Packaging Europe Issue 11.4

VOLUME 11.4 – 2016

SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS 2016 THE STATE OF PLAY IN PACKAGING SUSTAINABILITY BIOPLASTICS DOW & NORDMECCANICA COLLABORATION Laminated with Cosmo Films’s Velvet Thermal Lamination Film

SERIALISATION

Contents

VOLUME 11.4 – 2016

The cover of this edition has been laminated with a BOPP-based velvet lamination film supplied by Cosmo Films Ltd., the world’s largest manufacturer of thermal lamination films. The flagship product of the premium lamination films range, as the name indicates, lends a rich velvet finish to the printed surface. Engineered on a special matte base, this film is ideal for post laminating procedures and gives a premium finish to premium/ luxury liquor, perfume, watches and jewellery packs/boxes. The film can also be used for laminating coffee table books, high end magazines, brochures, manuals etc. For further info, write to enquiry@cosmofilms.com.

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Editorial Tim Sykes

4 8 10 12 14 18 22 24

Sustainability Awards 2016 Best innovation Material Innovation Weight reduction Food waste Bio-based End of life Machinery Best practice

26 28 30 34 38 40 43 46 48 50 54

Comments & Reports Events Propak China 2016 K 2016 Innovation takes centre stage Bioplastics Plastics of the future Packaging ethics Marketing sustainability Paper Innovation and collaboration Sealed Air Rising to the eco-challenge Interview Corrugated conversations Dow Groundbreaking collaboration Special report DataLase inline for multi-billion pound projects post-drupe Review drupa 2016 Systech Sound advice on serialisation

56 59 62 64 66 68 71 74 76 78 82 86 90 94 98 104 109

Industry Profiles Systech Reaching new horizons with serialisation Futec Flawless technology Fefco Corrugated extends fruit shelf life Iggesund Look at the whole forest, not just the trees PLA Fourth PLA World Congress Fedrigoni High-performance innovation Uhde Inventa-Fischer Pioneering PLA technology Berhalter Berhalter makes the difference Jiffy Packaging Driving innovation in foam Mala Verschluss-Systeme Top performers Frank & Associates Plastic Invest in film Hydro A future proof material Skan Competent cleaning PepsiCo View from the top Şişecam Glass Packaging Sustainable glass success Gruppo Fomat Not just a piece of paper Albéa More than just a tube

Advertisers Index A Antonini

J 101

B

Jiffy

21

L

Berhalter

27

Lahti Precision

Bericap

35

LeanLogistics Lubisol

102 ii 100

C Cnud-Efco International

100

M

Cosmo Films

17

Mala Verschluss-Systeme

CSE Seekamp

89

Mingazzini

CSi

97

81 107

N D

NürnbergMesse

DataLase

49

Dow

29

45

O OCSiAl Europe

13

E EasyFairs

36

P

EFI

39

PakTech

Elif

32

Euromac

15

F

9

R Rockwell Automation

5

RPC Group

7

FachPack

45

FEFCO

42

Ferro

103

Sealed Air

112

Fives Group

100

Squid Ink

20

S

Systech

6

G Getinge La Calhène

93

Giorgi Engineering

106

Graco

23

H HP

Uhde Inventa-Fischer

17

Illig Maschinenbau

25

Italcoppio sensori

106

67

V Valvole Hofmann

I

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U

106

Editor Tim Sykes

Art Editor Paul Abbott

Deputy Editor Victoria Hattersley

Designers Rob Czerwinski Leon Esterhuizen

News Editor Elisabeth Skoda Journalists Libby White Profile Writers Emma-Jane Batey Alessandra Lacaita Felicity Landon Romana Moares Barbara Rossi Piotr Sadowski Abigail Saltmarsh Marco Siebel Julia Snow Vanja Svacko Philip Yorke Art Director Gareth Harrey

Tim Sykes

EDITOR

IT Support James D’More Web Development Neil Robertson Production Manager Tania Balderson Administration Amber Dawson Kayleigh Harvey Senior Account Managers Kevin Gambrill Jesse Roberts Features Managers Mauro Berini Clayton Green Matthew Howe Dominic Kurkowski

Packaging Europe

Alkmaar House, Alkmaar Way, Norwich, Norfolk, NR6 6BF, UK Telephone: +44 (0)1603 414444 Fax: +44 (0)1603 779850 Email: Editorial: editor@packagingeurope.com Studio: adcopy@packagingeurope.com Advertising: jr@packagingeurope.com kg@packagingeurope.com Website: www.packagingeurope.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/PackagingEurope Twitter: www.twitter.com/PackagingEurope

IT

gives me great pleasure to introduce Packaging Europe’s second annual Sustainability Awards. Echoing last year’s experience, we were rather overwhelmed by the number, variety and implications of the sustainable innovations and initiatives that were nominated. Over the following pages we share with you those that impressed us most – examples of great packaging development and design, smart collaboration and, in the instance of the winner of our first award, an enabling technology that reminds us that the industry is no longer restricted to the realm of physical packs and machinery. As ever, we have tried to present a cross-section of the industry’s achievements and in the process to stimulate debate and an environment in which new ideas and cross-fertilisations are ever more welcome.

In this special edition we also take stock of the theme of the environment as viewed across the industry. Outgoing FEFCO president Roberto Villaquiran (CEO Europe at Smurfit Kappa) and his successor Jan Klingele (managing partner of Klingele Papierwerke) share their thoughts about the place of corrugated board in today’s conversations about sustainability. Meanwhile, Lubna Edwards, Sealed Air’s director of Global Sustainability & Partnerships, talks about her company’s green challenges. We hear from Surgenia on the latest in bioplastics, and discuss the marketing opportunities of ethically sound products and packaging.

Also in this edition we look back on drupa, including a special report from the remarkable and rapidly realised collaborative innovation from Dow and Nordmeccanica, resulting in a revolutionary step forward in lamination technology. We also look ahead to this summer’s Propak China and the autumn’s giant plastics event – K 2016, which we will be covering in depth, along with FachPack, in our September magazine. Finally, Libby White travels to Amsterdam to interview Systech’s Manfred Voglmaier at the Systech Uniquity 2016 Global Conference.

Tim Sykes ts@packagingeurope.com @PackEuropeTim

© Packaging Europe 2016 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form for any purpose, other than short sections for the purpose of review, without prior consent of the publisher.

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Packaging Europe | 3 |

Best Innovation

Best Innovation

Winner: Magic Add: Unique Smart Codes W hile our Sustainability Awards this year celebrate the achievements of some of packaging’s biggest names and multi-billion euro players, the winner of our overall Best Innovation category is a Finnish start-up that was only founded in 2011. Magic Add is in fact not a packaging business, but developer of one of the emerging technologies that will enable the packaging of tomorrow to transform its relationship with our lives. Put basically, Magic Add is a content and data platform that can generate huge numbers of unique IDs that can be encoded on packaging with QR codes, RFID or any other system.

This is a significant step towards making the ‘Internet of Packaging’ work and making it economically viable.

The applications of Magic Add technology are manifold. It has already been demonstrated successfully in a marketing application, in collaboration with Huhtamaki and media company Sanoma, whereby disposable coffee cups were printed with unique codes which gave consumers two months’ free access to an on-demand video streaming service. The initiative delivered three times as many clicks (or scans) through as Google Adwords.

Much more can be written about the potential of Magic Add to facilitate new forms of marketing by connecting packaging to tailored digital content and to transform packaging into a potent new advertising medium. However, it is the contribution to sustainability in packaging that we are recognising in our awards. The data platforms behind Magic Add helping power the Internet of Packaging open up new possibilities in terms of efficiencies in the logistics chain and reduction in food waste. When a package moves into the retail channel, its code can connect the retailer with far more information, and more leveragable information, than the traditional label. This makes management of expiry date better, with mechanisms such as dynamic pricing to ensure products reach the consumer before they go off. Further down the line, these codes are capable of communicating with the consumer’s smart fridge. Tomorrow’s consumer will receive prompts to use up food before it expires – perhaps accompanied by recipes for the combinations of vegetables that need to be cooked soonest.

‘For food products this opens the way to a smart logistic chain all the way to the consumer’s fridge,’ Samuli Manninen, CEO of Magic Add, tells Packaging Europe. ‘A

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single unique code on a package can double as marketing tool, supply chain tracker, and freshness indicator. The code in itself is just a connector. What we envisage is the creation of an ecosystem rather like the App Store. Different companies and developers will be able to create customised apps for a host of different needs. The best applications come when data is available to developers – so brand owners, who own the data, will be in the position of driving the ecosystem.’

There is a great deal of potential to use packaging more efficiently – and this apparently simple step of creating the platform for millions of unique codes is a rather important step forward in making it smarter. As we stand at the tipping point of the Internet of Things, augmented reality and technologies such as Google Glass, Magic Add is a timely and very exciting arrival on the scene.

Visit: www.magicadd.com

Packaging Europe | 5 |

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Best Innovation Runner up: Berlin Packaging: JetScent Soap Dispenser T he runner-up position in our Best Sustainable Packaging Innovation category is awarded in recognition of outstanding ingenuity in structural design. Leading rigid packaging supplier Berlin Packaging’s soap dispenser for Celeste Industries Flight Luxe JetScent Hand Soap makes substantial environmental gains while improving functionality answering the particular demands of its context.

A two-in-one soap dispenser/air freshener for airplane lavatories, the JetScent Hand Soap dispenser eliminates the need to install and replenish two separate systems, thanks to a scent-impregnated collar that drops onto the bottle shoulder before capping. It also reduces bottle weight by 15 per cent, adds label space, and replaces its industrial-looking predecessor with a striking new design.

The package, designed by Berlin Packaging’s in-house Studio One Eleven team, also upgrades the Flight Luxe line without requiring a change to the mounting pucks already installed on aeroplane sinks, eliminates extra steps previously required to prepare and apply an unwieldy foam fragrance band, and replaces disparate bottle structures with a uniform look across scented and unscented SKUs. The striking design helps modernise the sterile look of typical aircraft lavatories.

The dispenser was one of three winning entries from Berlin Packaging in the 2016 WorldStar Awards. Judged by packaging industry experts during the WPO’s most recent board meeting in Mumbai, India, Berlin Packaging’s other winning entries were Permatex Fast Orange Hand Cleaner and It’s a 10 Silk Express in10sives.

Berlin Packaging’s winning package for Permatex Fast Orange hand cleaner redefines the use of disc closures by placing the rocker disc-top on the package bottom. Based on the insight that mechanics and DIYers prefer one-handed soap dispensing while washing

their hands, the package allows user to tap the bottom corner of the package to open and dispense product, then tap the spout to close.

It’s a 10 Silk Express in10sives brings vitality and elegance to the hair care aisle through a highly innovative use of materials. Berlin’s Studio One Eleven design division created the graphics and branding for the product; working in partnership with Viva Healthcare Packaging, Berlin then executed an in-mould foil label onto the plastic tube, accompanied by a flip-top cap with foil hot stamp.

Visit: www.berlinpackaging.com

Packaging Europe | 7 |

Material Innovation

Winner: Dow, SPC, Accredo: Seventh Generation Recyclable Stand-Up Pouch T he winner in our Materials category is another success for Dow’s strong commitment to collaborative innovation. The company’s Packaging and Specialty Plastics business collaborated with industry leaders Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) and Accredo Packaging to produce the first ever recyclable Dishwasher Pods packaging for the North American based brand Seventh Generation. The new packaging features SPC’s How2Recycle label.

In order to realise the project, first Dow had to develop resins suitable for a recyclable polyethylene stand-up pouch to help ensure the package’s stiffness, toughness and sealability. Accredo Packaging converts these materials into pouches and their award-winning printing capabilities gives the package the aesthetics it needs to stand out on store shelves – delivering sustainability combined with commercial success.

“Our goal was to produce a recyclable package for our Dishwasher Pods, without sacrificing performance or aesthetics,” said Derrick Lawrence, director of packaging development, Seventh Generation. “Our customers were asking for a more recyclable option, and our collaboration with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, Dow and Accredo Packaging turned that demand into a reality.”

Seventh Generation’s new Dishwasher Pods packaging carries the How2Recycle “Store Drop-Off” label, which encourages consumers to take flexible plastic bags, films and wraps to local grocery or retail stores for recycling. The pouches can be recycled at more than 18,000 store drop-off locations throughout North America. | 8 | Packaging Europe

As a founding member of the SPC, Dow focuses on collaborating throughout the value chain to create more sustainable packaging and improve consumer knowledge and adoption of recycling streams.

“We are excited about our work with the SPC on the How2Recycle Label program because it enables us to communicate and educate the consumer about the pouches’ recyclability. This kind of collaboration is important to achieve the environmental vision for packaging that we all share,” said Greg Jozwiak, North America commercial vice president for Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics.

Rex Varn, executive vice president of Accredo Packaging, Inc. says “Accredo Packaging’s new innovative 100% recyclable stand-up pouch offers CPG brand-owners a more sustainable proposition of recyclability.”

As a film converter, Accredo has been researching potential recyclable materials that could replace PET as the outer web of a two-ply film structure for some time. The collaboration with Dow raised several technical challenges for both parties. In order to successfully develop a recyclable multilayer PE film that could replace one made from mixed materials, it was necessary to create a pouch structure that could be manufactured without compromising machine speeds or increasing waste, retain the necessary gloss, rigidity, scuff-resistance, tensile strength, and barrier properties, and provide end-user filling and packaging machinability.

Visit: www.dow.com

Material innovation

Runner up: Toray Plastics, Lumilid® Bio-Based Lidding Film Technology T

oray Plastics’ LumiLid® bio-based PET dual-ovenable lidding films have already earned recognition in the form of the 2016 Sustainability Award from AIMCAL – the Association of International Metallizers, Coaters, and Laminators. The Lumirror bio-PET films used in bio-based lidding are manufactured with more than 50 percent renewable feedstock, yet they offer the same, superior performance qualities that are characteristic of traditional LumiLid films – a low seal initiation temperature (SIT), broad seal range, seal integrity, and an easy peel.

LumiLid® bio-based, dual-ovenable lidding films are manufactured with Toray’s proprietary sustainable resin blends. Bio-based LumiLid films were created to lessen the impact on the environment, as they use fewer petroleum resources while they are being manufactured, and to meet the needs of environment-conscious end users and consumers. In addition, like all LumiLid films, these are solvent-free and may alleviate end-users’ concerns about solvent retention, as well as enhance the films’sustainability profile.

The new LumiLid films are designed for frozen, wet and dry food, and dairy applications.

They are FDA-compliant for use with oven temperatures of up to 400°F for 30 minutes.

LumiLid films are also Interstate Milk Shippers (IMS)-certified, so they offer another level of assurance for dairy customers.

“The next generation of innovative, bio-based film technology has arrived,” says Milan Moscaritolo, Senior Director of Sales and Marketing, Toray Plastics (America).

“The option to choose a bio-based lidding film that has so many advanced features and such high-performance capability presents a unique opportunity to end users and converters.”

The development of films made with renewable resources is just one part of Toray’s environmental profile. The company’s sustainability initiative includes Rhode Island’s largest solar farm and two cogeneration facilities, zero landfill, extensive recycling and waterconservation programs, the use of LED lighting internally and externally, and the installation of bio-based solar control window films on campus buildings.

AIMCAL’s sustainability competition recognises equipment, materials, or processes that reduce environmental impact, minimise energy usage or waste, and/or increase recycling.

A member of the judging panel said, “It’s the right material at the right time. The demand for convenience foods is growing, and this meets the marketplace’s need for sustainability.”

Visit: www.toraytpa.com Packaging Europe | 9 |

Weight Reduction

Winner: O-I: Lightweight Glass Bottle for Adnams

T

he UK-based brewer Adnams of Southwold has long been a leader in sustainable beer production and lightweight glass packaging is a crucial element in the brand’s proposition. Having pioneered the use of lightweight branded glass in the premium packaged ale sector when it launched a 299g bottle in 2007, Adnams has taken a further step forward.

Its new 280g bottle, developed in partnership with O-I, is the UK’s lightest branded 500ml glass premium ale bottle, while retaining the appealing premium brand image.

O-I’s designers and manufacturing personnel at Harlow were able to shave weight off while retaining the distinctive shape and height of Adnams’ bespoke bottles. This meant that there was no impact on the filling equipment or packaging.

The new 19g reduction saves 15gCO2e per bottle and removes 115 tonnes of glass from the waste stream. Added to the 125gCO2e saving per bottle from the 2007 redesign, this has saved 1000 tonnes carbon per annum and removed over 1000 tonnes glass from waste streams. Since 2007, virtually all ales have developed sub 300g glass packs, scaling the savings enormously, and helping regenerate the entire bottled ale sector, which had grown to £490 million by 2015. Adnams hopes its latest move will inspire others to once more seek further carbon and resource savings.

One key design parameter was to cut weight while retaining the distinctive shape and height of Adnams’ bespoke bottles. This meant that there was no impact on the filling equipment, tertiary packaging or brand image. Adnams is committed to glass for quality, brand and sustainability reasons. With its infinite recyclability, glass is the most sustainable packaging brands can choose.

There are commercial benefits to the new package. All seven of the brewer’s 500ml products are now filled in the new bottle, which Adnams predicts will help it to sell a million more units in 2016 than 2015. This pack sets a new benchmark for all brewers and makes glass a more appealing solution than ever.

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Paul McLavin, marketing and business development manager for O-I in North west Europe, commented: “We are aware that other glassmakers offer standard bottles at 280g but are excited to be able to offer customers an embossed bottle, with all the branding benefits that brings, which advances sustainability. O-I is constantly working with customers and in its own Innovation Centre to push forward the boundaries of glass production; with its infinite recyclability, glass is the most sustainable packaging brands can choose.”

Weight Reduction

Runner up: Bemis: Paper-Like™

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aper-Like™ offers a traditional touch with a twist. We judged that it deserved recognition as a paper packaging alternative feature that offers a considerable weight reduction in comparison with paper laminates, leading to material savings, reduced transport cost, and lower eco-taxes. Depending on local infrastructure, it may additionally offer improved recyclability over laminate materials.

As the brand name suggests, Paper-Like™ is a flexible plastic solution with the look and feel of paper. It can be applied on all flexible materials − BOPA, PA, PET, and BOPP, and is suitable on all processing machines: thermoforming, tray lidding, and flow pack.

In addition to the environmental benefits associated with weight reduction, Paper-Like™ boasts what Bemis claim as a number of competitive advantages in relation to paper

laminates. While offering the look and feel of paper, it retains the efficiency of film laminates: easy to seal and good flatness allowing higher production outputs and lower leakers.

In addition to the environmental and cost advantages, custom-branded Paper-Like™ offers brand owners and retailers a chance to make their products stand out from competitors, with a visual and tactile impression that can be decisive at the point of purchase.

High resolution rotogravure printing technology can create a unique branded paper look.

Paper-Like™, available in several standard designs (cloudy paper look or lined paper look - brown or white), offers an attractive artisanal appearance which provides a ‘Great First Moment of Truth’ - sustainability underpinned by an attractive business model.

Visit: www.bemis.com/europe Packaging Europe | 11 |

Food Waste

Winner: Sealed Air & Greencore, Ovenable Ready-Meals

F

or the winning entry in our Food Waste category we have chosen to highlight the importance of introducing technology that works on the marketplace, as exemplified by the collaboration between Sealed Air and international convenience foods producer Greencore.

With the ready meal industry continuing to thrive, there is a growing demand by consumers for superior appearance and performance in ready meals packaging. Producers and retailers must meet this expectation. Cryovac® Sealappeal® solution delivers on both fronts.

Within the ready meal category, processors are striving to attract consumers to their products by ensuring the products are appealing - both in terms of quality and visual presentation. Greencore Group sought to achieve this by using Cryovac’s Sealappeal solution for ovenable packaging for its line of convenience products. Sealappeal OSF offers real peelability, enhanced hermeticity and outstanding transparency – resulting in products that stay fresher longer while delivering a more appealing presentation. Greencore’s effort to implement Sealappeal OSF into production is one way the company is furthering its goal of continuously improving consumer experience.

Today’s shopper spends an extremely short time in front of the shelf choosing their product, making presentation crucial. Pack appearance is a key component of Cryovac® Sealappeal® success, affording a smooth, transparent, tight pack presentation that is visually appealing to the consumer. The Cryovac® Sealappeal® film is an extremely thin, sustainable food packaging system with exceptional optics, all while still providing the same preservation characteristics as multilayer materials. Building on the noted importance of appearance, Sealed Air is now extending the Cryovac® Sealappeal® OSF range by offering Anti Fog features, ensuring perfect transparency to highlight the food product as the star. | 12 | Packaging Europe

Surveys focused on convenience foods have highlighted that opening products is a top frustration for consumers; further, these researches show that after encountering problems with opening product packaging, more than 60% of consumers will buy a different product in the future. The Cryovac® Sealappeal® range tackles this issue with its outstanding peelability. Thanks to lidding that peels off easily in one piece, the solution eliminates the common complaint of awkward opening and film splinters being left in the food.

With the use of Sealappeal OSF, Greencore is improving consumer experience while also realising gains in operational efficiency at their facilities. The Sealappeal film, while lightweight, ensures limited to no tearing during high speed production and results in less waste and ecotaxes for Greencore.

Visit: www.sealedair.com

Food Waste

Runner up: Dansensor: LeakProtego

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ackaging can only preserve food and extend its shelf-life when it functions effectively.

Packaging Europe decided to highlight the importance of testing machinery to the fight against food waste in celebrating a new leak testing system for individual modified atmosphere packages (MAP) packages by Dansensor.

LeakProtego, a fully automated leak testing system, has been developed to help food processors ensure that individual MAP are not going out the door with undetected micro leaks. The solution, unveiled at the IFFA tradeshow in Frankfurt in May this year, was developed by Dansensor, a subsidiary of MOCON, in response to processor demands for improved package integrity and shelf life monitoring. The first-of-its-kind online system has been engineered to test for potential leaks at levels lower than previously possible. This is of particular significance for processors who are pushing the shelf life envelope. “Leaks degrade shelf life, compromise product safety and negatively impact brand image. We wanted to develop a concept that provides food processors with package integrity information further upstream to facilitate cost savings,� remarks Karsten Kejlhof, vice president of sales and marketing, MOCON. Currently, most food processors test for leaks further down the line when the product has already been placed into cases or shipping crates. Solving the problem at that stage becomes more labour intensive and costly.

Dansensor’s LeakProtego uses a patent-pending sensing system with CO2 as a trace gas to detect leaks down to 50 microns. The technology relies on modular units, each of which can test up to 12 packages per minute. Multiple modules can be combined so that individual package testing can keep up with MAP equipment output. The modules provide processors with critical information such as individual leak size and rate so that production line modifications can be made quickly.

Visit: www.dansensor.com Packaging Europe | 13 |

Bio-Based Bio-Based

Winner: Solid Board Enriched with Tomato Fibre S olidus Solutions’ skilled team of product engineers has developed fully-sustainable solid board packaging that is enriched with the recycled fibres of tomato plants.

This means that tomatoes can now be packaged for retail using their ‘own’ plant fibres, a highly attractive concept for both consumers and growers!

Every year, 85 million kilos of tomato plants are grown on approximately 1800 hectares in the Netherlands. Usually the life cycle of these plants ends when they are composted, resulting in the loss of the valuable elements contained in the plants such as protein and cellulose. Solidus however has pioneered an innovative method of applying this plant residue in a highly efficient manner to produce solid board which can itself later be recycled.

Every hectare of tomato plants can produce 100,000 tomato boxes (trays of 6kg), which is exactly the amount of packaging needed for the 600 tonnes of tomatoes that are grown on the same hectare. This means that this year’s crop can provide next year’s packaging – a perfect example of maximum use!

The tomato board packaging has yielded quantifiable environmental gains, since waste paper and tomato plants become recyclable sources for solid board, and the board can later be collected as waste paper. Compared with the old situation, this innovation enables a reduction of CO2 emissions between 250 and 54,500g CO2 eq. for 1000kg board, or approximately 200 boxes for 6kg of tomatoes (depending on whether a limited or broad process scenario is used). This equals up to 420 kilometres by car.

This innovative bio-based solid board has been used in packaging for Silky Pink cocktail tomatoes for Duijvestijn Tomaten, a producer of sustainably-grown tomatoes, and to produce consumer packaging for 0.7 to 1kg vine tomatoes for Harvest House. | 14 | Packaging Europe

Harvest House supplies a range of retailers including HelloFresh, the international online ordering service for fresh ingredients.

The solid board packaging enriched with tomato plant fibres is fully recyclable, and at least as strong as regular solid board, meaning that tomatoes packed in the tomato plant board are well protected during packing, storage, cooling, and transport to the consumer.

Visit: www.solidus-solutions.com

Packaging Europe | 15 |

Runner up: Mondi Industrial Bags, Eco Bag series

M

ondi’s Eco Bag Series is a range of bags in different sizes created for fresh food packaging and bio-waste collection. It is a compostable bag consisting of a paper outer layer and inner layer made of BASF’s ecovio®, a high-quality and versatile bioplastic of BASF. The primary advantages it’s certified compostable and contains bio based content.

Packaging Europe was impressed by its dual performance in packaging and end-of-life applications – with the possibility that it may perform both packaging and composting functions for some product groups. The solution also boasts significant environmental savings in materials and production.

