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Tag: packaging

  • Visy Produces First Glass Bottles at Yatala Recycling Plant

    Visy Produces First Glass Bottles at Yatala Recycling Plant

    Packaging company Visy has produced the first glass bottles at its new glass recycling and manufacturing facility in Yatala, Queensland, four years after construction began.

    Once fully operational, the plant will manufacture up to 1 billion glass bottles and jars annually, incorporating an average of 70 per cent recycled content.

    Visy CEO Mark De Wit noted the milestone following the start of commissioning of the site’s first of two oxygen-fuelled furnaces, which are designed to consume less energy than traditional facilities.

    Cutting Energy on the Furnace Line

    Engineers at the south Brisbane site started operations using the first of two oxygen-fuelled furnaces. Visy intends to bring the second furnace online as commissioning advances across the site.

    Conventional furnaces burn fuel using ambient air, which introduces unwanted atmospheric nitrogen into the heating chamber. Visy instead feeds concentrated oxygen into the combustion zone to trim nitrogen volumes and raise thermal efficiency.

    Incoming cullet undergoes pre-heating before entering the main melt zone. Lifting recycled glass temperatures ahead of melting cuts the thermal lift required from the burners, driving lower fuel use per tonne of finished glass.

    Clustering Supply Beside Big Brewers

    Putting glass production directly into Yatala links sorting, melting, forming, and packing inside an existing manufacturing cluster. The new site stands next to Visy’s established cardboard box factory and beverage can plant.

    Logistics dictate glass economics. The Yatala ovens sit roughly two kilometres from Asahi Beverages’ Yatala brewery and about 30 minutes by road from Lion’s XXXX brewery in Milton, removing cross-state container freight from local supply chains.

    The capital expenditure relies on long-term supply agreements. Asahi Beverages holds a foundational partnership on the site, alongside contracted volume commitments with Lion, Bundaberg, and Coca-Cola.

    Local Cullet and Container Scheme Feedstock

    Recycled container supply underpins the commercial rationale. The facility is engineered to process up to 200,000 tonnes of recovered Queensland glass each year, drawing heavily from regional container deposit collection points.

    For beverage manufacturers across Asia-Pacific, packaging remains a severe emissions liability. Securing commercial volumes with 70 percent recycled cullet gives regional bottlers an immediate mechanism to strip scope 3 emissions without changing primary bottle designs.

    The operational risk now centres on cullet purity and feedstock continuity. Contaminated recovered glass creates production defects and furnace downtime, forcing Visy to maintain tight control over sorting operations as intake scales toward the 200,000-tonne ceiling.

    Four Years of Build Lead to Commercial Output

    Construction crews broke ground on the Yatala development nearly four years ago, supporting roughly 600 construction roles during the installation of the heavy furnaces and forming machinery.

    The manufacturing complex will sustain approximately 200 permanent operational jobs once both production lines run at capacity, according to company projections.

    Visy now faces the commissioning of the second oxygen-fuelled furnace, which will lift production to the full 1-billion-unit target.

  • Aarong Plants over 100,000 Trees Across 42 Districts from Bag Sales

    Aarong Plants over 100,000 Trees Across 42 Districts from Bag Sales

    Aarong has planted more than 100,000 trees across 42 districts in Bangladesh, funding the initiative entirely through retail proceeds generated from its store bag campaign.

    The lifestyle retailer reduced customer paper bag consumption by more than 4.68 million units between September 2025 and March 2026 compared to the same period a year earlier.

    Paper bag sales during the seven-month period generated Tk 2.9 crore across the brand’s store network. Aarong channeled the entire sum into direct environmental planting and rural community support, working with parent organization BRAC and environmental group Mission Green Bangladesh.

    Cashback incentives and store-level mechanics

    The reduction in packaging volume stems directly from Aarong’s Bring Your Own Bag initiative. Customers who carry their own shopping bags to checkout receive a Tk 15 cashback rebate against their purchase.

    Shoppers who opt to take single-use paper bags pay for them at the till, creating the ring-fenced fund used for nationwide ecological work. The company estimated that avoiding 4.68 million paper bags over the period spared approximately 6,000 trees from industrial pulping.

    “Bring Your Own Bag began with a simple change in habit: carrying and reusing what we already have,” said Tamara Hasan Abed, managing director of BRAC Enterprises.

