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Collaborative Solutions for Sustainable Packaging: Insights from AMERIPEN Testimony

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Collaborative Solutions for Sustainable Packaging: Insights from AMERIPEN Testimony

AMERIPEN, the American Institute for Packaging and the Environment, took center stage at a recent U.S. Senate Committee hearing, advocating for effective Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies regarding consumer packaging. Dan Felton, Executive Director of AMERIPEN, emphasized the pivotal role packaging plays across its lifecycle and underscored the urgency of diverting packaging waste from landfills and waterways towards recycling and reuse.

Felton emphasized AMERIPEN’s commitment to supporting public policies that foster sustainable packaging practices. However, he stressed the importance of ensuring that such policies are results-oriented, efficient, and fair to all stakeholders. While acknowledging the progress made by states with EPR laws, Felton highlighted the need for consistency across states to enhance efficiency and support brand owners, who bear the primary responsibility for funding these programs.

Recognizing the evolving landscape of packaging EPR legislation, Felton proposed deeper discussions on achieving uniformity and exploring potential federal-level interventions to streamline regulations. AMERIPEN expressed willingness to collaborate with federal policymakers and stakeholders to develop a cohesive framework for packaging EPR at the national level.

Felton also shared insights on key elements that any federal packaging EPR program should encompass, emphasizing the importance of preserving existing infrastructure while promoting innovation in recycling and recovery processes.

In conclusion, Felton’s testimony underscored the necessity of collaborative efforts among stakeholders to implement effective, sustainable solutions for packaging recovery and recycling in the United States.

For more information on AMERIPEN’s advocacy and initiatives, visit ameripen.org.

mckinley packaging

McKinley Packaging Chooses Texas: Lancaster Plant Expansion Underway

McKinley Packaging, a sustainably operated paper and packaging company, announced the addition of its seventh packaging plant. The 500,000 square-foot rail-served building in Lancaster, Texas will create 100 jobs in total when running at full capacity across three shifts, Monday through Friday.

“We started looking at properties back in July 2020 and decided, as a company, that Lancaster is a market we want to grow in,” explains Anthony Garcia, Vice President of Operations at McKinley Packaging.

The Lancaster expansion marks another significant milestone for the Bio Pappel subsidiary. Known as the largest manufacturer of paper and corrugated materials in Latin America, Bio Pappel launched expansion efforts in the United States seven years ago. Since then, McKinley Packaging has represented the company’s strategic growth success with its now seven plants, two paper mills, and five recycling centers across the U.S. markets.

Efforts to locate the ideal market for McKinley’s seventh packaging plant were spearheaded by Global Site Location Industries (GSLI), a Dallas-based site selection consultant and economic development marketing agency.

“GSLI’s process provided us with the opportunity to truly evaluate multiple markets that had the potential to support our company strategies, helping us identify the right location first,” Garcia adds. “In addition, GSLI was very valuable in helping us review incentive packages and navigating the negotiation process. The team providing insight on how different incentives compared across different communities as we determined location.”

Driven by its emphasis on sustainable operations and recycled materials, McKinley Packaging continues to aim for zero-discharge water operations upon reaching capacity. This is one example of how McKinley Packaging continues the “green” legacy of the company’s history.

“Mckinley Packaging has been great to assist in the finalization of their site and incentives,” adds Eric Kleinsorge, GSLI’s CEO and Chairman. “Lancaster wasn’t a “first-thought” choice, but after conducting our Road Show Tour and analysis they were definitely the right choice. Shane Shepard and his Lancaster Team were excellent and responsive when working with the city. This made a big impact for McKinley. We look forward to working with them on future expansions and are excited about the breaking ground of this new facility!”

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About McKinley Packaging

McKinley Packaging is a world-class integrated paper and packaging company that is GREEN.

We operate two state-of-the-art businesses in the United States: Our first division is McKinley Paper, which has two paper-producing facilities in New Mexico and Washington. Our second division is McKinley Packaging, with facilities in California, Georgia, Indiana, and Baja California, Mexico.  McKinley Company is part of Bio Pappel which is the largest manufacturer of paper and paper products in Mexico and Latin America.

About Global Site Location Industries, GSLI

Global Site Location Industries, LLC (formerly known as the World Economic Development Alliance) is a site location firm founded in 1994. GSLI has helped over 1,200 companies identify economic development professionals that could assist them with their site location decisions. We have over 75 site location expert offices nationwide. We use Project Qualification Team to conduct our initial interviews with companies to identify the viability of a project. The balance of our staff is customer service, project managers, production, web designers, and finance.

For More information visit www.gslisolutions.com or contact info@gslisolutions.com