It used to be that spent brewers’ grain was often fed directly to the animals. But, now there’s an in-between. A new company called EverGrain Ingredients, and backed by Anheuser-Busch InBev, takes the spent/saved barley grain from breweries and turns it into useful protein and fiber ingredients for food and beverage products. Once EverGrain is finished with the spent grain, the remainder is processed for animal nutrition—so no waste.

AHA Sparkling Water is using new shrink film with recycled plastic for some warehouse club packages.

Mars Inc. is including recycled plastic in its pet food packaging in Europe and plans to expand the pilot to other brands.

Hispanic Cheese Makers-Nuestro Queso has announced an expansion to its facility in Kent, Ill. The $15 million expansion will include new processing and packaging equipment, expanded cooler space and additional capacity to meet further expansion needs.

Today, two major factors are driving the packaging industry towards greater sustainability: prospective legislation and consumer demand. Though there is little participation in the U.S. in plastic recycling (estimated under 10%), the green packaging market registered a value of $237.74 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow to 313.93 billion by 2025, according to research from Mordor Intelligence.

Spirits maker Bacardi will bottle all brands in a biodegradable material from plant-based oils, entering the race to replace petroleum-based plastic drink bottles.

Nestlé Purina PetCare has announced a $550 million investment to build a new factory in Williamsburg Township, Ohio.