of 2025. The 2022 Corporate Sustainability / ESG Report highlights these important partnerships and many others.

Sappi Employees Recognized for Contributions to Industry Advancing Endeavors in Paper and Packaging

Sappi North America Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, announced today that several of its employees have received awards for their endeavors in creative graphics, leadership and innovative initiatives. The Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) awarded Beth Cormier, VP of research, development and sustainability, a Women in Industry Division’s 2023 Woman of the Year Award; recognized Joseph Fernandez, research fellow, with the 2023 Coating & Graphic Arts Division Technical Award and BASF Charles W. Engelhard Medallion and Honorarium; and bestowed Matthew Howard, area process systems manager, with the TAPPI Award for Best Process Control Paper. Additionally, David Niles, senior print and converting scientist, received the Michael H. Bruno award from the Technical Association of Graphic Arts (TAGA).

Midland Launches New Digital Paper Catalog for HP Indigo and Toner Technology

Midland Specialty Paper & Film, a division of Midland, is excited to announce the official launch of a new Digital Paper Catalog for HP Indigo and Toner Technology. This comprehensive new catalog provides a unique, powerful single source for all of a printer’s HP Indigo and Toner paper needs. “The new catalog has been in the making for the last 2 years. With all of the changes and challenges in paper supply, we took that time to continue to refine the final product into what is without question, the best paper selection resource for Digital Printers in the industry today” said Mike Ratcliff, President of Midland’s Specialty Paper and Film Division. Midland’s sales organization will be distributing this new catalog to its customers across the country over the coming weeks and months. “The catalog has some unique new tools included to help select the best paper for the printer’s customers”, said David Field, General Manager of Midland’s Specialty Paper and Film Division. “We couldn’t be more excited to get this into our customer’s hands”.

Bloomsbury Publishes Audited Preliminary Results for the year ended 28 February 2023

“We are delighted to have achieved these record results with sales up 15% to £264.1 million and profit up 16% to £31.1 million. Compared to two years ago, sales are up 43% and profits up 62%. Our growth outperformed the industry which was up 4%1. These results demonstrate the strength of our strategy to publish for both the consumer and the academic markets, unusual in our industry, and to grow digital revenues while expanding globally. In challenging economic times, readers are turning to books as affordable as they cut back on more expensive forms of diversion. Our long-term strategy to invest in digital content, which has delivered strong growth and cash, which enables future strategic investment in both our academic and consumer markets and potential acquisitions – the flywheel of Bloomsbury.

Public consultation: Guyanese forest certification system

Stakeholders from around the world are invited to give feedback on the Guyanese Forest Certification Scheme. Deadline for comments is 28 July. Give your feedback. This is the first time the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the PEFC national member for Guyana, has submitted its national system to PEFC for endorsement. See all system assessment details at: https://pefc.org/discover-pefc/our-pefc-members/national-members/guyana-forestry-commission-gfc

Trioworld publishes its Sustainability Report 2022

Trioworld, the leading producer of innovative and sustainable high-performance plastic packaging solutions in Europe and North America with its head office in Sweden, has published its seventh annual sustainability report. Highlights during the year are, among many, the EcoVadis Platinum rating, the commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative and the significant investment in expanding the company’s recycling capabilities. "We want to be a sustainable supplier as well as the leader in circular solutions in our industry and we have taken major steps towards these goals during the last year. Our ESG work (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is on the right track, acknowledged, for the second consecutive year, by the EcoVadis Platinum rating. We have set an ambitious sustainability strategy and this rating is a recognition of the hard work and commitment of everyone at Trioworld contributing to deliver on our sustainability targets.” says Oskar Karlsson, CPO and VP Sustainability at Trioworld Group.

GLGA News: GLGA to Recognize Exceptional Craftsmanship at the 2023 Graphics Excellence Award Celebrations

The Great Lakes Graphics Association will hold its annual Graphics Excellence Awards Celebrations on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. The Celebrations are the culmination of the annual GEA competition, which recognizes companies throughout Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin for superb craftsmanship in the design, creation and production of outstanding printed projects they produce for their customers. Dual sites will have simultaneous Celebrations that evening: the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee, WI, and a new location in Illinois at the Stonegate Conference Center in Hoffman Estates. The Celebrations start at 4:30 p.m. with an extended networking reception. All of the award-winning projects from more than 100 categories will be on display for attendees to examine and to choose their favorite in the voting for the People’s Choice award.

Canon publishes the Sustainability Report 2023

Canon Inc. announced today that the company, in order to provide its various stakeholders with an understanding of its sustainability-oriented initiatives, has published the Canon Sustainability Report 20231 via the company's official website. As standards for disclosing sustainability-related information continue to evolve, this year's Sustainability Report follows the International Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines revised in 2021, listing major challenges regarding environmental and social impact, organized by priority. In addition, through dialogue with entities based outside Japan, the company aims to provide a wealth of information in its Sustainability Report. Furthermore, Canon aims to expand the disclosed data regarding its human capital, as well as improve the reliability of its environmental data2, which has been verified by third-party auditors3.

European Union Deforestation Regulation

Paper Excellence participated in the “Wood you find it?” event hosted by FSC International in Brussels to discuss the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), approved in April by the European Parliament. Representatives of the European Commission responsible for the approved text, public policy makers, companies, NGOs and FSC leaders discussed together what are the biggest challenges for the implementation of the EUDR. The main objective of the new regulation is to ensure that products produced or marketed in the European Union do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation. The new regulation is applied for any product related to six commodities: cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soybeans and wood as well as a variety of their by-products. Wood products arriving in Europe from non-European producers represent considerable numbers. Brazil is among the top suppliers with 38 percent, behind China with 73 percent and ahead of Russia with 32 percent. Pulp and paper pipelines alone already account for more than EUR 15 billion in imports from Europe. Among the main European purchasing countries are: Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany and France.

Resolute Announces Asset Purchase Agreement to Sell the Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper Mill

Resolute Forest Products Inc., a subsidiary of Domtar Corporation and a part of the Paper Excellence Group, today announced that it has entered into an asset purchase agreement to sell its Thunder Bay (Ontario) pulp and paper mill to an affiliate of Atlas Holdings. The transaction, expected to close in the second half of the year, is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of closing conditions, including obtaining required regulatory approvals. Resolute will continue to operate its sawmills and woodlands operations in Northwestern Ontario. At the closing of the transaction, the parties will enter into certain ancillary agreements, including a long-term woodchip and biomass supply agreement pursuant to which Resolute will continue to provide chips and biomass to the Thunder Bay mill.

USPS Service Improvements Remain Solid For All Categories

FY23 third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through May 19, included: *First-Class Mail: 92.0% of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 1.1 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 95.9% of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 1.3 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 88.9% of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.4 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

Study: Marketers Quickly Take To Generative AI (mediapost.com)

Generative AI has been quickly absorbed by the marketing industry. According to a report from Botco.AI, after a short introduction period, 73% of marketers are now using AI tools. Of those still holding out, 31% expect to use it within a year, and 46% expect to within two years. Two-thirds of respondents who currently use AI say they do so for brainstorming sessions, first drafts and outlines. Forty-nine percent say they use AI to produce final content. The Botco report was based a survey of 1,000 B2B and B2C marketing professionals in March. Three-quarters of them were from companies with more than 100 employees.

Celebrating the Kingsport Mill Grand Reopening

The event marked the completion of the mill’s conversion into our first 100 percent recycled containerboard facility. The two-year project transformed the mill’s uncoated freesheet paper machine into the second-largest 100 percent-recycled containerboard machine in North America, capable of producing approximately 600,000 tons of high-quality recycled linerboard and corrugated medium annually. “Our machine is one of the most sophisticated and highly automated machines in North America,” says Mill Manager Troy Wilson. “Its state-of-the-art technology is enabling us to provide our customers a high-quality, consistent product thanks to a highly controllable, stable and repeatable process.” The mill reopened in January and is now the largest recycled manufacturer in the state of Tennessee.

New study in the USA confirms that a growing number of consumers want printed receipts

As per the latest study of Tulchin Research, the majority of American consumers prefer paper receipts over digital receipts when it comes to their own purchases from retail sources. The majority of them say that paper receipts have the crucial advantage of being better when it comes to protecting personal information. Tulchin Research is an award-winning public opinion research firm that specializes in opinion surveys. The survey, which was initiated by the Paper Receipt Converting Association (PRCA), was based on responses from 1,000 randomly selected adults 18 years or older in the USA. Three out of four survey respondents preferred paper receipts, while only one fourth preferred a digital receipt sent to their phones by e-mail or text message. Meanwhile, eight out of ten American consumers said they wanted to decide themselves which type of receipt they wanted for their purchases and were not interested in having the decision made for them. “These results are surprising, since they go against the general trend towards digitalization,” Koehler America General Manager Steve Graves says before adding: “This development shows that paper receipts are experiencing a renaissance, and I’m pretty sure that these survey results would be nearly identical if we were to survey Europeans instead.”

AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report for Friday, 5/26/23

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National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $3.572; Month Ago: $3.646; Year Ago: $4.600. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $3.962; Month Ago: $4.164; Year Ago: $5.538.

Key Currency Exchange Rates for Friday, 5/26/23

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American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.734187; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.141692; American Dollar to Euro = 1.074064; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.007142; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.056370.

Ulta Beauty Announces First Quarter Fiscal 2023 Results

For the First Quarter of Fiscal 2023 *Net sales increased 12.3% to $2.6 billion compared to $2.3 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2022 due to increased comparable sales, strong new store performance, and growth in other revenue compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2022. *Gross profit increased 12.1% to $1.1 billion compared to $941.0 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2022. As a percentage of net sales, gross profit decreased to 40.0% compared to 40.1% in the first quarter of fiscal 2022, primarily due to higher inventory shrink, lower merchandise margins, higher supply chain costs, and deleverage of salon expenses, partially offset by strong growth in other revenue and leverage of store fixed costs. *Operating income increased 1.0% to $442.1 million, or 16.8% of net sales, compared to $437.7 million, or 18.7% of net sales, in the first quarter of fiscal 2022. *Net income increased 4.7% to $347.1 million compared to $331.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2022.

Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports Third Quarter and Year-to-Date Operating Results for Fiscal 2023

Costco Wholesale Corporation announced its operating results for the third quarter (twelve weeks) and the first 36 weeks of fiscal 2023, ended May 7, 2023. Net sales for the quarter increased 1.9 percent, to $52.60 billion, from $51.61 billion last year. Net sales for the first 36 weeks increased 5.5 percent, to $160.28 billion, from $151.97 billion last year. Net income for the quarter was $1.30 billion, $2.93 per diluted share, which includes a non-recurring charge to merchandise costs of $298 million pretax, $0.50 per diluted share, primarily for the discontinuation of our charter shipping activities. Last year’s third quarter net income was $1.35 billion, $3.04 per diluted share, which included a non-recurring $77 million pretax charge, $0.13 per diluted share, for incremental employee benefits. Net income for the first 36 weeks was $4.13 billion, $9.30 per diluted share, compared to $3.98 billion, $8.94 per diluted share, last year.

Gap Inc. Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2023 Results

First Quarter Fiscal 2023 - Financial Results: *Net sales of $3.28 billion, down 6% compared to last year, inclusive of an estimated 1-point foreign exchange headwind and 2 percentage points of negative impact from the sale of Gap China. Net sales were in line with the company's expectations for a mid-single digit decline in the quarter. *Reported gross margin was 37.1%. Excluding $4 million in restructuring costs, adjusted gross margin of 37.2% increased 570 basis points versus last year. *Reported operating loss was $10 million; reported operating margin of negative 0.3%.

Metsä Board has submitted the EIA report for the Kaskinen paperboard mill to the ELY Centre of South Ostrobothnia

Metsä Board has submitted the EIA report for the Kaskinen paperboard mill in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Procedure Act to the South Ostrobothnia Regional Economic, Transport and Environment Centre (ELY Centre). The report is open for public comment and opinion from 25.05.2023 to 21.07.2023. The EIA procedure addresses the environmental impact of Metsä Board's planned paperboard mill on the existing mill site in Kaskinen. The EIA is a two-stage procedure. In the first stage, the project developer draws up an assessment programme and in the second stage, the evaluations are carried out and an assessment report is prepared. The results of the impact assessment will be considered in the ongoing planning and decision-making process. The EIA process does not make decisions on the project but aims to provide information to support decision-making and to increase public access to information and influence.

Schumann Printers Boosts Bindery Capabilities with Muller Martini Primera Pro Saddle Stitcher

Schumann Printers is proud to announce the acquisition of the Muller Martini Primera Pro Saddle Stitcher, an advanced piece of equipment that promises to revolutionize our bindery. This cutting-edge machine is designed to meet the demands of modern printing, offering superior efficiency, speed, and quality. As Muller Martini states on their website: "The Primera Pro Saddle Stitcher is an investment in the future. Its unique features make it the most efficient and flexible saddle stitching solution available. Whether you are producing books, brochures, or magazines, the Primera Pro will help you to achieve the highest quality products, quickly and efficiently."

