ProPack Pro June 2023

I wish to say a huge thank you for accommodating all our crazy orders over the past fortnight, your brilliant service made it possible to reach all the deadlines.

Lizzie

Thanks for your help with these cards. The parcel arrived yesterday and they look great! We’re looking forward to pushing the raised foil more this year so we’ll pass some more jobs across soon.

Doug

The Guide looks beautiful! Gorgeous print and colours, thank you again for organising the press check and paying such close attention to our work.

Caroline

The print is amazing - even better than I expected. Everything went so smoothlyyou were so prompt to respond to me, the tracker you have with the daily and update emails is fantastic, even the courier service you use has such good tracking info.

Ellen

The folders look fantastic. Thank you so much for your help and tireless efforts getting them through for us. You are such a legend and fill us with confidence knowing you’ve got our backs.

Sarah

Printing has already dispatched – thank you!!! I always feel confident sending an urgent job your way, and in this online world where you rarely get to deal with a real live human, I really appreciate that.

Mel

YOU

The power of having an ecosystem

Having an ecosystem in the labelling and packaging industry requires a business to harness the power of community to network, communicate, and innovate. It’s no easy feat but if executed well, can serve the industry and support the various segments that operate within it.

And with all the changes that have been impacting the labelling and packaging industry, it has evolved, resulting in several changes that need to be addressed. Otherwise, it’s only a recipe for disaster when the changes affect the various segments but the changes aren’t communicated across.

Building an ecosystem that includes solution partners and allowing them to be agile in today’s economy was the main message that HP delivered at Dscoop Edge St. Louis. Having an ecosystem allows for a community to meet, listen to each

other and discuss current trends and future challenges.

It also allows them to develop a joint roadmap for go-to-market strategy and continued market leadership. The underlying core of this message is the ability for preparation.

Regardless of segment, function or geography, let’s face it – preparation is the one area that affects everyone. And with proper preparation and communication, business goals can be achieved easily.

This issue of ProPack.pro looks into the learnings at Dscoop Edge St. Louis and how it is supporting its ecosystem with its latest technologies that address the pain points or requirements of the industry.

It addresses the alignments required for common visions and goals. It also shows

Hafizah Osman

how the coming together of businesses can shape the future of the industry.

In the words of HP Indigo and Scitex vicepresident and general manager Noam Zilbershtain, “As an industry leader with a global presence, HP Indigo can provide businesses with a degree of resilience during a challenging economic atmosphere. The combination of state-of-the-art presses and advanced software with industry best practices positions us to help the print world become Future-Ready”.

One can only hope that other large players in the industry follow suit and lead the way in supporting their ecosystems. There’s plenty to learn and takeaway from this issue, so I hope you enjoy the read.

Hafizah Osman | Editor

hosman@intermedia.com.au

Ph: +61 431 466 140

ProPack Industry Supporters

Group Pty Ltd (the “Publisher”). Materials in this publication have been created by a variety of different entities and, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher accepts no liability for materials created by others. All materials should be considered protected by Australian and international intellectual property laws. Unless you are authorised by law or the copyright owner to do so, you may not copy any of the materials. The mention of a product or service, person or company in this publication does not indicate the Publisher’s endorsement. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Publisher, its agents, company officers or employees. Any use of the information contained in this publication is at the sole risk of the person using that information. The user should make independent enquiries as to the accuracy of the information before relying on that information. All express or implied terms, conditions, warranties, statements, assurances and representations in relation to the Publisher, its publications and its services are expressly excluded save for those conditions and warranties which must be implied under the laws of any State of Australia or the provisions of Division 2 of Part V of the Trade Practices Act 1974 and any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof. To the extent permitted by law, the Publisher will not be liable for any damages including special, exemplary, punitive or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss or loss of profit or revenue or loss of opportunity) or indirect loss or damage of any kind arising in contract, tort or otherwise, even if advised of the possibility of such loss of profits or damages. While we use our best endeavours to ensure accuracy of the materials we create, to the extent permitted by law, the Publisher excludes all liability for loss resulting from any inaccuracies or false or misleading statements that may appear in this publication. Copyright © 2023 — Charted Media Group Pty Ltd

IN THIS ISSUE...

Mediapoint expands offerings

with Durst Tau install P6

In addition to its already strong wide format offerings, Mediapoint is now able to deliver on offering industry-leading, quality labels and stickers quickly and efficiently

LabelTec starts its digital journey with Epson SurePress P8

The purchase of an Epson SurePress L-4733AW puts LabelTec on the digital printers map

Auckland’s Contact Labels locks in quality P9

Trade and retail customers benefit from decades of industry experience

Dscoop inspires hundreds of businesses in the printing and packaging industry

Gallery: HP sees success at recent Dscoop Edge St. Louis P14-15

Dscoop is HP’s commitment to building an ecosystem that includes its solution partners and allows them to be agile in today’s economy

Feature: The future of packaging is flexible

P16-18

As one of the fastest growing packaging categories, flexible packaging is in demand and has many advantages to it

Review: interpack delights the global processing and packaging industry

P10-12

The Dscoop community in attendance at this year’s Edge World Expo included a 22-person team from A/NZ, which joined HP and Currie Group for some extracurricular activities

P20-22

After a six-year break, the global processing and packaging community was finally able to meet again in person at interpack 2023

Labels & Labeling: The future of flexo

McKinsey Report: What is the potential impact of reusable packaging?

