PKN Packaging News

Orora has unveiled a new lightweight Riesling bottle that reduces glass weight by 21 per cent while maintaining the familiar profile and performance expected by Australian wine producers. Weighing 410g, the new bottle replaces the company's existing 518g AG014 Riesling bottle and, according to Orora, is the lightest locally manufactured Riesling bottle currently available in Australia. It will be available from July in Antique Green.

As Australian family-owned equipment supplier Wedderburn marks 130 years in business, executive chairman Philip Wedderburn shares his perspective with PKN on how food manufacturing and packaging have evolved – and the areas he believes will drive the industry's next gains. Few companies have witnessed the transformation of Australia's food manufacturing sector as closely as Wedderburn.

The Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP) hosted a State of Industry webinar on 9 July, where Lina Wimmer, senior consultant at Circular Analytics, and Manfred Tucker, managing director at Circular Analytics, outlined new European Union packaging compliance requirements under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

At ABB's Robotics Value Provider Conference in Vietnam earlier this year, Applied Robotics received the SOMA Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to one company each year across ABB's South Africa, Oceania, Middle East and Asia region. This recognition from ABB, arriving in Applied Robotics' 40th year, reflects the depth of the partnership's achievements. I caught up with Dr Paul Wong, the founder and technical director of Applied Robotics to discuss our long association.

Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing industry is converging on Melbourne this July for foodpro 2026, the country’s leading trade event for processing, packaging and innovation. From 26-29 July, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, foodpro 2026 returns 20 per cent larger than its 2023 edition, with 400+ exhibitors, more than 9000 expected attendees and a program that stretches well beyond the show floor.

NSW councils can apply for the latest round of the Return and Earn bin baskets program, which aims to increase the collection of eligible drink containers from public spaces and reduce the number sent to landfill. More than 1200 baskets and nearly 60 drink container cradles were distributed to 31 NSW councils earlier this year, with initial data showing an average 69 per cent reduction in drink containers placed into public place bins after installation.

Amcor is expanding its flexible packaging solutions facility in Dongguan, China, with a new 7000-square-metre manufacturing facility and automated warehouse. The expansion will increase the site’s production capacity and expand Amcor’s existing Dongguan campus to more than 38,000 square metres. Construction is expected to be completed by July 2027.

Superior Pump Technologies is promoting the Waukesha Cherry-Burrell Universal 2 ND Series positive displacement pumps, which are designed for clean-in-place (CIP) applications and are available with an optional flat body profile and free-draining vertical ports. The pumps are rated for pressures up to 500psi (34.5bar), temperatures up to 149°C, and are available in 14 sizes from 1in to 6in. They come standard with 150lb flanges and a 316L stainless steel body and cover.

At ABB's Robotics Value Provider Conference in Vietnam earlier this year, Applied Robotics received the SOMA Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to one company each year across ABB's South Africa, Oceania, Middle East and Asia region. This recognition from ABB, arriving in Applied Robotics' 40th year, reflects the depth of the partnership's achievements. I caught up with Dr Paul Wong, the founder and technical director of Applied Robotics to discuss our long association.

Jet Technologies has lined up an exclusive partnership with leading coffee processing specialist Neuhaus Neotec, expanding its offering to coffee producers across Australia and New Zealand.