American Forest & Paper Association Releases August 2017 Boxboard Report

ProMach, a worldwide leader in packaging machinery solutions, announced today it has acquired Reepack. Reepack is a leading manufacturer of high-quality flexible packaging machinery known for their vacuum chambers, thermoformers, tray sealers, and flow wrappers. The addition of Reepack helps ProMach continue expansion in the food packaging space and solidifies their status as a single-source supplier for protein-packaging automation. Reepack joins six other best-in-class product brands under ProMach's Flexibles & Trays business line. With the acquisition of Reepack, ProMach gains a key application technology in flow wrapping, adding to their overall flexible packaging capabilities, and also expands their existing capabilities in horizontal thermoforming.

Solenis, a leading manufacturer of specialty chemicals, has signed a global partnership agreement with Diversey, a world leader in the hygiene, cleaning and infection prevention industry. With immediate effect, Diversey will become Solenis’ new distribution partner for its complete portfolio of water and process treatment chemicals to the food and beverage industry. “This partnership with Diversey represents another milestone in our history. The combination of Solenis’ extensive portfolio of water treatment chemistries, equipment and technical expertise with Diversey’s cleaning and sanitation solutions, in addition to the channel to market they offer, will be a great asset to the food and beverage industry,” said John Panichella, Chief Executive Officer, Solenis. “We look forward to strengthening our commitment and providing value through a holistic approach to our food and beverage customers globally.”

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.