The Eco Bag boasts a number of unique characteristics. The packaging has the ability to protect and keep fruit and vegetables fresh for longer, and delivered in better condition till the delivery time to customer. Meanwhile, in end-of-life usage the protective barrier on the inside layer prevents germ and insect infestation during transportation to biogas fermentation plant. Thanks to its construction and barrier properties, the stable, free standing pack is drench-resistant, for example watermelon leftovers can remain in the bag for days without leaking. It also offers an odour barrier, so it is suitable for kitchen storage, keeping the food waste fresh until it is thrown into the rubbish.

Ecological advantages of the product that render the Eco Bag a high sustainable innovation include a construction that facilitates up to six per cent more biogas production from the collected waste, including the fully compostable packaging itself. More biogas ultimately leads to increased green electricity generation.

Certified with DIN EN 13432, the Eco Bag is available in a variety of sizes and applications, ranging from bio-waste bags of five litres up to the open-top bio-waste bag, aimed at garden rubbish, with a volume of 140l. The large sized bags are made from one-ply of paper (Mondi ONE paper), which offers higher strength, compared to the usual three-ply bags that are often used for green rubbish collections by cities and municipalities. This | 16 | Packaging Europe

represents a saving of up to 38 per cent in raw materials. The smaller sizes of the bags can be produced as Double Bag, which leads to 50 per cent lower production times and therefore energy costs.

Mondi Industrial Bags, a business segment of Mondi’s Europe & International Division, is the leading international producer of industrial paper bags1, selling around 5 billion bags per year. Thanks to its broad range of bag specifications, Mondi Industrial Bags serves major industries including cement and building materials, chemicals, food, feed and seed.

The business segment operates a dense sales and service network, the specialised filling equipment department Natro Tech as well as its Bag Application Centre, where researchers develop and test innovative packaging solutions.

Bio-Based

Packaging Europe | 17 |

End of Life

Winner: Recyclable Flexible Packaging P lastic used across international value-chains for food and beverage packaging currently represents a staggering two-thirds of the world’s plastic waste. While there have been noteworthy advances in the recyclability of rigid packaging, flexible plastic packaging still remains an issue with no significant ecological waste management alternatives and no viable End-of-Life solutions. In response, eco-friendly Israeli start-up TIPA has created an innovative flexible packaging solution, which behaves similarly to an orange or banana peel when thrown away, to offer food and beverage brands a viable alternative.

TIPA’s bio-based and 100% compostable pouches, which have similar mechanical and shelf-life properties to ordinary plastic, are a game changer in the flexible packaging market. TIPA’s pouches solve a complex multitude of challenges: from flexibility, sealing strength, manufacturing challenges, adaptability to current packaging and production practices, shelf life requirements and more.

TIPA’s compelling vision for a sustainable, biodegradable plastic packaging was envisaged in response to the topical issue of the unnecessary levels of damaging plastic waste.

TIPA, founded in April 2010 by Daphna Nissenbaum and Tal Neuman set out to resolve the challenge of creating sustainable flexible packaging by creating advanced bio-plastics materials, and a packaging solution that could be returned back to nature after its used, just like an orange peel becomes a part of the food waste stream.

While bio-plastic product alternatives have been around for over 20 years, these bio-plastics have largely not yet delivered on the promise of retaining the same packaging qualities as their traditional plastic formulations, while also being capable of biodegrading 100% with no harmful footprint. Flexible packaging is a growing segment of the global packaging market and it was used as the starting point for TIPA’s biodegradable packaging

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solution. At present, most flexible packaging cannot be practically recycled leaving a huge gap in the circular economy and stimulating the already tenuous global waste crisis.

In response to these challenges, TIPA set out to provide a viable and comprehensive solution for the flexible packaging waste problem. This involved: developing the next generation of sustainable, flexible food packaging that provide the same properties as conventional plastic packaging; creating packaging that can be returned back to nature, and used as a valuable resource following use; develop a sustainable out-of-the-box solution to a fast-growing market that currently has no viable ecological solutions; addressing modern packaging requirements including mechanical properties, shelf life and durability, transparency, printability and flexibility; meeting the requirements of organic waste streams (the optimal organic waste treatment is in compost system or bio-gas systems); and creating a packaging solution that integrates with current manufacturing facilities.

TIPA offers a range of bioplastic solutions - coextruded transparent and high-transparent or coated/metalised cast films, which are sealable and printable on both sides or laminated as printing, typically used for packaging of fresh produce, bakery, grain-mill products or bags. Its barrier films are characterised by their improved performance, which are comparable to alternative market flexible plastics. TIPA’s breakthrough technology provides high-quality compostable solutions.

The new technology requires additional aspects such as food contact approval, disintegration certifications, etc. For high scale manufacturing they work with key industry players in several territories around the world. They also work tightly with NGOs and regulatory bodies.

The development process started approximately six years ago. During this time, the company has focused most of its efforts and assets on developing the solution, protecting the IP by patents, building the supply chain process and more. Parallel to that, it also ran several pilots with customers to approve the shelf life for key food sectors. Sales of TIPA’s sustainable packaging solutions began in Q3 2015 and since then the company has launched a number of applications already, including carrot bags, vanilla powder pouches, apparel packaging, snack wrappers and more.

TIPA offers end consumers and brand owners the opportunity to use for the first time ecological and organically recyclable solutions to replace existing non- recyclable and non-compostable packaging. TIPA also offers municipalities and states the opportunity to reduce packaging waste otherwise being discarded in landfill and incineration centres and instead have this tonnes of waste being utilised instead as feedstock to create fertilisers to further cultivate land to produce more food for the plant.

Visit: www.tipa-corp.com

End of Life Runner up: International Paper: KFC Bucket K FC UK and Ireland partnered with foodservice packaging specialist, International Paper Foodservice Europe to develop a paper board food bucket with a difference. Polyethylene (PE) is often used in paper board food buckets either internally to prevent the grease from the food soaking through the container or externally to improve print finish. This new version of the KFC bucket, developed by International Paper, uses a grease-resistant lining instead of a traditional PE lining, which removes plastic from the construction of the product, rendering the packaging more easily recyclable. At the same time, it also prevents the build-up of grease to improve food presentation.

Further development work targeted the outer of the container to give it extra visual impact. KFC UK and Ireland wanted a glossy finish, but that needed to be achieved without the addition of a plastic coating. Building on its earlier investment in print quality at its Winsford factory, International Paper Foodservice Europe has now developed a clay-coated finish that brings extra vibrancy to the print.

David Lawlor, sales and marketing director of International Paper Foodservice Europe comments: “This iconic KFC bucket is a great example of how International Paper Foodservice Europe is able to work with its customers to find solutions to challenges and implement them. We have invested a great deal of time in R&D to develop this unique product to meet the specific requirements of our customer and we are proud to have partnered with KFC to bring this to market.”

Julie Buffandeau, KFC UK and Ireland’s supply chain manager for Product Excellence Department, adds: “International Paper Foodservice Europe was very receptive to our requests.

The R&D team at Winsford took the brief and proved their ability to innovate, working closely with us to deliver a product that met our specifications and is truly unique in the market.”

The new food bucket will be available in two sizes - 85oz and 130oz. As with all paper board products manufactured by International Paper Foodservice Europe, the new food buckets are certified to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®, SFI, and will be stamped with the SFI logo, providing assurance that the fibre used is sourced from responsible and legal sources.

Visit: www.internationalpaper.com

Runner up: Elif Plastik Ambalaj: ElifHolo E

lifHolo is a new, recyclable solution for brand owners seeking holographic applications. It enables holographic patterns without use of metal substrates and can be directly applied on the printed packaging film, thereby reducing material usage and boosting recyclability. Applied on various substrates, ElifHolo make it possible to form a complicated, extremely detailed, pixelated images in such a way as to give a holographic pattern, vivid and realistic 3-D portrayal of perspective and parallax.

“As a environmentally consious supplier of flexible packaging, Elif’s innovative packaging solution ElifHolo offers a new technology for brand owners looking for attractive packaging designs with brand authentication and sustainable substrates,” the manufacturer comments. “We came up with a more sustainable solution by considering the environmental impact during the manufacture, use and especially disposal of traditional hologram packaging.”

The resulting ElifHolo eliminates use of metal substrate for holograms, enabling for the first time widespread recycling of holography-applied packages. In addition, it makes brings down the cost of putting a hologram on packaging, facilitates 3D holographic printing effects to offer a stimulating visual experience and brand conformity for consumers, and offers brand authentication against counterfeiting with holographic printing.

“Sustainable packaging will continue to be a key area of development for brands looking to not only improve their image with consumers, but also provide a better product experience and, ultimately, improve the bottom line,” the company tells Packaging Europe. “Elif beliefs that the future of sustainable packaging should not only be about becoming more efficient and sustainablee, but also helping the global consumers lead a life that’s more convenient and aspirational, but with a limited impact on the environment. Elif’s goal is to create attractive, well presented packaging with the least possible environmental impact and fervently works for it.”

Packaging Europe | 19 |

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Packaging Europe | 21 |

Winner: Ceramicx & LINPAC: Low-Carbon EPS Production

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orking with supplier Ceramicx, LINPAC has succeeded in achieving drastic energy reductions on its expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging lines. A recent programme of machinery refurbishment at LINPAC St Helens, UK, and at other LINPAC group sites has ensured a world-first reduction in the energy cost of EPS packaging, thus slashing the carbon footprint of the products produced even further.

LINPAC produces EPS for a range of foodservice packaging solutions at St. Helens.

Lightweight yet robust, the HOTpac and EPS tray range keeps food warm, manage portion control and are extremely lightweight; in fact a single pack is 98% air. That being said, LINPAC does not stand still. The company has a focus on improving the environmental performance of all of its product ranges and the opportunity to improve the EPS extrusion and thermoforming processes to further minimise the production carbon footprint had to be investigated.

The reduction in production carbon footprint was achieved by upgrading selected thermoforming product lines from conventional heating systems to infrared-based heating.

LINPAC Innovation Director Alan Davey says that ‘production innovation is as much a part of our brief as product innovation. EPS packaging is a perfectly fit-for-purpose packaging solution and we are delighted at LINPAC to be reducing its environmental impact even further with these energy saving technologies.’

Infrared (IR) radiation can sometimes be described as ‘sunshine without light’. When applied correctly in heat work it can result in substantial improvements in process accuracy and energy saving.

However, IR heat science is still relatively misunderstood and misapplied in many industrial sectors. LINPAC supplier Ceramicx uses proprietary know-how and instrumentation to accurately map the invisible IR heat flux spectrum thus enabling the company to build the lowest energy IR heat source and control.

In order to enable and prove the new IR heat system, a substantial amount of study work was undertaken prior to, and during, the St Helens upgrade process. These studies were commissioned for LINPAC by the IR heating supplier Ceramicx and were conducted at the St Helens site by Dr. Robin Kent of Tangram Technology, who measured the detailed differences in the heat and energy performance between two identical thermoforming lines.

The comparisons between the IR and non-IR thermoforming lines were undertaken using identical tools, products and cycle times. Both LINPAC lines manufacture the same EPS packaging products for the food service industries.

Under test, the IR heating systems showed a decrease in the average power drawn from 56.16 kW to 32.85 kW, representing a 41.6% reduction in energy. Figures were also taken that showed a direct comparison between the two oven systems. With the machine base loads removed, the Ceramicx IR-based system then showed a measured energy saving of 45.8%.

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Machinery

Both machines were directly comparable and both are part of two in-line and fast cycling systems at the customer, loaded with the same tools.

David Parker at LINPAC says that ‘we wanted to ensure that all the proposed system changes and energy reductions were scientifically measurable and verifiable. This was achieved and we are now scaling up the benefits in similar production work across the LINPAC group.’

Ceramicx owner Frank Wilson says that ‘we were delighted to collaborate with LINPAC on this unique project. The best thermoformers in the world are questioning, re-evaluating and moving their heat technology and production efficiency over to IR sources.

‘Carrying on regardless with the same heat legacy issues is neither sensible nor profitable. The key for us is to provide such customers with great IR thermoforming platen build – and to combine that with pin-point accurate electronic and process control.’

In plastics thermoforming production these heating legacy issues to be overcome can often include burn outs, electrical faults and problems with older style and non-directional heating. Tubular and magnesium filled heating solutions; black rod heating and other kinds of non-infrared sources can all make a contribution to inexact systems of thermoforming production and – above all – to a waste of energy and electricity cost. And in a completely enclosed system or oven, this kind of heating becomes uncontrollable. Thermoforming operators are being continually forced to ramp up the power and the input electricity in order to try and maintain an even temperature.

Getting new IR heating systems designed and installed for thermoformers typically requires 3-4 days onsite for integration, including a 24 hour runoff. Opportunity is also taken for the new thermoforming control system to provide early warning diagnostic features; the ability to alarm the operator in the event of a single heater loss, a shorted wire or bad fuse.

Replacing an entire thermoforming machine is too big a step for many but an IR upgrade can improve the performance of an expensive fixed capital asset and can typically pay for itself within months.

Every thermoforming system, in some way, has its custom features depending on products, materials and cycle time. The Ceramicx belief is that sooner or later most of these will migrate over to IR based systems in the coming years.

The St Helens-bound Ceramicx IR-based oven platen and control system was designed and built at the company’s manufacturing facility in West Cork, Ireland before being shipped directly to LINPAC. The new oven has a total of eight temperature sensors built into the system. These can be selected individually or grouped for control purposes. Additionally the heaters can be subdivided into as many as 132 separate zones, thus saving further energy and giving a wide range of control options.

The Ceramicx oven system features upper and lower heating platens together with power control systems, enclosures, switchgear, and PLC control.

A total of 420 Ceramicx IR heating elements were used for the St Helens upgrade. Each of these Ceramicx-made elements has its own unique and traceable heating fingerprint, the performance of which is documented and verifiable online.

The oven assembly itself is fitted with pneumatic cylinders which are operated manually via two solenoid valves. The lower platen is used as a counterweight, using steel rope and pulleys. The control systems offer the processor a choice of both open and closed loop control, together with cost-saving procedures in start-up and fault monitoring in addition to inline process energy control.

Visit: www.linpacpackaging.com and www.ceramicx.co.uk

Machinery Runner up: W&H: OPTIMEX and VAREX Lines W &H scoops the runner-up award in the machinery category in recognition of the advances made in energy efficient machinery. The advances made by the OPTIMEX and VAREX blown film lines in three- to nine-layer configurations have been quantified and received certification from TÜV Süd on this basis. Due to the difficulty of comparing data on different lines, previous studies focused on individual components of a blown film line.

This is the first time a complete series of blown film extrusion lines has been audited on its energy consumption and been awarded the ‘best available technology’ in energy efficiency

by TÜV Süd. The VISTAFLEX and MIRAFLEX flexographic presses have been also been awarded TÜV certificates.

Sustainability has long been a topic of intense discussion in film extrusion; the main focus being reducing energy. Auditing blown film lines involved extensive measurements to determine energy consumption of the OPTIMEX and VAREX lines as well as to define a reasonable scope of the investigation. In a subsequent step, TÜV Süd examined the extent to which W&H strives for energy efficiency in both their corporate orientation and manufacturing processes.

As a market and technological leader, W&H views this certification as documented proof of its commitment to the design of energy-efficient blown film extrusion lines. This independent audit provides customers with the assurance that all components requiring electricity or compressed air on a W&H blown are equipped with the most up-to-date, cutting-edge technology.

This certification can be presented to national agencies as documented proof of energy efficiency of newly purchased W&H blown film lines. In Europe, such documentation is useful for obtaining a certificate according to ISO 50001; the requirement is for the partial exemption from the Renewable Energy Reallocation Charge and future relief of the electricity and energy tax to those companies in the manufacturing sector.

Recurring audits ensure that all updates or changes to W&H blown film lines meet these standards and any developments in the energy efficiency of the W&H machines are transparent for the customer to see.

Energy efficiency also takes top priority for the design and manufacture of all W&H printing presses and converting machinery.

TÜV Süd is a global engineering services company headquartered in Munich, Germany.

Its range of services comprises consulting, inspection, testing and expert opinions as well as certification and training in the INDUSTRY, MOBILITY and CERTIFICATION segments. Their objectives are reliability, safety and quality, environmental protection and economic efficiency.

Visit: www.wuh-group.com

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Best Practice

Winner: Iggesund Paperboard T he top award in the Best Practice category goes to Iggesund in recognition of the company’s all-round efforts to drive sustainability in both its own operations and the wider supply chain. Iggesund has adopted the philosophy that ‘many small steps add up to large ones’. While there have been numerous multi-million euro investments, the company has also made many smaller investment decisions with significant environmental implications. One of these is the wooden bridge that links the mill at Iggesund with the wastewater purification facility on the adjacent island of Skälön.

“Long-term environment work is less about making a few big decisions and more about making many small decisions which include the environmental aspects,” explains Anna Mårtensson, environmental manager at the company’s Swedish paperboard mill, Iggesund Mill. “In this case a wooden bridge was a better environmental choice than a concrete one.”

For over a century bridges in Sweden have primarily been built of steel and concrete.

But now wooden bridges are gaining ground again. They are as durable as concrete and are also beautiful. When their environmental aspects are also considered, wooden bridges are a serious alternative. Iggesund Paperboard has joined the trend. When Iggesund Mill expanded its wastewater purification facility on the island of Skälön outside the mill, the company decided to replace the old bridge with a stronger one. The new bridge would allow heavy trucks heading for the island to avoid making a nine-kilometre detour.

“We quickly calculated that a new bridge would pay off, both financially and environmentally,” Anna Mårtensson remembers. “Above all, wood makes less of an environmental impact than steel and concrete.”

An engineering thesis from Uppsala University concludes that a lifecycle analysis of a concrete bridge, based on a lifespan of 40 years and including investment costs, construction process and maintenance, results in twice the carbon dioxide emissions as a bridge built of wood. Using wood as a building material has two major fundamental environmental advantages: first, the wood is produced from a renewable resource and with minimal energy input, and, second, the photosynthesis process in growing trees binds carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It is also often both easier and cheaper to build in wood than in other materials. From a lifecycle perspective, wood is therefore an advantageous choice in terms of efficient resource usage, energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions and waste.

At Iggesund Paperboard environmental aspects – large and small – are considered when making every decision. The company’s environmental work is not separate from its main business because good investments always go hand in hand with a better environment. “Many small improvements lead to major environmental gains, with lower emissions | 24 | Packaging Europe

and a greater likelihood that Iggesund Paperboard will continue to lead the process industry’s sustainability league tables in the future too,” Mårtensson says.

Iggesund Mill’s environmental work to date has led to a fifty per cent reduction in the amount of sulphur and particulate emissions within only a couple of years. In addition, the mill’s major investments in water purification have resulted in a radical reduction of emissions of nutrients into the Baltic Sea outside the mill. This in turn has resulted in improved water quality and clear signs of recovery in the marine ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Iggesund is working to promote more sustainable consumer packaging through its design challenge initiative. “We’re overwhelmed by the enthusiasm that greeted our project, both from the participating designers but also the attention it has received in the press,” comments public relations manager Staffan Sjöberg. “And of course we’re pleased, because one of our aims was to show more designers what they can do with paperboard.”

One of this year’s winning entries is a packaging system for rolls of toilet or kitchen paper submitted by Maikel Roberts, Barcelona. “It’s exciting from our perspective as a paperboard manufacturer because it involves an upgrade from plastic wrap to paperboard,” Sjöberg says. “What Maikel has created is a system that allows more to be loaded on every pallet and also gives better exposure at the point of sale. It also probably makes in-store handling easier.”

Jessica Bergdahl, Moa Ahlström, and Linnea Löfgren, first-year students at Nackademin in Stockholm, Sweden, were selected for their tri-function crisps packaging. As packaging, it protects its contents better than a traditional bag but it can also be unfolded and function as a serving bowl. Finally, the lid, which is used to close the packaging, can also be used to serve dip in.

“Packaging that can offer several functions during its lifetime is always interesting and I’m convinced that we will see more of this type of thing in the future,” comments Bo Wallteg, long-time editor-in-chief of the packaging industry magazine Nord-Emballage, and member of the competition jury.

The Bulgarian design name Alpha Design was the third winner for its proposal for a holder and protective cover for e-book readers.

“A paperboard cover or holder is inexpensive and also means e-book readers can be supplied with customised contents and a cover that reflects the contents,” explains Johan Granås, Business Developer at Iggesund, who was also a member of the three-person jury.

“But even if that option is not used, this should still be a cheaper alternative than many other holders and covers now on the market.”

Visit: www.iggesund.com

Best Practice

Runner up: Tetra Pak: Renewable Power T etra Pak takes a spot in our Sustainability Awards for the second year running thanks to its decision to join RE100, and with it committing to increase its use of renewable electricity from 20 per cent today to 100 per cent across all global operations by 2030.

Charles Brand, executive vice president for Product Management and Commercial Operations at Tetra Pak comments: “Signing up to RE100 reflects our on-going commitment to minimising our climate impact and increasing our use of renewable resources.

“We have set an ambitious target to ensure carbon emissions across our value chain are capped at 2010 levels through to 2020, and we are making excellent progress. In 2015 emissions were down 15 per cent from the 2010 baseline, despite a 16 per cent increase in production.

“Since setting our climate goal we have maximised our efforts to reduce energy consumption; committing to a renewable electricity target is a natural next step. By joining RE100 we will benefit from expert guidance and peer-to-peer learning on renewable electricity options in different markets.”

Mark Kenber, CEO of The Climate Group, remarks: “The demand push from corporates is as important as supportive government policy – bold action by businesses, cities and governments sends a strong market signal and means we can hold global warming below two degrees far more quickly.

“The Clean Energy Ministerial is shining the spotlight on RE100 as a model of best practice in galvanising the switch to renewable energy, and the leadership of influential companies – such as Tetra Pak, which is joining RE100 today – shows the business case for 100 per cent renewables is as strong as ever.”

RE100 is a global, collaborative business initiative led by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP to drive demand for, and delivery of, renewable power.

Tetra Pak’s decision to join RE100 once again underscores a commitment to address climate change, coming six months after the company joined the Paris Pledge for Action at COP21, and following ambitious moves into bioplastics in 2015.

Visit: www.tetrapak.com

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EVENT

ProPak China 2016: China’s Premier Processing & Packaging event Growth in domestic demand, year on year for all consumer products in China, combined with a requirement for safe manufacturing, has fuelled the market for the latest processing and packaging technology and safest packaging materials. Meeting this demand, the 22nd edition of ProPak China, the nation’s premier processing and packaging exhibition, will return to Shanghai New International Expo Centre, SNIEC, Pudong from 13-15 July 2016, and will be bigger than ever before. The show organizer, China International Exhibitions (CIE) announced that ProPak China 2016 will grow this year to occupy five halls at SNIEC, an area of 61,000 square metres.

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total of 17,326 buyers attended the last edition of ProPak in 2015. For 2016, the trade show will again offer a platform for international and Chinese manufacturers and suppliers of the latest processing and packaging technology for all industry, to meet their customers in China. ProPak China regularly attracts the top buyers from major brands and market leaders of the following products: beer, beverage, cosmetics, dairy, food, household chemicals, industrial and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Buyers from these specialist product sectors, will find at ProPak China 2016, dedicated event features including BevTek; DairyTek; FoodTek; PharmaTek and CosmeticTek China 2016. Exhibitors selling products for these sectors will be listed in separate marketing material and eDM campaigns prior to the show. When the specialist buyer visits the exhibition they will find exhibitors serving their industries highlighted in the show Visitor Guide. Making it convenient for them to find the companies supplying technology relevant to their industry amongst the hundreds of exhibitors spread over five exhibition halls.

A further reason to attend ProPak for managers, factory & plant engineers, contract packagers from food, beverage, dairy, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries will be the series of specialist industry seminars covering trends and latest technology applications, taking place alongside the exhibition for each industry sector.

New for this year and for the first time in China the exhibition will host the ProPak Food Quiz Bowl. A competition for Food Science students from seven East China Universities, Zhejiang University, Fuzhou University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Ocean University, Zhejiang Gong Shang University; Jiang Nan University and Nanjing Agriculture University. The competition is organized by the Fuli Institute of Food Science, Zhejiang University (FIFS) and a committee of representatives from all the participating colleges and supported by the China National Food Science Institute.

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Innovations Strategic partners, leading brands and more companies than ever before from China and overseas will show their latest processing and packaging technology innovations at ProPak China in Shanghai this July. Manufacturers of food and beverages; snack foods; cosmetics; pharmaceuticals; retail goods and any industrial products that require processing and packaging will find cost saving technology at the 22nd edition of ProPak China 2016 from 13-15 July 2016 at Shanghai New International Expo Centre.

More than 550 participating companies from 22 countries and regions have registered so far, with more companies booking space every day. Exhibitors can expect to meet some 18,000 buyers from China’s leading product manufacturers for all industries. Visitors will come from all over the World, seeking processing and packaging technology and not just from China. An anticipated 2500 overseas buyers are expected from South America; Middle and Near East; Africa; Europe, South and North Asia and Australia and New Zealand, in search of Chinese made technology.

