Sonoco expands Sonopost cornerpost manufacturing in Europe

Recycled packaging producer Sonoco has announced the expansion of its Sonopost cornerpost manufacturing operations in Europe with the November opening of a new protective packaging production facility in Bursa, Turkey.

The opening comes a year after the Hartsville, South Carolina-based company opened its first Sonopost manufacturing plant in Sochaczew, Poland.

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“Growing demand for our proprietary Sonopost technology created the need for a second production facility,” says Adam Wood, vice president and general manager of global paper products in Europe for Sonoco.

“Our protective packaging design team is working hard with our customers who are aligned with us in creating fully sustainable, paper-based packaging that protects and preserves both their product and our planet for generations to come,” Wood adds.

According to Sonoco, its Sonopost protective packaging solutions provide a sustainable way to protect white goods, like washers, dryers and refrigerators, HVAC systems and heat pumps from manufacturing or shipment damage. The cornerposts act as an external skeleton for large singular units, bracing and supporting bulk loads and securing them into tight units. Typical applications include stacking, corner and clamping protection, beam support for displays and a rigid base carrier.

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Sonopost are made from 100-percent-recycled paperboard sourced from Sonoco mills, and the company says they can reenter the paper stream after use.

Production at the Turkey facility is expected to start in the fourth quarter of this year to meet what Sonoco says is growing demand for expanded polystyrene-free packaging. The site also will house a design and testing lab to assist in the packaging design process.