Ennis, Inc. Acquires Stylecraft Printing (whattheythink.com)

Ennis, Inc. announced its acquisition of the real estate and operating assets of Stylecraft Printing Company in Canton, Michigan. Stylecraft is a trade only printer since 1967 specializing in business forms, integrated products and commercial printing. “We are thrilled to bring Stylecraft and its experienced employees into the Ennis family of companies,” said Keith Walters, Chairman, President & CEO of Ennis. “The addition of Stylecraft expands our product lines and geographical footprint, as well as adds a well-known brand that has been serving the distributor channel for more than 50 years. The acquisition of Stylecraft continues our strategy of adding quality companies to serve our customers and create return for our shareholders.”

Mactac Purchases Canadian Roll Label Distributor, Label Supply

Mactac®, a LINTEC Company, is acquiring Label Supply, headquartered in Ontario, Canada. Label Supply has been servicing the Canadian roll label market for more than three decades. The acquisition is expected to close June 1, 2023, and consists of an established, turnkey facility with 11 finishing assets, a comprehensive transportation/shipping fleet, robust laboratory and technical resource group, and an in-house ink partner. With the added support of Mactac, Label Supply benefits from a larger customer base, capital access, information technology, and broad, consistent product supply. The acquisition expands the geographic reach of both companies in the Canadian market, creating a unique service and product offering that provides specialty products, service, and large quantities to more customers throughout Eastern Canada.

Storytelling and Songwriting (jschmid.com)

Join us for our new series: Omnichannel Marketing. Mountains of data, endless options of ways to reach customers. No wonder marketers are overwhelmed. We work so hard to get their attention, but what happens once you have it? What are you going to say? In those precious few seconds, when you finally have their attention, what will your message be? That’s what we do at J.Schmid. We tell brand stories. We'd love a chance to help you tell yours. Watch Video at https://www.jschmid.com/blog/storytelling-and-songwriting/

TC Transcontinental named “Company of the Year – Large Business” at the 2023 Mercuriades ceremony

TC Transcontinental is proud to have won the "Company of the Year – Large Business" award at the 43rd edition of the prestigious business competition organized by the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ) held yesterday at the Palais des Congrès in Montréal. This recognition is awarded to companies that have distinguished themselves by their excellent performance and ability to maintain their position among the best. TC Transcontinental also won the "Entrepreneurship – Large Business" award. “I’m extremely proud that TC Transcontinental has received this recognition from the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec," said Isabelle Marcoux, Chair of the Board, TC Transcontinental. “The Corporation is driven by a long-term vision. Over the years, we have constantly adapted to the industry in which we operate to reinvent ourselves and ensure that our company is built to last."

Sylvamo Announces New Latin America Senior Leader

Sylvamo is announcing a senior leadership change for its Latin America division. Tatiana Kalman has been elected senior vice president and general manager, Latin America, effective June 1. Kalman joins Sylvamo from BASF, most recently serving as managing director and senior vice president, Business Unit Personal Care Europe. “We welcome Tatiana to our company. She will help us continue building a better future for our employees, customers and investors,” said Jean-Michel Ribiéras, chairman and chief executive officer.

Domtar Celebrates EAM Expansion in Jesup, Georgia

Domtar’s Engineered Absorbent Materials (EAM) facility in Jesup, Georgia, recently celebrated the completion of a $90 million project that added a large-scale airlaid production line to the facility as well as 75 new jobs. The EAM expansion makes Domtar a leading nonwovens provider. The facility hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 23 that included remarks from Domtar leaders and Georgia state and county officials. Staff from U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter’s office also attended. “The EAM expansion adds more scale and technology, and combining it with our world-class fluff pulp business, we will deliver more value to our customers and Domtar for many years to come,” said Steve Henry, Domtar executive vice president and chief operating officer. “We are very confident and excited by what the future holds for Domtar’s pulp business and EAM.”

Ahlstrom launches Reliance® Fusion next-generation simultaneous sterilization wrap

Ahlstrom expands its offering for the medical industry by introducing Reliance® Fusion, a next-generation simultaneous sterilization wrap that helps increase efficiency in the sterilization of surgical equipment trays at hospitals. Sterilization wraps are extensively used in healthcare facilities worldwide to help maintain the sterility of surgical instruments. Ahlstrom single-use sterilization wraps help to prevent microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, spores) from easily gaining access to the tray contents, allow sterilization, provide physical protection, and maintain sterility of surgical instruments up to the point of use. They thus play a crucial role in infection prevention and patients’ safety. The sterilization process is often time-consuming, requires the use of expensive processing aids such as tray liners, and involves longer drying cycles and stocking multiple weights of sterilization wrap to ensure all moisture has been eliminated.

Silbo upgrades all its pallet wrapping to paper with Mondi

Mondi has collaborated with Silbo to upgrade its pallet wrapping from plastic stretch film to Mondi’s kraft paper Advantage StretchWrap. Silbo has installed the first EW Technology PaperWrap machine at its plant in Żory, Poland and provides more sustainable flexible packaging for its broad range of customers, including those supplying fruits and vegetables. Mondi’s Advantage StretchWrap is made with responsibly sourced fibres and does not contain plastic or coating. Made from wood as a renewable resource, it is fully recyclable in existing paper waste streams, supporting the transition to a circular economy. Mondi commissioned an independent Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) which showed that Advantage StretchWrap performs better than standard plastic stretch film in several important environmental impact categories. The paper has exceptional puncture-resistance combined with high stretch properties providing robust protection for a wide range of goods during transportation.

URBN Reports Record Q1 Sales and EPS

Total Company net sales for the three months ended April 30, 2023, increased 5.9% to a record $1.11 billion. Total Retail segment net sales increased 4%, with comparable Retail segment net sales increasing 5%, partially offset by a 1% negative impact of foreign currency translation. The increase in Retail segment comparable net sales was driven by high single-digit positive growth in digital channel sales and low single-digit positive growth in retail store sales. By brand, comparable Retail segment net sales increased 17% at the Free People Group and 13% at the Anthropologie Group and decreased 13% at Urban Outfitters. Wholesale segment net sales decreased 11% driven by a 14% decrease in Free People Group wholesale sales due to a decrease in sales to department stores and specialty customers, while Urban Outfitters wholesale sales increased by $1 million. Nuuly segment net sales increased by $28.6 million driven by a 118% increase in our subscribers as of the current quarter end versus the end of the prior year’s comparable quarter.

Kohl’s Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2023 Financial Results

Comparisons refer to the 13-week period ended April 29, 2023 versus the 13-week period ended April 30, 2022: *Net sales decreased 3.3% year-over-year, to $3.4 billion, with comparable sales down 4.3%. *Gross margin as a percentage of net sales was 39.0%, an increase of 67 basis points. *Selling, general & administrative (SG&A) expenses decreased 4.2% year-over-year, to $1.2 billion. As a percentage of total revenue, SG&A expenses were 34.7%, a decrease of 13 basis points year-over-year. *Operating income was $98 million compared to $82 million in the prior year. As a percentage of total revenue, operating income was 2.8%, an increase of 55 basis points year-over-year. *Net income was $14 million, or $0.13 per share. This compares to net income of $14 million, or $0.11 per share in the prior year. *Inventory was $3.5 billion, a decrease of 6% year-over-year. *Operating cash flow was a use of ($202) million.

S&P Global Accelerates Progress on Near-term Corporate Sustainability Goals

Key enhancements outlined in the 2022 Impact Report included updating the Company's near-term targets for progressing toward net-zero carbon emissions, namely: *25% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity (per square foot) by 2025 *25% reduction in absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions from employee business travel by 2025 *81% of our spend with suppliers who set their own science-based targets by 2025. The Company also announced the addition of nature-based environmental targets that complement its net-zero goal for carbon.

HMH Appoints Technology and Educator Leaders to Board of Directors

Learning technology company HMH today announced that Jean S. Desravines, CEO of national education nonprofit New Leaders, and Barak Eilam, CEO of global technology company NICE, have been appointed to HMH’s board of directors. Desravines serves as CEO of New Leaders, a national nonprofit organization that develops leaders for high-need schools and impacts more than 2 million K-12 students annually. Prior to joining New Leaders, he served in senior positions in the New York City Department of Education, including as senior counselor to Joel Klein, the chancellor of New York City’s public school system under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and was named to Forbes’ “Impact 30” list as one of the world’s leading social entrepreneurs. As CEO of NICE since 2014, Eilam has transformed the global company into a leader in cloud, analytics, digital and AI through groundbreaking innovations and strategic acquisitions. Eilam started his career as an engineer at NICE in 1999 and in his 24 years with the company held multiple senior leadership roles in R&D, product management and sales.

New York Times And Union Agree On Contract After Two Years Of Negotiations (mediapost.com)

The New York Times and the New York Times Guild have reached a contract agreement that would give union members an immediate 12.5% salary raise. The deal follows two years of often contentious negotiations and events such as a 24-hour strike. “After more than two years of negotiations, we can finally say it: @NYTimesGuild and @nytimes have reached a tentative agreement on a groundbreaking new collective bargaining agreement,” the union tweeted Tuesday. The five-year deal must still be ratified by the union membership. A vote is expected in the coming week, the Times reports.

ATA Truck Tonnage Index Decreased 1.7% in April

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American Trucking Associations’ advanced seasonally adjusted (SA) For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index fell 1.7% in April after decreasing 2.8% in March. In April, the index equaled 112.7 (2015=100) compared with 114.7 in March. “While the broader economy continues to surprise and thus far stave off an expected recession, the freight economy is starkly different,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello. “The goods-portion of the economy is soft and as a result, even contract truck freight is now falling, albeit not nearly as much as the spot market. The tonnage index hit the lowest level since September 2021 in April and has now fallen on a year-over-year basis for two straight months.” March’s decline was revised up from our April 18 press release. Compared with April 2022, the SA index decreased 3.4%, which was the largest year-over-year decrease since February 2021. In March, the index was down 2.4% from a year earlier.

The Page: Greenwashing Banned?

In the latest edition of The Page, we question if this is the end of greenwashing? With new European legislation and increasing regulations, companies are coming under more pressure to justify all environmental claims in their marketing… or potentially face a hefty fine! You can also read about the increased focus that Two Sides has on the paper packaging industry, and a sneak peek at some of the findings from Two Sides’ latest consumer research report, the Trend Tracker 2023: European Findings. Our popular recurring section, ‘Fresh Thinking’, provides a round-up of fantastic print case studies, which include: a food label that indicates when a consumer’s fridge is at the ideal temperature, a supermarket campaign that swapped discount signs for ones showing their CO2e saving, and Brazilian retailer offering its customers a printed copy of the country’s constitution at a 99% discount.

Amcor Rigid Packaging Colombia Operations Now Powered with Solar Energy

Amcor Rigid Packaging´s (ARP) Cali plant in Colombia is now powered by renewable solar energy. The solar energy is supplied to Amcor exclusively from Celsia, a new solar plant comprised of more than 16,000 solar panels generating nearly nine million watts of electricity. Incorporating solar power means the Cali Colombia plant is fully powered by renewable energy – a blend of solar and hydroelectric power. Adding solar power will reduce the plant's conventional electric energy consumption by 20%. The remaining 80% of energy used to fuel the plant is provided by renewable hydroelectric energy, also certified by Celsia. In addition, the transition between solar and hydroelectric energy will reduce total emission of 7,388 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year.

Stora Enso details path to food system sustainability supported by better packaging in new research

New research from the renewable materials company Stora Enso sheds light on the importance of packaging in achieving greater food systems sustainability. The report entitled “Food packaging for better food systems” identifies 13 impact opportunities for the food packaging value chain, powered by innovation and collaboration, to unlock greater global climate, biodiversity, and social progress. Fiber-based packaging is an enabler of sustainable food systems due in part to its renewable base material, recyclability, and reliability in hygienic food protection. In the report, Stora Enso envisions a new developmental role for packaging to combat the hidden socioeconomic costs created by our food systems. This includes strengthening food system sustainability by advancing opportunities in areas including supporting healthy diets, minimizing food loss, and developing new compostable or waste-based materials. Tiina Pursula, SVP Sustainability commented: “Our food systems play a crucial role in securing a circular, biodiversity- and climate-positive future. We need to look at these systems holistically and consider how can we contribute to food system transformation, such as healthier, plant-based foods and food waste reduction. This way, we can drastically change the way we produce, transport, and consume food.”

GLGA News: GLGA Announces Recipients of Third Annual Women in Print Excellence Award

The Great Lakes Graphics Association (GLGA) is proud to announce the recipients of its third annual Women in Print Excellence Award. The Women in Print Excellence Awards supports GLGA’s ongoing quest to recognize the contributions of women in the Midwest print, graphic arts, finishing and print packaging community as well as those women who support the print industry in a vendor or supplier capacity. Any woman working directly in print or in a vendor role supporting print who was in good standing with her company in Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin was eligible to be nominated. The nominations were reviewed by a panel of female print professionals outside of the Midwest, who selected one recipient per state.