    Household distribution and urban mini-forests

    The capital expenditure from bag charges was split into two separate forestry models. The larger share backed direct distribution to rural low-income families through BRAC’s Ultra-Poor Graduation programme.

    Under that programme, Aarong funded 95,382 saplings comprising fruit, timber, and medicinal varieties. Teams distributed the stock across 210 upazilas in 42 districts, delivering planting bundles to 40,001 individual households to generate supplemental household income and fruit production.

    The secondary allocation focused on dense urban vegetation. Partnering with Mission Green Bangladesh, the retailer financed Miyawaki-style micro-forests, which use tightly packed native plant species to accelerate biological canopy growth on small urban parcels. Aarong staged a public planting drive with shoppers and media representatives at its Rupganj Miyawaki forest site.

    Retail implications across South Asian store fleets

    Packaging levies in emerging South Asian retail markets frequently face stiff consumer friction, especially inside apparel and department stores where premium shopping bags double as status signifiers. Most chains that charge for carriers retain the cash within operational store overheads or margin defense.

    Aarong’s decision to combine a hard rebate of Tk 15 with full revenue surrender alters that dynamic. By publishing exact unit drops and assigning retail takings to traceable planting, the business removes customer suspicion that packaging charges are disguised margin extraction.

    For competing South Asian apparel operators, the programme sets an uncomfortable precedent on disclosure. When a market leader proves that bag consumption dropped by 4.68 million units within seven months while funding 100,000 saplings, retail landlords and municipal waste regulators gain a clear benchmark to demand mandatory bag fees from other department stores.

    Tracing the supply chain transition

    The bag initiative links into broader supply-chain pivots at Aarong, which operates as the commercial social enterprise wing of BRAC. Sourcing textiles, home decor, and jewellery from tens of thousands of independent village craftspeople, the enterprise links everyday shopping habits with broader community and environmental support.

    Moving customer behaviour from complimentary packaging to reusable totes mirrors earlier efforts by regional grocery players to curb checkout plastics. Aarong is now attempting the same shift inside department store fashion and lifestyle retail.

    The company continues to run the Tk 15 bag rebate at all Aarong cash registers, with local operations tracking whether bag opt-out rates hold as checkout volumes rise into seasonal peak trade.

  • Coca-Cola Raises Full-Year Profit Target on Resilient Emerging Market Demand

    Coca-Cola Raises Full-Year Profit Target on Resilient Emerging Market Demand

    Coca-Cola raised its annual profit forecast on Tuesday, Oct 27, projecting comparable currency-neutral earnings per share to grow at least 9 per cent in 2026. The beverage giant previously targeted full-year earnings growth between 7 per cent and 8 per cent.

    Third-quarter revenue rose 7.4 per cent to US$13.38 billion, topping analyst projections of US$12.92 billion compiled by LSEG. Adjusted earnings per share reached 91 cents, ahead of the 88 cents consensus estimate.

    Emerging Markets Drive Global Volume

    Global unit case volumes increased about 5 per cent during the three months ended Oct 2. Volume expansion in India, China, Mexico and Brazil supported the overall gain, compensating for flat demand in North America.

    Shoppers in Asian markets continued buying core trademark sodas alongside zero-sugar varieties. In Western markets, the company leaned on pricing actions and package tiering, selling smaller, cheaper entry packs alongside higher-priced products such as fairlife milk, Topo Chico, and Coca-Cola Cherry Float.

    Divergence From Snack and Beverage Rivals

    The volume momentum widens the gap between Coca-Cola and competitors such as PepsiCo, which has struggled with softening snack sales in the United States. While North American consumers cut discretionary packaged foods, beverage intake remained stable across both developed and developing retail channels.

    For retailers and convenience store operators across Asia, the numbers show sustained foot-traffic demand for impulse cold-drink categories. Bottlers face higher inventory values, but turnover rates for core carbonated brands have held up better than non-essential ambient grocery items.

    Packaging Pressures and Input Volatility

    Operating margins face persistent headwinds from volatile industrial packaging markets. Rising commodity costs tied to the US war in Iran pushed aluminum and PET plastic expenses higher throughout the year.

    The company warned in July that container input costs had climbed past internal budgets. Those packaging increases continue to pinch margins even as net pricing gains shield headline top-line performance.

