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Germany’s Sanner Group, a global healthcare packaging manufacturer and medical device contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), today announced the acquisition of Springboard, a design and development firm specialized in medical devices for regulated markets. Sanner said the acquisition is in line with its goal of building a suite of “world-leading services for customers across the drug-delivery, diagnostic, and medtech device sectors.” Springboard’s extensive capabilities will substantially boost Sanner Group’s in-house…

The days when we will be able to sip a “tasty beverage” through a plastic straw seem to be numbered. Iconic brands, cities, and even countries have joined the crusade to “stop sucking.” There has been some pushback on these bans, notably from the disabled community, where straws can be a lifesaver. Critics of the movement to rid single-use plastics from our lives also note that plastic straws, in the…

Electric mobility featured heavily in our recent article outlining automotive and mobility trends to watch in 2024. If we had extended the piece to 10 trends instead of five, some of the following would have made the cut. Where to now, Chinese EV OEMs? The rise of Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) in the global market has been somewhat astounding, particularly their penetration of the European market. In fact, some market watchers see…

The US Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded $3.7 million via the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program to Qarbon Aerospace to design and manufacture advanced lightweight continuous-fiber thermoplastic composite structures for national defense aviation applications. Ensuring US manufacturing leadership “The establishment of robust and resilient supply chains is a critical element of DOD’s strategic approach to creating a modernized industrial ecosystem,” said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of…

Improving the sustainability of flexible packaging films, pouches, and other formats in the packaged food category starts with a first step away from nonrecyclable multilayer barrier films. That improvement often means a switch to a recyclable mono-material film, which Mars China has taken in announcing this month the launch of a dark chocolate cereal Snickers bar. It is claimed to be a significant step towards sustainable packaging using a mono-material polypropylene (PP)…

Idemitsu Advanced Materials has completed construction of a second syndiotactic polystyrene (SPS) production plant in Pasir Gudang, Johor, Malaysia, and launched commercial operations in November 2023. The company is a subsidiary of Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan, which pioneered the development and commercialization of the heat-resistant styrenic engineering plastic in 1997. 9,000 tonnes/year production capacity Production capacity of the new Malaysian plant is 9,000 tonnes per year, and with this second SPS…

The global bio-polyamide (PA) market is poised to witness substantial growth with a projected compound annual growth rate of 14.5% from 2022 to 2032, according to analysis by market research firm Fact.MR.  The automotive industry’s imperative to enhance fuel efficiency and reduce vehicle weight is a key driver of increased adoption of bio-PA. The market is expected to receive a boost from advances in energy conservation and growing demand for eco-friendly…

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Corporate artificial intelligence platform Ubuntoo, which has partnered with companies like the Coca-Cola Company, Subway, and Target, reports that “emissions” and “plastic packaging” were the most searched environmental questions of 2023.    Energy came in third place, with users inputting searches around the transition and adoption of clean energy systems.    Climate, biodiversity, and agriculture each followed as key topics for users of the platform.    Launched last month, Ubuntoo is a first-of-its-kind…

If you’re interested in an informative and fast read on the subject of flexible packaging, this is for you — an all-in-one location for a steady stream of curated news and developments in this dynamic market for the month of November. These include pouches, bags, films, and other types of flexible packaging sourced from supplier breakthroughs, brand launches, and other advances of interest. The content is selected from Tweets by stakeholders in the flexible packaging supply…