Page 52 - Packaging News Magazine Nov-Dec 2021

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HEADLINE MAKERS | www.packagingnews.com.au | November-December 2021
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The feasibility of paper bottles became a talking point when Coca-Cola launched a prototype paper bottle, developed by Danish company Paboco, as part of its plan to reduce plas- tics in packaging.
Profits at rigid plastic packaging pro- ducer Pact Group rose strongly, on sales that were up a smidgeon, in its first half results, with Pact attributing the rise to solid organic growth and higher mar- gins. Its recycling capability had also been enhanced by the acquisition of Flight Plastics in New Zealand.
Construction got underway on Australia’s largest end-to-end PET recycling facility in Albury-Wodonga, capable of recycling 1 billion plastics bottles a year. Operating as Circular Plastics Australia PET, this is a JV between Pact Group, Cleanaway and Asahi Beverages.
The world’s largest consumer packaging business Amcor saw its profits surge by 65% in the first six months of FY21, on sales that were largely flat, with the company benefitting from stay-at-home consumer demand in the pandemic year.
Orora announced steady growth in the first half reporting, and a focus on leveraging its Australasian Beverage business capabilities – to this end it had completed the rebuild of the G2 glass furnace at its Gawler, SA site, continued to increase recycled content in glass, and commenced expansion into slim cans at its Revesby, NSW site.
Foodmach director and industry identity Peter Marks died, aged 66, leaving a gap in the company and in the packaging industry. Marks had held the position of director of Capability and Export for Foodmach, and was a central and respected figure in the Australian packaging industry.
Australia’s first industry insight reports for the Save Food Packaging (SFP) Design project were released by the AIP, in partnership with RMIT, looking at how improved SFP design can help minimise food waste across the value chain. Food waste in Australia is a $20 billion per annum problem, with average per cap- ita food wastage pegged at 298kg a year.
Australia’s senior packaging and process technologist, Ralph Moyle, was awarded the World Packaging Organisation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Following its $1bn acquisition of glass packaging business O-I ANZ last year, Visy pledged to invest a further $2bn in Australian manufacturing over 10 years.