Klabin celebrates 25 years of its first FSC® certification

Klabin celebrates this month the 25th anniversary of the first certificate (1998) of excellence in forest management granted by Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC), when it became the first Brazilian company in the pulp and paper sector in the Southern Hemisphere to obtain the seal. The FSC® green seal awarded by Klabin attests to the best practices in forestry management and is an indispensable commercial prerequisite in the paper and packaging segments, encompassing the chain of custody of industrial bags, paperboard and kraft paper at the units in Brazil and at the Pilar Unit in Argentina. Currently, Klabin has 100% of its forests certified by the FSC®. “As a company with a renewable forest base for industrial purposes and also the owner of large areas of preserved native forests, we understood from an early age the importance of adopting sustainable processes in our operations, guaranteeing respect for the environment and people in the regions where we are present. inserted. We are proud of our pioneering path with the FSC and of having inspired the sector in this regard”, says Francisco Razzolini, director of Industrial Technology, Innovation, Sustainability and Projects at Klabin.

Avery Dennison Announces Planned CEO Succession

Avery Dennison Corporation announced that its board of directors, as a result of a planned succession process, has elected the company’s president and chief operating officer, Deon Stander, as president and chief executive officer, effective September 1, 2023. Current chairman and CEO, Mitch Butier, will serve as executive chairman of the company’s board of directors. “It has been a privilege to have led Avery Dennison for much of the past decade. I have been fortunate to have worked with such a tremendous team at this wonderful company -- a team that has raised the bar by both delivering superior results, while also positioning us for even greater successes in the future,” said Mitch Butier, chairman and chief executive officer, Avery Dennison. “With the company so well positioned, I am confident it is the right time to transition the role of CEO to Deon.”

Kimberly-Clark Professional™ ICON™ Dispenser Collection Wins IF DESIGN AWARD 2023

Kimberly-Clark Professional™ is a winner of this year's world-renowned iF DESIGN AWARD in the bath category for the Kimberly-Clark Professional™ ICON™ dispenser collection. Hannover-based iF International Design Forum GmbH is the world's oldest independent design organization. The judging panel was comprised of 133 independent design experts from across the globe, and the competition consisted of nearly 11,000 entries submitted from 56 countries. The Kimberly-Clark Professional ICON dispenser collection won the judges over with its unique combination of aesthetic flexibility and functional excellence, elevating the entire user experience. The Kimberly-Clark Professional ICON collection is a family of hand towel, soap and toilet paper dispensers, which includes a first-of-its-kind dispenser that offers interchangeable and customizable faceplate options to elevate commercial washrooms with added sophistication and enhanced functionality.

Amcor, Delterra, Mars and P&G form strategic partnership to tackle plastic waste & develop circular economy

Amcor, Delterra, Mars and P&G jointly announce the launch of a strategic partnership to stem the tide of plastic pollution in the Global South. These global leaders will work together to scale upstream and downstream solutions for a circular plastics economy, jointly committing $6 million USD over five years. The partners are coming together with a shared commitment to urgent environmental action and a shared understanding that the challenge of plastic pollution cannot be solved without a systemic and holistic approach to roll out scalable and sustainable programs to boost the transition to a circular economy. The strategic partners call on like-minded organizations to join this first group and add their support to drive real change, at scale.

Ahlstrom supports the transition to renewable energy sources with Elektro-Tek® electrotechnical papers

As the world shifts towards renewable energy sources, the demand for high-performance insulation materials for electrotechnical uses is on the rise. Supporting this transition, electrotechnical papers are designed as an ideal solution for demanding applications such as high-voltage cables, distribution transformers, instrument transformers, power transformers, and bushings. Ahlstrom offers a comprehensive range of innovative electrotechnical papers under a new brand Elektro-Tek® that offer excellent thermal and electrical properties. The key features required in electrotechnical papers include for example their insulation properties, density and thermal endurance, to enable the insulation to perform in operation for the defined lifecycle of the highest quality OEM producers.

Holz-Bauer and Mondi introduce PelletBag: replacing plastic with paper

Mondi has created new paper bags for Holz-Bauer’s wooden pellets replacing unnecessary plastic. Mondi’s PelletBags are created from 2-ply Mondi kraft paper which is produced, printed and converted in-house before being sent to Holz-Bauer for filling and closing, using its secure sewing method with a static binder machine. With PelletBag, Holz-Bauer will replace their existent plastic bag solution; currently an industry standard for wooden pellets. Holz-Bauer’s move to paper packaging is indicative of the trend towards using more sustainable packaging solutions. Mondi and Holz-Bauer have complementary sustainability goals, that aim to contribute to a circular economy. Holz-Bauer's wooden pellets are created from sawmill residue sourced from local businesses. Using sawmill residue in this way is in adherence to the principle of the cascading use of wood, which Mondi supports, and leverages the full value of fibre. This means that wood is used first for high performance products with hygiene or strengths requirements, such as kraft paper, and successively recycled until the residues are burned for green energy at the end of live.

UPM Biochemicals and URSA develop new sustainable insulation to achieve step change in the environmental performance of the construction materials industry

UPM Biochemicals and URSA, one of the leading producers of glass wool and mineral wool in Europe, today announced the development of more environmentally friendly building insulation that will help to reduce energy consumption and lower CO2 emissions. URSA will produce sustainable glass wool made from an innovative, binder based on UPM BioPiva™ lignin. It will be one of the most natural insulation material available on the market. The new binder implemented by Ursa is based on the proprietary lignin-resin technology developed by UPM Biochemicals. URSA and UPM Biochemicals have closely collaborated in optimizing binder composition for best physical characteristics of the new insulation material and smooth runnability on URSA’s production lines.

Nekoosa discontinues MagneCote®

In an effort to focus on products that fit best within our manufacturing capabilities, we are discontinuing our MagneCote® product. Today, we will no longer manufacture this product or actively promote it on our website. Limited inventory is available at our Nekoosa, Wisconsin facility for purchase on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. If you want to purchase any remaining merchandise, please contact your assigned Nekoosa Business Development Manager (BDM) for additional information.

U.S. Postal Service Launches Service Performance Dashboard

The U.S. Postal Service today launched an online service performance dashboard, consistent with one of the operational reforms included in the Postal Service Reform Act. After prompting users to enter only a ZIP Code, the website provides customers with a variety of useful information, including the percentage of on-time delivery for specific mail and shipping products in each USPS district. This data, updated weekly, is based on scans collected when mail enters the network, during processing and at the point of delivery. The dashboard is available at https://about.usps.com/what/performance/service-performance/external-service-measurement.htm.

The U.S. Needs Its Own Book Fair (publishersweekly.com)

Should there be an international conference for publishing professionals in the United States? It is a question numerous people have asked since the demise of BookExpo in 2020. It’s no secret that the bright-lights-big-city buzz that made BookExpo so much fun and so essential for so many years had fizzled out, and booksellers and publishers alike were finding it of limited value. When BookExpo and BookCon were “retired,” parent company Reed Exhibitions made it clear that it was cutting its losses; the company had previously ended production of the Tokyo International Book Fair and subsequently shut down the Salon du Livre in Paris. Reed continues to run the London Book Fair—but should it remain the primary book publishing conference for the English-speaking world? The simple answer is no. The U.S. is the biggest English-language publishing market it the world, yet it’s one of the few large countries without an industrywide conference.

Amcor Flexibles Brazil receives ISSC Plus certification, a first for Amcor in Latin America

Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, announced today that the Amcor Flexibles manufacturing plant in Londrina, Brazil, is the first Amcor plant in Latin America to achieve International Sustainability and Carbon Certification Plus (ISSC Plus)status. . The certification allows one of Amcor’s largest plants in Latin America to use advanced recycled materials across its product portfolio. The achievement also supports Amcor’s commitment to reach 30% recycled content by 2030 and aligns with the company’s sustainability pledge to make all products recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

Huhtamaki signed a EUR 125 million sustainability-linked term loan facility

Huhtamäki Oyj has signed a EUR 125 million bilateral term loan facility agreement with a maturity of two (2) years. The term loan will be used for refinancing and general corporate purposes of the Group. The facility has a one-year extension option at the discretion of the Lender, and the interest margin is tied to three sustainability indicators: 1. Absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions amount 2. Share of non-hazardous waste recycled 3. Ecovadis Rating

Contributing to Nature goals with sustainable forest management

Biodiversity is declining faster than at any other point in human history, and the risk of biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse was identified as one of the top five global threats of the next decade by the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Global Risks Report. The decline of biodiversity will have far-reaching economic and societal consequences, as it underpins all natural ecosystems and is an essential element of human wellbeing – sustaining Mondi’s packaging and paper business, as well as our economies and societies in which we are located¹. Ecosystems provide essential services that can impact livelihoods, income, local migration and even political conflict². In addition to all this, over half of the world’s GDP is either moderately or highly dependent on nature - $44 trillion of economic value generation³. And yet, nature continues to decline at unprecedented rates. Not only was COP15 an essential reminder of the role governments and businesses must play in conserving our natural ecosystems, but it also highlighted the importance of sustainable business models – like Mondi’s.

Postal Service Delivery Continues to Average 2.5 Days

FY23 third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through May 12, included: *First-Class Mail: 92.0% of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 1.0 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 95.9% of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 1.3 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 88.8% of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.3 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

Savvas Essentials: Foundational Reading Program Receives 2023 SmartBrief EdTech Readers’ Choice Award

Savvas Learning Company, a K-12 next-generation learning solutions leader, is proud to announce that its Savvas Essentials: Foundational Reading has earned a 2023 Readers' Choice Award presented by SmartBrief on EdTech. The new Savvas K-2 supplemental program, which supports the development of foundational skills that are so critical to the success of young readers, was recognized in the “Reading & Literacy” category. The SmartBrief Readers' Choice Awards celebrate the companies and products making a lasting impact on the education industry. Winners in the award program’s 11 categories are selected by those in the education community who vote for the innovative edtech tools and solutions they rely on most.

Savvas Learning Company’s enVision K-12 Series Receives Gold Stevie Award

Savvas Learning Company, a K-12 next-generation learning solutions leader, is proud to announce that its enVision Mathematics K-12 series © 2024 has received a Gold Stevie Award in the 21st annual American Business Awards program, with the judges hailing the “innovative, student-centered math curriculum” as “very impressive.” With its unique and proven instructional design, enVision offers vertical alignment from kindergarten through grade 12, ensuring schools and districts meet student and teacher needs with one trusted program. The enVision series excels at helping educators teach with confidence and engaging students with hands-on, problem-based learning.

Atlantic’s three commercial paperboard and fine paper converting facilities are all True Zero Waste certified!

TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Zero Waste certified facilities divert a minimum of 90 percent of their waste from landfills, incinerators, and the environment. TRUE is a zero waste certification program verified by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), an independent organization that provides third-party verification and credentialing of systems and business practices relating to sustainability. Atlantic’s TRUE certifications prove our organization’s commitment to building a healthy, sustainable future. As an increasing amount of waste places a strain on resources and communities, sustainable resource management and waste reduction practices create positive environmental, health, and economic outcomes.

Klabin advances in biodiversity conservation initiatives

As a forest-based company, Klabin considers the conservation of biodiversity to be an important guiding pillar of its operations, oriented towards sustainable development. Currently, the Company has 718,000 hectares of forests, 42% of which are dedicated to conversation and maintenance of biodiversity. The commitment to the agenda was made public through the KODS – Klabin Objectives for Sustainable Development –, which guide the Klabin 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, aligned with the UN agenda – with five specific goals for biodiversity conservation determined to be achieved over the next seven years. The goals involve recovery of degraded areas, nature conservation studies, reintroduction of extinct or threatened species and general care with the fauna.

AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report for Friday, 5/19/23

May 19, 2023
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National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $3.541; Month Ago: $3.684; Year Ago: $4.589. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $4.008; Month Ago: $4.203; Year Ago: $5.577.

Key Currency Exchange Rates for Friday, 5/19/23

May 19, 2023
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American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.741681; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.142553; American Dollar to Euro = 1.080925; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.007225; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.056686.

Walmart Releases Q1 and FY24 Earnings

First Quarter Highlights •Consolidated revenue of $152.3 billion, up 7.6%, or 7.7% in constant currency (“cc”)1 •Consolidated gross margin rate declines 18 basis points on mix of sales •Consolidated operating expenses as a percentage of net sales down 58 basis points •Walmart U.S. comp sales up 7.4%3; eCommerce up 27%, led by pickup & delivery

PRC Releases Report and Dashboard Analyzing Postal Service’s FY 2022 Finances

The Postal Regulatory Commission released its Financial Analysis report, an in-depth evaluation of the overall financial position of the United States Postal Service in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. With this year’s Financial Analysis report, the Commission introduces a fully accessible dashboard with downloadable data that provides a visual snapshot of key components of its analysis, including balance sheet and mail volume trends from 2007 to 2022. The dashboard is located on the Commission’s website, www.prc.gov. The enactment of the Postal Service Reform Act on April 6, 2022, resulted in significant changes to the Postal Service’s retirement obligations by canceling the outstanding $57 billion retiree health benefit liability, the annual payments for the retiree health benefits normal costs, and Retiree Health Benefit Fund amortization payments. In FY 2022, the Postal Service recorded a net operating loss of $0.5 billion, a $2.2 billion improvement over FY 2021. Furthermore, the Postal Service’s operating revenue increased by approximately $1.6 billion compared to FY 2021. This increase in revenue was primarily driven by First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail rate increases. Competitive revenue declined from FY 2021 when package volumes were higher because of the pandemic-related surge in e-commerce, which continues to slow as the economy recovers.

Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Driver Apprenticeship Program

May 18, 2023
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The American Trucking Associations and the International Foodservice Distributors Association applauded the introduction of the DRIVE Safe Integrity Act, introduced by Representatives Rick Crawford (R-Arkansas) and Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), to help alleviate the truck driver workforce shortage. The bill builds upon strong, bipartisan support for the DRIVE Safe Act over the last few Congresses and the inclusion of the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program in the bipartisan infrastructure law. “Building a 21st century supply chain requires a strong, vibrant and growing trucking workforce,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “The DRIVE Safe Integrity Act will bolster new career pathways into interstate trucking while promoting safety and training standards that far exceed the bar set by states today. This legislation offers a timely and essential trucking workforce and supply chain solution, built off years of broad bipartisan Congressional support.” “The last three years have proven just how important truck drivers are to the American economy and way of life, and how urgently we need to develop a pipeline of qualified, well-trained professional drivers to meet our nation’s growing freight needs,” said Mark S. Allen, President and CEO of IFDA.

Novolex Earns BPI Commercially Compostable Certification for Shopping Bags and Lawn Bags

Duro®, a Novolex® brand, announced today that it has earned Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) certification for even more of its paper bags and sacks. Now featuring more than 100 SKUs that have been tested and certified by BPI, Duro is adding to the growing number of certified commercially compostable products offered by Novolex. Certification by BPI assures customers that the packaging can be processed in a commercial compost facility. The newly certified bags include Duro recycled kraft paper shopping bags as well as lawn and leaf bags. They join other Novolex products that have already earned BPI certification, including compostable produce bags, T-shirt bags, can liners, and foodservice items from Eco-Products®. BPI says the certifications are important, noting that while the terms “biodegradable” and “compostable” may appear to be synonymous, there are critical differences.

Ortviken’s new pulp mill is inaugurated

Ortviken's new factory facility was inaugurated on 16 May 2023 with a ceremonial speech by Berit Högman, Governor of Västernorrland County, and a "ribbon cutting" by timber sports profile Ferry Svan. This means that the journey towards the production of 300,000 tonnes of climate-smart CTMP pulp has formally begun. Ulf Larsson, SCA's President and CEO, started the opening ceremony in Herrgårdsparken next to Ortviken's industrial site. He stated that the project was delivered and completed on budget and also ahead of schedule, and now SCA's operations provide strengthened competitiveness on the global market. Ulf also asked the guests to send a thought to the relatives of the employee of a subcontractor who died in a workplace accident during construction. The investment of SEK 1.5 billion in Ortviken's industrial site was announced in 2020 and is aimed to increase the production of Chemi-Thermo-Mechanical Pulp, CTMP, from approximately 90,000 tons per year to 300,000 tons per year.

Keep US Posted Challenges USPS Postage Increases (piworld.com)

Keep US Posted, a coalition of individual consumers, small businesses, nonprofits, newspapers, greeting card publishers, magazines and catalogs, is submitting new economic analysis to Congress challenging the U.S. Postal Service’s plans to continue increasing postage rates twice per year. The analysis was submitted to the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce ahead of Wednesday’s 10 a.m. hearing concerning the USPS “Delivering for America” plan. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is expected to testify. Commissioned by the Greeting Card Association, a Keep US Posted member organization, the new analysis exposes serious flaws in the Delivering for America plan’s projections and calls into question the viability of excessive postage rate increases. Specifically, the report notes that mail volumes were better than forecast initially, but the recent pattern of twice-a-year rate increases have led to a perilous loss of mail.

GP Recycling Helps CRDC Global Create Value from Plastics

Plastic waste doesn’t have to be waste at all. It can be a resource. With the support of GP Recycling, the Center for Regenerative Design and Collaboration (CRDC Global) is converting plastics into a concrete additive called RESIN8. Now instead of ending up in a landfill or the ocean, those plastics can be used to make the concrete that goes into homes, businesses and infrastructure. “First and foremost, the big value of RESIN8 is keeping the plastic out of landfills,” said Kevin Butts, director of strategy and business development for GP Recycling. “On top of that, you’re able to substitute plastic for traditional aggregates to improve the performance characteristics of the concrete.” Concrete produced with RESIN8 is lighter and provides better insulation, according to CRDC Global. In non-structural concrete applications, RESIN8 can improve insulation by up to 35%, per CRDC Global.

Canfor and Canfor Pulp Jointly Release 2022 Sustainability Report

Canfor Corporation (TSX:CFP) and Canfor Pulp Products Inc. (TSX:CFX) jointly announce the release of the 2022 Sustainability Report, which outlines performance on topics such as climate change, sustainable forestry and energy management, and social issues such as inclusion and diversity, and Indigenous relations. “Climate change is one of the most pressing issues we are facing today, and sustainable forest management and low carbon forest products can play a key role in addressing our changing climate,” says Don Kayne, President and CEO, Canfor. “Sustainability is at the very core of what we do, and our 2022 Sustainability Report outlines the progress we are making.

Sappi North America Releases 2022 Sustainability Report

Sappi North America, Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and pulp, today released its 2022 Sustainability Report, highlighting its commitment to science-based targets in creating sustainable products and business practices. The company also secured the EcoVadis Platinum sustainability rating for the third year in a row, keeping Sappi at the top 1% of companies rated for sustainability. In 2022, the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) continued to play an integral role in shaping Sappi’s business practices. The UNSDGs not only provide a global benchmark for sustainability, but also help guide Sappi’s approach to new sustainable product development; achieve record-breaking employee safety; elevate diversity in senior management; collaborate with partners on forward-trending projects; and more.

Dotdash Meredith Debuts Cookieless Ad Targeting Tool (mediapost.com)

Dotdash Meredith (DDM) has launched an ad targeting tool that it says provides intent-based targeting without cookies. The new product, D/Cipher, connects advertisers and consumers in key moments of intent across DDM’s 40+ brands, on all devices and platforms, the company claims. In addition, D/Cipher provides access to Apple (iOS) audiences. This group, which comprises more than 50% of U.S. digital users, has been unreachable by advertising cookies for the past two years.

Nike Accused of Greenwashing in New Lawsuit (mediapost.com)

A Nike customer is accusing the brand of greenwashing. In a complaint filed May 10 at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, plaintiff Maria Guadalupe Ellis claimed that Nike uses “deceptive and misleading” statements when marketing its sustainability collection. Specifically, the suit claims that Nike “deceives consumers into believing that they're receiving products that are sustainable, made with recycled fibers,” and can reduce carbon one’s footprint in a move to “zero carbon and zero waste.” “[The plaintiff] would not have purchased the products if she had known that they were not sustainable, not made from sustainable materials and not environmentally friendly,” the suit read. Ellis, who is asking the lawsuit to be certified as a federal and state class action, also said that of the 2,452 products Nike lists in its sustainability collection, “only 239 products are actually made with any recycled materials."

Biomass Basics: Clearing the Air About Paper’s GHG Emissions

Have you heard that the earth is flat, literally flat? Yes, there are serious organizations making impressive-sounding arguments and throwing scientific jargon in every direction to disprove what real science and observation have taught us about our planet, but in the end the earth is still round. So it is with the claim that paper manufacturing is “a major contributor to climate change.” Too many ENGOs and other self-interested parties have invested years trying to refute the findings of global scientific authorities like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that the paper industry is largely greenhouse gas neutral. But just like the Flat Earth argument, it takes only a little high school science, sound data and a bit of common sense to separate the truth from the blizzard of activist rhetoric posing as climate change “studies.”

GreenFirst Reports Financial Results for the First Quarter of 2023

First Quarter of 2023 Highlights: *First quarter 2023 net loss from continuing operations was $20.2 million, compared to net loss of $25.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 on the same basis. Lumber prices dropped, reflecting economic headwinds and lower demand in Q1 2023, with an average selling price of $605/mfbm compared to $644/mfbm in Q4 2022. The Q1 2023 valuation provision for lumber and logs inventory was increased to $11.9 million from $8.7 million at the end of Q4 2022. *Sold its two Quebec mills for gross proceeds of $94.1 million, subject to working capital adjustments, at a $3.5 million loss on disposal. *Reducing overheads and operating costs while increasing production efficiencies. *Signed a non-binding letter of intent to sell approximately 30 of 118 acres of the land in Kenora. *The Company has significantly deleveraged its balance sheet by reducing its outstanding debt and is no longer subject to financial covenant ratios.

Endangered Wildlife Trust and Mondi partner to map biodiversity footprints in South African forestry operations

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), one of the largest biodiversity conservation NGOs in southern Africa, and Mondi, a global packaging and paper producer, announced a three-year partnership to map biodiversity footprints in Mondi South Africa’s forestry operations. This partnership will include a pilot assessment of the biodiversity footprint of Mondi’s operations in South Africa using the EWT’s Biological Diversity Protocol (BD Protocol). The BD Protocol is an accounting framework that consolidates site-based biodiversity data to calculate any company’s total, negative and positive biodiversity footprints, allowing users to set meaningful targets and track changes on the ground and disclose these to stakeholders. "By working together with Mondi, we can reduce their business risks and enhance the protection of habitats and species." Dr Gabi Teren, National Biodiversity and Business Network Programme Manager at the EWT

Norske Skog Bruck announces successful commercial deliveries of containerboard

Norske Skog Bruck announces successful commercial orders of the containerboard grades Testliner 3 and Fluting. This represents the introduction of 210,000 tonnes of competitive containerboard capacity to meet the growing demand for renewable and re-usable packaging. The production is based 100% on recycled fibre and will use steam from the waste-to-energy plant, which opened in April 2022. Norske Skog Bruck is now ramping up production and expects full utilisation of 95% in the second half of 2025. The successful commercial orders of Strato Testliner 3 and Fluting mark a new era for Norske Skog and strengthen the company's asset base and cash flow generation for decades ahead.

Save 7th November for the Power of Print

Now in its 13th year, the Power of Print seminar has established itself as the must-attend event. Jonathan Tame, Managing Director of Two Sides, says, “Print has always played an essential communications role. Even in the current landscape, the power of print remains unassailable and this year’s seminar will highlight the opportunities, and indeed challenges, for print in this ever changing world.” Thought leaders from the industry, including direct mail, publishing, agencies, brands, and packaging, will enlighten, inspire, and inform the audience with their take on what the future holds.

USPS, Postal Inspection Service Roll Out Expanded Crime Prevention Measures

The United States Postal Service (Postal Service) and United States Postal Inspection Service (Postal Inspection Service) today announced expanded actions to protect Postal employees and the security of the nation’s mail and packages as threats and attacks on letter carriers and mail fraud incidents have escalated concurrently with a national rise in crime. The Postal Service and Postal Inspection Service held a joint briefing for Congress members and staff on these efforts on May 11, 2023. “As crime rises, so do the threats against our public servants,” said Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy. “The men and women of the Postal Service are walking our nation’s streets every day to fulfil our mission of delivering mail and packages to the American people. Every Postal employee deserves to work in safety and to be free from targeting by criminals seeking to access the public's mail.”

Service Performance Consistently Strong Across All Mail Categories

FY23 third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through May 5, included: *First-Class Mail: 91.9% of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 1.0 percentage point from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 95.9% of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 1.3 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 88.8% of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.3 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

Launch of transaction verification loop in Vietnam

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Assurance Services International (ASI) are launching a transaction verification (TV) loop on supply chains of all types of wood in Vietnam. The TV loop will include forest management (FM) certificate holders in the scope, in addition to specific types of chain of custody (COC) certificate holders. FSC and ASI decided to launch this TV loop – the second one focused on Vietnam – after detecting problems related to volume mismatch between the amount of wood sold by FM certificate holders and the amount used by COC certificate holders to produce wood pellets, in Vietnam. These problems were revealed during the Asia wood pellets TV loop that was conducted between 2020 and 2022. This poses a high risk to the integrity of FSC’s certification system in Vietnam.

2023 BPIF Book Awards Call For Entries

The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) is calling for entries to the British Book Design and Production Awards 2023 with two brand new categories for Innovative and Sustainable Books. As one of the most prestigious and popular literary events of the year, these are the only industry awards to promote and celebrate the excellence and craftsmanship of the British book design and production industry. All books published between 1 July 2022 and 7 July 2023 are eligible for entry in this year’s awards. There are 18 categories that represent the many various forms books can take. These include everything from Best British Book, Children’s Trade to Sustainable Books categories.

