News

The European Commission has approved the proposed merger between Smurfit Kappa Group plc, and WestRock Company, according to Competition Policy International. Dublin, Ireland based Smurfit Kappa and Atlanta, Georgia based WestRock announced plans of a possible combination in September 2023 that would create Smurfit WestRock, a global leader in sustainable packaging. The Commission determined that […]

Delaware, Ohio based Greif announced the finalization of construction on their new bulk corrugated manufacturing facility in Dallas, Texas. Scheduled to open later this spring, Greif says the new facility will significantly expand its capacity in the bulk corrugated business and create opportunities in the South and Southwest regions of the United States, as well […]

The global AI in packaging market is expected to reach $23,415.2 million by 2034, representing a 29.3 percent growth rate from 2024, according to a report released by Newark, Delaware based Future Market Insights (FMI). “AI is revolutionizing packaging operations by improving analytics, optimizing algorithms, and controlling design and quality. It predicts equipment faults, schedules […]

AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, announced it will offer two upcoming events tailored for Emerging Leaders in the packaging industry. These events promise valuable insights, networking opportunities, and leadership development sessions to foster growth and innovation within the sector. The Q2 C-Suite Webinar will be held on Thursday, May 2, at 2:00 pm ET. It […]

Fort Washington, Pennsylvania based Amtech, LLC, an industrial software solutions provider to the packaging industry, announced the completed acquisition of Label Traxx and its leading software suite for the label printing and flexible packaging segments. Amtech said the combination further solidifies its position as a sought-after industrial software platform to the packaging industry. The combined […]

Lewisburg, Tennessee based Lewisburg Printing Company (LPC) and its affiliate companies (Huston Patterson, Sigma Graphics, Hawk Converting, LLC and LPC TX Visual) announced the appointment of Clay Davis as their new Chief Executive Officer. LPC, a portfolio company of Radial Equity Partners, manufactures printed materials and packaging for a broad range of markets, including personal […]

The Fibre Box Association (FBA) announced Walmart’s Jim Thomson as a speaker at the upcoming FBA Annual Meeting set for May 6-8 at the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida. As the Director of Packaging Product Development, Thomson will share Walmart’s approach to packaging and provide an overview and update on the company’s four-year […]

Plastic film is widely used in various industrial applications and has become a significant environmental concern due to its contribution to plastic pollution. Flexo Wash understand the printing industry’s struggle to have dirty printed film and having to dispose of it. Several customers raised this issue to the company, so driven to find a solution, […]

The Manufacturing Institute — the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers — announced that Sarah Dale, Plant General Manager at International Paper has been recognized as a 2024 Women MAKE Awards honoree. This annual national awards program honors women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent […]

Tech innovation, industry education, and networking — plus a little fun in the sun — make an appealing cocktail for packagers. […]

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, May 2, 2024 1, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hosted the Administrator’s 34th Annual Small Business Programs Award Ceremony to honor the outstanding Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 small business championship of EPA programs, employees, and business and state partners from across the country. The awards ceremony was held in celebration of National Small Business Week, which runs from April 28 - May 4, 2024. “I applaud the accomplishments of this year’s honorees,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Celebrating EPA’s small business championship as part of National Small Business Week appropriately spotlights the exceptional contributions of the agency and its partners to the historic small business boom the country has witnessed over the last three years.” In FY 2023, EPA increased the total amount of contract dollars awarded to the nation’s small and socioeconomic businesses. This includes a 3.7 increase in the percent of dollars awarded to Small Disadvantaged Businesses. Also, EPA is continuing its efforts to tackle climate change as part of the Inflation Reduction Act investments, which, as noted in the President’s National Small Business Week Proclamation, is helping to create new markets for small clean-energy companies. EPA’s awards ceremony recognized approximately 15 categories of exemplary small business championship. The ceremony also featured guest remarks by Shirley D. Bailey, Board Chair of the HUBZone Contractors National Council, and Danny Portee, President of Professional Management Enterprises, Inc. the recipient of the Administrator’s Award for Outstanding Accomplishments by a Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. A complete list of the award recipients is provided at the end of this press release. ADMINISTRATOR’S AWARD RECIPIENTS Outstanding Direct Procurement Program AchievementOffice of Air and RadiationEnvironmental, Analytical, Research, Technical, and Hybrid (EARTH)Recognition of Team Effort: Tomeka Hall     Hillari Hawkins    Abby Holland    Angela Lower Eleanor Marusiak    Timothy Roberts     Keith Pfeffer    Laura Zoellner Region 6Houston Lab Procurement TeamRecognition of Team Effort: Marcus Jackson     Amanda Johnson    Lisa Wool Outstanding Accomplishments by a Tribal ContractorCherokee Nation System Solutions Outstanding Accomplishments by a HUBZone Small Business ContractorTelesolv Consulting, LLC Outstanding Accomplishments by a Small Business ContractorGreat Lakes Environmental Center Outstanding Accomplishments by a Woman-Owned Small Business ContractorGüd Marketing Outstanding Accomplishments by a Woman-Owned Small Business ContractorTTW Solutions Outstanding Accomplishments by a Small Disadvantaged Business ContractorIntegriWard, LLC Outstanding Accomplishments by a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business ContractorProfessional Management Enterprises, Inc. Outstanding Accomplishments by an EPA Employee or Group in Support of Small Businesses Impacted by EPA RegulationsSeneca Anderson Outstanding Accomplishments by a Small Business Trade Association or State Small Business Environmental Assistance Provider in Providing Technical Environmental Assistance to the Small Business CommunityDonovan Grimwood OFFICE OF SMALL AND DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS UTILIZATION (OSDBU) DIRECTOR’S AWARDSOffice of Inspector GeneralFor Exceeding the Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Women-Owned,  HUBZone, and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Goals Office of Research and DevelopmentFor Exceeding the Small Disadvantaged Business, Women-Owned, HUBZone, and  Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Goals Region 7For Exceeding the Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Women-Owned, and HUBZone Small Business Goals CRYSTAL DUCK AWARDS Wesley J. CarpenterDeputy Chief of Staff for Management Office of the Administrator Tommie L. Madison, Jr.Agency Advocate for Competition Office of Acquisition Solutions Koni B. FritzRegional Acquisition Manager Jennifer EricksonSmall Business Utilization Specialist Regions 7 & 10 1 date adjusted to reflect the ceremony dat […]

