Total U.S. Packaging Papers & Specialty Packaging Shipments Essentially Flat in July 2023

UPM Raflatac introduces a highly chemical resistant adhesive for wet wipe labeling in the APAC region. UPM Raflatac RRS4 adhesive pushes beyond traditional adhesives with repeatedly reliable open-closure functionality for high chemical resistance. RRS4 is designed to be resistant to 75 percent alcohol ensuring the disinfecting qualities of the wet wipes when reopening and closing the package. Having disposable disinfecting wipes on hand can help to stop the spread of the viruses. For the wipes to be disinfecting, they must contain at least 70 percent of alcohol according to C.D.C (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention). Therefore, the label needs to have chemical resistance to keep the wipes wet and disinfected. UPM Raflatac’s RRS4 adhesive answers to this need and ensures the reliability of the packaging.

Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages, a local Coca-Cola bottler serving Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York City, and WestRock, has successfully completed the installation of new equipment and technology to begin packaging multipack bottled beverages in recyclable paperboard carriers. The new packaging, which will replace an estimated 200,000 pounds of plastic rings each year, is now starting to appear on store shelves. WestRock designed the substrate, technology and packaging machine used to implement PETCollarTM Shield Plus into beverage packaging lines, which the local bottler installed at its Philadelphia production facility earlier this year. The durable, easy-to-hold paper-based carriers are being used to package Coca-Cola’s top brands in multipacks for 12-ounce (355 millileter) and 16.9-ounce (500 milliliter) beverages. Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages is the first beverage distributor in the world to implement this specific type of paperboard packaging. “The new packaging technology allows us to completely replace plastic rings with paperboard carriers for products produced at our Philadelphia facility,” said Fran McGorry, co-owner of Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages. “We expect to replace 200,000 pounds of plastic a year from our multi-state territory.”

With the latest development—Koehler NexPure® OGR—Koehler Paper, a leading provider of papers with a disruptive barrier function for packaging solutions, is adding another sustainable solution to its portfolio for the fast-food market. Consumer demand for sustainable products and packaging has been evident in the fast-food sector for some time now, which is why system catering is also increasingly looking for solutions in this field. Back in October, Koehler launched Koehler NexPure® Wrap, a paper designed for burger packaging with extremely low grammage, onto the fast-food market. Now, with Koehler NexPure® OGR, the company is bringing an oil- and grease-resistant, sustainable paper onto the market, which will be suitable for packaging foods such as fries, sandwiches, wraps, and burritos.