International Paper Publishes 2022 Sustainability Report

International Paper released its 2022 Sustainability Report, which illustrates the progress made on our Vision 2030 goals and outlines our commitment to building a better future for people, the planet and our company. From planet-friendly packaging to pulp for absorbent products, we transform renewable resources into products people depend on every day. As one of North America's largest recyclers, we deliver circular solutions that reduce waste and build a better future for our planet. International Paper recognizes its impacts and dependencies on natural and human capital, and its responsibility to promote the health of people and our planet because we know that's what's needed for a livable world and a thriving society.

News Corp Reports Third Quarter Results for Fiscal 2023

The Company reported fiscal 2023 third quarter total revenues of $2.45 billion, a 2% decrease compared to $2.49 billion in the prior year period. The decline was primarily due to a $98 million, or 4%, negative impact from foreign currency fluctuations and lower revenues at the Digital Real Estate Services segment due to continued challenging housing market conditions in the U.S. and Australia. Net income for the quarter was $59 million, a 43% decline compared to $104 million in the prior year, primarily due to lower Total Segment EBITDA, as discussed below, higher depreciation and amortization expense and higher losses from equity affiliates, partially offset by lower impairment charges.

AAP February StatShot Report: Overall Publishing Industry Up 1.8% Year-To-Date

Total revenues across all categories for February 2023 were up 0.2% as compared to February 2022, coming in at $1.0 billion. Year-to-date revenues were up 1.8%, at $2.3 billion for the first two months of the year. Trade (Consumer Books) revenues were down 0.4% in February, coming in at $706.3 million. In terms of physical paper format revenues during the month of February, in the Trade (Consumer Books) category, Hardback revenues were down 6.4%, coming in at $235.5 million; Paperbacks were down 0.9%, with $244.7 million in revenue; Mass Market was down 3.2% to $15.5 million; and Special Bindings were down 5.5%, with $16.2 million in revenue. eBook revenues were down 4.8% for the month as compared to February 2022 for a total of $87.5 million, and overall Digital Audio format was up 31.6% for February, coming in at $84.5 million in revenue.

AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report for Friday, 5/12/23

May 12, 2023
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National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $3.542; Month Ago: $3.621; Year Ago: $4.418. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $4.034; Month Ago: $4.206; Year Ago: $5.557.

Key Currency Exchange Rates for Friday, 5/12/23

May 12, 2023
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American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.741025; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.143897; American Dollar to Euro = 1.089271; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.007414; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.056763.

Cascades Reports Results for the First Quarter of 2023

Q1 2023 Highlights • Sales of $1,134 million (compared with $1,135 million in Q4 2022 and $1,038 million in Q1 2022) • Operating loss of $(80) million (compared with $(20) million in Q4 2022 and $(4) million in Q1 2022) • Net debt1 of $2,070 million as of March 31, 2023 (compared with $1,966 million as of December 31, 2022). Net debt to EBITDA (A) ratio1 of 4.6x, down from 5.2x as of December 31, 2022.

FedEx Publishes 2023 ESG Report

Some highlights from the FedEx 2023 ESG Report include: • Decreasing carbon dioxide emissions intensity on a revenue basis by 48.9% from Fiscal Year 2009 through Fiscal Year 2022, a period during which average daily package volumes grew by 142%. • Avoiding 150 million gallons of jet fuel through aircraft modernization efforts, reducing our total FY22 jet fuel consumption by more than 10%. • Providing mentorship and learning opportunities to more than 33,000 frontline team members in partnership with 1,700 mentors through the FedEx Ground Purple Pathways workforce career track program, which won the American Transportation Association DEI Change Leader Award this year.

USPS Ground Advantage Reduces Prices, Simplifies Shipping Solutions and Improves Service Reliability

USPS Ground Advantage Will Feature: *$100 insurance included for both retail and commercial customers, USPS Ground Advantage outbound and return parcels. *Package forwarding and return to sender endorsements will be included for the USPS Ground Advantage product offering. *Free package pickup on the carrier’s route. Published prices for USPS Ground Advantage will decrease 1.4 percent relative to current Parcel Select Ground and First-Class Package Service pricing. USPS Ground Advantage Retail prices will decrease 3.2 percent and USPS Ground Advantage Commercial published prices will decrease 0.7 percent.

YETI Reports First Quarter 2023 Results

Sales increased 3% to $302.8 million, compared to $293.6 million during the same period last year. As previously disclosed, our 2023 results were impacted by the stop sale of certain soft coolers included in the voluntary recalls. Gross profit increased 5% to $161.9 million, or 53.5% of sales, compared to $154.9 million, or 52.7% of sales, in the first quarter of 2022. Gross profit was positively impacted by lower inbound freight, partially offset by higher product costs and the unfavorable impact of foreign currency exchange rates. Gross profit also included a $1.2 million, or 40 basis points, favorable impact from adjustments to inventory reserves related to the voluntary recalls. Net income decreased 59% to $10.6 million, or 3.5% of sales, compared to $25.7 million, or 8.7% of sales in the prior year quarter.

Pratt Invests in High Graphics and Advanced Print Technologies

To meet the growing demand for faster speed to market and a more agile supply chain, Pratt Industries has committed to strategic growth initiatives across our nationwide network, and a top priority is staying at the forefront of the high graphics movement. Pratt’s high graphics investments offer our customers quality graphic solutions through a combination of advanced print technologies and value driven options. We strive to find the best print solution to satisfy the corrugated packaging needs and budgets of our customers by investing in state-of-the-art technology and equipment. Pratt Lewisburg, OH recently added an HP PageWide digital web press to its already impressive equipment lineup in order to increase speed to market and flexibility while complementing their flexo and offset graphic capabilities. “We have the capabilities and expertise to offer customers the best supply chain solution for their high graphics packaging needs,” said Sergio Morales, General Manager.

€40 million investment in state-of-the-art technology as part of Smurfit Kappa’s expansion in Poland

The expansion makes the plant Smurfit Kappa’s largest in Poland and one of the most high-tech and modern packaging plants in Europe. In addition to the state-of-the-art machinery installed at the plant, it is expected that a further 50 new jobs will be created, bringing employment to more than 250 staff at the location. These new jobs will enable the plant to further serve its customer portfolio that includes some of the leading brands in the FMCG food and beverage sectors and serves both international and local customers. The investment in Poland 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, which can accommodate upwards of 12,000 pallets. The investment will ultimately double the output from the plant which now spans 37,500 m2.

Sun Chemical Launches Lumina® HD Fine Fraction Effect Pigments for the Coatings Market

Sun Chemical has launched Lumina® HD, a new family of high-definition effect pigments based on fine fraction synthetic mica that was developed to expand the color space for automotive stylings and other coatings applications, including aerospace, general industrial and powder coatings. The first two pigments in the Lumina HD family are Lumina HD Blue and Lumina HD Russet. Both deliver the highest performance properties including exceptional chroma, enhanced distinctness of image and subtle sparkle. Lumina HD pigments provide designers new latitude to create unique shades in the red to maroon and blue color areas.

KP Tissue Releases First Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Kruger Products Q1 2023 Business and Financial Highlights • Revenue was $451.0 million in Q1 2023 compared to $398.7 million in Q1 2022, an increase of $52.3 million or 13.1%. • Net loss was $49.3 million in Q1 2023 compared to net income of $1.4 million in Q1 2022, a decrease of $50.7 million.

Mativ Announces First Quarter 2023 Results

Mativ First Quarter 2023 Highlights *Sales increased 66.9% to $679.0 million, reflecting the benefit of the merger; 1% constant currency organic sales growth *GAAP loss was $7.7 million, GAAP EPS was $(0.14), and GAAP Operating Profit was $9.3 million, which all included merger integration and purchase accounting expenses *Price increases more than offset the impacts of higher input costs; however, lower volumes primarily from customer de-stocking and manufacturing challenges drove margin pressure *$25 million incremental synergy realization still expected in 2023, with procurement and supply chain activities building upon 2022 SG&A actions; easing input costs also expected to support sequential margin improvements

Billerud launches wrapping solution for toilet and kitchen rolls – renewable, recyclable and biodegradable

Billerud presents a machine glazed kraft paper especially adapted and validated for wrapping toilet and kitchen paper rolls. Hitting the sustainability sweet spot – renewable, recyclable and biodegradable, but also enduring tough handling as good as any PE plastic. Toilet and kitchen paper rolls are consumed in enormous numbers every day. For brand owners, switching from plastic to this paper wrapping would mean a significant sustainability gain. But also, for meeting consumer preferences. An Ipsos Global survey of 20 000 consumers (2021) shows that three out of four consumers want to get rid of single-use plastics. So, this new alternative from Billerud is a strong tool to decrease the gap between brands and consumers. Sustainability and a low carbon footprint are obvious strengths, but the new wrapping has more up its sleeve. Billerud’s white, long, soft virgin fibers enable excellent printability. The packaging will certainly stand out on the shelf.

Sappi announces results for the second financial quarter of 2023

Financial summary for the quarter *EBITDA excluding special items US$167 million (Q2 FY22 US$337 million) *Net debt of US$1,225 million (Q2 FY22 US$1,793 million) *Profit for the period US$69 million (Q2 FY22 US$188 million) *EPS excluding special items 11 US Cents (Q2 FY22 35 US Cents)

Next Generation Koenig & Bauer Rapida 145 Eight-Color Press Plus Coater Creates Additional Opportunities at Calumet Carton (whattheythink.com)

When the highly-anticipated next generation Koenig & Bauer Rapida 145 eight-color press plus coater arrived on the pressroom floor at Calumet Carton, the leading producer of mailers and packaging products, the South Holland, IL manufacturer fulfilled one of its primary goals to continually reinvest in today’s most modern state-of-the-art equipment for its valued well-known customers. “We are proud to be operating this next generation offset press from Koenig & Bauer,” says Gina Inwood, vice president at Calumet Carton. “In today’s competitive marketplace, we need to provide the utmost speed, automation, and efficiency for our packaging customers, allowing them to offer color consistent eye-popping packaging within tight deadlines. This press, one of the first in North America, sets us apart from our competition, creating additional opportunities and offering lightning-fast production speeds.”

The New York Times Company Reports First-Quarter 2023 Results

The New York Times Company announced first quarter 2023 diluted earnings per share of $.13 compared with $.03 in the same period of 2022. Operating profit increased to $27.9 million in the first quarter of 2023 from $6.3 million in the same period of 2022 as the impact of acquisition-related charges taken in the prior year and higher digital subscription and other revenues were partially offset by higher operating costs and lower advertising revenues.

U.S. Postal Service Reports Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2023 Results

Total operating revenue was $19.3 billion for the quarter, a decrease of $484 million, or 2.4 percent, compared to the same quarter last year. First-Class Mail revenue increased $33 million, or 0.5 percent, on a volume decline of 1.1 billion pieces, or 8.1 percent, compared to the same quarter last year. Marketing Mail revenue decreased $161 million, or 4.3 percent, on a volume decline of 1.7 billion pieces, or 11.0 percent, compared to the same quarter last year. Shipping and Packages revenue decreased $162 million, or 2.1 percent, on a volume decline of 89 million pieces, or 5.0 percent, compared to the same quarter last year. Total operating expenses were $22.0 billion for the quarter, an increase of $1.6 billion, or 7.6 percent, compared to the same quarter last year. On a non-GAAP basis, adjusted operating expenses increased by $641 million, or 3.3 percent, compared to the same quarter last year.

Pactiv Evergreen Reports First Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Net revenues in the first quarter of 2023 were $1,431 million compared to $1,495 million in the first quarter of 2022. The decrease was due to lower sales volume and the impact from dispositions, notably the disposition of Beverage Merchandising Asia on August 2, 2022. Lower sales volume was largely due to our focus on value over volume in the Foodservice and Food Merchandising segments and the market softening amid inflationary pressures in the Beverage Merchandising and Food Merchandising segments. These decreases were partially offset by favorable pricing, due to pricing actions in the Food Merchandising and Beverage Merchandising segments and the contractual pass-through of higher material costs across all segments. Net loss was $133 million in the first quarter of 2023 compared to $43 million of net income in the first quarter of 2022. The decrease was mostly due to $187 million of charges associated with the Beverage Merchandising Restructuring and a $27 million decrease due to the gain on the sale of Naturepak Beverage Packaging Co. Ltd in the prior year period. These decreases were partially offset by a $55 million decrease in tax expense, mainly attributable to decreased profitability.

Warm beige – the new white for hygiene products

Although many of us use products containing fluff pulp, some of us daily, it is one of those materials which is surprisingly unknown to the wider group of consumers. Fluff pulp is a type of wood pulp typically used in absorption cores of baby diapers, sanitary pads, incontinence products and various forms of air-laid nonwoven products. Not many consumers know what fluff pulp is, and that it in many cases is the only natural raw material in a typical disposable hygiene product. Even if a single absorbent hygiene product only contains a few grams of fluff pulp, the massive number of products consumed every day make that global fluff pulp market big. In 2023 it is projected to reach over 7 million tons globally (Global Fluff Pulp Consumption, projection according to Smithers). We describe NaturaFluff Eco as an oxygen delignified fluff pulp. This means that it is not bleached, only treated with oxygen to remove the remaining lignin after the cooking of the pulp. By not bleaching the fluff pulp we save approximately 80 kgs of bleaching chemicals per airdried tonne of fluff pulp. This corresponds to a saving of the carbon footprint by more than 30% compared to bleached fluff pulp.