P28-30

Renewed interest in reusable packaging is gathering momentum. However, the concept is complex, and stakeholders should understand the impact of cost and environmental factors

Pack diary

A guide to the upcoming events globally

P31

AIP OP-ED: Australian delegation shines at 2023 WorldStar Packaging Awards

P32-33

The Australian delegation picked up 22 awards at the 2023 WorldStar Packaging Awards, of which three were Special Awards

P24-26

Labels & Labeling explores what’s next for conventional press technology

THIS ISSUE SUPPORTED BY

P10-12

P16-18

Mediapoint expands offerings with Durst Tau install

In addition to its already strong wide format offerings, Mediapoint is now able to deliver on offering industry-leading, quality labels and stickers quickly and efficiently

Mediapoint is increasing its play in the labels and stickers printing market following its install of a Durst Tau machine at its Victoriabased premises. Mediapoint invested in this Tau RSC E late last year, which is its fourth Durst machine to date. The install closely follows the company’s announcement in February to buy a “top-of-the-shop” Durst P5 350 HS D4, which is due to be installed in June.

Mediapoint sales director Jamie Xuereb said he had his eyes on the Tau RSC E since 2019, when he was at Durst’s HQ in Brixen looking at its Durst 512R purchase.

“When I was at Durst’s HQ, I managed to get a quick demo of the Durst Tau. Its capabilities astonished me. The prints at 1200dpi and a two-picolitre drop were the best I had seen and did not expect from an inkjet UV printer. I had not even seen any digital sheetfed prints in the local market that were of that quality. At this point, we knew the print technology was ready for what Mediapoint wanted to achieve,” he said.

Mediapoint was a front runner in its exploration of the labels and stickers market, having entered into that space 12 years ago. However, there were challenges with what the print technology was able to achieve back then.

“About 12 years ago, when we entered the labels and stickers printing market, we encountered the same pain points that our customers had. We kept searching for the technology to overcome these

challenges while also using our existing equipment to meet the market’s needs,” Xuereb said.

“Although it wasn’t as efficient and the quality wasn’t where we wanted it to be, it was the best value-for-money solution. Most of our resell partners and other providers in the market still do the same thing – use their wide format printers, plotters, rulers and Stanley knives to produce these jobs. It’s an inefficient process, especially for volume work. But now, things have changed. For the last few years, we’ve been working on a huge project and waiting for the right technology. That wait is over now with us having the Durst Tau. To succeed, we need to have the very best of technologies or quickly outgrow an investment and be stuck with it.”

Durst Oceania managing director Matt Ashman said the Tau RSC E was the perfect fit for Mediapoint as it caters to all of its needs.

As a 330mm-wide advanced solution for digital label printing, the Tau RSC E has a real print speed of 50m/min. It also guarantees that future increased production capacity requirements are covered with a field upgrade available to 80m/min.

“Durst Oceania has always supported Mediapoint well and as one of our largest users in Australia, it’s great to see the business grow from strength to strength with new technologies from Durst,” Ashman said.

“One of Mediapoint’s biggest requirements was ink durability. With the Tau RSC E, it can print labels and stickers fast, but with a UV ink that can last for more than two years outdoors, unlaminated. This means that Mediapoint can bridge the gap between the capabilities of large format presses and offer a product which meets the needs of the market. This generation of Tau inks is also applied at the right thickness. It gives a nice balance of a premium, unlaminated feel with a slight raise, but isn’t too thick that it affects the performance of the product with lamination. The white ink on UV inks capability also has a premium look compared to other ink set types.”

According to Xuereb, Mediapoint has plans to re-introduce white ink into its product mix in the future.

“Also, this Durst printer is a high-volume machine that won’t let us down over years of production. We can pass on these benefits to our resellers,” he added.

Since its install of the Tau RSC E in October 2022, Mediapoint has already been able to offer a totally unique product and service to the trade printing industry.

“The feedback that we’re getting from resellers is that our output is raising the bar. In certain conditions, we have been able to print 5mm QR codes which scan and 1pt text, which is legible through a loupe,” Xuereb added.

Mediapoint also has plans to pair the Tau RSC E with an external digital finishing system.

“With it, we can offer the trade printing industry a two-business day turnaround time on quality labels on rolls with custom shapes and sizes and outdoor durability unlaminated. There is currently no cap on the print quantity and we’re adding free blind shipping on all orders, as well as being 100 per cent trade only which means that we don’t compete against our resell partners. All of this is available for a cost as low as $60 plus GST. Interested resellers can contact us at trade@mediapoint.com. au or register at our Orders System,” Xuereb added.

Mediapoint’s Jamie Xuereb and Durst’s Matt Ashman with the Tau RSC E

LabelTec starts its digital journey with Epson SurePress L-4733AW

The purchase of an Epson SurePress L-4733AW puts LabelTec on the digital printers map

Auckland-based LabelTec has invested in an Epson SurePress L-4733AW to expand its capabilities to digital print, increase the range of applications, achieve consistent quality… and remove the windows from its building in the process.

LabelTec is not a new business in New Zealand. Mark Jackson put the company on the label printers map 16 years ago, offering printed and blank self-adhesive labels, heat-seal labels and developing one of the country’s leading ranges of printed, woven and blank fabric labels.

“We are a full-service label company. Apart from product labels, adhesive labels, fabric labels for the garment, safety, and building industries, we offer warehousing labels, barcoding or in-office labels,” Andrew Jackson, Mark Jackson’s nephew who took over the business and is currently managing the company, said.

“We also sell commercial desktop printers; we can implement those solutions and support the customers all the way through.”

Last year, under Jackson’s management, LabelTec moved from East Tamaki to a new, modern headquarters in Westgate to facilitate future business expansion and development.

