Global sustainable cellulose films, casings and nonwovens manufacturer Futamura has opened a new cellulose film production line at its manufacturing facility in Wigton, Cumbria, England.

The commissioning of this production line was marked by a grand unveiling event, officiated by Futamura president Yasuo Nagae.

The new line has been opened one year after the company’s comprehensive planning, design and construction work.

It further showcases Futamura's commitment to address the increasing demand of customers for its flagship range of renewable and compostable, called ‘NatureFlex’ films.

The company stated that the recent investment in the production line will allow Futamura to enhance its services and offerings for its customers.

Simultaneously, the company will be able to cater to the rising global requirements for environmentally responsible packaging materials.

Futamura said that the addition of this line will boost the Wigton facility’s overall production capacity by nearly 25%, while significantly reducing lead times and increasing the availability of NatureFlex films in the market.

Futamura Cellulose Films Europe Managing Director Adrian Cave said: “The successful commissioning of this tailor-made machine is a testament to the unwavering commitment and hard work of our team, especially our engineering department, who has carefully built the machine from the ground up.

“However, it is thanks to the exceptional contributions of everyone involved that this vision has been brought to life.

“The new production line will enable us to increase capacity for our renewable and certified compostable films and allow us to further develop our latest innovation project, allowing us to better serve our customers to achieve their sustainable packaging goals.”

NatureFlex films, according to Futamura, are obtained from “renewable wood pulp”, making it compliant with the global industrial composting standards, such as BS EN13432 certification from TÜV Austria for backyard composting.

An ideal sustainable flexible packaging solution, NatureFlex can be used for a wide range of products, including beverages, fresh produce, confectionery items, snacks, personal care items and other everyday consumer products.