This year, the Active and Intelligent Packaging Industry Association, AIPIA Summit meeting will again held alongside at ProPak China. The AIPIA Summit includes the most cutting edge technology innovations for the food and beverage packaging industry. Presentations will include, Andrew Manly, AIPIA Chairman – antimicrobials, scavenging and natural solutions; Stanton Kaye, Infratab - condition monitoring in supply chain; Peter Higgins, UWI Labelling – extended shelf technologies and condition monitoring for retailers/consumers; Julia Wu, Multivac - latest shelf-life extension technologies using vacuum packaging and Jeremy Laurens; BluLog – monitoring temperature in retail shops to ensure optimum conditions to avoid waste.

Other specialist technical seminars on offer and free of charge for visitors to ProPak China 2016 include presentations by Shanghai Beverage Industry Association and China (Yangtze Delta) Beverage Alliance. Edoo Media presenting case studies from Mengniu Dairy, KUKA robot, Swisslog, Snow beer and WOLF on a comprehensive range of food, beverage, cosmetics and pharmaceutical production issues and solutions. New for this year and for the first time in China the exhibition will host the ProPak Food Quiz Bowl. A competition for Food Science students from seven East China Universities, Zhejiang University, Fuzhou University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Ocean University, Zhejiang Gong Shang University; Jiang Nan University and Nanjing Agriculture University. Connecting ProPak exhibitors to the food scientists and manufacturers of the future.

Visit: www.propakchina.com

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EVENT

K 2016 – Innovation takes centre stage T

he world’s premier trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry will once again be presenting the entire range of products and services that the industry has to offer, from the latest state of the art to groundbreaking innovations to visionary developments. Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, president and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, shares his outlook on the plastics industry as it prepares for its key event.

The registration period for participation in K 2016 closed a few weeks ago. How would you rate the response from the global plastics and rubber industry?

Extremely positive! The demand for exhibition space has risen once again and all of the 19 halls at the Düsseldorf exhibition centre are completely booked up. More than 3,000 exhibitors from all five continents will be taking part and presenting their innovations. The spectrum of participating companies ranges from globally operating industrial groups to start-ups and covers all segments of the world market for polymers. K 2016 will be presenting a panorama of unmatched breadth and depth.

Will all of the companies who have registered actually be able to take part?

We will keep our promise: all companies that registered by 31st May and whose exhibits meet the K 2016 nomenclature will be allocated a stand. In some cases, it might be necessary to compromise on the stand size, but I am confident that we will find a good solution for everyone.

What is so special about K in Düsseldorf?

K is the premiering platform for the plastics and rubber industry. No other trade fair sparks off so many new ideas. Right now, companies throughout the industry are already working hard to make sure they present themselves in the best light when the date comes around in October 2016. And “in the best light” stands for “with interesting innovations”. Because innovative products are the most important asset in a competitive environment. Only those who can offer new technologies that bring real benefits to their customers will be able to hold their own against strong competition.

Another unique feature of K is its high degree of internationalism, both on the exhibitor and on the visitor side. This guarantees that trade visitors will find world-class products and services in every area covered. And it gives the exhibitors the opportunity to meet industry experts from over 100 countries and establish contacts with potential customers that they might not have been able to reach in other ways.

So innovation will take centre stage at K 2016. Will there be additional offerings providing insights into new developments and perspectives alongside what the exhibitors will be showcasing?

Enterprises from the industry and research institutes will be taking advantage of K 2016 to spotlight developments and future prospects in the plastics and rubber industry. This will be done not only at the exhibitors’ stands but also in the extensive supporting programme which offers the trade visitors another range of interesting topics. To mention just two: The special show in Hall 6 gives insights into how plastics can shape the future and solve tomorrow’s challenges – in functional, aesthetic and sustainable ways. Topics like resource efficiency, lightweight construction, new materials and Industry 4.0, and even the controversial marine litter, will be addressed in panel discussions and presented in multiple | 28 | Packaging Europe

media. The special show is organised by the German plastics industry under the auspices of PlasticsEurope Deutschland and Messe Düsseldorf.

While the special show is directed at industry decision-makers and also reaches the general public through multipliers and the media, the Science Campus is the meeting place for the scientific community. This is where institutions, universities and other establishments present their latest research results in the complex field of plastics and rubber and dialogue with industrial users.

With such a broad array of offerings, will the trade visitors be able to find all the highlights at the trade fair?

Yes, of course! K 2016 offers huge variety, but at the same time it is very clearly structured.

The exhibition halls are dedicated to the specific areas of • raw materials, auxiliaries • semi-finished products, technical parts and reinforced plastics • machinery and equipment, and • services This structure ensures that each visitor can easily locate the exhibitors most likely to match his or her professional interests. An extensive range of web-based services makes planning very easy before and during visits to the trade fair. As an additional resource, the Innovation Compass is being optimised to allow even better identification of the new developments presented by exhibitors.

The global events calendar for the plastics and rubber industry has seen quite an upheaval recently regarding shifting of dates.

How does this affect K 2016?

Thanks to its scope and the unrivalled internationality, K has a very special standing in the world. It is seen as the heart of the industry and the starting point for major decisions regarding products, processes and solutions. One of the key reasons why K is so successful is its concept, which we designed from the very beginning in consultation with manufacturers and processers and their industry associations and have continued to develop jointly with them ever since. This interaction has proved to be a winning combination and ensured that the trade fair has remained the undisputed leader for decades. And right now we are hearing that suppliers and decision-makers have a very high preference for Düsseldorf. People in the industry are rescheduling their events calendar worldwide to ensure that nothing clashes with K. K 2016 is open from 10:00 to 18.30 daily on 19-26 October.

Visit: www.k-online.com

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The Plastics of the Future Surgenia is a Spanish research unit that specialises in investigating trends and turning them into market innovation, guiding R&D efforts, the generation of ideas and setting up innovative projects. For this special Sustainability edition of Packaging Europe Surgenia provides an exclusive overview into the state of bioplastics – the potential game-changer for packaging sustainability.

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or the Observatory of Trends of Surgenia it is not news that the future will be green.

Green as regards values, processes and materials. The starting point is the concern of consumers and industry on organic waste processing –also identified in our last report “Gastrotendencias 2” as one of the most important drivers for change. But the carbon footprint of non-organic waste, such as plastics, is also a subject of concern which has fatal effects on the environment.

Against this background, a new concept was born that already belongs to the narrative of the industry and will be gradually introduced in the consumers’ minds. Circular Economy is indeed the engine of interesting initiatives that promote solutions to this global problem through the reuse of organic waste as a resource for making materials “bio” that can be used as packaging or bottles.

Among the advantages of bioplastics should be emphasized the carbon footprint, reduction in consumption of fossil resources, the reduction in plastic waste and the energysaving in their production. In addition those materials are flexible, resistant to humidity and corrosion, mouldable and impermeable.

According to market data from European Bioplastics and Bioplastics and Biocomposites Institute (IFBB), more than 6 million tons of bioplastics will be produced in 2017 with the packaging market the leading segment for applications of these materials.

The problem with plastics Plastics are materials composed by very large molecules of atom chains of carbon and hydrogen (polymers). Almost all of these polymers are obtained from fossil fuels, entailing high pressures on limited sources of non-renewable energy. Among other properties of plastics, benefits include corrosion resistance, transparency, the lightness of the final product, and that plastics are thermal and electric insulators.

According to data from PlasticsEurope, in 2013 the industry produced 299 million tons of plastic across the world. However, recovery and recycling rates are still very small and, according to a study published in the journal Science, 4.8 and 12.7 million tons of plastic waste ends up in seas every year. This is the main environmental problem since these materials may remain unalterable for around 100 to 500 years.

Bioplastics According to the European Bioplastics organisation, bioplastics are biobased plastics, biodegradable or a combination of both. Biodegradable plastics derive from renewable raw materials or fossil fuels (oil) and are biodegradable. These materials can be degraded by special bacteria (and their enzymes) to biomass, CO2 or methane, water and minerals. For a material to be considered biodegradable according to European regulation, they have to be broken down into fragments smaller than two mm after a maximum of 12 weeks.

Among the biodegradable plastics derived from renewable sources it is worth noting the polylactic acid (PLA) and the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), both obtained by bacterial fermentation; and cellulose derivatives, starch, and adipate-polybutylene terephthalate (PBAT) polybutylene succinate and (PBS) from fossil fuels.

Biobased plastics are derived from renewable sources (biomass) and may or may not be biodegradable. The raw material used for their manufacture are carbohydrates such as sugar and starch, protein, fibre (cellulose, lignin), and biofats or oils. The most prominent non-biodegradable biobased polymers are Biopolyethylene (Bio-PE), the Biopolyethylene Terephthalate (Bio-PET) and Biopolyvinyl chloride (Bio-PVC). Unlike biodegradable plastics, these plastics require chemical processing stages before use. | 30 | Packaging Europe

Image 1. Biodegradable plastics. Source: Nextshark

R&D Nowadays there are different research projects to obtain bioplastics from food industry waste. Of note, are European projects such as LIFE+WHEYPACK and PHBOTTLE (image), whose main objective is obtaining polyhydroxybutyrate, a biodegradable biopolymer obtained from bacteria fermentation of buttermilk surpluses and industrial wastewaters from juice industries respectively. Mexican researchers point out that Azotobacter is capable to produce this polymer.

This material is resistant to temperatures between -30ºC and 120ºC, as well as humidity; it is insoluble in water, crystalline and presents properties which are similar to conventional polymers derived from oil. After obtaining this material, 100per cent biodegradable packages are processed for the milk industry and bottles for fruit juice packaging derived from the same industry generator of water waste. In the case of the PHBOTTLE project, PHB properties will be improved by including cellulose fibres and encapsulated ingredients with antioxidant properties for increasing the shelf life of packaged juice.

Bioplastics Biodegradable

Non-biodegradable

Polylactic Acid (PLA) Bio-based

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)

Biopolyethylene (Bio-PE)

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)

Biopolyethylene Terephthalate (Bio-PET)

Cellulose Derivatives

Biopolyvinyl Chloride (Bio-PVC)

Starch

Fossil

Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT)

Polyethylene (PET)

Polybutylene Succinate (PBS)*

Conventional Plastics

*This material could also be obtained from biomass

Image 2. Generation of bioplastics through Azotobacter. Source: Amazings

Another innovative Project is SUCCIPACK, where a biodegradable biobased bioplastic has been obtained from bacteria fermentation of succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol, from renewal sources, specifically carbohydrates from different organic sources, Polybutylene succinate (PBS). This material is versatile and adapts to different transformation processes without modifying conventional production lines. Thanks

to this bioplastic, first prototypes of smart packaging have been created as well as biodegradable and compostable packaging for veggie burgers, fresh cheese, smoked fish, nuts and meats.

Beside these examples, similar projects are being carried out, such as LEGUVAL, where subproducts of legumes are exploited to obtain biodegradable bioplastics, and PLA4food, which have enabled the development of packaging with biodegradable and active properties of materials obtained from renewal sources (PLA or polylactic acid).

Antimicrobial molecules and micro-encapsulated anti-fungal of garlic were added to bioplastic in order to increase the shelf life of packaged vegetables. Various researches point out an increase of over 15per cent of shelf life of these foods. This packaging disappears in less than six months.

Bioplastics are a good alternative to the problem of conventional petroleum-based plastics. In addition, their properties are being improved by adding anti-fungal and antimicrobial substances in order to extend shelf life of packaged food.

In Surgenia we detect an important opportunity of innovation and differentiation for companies with an innovative packaging system, environmental friendliness, and the capability to connect with most leading drivers for change, trends and values of new consumers. For that reason, we support and guide companies in R&D related to the generation of most efficient and sustainable materials for the agri-food industry, always keeping in mind the importance of contributing to the development of systems and sensitive, environmentally friendly products. With the research conducted by our Observatory of Trends, we identify the most interesting innovations and contextualize them to guarantee the viability of new developments and their successful market uptake, by means of aligning them with the expectations and needs of the future consumers, who will be more and more inclined to reward environmentally friendly products.

Image 3. PLA4food project. To the left biodegradable packaging with active properties and to the right conventional packaging. Source: Aimplas

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Marketing Sustainable Packaging: A Match Made in Brand Heaven?

Packaging news often analyses the ways in which sustainable packaging is designed, manufactured, consumed, and recycled- but what about the way in which sustainable packaging is communicated to the consumer? The challenge is to make consumers care about sustainable packaging, without overwhelming them with corporate greenwashing.

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ustainable packaging is a sign of a brand with great environmental and community values, but sustainable packaging also fulfils key consumer values like quality and longevity. From multinational juggernauts to British beauty brands, brands are using sustainable packaging to score key PR and marketing wins, engaging their consumer audience with their packaging. The Sustainable Packaging Award winners announced this month will also be benefitting from positive brand PR, anchored in their sustainable packaging choices. Packaging is a powerful marketing tool, and brands should be using their marketing strategies to effectively communicate their sustainable packaging choices.

Make sustainable packaging part of your overall brand message Sustainable packaging is an amalgamation of processes, all kicked off by packaging design and (ideally) ending in closed-loop recycling. It’s important to communicate these sustainable values to consumers on multiple levels- using design, retail, and marketing to reinforce positive choices. But rather than simply plaster the words ‘sustainable packaging’ across products, successful branding is about incorporating these sustainable values into | 34 | Packaging Europe

an overall brand message. It’s always preferable to harmonise packaging choices with the rest of the brand, favouring subtle product psychology and wording, rather than a one-sizefits-all sustainable approach.

Making a tangible impression with sustainable storytelling Packaging is the ultimate customer touchpoint. The touch, smell, and feel of a tangible product is one of the most direct consumer interactions a brand will ever have. Packaging affects the purchase decision both consciously and subconsciously, making consumers rank a brand on a scale of differentiation and attractiveness.

Sustainable packaging should put forth sustainability as a core brand value. It’s important to draw people’s attention to ethical packaging credentials through colour and design choices, but the story these components end up telling is where the real power lies. Brand storytelling can make packaging an emotive experience, as it allows brands to tell consumers all about their brand story and their quest for sustainability. Telling a story in a brand strategy is great, but telling it in people’s hands is so much more powerful.

Packaging Ethics Beautiful products deserve beautiful packaging Beauty products are reliant on packaging, with consumer choices guided by packaging and branding as well as product features. Beauty products come close to people’s most intimate moments, and consumers look for products that are holistic and ethical, with beautiful sustainable packaging feeding into implied product benefits. A clean and crueltyfree beauty experience often starts with packaging and can be used as a ‘guilt-free’ hook for the consumer.

Brands having fun with sustainable packaging British household beauty brand LUSH has created a consistent brand image with its packaging; its distinctive black pots overlaid with white text are instantly recognisable. Individual stickers on the pots introduce consumers to the worker behind their product, hinting at local provenance. Their soap products are piled high, in all different shapes and sizes, steering clear from bland uniformity and emphasising craftsmanship. The innovative use of silk scarves as gift wrap, coupled with tins marketed for their soaps and shampoo bars, proves that sustainable packaging doesn’t have to be all cardboard and greens.

Together with irreverent copy and fun product names, LUSH creates an atmosphere of fun and tongue-in-cheek sustainability. They favour quirky names, textures, and wording, rather than a bland corporate greenwash feel. LUSH uses a brilliant, almost anti-packaging approach: “Our passion is to get rid of packaging when designing a product”. This commitment to minimising packaging has become a key brand packaging characteristic.

The challenge for brands looking to market themselves is about communicating their sustainable choices, without ramming corporate policy down people’s throats. By embracing disruptive design and out-of-the-box thinking brands can make sustainable packaging exciting and commercially viable. Non-stuffy and fresh packaging are hugely compelling with consumers and drive sales, and a healthy dose of humour never hurts either.

High-end luxury packaging focuses on simplicity and provenance Minimalist design favours sustainable materials thanks to its emphasis on cutting back, making it very suitable for the luxury brand market.

British luxury skincare experts at Liz Earle create delicate and subtle packaging in line with their natural ethos. Their minimal and muted packaging evokes the natural botanical ingredients used in their products. Brand values are communicated using complementary colour tones and subtle visual reminders of the botanical ingredients, in line with a highend luxury feel. Packaging can be used to hint at the raw materials behind the product to highlight quality provenance.

When Liz Earle celebrated their 15 years in 2010, they teamed up with British company Tinplate Products to create a Limited Edition tin for loyalty customers. Steel plated tin is a very sustainable packaging material that is both durable and 100 per cent recyclable.

The special Liz Earle tin became something customers could really ‘delight in’- a tangible indicator of brand values and loyalty. The longevity of tin means that tins will have a semi-permanent home in a consumer’s home. Using sustainable packaging as part of a tent-pole marketing milestone like a company anniversary is a great way to combine sustainability with marketing.

Marketing sustainable packaging Making an investment in sustainability obvious makes business sense, and it shouldn’t just end with packaging- marketing and PR should also be used to tell the sustainable brand story. Marketing activities should also include ways to raise awareness about how to reuse and recycle sustainable packaging – a standardised packaging campaign has just been launched in America to help consumers recycle better.

When exploring sustainable packaging, brands should consider how to make packaging more sustainable, and how to communicate this to the consumer more effectively. Reviewing design, copy, and marketing choices will be essential in ensuring that brands are putting their best foot forwards. Investing in sustainability should also be an investment in marketing.

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Paper

Paper-based packaging: Innovation and collaboration for sustainability Over recent years, customers have become increasingly engaged with the sustainability debate. For the producers of paper-based packaging, which is easily recyclable compared to plastic alternatives, this is positive both environmentally and commercially, writes Paul Watts, CEO of Solidus Solutions.

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lobally, recycling remains well below its full potential, but for European customers, the environmental credentials of packaging will often be a deciding factor on buying behaviour.

Paper-based packaging such as solid board, which is made from recycled paper fibres and can be reused numerous times, helps improve customers’ sustainability credentials.

It is often more commercially viable as well because it is light, space efficient and easy to transport. As a result, many retailers, logistics companies, manufactures etc. are choosing paper based packaging to meet their customers’ demands both from a commercial and environmental perspective.

However, over the same period, our industry has had to face a number of challenges and react to fast-changing trends. Most recently there have been political issues like Brexit, regulatory change and unclear government policy on packaging waste, as well as economic factors such as declining exports which have all had an impact.

Challenges In some cases, the paper-based packaging industry is facing challenges from areas of the market who are still unwilling to embrace change. In these instances, customers are still using less environmental friendly materials, for example, polystyrene packaging over recyclable, paper based alternatives. In addition to polystyrene being harder to transport and difficult to recycle, there are clear environmental hazards in the excessive use of polystyrene as packaging. The non-biodegradable material makes up a large amount of the debris in our oceans, seas and rivers.

Another area of challenge is around the fast pace of transformation within the industry.

One clear example of this is within packaging design. Our customers are asking for regular packaging changes, unique to their product. Suppliers and retailers want to clearly display the provenance of their goods and show how their products are distinct from their competitors. Given the recent focus on sustainable provenance and buying locally-sourced consumables with a transparent supply chain, this development is not surprising.

It is important for the sector to consider what this means for packaging manufacturers and the way we operate. The challenge for us is the need to regularly change packaging to align with marketing plans, seasonal variations and product changes, all while retaining minimal environmental impact.

This can be expensive and reduce efficiencies in the production cycle, particularly for smaller companies, who may find the rapid pace of change more difficult and costly to adapt to.

It also means that our customers are less flexible in the type of packaging they can choose because it is only possible to alter designs on certain materials. Paper-based packagers have invested heavily into technology and innovations which has enabled them to create bespoke products to suit customers’ needs.

Now, paper-based packaging manufacturers can adapt relatively easily because of the makeup of the product, but it is more difficult for those using plastic or polystyrene materials. | 38 | Packaging Europe

Innovation / collaboration Our industry has seen exciting new innovations designed to satisfy the greater customer appetite for green supply chains and sustainable packaging solutions. At Solidus Solutions, our skilled team of product engineers has developed one particular product which is fully-sustainable solid board packaging that is enriched with the recycled fibres of tomato plants.

This means that tomatoes can now be packaged for retail using their ‘own’ plant fibres, a highly attractive concept for both consumers and growers! This is a great example of reducing end to end waste through crop optimisations, and has been shown to enable a reduction of CO2 emissions of up to 54,500g CO2 equivalent for 1000kg board, or approximately 200 boxes for 6kg of tomatoes.

The paper-based packaging sector has made huge progress over recent years, however this is just the start. To further improve and fully maximise environmental performance, our industry’s attention must turn now to greater collaboration, both with manufacturers, suppliers, and customers within the industry, and with government.

The UK’s 5p plastic bag charge, and the circular economy package announced by the European Union at the end of 2015 have highlighted how governmental bodies can make positive legislative changes to reduce waste and improve environmental performance within industry.

By working together with governments, our industry can put pressure on stakeholders within the supply chain to embrace more sustainable options. For instance, companies within the paper-based packaging sector can co-operate with each other and with the government to compel suppliers and customers to adopt more environmentally-friendly packaging solutions, while also demonstrating the benefits of paper-based alternatives (such as lower end-to-end supply chain cost and greater ease of transportation).

In the face of challenges and a rapidly-moving industry, by putting innovation, sustainability and co-operation at the forefront, the industry will continue to drive forward our positive agenda.

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Rising to the Challenge We are at a critical time where global challenges such as water scarcity, climate change, and food security are on the rise due to population growth. Lubna Edwards, Sealed Air’s director of Global Sustainability & Partnerships, surveys the landscape for sustainability in packaging.

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parallel to the headline environmental problems, there are social-economic challenges such as food contamination such as E-coli, salmonella outbreaks, causing large scale illness and costing the economy millions. Consumption is outweighing resources at an unprecedented pace; it is reported that natural resource consumption by humans has increased to 120 per cent of global carrying capacity, and could rise to 170 per cent by 2040. The world is at a critical juncture as our population exceeds seven billion people globally. We are producing more than enough food to feed the planet, yet hundreds of millions of people starve. Food contamination is still a large societal problem. Billions of tons of food are thrown away each year, as much as one third of what is produced, with devastating environmental and economic impacts. If you consider the production and logistics cost to producers and the environment for food that is thrown away, it is staggering. | 40 | Packaging Europe

Meanwhile, there are significant social movements driving the demand for attention to sustainable practices when it comes to our natural and man-made resources.

By 2050 70 per cent of people will live in cities, the average income will increase by nearly three times, the emerging markets will dominate trade and consumption is set to double. At this rate, both markets and consumers must change the way they produce and consume resources.

On the topic of food security, which is one area that can address the food waste problem, packaging solutions are a critical innovation that will allow us to meet global population demand today and in the future. Food packaging solutions can begin to provide a resolution for the global food challenges in the three particular areas. First, in food supply. Effective packaging systems enable efficient distribution while extending shelf life of the products they protect, preventing spoilage before

Sustainability the retailer, restaurant, or consumer are able to use them. The second is in food safety: High performance packaging solutions ensure safe packaging of fresh meats and vegetables and prepared products, while minimising sources of contamination.

Finally, to address food waste innovative packaging designs help the consumer purchase and use food in portions that match their needs, eliminating food waste in the home due to over purchasing or over cooking.

our success and more importantly, to our customers’ success. Our research and development projects rely on our technical capabilities in the areas of food science, materials science, chemistry and chemical engineering, package design and equipment engineering.

Let’s take a look a little further into two critical challenges that Sealed Air focuses upon – Food Security and Resource Efficiency:

Innovation

The United Nations estimates that 25,000 people all over the world die from malnutrition and related causes every day. And nearly one billion of the world’s seven billion people go to bed hungry. Considering that by 2050 the global population is expected to grow to over nine billion, re-imagining food security requires addressing the three challenges of food access, food safety, and food waste.

The solution is not to grow more food. It’s to make sure the food we grow makes it to the table before it spoils. Sealed Air has the expertise and the technology to assure that hard-won harvests are not lost. Our packaging solutions can double the shelf life of foods like fresh pasta and extend that of meat from days to weeks. We can enhance sanitation through the entire supply chain from farm to fork and offer education about proper food storage, handling, and cooking. Our innovations help ensure a growing world that its food supply will be more plentiful, safe, and less wasteful.

We need to design and innovate packaging for product protection needs. Packaging design starts with a detailed knowledge of the product’s supply chain and use. We can utilise laboratory testing to simulate distribution conditions, and food science can be used to understand shelf life requirements. Packaging must be designed to optimise overall performance. But there is also a fundamental importance of protecting products without compromising on packaging. Packaging compromises that lead to increased food waste create significant environmental, economic and social impacts across the supply chain Even a small increase in food waste far exceeds the total packaging carbon footprint used to protect it.

Packaging must be designed for the needs of the customer and consumer, for example, protection of the product/food; safe handling and distribution; food safety and hygiene; convenience; necessary product information. Through addressing those needs we can use packaging technologies with attributes that provide gas barriers to increase shelf life of food; or provide toughness to prevent abuse through handling; ensure sealability to prevent contamination and allow for convenience such as resealability, portion control and freshness preservation. All of these qualities will enhance the product/food life cycle to reduce food waste through extended food quality and life, protection against damage; prevention of food contamination and reducing consumer food waste. Finally, we must always consider the full life cycle of food packaging and its disposal or reuse options. If we do not consider the impact of the discarded packaging after its intended use, then our innovation for sustainability in the initial use phase is simply a moot point.

Achievements Social, environmental and economic challenges offer opportunities for Sealed Air to provide sustainability minded innovations as a solution for both business and society.