Helping the company to fulfil all of its customers’ needs is an impressive machine park, which includes flexographic and offset printing equipment along with extensive finishing options, flatbed and laser die cutting. Adding the digital angle is the latest investment in an Epson SurePress L-4733AW.

“We were looking to move into a different space in the market, being that product label or short run adhesive label, which we had to produce using our flexo and offset presses or outsource in the past. We couldn’t really cater or compete in this space,” Jackson said.

The choice of digital presses available in the market is simply immense. However, LabelTec’s priorities ruled out a few brands. The company was looking for a machine with the ability to digitally print on fabric products ‒ a crucial part of the business.

The second decisive factor was the equipment’s cost to ensure that the investment would fit the company’s budget. With these requirements in mind, Jackson travelled to Melbourne to PacPrint, where after seeing the machine in action, the company placed the order for a new Epson press.

“We’ve always had a great relationship with Epson and Aarque Group, the reseller here in New Zealand,” Jackson said.

“We knew the whole process from sale to install would take three to four months, so we scheduled the installation for 20 January this year.

“We made space for the new machine downstairs, and the only feasible way to enable access was through the windows. We had to take them out with the concrete plinth they were sitting on. Thanks to the amazing team at Aarque Group, we had the equipment installed in one day.”

Jobs are quick to set up and easy to complete with the absolute minimum in consumption, wastage and labour. The SurePress L-4733AW is compact, easy to install, cost-effective to run, and can be managed by a single operator allowing unattended operation.

“The Aarque team was impressed with the changes Epson had made with the machine versus the previous model,” Jackson said.

“Everything was easier for them from a setup point, but also in terms of operations, this model has been changed and updated, including next generation AQ4 inks complying with REACH and FCM regulations and added automation for more uptime.

After three weeks of setup and a few days of training, the LabelTec team was ready to use its new machine.

The SurePress L-4733AW is the third generation of Epson’s successful resin aqueous inkjet press, with over 400 installations worldwide. A seven-colour press with orange and green inks and is approved to achieve 96 per cent of the Pantone solid coated colours. White ink allows printing of clear, metallic and coloured substrates.

It produces output on standard “off the shelf” coated, uncoated papers and film substrates with accuracy while maintaining outstanding print resolution and precision.

“From the installation point of view, it was a four-week process from the box landing to us printing our first job. The quality is fantastic. Ease of use is remarkable, and maintenance is definitely bearable. I know with some digital machines, you can spend an hour at the end of each day. The Epson is different. It is very easy to operate and maintain. Since we have been using this press, it has been at its capacity most weeks, which is fantastic.”

Jackson hinted that the company might be looking for another piece of equipment in a year or so. The team has been recently expanded with a new business development manager focusing on the digital side of the business. If everything goes to plan, the company will consider buying another piece of equipment.

“I would definitely go back to Epson. It has a UV inkjet press, which I think would be a good next step for us,” Jackson said.

LabelTec team with newly installed Epson SurePress L-4733AW digital press

The new press was installed in one day by Aarque Group, Epson’s NZ reseller

Contact Labels locks in quality

Trade and retail customers benefit from decades of industry experience

“For most jobs, people come to us. We welcome the challenges that each job brings, and we enjoy being busy. Throughout COVID, we did not have a break,” she said.

“Each job is different and one thing we are aware of is that we can’t afford to make mistakes. Once something is on the paper, we can’t take it off. So, it is about performance and understanding the needs of the New Zealand print market.

“We handle all kinds of print volumes and sizes, from A1 sheets and down. Fast turnaround has become the norm in the industry, but it is important to retain high quality for all the printed products we add value to.”

Recently, Contact Labels installed a new press for embossing/debossing and diecutting, with McQuoid saying that the company is excited with the new machine and looks forward to putting it through its paces.

Contact Labels now offers a range of embellishments including:

From its Auckland base, the three person team at Contact Labels aims to provide a range of label and print finishing solutions to trade and retail clients nationwide.

Under the guidance of manager Denyse McQuoid, the company has established a reputation for quality and service.

“To achieve a quality print finishing job, you need precision and attention to detail, as well as a passion for the work. We aim for excellence in every job we complete,” McQuoid said.

“Near enough is not good enough; it must be perfect. If we have to move something half a millimetre, then that is what we will do to make it work.”

A qualified offset printer with decades of experience in the industry, McQuoid has helmed Contact Labels for 14 years.

“I love the challenge of making a customer happy by meeting, or exceeding, their expectations. From the beginning itself, it has been a matter of getting them on board and taking them through the process,” she mentioned.

McQuoid has a knack for working closely alongside customers and said she believes this is vital for achieving excellent results and making a difference to their printed product.

“It is worth spending the time with clients to learn and extract all the information they can share, so we can understand their products. This enables us to guide them through what we can provide. It is great when we can make it a happy experience for them,” she said.

She pointed out that once people in the industry understand how Contact Labels can add value to a printed product, they can offer their own clients a superior service.

“Working closely with clients, designers and sales reps has an advantage for everyone as this enables all the people involved to grow as they learn the processes of hot foiling, embossing, debossing, kiss-cutting, die-cutting and many other services,” she said.

As a top trade provider, Contact Labels has built strong relationships within the print community. In addition, word of mouth has proved an invaluable marketing tool.

• Foil stamping, including hot foil stamping. They offer a wide range of foil colours, which add a luxury look and feel to products

• Embossing and debossing

• Die-cut printing, kiss-cut labels, creasing and perforating techniques.

McQuoid said, “Foil stamping adds a new dimension to any printed product. We offer hot foiling in a range of colours and sizes on a multitude of print surfaces. Our skilled die-cut work can fit any shape and size on many types of printed products.”

