ALPLA, Austria; Britvic plc, UK; Danone S.A., France; Unilever, London; REMONDIS Recycling GmbH & Co.KG, Germany; and BP, London, joined forces to utilize BP’s enhanced recycling technology to create a new cross-industry consortium to develop a global circular economy for plastics.

BP, London, developed what it described as an enhanced recycling technology called BP Infinia, which enables currently unrecyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) to be transformed back into new, virgin-quality feedstocks.

Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh, Pa., launched a strategic sustainability platform focused on achieving significant milestones related to plastics, waste, carbon emissions, more sustainable products and team member engagement.

The global flexible plastic packaging market is projected to generate revenues of $172.29 million from 2018-2023 with a steady CAGR of 3.2% during this period, according to a study shared by Frost & Sullivan, San Antonio, Texas.

The Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), Canada, released “A landscape review of plastics in the Canadian fresh produce sector,” a technical report developed by Value Chain Management International (VCMI), Canada, to address plastic packaging in the produce industry.

Greenpeace USA, Washington, D.C., released a report that walks readers through “The Smart Supermarket,” a hypothetical store that moved beyond single-use plastics and packaging.

The cook-in-bag method is quickly permeating retail outlets. The high temperature-resistant film combined with practicality and convenience are key drivers in the growth of the cook-in-bag market, according a study produced by Fact.MR, Rockville, Md.

The size of the U.S. plastics industry expanded in 2018, accounting for 993,000 jobs and $451.3 billion worth of shipments. In the same year, it maintained a trade surplus of $500 million, as consumption of plastics products continued to grow in the United States, according to two reports released by the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), Washington, D.C.

The Foodservice Packaging Institute, Falls Church, Va., released the 11th annual Trends Report, which reveals that industry opinions are largely focused on sustainable packaging and customization of products to meet consumer demand.