Sealed Air believes that as a global company we have an important responsibility to address the societal needs in the communities where we operate and on a global scale. Given the nature of our business we are particularly focused on enhancing food security, creating healthy and clean environments, conserving natural resources, and improving livelihoods in local communities.

We are at a critical time in history, where a convergence of sustainability, technology and business is changing the roles and perceptions of long-standing industries.

Despite all these changes, we must keep our focus on innovative solutions. Our industry is often viewed through the merchandise we sell – packaging for food, industrial products and cleaning products for example. But that is no longer enough.

We must ask ourselves what solutions our products provide. And how do those solutions make a global impact? We do not simply manufacture food packaging; we deliver increased shelf life. And this shelf life provides access to healthy food and reduces waste, which in turn contributes to increased food security and environmental benefits. We do more than manufacture packaging that delivers what consumers buy. We provide product security that helps our customer reduce costs associated with breakability, returns and reshipment; and in turn, reduces the environmental impacts of additional waste and energy use.

We continue to develop new products and improve our existing products and processes, including development of new packaging solutions, chemical formulations and equipment.

Achieving all of this with an eye towards the long-term viability of resource use is critical to

Food Security

Resource Efficiency In a world where we consume more resources than the planet produces, we need to rely on new and smarter ways to conserve while meeting society’s growing demands. The rise of e-commerce is presenting an array of new challenges and opportunities for elevating the consumer experience during online ordering. Around the world, Sealed Air is working to promote the efficient use of water, energy and raw materials in the production, transportation and use of the products consumers need in their daily lives, while also preventing waste spoilage and damage. Bringing new insights and solutions is a hallmark of Sealed Air ingenuity.

Alternative raw materials: Sealed Air is pioneering research to increase the use of recycled materials, such as plastics, while also working to incorporate agricultural waste by-products into useful packaging materials.

Efficient product systems: Thinner packaging materials, space-efficient package designs and concentrated cleaning products are just a few of the ways that Sealed Air brings value to our customers by increasing the effectiveness of our solutions and reducing the resources required to transport and use them.

Effective solutions: By emphasising the performance of our product solutions in customer applications, we produce significant benefits during their ‘use-phase’.

From reduced food spoilage or waste to improved hygiene with fewer chemicals or even the prevention of product damage during transport, our packaging solutions do more than packaging ever has.

As the global population increases and demands for products and services continue to rise, the ability to deliver more benefits with less impact will become an essential requirement of companies that strive to conserve resources and enhance overall sustainability.

Sealed Air’s packaging solutions are able to reduce energy consumption, create logistical efficiencies and optimise transportation. We reduce waste by preventing product damage during distribution, by engineering solutions that optimise dimensional weight and by using materials that offer performance during use and recovery after use.

We create a secondary life for packaging by leveraging closed loop systems, enabling consumer recycling through package labelling and utilising innovative materials that are home compostable. These solutions will play an important role in helping us reach our 2020 Sustainability Goals. Our sustainability efforts are evident throughout the product life cycle: in our production and operations, through delivery and at end of product life.

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Interview

Roberto Villaquiran

Corrugated Conversations At FEFCO’s annual Summit in Berlin Packaging Europe’s Tim Sykes caught up with outgoing FEFCO president Roberto Villaquiran, CEO Europe at Smurfit Kappa, and his successor Jan Klingele, managing partner of Klingele Papierwerke, who shared their thoughts about the place of corrugated board in today’s conversations about sustainability and its response to the challenges of a complex marketplace.

Tim Sykes

The packaging industry is aware that corrugated is a sustainable material: renewable, recyclable and lightweight. Are there any areas where you believe there are still gains to be made in terms of environmental performance?

Roberto Villaquiran

There is continuous improvement in the industry. Collection rates are getting higher and higher. Meanwhile, technology is improving efficiency – thereby enabling us to supply a better product containing less environmental impact. As an industry we are also looking at ways to make corrugated a true circular economy. For instance, we are examining how to reuse what has in the past been considered waste products, in particular in the area of biomass. There is a huge focus on this within the industry. In addition, the industry supports many FMCG companies and retailers to help meet their environmental targets.

However, a big problem we face is the misunderstanding within the general public, which associates the paper packaging industry with killing trees, not planting them. As an industry, paper-based packaging is way ahead of many others in terms of sustainability but we still have work to do in relation to perceptions.

TS RV

Are there any concrete ways that the EU’s Circular Economy package will impact on the corrugated industry?

It’s very positive that the EU understands how advanced our industry is and how much we are contributing to the Circular Economy. When you look at comparative recycling rates, other industries are significantly behind us and the EU is pushing them to make the progress that our industry has achieved.

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Interview

Jan Klingele

Jan Klingele

Corrugated is one hundred per cent prepared for the Circular Economy. In the short term, I think the impact of the EU Initiative will only be positive. What we really want is a level playing field: to see the same stringent requirements made on plastics and other materials as regulations place on corrugated. We are being pushed for recycling rates of 90 or 95 per cent, whereas for some packaging materials rates are still relatively low.

TS RV

What are the most exciting areas of innovation in corrugated production that are increasingly the sustainability of corrugated at the moment?

Speaking from the point of view of Smurfit Kappa, I would say that the world of corrugated has been relatively traditional in its attitudes until recently. Now we are learning from other industries, for example construction building, about how to make structures with less material. This involves using different flutes and papers to improve performance.

JK

Aside from the lightweighting trend, the entire corrugated and paper production process is becoming cleaner and more energy efficient. In fact, energy efficient machinery is an area the industry neglected for some time and is in the process of addressing now. There are also long-term projects looking beyond the horizon at the next generation of paper-making machines.

independent machines communicating with each other. More importantly, our clients are not yet in that position. This is something we are talking about a great deal, but have not realised yet.

RV

…Moreover, the technology is not quite there yet with the tolerances we require.

I would say we are still five to ten years from achieving Industry 4.0. There is a collective responsibility to realise this. We need to pull and the technology providers need to push – but we certainly need to get organised.

TS

I’d like to ask you about the key market trends in corrugated at the moment. We are witnessing a number of interesting developments in retail, from the rise of internet shopping to the emergence in some markets of new retail formats.

RV

Of course, every country has its local conditions and different formats. The task is to make complexity simple, so our job is to help our FMCG customers adapt to deal with these complexities, whether they are driven by e-commerce, smaller shop formats or discount retailers. They can’t change their end-of-lines, but we can help them thanks to the adaptability of our product.

JK

…In terms of how this translate into demand, the overall trends of recent years are still intact. Across Europe there is demand for more colours, smaller flutes, lighter papers, smaller packages, more whites.

RV

It would be great if the EU used funds to help us accelerate R&D in these areas, rather than using them to increase capacities, thereby creating jobs in some places and in the process taking them away in others. Ill-judged subsidies are bad for the industry, and that needs to stop.

TS

TS

RV

Another area where manufacturers are looking to drive up efficiencies is automating, installing smart machinery and embracing the spirit of Industry 4.0. How far down this road is corrugated?

JK

Honestly, I think we as a branch are pretty good at Industry 3.0! We have a good level of automation but we are not yet in a cloud-based infrastructure with

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A theme that was discussed here at the Summit was the pressure on margins, as corrugated prices are stable while paper prices are rising. How do you as an industry defend yourself against this challenge?

As long as we are seen as a commodity for transit, there is always going to be price pressure. Our responsibility is to change that conversation to the true value of our product: that corrugated is a partner that delivers value. We need to be convinced that our product truly does this. This is a very capital intensive industry. If our customers want to have us as their preferred medium, we need to have a return of capital that allows us to continue to invest.

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Wedded to Collaboration What happens when a global leader in adhesives and a global leader in laminating machinery for flexible packaging put their best minds together? Dow and Nordmeccanica decided to find out when they set themselves the challenge of coming up with a major innovation to launch at drupa 2016 – with just 18 months to get it done. The industry was therefore profoundly impressed with the on-schedule launch of a revolutionary new lamination technology.

Packaging Europe’s Jesse Roberts met both companies in Dusseldorf.

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he drupa stand jointly occupied by Dow and Nordmeccanica showcased the launch of new lamination technology featuring both adhesive and machinery hardware advancements. SYMBIEX™ Solventless Adhesives, Dow’s new ultra-fast curing adhesive technology, combined with the innovative Duplex SL One Shot™ lamination line from Nordmeccanica, is said to redefine packaging lamination, offering converters best-in-class conversion efficiency improvements, shorter time-to-market and total conversion cost reductions. This is the first major fruit of the collaboration between Dow and Nordmeccanica since their opening of Pack Studio Mozzate earlier this year.

“This is a technology that will change the history of lamination,” Antonio Cerciello, president of Nordmeccanica Group, told Packaging Europe. Compared to a conventional lamination line, the Duplex SL One Shot™ laminator features a unique system to handle the solventless lamination process, enabling the two adhesive components to come into contact as late as possible in the lamination process.

With two independent high-precision coating stations, the two films are pressed together only in the lamination nip station where the curing of the adhesive takes place.

This process eliminates the need of a mixing unit and any pot life concerns, and offers | 46 | Packaging Europe

reduced line downtime and easy cleaning. Prior to this development, if a converter needed to supply laminates with fast turnaround, they would have had to use solvent-based, water-based, or another alternative cure method. SYMBIEX™ adhesives and the DUPLEX One-Shot™ provides excellent bonding with no VOCs, much reduced energy consumption, and fast-curing enabling just-in-time delivery.

“We were able to overcome the pot life constraint by moving the start of the chemical reaction to the lamination nip, and to develop the fastest two-component solventless adhesive seen in the market today,” explained Marco Re Fraschini, Technical Service & Development leader EMEA, Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics.

The power of collaboration This partnership is perhaps the most notable example so far of the Dow’s ethos of collaborative innovation for packaging in action. As covered by Packaging Europe, Dow Packaging last year introduced its Pack Studios concept to the world – an investment in partnership hubs around the world, at which stakeholders across the supply chain could come together to solve common problems.

Laminates

“As a chemical company, we cannot come up with all the right solutions for packaging on our own, Javier Constante, Dow’s EMEA region commercial VP for packaging and speciality plastics. “The Pack Studios concept arose from a shared understanding that the key to innovation is collaboration throughout the value chain – right from the raw materials through equipment manufacturers down to the brand owner.”

In the case of laminates, Dow viewed Nordmeccanica as the leading company in the machinery sphere, if not in market share then certainly when it came to technology and global coverage. Although the two companies announced their formal innovation partnership in February 2016 and also partnered last year in the opening of Pack Studio Mozzate, which is supplied with an industry-scale Nordmeccanica Super Combi 3000 laminator line, cooperation commenced some time before. “We actually began working together four years ago – before any good marriage the two parties first have to start dating!” said Mr Constante. “The next big step in this relationship is the launch of SYMBIEX™ Solventless Adhesives here at drupa. These are just first steps though. Looking ahead, we have plans to collaborate in North America and India. It’s not just equipment plus adhesives we’re talking about, but a more holistic approach to engagement in the value chain.”

Both parties are emphatic that the collaborative approach is essential to innovation in today’s marketplace.

“Innovation is in the DNA of the Nordmeccanica Group,” stressed Mr Cerciello.

“We constantly think outside the box, focusing our efforts on bringing new design, new technologies and new advantages to converters. Today, the ability to innovate with a shorter time to market is the key value in collaborating, from our point of view. I am proud of our collaboration with a key partner like Dow. No other chemical company is pursuing collaborative innovation in the way that Dow is. This is what we need in a complex environment to continue delivering reliable and effective innovation.”

This approach proceeds from an understanding that in the competitive, time-pressured world we live in, it’s no longer feasible to change the world on one’s own. Partnerships are necessary – and they key is to select the right partners.

“Product development has changed a great deal,” reflected Mr Constante. “The difference is that it has to be done quickly today. You can’t afford to wait ten years to develop a new solution. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries you would have a couple of scientists inventing a molecule and afterwards they’d work out which machines would produce it and what problems it could solve. In the twenty-first century you need to start by understanding the problem you need to solve, and next translate it into an integrated approach between the machine manufacturer and the adhesive producer. Similarly, if you build the machine first and then ask the chemical producer to come up with an adhesive, it takes much longer.”

machines; that Nordmeccanica are not going to starting selling adhesives; we understand that together we are stronger. Nevertheless, trust builds over time. Over the last four years both parties have seen that nothing discussed between the two parties leaks out.”

As in any marriage, trust makes for good communication.

“Speedy communication and agile decision making in implementation are crucial if we want to pool our expertise and solve problems as quickly as possible,” observed Mr Cerciello. “Thanks to this, we have demonstrated that we can deliver technical innovation faster - and we can look ahead to many more years of continuous development on this innovation.”

Under the collaborative model, of course, communication works in more than two directions. It is also predicated on a willingness to listen to the market. Having demonstrated the strength of a strong innovation marriage, Dow and Nordmeccanica are in a position to tell their shared customers of adhesives and equipment respectively that they are ready to respond to other market challenges.

Other companies are reportedly approaching the partners with an interest in working together. A successful collaboration model is sure to attract new collaborators. It is, in the words of Mr Constante, “an incredible engine that can keep generating new solutions to market problems”.

Javier Constante

Communication Having reported on the great success of their first big initiative, the two businesses are in a position to offer some words of advice on what makes a collaboration work.

“We learnt in the process some of the keys to delivering an innovation project quickly,” said Mr Constante. “One of the most important things has been bringing down the confidentiality barriers. Both sides understand that Dow are not going to start manufacturing Packaging Europe | 47 |

DATALASE INLINE FOR MULTI-BILLION POUND PROJECTS POST-DRUPA drupa 2016 delivered for inline digital printing company, DataLase, generating a multi-billion pound opportunity pipeline for its revolutionary solutions.

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ore than 2000 visitors stopped by the DataLase stand during the two-week exhibition, helping to generate a significant number of new business leads and orders.

Described as an industry game-changer and ‘technology pick of the show’ by the Press and social media commentators, DataLase is leading a revolution in the advancement of digital printing with its inline technology as requirements for higher value digital production grow.

Introducing Variprint™ The company has extended its intellectual property portfolio and introduced its Variprint™ solution to the market at drupa, which provides the ability to deliver real time messaging and variable data on pack with a selection of single colours – a breakthrough in laser inline digital printing.

Throughout the show, the team presented live demonstrations of the technology’s capabilities in case coding, labelling, product coding and folding cartons. At its core is laser reactive, colour change pigment technology which is supplied to ink manufacturers and suppliers around the world.

The pigments are incorporated into finished coatings and inks, which are supplied to printer converters who apply the laser reactive ink to a substrate, using their conventional print methods, before sending the coated substrate to the end user packer filler for inline digital printing with a high speed laser print engine.

Importantly, printer converters use their existing flexo, gravure or lithographic assets in order to make a substrate or a product work with DataLase inline digital printing technology and do not need to invest in new equipment to offer these solutions to their customers.

Making connections Five new partnerships were announced during drupa, including: Ricoh, recognised as the technological market leader in the labelling and marking industry for its cutting edge chemical and coating technologies; laser system provider KBA-Metronic; MACSA ID, a leader in laser technology and one of the top two companies in the world specialising in | 48 | Packaging Europe

laser digital printing; digital printing solutions provider Xerox; and finally ink supplier Flint Group.

Dr Chris Wyres, DataLase CEO, commented: “It’s a really exciting time for the business.

We are building a global network of strategic partners to deliver inline digital printing solutions and enable brand owners and retailers to engage in real-time marketing.

“In addition, the DataLase team is expanding rapidly with new appointments in North America and Asia supporting the fast growth of our install base. With business rapidly expanding across food and drink, pharmaceutical and personal and household care markets, the number of applications the technology is now being used for is increasing all the time. “drupa has been a phenomenal success, providing the perfect platform to showcase our unique inline digital printing solutions and the value they deliver to brand owners.”

Unique solutions As brands seek shorter print runs to add more engaging graphics to their packaging in order to appeal to consumers in more innovative ways, DataLase Inline Digital Printing enables faster printing and higher throughput rates making it an ideal, economically viable solution for short notice requirement changes and late stage customisation.

Label designs can be changed rapidly with DataLase inline digital printing in comparison to flexo or offset printing. The solutions can be integrated directly into production lines, enabling in excess of 100,000 products per hour to be customised with a unique in design, whether that is the language, promotional code, expiry date or tailored marketing message.

Speaking at the drupa Cube, Chuck Pemble, DataLase vice-president of business development, Americas, said: “Without the operational and production benefits associated with inline digital printing, late stage, mass customisation and personalisation isn’t cost-effective.

“DataLase technology enables customised products to be on a supermarket shelf within 48 hours, enabling brands to tap into human emotions and feelings by developing new marketing initiatives and campaigns that haven’t even been considered before simply because the technology hasn’t been there.”

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drupa 2016 Review The atmosphere last month at drupa 2016, the world’s biggest and most important trade fair for print solutions, can hardly be topped: the investment climate is extremely good and far exceeded all expectations. As the 11-day trade fair draws to a close the 1837 exhibitors from 54 countries unanimously reported excellent business deals, extremely promising contacts and a positive spirit for the global print industry. The re-positioning of drupa and its focus on future themes with strong growth potential – such as 3D printing, functional printing or packaging printing – proves to be a real asset. Be it publication, commercial, packaging or industrial printing – printing technology offers matching solutions for all of these applications while opening up new lines of business and business models at the same time. “The print industry is constantly re-inventing itself and offers a wealth of high-potential facets. And this is precisely what drupa 2016 has very impressively proven. We were able to experience a highly innovative industry here in the 19 exhibition halls, one that has succeeded in moving out of the “valley of tears” and grasping the future by the neck,” explains Claus Bolza-Schünemann, Chairman of the drupa Committee and Chairman of the Board at Koenig & Bauer AG.

T

he development in visitor attendance reflects the worldwide consolidation occurring in the industry. This is why visitors’ high decision-making competence produced a particularly positive effect, all the more as one in two visitors expected their companies’ business to develop very well over the next twelve months. “Customers – with very few exceptions – no longer come with large delegations or as part of a company outing to drupa. It is rather the top managers that travel to Düsseldorf today – and from 188 countries to this drupa,” explained Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, president & CEO of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH.

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Totalling 76 per cent, the percentage of international visitors is up 16 per cent from four years ago. This figure can be attributed to Asian visitors: 17 per cent of international visitors came from this continent alone (2012: 13.6 per cent). And here India accounted for the largest share with five per cent, followed by China with three per cent. The leading European countries were Italy, France, the Netherlands and the UK. “This means that drupa has enhanced its global market significance and its international rating even further. It is the unrivalled global No. 1 trade fair for the print and media industries,” says Werner Matthias Dornscheidt commenting on the results of drupa 2016.

Meeting with a very positive response was the drupa innovation park that focused on innovative business models in addition to technology innovations from renowned exhibitors. On display were ready-to-market applications for Augmented Reality in field service and in advertising but also successful examples for multi-channel campaigns. The crucial insights from the content-driven dip 2016: print creates content and added value.

Moreover, drupa did not stop at the gates of the exhibition centre. Instead, Düsseldorf presented itself with a versatile programme as an attractive trade fair destination for all things drupa: be it an exhibition or 3D event, discussion forums or a “rolling lab”: drupacity allowed thousands of interested visitors to experience the trade fair themes – live and hands-on right in the city centre – providing both drupa visitors and exhibitors with tangible added value and a concept that is truly “one of a kind” worldwide.

How industry viewed drupa: Asahi, Dr. Dieter Niederstadt, technical marketing manager With drupa 2016 we see our efforts confirmed that visitors, prospects and customers changed their point of view in the flexo printing area completely. In today’s surrounding, stunning graphical quality is a given. Customers are more looking into productivity advancements of a product such as the improvement in overall equipment effectiveness, e.g. to reduced make ready waste and fewer press wash-ups. We were happy that we had the opportunity to explain the perfect solution of fixed colour palette printing in reference to extended color gamut (ECG) and drupa was a good podium for that. These OEE benefits create significant improvement at the print converter and has been a hot topic in our conversations at the booth.

Bobst, Jean-Pascal Bobst, CEO The industries we serve today are searching for drastic productivity improvement through innovations, services and people relationship. Moreover the digitalization of the packaging supply chain is paving the way for the future. This year´s drupa has

again been a great platform for us to demonstrate that we deliver the right solutions for our customers´ applications – be they folding carton, flexible material, labels or corrugated board.

Canon, Jeppe Frandsen, executive vice president Canon Europe Canon came to drupa 2016 with the aim of demonstrating the range and depth of our capabilities in a way that reflected the real business of our customers. We set out to give visitors fresh ideas about how they could expand their capabilities and to inspire them to unleash print in their own individual ways. We’ve surpassed that objective on multiple levels. The response of visitors to what we’ve shown and discussed with them has been hugely positive. The deciding factor for so many Canon customers here at drupa 2016 has been the inspiration they have taken from the live print applications we have shown – so much so, in fact that for us it has been the ‘applications drupa’. Our many applications, offering significant added value particularly in the areas of commercial print and publishing, have given them confidence in the immediate business potential of our end-to-end solutions and, through their investments with Canon, they’re looking to ensure the long-term future of their businesses. In turn, our commitment far beyond drupa is to give them the long-term support to achieve their goals.

CHILI publish, Kevin Goeminne, CEO drupa 2016 gave us the opportunity to show that CHILI publish has evolved a lot since it first drupa participation in 2012. With not only the launch of a new product but also the numerous partnerships, CHILI publish wants to emphasize that our company is growing and is becoming an important player in the industry. At the booth, we wanted to create a casual and cosy feeling where people were welcomed to learn more about CHILI publish and its products. Which has certainly paid off as the number of visitors on our booth exceeded our expectations! drupa gave us the opportunity to meet people we have only been in contact with via mail or phone and to strengthen existing contacts in real life. CHILI publish is looking forward to the next edition of drupa and will make sure to show many more innovations by then!

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EFI, Guy Gecht, CEO

Goss, Eric Bell, marketing director

The USP of drupa is clearly the production plants in operation. This allows visitors to follow and assess the complete workflow. An asset no other trade fair in the world has to offer.

Achieving More Together’ was undoubtedly the right theme for Goss this drupa. We’ve had a very successful show, working side-by-side with our partners, and this will be continue to be the most logical way forward to support not only our existing customers, but new prospects too. Our drupa 2016 successes include significant product orders, signed for live on the stand; the sale of the first Goss Thallo system since acquiring of this product line from DG press ServiceS; and the launch of another Goss industry-first, the embedded color bar for web offset packaging production. All in all, drupa 2016 far exceeded our expectations and confirms that our approach to business, with our customers and partners at the forefront of our strategy, is the right direction for Goss moving forward.

Enfocus, Fabian Prudhomme, vice president Again, drupa managed to attract visitors from all over the world, which gave us an extraordinary opportunity to touch base with our existing Enfocus community as much as with new customers. People who were not familiar yet with Enfocus had the chance to discover our solutions and the value these can bring to their respective companies. We showcased the endless possibilities of the Enfocus solutions during the 800 live demos we delivered on our booth. We are absolutely delighted with the feedback and votes of confidence we received from our visitors. Not only is this the result of our customer centric approach in everything we do, but I also believe that we succeeded in convincing our visitors that it is possible to not only touch the future but also automate it! This drupa was the most successful edition for Enfocus yet and we are already looking forward to drupa 2020.

Epson, Duncan Ferguson, executive director, Professional Printing & Robotics, Epson Europe This drupa is Epson’s biggest ever showcase for our most complete range of inkjet printers for prepress, signage, photographic, textile and label applications. We have had a very successful show with significant orders from companies around the globe, particularly for the SureColor SC-S signage range, which has led us to increase production to meet demand. Interest in our SurePress L-6034UV digital label press, commercialised at drupa, was high with orders taken at the show from Germany and the UK. Our Print Shop Zone too was extremely busy and attracted huge interest from visitors discovering how our desktop solutions enable them to offer a collaborative design-and-print service to produce personalized products.

Esko, Udo Panenka, president At drupa 2016, Esko exhibited with its sister company X-Rite Pantone and subsidiaries Enfocus and MediaBeacon. Spread out across six Inspiration Zones, visitors experienced the combined innovations to improve the steps of a typical packaging production workflow.

Bringing that message and demonstrating the value add of a connected and integrated workflow has come across really well for the many visitors we welcomed at our stand. This drupa helps us to reconfirm our leadership position in all domains of packaging and labels workflows; the overwhelming amount of visitors from all over the globe exceeded our expectations both in closed orders as well as in new contacts.

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Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, Gerold Linzbach, CEO We are very satisfied with the outcome of the trade fair. Thanks to drupa Heidelberg starts into the new business with a positive outlook. Our motto Simply Smart was a success with visitors. We received a high demand for our industrial printing ranges and exceeded our own targets. The further automation of offset printing produced a high number of contracts signed especially for our high-performance presses. Together with our partner Fuji we have set new standards in industrial digital printing. The debut and market launch of our new digital printing machine Primefire 106 was extremely promising prompting worldwide sales for packaging applications. With drupa tailwainds we are on course for growth.

Highcon, Aviv Ratzman, CEO and co-founder drupa 2016 has been a tipping point for our business. We launched our technology at drupa 2012, but this one has been a real reinforcement of our vision. Sales to both new customers and existing customers have surpassed our expectations by far. drupa has been confirmation that digital technology, and finishing in particular, has reached the point where it is becoming mainstream. Many of the customers we met during drupa have realized the need to start investing in technology rather than continue to expand capacity, adding value to their products instead of competing on price.

