Berry Global will 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 the newest flexographic printing equipment. The Sof-Flex technology allows for the sustainable, down-weighting of breathable films while maintaining best-in-class performance.

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

Berry announced its sustainability strategy, Impact 2025, last year. In alignment with this strategy, the company will focus on three key sustainable product improvement areas in hygiene—light-weighting, 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 as well as 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. As a longstanding industry partner, we look forward to continued innovation alongside our customers,” says Robert Weilminster, EVP and GM, for Berry’s hygiene markets in the U.S. and Canada.

The expansion, totaling approximately $20 million, will be operational in 2020 across Berry’s U.S. network breathable film producing plants and represents the first of a three phase Sof-Flex film expansion plan to be completed by 2022.