Berry Global Group, Inc. recently announced plans to expand its hygiene, healthcare, and specialty films platform in North America. The company’s investment addresses both extrusion and printing capabilities in support of growing breathable film and sustainable product market demands in the North American region. The investment will include added capacity for Berry’s proprietary Sof-Flex™ technology and the addition of new flexographic printing equipment.

“As a global leader in films and nonwovens, we are continuing to invest around the world,” said Curt Begle, president of Berry’s Health, Hygiene, and Specialties Division. “Our focus on serving the North American market with advanced technology remains a high priority for our business.”

In alignment with its sustainability strategy, Impact 2025, Berry reports that it will focus on three key sustainable product improvement areas in hygiene—lightweighting, sustainable materials, and designing products that are easily recyclable, reusable, or compostable. The expansion of Berry’s down-weighted, breathable films supports this strategy by reducing unnecessary materials and facilitating the use of sustainable raw materials without compromising product performance.

“We are excited to expand the capacity of sustainable products in the North American market,” said Robert Weilminster, executive vice president and general manager for Berry’s hygiene markets in the U.S. and Canada. “As a longstanding industry partner, we look forward to continued innovation alongside our customers.”

The $20 million expansion, which will be operational in 2020 across Berry’s U.S. network of breathable film-producing plants, represents the first of a three-phase Sof-Flex film expansion plan to be completed by 2022. For additional information, visit www.berryglobal.com.