Gary Smith, CEO of BioPak, has been named the winner of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 Australia, announced at an awards ceremony in Sydney on 20 March.

Chep Australia says it is making strides towards the way it attracts, develops, and retains women in operations as it aims to reshape and remove barriers to gender equality within the supply chain.

Raphael Geminder’s protracted bid to take full control of Pact, and delist it from the ASX, has taken another twist, as his opponents have won an interim blocking order on any further share purchases.

Ron Delia, CEO of Amcor, the world’s biggest consumer packaging business, will step down as CEO next month, and depart the company completely in September.

Fibre King has acquired Paksmart, creating a strategic alliance that integrates cartoning solutions with machinery manufacturing, creating a one-stop-shop for end-of-line packaging.

Packaging and processing people from around the country, and the globe, celebrated innovation at the APPMA awards last night in an atmosphere of optimism as the industry looks to a bright future. The awards were held midway through the sector's biggest ever exhibition, APPEX, which along with a dazzling array of technology, has shown how purpose, focused minds, and collaboration, can enable packaging and processing to rise to the challenges it faces.

As industry figure Mark Dingley prepares to step down from his position as chair of APPMA in May, after serving 22 years on the APPMA Board, his contribution and legacy is acknowledged and applauded by colleagues and peers.

Arnott’s, Paco and UNSW will collaborate on a research program to progress technologies in recycling, bioplastics and carbon capture, addressing plastic packaging challenges facing the food and beverage industry.

The day has finally come. APPEX is here. After two years of build-up, the vision of show owner APPMA has been realised, to create an all-of-industry event of a size and scale not seen before. And so it has. Exhibitors numbering 440-plus have filled all 20 bays of the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, and visitors thronged at the entrance as the official ribbon was cut by the APPMA Board.

Federal and Victorian state government grants to the the value of $3.4m have been awarded to six new recycling projects, which will see around 9,600 tonnes of material diverted from Vic landfills every year.

A speculative article in the mainstream media alluding to the possible closure of Qenos resin production facilities – which Qenos has not confirmed – has raised concerns over the impact this could have on Australia’s plastics circularity ambitions. PKN invited comment from industry experts, stakeholders, and government.

The Maryvale Energy from Waste project, developed by Opal, Veolia and Masdar Tribe Australia and others, has secured the first EfW licence from Recycling Victoria under the Waste to Energy Scheme.

Raphael Geminder’s bid to take 100 per cent control of Pact Group and delist it from the ASX is struggling to get over the line, so the deadline to accept his share offer has been extended again.

Metcash and 7-Eleven have both joined the Australian Food & Grocery Council’s (AFGC) industry collaborative to recycle soft plastics, making them the first retailers to support the initiative.

Revenues were down by more than 13 per cent in both Flexibles and Speciality Packaging at Pro-Pac for the half year to December 31, in what the company said was a volatile and challenging market.

Visy is launching an Australian-made retail paper bag today, made from thicker paper containing recycled content. The new bags are recyclable through Australian kerbside recycle bins.