    Pricing Trajectory Into Year-End

    Coca-Cola’s stock has risen about 33 per cent in 2026, heading toward a third consecutive annual gain despite broad retail belt-tightening and geopolitical shocks. Shares traded marginally lower in premarket deals following the release.

    Management must now navigate final-quarter price elasticity across developing Asian cities as regional currencies shift against the dollar. The final quarterly filing will show whether volume gains in India and China can outpace elevated resin and can costs through December.

  • Diet Coke Cans Reach Record 70 Rupees in India as Aluminium Squeeze Bites

    Diet Coke Cans Reach Record 70 Rupees in India as Aluminium Squeeze Bites

    Coca-Cola bottlers and retailers across India have raised Diet Coke prices to 70 rupees for a 330 ml can, up from 50 rupees, as metal packaging costs climb.

    The 40 per cent jump hits major urban territories, including Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Goa. Local stores there charge the new rate even on inventory printed with the earlier 50-rupee maximum retail price.

    Metal costs squeeze bottler margins

    Can-grade aluminium prices surged 30 per cent year-on-year after conflict in West Asia disrupted supplies earlier this year. That inflation forced independent packaging partners to pass costs down the distribution chain.

    Bottlers say packaging economics collapsed under higher procurement tabs for beverage cans. One independent Coca-Cola bottler stated:

    “Yes, we are selling 330 ml cans of Diet Coke at ₹70 now. The increase in prices of aluminium cans is unsustainable,”

    Divergence between store shelves and apps

    Offline retailers and neighborhood grocers applied the 70-rupee price tag across metro markets, triggering consumer pushback on social media. Quick-commerce apps like Blinkit and Zepto still fulfill customer orders at the official 50-rupee price printed on the 330 ml packs.

    This pricing split creates friction across urban retail channels. General trade grocers and supermarkets face customer disputes at billing counters. App-based delivery platforms hold to official price tags to defend basket sizes.

    Coca-Cola stated that company guidance remains tied to package labeling. A company spokesperson said:

    “In line with Indian regulations, our recommendation to all trade partners is to charge the MRP printed on the pack.”

    Surging demand outstrips can availability

    Consumer demand for zero-sugar soft drinks doubled over the past 12 months, draining bottling lines of inventory. High demand and tight can supply allowed distributors to hike rates without hurting sales volumes.

    Independent bottlers operate with separate cost bases from company-owned plants. That makes localized price hikes hard for the brand owner to rein in. A senior beverage industry executive noted:

    “Pricing being taken by independent bottlers and retailers is beyond the company’s control. The decision to hike prices is a direct consequence of demand for the zero-calorie drink having doubled over the last year,”

    The shift from smaller pack sizes

    The latest jump follows a packaging transition that began in July. Coca-Cola phased in 330 ml cans at 50 rupees to replace older 300 ml cans priced at 40 rupees, standardizing can sizes while adjusting price realization per unit.

    Attention now turns to whether quick-commerce platforms raise listing prices to match general trade as new inventory reaches warehouses. Aluminium raw-material prices heading into the next bottling cycle will decide if the 70-rupee level sticks.

  • Nespresso and Swarovski Launch Festive Coffee and Accessories Range

    Nespresso and Swarovski Launch Festive Coffee and Accessories Range

    Nespresso rolled out a festive collaboration with Swarovski in October 2026, launching co-branded coffee blends, machines, and accessories ahead of the holiday season. The seasonal lineup includes Festive Crystal Spark Espresso for Original machines and Festive Crystal Spark Double Espresso for the Vertuo system.

    Packaging across the range adopts Swarovski’s octagonal motif and colour scheme, targeting premium gift buyers during the fourth-quarter retail rush.

    Dual formats and crystal merchandise

    The product release spans coffee capsules, drinkware and seasonal collectables. Both Original and Vertuo systems receive dedicated advent calendars, engineered to reveal two capsules on selected countdown dates rather than the standard single pod.

    Hardware and accessories extend into standalone display pieces. A crystal ornament shaped like the classic Nespresso capsule carries 62 facets with a shimmer effect, finished with a brushed chrome-tone top and pink satin ribbon. The merchandise roster also adds branded travel mugs, mug holders and Pixie Lungo cups designed for the festive sales window.

