Packaging industry news this week centered on a compliance date that arrived while its enforcement is still blocked. California’s SB 343 recycling-label date landed on October 4 under a federal injunction. Elsewhere, a bipartisan Senate bill would ban PFAS in food packaging, new research made the economic case for federal EPR, and corrugated consolidation continued with another PCA plant closure. Below are the 16 stories that mattered most in packaging industry news from the week ending October 4, 2026.
Materials & Sustainability
Oji Pitches Paper-Based Cushioning to Replace Bubble Wrap
At Material Week Tokyo (September 30 – October 2), Oji Paper showed HyBioth, a biodegradable, water-soluble nonwoven cushioning meant to replace plastic bubble wrap in electronics packaging that can be recycled back into papermaking. It also showed Kinarito, an air-laid pulp fabric for molded gift boxes, and Kinocloth, a line of paper produce containers with odor- and moisture-control additives. Packaging Insights has the full show report.
Cargill Debuts 86% Bio-Based Processing Aid for Food Films
Also in Tokyo, Cargill Bioindustrial introduced Incroflo P50. It’s an FDA-cleared, 86% bio-based additive for LLDPE food-contact film that’s positioned as a replacement for fluoropolymer processing aids. Cargill says trials showed output gains above 5%, plus better clarity and less melt fracture. That matters because converters are under pressure to remove PFAS-type chemistry from their lines.
Pregis Launches Store-Drop-Off Metallized PE Film
Pregis introduced a monomaterial metallized polyethylene film that it says matches the barrier of metallized PP and PET while staying store drop-off recyclable. The film targets coffee, pet food and snack packs. Brands weighing mono-PE formats should read our guide to recyclable stand-up pouches before switching.
Sonoco Scales Paper Cans for Mars Crackers
Sonoco is making resealable paper cans for Cheez-It and Club crackers, a grab-and-go format built to keep crackers crisp. The company has opened a large plant in Thailand and is adding lines in West Chicago to keep up with demand. These details come from Packaging Dive’s latest innovations roundup.
Amcor’s Inverted Cup Rethinks Wet Pet Food
Amcor and pet brand Ge Wu An developed a polypropylene cup with a bottom seal. Owners peel it, flip it and lift the cup so the meal slides out in one piece. The format avoids the sharp edges of metal cans and weighs less than aluminum.
Industry & Supply Chain
PCA to Close Middletown, Ohio Full-Line Plant
Packaging Corporation of America will close its Middletown corrugated converting plant by December 31, which affects 91 workers. Most layoffs take effect December 1. PCA says it is consolidating volume into larger sites, including a new 550,000-square-foot plant in Newark, Ohio, that started up in July. Earlier this year PCA also announced closures in Indiana, Virginia and Washington.
Most Nippon Dynawave Workers Return October 12
Most of the roughly 550 employees at Nippon Dynawave’s Longview, Washington, mill are due back October 12. Their work will focus on safety reviews, training and housekeeping rather than full production. The mill has been largely idle since the May 26 white-liquor tank implosion that killed 11 people. Pay for workers who aren’t returning yet has been extended through January 17, 2027, Packaging Dive reports.
Butterfly Equity Moves to Acquire Sabert
Packaging M&A “ticked up slightly” in September. The headline deal was food-focused private equity firm Butterfly Equity agreeing to buy foodservice packaging maker Sabert, with closing expected in Q4. It’s Butterfly’s second packaging deal of 2026, according to Packaging Dive’s monthly dealmaking tracker.
LidWorks, Polymer Packaging and Koen Pack Change Hands
September also brought several smaller deals:
- New Water Capital bought LidWorks, a Florida lid maker that produces more than 2 billion hot and cold lids a year.
- Adherex Group acquired fellow Ohio converter Polymer Packaging.
- GTCR-backed PPC Flex picked up Dutch floral packaging specialist Koen Pack.
- Lumson USA added Lombardi Design and Manufacturing.
- Specialized Packaging Group bought DFW Crating & Packaging.
If you’re vetting suppliers that just changed owners, our framework for packaging vendor scorecards and supplier KPIs is a good place to start.
