Weekly Roundup: UK-wide deposit-return scheme planned for 2023, Stora Enso teams with FSC

21 Dec 2018 --- This week in packaging news, the UK government unveiled plans for a nationwide deposit-return scheme, which is set to launch in 2023. Sustainability action was widespread and exemplified by Stora Enso’s new partnership with FSC, which will aim to increase levels of certified wood supply across Europe, and Ritrama SpA’s launch of a new 50 percent dried grass label for wine, spirits and beer. Meanwhile, Coveris will open its new Pack Positive Centre in Leeds, UK, in the New Year, with the aim of driving sustainable plastic and paper packaging advancements.

In brief: Sustainability action
The UK government Resources and Waste Strategy has been unveiled, detailing how ministers aim to change the way consumers deal with waste at home and in the workplace. It includes the introduction of a deposit-return scheme in 2023, subject to consultation early next year. The British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) has voiced its support for the introduction of a UK-wide full deposit return scheme for all plastic and can beverage containers. “We believe this is the best way to increase recycling levels and tackle litter,” says Gavin Partington, Director General, BSDA.

Stora Enso and FSC announced a EDEN: Ritrama SpA's 50 percent grass fiber label for wines, spirits and beers. new partnership agreement that aims to increase FSC certification, especially among small and medium-sized private forest owners in the Nordics, Baltics and across Europe. The aim is to increase the FSC certified wood supply. The work undertaken within the partnership will make FSC certification more accessible, simpler to implement and easier to promote across the value chains that Stora Enso operates in, the supplier says. The agreement was signed on 17 December and covers a three-year period, commencing January 2019. The first year’s focus will be on the Nordics.

In other Stora Enso news this week, the supplier has partnered with H&M group and Inter IKEA group to industrialize TreeToTextile. TreeToTextile AB is a joint venture between H&M group, Inter IKEA group and innovator Lars Stigsson which began in 2014 with the aim of developing new textile fibers in a sustainable way at attractive cost levels. Stora Enso will now support the industrialization of TreeToTextile’s production process by setting up a demonstration plant at one of its Nordic facilities.

Italian multinational self-adhesive material specialists Ritrama SpA presented EDEN, a new natural paper specifically for the labeling of wine, spirits and beer. Besides the unmistakable grain of the face material, color and grass-smell, the innovative composition also ensures a low environmental impact. In fact, the presence of up to 50 percent of dried grass fibers in the pulp reduces the use of water and electricity, with a consequent reduction in the quantity of CO2 released into the atmosphere.

In brief: Business newsCoveris' new Pack Positive Centre in Leeds, UK, is due to open in the New Year, with the aim of driving sustainable plastic and paper packaging advancements.
Catalent Pharma Solutions, a leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies and development solutions for drugs, biologics and consumer health products, is investing nearly US$14 million to expand biologics packaging capabilities and capacity at its Bloomington, Indiana, biologics manufacturing facility. Construction of the 15,000-square-foot facility infrastructure, which will include five new packaging suites and a new quality control laboratory, is due to be completed in February 2019. The expansion augments existing capabilities, meeting the necessary flexibility requirements for current and future market demand, and will provide customers with faster, automated packaging solutions.

Indorama Ventures, a global chemical producer, announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire INVISTA Resins & Fibers GmbH, which owns a high value-added PET manufacturing facility located in Gersthofen, Germany. The Gersthofen site has a combined capacity of 282,000 tons per annum and employs approximately 140 staff. The transaction is expected to be completed in the Q1 2019, subject to regulatory approvals.

Crown are set to showcase a range of brand-differentiation solutions at ADF & PCD 2019 in Paris, France.On 31 January 2019, Coveris is set to open its new Pack Positive Centre at its Rivendell site in Leeds, UK. The Pack Positive Centre will team with Leeds Beckett University’s Retail Institute to provide an “industry-first,” collaborative learning facility and development space to connect industry stakeholders with new trends, materials, technologies and “ways of thinking.” The center is strategically positioned to drive the sustainable packaging of the future across multiple plastic and paper formats, says Coveris.

Crown Aerosols & Promotional Packaging Europe, a business unit of Crown Holdings, will showcase solutions that help brands differentiate themselves on the shelf, foster greater consumer engagement and harness the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) at the Aerosol & Dispensing Forum and Packaging of Perfumes Cosmetics & Design 2019 (ADF & PCD) in Paris, France. Between January 30-31, 2019, the Company’s team of experts will provide show attendees with insights into the latest industry trends and how metal packaging can support consumers’ needs for premiumization, quality and sustainability in the aerosols, luxury, cosmetics and promotional markets.

By Joshua Poole