Graphic Packaging Completes Acquisition of Carton Craft Corporation

American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) President and CEO Heidi Brock issued the following statement regarding the passage of New Jersey’s Paper Bag Ban (NJ Senate Bill 864 / Assembly Bill 1978): “The American Forest & Paper Association opposes bans on paper products and urges Governor Phil Murphy to issue a conditional veto that removes paper from New Jersey’s bag ban. In voting to become the first and only state in the nation to ban paper bags, the New Jersey Legislature has undermined an environmentally responsible option for consumers. Furthermore, the ban on paper bags sends an alarming message in devaluing family wage jobs, which are often union labor, in addition to the indirect jobs supported by the paper and wood products industry in the state. “Paper is part of the environmental solution, but New Jersey is treating it like the problem. Governor Murphy should take action to ensure continued consumer access to a recyclable, reusable and compostable product - the paper bag.”

Packaging Corporation of America announced that it has discontinued production of uncoated freesheet (UFS) grades on the No. 3 paper machine at its Jackson, AL mill and will begin preparing for the permanent conversion of the machine to linerboard. As previously disclosed, in order to meet strong packaging demand and maintain appropriate inventory levels, the machine temporarily began producing linerboard in the fourth quarter of 2020 and continued producing linerboard in the first quarter of 2021. The mill will now begin preparations to permanently convert the 365,000 ton-per-year No. 3 UFS paper machine to a 700,000 ton-per-year high-performance, virgin kraft linerboard machine, in a phased approach, over the next 36 months. Plans are for the machine to run at its current containerboard production rate for the next 12 to 15 months until the scheduled first phase outage is taken in the second quarter of 2022.

Berry Global Group, Inc. and Glatfelter Corporation announced the achievement of a regulatory milestone in the proposed transaction involving the combination of a majority of Berry’s Health, Hygiene and Specialties segment to include its Global Nonwovens and Films business (“HHNF”) with Glatfelter, with the expiration of the required waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act. As previously announced on February 7, 2024, Berry and Glatfelter entered into a definitive agreement under which Berry will spin-off and merge its HHNF business with Glatfelter in a Reverse Morris Trust transaction. The transaction will create a leading, publicly-traded company in the specialty materials industry. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of calendar 2024 and is subject to approval by Glatfelter shareholders and completion of customary closing conditions.