The individuals who serve on the technical committee of the Sterilization Packaging Manufacturers Council have contributed thousands of hours over its 28-year history to the development of industry guidance documents, standard test methods, FAQs, and most recently, white papers.
Read MoreDepartments
Important Work for and in the Industry
Advocacy, volunteerism, and sustainability efforts are all showcased in this section. You’ll also find letters from FPA’s president, who offers her valuable perspective on those topics and more.
Students Prepare for Tech Careers
March/April 2023
We talk to Charles Christensen, an instructor at Northwood Technical College in Wisconsin, about the college’s Automated Packaging Systems Technician program.
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A Closer Look at Amy E. Moore
Vice President, Polyethylene Division, Westlake Corp.
March/April 2023
In this issue, we interview Amy E. Moore, vice president of Westlake Corp.’s polyethylene division.
Read MoreFPA Welcomes New Congress Members
But Old Issues Like Aluminum, Circularity, and Trade Remain
Jan/Feb 2023
New year, new Congress, and it’s quite a different group after the elections. With our aluminum foil advocacy, the Flexible Packaging Association is a newly minted federal lobbyist organization with yours truly now duly registered. And we will make the most of it as the work continues on the trade front and circularity issues.
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Leveraging Marking and Coding Technology for Sustainability
Jan/Feb 2023
One important way manufacturers and retailers can improve the sustainability of their products is through investment in greener packaging options. Most will be aware of the potential cost benefits and reduced environmental impact of switching to recyclable materials, but fewer have considered the role improved marking and coding solutions can play in enhancing efficiency and sustainability across supply chains.
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New Congress, Biden Second Term Kick Off 2023
Jan/Feb 2023
With the midterm elections behind us, 2023 kicks off the 118th Congress and marks the second half of President Joe Biden’s first term. As the past several years have taught us, we know we need to expect the unexpected.
Read More2023 Activity in States Picks up Where 2021, 2022 Left off
Jan/Feb 2023
The years 2021 and 2022 were unprecedented with groundbreaking new laws in the packaging sector. Four states adopted new extended producer responsibility laws, two states adopted new recycled content mandates for various types of packaging, and California adopted a first-in-the-nation recycling labeling law. The year 2023 will also likely prove to be significant and precedent setting for packaging policy.
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‘Let’s Talk Flexible Packaging’
ELC Initiative Seeks to Reach Educators, Others
Jan/Feb 2023
In the past few months, the education committee of the Emerging Leadership Council has made significant progress in its efforts to develop resources to empower Flexible Packaging Association member companies to effectively educate families and communities about the benefits of flexible packaging.
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SPMC® Committee Tracks Industry and Regulatory Issues
Jan/Feb 2023
The Sterile Packaging Manufacturers Council has a newly formed sustainability/regulatory committee monitoring a self-initiated case by the U.S. Department of Commerce involving imports of aluminum foil from China that are finished in South Korea and Malaysia.
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Iowa State Graduate Program Focuses on Solutions
Jan/Feb 2023
We talk to Keith Vorst, director of the Polymer and Food Protection Consortium at Iowa State University. The consortium is funded by private companies. Vorst received grant funding from federal agencies, as well.
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A Closer Look at Adrianne Tipton
Chief Technology Officer, Novolex
Jan/Feb 2023
In this issue, we interview Adrianne Tipton, chief technology officer at Novolex. She also is co-chair of the Emerging Leadership Council of the Flexible Packing Association.
Read MoreAluminum Trade Policies Must Change
Nov/Dec 2022
Deja vu. Shortly after I started with the Flexible Packaging Association in 2016, I had my first real test. While advocacy has always been my passion, I was still learning the industry, as well as my CEO role, and had never worked on a trade issue. When the International Trade Commission received a petition to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Chinese aluminum foil, we were off and running.
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Flexo Evolution Supports Sustainable Progress in Packaging
Nov/Dec 2022
The pivotal point of all packaging industry innovation is sustainability. All stakeholders across the entire packaging supply chain understand the only way to future-proof our industry is to embrace integrating responsibility at every stage.
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Here Is a Look at Potential Impacts of the Elections
Nov/Dec 2022
Election Day on November 8 has been a date circled on the calendar for what feels like forever. From the first day of the 117th Congress on January 3, 2021, it seemed the race for the midterm elections had kicked off. Democrats focused their messaging on how to hold majority control of Congress and Republicans on how to regain leadership control. And now, here we are, with the elections upon us and at the time for assessing the impact of and planning for the next Congress.
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2022 Wraps Up With California Passing EPR for Packaging
Nov/Dec 2022
The year 2022 was significant and precedent-setting for the flexible packaging industry, with the addition of new state laws that will govern how packaging is made and managed at the end of life. Numerous states debated packaging issues, with two passing and signing extended producer responsibility bills for packaging. Many more states are addressing issues like recycled content mandates, labeling, and toxic chemicals in packaging.
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ELC Promotes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives
New Committee Will Work With FPA Member Companies
Nov/Dec 2022
The Emerging Leadership Council continues to focus on supporting Flexible Packaging Association member companies and the flexible packaging industry. We are thrilled to announce the formation of a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee to foster, promote, and engage in a culture of diversity and inclusion within the industry.
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SPMC® Gets the Word Out About Its Mission
Council Committed to Next Generation Medical Device Packaging Professionals
Nov/Dec 2022
Sterilization packaging is a complex segment of the flexible packaging industry that is highly regulated and requires specific technical expertise. Since its founding, the Sterilization Packaging Manufacturers Council has been a trusted source of technical information and guidance for packaging professionals and engineers.
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Clemson University Dedicates Program to Flexible Packaging
Nov/Dec 2022
We talk to Robert M. Kimmel, Sc.D, an associate professor at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina. Kimmel also is director of the packaging science program and director of the Center for Flexible Packaging in the university’s department of food nutrition and packaging sciences.
Read MoreAdvanced Recycling Works—We Just Need to Ramp it Up
Sept/Oct 2022
Recycling does work—but our U.S. recycling infrastructure is decades old; markets have been severely limited by relying on exports for too long; and it doesn’t provide circularity for much of today’s packaging types, including flexible packaging.
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Cooperation Needed Along Value Chain to Achieve Sustainable Flexible Packaging
A Circular Economy Requires a Holistic Approach
Sept/Oct 2022
The flexible packaging industry is seen as a source of single-use plastic and a landfill mainstay, causing flexible packaging’s sustainability benefits to be often overshadowed by public perception. This is why it should be the industry’s top priority to not only talk about sustainability—but also to live it.
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