Packaging and food businesses are making big donations to bushfire relief, with Visy’s Anthony Pratt; Tetra Laval; Foodmach; Coca-Cola Amatil; and supermarkets Coles and Woolworths among those supporting the cause.

Four entries from Australia and New Zealand have been named finalists in special categories at the WorldStar awards for 2020.

Health and the environment are converging as top concerns for consumers, with almost 60 per cent of consumers believing their health and well-being are strongly affected by environmental problems, according to a new study from Tetra Pak.

The Australian Institute of Packaging has had another successful year of its annual Foodbank Hamper Packing Day, packing 10,000 hampers for those in need and raising a million dollars in donations and funds.

Marian O'Leary of Melbourne-based packaging company RollsPack has been named Young Achiever 2019 at the Mebourne Business Awards – South East Region.

The 2020 WorldStar Packaging Awards winners have been announced, with eleven Australian and New Zealand companies to be recognised for packaging innovation across six categories at a gala ceremony during interpack 2020.

The November/December issue of PKN is out now, featuring a look back at the highlights of 2019 and including our exclusive Machinery Matters supplement.

Spicers is buying rival merchant Direct Paper as part of its strategy to move into new areas, with the deal giving it an increased presence in packaging papers and boards.

PKN stablemate magazine Food & Drink Business has released its Top 100 Food & Drink Companies report for 2019. In collaboration with market research firm IBISWorld, the report offers a scorecard ranking by revenue of Australia's heaviest hitters in food and beverage.

Health and wellness products have featured heavily in the annual Product of the Year Awards. From the 35 categories, 13 fell within the health category as either snacks, foods, digestive and gut health, supplements and oral care.

Intermediate bulk container and PE drum specialist Schütz Australia is investing in technology and facilities to better service the Australian market. Its newest plant, and 55th global site, officially opened in Yatala last week. PKN was there.

Digital print solutions developer Durst has opened a new direct subsidiary to serve Australia, New Zealand, and the Oceania region with its wide format, labels, packaging and textile inkjet systems.

National Recycling Week has seen industry join with Planet Ark to promote recycling, including TerraCycle, which launched more than 100 new zero-waste solutions in Australia.

Federal and state environment ministers have developed a new National Waste Policy Action Plan, and aim to ban exports of waste by 2022, in moves applauded by APCO.

Oji Fibre Solutions will invest around $100m towards a new automated cardboard box plant development in Christchurch, which will replace its existing operation.

Digital flexible packaging operation ePac is investing some US$100m with HP for a new fleet of 24 HP Indigo 20000 digital presses.