HP, Francois Martin, worldwide marketing director HP Graphics Solutions Business drupa 2016 has been a landmark show for HP. It is clear that digital has arrived as mainstream, with HP experiencing the best attendance at any drupa ever and with sales not only surpassing 2012 results by 20 per cent, but exceeding our 2016 ambitious goals by 25 per cent overall. drupa continues to be the most relevant industry event for innovation, and HP is committed to keep reinventing to help our customers reinvent their own possibilities, ensuring that drupa 2020 is better than we could imagine.

Ink Router, Robert Godwin, director of business development Our first time exhibiting at drupa was a great success. It made it possible for us to introduce our dynamic new product, InkRouter to visitors from all over the world. One of the largest fairs in the world brought us in contact with leaders in the printing industry, which offered us the opportunity to network and to create more brand awareness and brand recognition. Sabine Geldermann, Global Director of drupa and the Messe Düsseldorf team did a great job, I’m glad we were part of this event. drupa 2016 has exceeded our expectations and we are already looking forward to the next edition!

Kodak, Olivier Claude, worldwide director of sales and customer operations drupa 2016 completely exceeded Kodak’s expectations. Tens of thousands of high caliber visitors, customers and prospects from around the world visited our stand to do business and see the more than 20 products and technologies Kodak launched at this year’s show.

The fact that we hit our sales target on Day 7 – and having reached 168 per cent of our sales target on Day 9 - is testimony of the industry’s trust in our cutting edge technology, which helps our customers deliver on profitability, sustainability and growth.

Landa, Benny Landa, chairman drupa 2016 will be remembered as the inflection point in the industry’s transition from mechanical printing to digital. In the past, digital printing vendors had to try to convince the market that digital is the way to go. Previously it was a ‘push’ selling motion. Now, for the first time, the situation has reversed. There is a very strong ‘pull’ from the market, driven by both customers and brand-owners, who are now demanding digital printing. It seems that the market leaders – in packaging, commercial printing and in publishing – have come to the realization that they simply must go digital. For Landa Digital Printing, this market awakening has been particularly rewarding, as reflected in the substantial number of orders which we took at drupa. Customers are telling us that no one comes even close to matching our quality, speed, substrate independence and print cost, which combine to create a tremendous value proposition.

Massivit 3D Printing Technology, Lilach Sapir, VP marketing and business development This drupa is Massivit 3D first presentation at an international trade fair. It was a great chance for us to present our 3D printing solutions made for printers in an exhibition for Print Service Providers. Our expectations are more than fulfilled. We had some nice sales mostly to large/wide format printers who understand that the use of 3D printing is their future and enables them to add another dimension to their business and grow their services and business in the visual communication world.

Mimaki, Mike Horsten, general marketing manager EMEA drupa always gathers visitors from all around the world and from all different segments of the printing industry. Our 295 sq. booth was a success and attracted a large audience during the 11 days of show! The drupa organisation was as impeccable as ever, and it manages to keep up with the trends in an evolving industry. We had the chance to talk to our customers and discuss how Mimaki can support them with future opportunities. Our Design Book was a big hit, as it shows what kind of applications Mimaki customers have already developed in the past and it thanks our clients for their creativity. This portfolio also inspires people and shows the amazing results that emerge when we create together with our clients.

QuadTech, Karl Fritchen, president drupa 2016 has been a fantastic show for QuadTech! We wanted to reach specific printing markets with the launch of four new products. There is no better place than drupa

to connect with those markets, and take advantage of the bright spotlight. Not only was the quantity of show visitors very high for us, but also the quality. It seemed that almost all were customers or potential customers of our print technology. We experienced very high interest and extremely positive response to our ColorTrack, DeltaCam, Inspection System and MultiCam TRIM introductions. After investing heavily in new technology innovations, drupa gives us the opportunity to meet with our markets directly, and show them the fruits of our labor.

Ricoh, John Blyth, market development manager & Production Printing Business Group For us drupa 2016 has been all about enabling Ricoh to open new worlds of opportunity to new and potential clients alike. We have been delighted by the strong and steady flow of visitors on to our stand. There is nowhere like drupa for bringing decision makers in our industry, from all corners of the globe, together.

Most notable of all for us has been the relative seniority and influence of so many of those we have been proud to host on our stand. They seem to have appreciated the warm open welcome and the way Ricoh has set out a clear narrative that covers the full, integrated breadth of services and solutions that we offer. In production printing and beyond. From multi-drop inkjet to additive manufacturing, end to end workflow to neon toner and lean and green consultanc. Drupa 2016 has been eventful. But overwhelmingly in a positive way and we are already looking forward to drupa 2020.

Scodix, Amit Shvartz, VP of marketing Gaining over 100 new customers in 11 days, Scodix had an extremely successful drupa 2016. The largest exhibition in print provides a hugely popular forum and within this buzzing environment, we saw sales doubling and doubling with each coming day. With an incredibly fruitful launch at the show in 2012, we saw our company grow from 12 to over 200 customers and drupa played a vital part in that accomplishment. We hoped for similar success in 2016 and the show has exceeded all expectation. Scodix’ vision to ‘enhance your competitive edge’ and drupa’s message of ‘touch the future’ went handin-hand for us at the show and we saw these synergies demonstrated by phenomenal business results.

VDMA, Dr. Markus Heering, MD of the Printing and Paper Technology Association within the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) Not only our own VDMA stand got an enormous respones, our member companies also gave us the feedback that the quality of conversations they had and the numner of lead and new orders were extremely positive. Our manufacturers have made use of the lately difficult years to develop custom-fit solutions for the changed needs in the print industry.

We have every reason to look to the future with optimism. Print is an industry with a future!

Xeikon, Danny Mertens, corporate communications manager drupa 2016 was a special edition for us, as it was our first major show since we were acquired by Flint Group. The booth, including a number of Xeikon technologies and Flint Group presence, made this collaboration visible for our visitors. With the theme “X marks the spot”, we wanted to mark our position in the market. We are pleased to say that once again, drupa 2016 has been a successful edition for us. We aimed to create an open and welcome atmosphere at our booth and this was more than visible through the amount of visitors on our stand every day. It gave us the opportunity to get in contact with partners, competitors, existing customers that we have known for years and new, future customers from all over the world. drupa is a unique experience, not only by its size but most of all by its diversified public. Countdown for the next edition in 2020 has started!

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Systech: Sound Advice on Serialisation Systech is the global technology leader in anti-counterfeiting, product safety, consumer and brand protection. Systech pioneered serialisation and is defining the future of authentication. Libby White spoke with Manfred Voglmaier, EMEA director at the successful Systech Uniquity 2016 Global Conference held in Amsterdam, April 6-7, about Systech’s strategic plans for further growth into Europe. He also stresses the importance of ensuring regulatory compliance, and the strong impact of the upcoming FMD regulations which will apply as of 9th February 2019.

LW MV

Can you tell me about the purpose of the Systech Uniquity Conference?

The event is planned to bring together thought leaders, customers, partners, prospective customers and Systech experts. The purpose of the conference is to understand the needs of the industry, and to provide a perfect platform for exchanging knowledge.

Solutions, challenges, upcoming issues, regulations, and future needs are amongst the issues discussed. We can benefit from new insights gleaned from discussions, which will ultimately help us develop our next generation of software solutions to address the needs of the industry. I believe Uniquity is a great platform and we will continue to have this meeting in Europe on a regular basis, bringing together an international mix of attendees.

LW MV

What is Systech’s presence in Europe?

Systech is a leading provider of serialisation solutions, with more than 1500 installations deployed in more than 40 countries. We work with 19 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies. A winning combination of domain knowledge, best practises and a concrete delivery methodology ensures Systech can provide the best solutions.

Over 40 per cent of our solutions can be found in Europe. We are focused on increasing our footprint in the EMEA further, and our Systech Uniquity Conference 2016 will help to make the European industry aware of our presence. We also attend other events in Europe such as the upcoming Pharmaceutical Packaging & Labelling Summit in June, in Geneva. We aim to invest more time and resources to inform and educate the European industry about the impending FMD regulations and how companies can implement solutions in this arena.

Today, we have around 50 employees serving Europe, 35 are part of our global services team of consultants from project managers, project engineers and field engineers to support our customers by delivering and maintaining solutions. We continue to increase our

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employees in Europe, and have established several partnerships in Europe such as with Inno4Life and Servicepoint. We are currently in discussions with 10-15 potential partners all over Europe, with the intention of becoming closer to our customers in as many countries as possible, and to be able to provide services and offer support in native languages.

Our European headquarters is situated in Brussels, with a state of the art demo centre designed to show customers our systems live in action. We also provide training classes at our Brussels offices. We are well established in northern Europe, in the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and Benelux, but we are focusing on expansion into southern and Eastern Europe.

LW

How do you address your customers’ needs on both a European and a global level to ensure regulatory compliance, whilst driving efficiency and profitability at the same time?

MV

First of all, with our knowledge and experience, we help to educate our customers about regulatory compliance. A big challenge for the industry right now is the European Falsified Medicines Directive which has an imminent deadline in 2019. We can provide consultations, explain the requirements and needs, and recommend solutions based on our experiences.

We have a strong team monitoring activities and regulations with regards to serialisation, authentication and track-and-trace, and we have an understanding across the board of countries: the US, China, Korea, Brazil, and Europe.

Due to our best practices, we can understand the capacity and projects of our customers, and implement a plan accordingly to ensure minimum downtime. We can provide an overall solution of software, hardware, and services.

I am surprised that many companies in the industry are still quite relaxed about the impact and implications of the European FMD. I believe they underestimate the effort needed in terms of time, resources and budget to ensure compliance. I recommend companies start putting the wheels in motion straight away. It’s very clear that if they do not fulfil the requirements they will not be allowed to operate.

LW MV

Can you tell me about your latest solutions in serialisation and authentication, and the latest demands from the industry?

I would like to emphasise that we are the only vendor who provides solutions from level one to five. We cover all the needs for serialisation through our UniSeries solution. In terms of track-and-trace, our UniTrace offering works on an enterprise scale.

UniSecure is a proven authentication technology helping to future proof supply chains, with the ability to also provide customer engagement applications.

The industry is changing, and the way end customers and patients buy medicines will advance. For example, with the advent of online shopping, this cuts out direct contact with a pharmacist. This is a big change, and the pharmaceutical industry needs the ability to build direct channels with end users and patients.

Serialisation will excel this customer engagement process and a good example is with electronic leaflets. The pharma industry has the huge requirement of managing languages across countries to ensure the customer understands the product. With UniSecure, the end user can choose their language and download the leaflet in their language. Another issue is adherence, people forget or stop taking their medicine, and an application can be offered with a medication plan where for example they receive a reminder on their phone to take their medicine.

Since the new FMD has been announced its very clear serialisation has a big part to play in ensuring compliance. All the manufacturers in the life sciences sector will face a big challenge to get solutions in place and keep their supply chain flexible enough to adapt to new regulations. This is a complex issue, and I really recommend companies to initiate a plan of action, identify their needs, and ensure they have the right support for implementing solutions.

One of Systech’s core strengths is that we understand the importance of software platforms, which leads to better analysis of processes. This leads to overall improvement of supply chains, efficiency, and areas such as logistics, whilst providing brand protection, customer engagement applications and regulatory compliance.

LW MV

What challenges do you face as a global technology leader in providing product safety, and consumer and brand protection?

Globally, the biggest challenge is the diversity of regulations from one country to the next, and that they are an ongoing process that will change over time. We can really provide the expertise to ensure all upcoming and ongoing changes can be adapted to by our customers. Companies will have an existing environment in terms of packaging lines, data management systems etc. We can provide seamless integration and help to standardise and harmonise processes.

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Reaching New Horizons

with Serialisation

Systech, the global technology leader in anti-counterfeiting, product safety, and consumer and brand protection held a successful and timely Systech Uniquity Europe global conference, on April 6–7 2016, in Amsterdam. Libby White spoke with Darryl Brown, vice-president of global marketing, about the challenges that arose in discussions surrounding the upcoming Falsified Medicines Directive EU regulations that will apply as of 9 February 2019, and about the company’s strong focus on building relationships with partners.

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A

ttendees of the Systech Uniquity Europe global conference included a cross section of global brand managers, supply chain and anti-counterfeiting experts, analysts and equipment manufacturers, who were treated to an array of industry insight presentations and keynote speeches. Of note amongst the industry experts, Andrew Stevens, research director, supply chain Gartner, Inc., gave a compelling insight into key considerations in developing track & trace serialisation requirements.

Alongside informative and insightful presentations, Systech hosted training insights and regulatory roundtables to encourage discussion around the current issues facing the pharmaceutical industry.

Challenging times in Europe It was clear during panel discussions at Uniquity Europe that the complex and challenging regulatory environment of the pharmaceutical industry in Europe has led to some confusion and misinformation. Systech’s panel discussions were organised as a trusted platform for attendees to discuss issues and challenges they face.

Darryl Brown gives a prime example, “There is some confusion, perhaps being seeded in the market, about the fact that you don’t have to force all of your vendors to use the same numbering system. However, you do need to be able to track and trace across all of the number systems back to the original serial number and point of origin. There is still misperception on what capabilities are available in the market to allow for mixed number environments, as the product moves through the supply chain.”

Looking to the future, another challenge highlighted at the event was the concept of serialisation in combination with traceability. “Companies are still looking at serialisation today in isolation from traceability, but what comes next? With the regulations that are emerging in Europe, there are definite challenges that need to be addressed in terms of serialisation, but every market is going to have different traceability requirements – and I believe that will be the next issue that resonates on the market. The more strategic attendees were beginning to think about the future. The ability to both serialise and track and trace throughout the entire supply chain, across multi-regulations and across mixednumber environments, is a challenge that definitely came to light as the next big issue.”

Another important factor to stress, that is becoming very evident as the Falsified Medicines Directive regulation deadline is getting increasingly close, is the lead times of vendors and solution providers. Darryl Brown underscores, “If a client hasn’t placed an order yet, they may have a problem. It is critical that customers look to choose solutions now, as it can be a 9–12 month cycle to ensure everything is implemented before regulations come into place.”

Building strategic partnerships Systech’s Unisolve™ is a one-stop full suite of serialisation solutions that provide a cost effective, entry-level, purpose-built strategy – a perfect example of the company’s forwardthinking and innovative spirit. The comprehensive UniSolve™ programme integrates all hardware and software components required to ensure traceability throughout the supply chain. This track-and-trace solution surpasses common off-the-shelf solutions by consolidating all serialisation systems and scenarios.

At the Systech Uniquity Conference, it was clear to ascertain that Systech has a strong focus on building tactical relationships with partners in order to provide the most effective software/hardware solutions to its clients. With a co-dependency between software and hardware, it is vital to create the correct equilibrium for clients.

Darryl Brown highlights that Systech therefore has a sharp focus on building out a rapidly expanding global ecosystem of in-market specialist hardware vendors: “Our partners are fully-integrated and ‘shrink-wrapped’ with our software solutions to help accelerate deployment. This means we can offer cost-effective solutions, specifically for the mid-market, and with the key benefit that it allows customers to use equipment they are familiar with.” The hardware and software are implemented and built within the hardware manufacturer’s facilities, and preconfigured for deployment. Once approved, it is shipped to the customer, installed by a team of Systech engineers and the integration partners, to ensure it is ready for use as quickly as possible.

Systech endeavours to be as flexible as possible for its clients and, owing to the relationships it has built with partners, it ensures they get earlier access to solutions than if they had gone piecemeal. It owns the project management from end to end, meaning Packaging Europe | 57 |

customers know they are in safe hands, benefiting from a much more rapid and seamless deployment and less downtime.

Systech is not only developing relations with hardware vendors, but also system integration partners. Darryl Brown says, “We have built strong partnerships with companies such as Servicepoint Oy, a leading serialisation supplier in the Nordic countries. We are rapidly accelerating our relationships with these companies in order to meet the imminent demands of the Falsified Medicines Directive regulations looming over Europe.”

Partnership with Inno4Life A clear illustration of one of Systech’s strong partnership models is with an internationally recognised original equipment manufacturer in life science equipment solutions.

Inno4Life, headquartered in the Netherlands, offers the Unisolve™ serialisation software as an integrated turnkey solution to the pharma and life science markets.

The company was the prime platinum sponsor at Systech Uniquity 2016, where it provided attendees with an exclusive, limited opportunity to test the equipment through training demonstrations during the conference, as well as a one-day, optional Systech certification training class on April 8.

Johan Klootwijk, managing director, Inno4Life comments, “We have many years of knowledge and expertise in the global automated pharmaceutical packaging industry, for both primary and secondary packaging applications. We have partnered with Systech for around four years now in a number of global projects.

Inno4Life is offering a complete standardised range of equipment to cover the serialisation & aggregation process in packaging lines. The preconfigured equipment can be rapidly implemented, while ensuring compliance with regulations. If the project requires customisation and development of equipment, Inno4Life deals directly with the customer in order to deliver the most suitable equipment solution, along with the integrated Systech software solutions.

Hanka van de Merwe, marketing manager, Inno4Life, adds: “Our employees have been working for many years on projects that involve developing state-of-the-art equip| 58 | Packaging Europe

ment for the Life Sciences industries. We take it step by step with our clients. A great example of a project we collaborated on with Systech is with a global biotech company. We designed the serialisation equipment and integrated the Systech software solution into it.

The Unisolve™ programme is part of the Inno4Life serialisation equipment portfolio we now offer together.”

Progressive discussion Darryl Brown points out that the European market has a different agenda and outlook than the US market. For example, “During discussions at Uniquity Europe, the market seems a lot more knowledgeable and open to research, and it has also studied and learnt from other markets. Attendees at Uniquity Europe were from a more senior level, bringing along with them a more senior level thought process. They were forward thinking and looking at the bigger picture rather than just attending to solve a serialisation problem. There was also a lot more interactive discussion about patient engagement, with the thought process that the closer I can get to my consumer, the better I can protect my brand.”

Based on feedback from the event, Darryl Brown shares that most participants found it to be a forum of discovery, and a great platform to discuss ideas, solutions, regulations, and challenges. He adds, “We aimed to keep the conference as neutral as possible, to encourage discussion and networking. We had attendees from all around the world, with peers from across the board in the pharmaceutical arena in discussions together.”

He concludes, “Both informative and entertaining, with education and networking, the Systech Uniquity event was the attendee’s conference, not ours. We encouraged them to engage in direct discussions so it was a platform conducive to sharing knowledge and expertise. We aim to continue building upon our first successful Uniquity in Europe and to breed more customer interaction and expand the level of industry n experts involved.”

For more information, visit www.systechone.com

Flawless technology Futec is an original pioneer of 100 per cent automatic flaw detection systems for print and surface inspection serving the commercial, packaging and labelling markets. Philip Yorke spoke to Silvio Neumann, the company’s sales manager for eastern Europe, about its recent strategic alliance with Maxcess and the launch of its latest ‘Plug & Play’ smart cameras that were showcased recently at the Drupa trade fair.

Packaging Europe | 59 |

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utec was founded in Japan in 1977 and pioneered some of the world’s first automatic flaw detection systems that offered 100 per cent transparency. The company’s strong on-going investment in its in-house R&D facilities enable it to develop innovative technologies that help printers to improve profitability and overall print production quality. With over 250 employees and more than 9000 installations worldwide, Futec is committed to pushing the boundaries in technological developments, which is underpinned by its strong Japanese heritage.

In 2014 Futec expanded its European business operations by establishing a European business hub to further improve the sales and technical support throughout the EU. The new business centre is headquartered in Germany and is also used as a dedicated customer training centre.

One-stop shop At Drupa recently, Futec and Maxcess, a leading global provider of web-handling solutions, announced a sales cooperation agreement in order to provide customers with a one-stop shop service for web-handling needs. Through this collaboration Futec and Maxcess will be able to offer a wider range of solutions to customers, thus meeting their growing requests for a one-stop shop for all their web-handling needs. Customers

| 60 | Packaging Europe

will benefit from a more comprehensive product offering, closer sales support and the combined application knowledge of Futec and Maxcess. The cooperation initially covers Germany and Poland with a view to extending it to more regions in the future.

Neumann said, “We are excited to be bringing this new service offering to our existing customers and prospective clients in Germany and Poland. The partnership harnesses Futec’s in-depth knowledge and outstanding product innovation in 100 per cent web inspection systems and the best of Maxcess’ varied and well established portfolio for guiding, slitting, winding and tension control products. We believe that both Futec and Maxcess can greatly benefit from each other’s strengths and market expertise, which in turn will benefit our customers.”

Smart cameras showcased Futec recently used its presence at the Drupa Trade Fair as a platform to launch its new ‘Plug & Play’ Smart Cameras for the 100 per cent inspection of web-printing applications and for the inspection and quality control of plain surfaces.

Offering unique integrated processing technology, the compact Smart Cameras can easily be integrated into existing processes with minimum downtime during the installation process and alignment. The company’s latest ‘Anytime-Anywhere’ feature allows

remote system access to continuously monitor production quality from any location via a web browser. The collected data can be used to meet the requirements of industry 4.0.

Many customers in Asia have tried and tested Futec’s new Smart Cameras and have so far reported high quality levels, optimised production and reduction in waste as the main benefits. Depending upon the size of the web, users can connect multiple cameras to provide optimal inspection as the next stage in development.

Global preview In another ‘first’ at Drupa, Futec previewed its new ‘Elastic Freeeze!’ feature, which is comprised of specially designed software for the printing industry that provides advanced algorithms for the company’s advanced Printed Web Inspection Systems. The all-new efficiency enhancing feature helps to maintain throughput by eliminating false detection errors caused by the expansion and contraction of elastic materials.

Elastic materials can be challenging for web inspection systems as signals may appear unclear due to the side and linear movement of the web and the change of flexible material, which causes ‘defect-showers’ – direct messages that actually show false defects. Futec recently introduced its ‘Position Freeeze!’ software to eliminate potential movements of the web and freeze the image to make it significantly sharper.

Neumann added, “Drupa was a good show for us: last year we re-invented ourselves with our new corporate identity and this year we built our biggest booth ever, which attracted visitors from all over the world. The show proved that flexo is big in Europe and we had many new leads, especially from the narrow web market sector. We had a very good response to the launch of our ‘Plug & Play’ Smart Camera due to its simplicity and high resolution offering.

“At Drupa we also discovered that the flexo market is getting better and bigger and has significant growth potential for us. We saw that digital print has huge potential and we have some exciting developments in the pipeline in this sector.

“We also ran a special promotion at the show, called the ‘Find me a name’ campaign, which brings the winner a ten-day trip to Japan for two persons. All the participants had to do was leave their name and contact information and give a name suggestion for the new Smart Camera that was showcased at the trade fair. The winner has been announced as Mr Abdulrahaman Sabrah of Dubai who chose the name ‘Suhail’ – an Arabic word that stands for a star who guides the direction. Therefore the new camera will be called ‘Easy Star’. However, for the Arabian market it will be called ‘Suhail’.

For further details of Futec’s latest innovative products and services visit: www.futeceurope.com

Packaging Europe | 61 |

Corrugated extends

fruit shelf life Research shows corrugated trays keep fruit fresh for between one to three days longer than returnable plastic crates (RPCs)

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etailers are constantly striving to improve food quality and reduce food waste – particularly when it comes to fresh produce. Slowing deterioration rates and increasing shelf life remain key goals.

Today’s fruits and vegetables are packed earlier in their lifecycle than ever before. They are increasingly often packaged before they are even ripe, then ripened in-package. It is now vitally important that retailers understand the critical role that packaging plays in preserving their fresh produce.

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A study conducted by the University of Bologna* found that contamination by spoilage bacteria – and thus deterioration rates – is significantly lower when fruits are packed in corrugated trays. Researchers calculated that the shelf life of fruits packed in corrugated fruit trays is between one to three days longer than the shelf life of fruits packed in returnable plastic crates.

The findings are good news for both retailers and consumers. By preserving the scent, appearance and taste of the fresh produce, corrugated packaging not only ensures fresh

*Shelf life was calculated as time necessary for the spoilage bacteria to reach 107 cfu (colony forming units) per fruit

fruit and vegetables are more enticing when they first arrive on the shelves; it also ensures they stay that way for much longer. Ultimately, this means both retailers and consumers throw less food away – which is good for both their finances and the environment.

During the study, researchers packed hundreds of sterilised peaches into an equal number of corrugated trays and plastic crates that they had deliberately contaminated with microorganisms, including the spoilage bacteria. The researchers measured the peaches’ microorganism levels at the ‘time of sale’, then again after 48 and 72 hours.

They analysed the data collected to determine how long it would take for the fruits to deteriorate to a level where they would no longer be fit for consumption. Factors such as storage temperature, time on shelf and superficial damages also affect fruit shelf life. However, the analysis in this study determined that the shelf life of fruits packed in corrugated trays is between one to three days longer than that of fruits packed in returnable plastic crates.

The work of Professor Lanciotti and her team shows that packaging plays an important role in identifying spoilage bacteria levels and helping retailers

to slow the deterioration and increase the shelf life of their fresh produce. Its results highlight the strengths of corrugated packaging: how corrugated not only increases the shelf life of fruit, but also reduces waste – both in the supply chain and the consumer’s home.

