fibre intelligence · Industry sectors
Follow containerboard, corrugated packaging, paperboard, cartons, kraft papers and moulded fibre. Explore packaging investments, demand, recycling, company developments and trade.
U.S. packaging-paper and specialty-packaging shipments increased 2% in September 2026 compared with September 2025, according to the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). Shipments were up 4% over the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. The operating rate for unbleached packaging papers was 90.9% in September.…
Read the full article ↗Go-Pak Group has received a UK Packaging Awards 2026 recognition for an investment in AI-assisted warehouse automation, according to a report dated October 20. The system, nicknamed “Stretch Armstrong,” unloads incoming goods and transfers cases to conveyors feeding a palletisation process. Go-Pak implemented the technology with support from its parent company, SCG Packaging, and engineering and technology specialists. The company said the system reduced container-processing times by 67%.…
Read the full article ↗The supplied report says the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has applied since August 12, 2026. Regulation (EU) 2025/40 entered into force in February 2025 and replaced the bloc’s packaging directive after an 18-month transition, according to the report. Initial obligations include restrictions on PFAS in food-contact packaging.…
Read the full article ↗UPM Specialty Materials, Siegwerk and Uteco have developed a paper-based solution for secondary packaging, according to a report dated October 20. UPM supplies the barrier base paper, Siegwerk provides the coating, and Uteco supplies the application technology. The companies describe the solution as an entry point for brand owners testing paper formats in demanding applications. The development is intended for secondary packaging, while primary packaging continues to protect the product.…
Read the full article ↗Silgan Holdings, Trivium Packaging and American Industrial Partners plan to combine packaging operations in a proposed transaction announced on October 20, 2026, according to Packaging Europe. Silgan would combine its Metal Containers segment and Food and Beverage Flat Cap Closures business with Trivium to form Silgan Metal Containers and Closures.…
Read the full article ↗Smurfit Westrock has agreed to acquire Empresas CMPC’s containerboard and corrugated business in Chile for US$420 million. The company said the assets are located near the country’s main fishing and agricultural regions and would complement its existing corrugated operations.…
Read the full article ↗Mondi developed a packaging solution for Kärcher’s new push sweeper using brown paper and digital printing, according to a company-news item dated October 19, 2026. Kärcher wanted the packaging to communicate the product’s recycled content while maintaining the brand’s visual standards. Mondi said printing on the brown substrate presented technical challenges, including colour reproduction, contrast, small-text readability and barcode clarity.…
Read the full article ↗Henan Longyuan Paper said its existing operations are running normally, with daily output exceeding 1,300 tonnes, while the company accelerates installation of its new PM8 packaging paper machine. Installation is expected to be completed by the end of October, with trial production targeted for mid-November 2026.…
Read the full article ↗U.S.-based flexible-packaging manufacturer ePac has entered a global partnership with Fujifilm to use its Jet Press FP790 water-based inkjet press. The supplied report says the first press will be installed in the United States, followed by an international rollout. ePac operates more than 50 HP Indigo presses, according to the report. The partnership marks a move beyond ePac’s traditional focus on short-run digital printing, the report says.…
Read the full article ↗Bobst has introduced an updated version of its Master 6003 rotogravure press, which is designed for packaging printing. The changes include a new inking system, cylinder cleaning and consumption monitoring. The company says the inking system reduces the volume of ink in circulation by 60%.…
Read the full article ↗Fujifilm and ePac Flexible Packaging have announced a global strategic partnership focused on digital flexible-packaging printing. The partnership will use Fujifilm’s Jet Press FP790 water-based digital inkjet press across ePac’s network. The companies said the technology is intended to support high-volume production and cross-market scalability.…
Read the full article ↗Billerud has introduced PharmaKraft, a fibre-based packaging material for non-sterile dry pharmaceutical applications. The company says the material is intended for converters and brand owners evaluating sachets, stick packs, strip packs and blister-lidding solutions. PharmaKraft is made from fresh fibre with controlled purity characteristics.…
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