Ban on Polystyrene: It is reported that some cities in Malaysia have banned the use of polystyrene clamshell food containers and plates. In Penang, the Return 2 Green Company, manufactures clamshell food containers using bagasse (sugarcane fiber), which they say, will biodegrade in 180 days in composting.

Inventia: Inventia, in Sweden, has produced molded pulp items using a thermal/pressure process using only cellulose pulp and water. The molded samples have very high stiffness and better moisture resistance. Pulp purity does not seem to be very important, and it was found that sulphite pulp produced twice the rigidity as sulphate pulp.  More work is underway to develop the process aimed at larger scale capabilities.

IMFA: The International Molded Fiber Association is proud of its positive impact on our environment by way of IMFA's members providing renewable packaging products and services to customers worldwide. As a not-for-profit group, exclusively promoting the use of natural and recycled fibers, many of IMFA's members foster sustainability by molding waste newspaper and corrugated paperboard into useful packaging for hundreds of types of products.

Low CO2 emissions with Molded Fiber Packaging: A study involving CO2 emission testing of two package designs for a video camera indicated that the camera package using molded pulp protective packaging, made with recycled paper material, produces 34 % less CO2 emission than an alternative expanded polystyrene design. The evaluation included transportation of raw materials and production. Ref: TAPPI Journal-Japan Code: G0115A.

New IMFA Board of Advisor: CKF, Inc. CEO, Mr. Ian Anderson, has been appointed as a member of the Board of Advisors for the International Molded Fiber Association (IMFA). CKF, Inc. is a major manufacturer of renewable molded fiber packaging products used in protecting food items during handling and shipment. IMFA is proud to have Mr. Anderson on the Board of Advisors and looks forward to his advice and guidance for the molded fiber packaging industry.