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Bag tax sinks, regulatory bills pass in Calif.
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (Sept. 5, 4:10 p.m. EDT) -- Legislators in California failed to pass a plastic bag tax in the recently completed legislative session, but they did pass two bills that are being applauded by the American Chemistry Council.

Essel Propak adds medical firm to fold
PLYMOUTH, MINN. (Sept. 5, 12:05 p.m. EDT) -- Global laminated-tube maker Essel Propak Ltd. has made its second purchase this year of a U.S. medical manufacturer: Medical Engineering & Design Inc. of Plymouth.

Rise in EPS foam recycling prompts expansion
CROFTON, MD. (Sept. 5, 11:10 a.m. EDT) -- A large increase in the amount of expanded polystyrene packaging recycled through a mail-back program has triggered the operators to expand the number of mail-back sites from one to 34.

Huhtamäki mulling future of underperforming unit
ESPOO, FINLAND (Sept. 5, 11:05 a.m. EST) -- Huhtamäki Oyj is reviewing alternatives for its rigid plastic consumer goods operations, the company announced Sept. 2. The division may be put up for sale, as it has not met the company’s criteria for financial performance.

Indian packaging firm plans plant in Mexico
ALTAMÍRA, MEXICO (Sept. 4, 6:10 p.m. EDT) -- India´s Uflex Ltd. is investing $108 million in a new polyester film plant in Altamíra. Uflex expects the first phase to be operational early in 2009, with initial production capacity of about 80 million pounds per year.

TricorBraun acquires Columbia Packaging
COQUITLAM, BRITISH COLUMBIA (Sept. 4, 10:30 a.m. EDT) -- Rigid packaging manufacturer and distributor TricorBraun recently bought Columbia Packaging LLC, a distributor of plastic and glass containers, and cardboard packaging.

Calif. fails to act on bag, bottle legislation
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (Sept. 2, 3:30 p.m. EDT) -- Without voting, the California legislature rejected over Labor Day weekend a proposed 25 cent fee on single-use paper and plastic carryout bags. State legislators also failed to pass a bill that would have extended bottle deposits to many plastic consumer containers, such as detergent bottles.

India´s Uflex building polyester film plant in Mexico
ALTAMIRA, MEXICO (Sept. 2, 3:05 p.m. EDT) -- Indian flexible packaging company Uflex Ltd. is investing $108 million in a new polyester film manufacturing plant in Mexico. Pradeep Tyle, chief executive officer of the company’s film division, said the plant will be located in the petrochemicals port of Altamira, and the company expects the first phase to be operational early in 2009.

Seattle citizens to vote on bag tax
SEATTLE (Aug. 29, 11:55 a.m. EDT) -- Residents of Seattle will have an opportunity to reverse a 20 cent tax on disposable, single-use carryout bags that the city council enacted one month ago. Meanwhile, a coalition has filed a lawsuit to overturn a recently passed plastic bag ban in Manhattan Beach, Calif., and two counties in Hawaii have pending bag bans.

Graham Packaging plant to double in size
ALTAVISTA, VA. (Aug. 28, 5 p.m. EDT) -- Graham Packaging Holdings Co. will invest $12 million to expand a blow molding facility in Altavista, adding 10-12 new jobs to its 31-person workforce.

California votes to limit use of PFOA
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (Aug. 28, 4:50 p.m. EDT) -- The California Assembly reversed itself Aug. 27, approving the nation’s first ban on the use of perfluorinated compounds in food packaging.

Schütz may start operation in Indiana
PLAINFIELD, IND. (Aug. 27, 2 p.m. EDT) -- International plastics and metal fabricator Schütz GmbH & Co. KGaA plans to make plastic shipping containers and recycle used containers in Plainfield, a local newspaper reported.

Plastic bills resurface in Calif. legislature
SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (Aug. 26, 3:45 p.m. EDT) — With less than a week left in its legislative session, the once-defeated plastic bag tax in California has resurfaced as a Bag Pollution Cleanup Fee. In addition, several amendments have boosted the chances for a new expanded bottle bill, and there could be votes on two other previously defeated measures -- bans on perfluorinated compounds in food packaging and on bisphenol A in baby bottles.

Florida firm buys Source Bio Plastics
MASSENA, N.Y. (Aug. 26, 1:35 p.m. EDT) -- Sarasota, Fla.-based International Consolidated Cos. plans to acquire the assets of Source Bio Plastics Inc. INCC will produce soy- and wood-based resin products containing nanoparticles. Products will include compact disc and DVD cases.

Primo, groups form alliance to recycle PLA
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Aug. 22, 4:10 p.m. EDT) -- Primo Water Corp. is leading a new consortium to develop bioplastics recycling. Primo, which bottles water in polylactic acid containers, is joined by 19 organizations in the Bioplastics Recycling Consortium.

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