Opal's $140m cardboard packaging facility now open in Wodonga

Opal’s $140 million corrugated cardboard packaging facility in Wodonga was officially opened on 15 November 2023, during National Recycling Week.

The 55,000 m² facility uses advanced, high-speed packaging manufacturing technology to process recycled and kraft paper from Opal’s Botany Mill in Sydney and Maryvale Mill in the Latrobe Valley.

Capable of producing packaging for a range of fresh produce, food processing, FMCG and manufacturing industries across Australia, the facility also features an automated materials and waste handling system.

Opal is a member of NIPPON PAPER GROUP and Fumio Manoshiro, Chairman of Nippon Paper Industries Co officially opened the fibre packaging facility by unveiling a special commemorative plaque made by the creative design team at Opal Specialty Packaging.

The Victorian Government also provided grant funding for the project, to support jobs in regional Victoria.

Minister for Regional Development Gayle Tierney congratulated Opal on the opening of its new facility.

“Our support for Opal’s new $140 million investment in Wodonga is a huge vote of confidence for creating new jobs and doing business right here in regional Victoria.

“We’re thrilled to extend our congratulations to Opal for the opening of its new world-class site which firmly places Wodonga as a critical city for manufacturing, innovation and investment.”

The site incorporates water harvesting, solar panels on the facility’s roof and a condensate recovery system that recovers and reuses steam during the manufacturing process, which will reduce the site’s reliance on gas.

Chris Daly, Executive General Manager, Packaging, said it was appropriate that Opal was officially opening its Fibre Packaging Wodonga site during National Recycling Week.

“Our customers and the market are driving demand for cardboard packaging with recycled content, which in turn can be recycled when it has been used.

“Opal’s Wodonga corrugating facility will be able to produce up to 720,000 square metres of high-quality, Australian-made cardboard packaging per day. That equates to approximately 100,000 tonnes of finished corrugated packaging a year.”