In addition to its print finishing capabilities, Contact Labels offers a high quality label service. The company’s label production includes hot foil stamping labels, digital labels, and security labels. These can be adhesive, laminated, standard or custom-made.

“Our team creates custom labels that allow our clients to convey the right messages to their customers. Once we have had the discussion with them, we can help with their design. We feel passionate about our work, whether it is a simple embellishment or a sophisticated label job. All it starts with is a simple phone call or an email,” McQuoid added.

Experience and passion: Denyse McQuoid, general manager at Contact Labels

Dscoop inspires hundreds of businesses in the printing and packaging industry

The Dscoop community in attendance at this year’s Edge World Expo included a 22-person team from A/NZ, which joined HP and Currie Group for some extracurricular activities

we had Matt Mills from Fuzed and Ruth Cobb from PrintNZ.

“From Australia, we hosted members of Photo Create, Rawson Print & Packaging, Next Printing, CMYKhub who sit across both commercial printing and more recently, in labels and packaging, Dflow, Courtney Brands, Peacock Bros. and Colemans Printing.

“Also in attendance was Kelvin Gage, who not only sits on the Dscoop board, but was also the emcee for the event. He certainly did us proud.”

Dscoop, one of the world’s largest and most collaborative digital print and design communities which provides its members with the latest news and education from HP innovators and industry experts, recently hosted its Edge World Expo in St. Louis, US.

A Dscoop community from 38 countries were in attendance, including a 22-person team from A/NZ, which joined HP and Currie Group for some extracurricular activities.

Dscoop Edge St. Louis Conference chair and an Arizona State University Print and Imaging Lab member Kyle Pendeley said, “The global Dscoop community has an impressive history of looking forward instead of backward. Even as our companies face big challenges, we do whatever it takes to continually learn, connect, and advance. That’s the awesome spirit of Dscoop”.

This year’s event programme did not disappoint those eager to learn about what the latest HP technologies offer

in their production environment. It also featured two high-energy keynote speakers who set a positive mood across the three-days of the event and inspired attendees to exchange experiences, raise questions and collaborate to find answers to today’s market challenges.

Local A/NZ printers join the international community

For over 15 years, groups of printers from A/NZ have been travelling to the US to be part of this one-of-a-kind experience. This year was no different. Twenty-two representatives from the region travelled with Mark Daws and AJ from Currie Group and Craig Walmsley and Duncan Bray from HP Indigo.

Daws said, “We had more than 20 people from Australia and New Zealand attending the event, including ourselves and our partners from HP. There was a range of companies from all facets of the industry –from commercial printing to labels and packaging. Joining us from New Zealand,

The A/NZ team gathered a few days before the event to go on a road trip, which took them from Atlanta to St. Louis, stopping off at some of the world’s leading print manufacturers based in the US. This included packaging printer Fortis Solutions Group in Flowery Branch, Benson Integrated Marketing Solutions in Alpharetta, Tucker-based full-service commercial printer Bennett Graphics, and flexible packaging specialist PouchIt in Atlanta.

Colemans Printing director Magdaline Coleman said, “It was truly humbling to be in the presence of the industry’s key players, including representatives from some of the most respected familyowned printing companies in Australia and New Zealand”.

Next Printing managing director Romeo Sanuri highlighted the importance of the industry getting together during the trip, saying, “One of the most memorable aspects of this event was the opportunity to meet and spend some time with other business owners. It’s a very small community in Australia, and we often see each other as competitors. However, being in this collaborative environment broke down all barriers, and we were happy to learn and exchange our experiences”.

Sanuri was also very impressed with the factory tours during the A/NZ road trip, adding, “We visited several locations, but the trip to one of them – Fortis

Getting attendees hyped up at Dscoop Edge St. Louis

Solutions Group – impressed me and engraved itself in my memory. The site that we stopped at recently joined the group, and it was extremely inspiring to hear about how a small family business became a part of a multi million-dollar group”.

Coleman added, “During the overseas tour, we had the privilege of visiting three exceptional companies in the US and spending time at the HP Graphics Experience – Centre of Excellence. This training and learning experience proved to be a highlight of the program”.

Those that stopped by the famous HP Graphics Experience Centre, established as the only site in the Americas, got to see HP’s entire graphics portfolio in one place. Often described as the ‘Disneyworld of Print’, this leading-edge 65,000 square feet facility enables visitors to experience automated, end-to-end graphics arts solutions that can professionally print everything from postage stamps to building wraps.

Daws mentioned that it was an excellent opportunity to see everything HP Industrial offers – from signage to wide format and high-speed inkjet and see for themselves the capabilities of the HP Indigo and the Jet Fusion 3D printers.

Daws said, “What’s unique is not just the equipment that HP provides, it is the complete end-to-end solution, the workflow partners and finishing solutions provider that complements the entire production line”.

Collaborating and trending

After the three-day long road trip full of new inspiration, the A/NZ team joined over 1,100 HP users from across 38 countries for a feature-packed Dscoop Edge at the St. Louis World Expo.

Over four days, Dscoop members came together with infectious energy and remarkable idea sharing. The ‘Gateway to Growth’ theme was fuelled by printers and partners eager to learn, connect and advance. In his welcome speech, Dscoop executive director Peter van Teeseling said, “It doesn’t mean anything if there’s no heart and soul – and that’s all of you. You are all part of a truly amazing global community”.

Dflow chief executive Doug Robey said, “We travelled as a team of four to the event, and for three of us, it was our first Dscoop. We had heard a lot of great things about it over the years. I was amazed by the openness, collaboration and ideas sharing. It was an embracing type of environment, which was motivating”.