    Premium positioning in holiday gifting

    Seasonal capsule drops have become standard across the single-serve coffee sector, but tie-ups with luxury jewellers push price points higher. For Nestle, pairing single-portion coffee with crystal glassware helps lift average basket values when discretionary consumer spending faces margin pressure across regional retail networks.

    Department stores and branded boutiques rely heavily on limited-edition packaging to drive footfall in November and December. Swarovski gains direct placement in kitchen counters and home pantries, extending its brand presence beyond traditional jewellery counters into everyday consumer goods.

    Earlier retail collaborations

    Nespresso previously anchored its holiday campaigns around high-profile fashion designers and pastry chefs to generate seasonal momentum. Integrating crystal design elements represents a pivot toward collectible lifestyle items that outlast the consumable coffee supply inside the box.

    Inventory across the Swarovski range rolls out through Nespresso boutiques, online channels and selected retail partners ahead of peak holiday trading.

  • Cambodia Drafts Nationwide Rules on Plastic Packaging Waste

    Cambodia Drafts Nationwide Rules on Plastic Packaging Waste

    Cambodia has begun drafting 1 unified set of nationwide rules this week to curb plastic packaging waste, the Khmer Times reported. The policy targets non-biodegradable refuse generated across commercial distribution and consumer retail channels.

    The draft rules focus on packaging materials used by domestic manufacturers, importers, and retailers.

    Regulating commercial packaging

    Covered items include single-use plastics, protective wrappers, and commercial containers that dominate urban waste streams in major commercial centres. Regulators are designing compliance measures that force businesses to track the volume of plastic packaging they distribute to consumers.

    For retailers and fast-moving consumer goods suppliers, the framework demands operational shifts in inventory management. Supermarkets, convenience chains, and beverage brands must adjust procurement to meet tighter material standards as enforcement begins.

    Regional packaging shifts

    Governments across Southeast Asia are accelerating extended producer responsibility policies. These mandates push consumer brands to finance collection systems or replace virgin plastics with recycled alternatives. Cambodia is aligning its policy with regional neighbours that already tax single-use bags or mandate packaging recyclability targets.

    Supply chain compliance and cost absorption present the primary operational hurdles. Smaller vendors and independent grocers face higher procurement costs for alternative materials. Meanwhile, large multinationals must restructure local distribution contracts to meet standard packaging requirements.

    Policy timeline

    Environmental authorities previously tested localized bag fee schemes and voluntary recycling partnerships with modern trade operators in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Those pilot measures laid the groundwork for this nationwide framework.

    Ministries are now finalizing compliance thresholds, reporting guidelines, and implementation timetables for commercial enterprises nationwide.

  • Who Gives A Crap Launches Halloween Range at 42.50 Australian Dollars

    Who Gives A Crap Launches Halloween Range at 42.50 Australian Dollars

    Who Gives A Crap launched a limited-edition Halloween toilet paper range priced at 42.50 Australian dollars for a 24-pack, expanding its seasonal direct-to-consumer line ahead of October 31.

    A bulk two-pack containing 48 rolls sells for 69.50 Australian dollars on the brand’s online store. The Spooky Edition uses 100 per cent bamboo material across seven character wrappers, including Frankenstein’s monster, a vampire, a mummy, a skeleton, a black cat, spiders and a jack-o’-lantern. Each printed roll wrapper incorporates three separate faces that rotate as users spin the paper.

    Retail Expansion Beyond Online Channels

    The seasonal rollout follows the brand’s push into physical retail shelves across international markets. British supermarket chains Tesco and Waitrose, alongside online grocer Ocado, began stocking a six-pack version of the Halloween line on September 2 at a recommended retail price of 6.75 pounds, two weeks before the company opened web sales on September 17.

    Diverting seasonal inventory into grocery aisles reduces customer acquisition costs that have climbed across digital marketing channels. For fast-moving consumer goods suppliers, holiday packaging creates temporary visual differentiation without requiring formula modifications or permanent shelf allocation. The physical retail presence gives direct-to-consumer hygiene brands access to standard weekly shopping baskets.

    Direct-to-Consumer Seasonal Strategy

    Seasonal runs carry distinct supply chain risks for tissue manufacturers relying on offshore bamboo production. Unsold decorative inventory loses retail value immediately after October 31, forcing brands to accurately balance stock allocations between direct web fulfilment hubs and retail partner distribution networks.

