Latest news with #foam
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Stora Enso and Novapor to launch pilot for cellulose foam packaging
Stora Enso has teamed up with German company Novapor for a pilot project using Papira, a cellulose-based foam packaging material. The initiative seeks to replace traditional foams with a wood fibre-based alternative that maintains protective qualities while reducing carbon emissions. Stora Enso Biofoams business development director Juulia Kuhlman said: 'Collaborating with Novapor is a natural fit for us. 50 years of experience in developing innovative packaging, they consistently go the extra mile to solve their clients' challenges. 'This curiosity and drive have been key to the success of our pilot project. The rules and regulations on waste management are strict, but they will be even stricter come 2030. Providing the market with a foam that can be recycled in your regular paper and cardboard stream is a really important benefit.' Novapor, which focuses on water jet cutting technology, adjusted its processes to handle paper-based foam to meet client requirements. Its Danish branch, Novapor Nordic, works to deliver packaging solutions to support customers' environmental objectives. Novapor is identifying clients where Papira suits both practical and branding purposes. One pilot project is Københavns Møbelsnedkeri, which needed eco-friendly packaging for its high-end bathroom mirrors, previously cushioned with polyethylene foam. The company sought a recyclable, wood fibre-based single-material solution compatible with paper and board recycling systems. The collaboration between Stora Enso and Novapor Nordic started two years ago, with both teams refining the Papira conversion process over this time. Through consistent testing and aligned environmental goals, the partnership has developed a viable packaging solution, advancing the use of wood-based foams in the sector. Novapor Nordic head Thomas Søgaard said: 'Transitioning to wood fibre-based solutions is an important next step in packaging and monomaterial packaging made entirely of cardboard and paper, rather than plastic combinations, is highly relevant for our client.' In April this year, Stora Enso launched Performa Nova, a folding boxboard solution for consumer packaging. "Stora Enso and Novapor to launch pilot for cellulose foam packaging" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amid state inaction, California chef sues to block sales of foam food containers
Fed up with the state's refusal to enforce a law banning the sale of polystyrene foam cups, plates and bowls, a San Diego County resident has taken matters into his own hands. Jeffrey Heavey, a chef and owner of Convivial Catering, a San Diego-area catering service, is suing WinCup, an Atlanta-based foam foodware product manufacturing company, claiming that it continues to sell, distribute and market foam products in California despite a state law that was supposed to ban such sales starting Jan. 1. He is suing on behalf of himself, not his business. The suit, filed in the San Diego County Superior Court in March, seeks class action status on behalf of all Californians. Heavey's attorney, William Sullivan of the Sullivan & Yaeckel Law Group, said his client is seeking an injunction to stop WinCup from selling these banned products in California and to remove the products' "chasing arrows" recycling label, which Heavey and his attorney describe as false and deceptive advertising. They are also seeking damages for every California-based customer who paid the company for these products in the last three years, and $5,000 to every senior citizen or "disabled" person who may have purchased the products during this time period. WinCup didn't respond to requests for comments, but in a court filing described the allegations as vague, unspecific and without merit, according to the company's attorney, Nathan Dooley. At issue is a California ban on the environmentally destructive plastic material, which went into effect on Jan. 1, as well as the definition of "recyclable" and the use of such a label on products sold in the state. Senate Bill 54, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, targeted single-use plastic in the state's waste stream. The law included a provision that banned the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene food service ware — such as foam cups, plates and takeout containers — on Jan. 1, unless producers could show they had achieved a 25% recycling rate. "I'm glad a person in my district has taken this up and is holding these companies accountable," said Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas). "But CalRecycle is the enforcement authority for this legislation, and they should be the ones doing this." The intent of the law was to put the financial onus of responsible waste management onto the producers of these products, and away from California's taxpayers and cities that would otherwise have to dispose of these products or deal with their waste on beaches, in rivers and on roadways. Expanded polystyrene is a particularly pernicious form of plastic pollution that does not biodegrade, has a tendency to break down into microplastics, leaches toxic chemicals and persists in the environment. There are no expanded polystyrene recycling plants in California, and recycling rates nationally for the material hover around 1%. However, despite CalRecycle's delayed announcement of the ban, companies such as WinCup not only continue to sell these banned products in California, but Heavey and his lawyers allege the products are deceptively labeled as "recyclable." In his suit, Heavey includes a March 15 receipt from a Smart & Final store in the San Diego County town of National City, indicating a purchase of "WinCup 16 oz. Foam" cups. Similar