SupremeX Announces Record Q1 2023 Results

First Quarter Financial Highlights and Recent Events • Total revenue increased by 39.8% to $88.4 million, from $63.3 million in the first quarter of 2022. • Envelope segment revenue was up 44.4% to $64.5 million, from $44.6 million in the first quarter of 2022. • Packaging and specialty products segment revenue rose by 28.7% to $24.0 million, from $18.6 million last year. • Net earnings increased 50.7% to $9.5 million, from $6.3 million in the first quarter of 2022. • Acquisitions of Impression Paragraph Inc. (“Paragraph”), on January 16, 2023 and of Graf-Pak Inc. (“Graf-Pak”) on May 8, 2023

Ahlstrom ECO™, a renewable lignin-impregnated filter media, wins the American Filtration Society’s New Product of the Year award

Ahlstrom ECO™, a new range of renewable and sustainable filtration solutions for automotive applications, was selected as the New Product of the Year by the America Filtration Society (AFS) on May 2, 2023. The Product of the Year award is given to a company introducing the most significant new product in the previous year. Ahlstrom ECO™ is a renewable and sustainable filter media which utilizes lignin-based impregnation, thereby limiting the use of fossil-based resin. The resin contains a significant amount of bio-based renewable lignin, while the mechanical properties and durability of the filter media, even in challenging environments, are maintained. Ahlstrom ECO™ supports the increased sustainability demands of the global transportation market and offers a new choice for filter manufacturers. Ahlstrom ECO™ was first developed in our Louveira plant in Brazil.

Mondi to modernise its Dynäs kraft paper mill in Sweden

Mondi, a global leader in sustainable packaging and paper, is upgrading its Dynäs pulp and paper mill in Sweden. The modernisation programme will increase efficiency and further improve the overall environmental performance of the mill, positioning it well to continue meeting customer demand for sustainable paper and paper-based packaging solutions. The Dynäs mill produces high-quality sack and speciality kraft papers, used for a variety of paper-based packaging solutions for industrial and consumer industries, and is an important part of Mondi’s Flexible Packaging business. The project includes the installation and upgrade of machinery and equipment such as a new cooking plant and bark boiler, which will improve the mill's energy efficiency. Upgrades will also further reduce air and water emissions, and result in better wood utilisation at the mill.

Tronox Issues 2022 Sustainability Report

Tronox Holdings plc, the world’s leading integrated manufacturer of titanium dioxide pigment, today announced the publication of its 2022 sustainability report. The report details the significant steps taken over the last year to advance its leadership role in sustainability and protecting the environment: *Reinforced Scope 1 and 2 carbon emission reduction targets, recommitting to the accelerated carbon intensity reduction targets of 35% by 2025 and 50% by 2030 against a 2019 baseline. *Created regional decarbonization roadmaps that will be integral to meeting the Company’s net zero by 2050 goal. *Set Scope 3 emissions targets to decrease emissions intensity by 9% by 2025 and 16% by 2030 against a 2021 baseline. *Reduced waste to external landfills by 10% on an absolute basis from the 2019 baseline, keeping on course to meet the 2025 and 2030 reduction targets of 15% and 25%, respectively.

Sylvamo Reports First Quarter 2023 Results

“We generated $208 million in adjusted EBITDA, which was consistent with our outlook of $205 million to $215 million, and achieved a 22% adjusted EBITDA margin,” said Jean-Michel Ribiéras. “We maintained a strong balance sheet and repurchased 80% of our outstanding notes to eliminate restrictive covenants in the notes agreement. These steps enabled us to continue on the path to returning more cash to shareowners.” Financial Highlights – First Quarter vs. Fourth Quarter *Net income from continuing operations of $97 million ($2.25 per diluted share) vs. $88 million ($1.99 per diluted share) *Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations of $63 million vs. $142 million

Adobe Digital Price Index: Online Prices Fall For Eighth Consecutive Month, Dropping 1.8% In April

Adobe announced the latest online inflation data from the Adobe Digital Price Index (DPI), powered by Adobe Analytics. Online prices in April 2023 fell 1.8% year-over-year (YoY), marking the eighth consecutive month of YoY price decreases, with the majority of categories (11 of 18) tracked by Adobe seeing falling prices on an annual basis. On a month-over-month (MoM) basis, online prices fell 0.7% in April. April’s YoY price decline was driven by notable drops in categories such as appliances, which fell 7.1% YoY (down 2.1% MoM), the largest YoY drop for the category since Adobe began tracking online prices in 2014. Prices continued to fall YoY in categories including sporting goods (down 6.4% YoY, up 1.5% MoM), toys (down 5.9% YoY, down 0.2% MoM) and home/garden (down 5.6% YoY, down 0.8% MoM). Steeper YoY declines were observed in electronics, which fell 11.6% YoY (up 0.5% MoM), as well as computers, which fell 15.4% YoY (up 1.9% MoM).

Imports expected to remain below 2022 for most of this year (chainstoreage.com)

Congestion at the nation’s ports has largely disappeared as import levels have fallen amid economic uncertainty. That’s according to the Global Port Tracker report released Monday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. It found that while import cargo volume at the nation’s major container ports is climbing back from a nearly three-year low in February, it is expected to remain well below last year’s levels heading into the fall. “Consumers are still spending and retail sales are expected to increase this year, but we’re not seeing the explosive demand we saw the past two years,” NRF VP for supply chain and customs policy Jonathan Gold said.

Tredegar Reports First Quarter 2023 Results

First quarter 2023 net income (loss) was $(1.0) million compared to net income (loss) of $16.4 million in the first quarter of 2022. Net income (loss) from ongoing operations, which excludes special items, was $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2023 compared with $16.8 million in the first quarter of 2022. John Steitz, Tredegar’s president and chief executive officer, said, “Our businesses and markets continue to suffer from a significant slowdown that has been exacerbated by customer inventory corrections, which has resulted in excessive inventory levels for us, too. The timing of a recovery is uncertain, especially for Bonnell Aluminum and the Surface Protection component of PE Films.”

Amcor announces intent to acquire Moda Systems

Amcor announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Moda Systems, a leading manufacturer of state-of-the-art, automated protein packaging machines. Based in New Zealand, privately-held Moda Systems designs, assembles, and supports innovative, high-performance modular vacuum packaging solutions for the meat, poultry, and dairy industries. The acquisition will complement Amcor’s existing strength in film, positioning the company to offer an end-to-end packaging solution that encompasses primary packaging, equipment, on-site technical service, and parts.

Supremex Announces the Acquisition of Graf-Pak Inc.

Supremex Inc. announced today the acquisition of the assets of Graf-Pak Inc., a provider of folding carton packaging solutions to a variety of commercial markets. The transaction was concluded for a total consideration of approximately $6.0 million, on a cash-free and debt-free basis, subject to customary adjustments, financed through the Company’s existing credit facility. Founded in 1995 and employing close to 25 people, Graf-Pak operates a facility located in Pointe-Claire, Québec, near the Company’s primary folding carton plant in Lachine. Its offering is comprised primarily of the printing and manufacturing of folding carton packaging products, mainly for the food and cosmetics markets. For its last fiscal year, Graf-Pak generated sales of approximately $6.7 million.

Clearwater Paper Announces Science Based Targets Initiative Validation for Climate Targets

Clearwater Paper Corporation announced that the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) has validated the company’s climate targets. These targets include reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 29.1 percent and absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions by 25 percent by 2030. The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a global body enabling businesses to set ambitious emissions reductions targets in line with the latest climate science. SBTi is focused on accelerating companies worldwide to halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions before 2050. “By setting science-based targets, we are committing to taking steps to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, which is crucial to mitigating the impacts of climate change,” said Steve Bowden, senior vice president and general manager of the pulp and paperboard division. “The SBTi goal-setting process helps to strengthen and unify our company’s overall commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while SBTi’s validation of our goals gives our employees, customers, and communities confidence that we are being good stewards of our natural resources.”

March Printing Shipments Maintain Seasonality (whattheythink.com)

March 2023 printing shipments came in at $7.18 billion, up from February’s $6.46 billion and in line with annual seasonality—even if it is below the previous two Marches. Still, after one quarter, 2023 has marched in pretty close lockstep with both 2021 and 2022. We entered 2023 with the best start to the year since 2020 (yeah, yeah, yeah) but we’re holding our own. If regular seasonality continues, we’ve already hit the high point of the year until October. January-to-March shipments for 2023 are at $20.39 billion, a scosh higher than last year’s $20.25 billion. April will give us a clearer idea of whether we are in for a tough or good year.

Latest USPS Report Shows Improved Service Performance

FY23 third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through April 28, included: *First-Class Mail: 91.8% of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 0.8 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 95.8% of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 1.3 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 88.6% of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 2.1 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

Amazon opens new robotic fulfillment center (chainstoreage.com)

Amazon’s latest state-of-the-art supply chain facility is located in southern New England. The e-tail giant is opening a fulfillment center in Windsor, Conn., equipped with advanced robotics technology. The 3.8.-million-square-foot facility began processing and delivering customer orders starting in November 2022, and will eventually employ more than 2,000 workers. At this facility, employees pick, pack and ship smaller customer items such as books, electronics, small household goods and toys.

Fiber-based packaging for lowering fresh produce’s climate impact

Fruit and vegetables are the centerpiece of today’s grocery stores and often the first department that customers experience when walking in the door. Visually appealing produce signals quality and freshness, and for brand owners and retailers, it is critical that fruits and vegetables arrive undamaged. With fruit and vegetable loss already as much as 50% throughout the value chain, strong packaging can play a role at minimizing this by preventing damage to fresh produce. Producers and sellers have high expectations for packaging reliability and at the same time seek to balance this with increasingly ambitious sustainability measures. This includes combating food waste and reducing their packaging’s environmental impact. In the fruits and vegetables category, retailers and brand owners are commonly presented with a choice between recyclable corrugated containerboard packaging and reusable plastic crates. Both offer protection, but how can they know which is the most sustainable choice? To help our customers better understand the options and their potential environmental impacts, we recently conducted a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparing corrugated containerboard box to a reusable plastic crate for transporting fresh produce.

The Overlooked R’s: Reduce and Reuse (jschmid.com)

Think paper isn't sustainable? Think again! We are super proud to be owned by a brand who believes in sustainability. MIDLAND has partnered with the World Land Trust, and their exciting Carbon Balanced Paper program. Ultimately this program helps protect endangered forests and threatened habitats. Learn more here. Thankfully, recycling has become almost a given in the corporate world and the majority of homes. But it's time to move into the new frontier, looking beyond recycling to tap more heavily into the other two, often overlooked R’s in the sustainability trio: reduce and reuse. These initiatives can reduce pollution and waste on the production side, while simultaneously giving consumers easier access to greener choices for their households, something that 88% of consumers reportedly want. As every business takes a different shape depending on operations and industry, finding ways to reduce and re-use at the corporate level is a complex and highly individual challenge. But some companies have found creative ways to limit their carbon footprint and give products a second life, forging the way for other companies to follow suit. So what can we learn from them? read more at: https://www.jschmid.com/blog/the-overlooked-rs-reduce-and-reuse/

PEFC supports the EU’s efforts in fighting climate change and deforestation globally

Climate change remains a major threat to the planet. Halting deforestation and protecting the world’s forests is seen as an important solution to the global crisis, but also as way to halt biodiversity loss and maintain ecosystem services. Further, forests provide us with alternative nature-based products including sustainable and renewable material for a circular economy. Siti Syaliza Mustapha, PEFC’s Deputy Secretary General/COO highlighted: “We all share a common objective - to promote sustainable forest management and supply chains that achieve high sustainability standards. We need to employ multiple tools to achieve positive effects of forest use and work together to promote forest education and dissemination of credible information to support our joint efforts.”

The Advertising Ethics Jury Agrees With Two Sides On DocuSign

Two Sides had filed a complaint following an advertisement broadcast by DocuSign claiming that the use of electronic signatures notably made it possible to save CO2 and save trees. By confirming that such environmental communication is contrary to professional recommendations, this decision will help combat the all too frequent unfounded allegations promoting digital tools at the expense of paper.

Amcor supports next generation of innovators with Michigan State University

Amcor announced it has launched an Amcor Lift-Off session dedicated to Michigan State University (MSU) with the support of the MSU Research Foundation and its network. The program offers an opportunity for early-stage start-ups from MSU and its wider network to win up to $250,000 in seed funding. Additionally, through collaboration with the MSU’s Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, MSU student teams will compete for a grant of up to $10,000. This initiative follows the April 20 opening of the newly renovated MSU School of Packaging building, a program Amcor supported with a $10 million investment that included the establishment of an Endowed Chair of Packaging Sustainability.