    Who Gives A Crap relies on limited production volumes to prevent surplus decorative stock from lingering in warehouses past November. The strategy treats household paper products as disposable home decor, encouraging existing subscribers to bring forward reorders while testing impulse purchasing among retail shoppers.

    Sanitation Funding and Market Presence

    Founded in 2012, the Melbourne-born B Corp directs 50 per cent of its operating profits toward global sanitation and clean water initiatives. Filings and company data show the business has distributed more than 11 million pounds to hygiene projects worldwide since its establishment.

    The company expanded from its initial recycled paper subscriptions into bamboo bathroom rolls, paper towels and facial tissues before entering major retail supermarket partnerships in Australia and the United Kingdom. Inventory for the Halloween collection remains on sale online through October 31 or until initial batch allocations run out.

  • Nestlé Rolls Out 3 Limited-Edition KitKat Dark Ice Cream Packs in Malaysia

    Nestlé Rolls Out 3 Limited-Edition KitKat Dark Ice Cream Packs in Malaysia

    Nestlé has released three limited-edition packaging formats for KitKat Dark Ice Cream across Malaysia in September 2026. The rollout ties single-origin Borneo cocoa supply chains directly to the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.

    First launched in Malaysian freezers in 2025, the product uses Trinitario cocoa beans harvested in Sabah and Sarawak. Sourcing runs through the Nestlé Borneo Cocoa Initiative.

    Sourcing and packaging design

    Three collectable designs make up the revised line: Heritage, Island, and City. Each wrapper depicts Malaysian tourist destinations to drive impulse sales in convenience stores and hypermarket freezer aisles.

    Under the wrapper, the recipe remains unchanged. A dark chocolate shell made with 100 per cent single-origin Borneo cocoa covers a vanilla core mixed with crushed wafer pieces.

    Regional supply and brand strategy

    The release puts local provenance directly into mass-market confectionery. FMCG manufacturers across Southeast Asia face steep raw cocoa costs on global commodity exchanges. Contracted farming programmes like the Borneo initiative provide an operational hedge alongside their marketing value.

    Pitching KitKat alongside government-backed travel campaigns planned for 2026 secures shelf appeal before tourists arrive. Merchandising single-origin confectionery at mass retail price points yields higher margins than standard dairy lines. It also avoids specialized premium distribution networks.

    Cross-promotional retail campaigns

    On the ground, a wider consumer marketing drive supports the new packs. Roadshow activations are running across commercial centres, wrapping up with an interactive installation at The Exchange TRX from 22 to 27 September.

    Shoppers entering roadshow contests and uploading on-pack receipts can win Grandstand passes to the Formula 1 race at Sepang International Circuit, scheduled for 2 to 4 October 2026.

    Retail buyers will monitor sales velocity through the fourth quarter of 2026 as tourist footfall builds across store networks.

  • Nespresso Pilots $5 Doorstep Capsule Recycling Service in Sydney

    Nespresso Pilots $5 Doorstep Capsule Recycling Service in Sydney

    In September 2026, Nespresso began piloting The Doorstep Collection, a new recycling service across metropolitan Sydney that allows customers to return used coffee capsules directly from their homes for $5.

    Each collection bag holds up to 180 Original capsules or 90 Vertuo capsules. Once filled, users can seal the bag and arrange a collection directly through the Nespresso app.

    How the collection model works

    The pilot tackles the main bottleneck in aluminium capsule recovery. Previously, consumers had to return used pods to brand boutiques or post offices. Folding collection into home delivery channels shifts reverse logistics costs onto willing buyers while defending the closed pod ecosystem.

    Recycling facilities separate the aluminium casings from residual coffee grounds. Smelters reprocess the metal. The organic waste goes to commercial composting facilities.

    Reverse logistics across regional markets

    Single-serve coffee brands across Asia-Pacific face mounting regulatory pressure to fund packaging waste management. In mature consumer markets like Australia, Singapore and Japan, drop-off rates consistently lag behind pod sales volumes without home collection infrastructure.

    Charging five dollars per bag tests how much financial responsibility consumers will shoulder for convenience. Competitors rely on third-party mail-back envelopes or retail bins that place the legwork on the shopper.

