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Sonoco's easy-open Orbit lid wins inaugural User-Friendly Packaging award. Sonoco's Orbit(TM) lid has received the inaugural User-Friendly Packaging award at the PackNorth Award, following nominations from members of the Swedish Rheumatism Association. The new category recognises packaging solutions that are intuitive, accessible and straightforward for people of all abilities. Members of the Swedish Rheumatism Association proposed Sonoco's innovative metal lid for glass jars as a contender in the new User-Friendly Packaging category. The Association also encouraged the Nordic packaging competition to establish an award focused on inclusive design. Its purpose is to recognise and advance packaging that delivers a practical experience for every user. Following submissions from the Association and its members, the judging panel selected Sonoco's Orbit(TM) metal lid as the category winner. The jury's citation read: "The Orbit lid stands out for its user-centred and thoughtfully engineered design, addressing a well-known challenge associated with opening glass jars. Its intelligent construction reduces the need for strength and fine motor skills, making both opening and reclosing easier, more intuitive and accessible to a wider range of users. A strong example of how functional design can make everyday life easier." Stina Nordström, Secretary General of the Swedish Rheumatism Association, presented the award to Sonoco at the Empack packaging exhibition in Stockholm. At the ceremony, she outlined the reasons why the Association and its Easy to use initiative support the new recognition: "If we cannot open a package, it does not matter how attractive, sustainable or innovative it may be. None of these qualities matter if the packaging is difficult to open, impossible to reseal and cumbersome to recycle." Nordström urged packaging manufacturers to treat ease of use as a strategic investment rather than an added expense. She also called on brand owners to ensure that consumers value the product instead of becoming frustrated by its packaging. The award recognises Orbit's intelligent two-piece construction. By updating a familiar packaging format, Sonoco has created a closure that improves functionality and offers a more accessible user experience. The achievement reflects wider food and beverage industry trends, including food manufacturing trends and food processing technology that prioritise usability alongside performance. Packaging innovation is also increasingly connected to food distribution trends, food and drink industry innovation, and food and drink sustainability. As food and drink regulations evolve and food and drink packaging becomes more sophisticated, brands must also consider food and drink consumer trends and the role of food and drink marketing in communicating practical value. "Better Packaging, Better Life is the promise behind everything we do at Sonoco. Packaging should make daily life simpler, not harder, and ease of use is an essential part of that. We are proud that the Swedish Rheumatism Association has recognised Orbit as easy to use, as this independent validation shows that our work makes a real difference for consumers. We sincerely thank the Association for its important work in championing accessibility, and we will continue to put the consumers at the heart of our innovation", said Ghulam MOEEN UD DIN, Digital Project Leader at Sonoco. "I hope this new award category will not only highlight good examples but also inspire the entire industry to develop packaging that works for all consumers," said Stina Nordström.

Easy-Open lid from Sonoco receives award. By Kristina Heilborn 1 October 2026 15:35 After nominations from members of the Swedish Rheumatism Association, Sonoco's Orbit(TM) lid has been named winner of the inaugural User-Friendly Packaging award at the PackNorth Award. The new category celebrates packaging innovations that are accessible, intuitive and easy to use for everyone. Several members of the Swedish Rheumatism Association suggested that the innovative metal lid for glass jars should be nominated in the User-Friendly Packaging category. The Association encouraged the Nordic packaging competition, the PackNorth Award, to introduce this new category. The aim is to recognise, reward and promote the development of packaging that works for everyone. The nominations for this new award category were submitted by the Association and its members. The competition jury has now reached its decision, and the winner is the Orbit(TM) metal lid from Sonoco. The jury's citation read: "The Orbit lid stands out for its user-centred and thoughtfully engineered design, addressing a well-known challenge associated with opening glass jars. Its intelligent construction reduces the need for strength and fine motor skills, making both opening and reclosing easier, more intuitive and accessible to a wider range of users. A strong example of how functional design can make everyday life easier." Stina Nordström, Secretary General of the Swedish Rheumatism Association, presented the award to Sonoco at the Empack packaging exhibition in Stockholm. During the award ceremony, she explained why the Association, together with its Easy to use initiative, is behind the award: "If we cannot open a package, it does not matter how attractive, sustainable or innovative it may be. None of these qualities matter if the packaging is difficult to open, impossible to reseal and cumbersome to recycle." Stina Nordström also delivered a clear message to the packaging industry: do not view user-friendliness as a cost, but as an investment. She also addressed product owners directly: let consumers love your product, not hate your packaging. Sonoco was named the winner of this new award category for its smart, two-part Orbit lid. The lid is an excellent example of how a traditional type of packaging can be modernised and made more functional and user-friendly. "Better Packaging, Better Life is the promise behind everything we do at Sonoco. Packaging should make daily life simpler, not harder, and ease of use is an essential part of that. We are proud that the Swedish Rheumatism Association has recognised Orbit as easy to use, as this independent validation shows that our work makes a real difference for consumers. We sincerely thank the Association for its important work in championing accessibility, and we will continue to put the consumers at the heart of our innovation", said Ghulam MOEEN UD DIN, Digital Project Leader at Sonoco. "I hope this new award category will not only highlight good examples but also inspire the entire industry to develop packaging that works for all consumers," said Stina Nordström.

Graphic Packaging names Aditya Gandhi as chief accounting officer. He previously worked at Sonoco Products Company for almost five years, including four years as chief accounting officer. Graphic Packaging Holding Company has hired former AptarGroup executive Aditya Gandhi as its vice-president and chief accounting officer (CAO). He will report to interim chief financial officer Charles Lischer. Gandhi previously served as CAO at AptarGroup and Sonoco Products Company. Gandhi said: "Graphic Packaging has a strong foundation and a clear focus on performance and value creation. I look forward to partnering with teams across the organisation to develop our people, strengthen our finance capabilities and enable disciplined execution of the company's business and financial priorities." He began his career in a senior technical accounting position at GE and later spent more than ten years at Deloitte. During his time at Deloitte, he held senior posts in its National Office and London practices, advising clients on complex accounting issues under US GAAP and IFRS. Graphic Packaging President and CEO Robbert Rietbroek said: "Aditya brings an excellent track record, combining deep experience in accounting advisory services, finance and as a chief accounting officer in the paper and packaging industry. "His record of optimising financial operations will be valuable as we continue to strengthen our business and create long-term value." Graphic Packaging has design and manufacturing sites serving the food, beverage, foodservice, household and other consumer products markets. The company reported a net income of $24m in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026, a drop of 77% from $104m in the same quarter a year earlier. Both quarters were affected by special items and the amortisation of purchased intangibles. These non-recurring charges and net costs amounted to $17m for Q2 2026, compared to $24m in the prior-year period. Give your business an edge with its leading industry insights.