Dscoop delivered inspirational content from celebrity guests as well. On the first evening, drummer Mark Schulman, who usually shares the stage with P!nk, touted gratitude and a positive attitude in business.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Lakers legend Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson delivered an inspiring presentation on business acumen and giving back to the community. Former NBA legend and chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, Johnson made history in 2012 when he became co-owner of MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers. He also co-owns the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club, and eSports franchise Team Liquid.

Coleman said she was filled with awe throughout this experience.

“Stepping into a packed auditorium, he received a standing ovation and proceeded

to captivate a crowd of thousands of individuals for over an hour with his words,” she said.

“Johnson is a leader in basketball due to his exceptional skills, leadership, and ability to elevate his team. Similarly, I believe print to be a leader in the communications world. Like ‘Magic’, print possesses a unique power to engage audiences, inspire action, and enhance brand visibility. Whether through exquisite design, tactile finishes, or targeted messaging, print undeniably wields significant influence and will continue to thrive.”

Johnson’s philosophy on leadership also resonated deeply with Coleman, particularly when he emphasised the responsibility of management to empower staff.

Coleman added, “His insights on respecting competitors and colleagues were enlightening. I wholeheartedly agree that collaboration within the print industry can yield abundant rewards”.

HP Industrial Print senior vice-president and general manager Haim Levit said, “Dscoop is about harnessing the power of community to network, communicate, and innovate. This event is the opportunity for the entire Dscoop global community to meet HP leadership and engineers,

The A/NZ team at packaging printer Fortis Solutions Group’s Flowery Branch premises

The A/NZ team go on a road trip to visit Tucker-based full-service commercial printer Bennett Graphics

Drummer Mark Schulman and emcee Kelvin Gage

Basketball Hall of Famer and international business leader Earvin “Magic” Johnson during his keynote speech

to listen to each other and discuss current and future challenges, and to enable developing a joint roadmap to continued market leadership”.

The Dscoop Expo reaffirmed Colemans’ unwavering commitment to ‘Glocalisation’ over ‘Globalisation’.

Coleman explained, “We take pride in being the local printer of the Northern Territory and eagerly anticipate ongoing discussions on sustainable printing practices, human resource costs, resource retention and advanced manufacturing techniques within the industry. Print remains as an essential and enduring communication medium, possessing a unique ability to engage and connect with audiences. This is precisely why we are deeply passionate about it at Colemans”.

Sanuri said he noticed many attendees and training sessions touching on automation.

“It is a challenge of our industry at the moment across the globe. We all struggle to find the right people to hire, so by automating our processes, we can reach new levels of effectiveness and increase our productivity,” he said.

Dscoop Edge delivered over 60 education sessions over seven tracks, hosted by HP experts and top-level sales and marketing coaches.

Robey said, “We conducted an education session on automation and succeeding in that area. That was received by attendees really well. We had over 60 people attend our seminar. We did that in the spirit of Dscoop to give something back and share our insights and experiences.

“The digital print industry is alive and well; a lot of businesses are succeeding, a lot of business owners are growing, and they’re looking to take their companies to that

next level. Combine this with the global skill shortage, automating repetitive, smaller tasks is the only way forward.”

Daws said the global trends and challenges discussed are no different from those the local printers face daily, adding, “Supply chain challenges, rising costs, automation and sustainability – these are all the hot topics of today. It is the sort of narrative that we hear at most industry events.

“However, A/NZ businesses in the industry should be immensely proud of what they can achieve and have achieved, given that, in many cases, we have much higher labour rates, inflation and supply chain challenges than those in the US.”

Face-to-face with the latest digital printing technology

HP is developing products and services intended to address current challenges and meet customer demand for the latest trends, including the labour crisis, sustainability, automation, and consumer buying behaviours.

Therefore, Dscoop has been a platform to host 75 partner companies in its Solutions Showcase. As part of the showcase, HP debuted its 200K digital press, engineered for flexible packaging.

Haim Levit commented, “We really want to unlock the label market. We are accelerating analogue to digital conversion in the label market. And for Indigo, we’ve announced the launch of the 200K press. It’s not just about the product; it’s about the complete solutions that we’re bringing to the market to help users grow their businesses.

“We are investing in labels and flexible packaging and starting to penetrate the corrugated and folding carton markets. This approach will enable us to bring the most comprehensive versatility and productivity to market.

“We have over 8,000 presses installed worldwide and over 5,500 customers located in 82 countries. Overall, our market coverage is very diverse.

“The markets we’re focusing on are valued at $28 billion – this is a big opportunity for us and where we invest is crucial.”

Following a record year of B2 sheetfed press volumes, HP Indigo also recently celebrated the installation of its 1,000th HP Indigo B2 press.

The 1,000th B2 machine is an HP Indigo 100K Digital Press, which according to HP, enables true digital non-stop print capabilities at 6,000 sheets per hour and drives substantial, profitable growth.

To date, the 100K press has already set new standards, with more than 100 customers having reported output of 100K impressions in an eight-hour shift. Also at Dscoop, HP Indigo announced the new HP Indigo 100K HD, with “smooth and razor-sharp image quality”, and its first two beta sites at Miller’s Professional Imaging Lab in the US and Orwo Net image processing and digital photo services in Germany.

The HP PageWide demonstrates innovations to the HP PageWide Advantage 2200 with high HDNA quality at full speed, up to 50 per cent faster prints, and a new version of PrintBeat within PrintOS that seamlessly provides HP users with a similar look and feel but makes it easy for them to work with across the HP portfolio of products.

