Paper, Nonwoven and Film News for June 21, 2026

International Paper said construction on a new sustainable packaging facility in Mississippi is scheduled to begin in June 2026, with production expected in the fourth quarter of 2027. The project is designed to support long-term growth in packaging segments while improving operational reliability.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: New packaging plants create downstream demand for reliable sheet, roll and web-handling equipment that can protect throughput as box and paper-packaging volumes grow.

Source: Papnews on International Paper's Mississippi packaging plant

BW Papersystems invited converters and operators to a June 3 live demonstration of its Hawk Sheeter, positioning the machine around precision, reliability and efficiency for modern production environments. The item is not a capacity announcement, but it is a current signal of where paper converting suppliers are focusing sales attention.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Sheeting, slitting and rewinding decisions share the same buyer concern: stable web control, repeatable cut quality and predictable uptime.

Source: BW Papersystems on the Hawk Sheeter live demo

The Tulsa Regional Chamber said Sofidel will construct a new building at Port of Inola for a 75,000 tons-per-year Valmet TAD tissue machine and matching converting lines, plus expanded pulp and parent-reel warehousing and a 100,000-pallet automated finished-goods warehouse.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: The project shows tissue investments being specified as full production systems, where converting, reel storage and internal logistics are planned with the paper machine.

Source: Tulsa Regional Chamber on Sofidel's Inola expansion

Metsa Group inaugurated the expanded Mariestad tissue mill in Sweden after adding a new tissue machine and three converting lines for rolled and folded products. The investment lifts annual capacity to 145,000 tonnes and strengthens local Scandinavian tissue supply.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Integrated tissue sites set higher expectations for parent-roll flow, line balancing, rewinder performance and automated movement between making and converting.

Source: Metsa Group on the Mariestad tissue mill inauguration

The Navigator Company approved about EUR 115 million for a new tissue paper machine at Aveiro with 70,000 tonnes of annual capacity. Navigator said the output is intended to support its UK operation, where converting capacity is already around 130,000 tonnes per year without local reel production.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Converting capacity is only useful when parent-roll supply is secure, so reel availability should be part of every equipment-investment calculation.

Source: Navigator press release on the Aveiro tissue machine investment

ANDRITZ said Turkish yarn manufacturer Goliplik is preparing to enter the nonwovens market with a complete neXline Wetlace line for bio-based, flushable wipes. Erection and commissioning are planned to start in the last quarter of 2026, with operator training in France and on site.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: New flushable roll-goods suppliers increase demand for converting equipment that can manage pulp-rich webs without stretch, edge damage or unstable rewinds.

Source: ANDRITZ on Goliplik's Wetlace project progress

Dalian Ruiguang awarded ANDRITZ an order for another Wetlace line to produce premium roll goods for eco-friendly flushable wipes. ANDRITZ said the new line will expand total annual capacity to 40,000 tonnes and is designed to meet IWSFG and JIS flushability standards.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Flushable wipe substrates are less forgiving than standard wipes, so stable tension, clean slitting and controlled rewind density become purchase-critical.

Source: ANDRITZ on Dalian Ruiguang's additional Wetlace line

Kruger Nonwovens ordered a complete Wetlace hybrid line from ANDRITZ for Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, to make plastic-free and chemical-free materials for sustainable wipes. The project marks a paper producer's move into wipe-grade nonwovens.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Pulp-rich and plastic-free wipes can require gentler web handling, better dust control and tighter winding discipline than synthetic-heavy legacy substrates.

Source: ANDRITZ on Kruger Nonwovens' Wetlace hybrid line

ATCO Hygienics ordered a new ANDRITZ baby diaper production line for Tashkent to serve growing premium diaper demand in Central Asia. ANDRITZ said commissioning is planned for the end of 2026 and highlighted efficiency, flexibility and user-friendly operation.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Diaper-line expansion increases pull for stable nonwoven, film and absorbent-material rolls that can run at speed without edge defects or stoppages.

Source: ANDRITZ on ATCO Hygienics' diaper-line order

Aksan Kozmetik awarded ANDRITZ an order for a complete high-capacity spunlace line to make 30 to 80 gsm wipes materials in-house. The move gives the Turkish wipes producer tighter control over roll-goods quality, raw-material flexibility and supply security.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Once wipes producers integrate substrate production, they usually expect higher slitting precision, more uniform roll build and better automation between web making and finishing.

Source: ANDRITZ on Aksan Kozmetik's spunlace investment

Amcor secured RecyClass traceability certification across UK flexible-packaging products including form-fill-seal, shrink, stretch-hood and flat-film ranges using post-consumer recycled content. The timing matters because UK Plastic Packaging Tax rules change in April 2027.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Certified recycled content only helps customers if the film still runs cleanly through slitting, winding and packaging despite feedstock variation.

Source: Amcor on RecyClass-certified PCR flexible packaging

Innovia Films and PureCycle said they successfully produced and trialed white cavitated BOPP film containing more than 40% post-consumer recycled polypropylene. Target uses include snack, confectionery and roll-fed label applications where opacity, printability and stiffness still have to hold.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Higher recycled content in cavitated BOPP can narrow the process window for slitting, rewinding and registration at commercial speeds.

Source: Innovia Films on recycled-content white cavitated BOPP

Mondi introduced re/loop FlowWrap, a mono-PP wet-wipes packaging structure with 35% post-consumer recycled content and customer-line trials showing sealability, barrier performance and machinability. The product targets wipes packs needing recyclability progress without changing format.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Higher-PCR wipe-pack films make unwind stability, seal control and edge quality more important on downstream equipment.

Source: Mondi on re/loop FlowWrap for wet wipes

Amcor and DCM introduced mono-material PE fertilizer packaging with 35% recycled content for the European market. The format is positioned as recycle-ready and aimed at replacing less-circular heavy-duty bag structures while still protecting demanding industrial contents.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Industrial PE packs with more PCR raise the value of web handling, bag-converting consistency and defect control because material tolerance margins get narrower.

Source: Amcor on recycle-ready fertilizer packaging with 35% PCR

UFlex introduced F-HSS, a co-extruded mono-material PET film with a special copolymer-based sealant layer, at PlastIndia 2026. The film is designed for PET-to-PET laminates, lidding, pouches and dry-snack packs while supporting printing, lamination and pouch-making operations.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Mono-PET structures can simplify recycling, but buyers still need tight tension control, consistent slitting and seal-window stability for commercial use.

Source: Packaging Connections on UFlex F-HSS mono-material PET film