Monthly Archives: October 2016

Mondi warns rise in UK packaging prices as pound tumbles

Mondi warns rise in UK packaging prices as pound tumbles.

Mondi warns rise in UK packaging prices as pound tumbles

Global suppliers such as the South African paper and packaging giant usually insert clauses into contracts allowing for price recalculations in light of currency fluctuations.

“We export many of our products from Europe to the UK and most of these contracts have currency agreements in place, so they have been repriced to take in the currency movements,” he said.

This price increase could eventually hit consumers.

Mondi has seen an improvement in profits – operating profits rose 3% to €227m (£205m) in the third quarter, compared to the same period last year.

This was after a turbulent second quarter which saw a 12% dip in operating profits.

Energy costs were down on the comparable prior year period due to lower energy prices and the benefits of various energy efficiency investments.

Since June 30 the company’s sales volumes were in line with last year, and its costs for components such as wood and chemicals had remained stable during the period.

Additionally, the average cost per tonne of paper for recycling was up 8% on the comparable prior year period and up 10% on the second quarter.

Mondi’s €450m investment and modernisation programme to upgrade its equipment is expected to contribute less to its operating profits than previously forecast – some €50, down from €60m.

UK fails to recycle almost 50% of its plastic bottles

UK fails to recycle almost 50% of its plastic bottles.

UK fails to recycle almost 50% of its plastic bottlesUK fails to recycle almost 50% of its plastic bottles each year the average UK household uses 480 plastic bottles , but only recycles 270 of them – meaning nearly half (44%) are not put in the recycling.

This means that nationally, of the over 35 million plastic bottles being used every day in the UK, nearly 16 million plastic bottles aren’t being put out for recycling. New data from Recycle Now reveals the number of plastic bottles evading recycling could reach 29 billion over the four years up to the end of 2020.

If a year’s worth of the UK’s unrecycled plastic bottles were placed end to end, they’d reach around the world 31 times, covering  just over 780,000 miles.

Alice Harlock, from Recycle Now said: “The number of plastic bottles not being recycled is staggering and will increase further if we don’t take action.  Householders are often unsure if items are recyclable especially from the bathroom, bedroom and living room. An easy way to tell is, if an item is plastic and bottle shaped its recyclable.”

Commonly used items people might not know are recyclable include: empty bleach; shampoo; conditioner; bathroom cleaners and hand soap dispenser bottles.

In a bid to encourage people into taking action to recycle more plastic bottles, Recycle Now is calling on the UK public to open their eyes to all potential recycling opportunities in the home.

Harlock added: “We need to challenge ourselves when it comes to what we could be recycling. Every plastic bottle counts. We’re asking people to think more about what they can recycle every time they go to put something in the waste bin. If you’re having a shower and using up the last of the shampoo – don’t just think replace, think Recycle. When you run out of your favourite moisturiser in the morning – don’t just think replace, think Recycle.  If you’re not sure whether you can recycle plastic bottles at home check out our Recycling Locator.”

How to recycle plastic:

Nearly all local authorities in the UK collect recycling from the home, and recycling plastic bottles has never been easier.  To ensure consumers recycle at home, Recycle Now recommends:

  • Making sure plastic bottles are empty
  • Rinsing the bottles
  • Squashing the bottles to save space in the recycling bin (then put the lids back on)
  • If you’re on the go; pop your plastic bottle in a bag and recycle it when you get home rather than throwing it in a waste bin

TOP THREE PLASTIC RECYCLING MYTHS DEBUNKED

Keep your plastic lids 

Plastic bottles with plastic lids – water bottles, milk bottles, shampoo and bleach bottles can be squashed to save space in your recycling bin, and the lids can be put back on for recycling too.

What about bleach?

Some people assume bleach and kitchen cleaner bottles can’t be recycled because of their contents – but it’s easier than you think to safely recycle them. Ensure the bottle is empty and leave the lid on.

What’s the point of recycling plastics?

Using recycled materials in the manufacturing process uses considerably less energy than required for producing new products from scratch – 75% less in fact, meaning the impact on the environment is lowered.

New cartonboard for luxury packaging from pankaboard

New cartonboard for luxury packaging from pankaboard.

New cartonboard for luxury packaging from pankaboard

New cartonboard for luxury packaging from pankaboard. The development of Pankalux follows recent investment at the supplier’s mill in Finland.

The new GC1 folding boxboard has been engineered with the demands of the luxury packaging market in mind and the luxury beverage sector in particular.  The company said the result of the development can be seen as outstanding printing quality, an improved surface for lamination, and improved runnability on high speed packaging lines.

The new product will be officially introduced to the market at the FachPack exhibition in Germany – 27-29 September 2016, Nuremberg – where Pankaboard will be present.

Pankaboard is a global producer of special cartonboards with a capacity of 110,000 t/a. The product portfolio consists of high thickness FBB as well as various uncoated speciality boards. The company serves globally a wide range of end uses, including luxury beverage and food packaging, picture framing, capseals and visual communication.