Stora Enso collaborates on paperboard tube breakthrough to further reduce plastic in packaging

Stora Enso alongside Blue Ocean Closures and AISA have developed together the first ever paperboard tube with a fiber-based closure. This new, innovative wood fiber-based concept helps brand owners increase the share of renewable material in their packaging. All components of the tube are designed for recycling. The tube is composed of Stora Enso’s barrier-coated board material Natura Shape™ and a screw cap designed in collaboration with Blue Ocean Closures with assembly by AISA. The solution contains more than 85% fiber content, the highest proportion available in a tube design. Intended for cosmetics and personal care applications, it is expected to be commercially available in 2024.

Sylvamo Announces Senior Leadership Changes

Greg Gibson, senior vice president and general manager, North America, will be elected senior vice president, Commercial Excellence, until his retirement March 31, 2024. Gibson joined the industry in 1982 and has served in various sales, marketing, general management and senior leadership roles in North America and Europe. Rodrigo Davoli, senior vice president and general manager, Latin America, will be elected senior vice president and general manager, North America. Davoli joined the industry in 1993 and has served in various finance, strategic planning, sales, marketing, general management and senior leadership roles in Latin America and Europe. They will assist each other with transitions throughout the third quarter.

Ahlstrom receives Packaging S.T.A.R. Award from Taco Bell®

In a recent supplier award ceremony, Ahlstrom was recognized specifically for their packaging contributions to the Taco Bell® brand. “We are extremely humbled to have received this recognition from our Taco Bell® partners,” commented Travis Dahlke, Vice President of Ahlstrom’s North American Food business. Dahlke and members of his team accepted the award during the event. “This is a result of strong collaboration through our entire value chain – from Taco Bell® through our converting partners.” The S.T.A.R. awards (Supplier – Tracking – Assessment – Recognition) uses company-wide audits built to qualify supplier performance in several categories, including Packaging. Ahlstrom leveraged both its FluoroFree® and trulyNatural® technologies in the development of sustainable packaging solutions for Taco Bell.

AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report for Friday, 5/5/23

National Average Price for Regular Unleaded Current: $3.561; Month Ago: $3.528; Year Ago: $4.247. National Average Price for Diesel Current: $4.087; Month Ago: $4.211; Year Ago: $5.473.

Key Currency Exchange Rates for Friday, 5/5/23

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.741829; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.144755; American Dollar to Euro = 1.102394; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.007450; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.055850.

Successful start-up of Cascades Containerboard Packaging plant in Bear Island, Virginia

Cascades inc. is very pleased to announce that it has produced yesterday its first roll of 100% recycled containerboard at its Bear Island, Virginia mill. With annual production capacity of 465,000 short tons of lightweight, high-quality, 100% recycled containerboard, the state-of-the-art mill is equipped to perform within the top quartile of its industry, and will strengthen the operational flexibility, geographic footprint, and competitiveness of Cascades' Containerboard platform. The project created 700 jobs in the region during the construction phase, and 180 permanent jobs with the onset of commercial production. The Bear Island mill is now entering the ramp-up phase of the machine and will gradually increase its production to reach full capacity. An official inauguration will be held in the coming months.

Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports April Sales Results

Costco Wholesale Corporation reported net sales of $17.85 billion for the retail month of April, the four weeks ended April 30, 2023, an increase of 3.0 percent from $17.33 billion last year. For the thirty-five weeks ended April 30, 2023, the Company reported net sales of $155.62 billion, an increase of 5.6 percent from $147.33 billion last year.

Berry Announces Second Quarter 2023 Results

Second Quarter Highlights: *Non-GAAP: Operating EBITDA of $541 million; Adjusted earnings per share of $1.96 *Returned $187 million to shareholders in the quarter ($155 million via share repurchases and $32 million in dividends) *Fiscal 2023 outlook: Reaffirmed adjusted EPS and free cash flow ranges

WestRock Reports Fiscal 2023 Second Quarter Results

Second Quarter Highlights and other notable items: *Net sales of $5.3 billion *Net loss of $2.0 billion, included a $1.9 billion pre-tax, non-cash goodwill impairment and $445 million of pre-tax restructuring and other costs; Adjusted Net Income of $198 million *Results negatively impacted by $58 million due to economic downtime, as well as a $40 million increase in non-cash pension costs year-over-year; our U.S. qualified and non-qualified pension plans remain overfunded *Loss per diluted share of $7.85 and Adjusted Earnings per Diluted Share of $0.77

Metsä Board Husum inaugurates new recovery boiler and turbine

The new recovery boiler and turbine of the Husum pulp mill started up at the end of 2022. Thanks to the latest technology and processes the mill’s bio-based energy production will increase and the mill integrate’s electricity self-sufficiency will amount to over 80 per cent. The total value of the investment was approximately EUR 380 million. In the second phase of the renewal, to be decided and implemented later in the decade, the two current fibre lines would be replaced with one new line. An investment programme is also underway at the Husum mill to increase the annual production capacity of folding boxboard by around 200,000 tonnes. The investment is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023. Metsä Board Husum mill in Sweden is an integrated board and pulp mill producing folding boxboard, uncoated white kraftliner and bleached chemical pulp.

Deluxe Reports First Quarter 2023 Results; Affirms Full Year 2023 Outlook

*Reported revenue decreased 1.9% due to anticipated impact from divestitures, and comparable adjusted revenue increased 0.5% *First quarter GAAP diluted EPS was $0.06 and adjusted diluted EPS was $0.80 *Net income was $2.8 million, down from $9.7 million in the prior year *Adjusted EBITDA increased 0.8%, and comparable adjusted EBITDA increased 2.1%

Gannett Announces First Quarter 2023 Results

First Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights: • Total revenues of $668.9 million decreased 10.6% compared to the first quarter of 2022 ◦ Same store revenues(1) decreased 9.3% compared to the first quarter of 2022 • Total digital revenues were $247.5 million or 37.0% of total revenues, down 0.9% over the same period in the prior year on a same store(1) basis primarily as a result of declines in digital media year-over-year • Net income attributable to Gannett of $10.3 million, representing an income margin of 1.5%, improved by $13.3 million versus the net loss attributable to Gannett of $3.0 million in the first quarter of 2022

Klabin reaches Adjusted EBITDA of R＄ 1.942 billion in the first quarter of 2023

Klabin recorded, in the first quarter of 2023, Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Fees , Depreciation and Amortization) of R＄ 1.942 billion, up 13% over the same period of the previous year. In the first three months of the year, the Company's sales volume, excluding wood, totaled 881 thousand tons. The flexibility of Klabin's integrated business model benefited the conversion of paper into packaging, minimizing the Company's exposure to the Kraftliner foreign market. As a result, Net Revenue reached R＄ 4.831 billion in 1Q23, growth of 9% compared to 1Q22, a result that also reflects the price adjustments carried out over the last few months. The ROIC (Return on Invested Capital) reached 19.4% in the period, demonstrating the Company's ability to combine growth with the generation of value for shareholders.

Mondi Q1 2023 Trading Update

Underlying EBITDA from continuing operations in Q1 2023 was €351 million and broadly flat when compared to Q4 2022 after excluding the non-cash forestry fair value gain1. The quarter was characterised by lower average selling prices; softer demand, driven in part by destocking; and lower input costs from the highs seen in H2 2022. While wood prices remained high in Q1 2023, they have now started to reduce. Corrugated Packaging saw softer demand, driven in part by destocking, and lower prices compared to Q4 2022. Flexible Packaging delivered a stable performance compared to Q4 2022, with weaker industry demand and modestly lower prices being offset by falling input costs. Uncoated Fine Paper demand in Europe was lower compared to Q4 2022, with prices declining towards the end of the quarter. In Southern Africa demand and pricing were stable.

UPM Specialty Papers and Fiorini co-create a new highly moisture and grease resistant, fibre-based pet food sack

Working in partnership with Fiorini Packaging, the specialist manufacturer of industrial paper sacks, UPM Specialty Papers has co-created a sustainable, fibre-based sack suitable for pet food applications of up to 20 kg. Already available to order from Fiorini, a sample of the new sack will be showcased on the UPM Specialty Papers stand at Interpack 2023. Pet food can be challenging to pack because it has high levels of grease. Standard papers typically used for pet food packaging are unable to offer the required level of grease and moisture resistance. In addition, 20kg pet food sacks need to be strong, creating a need for reinforcement and the possibility to resist external weather conditions. Until now, plastic laminated paper has been usually used to provide the required level of strength and barrier qualities.

Canfor Reports Results for First Quarter of 2023

Overview • Q1 2023 adjusted operating loss of $146 million; adjusted shareholder net loss of $145 million, or $1.20 per share • Strong earnings from the Company’s European operations and more modest earnings from its US South operations outweighed by continued pricing pressure on its Western Canadian operations • Increased lumber production & shipments notwithstanding North American market-related challenges; uplift in pulp production despite ongoing fibre constraints

Lean Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement Yield Results for Domtar

Through Lean Six Sigma projects and other continuous improvement initiatives, our teams have uncovered millions of dollars in efficiencies and process optimization savings across our manufacturing network. To date, 11 Domtar employees are Lean Six Sigma Black Belts. To achieve this, professionals attend two weeks of classroom training and pass a certification exam. Additionally, Black Belt candidates must complete a process improvement project at their location using the program’s fundamental tools, with oversight from a certified mentor.

WestRock to Close Paper Mill in North Charleston, South Carolina

WestRock Company (NYSE: WRK) today announced it will permanently cease operating its paper mill in North Charleston, South Carolina, on August 31, 2023. The North Charleston mill produces containerboard, uncoated kraft paper (KraftPak®), and unbleached saturating kraft paper (DuraSorb®), with a combined annual capacity of 550,000 tons. Containerboard and uncoated kraft currently produced at the mill will be manufactured at other WestRock facilities. The Company intends to exit the unbleached saturating kraft paper business when the mill shutdown is completed.

S&P Global Completes Sale of Engineering Solutions Business

S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) announced that it has completed the sale of its Engineering Solutions business to investment funds managed by KKR, a leading global investment firm. S&P Global received the full proceeds from the sale of $975 million in cash, subject to purchase price adjustments, which S&P expects to result in approximately $750 million of after-tax proceeds. The transaction will also include local closings in certain jurisdictions, which are expected to occur during the balance of 2023. In the future, the Engineering Solutions business will operate as an independent company by the name of Accuris.

Latest Report Reveals Paper Industry’s Environmental Perception Problems

Results of the 2023 study show clearly that, whilst paper retains its place as a vital communication and packaging material, there remain misconceptions about the environmental impact of the paper industry. The 2023 study found that consumers still perceive forests are decreasing in size, with 60% believing European forests are shrinking, although this number has improved since 2021 from 64%. The number of consumers who understand European forests are actually growing in size has improved to 15% in 2023 compared to 10% in 2021. It shows that consumers are becoming more aware of these facts within the myths that surround the paper industry. The truth is, European forests are growing in size and between 2005 and 2020, grew by an impressive 58,390km² – an area larger than Switzerland and the equivalent to 1,500 football pitches of forest growth every day.[1]

Amcor reports third quarter results

Highlights - Nine Months Ended March 31, 2023 • Net sales of $11,021 million, up 4%; • GAAP Net income of $868 million, up 25%; GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) of 58.1 cps, up 27%; • Strong cash returns to shareholders: quarterly dividend of 12.25 cents per share and $200 million of sharerepurchases year-to-date; and

IPG Announces Exclusive Distribution Partnership in the USA and Canada with New IMA Group Division

Intertape Polymer Group is proud to announce the exclusive distribution partnership in the US and Canada with IMA Group, a world leader in the design and manufacture of automatic packaging machines. IMA Group established a new IMA E-COMMERCE Division, specifically dedicated to the e-commerce market in response to the increasing demand for online shopping and growing importance of that segment in today's economy.

Stora Enso introduces new easily recyclable packaging board grade for frozen and chilled food packaging

Tambrite Aqua+ is a new circular packaging material for frozen and chilled food packaging that reduces the need for fossil-based plastics and improves recyclability after use. Tambrite folding box board has been providing industry-leading stiffness and bulk for over fifty years with its excellent printability, runnability, and robustness. Aqua+ is a new water-based dispersion coating that provides the necessary protection and food safety. Tambrite Aqua+ utilises a dispersion coating that helps to reduce the use of plastic that is increasingly subject to costs incurred by packagers, such as extended producer responsibility (EPR) fees. Tambrite Aqua+ is fluorochemical-free, resistant to grease and moisture, comes with the PAP21 logo that shows it is easily recyclable with normal paper and board waste streams.

Quad Reports First Quarter 2023 Results

*Increased Net Sales 3% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the first quarter of 2022, primarily due to higher print product sales in the United States and in Mexico, and also increased Agency Solutions sales as clients continue to embrace Quad’s unique integrated marketing offering. *Reported Net Loss of $25 million compared to Net Loss of $1 million in the first quarter of 2022, while growing Adjusted EBITDA by $11 million or 24% to $60 million in the first quarter of 2023, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $49 million in the first quarter of 2022. *Increased capital expenditures to fortify investments in innovations that enhance the Company’s integrated marketing offering and drive profitable, long-term growth. *Returned value to shareholders by repurchasing over 5% of our total outstanding common stock since the second quarter of 2022 for $10.3 million.