The family-owned business reinforces its commitment to quality and evolving regulatory requirements. […]

Once you know, you may specify gear pump fillers more often because of their simplicity and accuracy in filling liquids. […]

Rochester, New York based Diamond Packaging announced that it won five awards in the 31st Annual FSEA Gold Leaf Awards Competition, the industry’s premier showcase for foiling, embossing, and other specialty effects. Awards were presented during the Print Embellishment Conference in Dallas, Texas.The competition celebrates the quality, added value, shelf presence, security, and brand recognition […]

An alliance between two early career professionals provides the impetus for an upcoming session at thePACKout. […]

Our best-read articles in April 2024 showed significant improvements in sustainability, optimization, and design. […]

The future of pharma packaging podcast, UK’s non-profit initiative on recycling healthcare packaging, IoPP’s medical packaging ebook, packaging innovation workshop, more. […]

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PHILADELPHIA (May 2, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced more than $49 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to help Virginia identify and replace lead service lines, preventing exposure to lead in drinking water. Lead can cause a range of serious health impacts, including irreversible harm to brain development in children. To protect children and families, President Biden has committed to replacing every lead pipe in the country. Today’s announcement, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and available through EPA’s successful Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), takes another major step to advance this work and the Administration’s commitment to environmental justice. This funding builds on the Administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan and EPA’s Get the Lead Out Initiative. Working collaboratively, EPA and the State Revolving Funds are advancing the President’s Justice40 Initiative to ensure that 40% of overall benefits from certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Lead exposure disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income families. The total funding announced through this program to date is expected to replace up to 1.7 million lead pipes nationwide, securing clean drinking water for countless families. “The science is clear, there is no safe level of lead exposure, and the primary source of harmful exposure in drinking water is through lead pipes,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “President Biden understands it is critical to identify and remove lead pipes as quickly as possible, and he has secured significant resources for states and territories to accelerate the permanent removal of dangerous lead pipes once and for all.” “Across our region, states are getting boosts from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will improve lives, strengthen communities, and protect our most vulnerable populations,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “This funding brings us much closer to replacing all lead service lines throughout the nation.” “I’m glad that the Commonwealth is set to receive significant funding that will enable the identification and replacement of unsafe lead pipes that have disastrous impacts on health,” said U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA). “This funding will help to ensure that every Virginian has access to the clean, safe water they deserve.” “Lead service lines harm the health and well-being of our communities,” said U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA). “I’m glad to have helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is bringing these funds to Virginia to replace these dangerous lead pipes and protect drinking water.” President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests a historic $15 billion to identify and replace lead service lines. The law mandates that 49% of funds provided through the DWSRF General Supplemental Funding and DWSRF Lead Service Line Replacement Funding must be provided as grants and forgivable loans to disadvantaged communities, a crucial investment for communities that have been underinvested in for too long. EPA projects a national total of 9 million lead services lines across the country, based on data collected from the updated 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment. The funding announced today will be provided specifically for lead service line identification and replacement and will help every state and territory fund projects to remove lead pipes and reduce exposure to lead from drinking water. The Lead Service Line-specific formula used to allot these funds allows states to receive financial assistance commensurate with their need as soon as possible, furthering public health protection nationwide. The formula and allotments are based on need — meaning that states with more projected lead service lines receive proportionally more funding. Alongside the funding announced today, EPA is also releasing a new memorandum that clarifies how states can use this and other funding to most effectively reduce exposure to lead in drinking water. Additionally, EPA has developed new outreach documents to help water systems educate their customers on drinking water issues, health impacts of lead exposure, service line ownership, and how customers can support the identification of potential lead service lines in their homes. The Biden-Harris Administration’s ambitious initiative to remove lead pipes has already delivered significant results for families across the nation. Today’s latest funding will ensure more families benefit from these unprecedented resources, and support projects like these: To view more stories about how the unpreceded investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are transforming communities across the country, visit EPA’s Investing in America’s Water Infrastructure Story Map. To read more about some additional projects that are underway, see EPA’s recently released Quarterly Report on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funded Clean Water and Drinking Water SRF projects and explore the State Revolving Funds Public Portal.   Today’s allotments are based on EPA’s updated 7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment (DWINSA) including an assessment of newly submitted information. To date, this is the best available data collected and assessed on service line materials in the United States. Later this summer, EPA will release an addendum to the 7th DWINSA Report to Congress which will include the updated lead service line projections. EPA anticipates initiating data collection, which will include information on lead service lines, for the 8th DWINSA in 2025. For more information, including state-by-state allotment of 2024 funding, and a breakdown of EPA’s lead Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, please visit EPA’s Drinking Water website. […]