    What happens next

    Nespresso previously expanded drop-off points across postal networks and independent grocery stockists in Australia. Sydney now serves as the benchmark trial market ahead of a planned rollout across other Australian metropolitan regions.

  • Lion Expands Kirin Hyoketsu RTD Lineup in Australia with Two Flavours

    Lion Expands Kirin Hyoketsu RTD Lineup in Australia with Two Flavours

    Lion expanded its Kirin Hyoketsu ready-to-drink portfolio in Australia with two flavour additions, rolling out Mandarin in 330ml cans and Mango in a 440ml format.

    Mandarin enters the core lineup as a permanent fixture after a limited-edition trial run last year, while Mango introduces a larger volume designed for single-serve retail sales.

    Format Shifts in Premix Liquor

    The addition of the 440ml format for Mango shows how brewers are adjusting pack sizes to capture different drinking occasions outside standard multi-packs. Lion said the larger single-can design gives consumers more flexibility across outdoor and convenience settings where larger volumes sell at higher individual price points.

    Japanese premix chu-hi brands have gained steady ground across Australasia against traditional dark spirit mixers and craft seltzers. By bringing Kirin’s domestic Japanese recipes directly into local distribution networks, Lion captures higher manufacturing margins while bypassing third-party brand licensing costs.

    Building Out the Core Roster

    Competition in Australia’s pre-mixed alcoholic beverage aisle remains fierce, dominated by major domestic brewers and global spirits groups fighting for shelf space at major retail chains. The risk for brand owners lies in rapid consumer rotation across novelty flavours, which frequently leads to inventory markdowns if repeat purchases drop off after the initial seasonal surge.

    The current rollout follows Lion’s initial introduction of Kirin Hyoketsu to the Australian market, where it used Japanese citrus profiles to establish a foothold among younger adult consumers.

    Retailers will track off-premise sales velocity across both can sizes as inventory reaches store shelves ahead of the peak summer trading quarter.

  • Heineken Malaysia Cuts Brewery Emissions 45 Percent and Replaces Secondary Plastic

    Heineken Malaysia Cuts Brewery Emissions 45 Percent and Replaces Secondary Plastic

    Heineken Malaysia cut production emissions by 45 percent at its Sungei Way brewery against a 2022 baseline. On-site solar generation and renewable grid procurement drove the reduction.

    The brewer took top honours in two categories at the ESG Positive Impact Awards 2025. It recycled all 35,637 tonnes of its production waste and eliminated 195 tonnes of single-use packaging plastic.

    Sungei Way Brewery Energy and Water Overhauls

    Power for the Petaling Jaya facility now comes entirely from renewable sources via Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s Green Electricity Tariff programme. An array of 3,500 rooftop solar panels adds roughly 2,600 megawatt-hours annually. For heat, the site relies partly on an upgraded wastewater treatment plant. That RM7 million facility captures biogas during effluent processing to supply approximately 4 percent of thermal requirements.

    Water management forms the other major capital focus at the site. Using flow meters, equipment overhauls and recycling loops, the brewer improved water efficiency by 36 percent compared with 2014 levels. Independent auditor LimnoTech verified the results. In 2025, the company hit 221 percent of its targeted water balancing volume, returning more treated water to the watershed than its operations consumed.

    Value Chain Pressures for Regional Brewers

    Breweries across Southeast Asia face tougher scrutiny from institutional investors and retail off-trade buyers over Scope 3 supply chain footprints. Malaysian beverage makers must balance high excise duties against the capital expenditure needed to electrify thermal brewing. Decarbonising industrial heat remains difficult. To cut upstream emissions, Heineken brought 40 tier-one suppliers into the UN Global Compact’s ESG Start programme, pushing compliance down to local packaging and logistics vendors that lack dedicated sustainability budgets.

    Competitors like Carlsberg Malaysia and Thai Beverage are deploying similar resource reduction programmes to protect operating margins against rising industrial water tariffs and volatile power costs. Packaging penalties loom for laggards. Grocery chains now demand certified recycled content and paperboard alternatives. The steepest financial risk sits in thermal energy replacement: replacing remaining fossil fuel boilers requires heavy capital that cannot be offset by rooftop solar alone.

