Stoelzle Glass USA has announced a $100 million upgrade of its Monaca, Pa., facility. The project includes a furnace rebuild to increase capacity to 400 tons per day and partnerships with international glass technology providers such as EME Group, Sorg Group and Bucher Emhart Glass. The upgrade will enhance production capacity, quality and energy efficiency by 25%.

The US wine and spirits market faced continued pressure in Q1 from inflation and other factors, with wine volume dropping 8.3% and spirits volume declining 4.4%, according to Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. However, winemakers are making key changes to operations and marketing while also accepting the reality of changing consumer patterns, topics discussed at the recent Wine Sales Symposium. "There are absolutely headwinds in the wine industry," says Karen Daenen of Jackson Family Wines, "but if you can accept where they are and what they actually are being driven by, there's a lot of opportunity in there."

Diageo has opened a $415 million, 360,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse facility in Montgomery, Ala., that has automated transport systems, electric heating and battery energy storage. The facility will employ 100 people and manufacture and bottle a range of Diageo's spirits, enhancing distribution across the Southern US.

Bittermilk Bottling is investing $8.2 million to expand its manufacturing operations in Charleston County, S.C., by relocating nonalcoholic cocktail mixer and syrup production to a 12,000-square-foot factory in Ravenel. The project is expected to create 12 jobs and increase production capacity.

Heinz is celebrating its 157th anniversary by reintroducing its iconic glass ketchup bottle in a limited release at Walmart. The "157 Years of Being Food's Best Friend" campaign includes a nostalgic film by Wieden+Kennedy New York titled "Life of a Bottle," showcasing the glass bottle's cultural significance. "The emotional connection consumers have with the Heinz brand runs deep," Kraft Heinz chief marketing officer Todd Kaplan says.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee has advanced the bipartisan Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act, introduced by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, which seeks to close the recycling infrastructure gap in rural and underserved communities. The bill would direct the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a competitive pilot grant program, awarding $500,000 to $15 million per project. It would also give priority to communities that do not have MRFs within a 75-mile radius.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has approved a Circular Action Alliance amendment to a program plan on responsible end markets to strengthen verification of recyclable materials management under the Recycling Modernization Act. The amendment sets a clearer path for compliance, leverages existing third-party certifications and seeks to protect environmental outcomes while maintaining market viability.

Extended producer responsibility policies are reshaping packaging in the beauty industry, requiring brands to manage the entire lifecycle of their products and packaging. This shift is pushing companies to design more recyclable and eco-friendly packaging, although the complexity of beauty packaging presents unique challenges.

Manufacturers across the US are opposing a proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule aimed at preventing heat-related illnesses in workplaces. The rule would require measures such as heat monitoring and acclimatization protocols when the heat index reaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Glass industry stakeholders argue that the rule is too prescriptive and fails to account for the diversity of operations.

The City of Pittsburgh's Department of Public Works has received a $1.66 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency's Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling program to enhance curbside collections. The funding will be used for new paving, fencing, cardboard compactors and security cameras at DPW offices.

Recycling infrastructure is expanding across North America with several new material recovery facilities and training centers in development. Ecomaine is investing $36 million in a Portland, Maine, facility to boost capacity by 66% while WM is building a facility in Edmonton, Alberta, to support the province's extended producer responsibility program. Lautenbach Recycling has opened a construction and demolition material recovery facility in Bellingham, Wash., and Tomra has opened a testing and training center in Charlotte, N.C.

Kentucky's bourbon industry faces an accelerating downturn, with distilleries like Jim Beam halting production due to overstocked warehouses. The surplus, driven by a pandemic-era boom, has led to layoffs and a drop in barrel prices, affecting companies such as Brown-Forman and barrel makers.