With results like this, turning to corrugated packaging should be a clear priority for companies looking to increase consumer satisfaction, sustainability credentials and, ultimately, profitability.

Jan Gramsma, FEFCO’s Market and Environment Director, said that the tests supported

by FEFCO and Bestack, were just one of the many confirmations that corrugated is cleaner and safer. “When it comes to preventing microbiological contamination, the science is in no doubt: corrugated board is far superior to RPCs”, he said. *University of Bologna, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, p.zza Goidanich, 60, 47521 Cesena, Italy

Visit: www.corrugated-ofcourse.eu The research team:

Prof. Rosalba Lanciotti (center), Dr. Francesca Patrignani (right), Dr. Lorenzo Siroli (left)

Jan Gramsma, Market & Environment Director – FEFCO

Packaging Europe | 63 |

Look at the whole forest,

not just the trees

Environmental sustainability is literally a hot topic these days as we struggle to deal with the consequences of global warming. Whether it’s factories cleaning up their emissions or individuals worrying what to do with the staple in the tea bag, we’re all trying to do our bit to save the planet. But in the absence of information, our concern can sometimes lead us to make wrong choices. One example is the case of recycled fibre, argues Staffan Sjöberg, sustainability spokesman for Iggesund Paperboard.

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ake packaging for instance – many people think we should use recycled fibre as much as possible,” he explains. “And that’s very praiseworthy. But what they don’t realise is that recycled fibre quickly loses its strength. You’ve got to constantly add a significant proportion of new fibre to the mix or you’ll have boxes collapsing from the weight of their contents.”

The alternative is to use heavier and heavier boxes made of recycled fibre to achieve the same stiffness as that found in boxes made of primary fibre. But doing so increases the weight being transported and thereby the amount of fuel required.

“Like everything else in nature, it’s about maintaining a balance between competing needs,” Sjöberg says. “To make the right choice you have to look at the whole picture.” | 64 | Packaging Europe

Without primary fibre, recycling stops A recent study of European fibre flows carried out by the international engineering consultancy Pöyry concludes that if the addition of primary fibre stopped, the market for recycled fibre would cease to function within three to six months. Quite simply, the recycled fibre industry depends on the primary fibre industry for its continued existence.

“And where does recycled fibre come from?” Sjöberg asks. “Well, it grows on trees, of course, because it starts out life as primary fibre. People often assume that primary and recycled fibres are in opposition to each other when really they’re both part of a single continuum. You can’t have one without the other.”

Sweden is so heavily

The packaging for ambuja was awarded Carton of the Year

forested that open areas

in Europe 2015, and is made of Invercote G 220 g/m2

are the exception.

Sustainability spokesman for Iggesund Paperboard.

Save the trees Another very important part of the overall picture is the deep emotional bond many people feel with trees and forests. They just think it’s wrong to chop them down. But countries like Sweden and the UK, where Iggesund Paperboard gets its timber from, as well as the European Union in general, have a host of laws and regulations in place to ensure sustainable, responsible and traceable forestry. Sweden actually created one of the world’s first pieces of environmental legislation over a century ago to require the replanting of felled areas. And studies by FSC Sweden show that forestry operations conducted within the framework of its regulations have succeeded in retaining biological diversity over time.

“There’s absolutely no question of us chopping down any primary forests nowadays,” Sjöberg says. “The trees we fell have all been planted for the sole purpose of being harvested. It’s just like growing any other crop like, say, carrots. First we plant, then we thin and cultivate, and finally we harvest and then replant. Of course, the carrot’s lifecycle is a few months whereas one of our pine trees in Sweden takes up to 100 years to be fully grown. But otherwise there’s no logical difference between the two crops.”

the fossil carbon dioxide emissions from its mills, make Iggesund and its owner, the Holmen Group, leaders in the work to combat climate change.

“When I look at a newly harvested area in the forest that will soon be replanted, I actually feel a sense of pride,” Sjöberg concludes. “Unless we humans want to go back to the Stone Age, we have to obtain the raw materials for our way of life from somewhere. Personally, I’d far rather see new life growing in the forest than plastic islands growing in the world’s oceans.”

Visit: www.iggesund.com

Iggesund and the Holmen Group annually grow more than 30 million seedlings to replace and increase their forest holdings.

No plastic islands In the case of Iggesund Paperboard, the timber used to manufacture its flagship product Invercote comes mainly from its sister company Holmen Skog. The forestry operations are certified for sustainability in accordance with both PEFC and FSC. For almost 70 years now, Iggesund has always felled less timber than the annual growth. All this, combined with major investments to reduce and totally eliminate Packaging Europe | 65 |

Fourth PLA World Congress PLA is a versatile bioplastics raw material from renewable resources, and one of the bioplastics materials with the greatest significance. It is being used today for films and rigid packaging, for fibres in woven and non-woven applications.

Automotive industry and consumer electronics are thoroughly investigating and even already applying PLA. New methods of polymerising, compounding or blending of PLA have broadened the range of properties and thus the range of possible applications. Blending PLA with other bioplastics or other blend-partners as well as mixing it with natural fibres such as flax, hemp or kenaf broadens the range of applications even more.

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hat‘s why bioplastics magazine recently held the fourth PLA World Congress.

Experts from all involved fields shared their knowledge and contributed to a comprehensive overview of today‘s opportunities and challenges and discussed the possibilities, limitations and future prospects of PLA for all kinds of applications. Like the previous three congresses, the 4th PLA World Congress also offered excellent networking opportunities for all delegates and speakers as well as exhibitors of the table-top exhibition.

The conference, held on the 24th and 25th of May 2016 in Munich, Germany, covered subjects such as: • Latest developments • Market overview • High temperature behaviour • Nano technology • Nucleated PLA • Applications (packaging, bottles, automotive, electronics etc) • 3D printing • Fibres, textiles, nonwovens • Reinforcements • Sustainability • End of life options (recycling, composting, incineration etc)

More Information on the conference is available at: www.pla-world-congress.com

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Packaging Europe | 67 |

Samplebook Splendorlux: new range of cast-coated papers & boards

High-performance innovation Fedrigoni is a global market leader in the production of fine papers and boards for printing, publishing and packaging. Philip Yorke spoke to Chiara Medioli, the company’s marketing director, about its three latest innovative products and move into new markets.

Splendorlux Versus/Metal colours papers

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“Vista” double holograms displayed in Drupa

Box lined with pearly-like Sirio Pearl paper, winner of Fedrigoni Top Award 2011

Wine labels

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ince its foundation in 1888, Fedrigoni has specialised in the manufacture of fine paper for printing, labels, packaging and bookbinding. While this remains very much at the heart of its business, the company continually creates new paper processes and technologies that satisfy the ever-changing aesthetic and technical demands of the market. Thanks to an advanced logistics system that benefits from 11 warehouse branches in Italy and seven abroad, Fedrigoni is able to build strong relationships with customers and provide them with highly tailored services, including very fast turnaround times.

By collaborating closely with its customers, Fedrigoni creates specially customised paper products along with the 3000 standard items that it always holds in stock.

Technological excellence at Drupa Thanks to the company’s commitment to research and product development, Fedrigoni was able to launch three new innovative products at the Drupa Trade Fair this year – one

for each of its business sectors. The first is the expansion of the company’s Splendorlux collection of cast-coated papers and boards designed specifically for the luxury packaging sector. The 11 lines in the latest Splendorlux collection make up one of the largest ranges of high-quality cast-coated papers and boards on the market.

In addition, Fedrigoni’s new collection of ‘Smart’ recycled papers is the result of constant control over the environmental impact of its production processes. The company uses cellulose only from sustainably managed forests and is focused on energy saving and water consumption, as well as significantly reducing atmospheric emissions.

When it comes to labels the company’s Arconvert brand is a world leader in selfadhesive wine and spirit labels, and Fedrigoni presents a new collection of coated self-adhesives which have been designed to revolutionise labels for oil, balsamic vinegar, jar packed food specialities, as well as for packaging for high-end cosmetics. This special line includes nine materials treated with an exclusive grease-proofing technology that

Spreads from Freelife booklet, the environmental recycled papers

Packaging Europe | 69 |

Fabriano Security plant

permanently protects the label against grease and oils spots and prevents it from unsticking. A special plastic-free barrier treatment, added to the paper mix, repels even drops of oil that slide down the bottleneck and attack the sides of the label.

The Fabriano Security division of Fedrigoni develops and manufactures security products, security threads and holograms that comply with extremely strict standards required by ECB (European Central Bank). This division presented its ‘liquid crystal’ threads at Drupa in five different colour-change combinations along with its ‘Vista’ double hologram, the world’s optimal expression for this type of security product.

The company is a top player in this segment and exports its products to five continents.

These advanced technologies can be also used effectively to protect against counterfeiting in the luxury packaging sector.

Expanding international markets Consolidating its position in the North American market, Fedrigoni recently acquired a major US company that will strengthen its presence at an international level by making a direct entry into the American digital printing support distribution market. Medioli said, “The recent acquisition of AGP in the US will significantly enhance our North American operations. We already have a global distribution network and warehouses throughout Europe the USA, Brazil and China and over 64 per cent of our sales are to foreign markets. This latest acquisition will boost that percentage still further.

“As a privately owned company we are very flexible and able to act quickly to meet new trends in the market. We are also able to produce bespoke papers – in fact over 50 per cent of our production is bespoke. When it comes to packaging we are able to offer complete solutions and we have all the specialities that you need when it comes to products such as craft beers and the special needs of spirit companies that require everything from labels to boxes, tags and security seals.”

Medioli added, “Our unique range of blacks and metallised papers with finishes such as ‘Metal pearl’ and ‘Versus 2-colour’ plus our classic range of blues, greys, reds and | 70 | Packaging Europe

extensive variety of whites are perfect for coordinated covers, cases, boxes and shopping bags. Our latest addition to the Sirio colour range is our new Ultra Black, which is one of the darkest blacks on the market and I am pleased to say that it is 20 per cent darker than our very own Black/Black range.”

Focus on the US The Fedrigoni Group recently announced its acquisition of 100 per cent of the share capital of GPA (Gummed Papers of America) from Svodoba Capital Partners. GPA is an American company specialising in the testing of digital printing support items such as plastic film, paper and adhesives. In 2014 GPA posted a turnover of €66 million.

This acquisition is in line with Fedrigoni’s strategy for growth on the international markets, with the aim of further consolidating its position in high-value added and high profitability market segments.

The expected industrial synergies as a result of this include enhancement in the volumes of raw materials supplied

by Fedrigoni, with the possibility of making a structured entry into the digital toner and large format film sectors of the North American market, as well as the self-adhesive paper sector in the United States.

For further details of Fedrigoni’s Chiara Medioli innovative packaging papers and Marketing Director boards visit: www.fedrigoni.com

Pioneering PLA technology Uhde Inventa-Fischer is a global market leader in the design and construction of state-of-the-art polymerisation plants and a division of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions of Germany. Philip Yorke talked to Udo Mßhlbauer, the company’s PLA Product Manager, about its latest PLA technology and how this can make a significant difference to both performance and cost-savings for converters.

Packaging Europe | 71 |

U

hde Inventa-Fischer (UIF) specialises in the design and construction of state-of-the-art polymerisation plants that produce high quality polyesters and polyamides as well as polyactide (PLA).

The company offers a range of technologies that combine engineering expertise, specialist know-how of polymers and applied experience in a broad range of industrial applications worldwide. Innovation, flexibility and customer orientation are central to the company’s business model.

Uhde Inventa-Fischer was founded in Germany in 1924 and in 2004 the company joined the thyssenkrupp Uhde Group, which has now become part of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG. This strong global network creates valuable synergies and enables the company to cooperate internationally and efficiently within the thyssenkrupp Group.

In addition, it allows the company to offer specific and bespoke services to its customers including authority engineering, construction services and local sourcing of equipment.

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Today the company offers excellent technologies in its core competence in the design and construction of state-of-the-art polymerisation plants for polyesters, polyamides and polylactic acid (PLA). These plants are based on proprietary, patented process technologies and key equipment developed, tested and optimised at its proprietary pilot plants and laboratories.

New biodegradable polymers Uhde Inventa-Fischer is located at two sites, with one based in Berlin, Germany and the other in Domat/Ems in Switzerland. They employ a team of more than 200 specialists that include process engineers, chemists, design engineers, CAD experts and professionals in the field of international procurement. The company also cooperates closely with many prominent scientific and industrial partners.

The latest company developments include its processes for the production of specialised biopolymers such as polyactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene succinate (PBS).

These new biodegradable polymers are based on renewable raw materials and are a sustainable alternative to plastics based on petrochemicals. Thus they offer a huge potential for replacing conventional polymer applications, especially for the packaging industry.

A large number of PLA applications are already in the market: Examples are thermoformed articles of the Huhtamaki Group sold under the brandname of Bioware™, Danone’s Activia joghurt cups or Sant’Anna’s Bio Bottle for still water.

Being a new biodegradable and biobased polymer, PLA has all the while to compete with standard, petrochemical based polymers like PET, PS and the polyolefines – and this not only on a technical, property-related basis, but also and not at last pricewise.

In this regard the efficient use of the raw material is very important, as raw material cost has a huge impact on production cost. Here lies the main advantage of Uhde Inventa-Fischer’s PLAneo® process. The conversion of lactic acid to PLA is close to its theoretical minimum thanks to the unique purification and polymerisation technology of meso-lactide. Meso-lactide, being a side-product of the PLA process usually has to be separated and hydrolysed back to lactid acid, thus reducing the overall efficiency and increasing raw material conversion cost. In UIF’s PLAneo® process, meso-lactide is polymerised and blended with standard, crystalline PLA, without affecting adversely the properties of the PLAneo® PLA. In contrast, some properties like elongation at break are even improved. Uhde Inventa-Fischer’s PLAneo® process is able to produce all PLA grades available in the market: from fast crystallising types to nearly amorphous ones.

Integrated technology Uhde Inventa-Fischer has been integrating its knowledge about equipment manufacture and plant engineering as well as polymer production for almost a century, making it well equipped to meet the modern challenges and demands of today’s polymer industry. To date the company has gained unrivalled experience in the construction and engineering of more than 400 polymer production plants throughout the world. These include

polymer and chemical plants for the manufacture of polyesters such as PET, PBT, PEN and PTT as well as co-polyester for textile bottle and film grade, and engineering plastics.

In addition to its range of polyamide and co-polyamide plants, the company is also able to construct plants for the manufacture of polyactic acid (PLA) which is ideal for packaging, textiles and compound applications. Furthermore, the company offers reactors and a range of specialised process equipment.

Mühlbauer said, “We develop our own technologies in our workshops and pilot plants and have been focused in the past 10 years on our new PLA technology. The PLA process fits perfectly into the company’s product portfolio as it can be seen as a combination of the Polyester and Polyamide technology. Hence, reactor design and process set up of the PLA technology are based on proven technology. ” In addition to that, UIF is in the position to offer technology for the production of lactic acid out of sugar or glucose. UIF’s sister company, the biotechnology division of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, has developed the fermentation process on its own industrial scale pilot plant. The 3D-layout plan of such an integrated plant, starting from sugar and producing PLA pellets is shown in the picture on previous page.

Mühlbauer added, “Differentiating us from our competitors, I would say that we are the world’s technology leaders in polyamides and polyesters and have the most advanced PLA technology. With our presences in China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, India, the CIS countries, as well as the Far East and the additional expertise of the thyssenkrupp Group we are able to handle complete turnkey projects all over the world. We are also a very flexible company and are able to licence out our processes and patented technology for production and can provide the complete recipe for our special process technology. What is more, our many ISO certifications guarantee high product quality.”

For further details on the products and engineering expertise Uhde Inventa-Fischer is offering, please visit: www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com Packaging Europe | 73 |

Berhalter makes

the difference Berhalter – Switzerland’s leading manufacturer of high-performance die-cutting machines – introduced a unique technology at Drupa for embossing lids on the sealing rim area.

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T

he name ‘Berhalter’ is synonymous with the production of innovative and customised die-cutting systems. Its 55 years of experience, ongoing development and constant adjustment to meet market demand has turned the company into a dynamic global player.

Berhalter believes Sustainability is everything, which triggers the desire for more. Through inspiration, passion and fascination, top-quality products are produced by the company. Recently it presented a future-oriented system at Drupa in Dusseldorf.

The first of these, the SMARTembosser™ is the logical evolution for pre-cut lids.

As the name says, the SMARTembosser™ is a smart way to produce embossed lids.

This Berhalter-patented system is unique and offers fantastic opportunities for rimembossing, logo-embossing and de-embossing of pre-cut lids. The SMARTembosser ™ makes every lid special and gives additional technical advantages.

With the application of rim-embossing (embossing is done only in the sealing rim area) the lid shines brighter and greatly enhances the clarity of colour edges.

It allows for the printing of considerably smaller, yet readable lettering, which is important for product placement as well as for the food facts required under food regulations. Last but not least, the SMARTembosser™ for rim embossed lids can influence the productivity of filling and sealing machines enormously.

High-tech die-cutting on a low budget Berhalter has also presented a worldwide new die-cutting tool concept for in-mould labels (IML) that offers the advantages of favourable tool cost in combination with short lead times.

The Berhalter LABEL-light™ punching tool is a patented concept combining the improvements of flat-bed die-cutting such as unique print-to-die registration and perfect handling properties.

The costs for a LABEL-light™ punching tool are up to 70 per cent lower compared to a traditional punching tool, even allowing for a label contour correction of +/- 0.5 mm.

The mark of flexibility Die-cutting is just one stage in the complete supply chain of a final product but it has a significant impact on its overall success. The die-cutting solution you choose decides upon the appearance of the product, sustainability, quality and efficiency.

Berhalter has the unique ability to supply die-cutting machines and tools according to the specific market demand.

Come visit us at DRUPA, Hall 11C70!

BERHALTER – the number one in die-cutting

Packaging Europe | 75 |

Jiffy – Driving Innovation in Foam Made up of thousands of tiny air bubbles, Jiffy polyethylene foam offers a lightweight, cushioning, non-abrasive and caring protective packaging material. Occasionally overlooked, Jiffy believes it is vital to educate and inform distributors and packers alike on the huge performance characteristics this material offers.

J

iffy Packaging (UK) sees a huge opportunity for the supply of foam in the protective packaging sector and this, combined with customer feedback, informed their ongoing NPD programme and led the company to make a multi-million pound investment in state-of-the-art extrusion technology last year.

The new technology manufactures polyethylene foam in a variety of thicknesses and gives Jiffy mass market penetration in the UK, allowing it to service a broader range of customers as well as offering even more options to its existing distribution base.

Jiffy’s new technology manufactures everything from thin section foam for interleaving and surface protection (typically 0.7mm, 1mm, 1.5mm), to thicker foams for cushioning and wrapping (2.5mm, 4.0mm and 6.0mm).

What is really opening up the options for Jiffy’s customers is that it is able to extrude at an impressive 2.5m wide, with in-line lamination, winding and slitting capabilities. | 76 | Packaging Europe

Speaking about the new foam offering, Jiffy UK’s sales and marketing director, Fiona MacDougall said, “The new foam extruder is already enhancing Jiffy’s position as a leading manufacturer of protective packaging foam in the UK. However, that’s not all: with added capacity, greater flexibility and the quality that is known and expected of a brand such as Jiffy, we are already exploring new markets and industries.”

Jiffy has identified a number of industries where its new foam offering is particularly relevant including ceramics, automotive, manufacturing, electronics, furniture, DIY and construction.

One of the barriers to the use of foam protection in general packing is the perception that it could be expensive, which isn’t always the case. Picking up the story, Fiona adds, “The price per square metre of foam generally compares favourably with that of corrugated rolls and bubble film in many cases.

“We are recommending that distributors look at the opportunity to convert customers to foam because, depending on the application, it could offer far better protection and potentially can ‘lock’ a distributor into supply, with a little more security.

“For example, bubble film, although fabulously protective, can be abrasive against delicate surfaces such as polished wood. Depending on the thickness, foam offers both the cushioning and surface protection needed and is perfect for this application.”

Adding value to foam One of the exciting things about Jiffy Foam is that it isn’t just for packaging: it can be bonded to another substrate to create a product with increased strength and puncture resistance, improved insulation and cushioning properties and varying levels of emissivity.

The aesthetics of foam can also be enhanced by laminating a coloured or printed film to the material – ideal for branding or where the addition of a promotional message is required.

For some applications – where strength, rigidity and sleek presentation are required – Jiffy adds paper. HDPE or LDPE films can be added to foam for extra strength and puncture resistance, allowing foam to be converted into a strong pouch for upholstered and leather sofas, for example, or high back dining chairs.

Foam bonded to woven scrim materials prove to be super strong and can be stitched into covers, with buckles, straps and Velcro.

Foam’s thermal and acoustic properties are put to good use when it is used as an underlay for wood and laminate flooring. In this application Jiffy foam also provides cushioning when used as an underlay and helps to flatten an uneven floor.

Where high levels of emissivity are required – for example when keeping chilled goods cool or in construction applications for insulation – metalised films such as metalised polyester or aluminium are bonded to foam.

One of the applications in which foam bonded to metalised film is used is as a reflector of heat is where the bonded materials are placed behind radiators. This simple but clever application has been helping householders save money on their heating bills for years.

One of Jiffy’s most popular combinations is foam bonded to bubble. With this permutation you retain the bounce and cushion of bubble allied with the non-abrasive, caring, no scratch nature of foam. Perfect for top end leather furniture.

New foam width standard Extruding at an impressive 2.5m wide, Jiffy believes it has the opportunity to develop products for new and existing applications where size does matter!

In the UK, the current industry standard is 1.5m wide, meaning for packing larger items such as garage doors, filing cabinets and large engineered products and panels can mean a double wrap.

Speaking about the opportunity this presents, Fiona said, “It’s exciting enough that we are now manufacturing polyethylene foam with such flexibility and using the newest technology, but perhaps one of its greatest benefits is that, at 2.5m wide rather than the current industry standard 1.5m, we have the ability to create a new market.

“We are also able to produce longer length foam, beyond the UK standards, as is already the case across the rest of Europe, offering fewer change overs and better value for end-users.

“Our customers currently buy at 1.5m, 1000mm, 750cm or 500cm but the options are now far greater and, if required, much larger single items can now be wrapped with one piece of foam.

The team at Jiffy Packaging in the UK is very aware that it is the custodian of a much-loved and iconic brand. Sitting at the heart of that brand is quality, performance and innovation. MacDougall believes its latest offering in foam bears testament to the company’s forward thinking and innovative approach to business: “There is no doubt that this new technology is enhancing our position as a leading manufacturer of protective packaging in the UK. “We are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible in and our new extruded foam offering is a great example of this.”

For more information visit www.jiffy.co.uk or call +44 1606 867200.

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Top performers Mala is a European market leader in the manufacture of aluminium screw cap closures. The company continues to invest in new technology and expand into new markets, as Philip Yorke reports.

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ala Verschluss-Systeme GmbH is a family owned company that was founded in Germany in 1992 and for almost 25 years has been a major player in the manufacture of aluminium closures for wine, sparkling wines and spirits.

A programme of continuous investment in technology and personnel has helped the company to grow into one of the largest manufacturers of its kind in the world. Today the company offers more than twenty sizes of standard closures with numerous unique selling propositions. Mala employs over 200 people that serve more than 30 countries worldwide. In 2015 the company recorded revenues of more than €36 million.

Unique offering Mala is the only manufacturer of aluminium screw cap closures in Germany that can offer a truly full assortment of standard products for the most widely used bottle sizes, starting

from miniatures to the biggest diameters of up to 36mm. The company also prides itself on having the widest range of decorative technologies available in Europe. Examples of recent innovations include screw caps for aluminium bottles, as well as spraying technologies for a more diversified and more outstanding colour and design portfolio.

Mala told Packaging Europe, “In 1992 our production started with the PP28 standard closures in plain colours. By contrast, today our portfolio ranges from closures for wine, spirits, oil, vinegar, water and milk. Decorative finishes range from flat litho and rotary off-set printing to pad printing and hot foil decoration with or without embossing.

Furthermore, what is becoming increasingly important in today’s market is the fact that we have been certified in accordance with international standards for quality management systems, environmental management systems and energy management systems: ISO9001, ISO14001 and ISO 50001.”

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Consistent quality Aluminium represents the optimum material for closing bottles. There have been countless tests conducted with other materials and new products introduced onto the market, for example with plastic screw caps and plastic bottles, without any significant success.

For many years the beverage industries as well as consumers have appreciated the benefits of aluminium closures as they offer no impact on flavour, thus preserving the original product’s aromas. The other big advantage is the unrivalled and consistent quality that aluminium offers over other materials from bottle to bottle. In addition, there are other key benefits which include the precision and convenience when opening and closing and the sustainability of aluminium itself.

Mala plans to continue to extend its product portfolio and recently started manufacturing closures for aluminium bottles. “Our latest innovation will set new benchmarks when it comes to unique and impressive colours. We will be introducing these new technologies this summer: we will spray our closures with water-based varnishes and thereby achieve an exceptional high-value look with a unique crystal clear finish. Within the highly diversified market for aluminium screw cap closures, our principal markets are the industries for wine and spirits mostly in Germany and northern Europe,” Mala told Packaging Europe.

