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The board of directors of the Brussels-based European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers (FEFCO) has announced the appointment of Eleni Despotou as the association’s new secretary general. Despotou starts her position on Feb. 1, and replaces the now retired Angelika Christ, who had been FEFCO secretary general since 2007.

According to FEFCO, Despotou has an in-depth knowledge of European Union institutions and industry associations, having spent more than 20 years in association management and public affairs. Before joining FEFCO, she held positions in other industry groups including associations tied to renewable energy and minerals.

“The board is confident that together with its European members, Eleni will strengthen FEFCO’s position on the Brussels scene and continue raising awareness about the importance of the corrugated board industry among its key stakeholders,” says Fady Gemayel, FEFCO president. “We count on our members’ support and we are looking forward to an excellent and fruitful collaboration.”

Gemayel also thanked the outgoing Christ, saying, “We are all grateful for the many years of dedication in serving our industry with utmost professionalism and contagious passion, and wish her a well deserved and serene retirement.”

FEFCO says it represents the interests of European corrugated board manufacturers by investigating economic, financial, technical and policy issues, analyzing factors that may influence the industry, and promoting and developing the industry’s reputation.

The group says Europe’s corrugated industry makes about 48 billion square meters (516.7 billion square feet) of board per year and touts corrugated cardboard packaging as “circular by nature,” stating, “It is based on a renewable resource; it is recyclable and recycled in reality. The average box today contains on average 89 percent recycled material.”

A driver for the waste and recycling company Rumpke, headquartered in Cincinnati, came to the aid of an injured, abandoned puppy the morning of Jan. 27 in Colerain Township, just outside Cincinnati.

Rumpke driver Aaron Kinsel was servicing customers when he noticed a discarded backpack along the roadway. After additional observation, he noticed the bag was moving, so he got out of the truck to investigate. The backpack contained a distraught 10-week old puppy.

Rumpke’s Safety team picked up Tipper and transported her to a local veterinarian for treatment. Local authorities are involved, and Rumpke says it will cooperate with an investigation.

He and his family have decided to adopt the dog, who he is calling Tipper after the tipper mechanism used on the back of residential garbage trucks that helps pick up trash containers.

“For their safety, as well as for the safety of our customers, Rumpke drivers are trained to remain observant,” says Kendra Catherman, who is the Cincinnati safety manager at Rumpke. “We do our best to take care of our communities and always do the right thing. We are very proud of Aaron and delighted to make Tipper an honorary member of our Rumpke team.”

Keurig Dr Pepper, which is based in Plano, Texas, has announced that it has become a signatory in two regional initiatives of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global Plastics Pact network—the U.S. Plastics Pact and the Canadian Plastics Pact.

According to a news release from Keurig Dr Pepper, both pacts bring together key players from across the local plastic value chain behind a common vision and clear, actionable targets to create a path forward toward a circular economy for plastics. Additionally, Keurig Dr Pepper recently joined the Ocean Conservancy’s Trash Free Seas Alliance, which brings together thought leaders from the private sector, conservation and academia actively working toward solutions that will mitigate plastic scrap from entering the ocean.

“At Keurig Dr Pepper, we are committed to driving real impact and circular solutions,” says Monique Oxender, chief sustainability officer at Keurig Dr Pepper. “We recognize that achieving a truly circular economy for plastics requires significant systematic change, and we are eager to join these groups of diverse leaders from across sectors to ensure that plastics never become waste or pollution.”

With this new commitment, Keurig Dr Pepper reports that it has agreed to collectively make efforts toward the following four country-level goals espoused by the two pacts:

• define a list of packaging to be designated as problematic or unnecessary by 2021 and take measures to eliminate them by 2025;
• ensure all plastic packaging is 100 percent reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025;
• undertake actions to effectively recycle or compost 50 percent of plastic packaging by 2025; and
• ensure the average recycled content or responsibly sourced bio-based content in plastic packaging is 30 percent by 2025.

The U.S. Plastics Pact is led by The Recycling Partnership, the World Wildlife Fund and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation supporting upstream innovation and a coordinated national strategy to rethink the way plastic is designed, used and reused.