From concerns about plastic packaging to new distribution deals and the dangers of journalism.

The Italian magazine Converter and Cartotecnica has covered a survey that found many consumers acquired greater environmental awareness during the pandemic, including 54 percent of Italian and 50 percent of British shoppers. A surprising 78 percent of Italians are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging, with even higher figures amongst younger people.

The Gapp Magazine of South Africa writes that both the South African Plastics Recycling Organisation, SAPRO, and MyPlas, one of the largest post-consumer recyclers of polypropylene in South Africa, have signed up to Operation Clean Sweep, an international programme designed to keep plastic out of the marine environment.

Meanwhile, Printweek India quotes the chairman of the Plastics Export Promotion Council of India, or Plexconcil, who expects that India's plastic exports will grow 20-25% to $12 billion this year due to favourable market conditions and increasing demand for Indian goods in areas such as the US and Europe.

From the UK, Digital Labels and Packaging has a story based on a Smithers study - Impact of Supply Chain Disruption on the Packaging Industry to 2026 - which found that the disruption caused by the pandemic and the lockdowns of 2020 will have a ‘deep and enduring effect’ on packaging supply chains.

Elsewhere in the UK, Printweek reports that the administration of the Howard Hunt group of companies has been extended again. According to Printweek, the administrators were first called in two years ago and found a complex web of intra-group loans at the £50m-plus turnover print group, which collapsed owing millions to unsecured trade creditors.

Labels and Labelling writes that British label press manufacturer Edale has appointed Phoenix Colour Technologies as its exclusive distributor in the UAE, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Phoenix has over 15 years experience in printing and packaging and will combine its colour-managed workflow with the Edale flexo presses.

ME Printer reports that Canon Middle East has extended its partnership with regional distributors Almasa in order to strengthen its presence in the Iraqi market and taking advantage of the growing demand for B2B printing solutions in Iraq with Almasa supplying both B2B office automation and large format printers.

From Canada, Graphic Arts Media writes that Toppan Printing of Japan has developed a new range of labels that combine NFC tags with high quality metallic graphic effects suitable for labelling applications such as wines, spirits and luxury goods without the danger of the metallic effects interfering with the NFC performance.

Another week and another story on the Australian print group Ovato, with Print 21 reporting on the company’s plans to sell its Australian and New Zealand retail distribution divisions separately. This is due to longer regulatory scrutiny in New Zealand, though magazine publisher Are Media plans to buy both.

Staying in Australia, Sprinter reveals that label solutions provider Multi-Color Corporation, or MCC, which has locations worldwide, has itself been sold just days after acquiring the Australian and New Zealand based label company Hexagon. New owners Clayton, Dubilier & Rice will combine MCC with another acquisition, Fort Dearborn.

Finally, a sobering report from Indian Printer and Publisher pointing out that 35 journalists have been murdered worldwide in the first six months of this year, including two in India. This figure does not include deaths attributed to accidents, nor the Dutch journalist, Peter R de Vries, shot just this week in Amsterdam and still fighting for his life at time of writing.