Improvements in Ecommerce Packaging Continue to Shine

Packsize Adds to Sitma’s Mailer Creation Systems to Ecommerce Offerings

Sitma has announced that leading automated packaging solution provider Packsize has added Sitma’s e-Wrap and Fast Pack / Fast Pack Plus mailer creation systems to its suite of right-sized packaging solutions for ecommerce.

Per Jeff Kewin, president of Sitma Americas, “Sitma is very excited to enter into partnership with Packsize. We share a core commitment to right-sized sustainable packaging, and we look forward to bringing Sitma's automated solutions to Packsize's ecommerce customers looking to augment their SMART boxing solutions with a complementary sustainable mailer system.”

Sitma e-Wrap, Fast Pack, and Fast Pack Plus systems bring automation efficiencies to a broad spectrum of ecommerce vendors targeting sustainability initiatives in the face of growing consumer interest and regulatory demands. Each features full automation including track-and-trace software, and printing and insertion of personalized documents and invoices in curbside-recyclable right-sized paper mailers.

• e-Wrap: Economically produces up to 1000 right-sized paper mailers per hour, in a footprint as small as 10 square meters
• Fast Pack: Produces up to 3600 right-sized paper mailers per hour, incorporating built-in rejection systems for non-compliant items, and a market leading returnable mailer re-label and re-seal feature
• Fast Pack Plus: Adds capability for increased product size to Fast Pack functionality, making this a good match for multi-item packaging at speeds up to 2000 right-sized paper mailers per hour

“Our partnership with Sitma represents the next step in Packsize’s mission to bring sustainable, eco-friendly packaging solutions to a greater number of industry sectors and application needs, allowing us to serve more markets by expanding the types of solutions we can offer current and future customers,” said Brian Reinhart, CRO, Packsize. “Sitma’s commitment to innovative solutions that increase sustainability while optimizing manufacturing and warehouse operations make them an ideal partner for Packsize.”

For further information, visit sitma.com.

Pregis Opens New Paper Converting Center in Elgin, IL

Pregis, a global leader in protective packaging, mailing & bagging, and flexible packaging solutions, has opened a new 477,000-square-foot paper converting center in Elgin, Illinois. The facility will support over 500 manufacturing jobs and can produce more than 1 billion curbside recyclable paper packaging solutions annually.

The ribbon-cutting event in September was attended by Pregis employees at this location and the greater Chicago area, as well as representatives from several community and government offices that support this infusion of economic development.

“We are excited about driving forward sustainable initiatives and becoming a part of the Elgin community. This expanded operation represents our commitment to operational excellence and environmental stewardship while creating significant employment opportunities,” said Ryan Wolcott, President, Mailing Solutions, Pregis.

The zero-waste production complex, powered entirely by renewable energy through Renewable Energy Credits, will host multiple production lines for the company’s Protective Paper and Mailing Solutions offering. The facility is expected to divert an estimated 33,000 tons of waste from landfills as brands transition from plastic alternatives.

The Elgin site will serve as the company's primary Midwest facility for curbside recyclable paper mailer production. This facility joins four other Pregis mailing facilities nationwide in Arlington, Texas; McDonough, Georgia; Bethel, Pennsylvania; and Reno, Nevada.

Investment in this facility enables Pregis to add capacity, improve manufacturing efficiency, and streamline innovation development while enhancing its robust ecommerce product line and expanding fiber-based protective packaging options that address customers’ environmental preferences for widely recyclable materials with critical protective attributes for damage-free delivery.

Ranpak and Walmart Join Forces in Sustainable Packaging Collaboration

Ranpak Holdings Corp. recently announced a major expansion of its existing relationship with Walmart, one of the world’s largest multinational retailers.

Under the terms of this strategic agreement, Walmart will install numerous Ranpak AutoFill™ systems across its five Next Generation Fulfillment Centers, streamlining its fulfillment process, reducing packaging waste and simplifying work for associates.