HP PageWide Industrial global head and general manager Annette Friskopp said, “Customer growth is our top priority and our true north. This is why having a strong and engaged user group is mission-critical to our business. We were excited to share PageWide customer stories at Dscoop Edge”.

Another debut at Dscoop this year was HP Large Format, with the company showcasing the HP Latex R2000 Plus Printer, a hybrid solution that is equally strong in rigid and flexible substrates.

The HP Large Format stand also showcased applications with thermoforming samples, short-run packaging and signage opportunities on a wide range of media, and a sustainability section explaining how print service providers can reach new levels of sustainability using the latest large format technology.

Levit concluded the event with a statement and commitment to the HP community, “We have the widest portfolio in the printing industry, bringing a solution to every market segment. We are investing $180 million annually to serve the printing market better. HP is committed to investing in and growing the business. We aim to ensure our customers succeed, be profitable, and have the best experience.

“‘Better Together’ is not just a slogan; it is our way of life.”

The ‘Gateway to Growth’ theme was fuelled by printers and partners eager to learn, connect and advance

HP debuted its 200K digital press at Dscoop Edge St. Louis

Group’s Mark Daws

HP sees great success at recent Dscoop Edge St. Louis

Dscoop is HP’s commitment to building an ecosystem that includes its solution partners and allows them to be agile in today’s economy.

HP was recently at Dscoop Edge St. Louis, where, alongside 1,100 print industry leaders, it discussed the competitive advantages of the digital print industry and showcased its latest technologies aimed at increased speed and productivity. Here are some pictures from the event:

Crowds gather at the keynotes

Haim Levit (HP Industrial Print) discusses HP’s future plans in the world of digital print

(l-r) Peter van Teeseling (Dscoop), Yukinori Okimoto (Goof), Gabriella Fine (Didget), Phil St. Cyr (Rootree) and Chris Hyde (Dscoop) share a great conversation during the Morning Show at Edge St. Louis

Mark Schulman, professional drummer for P!nk and several other rock bands entertained and inspired conference attendees

An application produced using HP technology

(l-r) Kyle Pendley (Arizona State University), Lee Reed (ABCO Inc.), Rosemarie Breske Garvey (Blooming Color) and Betsy Davis (Sandy Alexander) join Kelvin Gage to kick off the festivities at Dscoop’s Edge St. Louis World Expo

The Solutions Showcase at Edge St. Louis hosted 73 industry partners, many of whom showcased live equipment and applications

An application produced using HP technology

Dscoop’s Edge St. Louis World Expo was yet another success

Rosemarie Breske Garvey (Blooming Color) addresses the Edge St. Louis crowd

Excited attendees at Dscoop’s Edge St. Louis World Expo

Edge

The first ever Edge Hack-A-Thon was held at

The

event took information professionals through training on integration for optimised workflows

(l-r) Carson Case, Loren Willis and Terri Mascagni from Hederman Brothers are celebrated by Fernando Alperowitch and Nachum Korman from HP for their installation of the 1,000th B2 machine

Jay Dollries with Dscoop’s Jack Glacken Award

An application produced using HP technology

(l-r) Kelvin Gage (Edge St. Louis emcee), Jon Bailey (Precision Proco Group) and Peter van Teeseling (Dscoop) discuss the upcoming programs and initiatives of the Dscoop global community

Thomas Schnettler of locr GmbH poses with Edge St. Louis keynote speaker Mark Schulman at the event’s Solutions Showcase

St. Louis attendees got an exclusive look at the new HP Indigo 200k Digital Press, its first showing in North America

Jon Bailey (Precision Proco Group) and Jack Glacken (Today’s Graphics) present Jay Dollries with Dscoop’s Jack Glacken Award, given annually to someone who consistently goes above and beyond for the betterment of the Dscoop community

Michael Ferrari leads a lively panel on young talent in the print industry

Betsy Davis (Sandy Alexander) hosts a panel on women in print

(l-r) Betsy Davis (Sandy Alexander), Shilpa Pathak (Minted), Lisa Taylor (Zazzle), Allison Yates (Mixbook) and Rosemarie Breske Garvey (Blooming Color) share their stories and successes during a morning panel discussion

Edge St. Louis.

3-day

An application produced using HP technology

(l-r) HP executives Mike Boyle, Nachum Korman, Sylvain Faligand, Noam Zilbershtain, Annette Friskopp and Haim Levit share their plans with Edge St. Louis attendees

The future of packaging is flexible

As one of the fastest growing packaging categories, flexible packaging is in demand and has many advantages to it

In the packaging world, flexible packaging is one of the most soughtafter types of packaging, especially in industries such as food and beverage, consumer goods and pharmaceutical. Composed of lightweight materials, flexible packaging has long been the solution of choice despite some challenges presented by it in terms of consistent recycling channels.

According to research by intelligence firm Markets & Markets, the global flexible plastic packaging category is projected to grow from US$160.8 billion in 2020 to US$200.5 billion by 2051. It found that during the pandemic, several trends emerged, favouring the format, including a heightened demand for hygienic packaging designs.

Allied Market Research shows similar growth patterns in flexible packaging. It reported that the global flexible packaging market was valued at US$68.5 billion in 2021, projecting growth to reach US$102.8 billion by 2031. This is a CAGR of 4.2 per cent from 2021 to 2031.

“Such versatile packaging supplies functional solution that requires minimal production costs. From consumer goods to electronics and cosmetics to medical supplies, flexible packaging is an important component in the supply chain of many industries and products,” Allied Market Research said.

“Flexible packaging adds value and marketability of both food and non-food products by combining the finest qualities

of plastic, film, paper, and aluminium foil to provide a wide range of protective properties that requires the least amount of material.”

