Thursday Morning at the IMFA 26th Annual Conference

With our welcome reception behind us, our 178 attendees were ready to hit the ground running with the first round of presentations.

After breakfast, IMFA Executive Chairman Gary Visser welcomed the attendees, reflecting on the strong foundation of the association. He emphasized the growing demand for sustainable packaging and the bright future of molded fiber products. Attendees were also excited to see so many newcomers from different age groups and regions, contributing to a positive and diverse atmosphere for the conference.

John Sherwin from The Freedonia Group highlighted the rapid growth of the global molded fiber market, driven by demand for sustainable packaging, with the food service sector leading the way. He also discussed emerging opportunities in protective packaging and beverage rings, stressing that continued growth will depend on innovation, regulatory adaptation, and meeting evolving consumer needs.

Among a variety of interesting industry updates, Bill Moore from Moore & Associates spoke about how the decline in newsprint production has led to a decrease in total paper and fiber product output, with many newsprint mills converting to OCC. This shift has increased the use of double-lined kraft in molded fiber products, particularly Grade A, which is most suitable for molded fiber production. Quality and EPR issues have been addressed in five U.S. states, Europe, and Canada.

Alex Beam from Kemira presented “Chemistry and Molded Fiber - Testing, Application, and Best Practices,” focusing on defoamers. He explained foam formation, its issues, and how to select the best defoamers to tackle physical and mechanical problems. He also mentioned that pure liquids don’t foam, but surface foam and entrained air can cause significant issues.

Following Alex Beam’s presentation, Pulp-Tec's Sebastian Zywczak shared an IMFA Member profile of Pulp-Tec. Pulp-Tec, originally founded in 1547 and acquired by the Jaegar family in 2008, uses paper pellets to create molded fiber products. Sebastian Zywczak highlighted the company's many locations and its commitment to the circular economy, noting that pulp production has a lower CO2 footprint and that molded pulp is biodegradable and sustainable.

Attendees then took a well deserved break for lunch, sponsored by Matrix Pack Group before getting back to work for the afternoon.

Stay tuned for more updates on IMFA's 26th Annual Conference!

Learn more about molded fiber products, our members, and the International Molded Fiber Association at IMFA.org.