RRD Marketing Solutions Ranked One of the World’s Biggest Agencies in Annual Ad Age Report

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD), a leading global provider of marketing, packaging, print, and supply chain solutions, earned recognition in Ad Age’s 79th Agency Report as one of the world’s biggest agencies. The 2023 report represents the fifth consecutive year RRD Marketing Solutions is featured in the agency report. Produced by Ad Age DataCenter, the industry’s most authoritative source of competitive intel, the Ad Age Agency Report includes listings of advertising, marketing services, and media agencies based on 2022 revenue.

Clearwater Paper Reports First Quarter 2023 Results

For the first quarter of 2023, Clearwater Paper reported net sales of $525 million, an 8% increase compared to net sales of $488 million for the first quarter of 2022. Net income for the first quarter of 2023 was $24 million, or $1.40 per diluted share, compared to net income for the first quarter of 2022 of $17 million, or $0.97 per diluted share. On a non-GAAP basis, Clearwater Paper reported adjusted net income in the first quarter of 2023 of $25 million, or $1.47 per diluted share, compared to first quarter 2022 adjusted net income of $18 million, or $1.03 per diluted share.

The Board of Holmen has resolved to buy back shares

The Board of Directors of Holmen has decided to exercise its authorisation from the Annual General Meeting held on 28 March 2023 to buy back own shares. Repurchases may amount to a maximum of 3 million shares of series B during the period from and including 3 May 2023 until the next annual general meeting, on one or several occasions. The shares will be bought on Nasdaq Stockholm in accordance with its Issuer Rules, at a price per share within the price range on Stockholm Nasdaq at any given time, by which is meant the range between the highest buying price and the lowest selling price published continuously by Nasdaq Stockholm.

Koehler Paper and HDG-Verpackungsmaschinen Present Their Newly Developed “Pressure Seal Module” and Flexible Packaging Paper

The long-term collaboration between Koehler Paper and HDG-Verpackungsmaschinen has resulted in a new innovation: For the first time, paper bags can now be produced and filled on horizontal form-fill-seal machines using the "pressure seal module" for the RB-300 HDG packing machine and the specially developed "NexPlus MC" packaging paper from Koehler Paper, which features high mechanical strength and no sealing layer. Possible formats are 3-edge sealing bags, folding flat-bottom bags (fully sealed) and double bags with a bag length of up to 250 mm and a width of at least 50 mm. The new packaging option can be used for all products that do not require an additional barrier, as well as for secondary packaging of dry products.

UPM Specialty Papers showcases co-created recyclable solutions at Interpack 2023

In the face of the fast-growing demand for sustainable packaging, UPM Specialty Papers is working closely with customers and expert partners from across the food packaging value network to co-create the next generation of transformative and recyclable fibre-based packaging solutions. The aim is to develop and test papers, products and concepts that will support converters and brand owners in the transition to packaging made from sustainable and recyclable materials. This will in turn help them to meet their sustainability targets and comply with upcoming EU regulations on recyclability.

Graphic Packaging Holding Company Reports Strong First Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Q1 2023 Highlights: *Net Sales were $2,438 million, an increase of 9% versus the prior year quarter. *Net Organic Sales increased 1% versus the prior year quarter. *Net Income was $207 million, an increase of 93% versus the prior year quarter. *Net leverage was 3.1x versus 3.2x at year-end 2022.

Anthropologie makes three leadership appointments (chainstoreage.com)

Anthropologie Group, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, named three new leaders to advance its next phase of growth. The lifestyle brand, part of the Urban Outfitters portfolio, has promoted Anu Narayanan to president of women’s apparel accessories, weddings and beauty. In addition, the brand named Holly Thrasher as chief merchandising officer of apparel and weddings. Thrasher joined Anthropologie in July 2021 after 18 years at Nordstrom. In a new hiring, Aaron Mutscheller will be joining the company as president of Anthropologie Home and Terrain. In this role, he will be responsible for Anthropologie's home and garden business across all channels of distribution.

HMH Completes Acquisition of NWEA

Learning technology company HMH announced that it has completed its acquisition of assets from research and educational services organization NWEA. The combined organization will harness the collective power of instruction and research-based insights to support educators in their efforts to drive better outcomes for students. NWEA CEO Chris Minnich will join HMH's executive leadership team as president of a new NWEA division. The division will maintain its current offerings including its flagship assessment MAP Growth and continue to offer platform-agnostic assessment solutions to its thousands of partners globally. In addition, educators will benefit from a connected solution linking NWEA’s assessments with HMH’s curriculum. This will enable them to better understand how students are growing academically and how to maximize that growth with content specific recommendations that advance student learning.

James Patterson Sells His 100 Millionth Book (publishersweekly.com)

James Patterson has achieved many milestones in his long and ultra-successful career as an author, and in early April he hit another: he became the first author to sell more than 100 million copies across all print formats since BookScan—now known as Circana BookScan—started recording unit sales of print books in 2004. Patterson easily topped the print sales accrued by Dr. Seuss, whose books have sold 83 million copies since 2004. Patterson’s top-selling print book as measured by BookScan is Honeymoon, which edged out 3rd Degree for the #1 spot. Like many of his bestsellers, those two are parts of series, and books in the Women’s Murder Club and Alex Cross series have fared particularly well. His top 10 bestselling titles sold just about 12 million copies, meaning that the rest of Patterson’s oeuvre racked up sales of 88 million copies in total.

Sonoco Reports Strong First Quarter Results

*Net sales decreased 2% year-over-year to $1.7 billion as strong pricing was offset by lower overall volume. *GAAP operating profit increased 36% year-over-year as gains on asset sales and lower acquisition related costs offset lower price cost and lower volume and mix. *GAAP net income increased 29% and Adjusted Earnings decreased 25% from the same period last year. *Diluted GAAP EPS increased 28% while diluted Adjusted EPS decreased 24% from the same period last year.

SEE Reports Q1 2023 Results

*Net sales of $1.3 billion, down 5% as reported; down 2% constant currency *Net earnings of $63 million, down 58% *Earnings per share (Diluted) of $0.44, down 56% *Cash flow from operations (year to date) of $52 million, up 7%

Amcor Recognized as Top Leader in Sustainable Innovations

Amcor Rigid Packaging has earned Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) 2023 Re | focus Leadership in Sustainability Innovation Award for its outstanding innovations in plastics manufacturing that further environmental advantages in design, material, and end-of-life management. ARP received the honor after earning the best overall score for its innovations. “This award further demonstrates ARP’s stewardship and commitment to developing cutting-edge innovations for sustainable plastic manufacturing that advances the circular economy,“ said Terry Patcheak, vice president R&D, sustainability and program management at ARP. "Our innovations are all examples of how we are providing our customers with sustainable plastic packaging solutions, and constantly innovating and improving to incorporate the latest advancements in technology and sustainability into our packaging.”

Sappi Casting and Release Announces New Textures Ahead of interzum 2023

Sappi North America, Inc., a leading producer and supplier of diversified paper, packaging products and dissolving wood pulp, has announced it will showcase seven new and recently launched textures from its Arrio finished surface and Ultracast decorative laminate release paper lines during interzum 2023 in Cologne, Germany from May 9-12, 2023. Sappi will also display a decorative laminate texture six-pack and a “bio-lab” that will highlight materials such as bio-based leather alternatives whose aesthetics benefit from the use of Sappi release paper. The six-pack will include these new or recently launched textures: Matte Stipple: This all-over delicate granular design is inspired by plaster effects in the decorative coatings of walls and ceilings. Lunaris: With its elevated concrete look, Lunaris expresses the spirit of surface patterns eroded over time, celebrating the beauty of naturally created texture. Koa: Koa's curly, wavy pattern is arguably one of the most beautiful woodgrain textures in Sappi’s catalog. Kenwood CD (CD=cross direction) is a modern and sophisticated version of Sappi's popular Kenwood design, aimed at the medium-high-end door market. Cayenne: Cayenne is a natural, fresh and trendy wood texture inspired by a refined linear Italian walnut surface. Bond: Bond rounds up every elevated laminate collection with the warmth and coziness of a textile finish.

Midland Nominated for Top Case Study Presentation at Inkjet Summit 2023

Midland recently presented a case study for a 10th consecutive year at the Inkjet Summit 2023 located in Austin, TX April 24-27. The messaging of the Case Study was well received by the audience as exemplified by Midland being nominated along with 3 other presenters for “Best Case Study for General Commercial Print”. Midland has won this category on 3 other occasions in past years. Other companies presenting Case Studies included Canon, Fuji, Screen, Landa, Kodak and HP. “Ten years ago, Midland made an important commitment to understand the role of paper in the inkjet printing process, “said David Field, General Manager of Midland’s Specialty Paper & Film division. “Receiving this recognition again in 2023 recognizes how much progress Midland has made in that regard and more important, further exemplifies how important paper is with this fast-growing and complex technology”. David Field presented the Case Study for Midland Paper. “David has a broad understanding of the papers available in the market and their compatibility with the OEM press technology. He is in high demand from printers across the country that have purchased or are looking at purchasing High Speed Inkjet equipment,” said Mike Ratcliff, Midland’s President, Specialty Paper & Film Division. For further information on Midland Paper’s Quick Jet! line of high speed inkjet papers, you may contact Mike Ratcliff at Michael.Ratcliff@midlandpaper.com or David Field at David.Field@Midlandpaper.com.

Average Time to Deliver Across Postal Network Steady at 2.5 Days

FY23 third quarter service performance scores covering April 1 through April 21, included: *First-Class Mail: 91.6% of First-Class Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, consistent with performance from the fiscal second quarter. *Marketing Mail: 95.8% of Marketing Mail delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 1.2 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter. *Periodicals: 87.9% of Periodicals delivered on time against the USPS service standard, an increase of 1.4 percentage points from the fiscal second quarter.

Kohl’s Donates $3 Million to Children’s Wisconsin in Support of Three Additional Mental Health Walk-In Clinic Locations

Kohl’s and Children’s Wisconsin announced a $3 million commitment from Kohl’s that will support the opening of three additional mental health walk-in clinic locations in Wisconsin. The donation, which comes on the first day of National Mental Health Awareness Month, builds on the organizations’ continued work to build awareness, remove barriers, and make critical mental health services more accessible to youth and families across the state. The new locations will offer similar services to those provided at the Craig Yabuki Mental Health Walk-In Clinic on the Children’s Wisconsin Milwaukee campus. The intent is to open one location each year over the next three years. Locations of the new clinics have not yet been selected, but will be spread throughout Wisconsin. “The mental health issues impacting today’s youth are of the utmost importance, and we applaud the work Children’s Wisconsin has been doing to prioritize and develop tangible solutions to support mental wellness for all children,” said Christie Raymond, Kohl’s chief marketing officer. “Through our continued partnership, Kohl’s is proud to play a role in increasing access to critical mental health services and creating pathways to greater health and well-being for kids across Wisconsin.”

New Two Sides North America Consumer Survey Results

As U.S. consumers become increasingly aware of the environmental impacts of the products they use every day, there remains a wide gap between perception and reality when it comes to the sustainability of paper products – but the gap has narrowed over the past two years. Overall, 44% of consumers believe paper products are bad for the environment, down from 48% in 2021.This according to a new survey commissioned by Two Sides North America and conducted by global research firm Toluna. “It’s great to see improvement in consumer attitudes about paper and the environment, but we need to accelerate this trend if paper products are to remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace,” says Two Sides North America President Kathi Rowzie.

Diamond Packaging Installs Fourth Speedmaster XL 106 Featuring HEIDELBERG’s 20,000th XL Printing Unit

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG), the largest supplier and technology leader for the folding carton market, expects the segment to grow worldwide by more than two percent annually over the next few years. According to a study by the US market research institute Smithers, the total value of folding carton production will reach 160 billion US dollars by 2026. For HEIDELBERG, folding carton represents a strategic growth segment and already accounts for nearly half of the company’s sales. An important driver in the market is the growing environmental awareness of consumers, who are increasing their preference for more sustainable paperboard packaging over plastic.

USPS Improving Service Reliability, Financial Sustainability in First Two Years of Delivering for America Plan

DFA Two-Year Milestones Include: *Aligned for Operational Excellence: USPS is intensely focused on becoming the high-performing organization the public expects. *Positioned to Financially Break Even Over Next 10 Years, Despite Inflation: Just two years into the 10-year plan, projected losses for the decade have been reduced by more than half — from $160 billion to $70 billion. *Fostering Service Excellence for the American People: We have already reversed years of declining reliability and are closing in on meeting the primary objective of 95 percent on-time performance across all mail types. *Converting 125,000 Employees to Full-Time Positions: We have focused steadily on stabilizing our workforce and have converted 125,000 pre-career workers to full-time career employees since October 2020, including 50,000 conversions between April 2022 and March 2023.