Walmart currently utilizes Ranpak AutoFill™ machines at its McCordsville, Indiana, fulfillment center. The upcoming deployment will include: Greencastle, Pennsylvania; Joliet, Illinois; Lancaster, Texas; and Stockton, California.

“Our collaboration with Walmart represents a significant milestone for Ranpak as we continue to scale our automation capabilities to meet the needs of the world's largest retailers,” said Omar Asali, Chairman and CEO of Ranpak. “Walmart’s ongoing investment in automation reflects our shared commitment to reducing friction for associates while optimizing performance across every stage of the supply chain.”

Introduced in 2021, Ranpak’s AutoFill™ system, when paired with Ranpak’s Decision Tower, is a fully automated solution for void filling and box closing that leverages an innovative, AI-powered machine vision technology to precisely measure voids. This enables the optimal amount of paper filler required to protect products during shipment, significantly reducing waste and damage to shipping contents while improving throughput. 

By streamlining the end-of-line packaging process, the AutoFill™ solution allows Walmart to ship customer orders faster by removing another step in an already streamlined process and allows fulfillment center associates to focus on fulfilling orders more efficiently for customers.

“At Walmart, we are constantly seeking solutions that increase speed of service for our customers and simplify work for our associates,” said Vik Gopalakrishnan, Senior Vice President of Automation Engineering at Walmart. “Ranpak’s Autofill™ system offers us a meaningful way to reduce packaging waste and get our products into our customers’ hands faster.”

Epson Puts the Focus on Logistics, Shipping and Fulfillment Labeling at PARCEL Forum ’25

Epson America, Inc. recently exhibited at PARCEL Forum ’25 in Schaumburg, Illinois, showcasing how its Label Boost^® software and ColorWorks^® on-demand color label printing solutions can turn every shipping label into a dynamic, full color marketing medium and offer businesses a new revenue stream by selling ad space on shipping labels.

Label Boost software works with ColorWorks label printers to transform black-and-white shipping labels into full-color marketing tools. Instead of using inserts or additional labels, businesses can print eye-catching ads with coupons, special promotions and QR codes directly on the shipping label itself, leveraging an existing physical space and eliminating the need for extra inserts or secondary labels. This also allows businesses to generate income by selling label space to third-party companies and advertisers because the label space is highly visible, targeted and guaranteed to reach the end customer.

“Shipping labels are emerging as prime real estate for advertising. Highly visible, targeted and dynamic, brands are increasingly willing to pay for this space to get in front of engaged consumers,” said Tessa Kohl, product manager of DX Solutions, Epson America, Inc. “By adding full-color ads directly on shipping labels, businesses can turn every package into a marketing opportunity and revenue stream, whether they’re promoting their own products or partnering with brands to monetize the valuable real estate.”

Epson demonstrated the ways its Label Boost software can help brands and manufacturers “Do Labels Differently” and elevate business with a new, simple and innovative way to use shipping labels to market and advertise:

• Shipping Labels, Reimagined: Label Boost software gives businesses the ability to easily transform traditional black-and-white shipping labels into dynamic marketing materials by incorporating full-color coupons, ads, cross-promotion materials, and branded assets.
• Labeling Operations, Simplified: With one-step, on-demand custom color label printing, businesses can improve processes with added flexibility, eliminating the need to stock pre-printed labels and reduce pre-printed label costs and lead times. The ColorWorks CW-C6000P color label printer with Label Boost software can help logistics and warehouse teams improve shipping accuracy and streamline operations with on-label instructions, while reducing material costs for regulatory labeling. The CW-C6000P automatically peels the liner away and eliminates the mayhem of multi-step stickering, making it ideal for fast, on-demand print-and-apply applications.

Label Boost is compatible with the ColorWorks CW-C4000, CW-C6000A, CW-C6000P, CW-C6500A, and CW-C6500P color label printers. ColorWorks on-demand color label solutions, engineered with PrecisionCore^® technology, deliver full-color, dynamic labels with ease, efficiency and exceptional quality. For additional information, visit epson.com/colorworks.