With effect from 1 January 2018, US packaging manufacturer Sealed Air (Charlotte, North Carolina; www.sealedair.com) has announced price increases between 2.5-5% for its Food Care division's shrink bags, rollstock products, food films and vertical pouch packaging in the EMEA region. Switzerland and the UK are excluded from the increases, since prices in the two countries had been raised earlier.

Food Care president, Karl Deily, says the price adjustments are the result of considerable rising costs, especially for raw materials. He notes that polyethylene has increased by 19%, polyamide by 16% and polystyrene by 35%. In addition, the company's power, labour and transportation costs have risen between 1-4%.