    Tracking Circularity and Watershed Protection

    At the Sungei Way site, operational adjustments build on long-term capital investments. Heineken Malaysia has routed zero production waste to landfill since 2017. The site sends organic outputs like spent brewing grains into animal feed and agricultural upcycling streams. For packaging, the company switched secondary can wraps from shrink plastic to paperboard, cutting single-use plastic across retail channels.

    Community watershed investments run alongside the plant works. The SPARK Foundation, the brewer’s corporate responsibility arm, has spent more than RM16 million since 2007 on peatland restoration, rainwater harvesting installations and river rehabilitation projects around Selangor’s river basins.

    Managing Director Martijn van Keulen and his supply chain team are aligning the Petaling Jaya plant with the group’s Brew a Better World 2030 roadmap. That plan sets binding deadlines for net-zero carbon production and complete water circularity across all Asian operations.

  • Nearly 200 Coles Shareholders Urge Retailer to Act on Plastics

    Nearly 200 Coles Shareholders Urge Retailer to Act on Plastics

    Nearly 200 Coles shareholders urged the company to break its silence over plastic use in September 2026. The demand follows the supermarket chain’s decision to stop selling Antarctic krill oil supplements.

    Rival Woolworths followed suit days later, ending the sale of krill-derived products across its supermarkets.

    Supermarket Giants Drop Antarctic Krill Lines

    Coles confirmed the product exit after conservation group Sea Shepherd spotted several unavailable krill oil items on the grocer’s website. Woolworths then ended all krill supplement sales in its own stores.

    The simultaneous delisting strips high-margin marine dietary lines from both chains. Environmental groups have long scrutinised Antarctic krill harvesting for disrupting Southern Ocean food webs.

    Shareholders Target Packaging Policies

    Investors are now pressing Coles management to address packaging waste and match Woolworths’ commitments. The shareholder group wants firm disclosures on plastic volume metrics alongside specific reduction milestones.

    Coordinated pressure on both supermarket operators accelerates packaging redesign deadlines for regional brand and private-label suppliers. Those unable to cut secondary plastics or adopt circular materials face delisting risks.

    Sourcing Audits Across Australian Aisles

    The sudden krill exit shows how quickly activist campaigns alter Australian retail range planning. RetailNews Asia has tracked similar rapid category exits across fresh produce, seafood and packaging formats in recent trading periods.

    Coles faces its next test when investors look for binding packaging targets and plastic reduction timelines at the upcoming formal shareholder meeting.

  • Tetra Pak Names Michael Wu Managing Director for Oceania Operations

    Tetra Pak Names Michael Wu Managing Director for Oceania Operations

    Tetra Pak appointed Michael Wu as managing director of its Oceania business, taking charge of operations across Australia and New Zealand effective September 1.

    Wu brings 18 years of executive experience across the Swiss-Swedish packaging giant, stepping into the role after serving as market operations quality and sustainability director.

    Leadership Track Across Southeast Asian Markets

    Before his latest global role, Wu led Tetra Pak businesses across Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia. His appointment shifts an executive with deep Southeast Asian operating experience into the mature Oceania dairy, beverage and liquid food packaging market.

    Food manufacturers across Australia and New Zealand face tight regulatory mandates on packaging circularity and emissions reductions. Placing a former quality and sustainability lead in charge of Oceania reflects packaging producers aligning commercial leadership directly with compliance demands from major supermarket chains and brand owners.

    Shifting Packaging Demands in Oceania

    For beverage processors and dairy co-operatives in the region, processing and packaging machinery upgrades require heavy capital expenditure. Wu inherits client relationships across Australia and New Zealand where processors are balancing automation investments against shifting retail carton consumption.

    Competition from alternative barrier packaging and local carton converters adds pressure on supply agreements. Tetra Pak has relied on integrated equipment and service contracts across Australasia to protect its volume footprint against cheaper imported carton blanks and plastic formats.

    Regional Supply Chain Realities

    Wu oversaw rapid packaging volume growth across Southeast Asian beverage markets before his transition into global sustainability and operations quality management. That background gives him direct insight into regional raw material flows and converting plant efficiency.

    His immediate focus turns to commercial execution across key Oceania accounts as dairy and beverage brand owners finalise processing equipment budgets for the coming operating cycle.