New horizons Over the past few years Mala has been successful in winning new customers in over 30 countries across five continents. The company’s US subsidiary, Mala Closure Systems

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Inc. in California, is covering the increasingly important US market and recently began the production of aluminium closures for Californian wines. The company’s aim is to increase its presence in all of the world’s most important wine-growing areas and to be in constant contact with its customers in order to stay in touch with consumer preferences and trends within the wine industry.

Andreas Lange, Mala’s managing director, commented, “As far as the future is concerned our daily business is based on the idea of combining all the production processes required to manufacture the highest quality aluminium screw caps all under one roof.

On this basis we will continue to invest in our employees and our production technology.

In addition, we intend to continue to grow our existing markets as well as our product portfolio and our design offerings. Monitoring the beverage markets and our customers’ demands, we will continue to look for new, innovative solutions and new closure systems, thus raising the fine art of closures to a new level.

“At Mala we stand for diversity and precision technology and have an uncompromising understanding of quality. We are proud to be an independent company that has the courage to develop advanced technology, equipment and moulds and implement them in any colour or style. We are pragmatic and flexible. Our customers are individual and sophisticated, which results in countless individual and outstanding designs.”

For further details of Mala’s innovative aluminium closure systems and services visit: www.mala.de

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Invest in film Leading Asian polyolefin film manufacturer Frank & Associates Plastic Ltd is rapidly bringing its respected product range and technical capabilities to an increasingly global audience. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to sales Manager Terence Ho to learn more. | 82 | Packaging Europe

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rank & Associates Plastic Ltd, Taiwan is a well-established Taipei-based film manufacturer. Founded in 1995, FAP has steadily grown and increased its offer over the past 20 years, with its ongoing investment programme seeing today’s huge production capacity supported by 11 film production lines and two slitting lines.

FAP sales Manager Terence Ho spoke to Packaging Europe magazine to explain how the company’s long-term focus on investment and quality has led to its leading position in the Asian packaging market: “Hardly a year has gone by in which we have not made considerable investments in our business. This means FAP has continually stayed ahead of the competition thanks to having the best equipment, the best facilities and the best staff. We have a very big clean room that allows us to work to the very highest international standards and we have been ISO certified across the business since 2008.”

He continued, “Our reputation for quality film is well known across Asia. We have been at the top of our game for over 20 years and we have an excellent hold over the domestic market, where we are very proud to be the leading player in our market.”

Fantastic facilities Frank & Associates Plastic Ltd built a brand new, state-of-the-art cast line in its second factory in 2015, with a new product line starting in early 2016. These capabilities joined its extensive list of strengths, including high quality food packaging for applications such as fresh meat, fresh fish, cheese and various breads. Mr Ho added, “Our food packaging films have been carefully developed to guarantee they offer the precise protection our customers require. Our films are very hygienic and extend the shelf life of the product. We offer sealing films, easy tear films, easy peel films and multi-layer barrier films.”

The FAP food packaging films also deliver excellent gas and moisture barriers, with various sealing options available. The high-performing films can be used with both top and base web applications or with HFFS packaging blocks, while EVOH can also be added for long life products. Available for powders such as spices and viscose products like marinades and sauces, the FAP films look very appealing on the shelf as they are Packaging Europe | 83 |

perfectly clear. Beyond food applications, FAP films are currently used in sectors such as cigarette packs, cartons, phone cards, shampoos and solvents.

Frank & Associates Plastic Ltd is active in the medical packaging market too, with its range of flexible films able to be produced in its large clean room, ensuring precision with minimal contamination. The company develops and produces pharmaceutical packaging films and bags, combination drug and device packaging, sterilisation bag base material films and breathable tape base films. Mr Ho noted, “Our impressive facilities allow us to give strong guarantees to our medical customers. We know it is of the highest importance that our medical films can be totally reliable when it comes to hygiene and cleanliness.

We offer a range of flexible base and top web materials for use in conjunction with coated, uncoated or paper materials.”

Expanding in Europe FAP’s plans for the next stage in development involve bringing its quality, reliability, flexibility and cost advantage to a wider global audience. Mr Ho explained, “We have already proven ourselves many times over across Asia and we have a large number of very satis-

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fied, long term customers. Our films are reliable, ecologically-responsible and remarkably competitive when it comes to price. We believe that this makes Frank & Associates Plastic a very attractive prospect as a packaging partner for potential customers across Europe.

This is why our plans over the next three years are to focus on extending our reach to Europe and North America.”

Mr Ho pointed out that FAP is already reaching out to possible partners in its target markets. He said, “We know that the European packaging market is complicated and that there are already plenty of established players, but we know that we have something very special to offer – a competitively priced range of high performance films that have gained many fans across Asia for their excellent properties for food, medical and personal care applications. We have the technical capabilities to produce high volumes with fast turnaround thanks to our investment in the very best equipment from Austria. In fact, we are the only packaging film company in Taiwan to have such an impressive lab filled with top Austrian-quality machinery and now we are ready to bring our strengths and capabilities to customers across Europe.”

Visit: www.fap.com.tw

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A future

proof material As a global aluminium company, Hydro’s production, sales and trading activities stretch throughout the value chain, from bauxite, alumina and energy generation to the production of primary aluminium and rolled products as well as recycling. Elisabeth Skoda spoke to Hydro’s communication manager Michael Peter Steffen to find out more about the company’s vast product range and recent innovations in the packaging industry.

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total, the Norway-based company has 13,000 employees involved in activities in more than 50 countries on all continents. In 2015, a turnover of NOK 87 billion was achieved.

Hydro has changed and developed a lot over the 110 years from its roots as a manufacturer of nitrogen-based fertilisers, evolving into an international industrial conglomerate. Since 2007, Hydro is a focused global, integrated aluminium and hydroelectric power company.

Packaging prowess “Our constant strive to become better, bigger and greener is benefiting all our stakeholders, ultimately everyone´s lives, everyday. Think of your smart phone; of your mobility; of the packaging that protects your food … and Hydro is a leading provider of aluminiumbased solutions, also for the packaging industry,” Mr Steffen explains.

“Since 2002 we have been able to maintain and even strengthen our leading position in the packaging industry, notably in the market segments of ultrathin high performance foil for aseptic packaging, mainly used in compound cartons such as tetra packs.”

Mr Steffen is keen to highlight a key innovation in this area. “We managed to reduce the thickness of our foil for sterilised beverage cartons by 16 per cent, allowing us to stretch the boundaries and reduce the industry standard of 6 micron to an impressive 5 micron. This innovative high-quality foil is manufactured with even less material than before, but still ensures barrier protection of foodstuff against spoilage.”

This foil is manufactured at the rolling mill in Grevenbroich in Germany, the largest and most technically advanced production site in the world for high strength foil.

Hydro’s aluminium packaging range consists not just of foil, but the company also is a leading supplier for can stock, tab and body stock, i.e. all the material needed for aluminium beverage cans. Packaging is of major importance both for companies and typical home users of today and tomorrow.

Aluminium in packaging is on the up, and Mr Steffen sees good potential going forward.

“Lifestyle changes have created an increased demand for ready meals, and aluminium trays are convenient. It is also an attractive packaging format at the point of sale. Aluminium is an ideal packaging materials, and products such as aluminium household foil are playing a crucial role in the storage of food remains. As long as consumers take note of advice to not store very sour or salty foods in it for any length of time, it is a useful and safe material.

Aluminium foil routinely scores as good or better than other food storage methods such as plastic compounds or plastic boxes with regards to their carbon footprint.”

Another growing use for aluminium packaging is in the area of wine closures, not just for everyday wines, but also premium wines.

“Wine can be destroyed by cork effect. About 3 per cent of all the annual wine harvest is spoilt due to a corked bottle, and of course this doesn’t happen with aluminium closures. In addition, there is the convenience of being able to open and reclose the wine as often as is wished. With our rolling mills, we have a European wide network with a strong base in Germany and Norway. Our rolling mill in Holmestrand works as a major supplier of food can material,” Mr Steffen adds.

Water power Hydro is proud of its long history. In 2015, the company celebrated its Høyanger aluminium plant’s 100th anniversary, the oldest still active smelter which has been available and in service all the time, and which is still a major plant, powered by water from Norwegian waterfalls. Today, Høyanger also works with recycled metals.

“One major USP for Hydro, distinguishing us from other aluminium producers, is that the majority of our aluminium production is based on hydro power,” Mr Steffen points out.

Hydro runs several hydroelectric power plants in Norway, harnessing the power of Norwegian waterfalls, making it the second largest private producer of hydroelectric power in the country.

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The company is proud to hold a leading market position across the entire value chain of the aluminium industry, from mining to refining and processing it into a range of products, and values its sound process chain and secure raw material base.

“This reflects the depth of competence in this material. Thanks to our R&D, laboratories and detailed material analysis, we are on top of any industry developments.” As the boldest step going forward, Hydro will build a 70,000-tonnes-per-year test plant for the world´s most efficient primary aluminium production.

A varied range Hydro´s aluminium solutions help make cars lighter and safer; turn buildings into more efficient homes and work places; open up for progress in electronics and renewable energy technologies – and help protect food, medicine or other valuables to preserve their usability and nutritional benefits, freshness and taste..

Mr Steffen sees the biggest future potential in the automotive industry. “The use of aluminium in cars has been booming. This development started in the USA with the Ford F150, and we have observed similar trends in Germany and all over Europe. To cater for this trend, we are investing € 130 million into a finishing plant for car body sheet in Grevenbroich, Germany, an application with demanding requirements on purity, surface looks and formability. With recent developments on alloys we have been able to serve the industry very well and are looking forward to be able to quadruple capacities with our investment into a new finishing line by the end of 2016. This line will be the most energy efficient processing line in this field.”

Another use for aluminium Mr Steffen is keen to highlight is the printing industry.

“Aluminium is the base for a chemical layer in many printing plates for offset printing – every third newspaper is printed on plates that have aluminium sheet manufactured by Hydro.”

A further common application of aluminium is in the heat exchange industry, where the storage of heat or cold is required.

“Aluminium is a good conductor of temperatures and currents, making it the ideal material for electronic devices, long distance power cables and smartphones. It also comes into its own in the area of renewable energy, for battery foils with distinguished purity and surfaces. This enables renewable energy to be stored, which is important as of course the wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine, necessitating storage systems,” Mr Steffen points out. | 88 | Packaging Europe

Reusable material Germany is already a leader in aluminium recycling within Europe, and Hydro supports a closed material loop, by further expanding its network of recycling capacity .- to keep .aluminium, the strongest growing metal on earth, in use, again and again. This May, Hydro commissioned a EUR 45 million facility to recycle up to 50,000 tonnes of used beverage cans per year at its Neuss plant in Germany. While countries collect cans in various systems, where bulk often contains impurities and other materials, Hydro is the first to adopt a patented, advanced sorting technology for used beverage cans, able to process collected aluminium material with up to 20 percent impurities. “It makes the new recycling line the best place to be for any used beverage can,” said Hydro President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg.

The new used beverage can line helps optimize Hydro´s sourcing of metal for subsequent fabrication. Thus it will save 350,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year, compared to use of primary aluminium. ..

“Recycling only requires 5 per cent of primary energy, this is like a payback into an energy bank, each time we conclude and start a new life cycle. This is of particular importance for fast moving products such as beverage cans: when collected, it can be recycled, processed and back as a filled can in just 60 days. In contrast cars or buildings with aluminium last for many years, so around 75 per cent of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today,” Mr Steffen says.

R&D facilities Hydro values research and development and has several competence centres, where even better aluminium alloys are developed. Activities are strongly focused on core products and production processes, but also cover broader topics, such as understanding the societal, technological and environmental requirements for sustainable development.

“We have our own technical customer service teams in each market segment and business unit, in order to be in close contact with customers and manufacturers, and also with developers, to help them make the best use of aluminium,” Mr Steffen concludes.

Visit: www.hydro.com

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Competent Cleaning Skan AG, founded in 1968, is one of the pioneering companies in the field of cleanroom equipment and isolator design for the global pharmaceutical industry. Innovative products, customer-specific solutions and an efficient service organisation have led Skan to become a global market leader and important partner for industry and research laboratories. Libby White spoke with Martin Glaettli, sales engineer containment, to find out more about Skan’s main objective to protect the operator and the facility environment from the product being packed.

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kan stands for outstanding products of superior quality, and provides containment solutions for a variety of toxic and hazardous pharmaceutical substances.

When it comes to the sterile packaging of powdered hazardous and toxic materials, Skan offers innovative solutions for the cleaning of machinery and facilities. Mr Glaettli comments, “Increasingly, employees have to be protected from more and more hazardous products. The machinery and processes must be cleaned extremely thoroughly. This is also because of cross contamination in shared facilities. The total carry over must be very small, even below 0.1 microgram. We can provide key solutions whereby the process can be cleaned and validated.”

Mr Glaettli is keen to highlight a recent innovation: “Our production isolator PSI-L® is a very flexible solution that really seems to hit the spot of the requirements in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. It provides numerous advantages in terms of small batches and flexibility. This solution has been on the market for a couple of years now, and we are working on developments for it to become even more flexible and to be broadened to more applications.”

The PSI-L® allows for the addition of sterile air locks and several work chambers, and is completely configurable and flexible, which enables the incorporation of a small scale sterile filling process. If a customer needs a filling process in one chamber, a freeze drying process in the next chamber, and an offloading and capping process in the third chamber, this can be achieved. The PSI-L® meets all current pharmaceutical small scale processing requirements.

Demonstrating Skan’s level of skill and expertise, another field it addresses with its products is the filling and freeze drying of sterile liquid ADCs (antibody drug conjugates), an area which is growing rapidly. “These are very hazardous substances for employees, so the packaging and filling process has to be in a protected environment, as well as the cleaning at the end of the process,” states Mr Glaettli.

In addition to primary packaging, Skan’s isolators and solutions are also relevant for providing packaging processes for secondary packaging of hazardous materials, which can become contaminated during processes such as inspection or sealing.

Apart from all of the services that concern hydrogen peroxide decontamination and low level hydrogen peroxide analysis and so on, Skan focuses on introducing new decontamination processes such as its innovative Skanfog® technology. “This is surface decontamination with hydrogen peroxide, but it gets sprayed as a fog and not vaporised; this is the kind of technology that we are developing in our competence centre,” adds Mr Glaettli.

Lifetime partnerships Skan prides itself on keeping its customers in safe hands, and providing a trusted service. Mr Glaettli says, “We do not only dictate to our customers what equipment they need, instead we cover the ‘why’ question first, and then tailor our offering to cover the customer’s requirements.”

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It has a dedicated competence centre which incorporates all of its insightful knowledge about hydrogen peroxide decontamination. Skan looks after the entire decontamination process. In close cooperation with stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry and universities, the competence centre continuously improves knowledge and expertise, with specialists processing validation microbiology, applied science, and research and development, and a team of experts works on cycle development methods, H2O2 decontamination processes and analysis of product development. Mr Glaettli adds, “Within our competence centre we also have our dedicated R&D department with a team of four people investigating our new needs, new functionalities and new processes that we can offer to customers.”

Skan goes one step further in providing support to its customers with its containment competence centre, which provides information for operator protection and support for HSE, GMP and product quality assurance. Mr Glaettli comments, “GMP and HSE can often be quite contradictive between departments, which we find do not always have a strong communication between themselves. When we initially support companies in a project, we bring both parties to the table. This way we can offer the best solutions.” This is one of Skan’s definite competencies, helping the two point of views in a pharmaceutical production process find a common destination, before moving ahead.

Skan also offers a life cycle partnership, issuing performance guarantees, revalidation and service that is needed on a regular basis, annual servicing or more, making needed changes, and updating existing machinery with new developments in technology.

Global reach Skan AG is headquartered in Allschwil, Switzerland, although the company is well represented all over the world with established subsidiaries Skan US and Skan Japan.

Reflecting the success of the company, there has been steady expansion in recent times.

A new facility was established in Görlitz, Germany, which Mr Glaettli describes as ‘buzzing’. Since being opened, a second hall has already been built for steel work manufacturing, exposing the success of the new facility. Skan Japan is also extending its facilities for final assembly. | 92 | Packaging Europe

Mr Glaettli also reveals a close cooperation with Pharma Integration Srl in Italy, which he describes as, “Another step within our mission to provide safety and trust to our customers and partners. Pharma Integration will focus on solutions for full automation of pharmaceutical processes.”

Skan will be present at a number of upcoming exhibitions this year, from Interphex, Japan, the ISPE annual meeting, the HPAPI world congress, to China Pharm. With a pioneering outlook, built on a strong and ‘tried and tested’ foundation, Skan looks set to remain on a positive route. Mr Glaettli concludes, “We will carry on with our recipe that has proven to be successful, and will continue on our path of controlled and steady growth.”

Visit: www.skan.ch

Getinge La Calhène Getinge’s DPTE® solutions are installed on isolators and production lines in pharmaceutical plants throughout the world. The only leak-tight transfer system with completely compatible Alpha and Beta parts which are validated together as a system, our DPTE® equipment ensures secure, ultra-clean transfer of sterile and/or toxic materials, into and out of clean zones.

Leak-tight bi-directional transfer is assured with our wide range of Beta parts including re-usable containers (PE, stainless steel), tubing and DPTE-BetaBag® in a variety of diameters, volumes and materials to suit your applications. The flexible bags, manufactured in our state-of-the-art clean rooms, are ideal for inserting items such as pre-sterilized components, culture media, cleaning kits, etc. into your filling line. DPTE-BetaBag® systems are also available for liquid transfer applications.

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View from the top PepsiCo’s R&D transformation began about seven years ago with a leadership change, and now the firm is reaping the benefits of ‘growing the R&D investment’.

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eeping a broad perspective, collaborating across departments, and leveraging ‘technology unlocks’: If packaging innovation at PepsiCo were viewed as a three-legged stool, these would be the legs of that stool. That’s not to say that cost containment, manufacturing efficiency, commitment to sustainability, advanced IT and a number of other things aren’t influential in shaping the Purchase, NY-based food and beverage company’s packaging innovation efforts. But these all funnel into or support the big three.

Dr Mehmood Khan, who is executive vice-president, chief scientific officer and head of Global Research and Development, is responsible for the broad perspective that PepsiCo takes in its approach to R&D and packaging innovation. He explains why his diverse background fits—now more than ever.

“Historically the food and beverage industry has had a relatively narrow and shortterm focus, where obvious things like processing, distribution and sales were the drivers.

But as the world has changed, consumers are increasingly interested in nutrition, in understanding origins and sources of food, and in understanding how food and beverages interact not just with taste but also with the body. There’s so much more awareness of the environment, too. So it’s essential for a head of R&D to have a broad perspective when it comes to looking at food and beverages and the packaging that contains them. That’s why we’ve brought in people with such diverse backgrounds, people with experience in

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biology, life sciences, computational modelling, agronomy – skills not typically thought of as being part of a food and beverage company.”

Since he became the head of R&D about seven years ago, Khan has led what many at PepsiCo refer to as an R&D transformation. Evidence of his transformative thinking is abundant in packaging, as he believes that packaging now more than ever must be part of the product experience, part of how the product is consumed. Ethnographic consumer research, which is the collection and analysis of empirical data on consumer behaviour, is among the tools PepsiCo uses to make packaging part of the product experience. Khan points to the South American market for an example.

“We saw that a lot of people there liked to open up their snacks and add toppings to them, things like cheese or seasonings. This meant they had to empty the bag’s contents into a separate container and then add the seasonings. So we asked ourselves: how do we make the package itself suitable for use in a way that eliminates the need for the separate container while still keeping the price where it needs to be? It led to the launch of our Lays brand in a reconfigured pillow bag that’s reclosable. The packaging equipment is the same, but we can change the way that it’s formatted so that it produces a reclosable bag.”

The fundamental roles of packaging are of course viewed as givens at PepsiCo. But moving beyond that, how does PepsiCo communicate a product’s key attributes, and how should packaging maximise the effectiveness of that communication? Lee

Nicholson, director of Advanced Packaging Research, thinks interactive packaging is one of the answers.

“Packaging today is dictated by what I like to call the four Cs: containment, convenience, communication, and custody – which is another word for security or tamper evidence. What’s missing is the fifth C, and that is connectivity. Packages would be far more enabled and the consumer experience could be so much richer if the industry could create an interactive connected package that provided a differentiated and personalised experience involving a multiway transfer of data.

“One of the things we’ve been pioneering in the area of interactive packaging is what we call the packaging trifecta. It’s a multiway communication enabled by or through packaging that links brand owner with retailer with consumer. We think of it as an ecosystem of connectedness.”

Packaging as a strategic asset Packaging is not applied as an afterthought once a new product or product extension has been developed. Instead, packaging is viewed as a strategic asset, says Denise Lefebvre, vice-president of Global Beverage Packaging.

“When I joined the organisation eight years ago we knew packaging drew volume growth and was important to the consumer,” says Lefebvre. “But what’s also become apparent is that it has a tremendous impact on both the top and bottom lines. Once people understand its value and what it can bring, then it occupies a more strategic place in the portfolio.

“We take a holistic approach to packaging,” she points out. “We examine new technologies and look closely at consumer trends. Then we team up with our internal partner organisations, such as marketing and supply chain, to ideate and come up with the best ideas that are going to meet the needs of our consumers and customers. We have a robust ideation process that includes trend setting, foresight, and then certainly collaboration with our internal partners. We then take those insights and concepts and work with our design team – we have an in-house design team that is very strong – and we see the concept all the way through to execution and operations. By this time our engineers have done a lot of robust work around modelling and different capabilities, so that we have really sharp development once we lock in the concept and innovation. Having these development tools and processes in place is important when you have a large system like ours, because it helps us execute flawlessly across that system. The goal, of course, is that when the package reaches the consumer, it’s true to the design thinking behind it and to the marketplace.”

Nicholson echoes Lefebvre’s thoughts on the importance of collaboration. He credits Khan with shaping the corporate R&D function in such a way that collaboration is among its most essential underpinnings.

“The corporate research function here has evolved tremendously over the past several years,” says Nicholson. “What’s been fostered is a wonderful spirit of collaboration and innovation. As a result, we’ve had a lot of success in attracting top talent and in building a truly innovative environment. Senior leadership has thought really comprehensively about how best to organize multiple functions and business units to be better integrated.

The result is that as we move forward, we’re uniquely positioned to deliver on top-line and bottom-line growth, to deliver on performance with purpose.”

According to both Nicholson and Lefebvre, Khan’s vision is based on the recognition that innovation requires an incubation period, and without the proper resources, incubation is out of the question. Nicholson puts it this way: “If we want to be disruptive and transformational in our innovation process, we need time, commitment, and support. So

“We examine new technologies and look closely at consumer trends. Then we team up with our internal partner organisations, such as marketing and supply chain, to ideate and come up with the best ideas that are going to meet the needs of our consumers and customers.”

I think it’s terrific what senior management has done with corporate R&D. As an organisation we have a long-term vision and the resources needed to support it, a roadmap if you will. This is what permits product and package differentiation for the future.”

Technology unlock Mentioned earlier as one leg in PepsiCo’s three-legged packaging innovation stool is the idea of leveraging ‘technology unlocks’, the term PepsiCo uses for technology that solves a business problem. Printed electronics, says Nicholson, is potentially a technology unlock.

“If we can print electronic circuits on a packaging substrate just like we print ink on paper, that’s a technology we must explore,” says Nicholson. “In pharma, wines, spirits, and other places where the price points are a bit higher, they’ve begun to reap the benefits Packaging Europe | 95 |

of this form of interactive packaging. For us in the food and beverage industry, where price points obviously aren’t so high, we have to look at such unlocks and see if there’s a way to bring the cost of the technology down.”

Lefebvre cites the recent redesign of the 28-oz PET Gatorade bottle as another example of how emerging packaging technologies solved a business problem.

“What we were after was a sleeker look to the bottle, and two technology unlocks allowed us to get there,” says Lefebvre. “First, we partnered with our suppliers to develop a new technology for absorbing the internal vacuum pressure that builds up when a hotfilled PET bottle cools down. Not only did this allow us to do away with the not-so-sleek vacuum-absorbing sidewall panels that are typically used, it also meant shaving 6 grams from the bottle weight.” The injection/stretch blow-molded PET bottle went from 45 to 39 grams.

The second technology unlock involved labelling. Instead of buying shrink-sleeve labels that are cut from a continuous tube and dropped over individual bottles, PepsiCo now takes advantage of new packaging machinery technology – from an unnamed source – that lets them form a sleeve label from flat film. The flat label stock comes in a continuous roll of oriented polypropylene. The new machinery cuts individual labels to length and welds the leading and trailing edges before dropping the formed label over a bottle. From there, the bottle’s passage through the shrink tunnel is pretty much the same as it is with any other shrink-sleeve label. But because PepsiCo doesn’t have to pay a label supplier to form film into a continuous tube, the new label costs less. It also shrinks tightly against the bottle sidewalls, contributing to the sleeker look that was the initial goal.

One good place to seek out the next new technology unlock, of course, is a show like PACK EXPO or interpack. Nicholson says he relies on these shows for networking.

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CSi In the past ten years CSi has been providing high quality materials handling and palletising systems to many of PepsiCo’s sites worldwide. In close co-operation with its customers, CSi strives to provide the most efficient end of line automated solutions and its close working relationship with PepsiCo demonstrates this. CSi is committed to developing state-of-the-art, sustainable automated solutions where low energy consumption, maximum material recovery and forming sustainable long-term partnerships are its key goals.

