Sonoco’s EnviroCan® with a Metal Bottom Receives Pre-qualification for How2Recycle® Labeling

Silgan Holdings Inc. announced that it has completed its acquisition of Weener Plastics Holdings B.V., a leading producer of differentiated dispensing solutions for personal care, food and healthcare products. Weener operates a global network of 19 facilities predominantly in Europe and the Americas, with approximately 4,000 employees and proprietary manufacturing technologies including significant clean room capabilities. The Company funded the purchase price for this acquisition and related costs and expenses through term and revolving loan borrowings under its senior secured credit facility, including a €700 million incremental term loan. Silgan expects to realize operational cost synergies related to the acquisition of approximately €20 million within 18 months. The transaction is expected to be slightly accretive to adjusted earnings per share in 2024, with approximately 10% accretion once fully integrated and with synergies achieved. Silgan is a leading supplier of sustainable rigid packaging solutions for the world's essential consumer goods products with annual net sales of approximately $6.0 billion in 2023. Silgan operates 124 manufacturing facilities in North and South America, Europe and Asia.

Smurfit Kappa has announced it will invest €24 million to expand its corrugated plant in Rethel, North-East France, demonstrating the company's continued commitment to its French customer market. The new investment will facilitate the consolidation of two existing facilities at that plant and the installation of a new state-of-the-art corrugator and conversion equipment. This investment will result in environmental improvements at the plant including a reduction in CO2 emissions, with a saving of at least 150 tonnes annually. Phase one of the project, including installation of the new corrugator, is due to be completed in the first half of 2022, with full completion of the investment project expected in 2023. The investment will help to modernise and expand the plant, which will include a new 8200m2 building designed specifically for the installation of the new high-tech corrugator.

Last year, Mondi announced that it would expand its existing plant in Ansbach, Southern Germany, to become the largest heavy-duty corrugated cardboard plant in Europe. The “Ansbach 2020” project, an investment worth €30 million, is in its final stages of completion and is meeting its customers' needs with innovative sustainable packaging solutions. The plant successfully installed state of the art machinery, including a new corrugator, die-cutting-machine, inline-machine, paper storage, shipping facility, waste processing facility and intralogistics system. The investment is strengthening the plants position as the go-to-expert for innovative and sustainable packaging solutions in the region. Furthermore, the updated machinery results in less energy consumption and reduces the carbon footprint of the plant.