  • Aptar Beauty Shifts Focus to India and Southeast Asia as Market Hits 4% Growth

    Aptar Beauty Shifts Focus to India and Southeast Asia as Market Hits 4% Growth

    Aptar Beauty is shifting its product development and manufacturing footprint toward India and Southeast Asia as global beauty demand stabilises at 4 per cent annual growth.

    The dispensing systems supplier developed its Nouvelle airless dispenser specifically in India to capture surging demand for premium skincare before exporting the design across the region. Aptar plans to roll out the Indian-made packaging line into Thailand and Indonesia, tapping markets where consumer adoption is rising alongside trading up to higher-end product formats.

    Localising production across India and Southeast Asia

    International beauty brands in China face softer sales while domestic players gain ground, prompting packaging suppliers to diversify their regional revenue base. To support Asian fragrance demand, Aptar took a stake in Chinese manufacturer Goldrain to produce perfume pumps tailored to local price points and design preferences.

    Regional production sites in India, Thailand, and China also insulate the company against trade barriers and US tariffs. Operating plants across seven countries allows the group to supply multinational brands locally rather than shipping components across borders.

    For retailers and beauty brands across the Asia-Pacific region, packaging suppliers are moving away from adapting Western designs for Asian shelves. Aptar, like competitors Berry and Silgan, is now engineering packaging in Asia for local climate conditions, viscous formulations, and regional cost targets before distributing those formats globally.

    Engineering pumps for new cosmetic formulas

    Formulation changes are forcing mechanical redesigns across beauty dispensers. Skincare brands are replacing silicones with short-chain alkanes, which cause standard polyolefin plastics to swell and jam pump mechanisms.

    Fragrance houses are also introducing water-based, alcohol-free sprays that standard pumps cannot atomise properly. Aptar developed customised dispensing hardware for formulations like Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Perle skincare fragrance, while engineering its GSA platform for high-viscosity creams and expanding refillable systems such as its Gaïa airless line used by Clarins.

    The supplier is now eliminating polyoxymethylene and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances across its catalogue ahead of the enforcement of the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.

  • Global Carton Tape Demand to Grow up to 6 Percent Annually Through 2035

    Global Carton Tape Demand to Grow up to 6 Percent Annually Through 2035

    Global demand for clear polypropylene carton tape will expand by 4 to 6 percent annually through 2035 as e-commerce fulfillment and regional trade drive carton sealing volumes across major markets. Online retail parcels now account for 35 to 45 percent of worldwide consumption, with China supplying approximately two-fifths of total volume through export channels.

    Coated biaxially oriented polypropylene film with acrylic or hot-melt adhesives remains the dominant sealing choice for corrugated cardboard boxes across automated warehouse systems. Retail platforms including Amazon and Alibaba have expanded individual parcel shipments, while product returns create recurring re-packaging cycles that reinforce baseline tape use.

    Feedstock Pressures and Production Shifts

    Manufacturing footprints are adjusting to feedstock availability. Output capacity is migrating toward Southeast Asia and the Middle East, where raw polypropylene film supplies are more accessible. Polypropylene feedstock represents 55 to 65 percent of total manufacturing expenses, leaving standard tape margins exposed to raw material price swings.

    Cross-border distribution also faces trade friction. Import tariffs on finished tape currently range from 5 to 15 percent depending on the jurisdiction and existing bilateral pacts. Standard commodity tape remains highly price-sensitive, prompting large fulfillment operators to switch suppliers frequently to protect packing margins.

    Private Label and Specialty Growth

    Large retailers and third-party logistics operators are turning to contract manufacturing to secure supply. Private-label formats now make up 20 to 30 percent of global volume, giving logistics groups tighter cost control over warehouse consumables.

    Specialty formats are outpacing standard stock. High-adhesion variants, reduced-plastic rolls with 15 to 25 percent thinner gauges, and low-noise unwind tapes are expanding at 7 to 10 percent annually. Foodservice and institutional packaging represent another 20 to 25 percent of demand, where strict food-contact compliance and low-odor formulations command higher pricing from delivery platforms and catering operators.

    Industrial packaging buyers are also testing paper and water-activated tape alternatives to meet corporate plastic reduction targets, though synthetic polypropylene films retain the cost advantage on automated packing lines. Market indicators project the global tape index to reach between 145 and 160 by 2035 against a 2025 baseline.