And flexible packaging manufacturers are trying to keep up with the trend of relying on eco-friendly materials as growing concerns regarding the use of bio-degradable plastics for flexible packaging and its impact on the environment have driven them to develop sustainable packaging options that are safe and secure.

To reduce cost pressures and maintain the integrity of product packages, flexible packaging businesses have been targeting recyclable and renewable plastics, paper and bio-materials to produce end products.

Flexible packaging has been and continues to be the choice of packaging in many industry verticals

Here are some of the latest movements of businesses that are catering to the flexible packaging industry:

How it works is simple – an empty Roll ’n’ Recycle semi-rigid pouch gets rolled into a cylinder by the consumer, and the product label takes on a second life as a sticker to keep the new shape of the packaging. The rolled up pouch can then be dropped into the recycling bin ready for curbside pickup.

Close the Loop Group CEO Joe Foster said, “It’s a very interesting product – it’s a rolled product from a stand up pouch in a flat format. We found that before this innovation, when consumers put this product into the bin, it was getting picked up as paper and moved into the paper recycling stream, contaminating the paper.

an area of the technical challenge has been lightweight flexible packaging. It reduces transport emissions, prevents food waste and supports affordability. However, it is typically not recyclable in today’s post-consumer recovery streams.

Huhtamaki’s innovation provides monomaterial flexible packaging in three alternative material solutions: paper, PE (polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene) Retort, fit for the most demanding applications.

Close the Loop Group

Close the Loop’s O F Packaging division has been widely recognised for its Roll ‘n’ Recycle kerbside recycling solution, developed in partnership with Prep Design.

O F Packaging received the diamond award at Dow’s 2021 Packaging Innovation Awards for this technology, which it used for Brookfarm’s curbside recyclable, high barrier stand up pouch.

O F Packaging was given a challenge by its client Brookfarm to create a high barrier packaging structure that protects its muesli and granola, but at the same time, can also be recycled through curbside recycling schemes.

Flexible packaging is typically not easy to recognise by material recovery machines and hand picking such materials becomes difficult. After 12 months of hard work with Prep Design and Result Group, the Roll ’n’ Recycle packaging became a reality, allowing consumers to transform the empty, 100 per cent polyethylene packaging into a 3D shape suitable for their home recycling bin and enabling it to be recycled.

“The fact that we can roll it into a cylindrical 3D shape allows it to be separated and sorted into the plastics stream, and therefore recycled with all the other plastic materials.

“After trialling different shapes and morphs, we found that the 3D shape, when put into the recycling facility here in Australia, picked up as a plastic component and got separated correctly and not confused as paper.

“This way, we’re creating a full circular economy where the product can go back into some form of packaging at end of life.”

Huhtamaki

Global packaging company Huhtamaki recently used science to develop new mono-material flexible packaging technology, delivering recyclability without compromising on product protection or affordability.

In 2020, Huhtamaki set itself the target of making its packaging 100 per cent recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030. Many food and essential product companies have set similar pledges. While much of Huhtamaki’s packaging today can already be recycled (70 per cent),

Huhtamaki president of flexible packaging Dr Marco Hiltyat said, “What we’ve done, quite simply, is to redesign the future of flexible packaging by setting new industry standards in mono-material solutions.

“These blueloop innovations are both unique to Huhtamaki and transformational. They simultaneously deliver recyclability with no compromise in either product protection or affordability. This is the power of three.

“These at-scale innovations will support our customers in reaching the commitments many of them have made, including to use only recyclable, compostable or reusable packaging by 2025 and align with the direction of future policy, both in the EU and globally.

“Our innovations ensure flexible packaging affordability – especially important to consumers across the world, and they provide the high level of product protection for food and household essentials that flexible packaging is known for.

“Our teams across the world have worked together, tirelessly, to make what was once thought impossible, possible. We have simplified previously complex structures using fewer materials and without needing an aluminium layer or other barriers with different materials. This breakthrough will therefore increase the value of postconsumer material, providing a greater economic incentive for recycling and supporting circularity.”

QLM FLEXIBLES DELIVERS ON CUSTOMER SUCCESSES

qlm’s flexibles division operates from its Melbourne manufacturing facility using two HP Indigo 20000 digital printing presses. The proudly Australian owned and operated company has extensive experience across Australia and is committed to investing in local manufacturing, innovation and development, providing flexible label and packaging options to Australian businesses.

One such business that it has helped succeed is Smooshie Face Treats – a local company that provides a natural and healthy range of treats for rabbits and guinea pigs.

O F Packaging’s Roll ’n’ Recycle solution that it created for Brookfarm

Huhtamaki president of flexible packaging Dr. Marco Hiltyat

With the process of finding flexible packaging having overwhelmed the owner of Smooshie Face Treats for years, she turned to qlm’s flexibles division (previously Read Labels and Packaging) to create a professional-looking, wellbranded product packaging.

Not long after, the collaboration resulted in Smooshie Face Treats’ first branded stand up pouch print run. Multiple products meant smaller minimum print runs for the stand up pouches had the company keeping up with demand as both its online business and wholesale side of things were growing.

Since then, Smooshie Face Treats has pared back on its wholesale orders to completely focus on selling only through the online platform – it purchased stand up pouches at its largest volume yet, even after moving away from wholesaling entirely.

“Great-looking flexible packaging, and of course a personable brand paired with the great product has helped Smooshie Face Treats reach its business goals, and then redefine them with great success,” Smooshie Face Treats said.

“As for many small businesses, taking the next step into professional packaging is way out of reach. qlm helps others realise their dreams, as has my own.”

Clean ‘N’ Jerky is another local business that qlm helped.

