Packaging

SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union, has joined with the Motion Picture Association to create the Green Council, a new initiative aiming to "promote environmentally conscious and sustainable practices in the entertainment industry."

Berry Global Group Inc. is eyeing plant consolidation as a way to cut costs and improve efficiencies, the company said.

PET recycler Verdeco Recycling Inc. plans to open new East Coast manufacturing capacity next month.

Market analysts contacted by Plastics News said that DuPont should benefit from its acquisition of Spectrum Plastics, although there was a chance that the deal could put the firm in competition with some of its customers.

Cape Cod will use a federal grant to examine ways to cut back on single-use plastics in an effort to lessen marine debris.

Oregon state lawmakers have passed measures to ban EPS and make it easier for restaurants to use reusable containers.

In a new survey, 82 percent of shoppers said they would be willing to pay more for products sold in sustainable packaging. For Gen Z shoppers, the response is higher, with 90 percent willing to pay a premium.

Advocates for reusable packaging gathering at a Washington conference pointed to what they see as environmental and economic benefits, even as they discussed challenges like getting favorable policy and building strong systems.

After voting in 2020 to create the country's toughest requirements for recycled plastic in beverage bottles, California lawmakers are now debating setting goals for using bioplastics to bottle soft drinks, water and other beverages.