Kingsport Mill Reopens, Announces Corrugated Recycling Partnership

Packaging leader Smurfit Kappa has launched a new range of eBottle packaging solutions for the rapidly growing online beverage and liquids market. The new portfolio includes a variety of sustainable solutions for single and multi-pack products, including the Rollor bottle pack, BiPack, and Pop-up insert. The surge in e-commerce due to the Covid-19 pandemic is evident across all sectors and the beverage market has also seen a significant impact. In particular, online sales for alcoholic beverages has increased by 34% in Europe driving a demand for sustainable, durable and consumer friendly packaging that protects the product during shipment. Key challenges for the beverage e-commerce channel are product damage, sustainability, consumer experience and the ability to accelerate growth using the right packing processes. Consumer research carried out by Smurfit Kappa also shows consumers are continuing to push for higher standards.

Sonoco announced it is increasing prices for all rigid paper containers and closures sold in North America by 9.5 percent, effective with shipments on, and after, June 3 , 2021. According to Ernest Haynes, Division Vice President and General Manager, Rigid Paper and Closures, North America, this price increase is necessary to recover rapidly rising costs for key raw materials used to produce rigid paper containers and closures. “Due to the rising inflationary cost of adhesives, laminate structures, recovered paper and steel, we are experiencing input cost pressures that simply cannot be absorbed,” Haynes said. “These inflationary cost increases have been compounded by the after-effects of Winter Storm Uri on the adhesives industry along with incredible demand in the steel marketplace."

Mondi Paper Bags, part of Mondi Group, a leading global packaging and paper manufacturer, has acquired the paper bag converting lines from National Bag and Egypt Sack, two subsidiaries of Lafarge Cement Egypt, a major cement producer in the country. The acquired production lines will increase Mondi’s capacity by around 150-180 million bags annually and strengthen Mondi's position in the Egyptian paper bag market. Mondi Paper Bags already operates two plants in Egypt and with this acquisition will become a key supplier of paper bags to Lafarge Cement Egypt. "Lafarge Cement Egypt is part of leading global building material company Holcim Group who has been a key global customer of Mondi Paper Bags for years. We are excited to have signed a long-term supply agreement with Lafarge Cement Egypt and to servicing them locally in Egypt. The collaboration will offer Lafarge access to our latest innovations, industry expertise, strong plant network and customer service. Thanks to Mondi’s vertical integration, Lafarge will further benefit from our high quality Kraft paper." Claudio Fedalto, Chief Operating Officer of Mondi Paper Bags