Veritiv and RRD Target Fulfillment Pain Points
Veritiv launched TempSafe RxShield, a compact metal canister that keeps GLP-1 shipments refrigerated for up to 36 hours. Its smaller dimensional weight cuts shipping costs. R.R. Donnelley updated its VersaPac FastTrack mailer with a paper peel-and-seal strip that replaces the plastic closure, which makes the mailer easier to recycle curbside.
Regulations & Design
SB 343’s October 4 Date Arrives Under Injunction
California’s Truth in Recycling law originally applied to packaging made after October 4, 2026. It bars chasing arrows and “recyclable” claims unless the material meets the state’s criteria. However, a federal court preliminarily enjoined enforcement in July on First Amendment and vagueness grounds, so the date passes without active enforcement. Brands should keep their label audits going, because the case isn’t over. It also connects to SB 54 obligations; see how to find your 2023 SB 54 baseline packaging weight.
APR Opens Its Design Assessment Tool to All Companies
On September 29 the Association of Plastic Recyclers made its APR Design Assessment Tool, built with Recyda, available to non-members. The tool sorts packages into APR Design categories, from Preferred to Non-Recyclable, flags design conflicts and checks alignment with SB 343. That makes it a practical self-audit for the label question above.
Senators Hassan and Tuberville File Federal PFAS Packaging Ban
The bipartisan Keep Food Containers Safe from PFAS Act of 2026 would ban intentionally added PFAS in food packaging starting January 1, 2028, by amending the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Rep. Debbie Dingell has introduced a House companion bill. More than a dozen states already restrict PFAS in packaging.
WWF Study: Federal EPR Could Cut Local Waste Costs by Half
An RTI analysis commissioned by WWF and SC Johnson estimates that a federal EPR framework could cut local government waste-management costs by 49–53% and roughly halve producer compliance costs compared with a patchwork of state laws. It projects $9.5 billion in state and local tax revenue over 10 years and more than 36,000 direct jobs. Read the WWF findings. For context on last week’s state-level EPR fights, see our September 27 packaging roundup.
40+ EU Associations Push for a Single EPR Regulation
More than 40 industry groups, including EUROPEN, are urging the EU to use its upcoming Circular Economy Act to create a directly applicable EU-wide EPR regulation. Their asks include producer-led governance, standardized reporting and fees earmarked for waste infrastructure. In a related PPWR effort, the Aseptic Bag Manufacturers Association launched a three-year program to make its multimaterial PE bags recyclable before the 2030 cutoff.
EJF Report Flags 93% of Plastic Chemicals as High-Risk
The Environmental Justice Foundation’s “Poison Plastics” report, covered by CNN, found that nearly 93% of 3,552 known plastic chemicals pose a high health risk. Almost 92% of the chemicals in food-contact plastics fall in that category. Expect the report to add pressure on regulators and brands over food-contact materials.
That wraps this week’s packaging industry news. Next week, watch for early previews ahead of Pack Expo International (October 18–21, Chicago).
Sources
- Packaging Dive — PCA to close full-line plant in Ohio
- Packaging Dive — Federal legislation would nix PFAS in food packaging
- Packaging Europe — Circular Economy Act must strengthen EU’s EPR framework, say industry voices
- Packaging Insights — Cargill presents FDA-approved bio-based polymer additive
- Association of Plastic Recyclers — APR launches APR Design Assessment Tool powered by Recyda
Frequently Asked Questions
Is California’s SB 343 being enforced as of October 4, 2026?
No. The law applies to packaging made after October 4, 2026, but a federal court issued a preliminary injunction in July that blocks enforcement while the constitutional challenge continues.
What would the Keep Food Containers Safe from PFAS Act do?
It would ban intentionally added PFAS in food packaging nationwide starting January 1, 2028, by amending the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
How much could federal EPR save, according to the WWF study?
The RTI analysis estimates that local governments could cut waste-management costs by 49–53% and that producers could roughly halve compliance costs compared with managing separate state EPR laws.
Which packaging acquisitions were announced in September 2026?
Deals included Butterfly Equity–Sabert, New Water Capital–LidWorks, Adherex–Polymer Packaging, PPC Flex–Koen Pack, Lumson USA–Lombardi and Specialized Packaging Group–DFW Crating & Packaging.
Where can I follow weekly packaging industry news?
Packaura publishes a packaging industry news roundup every Sunday covering materials, supply chain and regulations, with links to original sources such as Packaging Dive and Packaging Insights.