WASHINGTON  – Today, May 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule that will help protect water quality where Tribes hold and assert rights to aquatic and aquatic-dependent resources. For the first time, this action establishes a clear and consistent national framework for EPA and states to consider Tribal treaty and reserved rights when establishing Water Quality Standards under the Clean Water Act. In addition, this rule advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to uphold the United States’ treaty and federal trust responsibility to federally recognized Tribes. When implemented, this final rule will better protect waters that Tribes depend on for fishing, gathering wild rice, cultural practices, and other uses. “President Biden is committed to ensuring that all people have access to clean and safe water. Strengthening our regulations to support Tribes and protect precious water resources is essential,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “With this action, EPA is establishing clear rules of the road that will support healthier Tribal communities. We look forward to partnering with Tribes and our state co-regulators to implement Clean Water Act protections consistent with Tribal treaty and reserved rights.” Historically, EPA has addressed Tribal reserved rights under the Clean Water Act on a case-by-case basis in state-specific actions. This practice fostered uncertainty for Tribes, states, and entities seeking to comply with Clean Water Act requirements. EPA’s final rule provides clarity and transparency by revising the federal water quality standards regulation to better protect Tribal reserved rights under the Clean Water Act. With this action, EPA is ensuring that water quality standards are established taking into consideration Clean Water Act-protected aquatic and aquatic-dependent resources where Tribes hold and assert rights to those resources under federal treaties, statutes, or executive orders. This final regulatory framework will be applied consistently while accounting for local conditions and factors to inform the development of specific water quality standards. With this action, EPA is honoring the federal trust responsibility and striving to protect Tribal reserved rights related to water resources, consistent with commitments outlined in the agency’s 2021 action plan, Strengthening the Nation-to-Nation Relationship with Tribes to Secure a Sustainable Water Future. “The Tribal Reserved Rights rule protects the rights of Tribal citizens, accorded by treaties, statutes, and other federal laws, to hunt, fish, and gather food in their usual and accustomed territories—including areas under state jurisdiction,” said National Tribal Water Council Chairman Ken Norton. “When treaties are honored as the highest law of the land, as the Constitution directs, it is a victory for Tribes across the nation.” "Upholding treaty reserved rights in Ceded Territories is the right thing to do, both for Tribal members and the environment. As stressors such as climate change, pollutants and development harm the environment, it is increasingly important for Tribal members to have the opportunity to exercise their rights in Ceded Territories," said Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Environmental Director, Brandy Toft. "It is our hope that this rule will assist to preserve the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe's treaty protected right to harvest resources, such as fish and wild rice for subsistence, for generations to come." “In the Anishinaabe (or Ojibwe) language, gibimaaji’igomin nibi means ‘water is life,’” according to Jason Schlender, Executive Administrator of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC). “Anishinaabe people recognize that clean water sustains the more-than-human relatives (natural resources) that they rely on to continue their lifeways. It was these lifeways that our member Tribes were protecting when they reserved the right to hunt, fish, and gather on land that they ceded (or sold) in treaties with the United States. GLIFWC welcomes federal actions that will ensure that water quality is improved and sustained to ensure the continued health of our more-than-human relations.” “Elwha Tribe is pleased that the federal rule will ensure that Tribes will be heard,” said Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe Vice-Chairman Russell N. Hepfer. “I always advocate for consultation to occur early and often. Water quality is important for our human health and for our resources. More important for our future generations. Elwha Tribes looks forward to consultation with EPA as this rule is implemented.” The final rule will be effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. Learn more about EPA’s final Tribal Reserved Rights rule. Background Water quality standards define the water quality goals for a waterbody and provide a regulatory basis for many actions under the Clean Water Act, including reporting on water quality conditions and status; developing water quality-based effluent limits in National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits for point-sources; and setting targets for Total Maximum Daily Loads. […]