polystyrene foam products could be seen on the shelves this week at a Redwood City Smart & Final, including a 1,000-count box of 12-ounce WinCup foam cups selling for $36.99. Across the aisle, the shelves were packed with bags of Simply Value and First Street (both Smart & Final brands) foam plates and bowls. There were "chasing arrow" recycling labels on the boxes containing cup lids. The symbol included a No. 6 in the center, indicating the material is polystyrene. There were none on the cardboard boxes containing cups, and it couldn't be determined if the individual foam products were tagged with recycling labels. They were either obstructed from view inside cardboard boxes or stacked in bags which obscured observation. Smart & Final, which is owned by Chedraui USA, a subsidiary of Mexico City-based Grupo Comercial Chedraui, didn't respond to requests for comment. Heavey's suit alleges the plastic product manufacturer is "greenwashing" its products by labeling them as recyclable and in so doing, trying to skirt the law. According to the suit, recycling claims are widely disseminated on products and via other written publications. The company's website includes an "Environmental" tab, which includes a page entitled: "Foam versus Paper Disposable Cups: A closer look." The page includes a one-sentence argument highlighting the environmental superiority of foam over paper, noting that "foam products have a reputation for environmental harm, but if we examine the scientific research, in many ways Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam is greener than paper." Heavey's suit claims that he believed he was purchasing recyclable materials based on the products' labeling, and he would not have bought the items had they not been advertised as such. WinCup, which is owned by Atar Capital, a Los Angeles-based global private investment firm sought to have the case moved to the U.S. District Court in San Diego, but a judge there remanded the case back to the San Diego Superior Court or jurisdiction grounds. Susan Keefe, the Southern California Director of Beyond Plastics, an anti-plastic environmental group based in Bennington, Vt., said that as of June, the agency had not yet enforced the ban, despite news stories and evidence that the product was still being sold in the state. "It's really frustrating. CalRecycle's disregard for enforcement just permits a lack of respect for our laws. It results in these violators who think they can freely pollute in our state with no trepidation that California will exercise its right to penalize them," she said. Melanie Turner, a spokesoman for CalRecycle, said in a statement that expanded polystyrene producers "should no longer be selling or distributing expanded polystyrene food service ware to California businesses." "CalRecycle has been identifying and notifying businesses that may be impacted by SB 54, including expanded polystyrene requirements, and communicating their responsibilities with mailed notices, emailed announcements, public meetings, and workshops," she said. The waste agency "is prioritizing compliance assistance for producers regulated by this law, prior to potential enforcement action," she said. Keefe filed a public records request with the agency regarding communications with companies selling the banned material and said she found the agency had not made any attempts to warn or stop the violators from selling banned products. Blakespear said it's concerning the law has been in effect for more than six months and CalRecycle has yet to clamp down on violators. Enforcement is critical, she said, for setting the tone as SB 54 is implemented. According to Senate Bill 54, companies that produce banned products that are then sold in California can be fined up to $50,000 per day, per violation. According to a report issued by the waste agency last week, approximately 47,000 tons of expanded polystyrene foam was disposed in California landfills last year. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
CBS News
19-05-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Michigan officials warn against touching foam on lakes, rivers
The foam people can find on shorelines in Michigan doesn't just smell a little gross; state officials say it's dangerous to touch and accidentally consume. Officials say a combination of water movement, pollution, or natural contaminants causes foam to form. The foam developing at Thompson Lake in Livingston County is similar to what you'll find in lakes and streams across the state. "Just when water is churned up, foam can occur, and it can be a bright white foam. It can be an off white or brown color," said Andrea Keatley, a manager in environmental assessment with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Keatley said MDHHS is trying to get the word out as more people go to the water as the weather warms. "We want to make sure that people are avoiding that contact of that foam and really important to have them to wash it off if they do come in contact with it, just to reduce their exposure to what could be in that foam," said Keatley. She said the foam can have bacteria and pollutants like forever chemicals, also called PFAS. "We're really concerned about people that it accidentally get it into their mouth and swallowing it," said Keatley. She told CBS News Detroit that the foam on the shoreline doesn't mean you must avoid the water altogether. Instead, ensure you rinse off after being in lake or river water. "Clear water is good to rinse off," she said. The same goes for pups. They shouldn't be allowed to eat the foam; if they go into the lake water, they need a bath with fresh water when they get home. "Break down the dirt and the stuff that could be trapped in the fur or on your skin is always really good practice," Keatley said.
