Georgia-Pacific Invests $50 Million in Port Hudson Mill to Enhance Retail Consumer Towel Business

In an ambitious stride towards environmental sustainability, Lacerta Group, LLC today announced the rollout of its newest innovation, ReCERTA™, a sustainable packaging material crafted from post-consumer recycled plastic. The introduction of ReCERTA™ comes on the heels of Lacerta's recent accolade, the EcoVadis Bronze status, awarded in February 2024 for the company's steadfast commitment to sustainability and circularity in operations. Matt Crider, VP of R&D and New Product Development at Lacerta, reflected on the achievement, stating, "Receiving the EcoVadis Bronze Status propels us further along our journey of environmental stewardship, and with ReCERTA™, we are setting a new benchmark for sustainable packaging." ReCERTA™ is engineered with a minimum average of 10% FDA-approved post-consumer recycled (PCR) content, underscoring Lacerta's dedication to reducing the environmental footprint of its packaging solutions. The material is designed to serve the needs of food processors, supermarkets, and distributors who are keen on aligning their operations with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives.

Stora Enso has completed the acquisition of the Netherland-based company De Jong Packaging Group, one of the largest corrugated packaging producers in the Benelux countries. The acquisition announced in September 2022 with an enterprise value of approximately EUR 1,020 million was closed today following regulatory clearances and employee consultation. The acquisition will significantly strengthen Stora Enso’s presence in European packaging markets and provide an entry into the corrugated packaging market in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK. With the acquisition, Stora Enso’s Packaging Solutions division will increase its corrugated packaging capacity by approximately 1,200 million m2 to more than 2,000 million m2, including De Jong Packaging Group’s ongoing expansion projects. De Jong Packaging Group’s full year 2022 sales is estimated at approximately EUR 1 billion. Its product portfolio and geographic presence complement and enhance Stora Enso’s offering, especially in fresh produce, e-commerce and industrial packaging.

The latest industry studies estimate that as much as half of all food produced globally for human consumption is wasted every year. That is a staggering figure, particularly considering that around one in nine people on the earth do not have enough food to live a healthy life. Couple this with estimates that the global population will reach close to 9 billion people by 2050, and the need to reduce food waste to ease the strain on resources and agricultural land is more vital than ever. To look at where we can make a difference, we must first look at the food value chain. There are five steps in the process: production, handling and storage, processing and packaging, distribution and market and consumption. Emerging economies waste 40% of food during the first two steps of the value chain, while mature economies waste 40% of food during the last two steps. Processing and packaging lies in the middle of the value chain and has the potential to make an impact on both sides of the economic divide.