Together with PepsiCo, CSi is in the process of developing a fully standardised but modular and flexible end-of-line palletising platform. This platform allows to configure a solution based on Lift-and-Shift, yet customised to PepsiCo’s local needs and functionality requirements. At the same time, due to this modular way of standardisation CSi will be able to change their delivery processes from Engineered-to-Order to Assembly-to-Order resulting in affordable investment levels for PepsiCo. In combination with the global localisation of our supply chain and cost effective production CSi can globally offer PepsiCo fit for purpose solutions against affordable pricing, also in emerging markets where labour costs are still relatively low.

new ways to convert materials. So at shows like PACK EXPO or interpack, I make a point of visiting startups that may have something new to say. I also spend time with some of the big, established players that I know have strong R&D thinkers in their organisation.

These shows are a good way to understand what’s on tap.”

But as director of Advanced Packaging Research, Nicholson says it’s incumbent upon him to also pay close attention to shows focused not on packaging but on things like pharma, biologicals, consumer electronics, or printed electronics. “Remember, my team and I are tasked with looking three to five years down the road,” he points out. “We’re often looking at categories adjacent to packaging and maybe outside the packaging arena per se. It’s in these other industries – I would also include automotive, aerospace, and semiconductors –where you find people playing with the newest technologies and exploring these new spaces first. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel here. But we have to learn from those who are out in front if we want to be at the leading edge of packaging innovation.”

Comments like these are pretty clear signs that an R&D transformation has indeed occurred at PepsiCo. Khan refers to it as ‘growing the R&D investment’. It’s why PepsiCo now has R&D centers in Mexico, Germany, Moscow, Shanghai, and Dubai. As he puts it, “We’ve taken a large footprint and strategically grown it in a very targeted way.”

Throughout this entire process of growth and transformation echoes the threepronged leitmotiv of perspective, collaboration, and technology. And don’t dare mention packaging as being in any way siloed from processing.

“You can’t separate the two,” says Khan. “Look, for example, at what we’ve done in what we call our Microvalue Processing initiative. It’s a food processing line that takes in raw ingredients at the front end and gives you packaged products for sale at the other end, and the entire thing fits on a 16-wheel truck. It’s revolutionary. Back it up to a local warehouse and you’re good to go. Detroit is our first pilot, where we’re producing a savoury

snack made right in the community where it’s sold. It’s a true commercial pilot of how the future might look. Think about how it might fit developing parts of South America, Asia, or Africa, where large-scale production facilities don’t make economic sense given the cost of distribution and so on. Packaging is central to all of this. This is an example of how R&D is being transformed here. It’s not just product development. We’re changing our n very business model.”

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Sustainable

glass success Şişecam Glass Packaging manufactures glass packaging in different colours and sizes for the food, beverage, spirits, pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors, and has an annual production capacity of 2.3 million tonnes, making it the largest glass packaging manufacturer in Turkey and the fourth largest producer in the world. Abdullah Kilinç, Şişecam Glass Packaging Group President (Turkey), talks about what makes the company stand apart from the competition.

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he company has a total of ten plants, including three located in Turkey, five in Russia, one in Ukraine and one in Georgia.

Mr Kilinç is keen to point out recent investment: “The latest green-field investment of Şişecam Glass Packaging is the Eskişehir plant commissioned in 2013 in Turkey. The third furnace at the plant with a capacity of 90,000 tons was fired in 2015. The new plant achieved competitiveness with its wide product range. From the smallest volume (6 cc) to the largest volume (15 L) gallon production, Eskişehir has the required infrastructure to serve all markets.”

The Eskişehir plant is the only glass packaging producer in Turkey with the ability to supply the pharmaceutical sector under ISO Class 8 specifications.

“Furthermore, Şişecam Glass Packaging has a competitive advantage in the market by presenting customers with designed products at its decoration facility in Eskişehir with an annual production capacity of 300 million units per year. Şişecam Glass Packaging has also been providing support to its customers through its ‘Product Design Center’ since 2006,” Mr Kilinç adds.

R&D based on extensive know-how Şişecam places great emphasis on combining its experience and know-how of over 80 years with its technological infrastructure and R&D activities in order to increase the quality and added value of its products, aiming to offer its customers more functional products of higher quality, greater use and wider variety to maintain its competitive advantage. Active since 2014, the ‘Şişecam Science and Technology Centre’ is the result of this strategic approach, and is currently Turkey’s only glass research centre and one of the leading centres in Europe. | 98 | Packaging Europe

“Our R&D centre conducts research and development work regarding our glass packaging operations, covering all phases of glass production from raw material to final products. There has been concrete and satisfying progress in terms of making production processes more efficient and developing high-technology products that to enrich our portfolio,” Mr Kilinç is happy to report.

Besides work to make glass packaging lighter and stronger, brand new development projects have continued at the Şişecam Science and Technology Centre in 2015 in a multitude of forms in order to bring added value to the glass packaging industry.

“The main focus of the R&D work in 2015 has been in adding new colours to the product range through colouring at the blending stage, developing coating for glass packaging products that decrease UV permeability, and coating the inside of milk bottles with an antibacterial material to increase shelf life,” Mr Kilinç adds.

Production facilities Şişecam Glass Packaging’s total production capacity of 2.3 million tonnes/year is made up from one million tonnes/year in three plants in Turkey, 1.2 million tonnes/ year in five plants in the Russian Federation, 60,000 tonnes/year in one plant in Georgia and 85,000 tonnes/year in one plant in Ukraine. Şişecam Glass Packaging continues its efforts to be a global player as expressed in its vision to become one of the top three glass packaging companies in the world.

This aim will be achieved by concentrating on operational excellence, process efficiency, cost improvement efforts in the short and medium term, and on becoming a customer-oriented solution partner.

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Working hard for customers Şişecam Glass Packaging has been providing support to its customers through the Product Design Centre since 2006. The centre won 56 awards in ten years for its authentic designs.

Due to its many years of experience in industrial design and advanced engineering knowledge, Şişecam Glass Packaging can meet the different glass packaging needs of consumers and brands with innovative and creative designs. During 2015, the company created 595 designs under 31 projects to improve the functions of glass packaging.

“Receiving two design awards from the World Packaging Organization (WPO) at the WorldStar 2015 ceremony held in Milan, Italy, Şişecam Glass Packaging was awarded in the beverages category with its ‘İBB Hamidiye Water Bottle’, and also received an award in the food category for its ‘Kemal Kükrer Chili Sauce Bottle’,” Mr Kilinç reports.

Focus on sustainability Since Şişecam Glass Packaging operates in an industry with high energy use, it considers the reduction of energy use and the increase of energy efficiency among its highest priorities. Other priorities include decreasing total greenhouse gas emissions, reducing waste and preserving other natural resources.

One of the main targets of Şişecam Glass Packaging is to make all business models of the company, from production to the recycling of packaging materials, as environmentally-friendly and sustainable as glass itself, as Mr Kilinç explains.

“It has always been our priority to produce lighter yet more durable glass packaging to decrease raw material input and transportation load, and to increase renewable energy use and glass recycling. Our group operates in an energy-intensive industry, and energy saving projects focusing on the recovery of waste heat as part of our sustainability drive constitutes one of our priorities. In addition, Şişecam Glass Packaging supports the EU’s ‘efficient use of resources’ drive for sustainable growth, and allocates a significant amount of its resources towards reaching the goal of a 10 per cent annual increase in the amount of recycled glass waste used in production.”

Launched in 2011, ‘Cam Yeniden Cam’ (Glass is Glass Again), which is one of Turkey’s most comprehensive sustainability and social responsibility projects, continues successfully as a corporate social responsibility project that encourages recycling in society and is an exemplary sustainability project that offers economic and environmental benefits.

The project aims to engender a community of recycling by creating a social behavioural change. Mr Kilinç is proud to list the achievements: “More than 200,000 primary school students have received education on recycling, 15,100 glass bottle banks have been donated to municipalities, and approximately 600,000 tonnes of glass packaging waste was recycled.”

As a result, the initiative resulted in carbon emissions reduction equivalent to taking 219,000 cars off the road and energy savings that would provide heating and hot water for 26,000 homes. In all of Turkey, the company established cooperations with 142 district municipalities in 22 provinces and support was extended to raise awareness among society, improve collection infrastructure and modernise glass recycling facilities. | 102 | Packaging Europe

Şişecam Glass Packaging supports a resource efficiency initiative for sustainable growth in the EU 2020 strategy. Accordingly, the company targets an increase in the quantity and quality of recycled glass waste (known as cullet) and minimise resource consumption. The main activities under the project include creating awareness of recycling among society, strengthening the infrastructure for sorting at the source and the modernization of glass recycling facilities.

The company also offers consultation for the integration of automatic sorters at recycling facilities. In addition, it encourages glass cullet suppliers to invest in automatic machinery by implementing a bonus system based on quality and quantity.

As an extension of the glass break development efforts, an automatic control line was commissioned in Eskişehir Plant. Şişecam Glass Packaging used 141,000 tonnes of recycled glass for production in 2015. “Şişecam Glass Packaging is aware of its responsibility to protect the environment and believes that the next generation deserves to live in a habitable world.

This approach is one of the key principles of the Group’s strategic management and is integrated in all phases of our processes. The Group’s objective is to carry out all environmental preservation activities with the approach of the Environmental Management System, in accordance with the principles of conformity to legislation and sustainability,” Mr Kilinç adds.

A bright future ahead Şişecam Glass Packaging has a sustainable and profitable growth approach and always looks for investment opportunities, as Mr Kilinç points out.

“The group places the value offered to customers as a top priority and remains the leading glass packaging manufacturer in terms of product diversity, putting its name to innovative and authentic designs in collaboration with its customers and is managed to offer a service beyond expectations.” Şişecam Glass Packaging continues its efforts to be a global player as expressed in its vision to become one of the top-three glass packaging companies of the world.

This aim will be achieved by concentrating on operational excellence, process efficiency, cost improvement efforts in the short and medium term, and by continuing to be a customer-oriented solution partner.

The Group has conducted activities to increase glass packaging consumption within the framework of respect to humanity, nature and environment, and has increased its strength in domestic and international markets as the leading company in an increasingly competitive environment.

In addition to the joint research conducted with customers, Şişecam Glass Packaging will increase its glass packaging recycling and R&D activities to maintain its respect to the environment and nature, something that differentiates the Group from its competitors.

“Having joined technological superiority with an innovative and authentic perspective, Şişecam Glass Packaging will continue to play a critical role both in the past and the future of all stakeholders including mainly the employees and customers which give direction to markets and industries,” Mr Kilinç concludes.

Visit: www.sisecamglasspackaging.com Packaging Europe | 103 |

Not just

a piece of paper Bruno Giannelli , founder and partner of Fomat, describes his company’s range of paper-making components to Packaging Europe’s Barbara Rossi, highlighting its focus on innovation, high-quality and energy efficiency.

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omat is based near Lucca, northern Tuscany, where it was founded by Bruno Giannelli in 1973. It started as a commercial company, supplying quality service and innovative products to the renowned local paper industry. The company evolved very rapidly, starting to manufacture its own solutions and expanding its geographical markets. Today it serves customers the world over, supplying high quality and energy efficient products and complex systems to the paper industry. Fomat serves both paper-making machine producers and paper mills.

It comprises three divisions: Technologies, Aerothermic and Automation.

The Technologies division deals with all the standard products necessary for high precision paper processing machines. It offers a wide product range, including felt and wire cleaning systems, water filters, basis weight control valves, monoflow and duoflow rotary joints, cooling and corrugator joints, Yankee Doctor blade oscillators, edge cutters and tail cutters, electro-pneumatic positioners, and Yankee coating systems.

The aerothermic division takes care of complex systems dealing with air and steam handling. Its focus is on paper drying and creating a healthy paper mill environment. Its range of systems includes closed and Yankee hoods, hall ventilation, Yankee head insulation, and dust and mist removal solutions, as well as steam systems for tissue machines and corrugators.

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Finally, the automation division is focussed on paper mill management and process control, offering quality control and distributed control systems. The latter are necessary for the correct functioning of highly automated mills, which are on the increase due to high competition in the paper sector.

“All our divisions are very important,” Mr Giannelli remarks. “Our aim is that of providing optimal solutions for our customers’ needs. The solutions we provide to paper mills are always tailor-made, in order to fulfil this objective. Even the components that we provide to paper-making machine manufacturers are customised, according to the energy needs of the country in which their final customer is based. The component is manufactured so as to be able to offer the best possible energy efficiency according to energy costs in the country in question. We are able to supply 40 per cent of the components needed by paper-making machines. We only serve the best machine manufacturers, as our products are at the high-end of the market in terms of quality.”

This energy efficiency was possible thanks to our Integrex product, a heat exchanger and boiler. Basically, the burner only ignites to produce the small amount of steam that it is needed. The space saving result was possible through the use of a combo solution. As all its components are pre-assembled at our premises, this solution also minimises machine downtime during installation and future upgrades, as the necessary work can be carried out in only seven days.”

The company operates from a sole site, comprising four buildings – with planning permission gained to build a further facility here. All production takes place at these premises, because the company has a vertical production model, internally taking care of

Innovation, quality and energy efficiency “Energy efficiency, quality and ease of use are at the very heart of what we do,” states Mr Giannelli. “For this reason, innovation is a must. We hold several patents and have a test machine to use for our R&D trials. As well as carrying out internal research on a continuous basis, and having an engineer fully assigned to this activity, we also collaborate with the University of Pisa.”

He continues: “In October we had an Open House event and took our customers to visit a small paper mill to show them what we had been able to achieve, despite the small space available. As well as being remarkable in terms of space saving, our solution is outstanding with regard to energy efficiency, as it offers a 30 per cent energy saving. Moreover, it is more environmentally friendly, because its waste fumes only reach a temperature of 100°.

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all the necessary production processes, from raw steel to final product. No outsourcing or delocalisation strategies are employed.

“We purchase the best steel for our products and buy our production machinery from top-range suppliers,’ Mr Giannelli explains. “For instance, we have recently purchased a fibre optic laser cutter from a top-quality Japanese supplier, which allows us to offer an even higher cutting-precision level, alongside further reducing our energy consumption.

We have also purchased numeric control lathes and cutters from the same supplier.”

Thanks to its experience in steam handling and paper drying, Fomat can also serve any company needing these processes, even if they belong to other industries. Moreover, it offers spare parts and efficient customer service, including remote assistance. This is also offered to indirect customers, in other words those served through paper-making machine manufacturers.

Global outreach Geographically, the company supplies its solutions all over the world. “We have customers all over Europe, North and South America, Africa, the Middle East and Australia, as well as Japan and Korea,” says Mr Giannelli. “We serve customers in every market that demands high-quality products. For this reason, at present we do not supply China or India, although should they start requiring this type of products in the future, we will be ready work with them.”

Organic growth is expected, but although no acquisitions are currently planned, they could appear on the company’s horizon in the future, should the right opportunity present itself. Mr Giannelli concludes:

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“Our future is one of innovation. We have new cleaning systems for felt and wires which are currently been piloted. I expect significant demand for them, as they offer better cleaning results, while lowering water consumption. We will also bring to the market products and complex systems with increased energy efficiency, which I think will be successful, as I believe that reducing energy consumption will continue to be a vital factor for any manufacturing company, because oil prices might be going down, but gas is still expensive.”

Visit: www.gruppofomat.com

More than just a tube Renamed in 2010, Albéa strode into the forefront to become a global leader in beauty, personal care, oral care, phar¬maceutical and food packaging, with a core focus on partnering with its customers to build the future of their brands. The group has 38 facilities in 14 countries across the world, and Libby White was given the opportunity to visit Albéa Colchester, a centre for excellence for laminate tubes in the UK, where she spoke with Karl Graves, general manager, and Marjorie Vincenti, communications manager.

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lbéa Colchester originated as Betts, a company with a long background of technical know-how and experience in tube making. In 1982 it purchased its first laminate tube machine from AISA, and in 1998 a focus was put onto laminate after the decision to close the aluminium tube side. Betts was pur¬chased by the private equity fund Sun Capital Partners, Inc. in 2010, and one year later was integrated with the former Alcan Packaging Beauty, and Albéa was born.

In December 2012, Albéa acquired Rexam personal care, concreting its expertise in cosmetic rigid packaging, and becoming number one in this field for lipstick, as well as adding expertise in pumps. It also holds a leading position in fragrance, lotion, foam pumps and samplers and is number one on the market in mascara (pack & brush), and is a market valued provider of promotional items, stock items and accessories.

40 per cent of Albéa group’s sales come from tubes, 35 per cent from cosmetic rigid packaging, 20 per cent from dispensing systems and five per cent from beauty solutions.

Marjorie Vincenti says, “Albéa group were number one in manufacturing plastic tubes globally, and after the Betts acquisition we also reached pole position in laminate tubes.

With an entrepreneurial background we are on an exciting jour¬ney whereby we can draw on the collective strengths of the group in terms of processes, operating performance, quality, continuous improvement and EHS, whilst keeping a fundamental focus on growing local business in its community. Dynamic vision is supported by invest¬ment into the group, with approximately 100 million dollars invested annually, over the past few years.”

Strategic positioning Today, Albéa Colchester manufactures over several hundred million tubes a year, with approxi¬mately half the tubes being filled in the UK, with the remaining mainly in Europe, and the US and Africa. The laminate tube portfolio ranges from 19mm diameter to 50mm. The site serves large global accounts, international brands, as well as local and domestic brands, and prides itself on giving the same attentive service to all. Marjorie Vincenti comments, “Our clients toothpaste and personal care giants as well as domestic brands. Albéa Colchester also serves different market segments: oral care, personal care, food and pharmaceutical and is very flexible in its offerings.”

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With 230 employees, Karl Graves points out that some long-serving employees have been with the company for over 40 years, meaning expertise and skills are set in stone within the facility. He comments, “We moved site in 2012, strategically staying in the same base of Colchester. Even though we were a highly recognised manufac¬turer for the oral care tubes market, we had ambitious aims to expand into the food and pharmaceutical markets, and we needed the right facility to support us. We transformed the new facility into a world-class tube making site, and ensured it met all the GMP and BRC requirements for the food and pharmaceutical markets.”

Working alongside customers to develop new products is a key focus for Albéa Colchester, and it benefits from the wider network of the group, laboratories and testing facility based in the UK as well as the global development centre with I&D situated in Paris.

The site at Colchester is geographically positioned to serve the UK market, and to entice domestic companies back to production on their own soil, where the trend has been previously to buy overseas. Karl Graves is determined to win back business, and underscores, “Our experts in the UK ensure we can meet the needs of our custom¬ers, and customer service for the whole of the UK is also based in our Colchester facility, meaning service is of the highest quality.”

Global network of support Albéa Colchester benefits from an extensive network, and there is regional and global support across all of the Albéa sites. Karl Graves points out, “We hold regular meetings to share best practices right across the group. This is both advantageous for us to share knowledge, and also for our customers as it means we can standardise right across our portfolio- and deliver the same quality of product globally.”

Marjorie Vincenti says, “Our vision is to build the brand’s future of our custom¬ers.

We are able to support our customers to expand into new geographical markets with our overall capacity and network in 14 countries across the world. We are also able to support local domestic customers and help them grow through our flex¬ibility and innovation, which leads to wider growth and expansion. We help to serve the local businesses today that may grow into global brands tomorrow.” | 110 | Packaging Europe

Karl Graves adds, “We serve customers who require 10,000 tubes per year to hundred million tubes per year, and we aim to give the same level of service to both. Smaller customers may have concerns of choosing us as we are a large group, however they can trust in Albéa.”

Material conversion Historically, the laminate tube is strongly aligned with toothpaste. Karl Graves com¬ments, “Over the last few years laminate tubes are becoming increasingly popular across different markets. On the whole, Europe is a few years behind the US transi¬tioning to laminate tubes within the OTC and pharmaceutical markets.” Albéa Colchester has been closely working with customers in Europe for the past five or six years on developing laminate tubes for purpose in the pharmaceutical and OTC market, and has experienced further growth in interest in the last two years particularly. It is now at the point that it expects to see commercial production start.

There are a number of benefits to laminate tubes, according to Karl Graves. “For example decorative capabilities can help a product stand out on the shelf, especially on the OTC market. Also, with laminate tubes when customers want to launch their products around the world they can achieve more of the same quality worldwide with Albéa. Other benefits are its user-friendliness, safety for children, and it has better haptic properties as it does not crush. Around 15 years ago, we switched a regular UK account from putting their food in laminate tubes, and within the last two or three years this is becoming increasingly popular for food items such as cake icing.”

Premium packaging In order to have more shelf appeal, there is a growing trend for products across the food, oral care, pharmaceutical and cosmetics markets to be contained in premium packaging.

Karl Graves explains the suitability of the laminate tube for these compet¬itive markets, “Laminate tubes allow for high decoration capabilities, and customers are demanding more and more sophisticated and complex decoration.”

One of Albéa’s latest innovations is Reflexion™, a plastic barrier laminate tube with brilliant metallic effects. This solution combines plastic laminated structures with specific manufacturing processes to obtain a laminate that retains its original shape and has a lower environmental impact. Brands can now choose an ultra-gloss, mirror effect, metallic decoration or satin metallic gloss, brushed aluminium effect or a hot-stamped effect by reverse printing. The tubes can be printed in eight colours by flexography, silk screening and hot stamping. Metallic effects can also be combined with photo-realistic, gradated, matt & gloss and other effects for even greater standout. In addition, thanks to a new seaming process and 360° printing, the side seam is virtually invisible and almost imperceptible to the touch.

Albéa has also impressively launched Ovation™, the first European manufactured oval laminate tube. Leveraging on its triple expertise in tubes’ shape, structure and decoration, Albéa has developed a brand new elegant oval laminate tube offering 10 per cent more communication surface on shelf compared to an equivalent 50mm diameter cylindrical tube.

Another important trend Albéa has addressed is formula protection, which is es¬pecially prominent in the pharmaceutical market. It launched the breakthrough O2 Wall tube at Pharmapack this year which offers outstanding protection for the most sophisticated formulas. O2 Wall tube delivers integral formula protection thanks to its full foil barrier from head to end-seal. It is just as protective as an aluminium tube with the benefits of a laminate tube: softer touch and boundless decoration possibilities. The most sophisticated formulas are perfectly protected from oxygen, chemical and water migrations, while preventing any corrosion of the pack.

For tubes, Albéa is also conscientious when it comes to designing the right appli¬cators. One great example of this is the Artist Bubble™, a perfect sponge tube combi¬nation ideal for cosmetic applications, giving precise, convenient and easy use.

World class facility When Albéa Colchester first moved into its new facility in 2012, it had nine tube making machines. Today it benefits from AISA high speed laminate tube machines, flexo printers and three bi-inject moulding machines. Karl Graves comments, “We have grown year on year since we were purchased by Sun Capital.”

Holding ISO15378 and BRC standards compliant to the pharmaceutical and food industries, with enhanced GMP, was an important aspect of the design phase for the Colchester site. It is clear to see that safety and hygiene are paramount to Albéa, with a single point of entry to the manufacturing ‘white’ zone, through a GMP gowning area.

Albéa Colchester’s tube making equipment is amongst the fastest and most ef¬ficient in the world with outputs ranging from 180 to 300 tubes per minute. “The average age of the equipment we have in our facility is only five or six years old. We have also invested in the latest AISA machines, and last year we invested in a new Gallus nine colour printing press which is dedicated to low migration inks and varnishes for the food and pharmaceutical markets,” Karl Graves is proud to share.

As well as being well positioned for its domestic market it is also important that the site offers more than just a tube to compete with overseas players. Karl Graves comments, “We can offer agility, flexibility, speed to market, geographical proximity and most importantly, quality. We are slowly winning business back into the UK, and I think there is a growing trend to produce locally again. The knowledge and technical know-how we have in tubes is a real asset.”

Marjorie Vincenti adds, “We can adapt easily to the customer demands of fast moving markets, and are flexible in offering short to long runs which is vital for large brands who have specific launches and limited edition products for example.”

Future focus “Our aim is to continue knocking down the myth that a laminate tube is merely a toothpaste tube,” Karl Graves comments. Succeeding in expanding into the cosmetics, food and pharmaceutical markets have expanded Albéa Colchester’s clientele, and with groundwork laid into developing solutions for pharmaceutical brands over the last six years, products will begin in commercial production over the next few years.

He adds, “We will continue to grow in markets that were not seen as the core laminate tube business of the past. We will also continue to be more flexible and agile whilst still giving the same quality and standards. Quality requirements are ever increasing and we will remain one step ahead to ensure we meet the needs and regulations of the markets we serve.”

A new area of expertise adding another string to Albéa’s bow is digital printing. It has already been implemented in the US for laminate tubes and will be set up in Europe soon, adding more flexibility to the group’s overall offerings.

Karl Graves concludes, “Since moving facilities, we remain well positioned to serve the UK market, with a workforce benefiting from years of experience and skills gleaned in Colchester. Anyone can buy laminate tube equipment, but you need to know how to use it, and with the support of the wider Albéa group, we have the best of both worlds.”

Visit: www.albea-group.com Packaging Europe | 111 |