When Clean ‘N’ Jerky first set up, it used the new and improved three side seal flexible pouches (3SS) to get the product off the ground. The business’ requirements soon changed, with the company then upgrading its product packaging and brand perception from a craft-type look to a fully-fledged retail-ready brand.

The original order for Clean ‘N’ Jerky was 2,000 3SS flexible pouches that included six SKUs. With the redesign, a euro slot was added, alongside a transparent window and printed branding and flavour information that is clearly identifiable by potential customers of the product.

“As a small business on a very tight budget, I needed to find somewhere that does short runs and multiple SKUs. In short, it’s the customer service that we received from qlm and the ability to remain flexible with the packaging that easily convinced us that we had found the right packaging partner for our business,” Clean ‘N’ Jerky said.

EPAC FLEXIBLE PACKAGING HELPS CUSTOMERS THRIVE

aligning ourselves with people who we really believe in and share our values. This is why we’ve partnered with ePac Flexible Packaging to create flexible pouches that hold our precious treats,” the company said.

“A lot of thought went into them – they’re resealable, sturdy and can fit in a handbag to treat your furry friends on the go. On top of all this, they’re easy on the planet. ePac utilises digital printing technology, which uses less energy, produces less waste and has a smaller carbon pawprint than traditional printing technologies. It also helps to keep plastic packaging out of landfills because you’re able to order and print on demand. Printing on demand = less wastage. How good is that?”

ePac Flexible Packaging, which is based entirely on digital printing technology from HP, brings to small and medium sized brands in Asia Pacific innovative packaging solutions that meet rising consumer demand for high value, innovation and print sustainability.

The company, which owns several HP Indigo 25K digital presses and HP Indigo 20000 digital presses in Asia Pacific, aims to give brands the ability to print any sized packaging with unlimited variation on demand, thus resulting in more operational agility and less manufacturing waste.

One such customer that it helped scale business is Aussie pet health food company The Paw Grocer

“At The Paw Grocer, we are very conscious about the businesses we partner with, only

Adelia Fine Foods, a local business located in Australia that offers breakfast and snack food options, also turned to ePac Flexible Packaging a few years ago to scale its business and take advantage of ePac’s digital offering.

The 11-year-old business has successfully used ePac’s technology to reduce its environmental footprint.

“Like many good things in life, our packaging journey takes time. There is a fine balance between material that is suitable for the product so that it remains shelf stable, and its impact on the environment. We are progressing with the packaging industry by continually looking for new innovations and opportunities to find materials that not only keep our products as fresh as possible but also have a viable end-of-life solution,” the company said.

“We continue to focus on removing any unnecessary packaging from our products and consumables, and choose recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging wherever practical. While there is always more to strive for, we are proud of how far we have come, and the small differences our changes are making in the world.”

Clean ‘N’ Jerky flexible pouches created by qlm's flexibles division

The Paw Grocer’s flexible pouches produced by ePac Flexible Packaging

Adelia Fine Foods’ stand up pouches produced by ePac Flexible Packaging

Smooshie Face Treats flexible packaging created by qlm's flexibles division

interpack delights the global processing and packaging industry

After a six-year break, the global processing and packaging community was finally able to meet again in person at interpack 2023

was great and the inter-cultural exchange enriching for all sides. It was ‘simply unique’ again.”

This was underscored by the positive feedback from visitors – 96 per cent of whom stated that they had achieved their trade fair objectives. Just as satisfied were the exhibitors whose expectations had been exceeded many times over.

“We thank Messe Düsseldorf for the outstanding organisation. I’m confident that I’m speaking on behalf of all companies here. interpack 2023 is simply a must for suppliers and users from all over the world to exchange experiences and do business,” interpack 2023 president Markus Rustler said at the conclusion of the event.

Transformation as an opportunity

For those in the product packaging and processing business, there was only one place to be from 4 to 10 May: interpack in Düsseldorf, Germany. The trade fair welcomed visitors from all over the world, with organiser Messe Düsseldorf saying that the joy of finally coming together as an industry was great.

interpack delivered what it promised and exceeded exhibitors’ expectations. As one of the world’s largest packaging trade fairs, it set standards yet again, connecting the industry on a global level and acting as both a marketplace and content hub.

Visitors from 155 countries made their way to the show. In addition, 2,807 exhibitors showcased the power and creativity of the packaging industry with their technologies and solutions. What was easy to see, according to Messe Düsseldorf, were the numerous impulses, ideas and concrete business deals which will be implemented over the coming years.

At the end of the trade fair, Messe Düsseldorf executive director Bernd

Jablonowski said, “With interpack, we were able to finally hold one of Messe Düsseldorf’s most important events again. It has reported back impressively and reinforced its position as the global platform for the exchange amongst all players in the packaging sector, related process industries and all user industries. Our targets were exceeded by far”.

Altogether, there were about 143,000 visitors at interpack, two thirds of them visiting from abroad. Alongside many European countries, the largest visitor nations were India, Japan and the US. Around 75 per cent of visitors came from middle or top management.

Messe Düsseldorf director Thomas Dohse said, “interpack at last! was a phrase frequently heard in the halls – because after a six-year break, the community was finally able to meet again in person. And this was reflected in the joy on people’s faces.

“interpack 2023 will reverberate with us for a long time – both in business and personal terms. The mood in the halls

Messe Düsseldorf said considering current market developments, the enormous challenges but also the even bigger opportunities, this year’s interpack show proved to be one of the most important ones in history. The need to automate, the will to act sustainably and changed consumption habits are all expressions of transformation.

interpack’s strategic orientation towards the circular economy, resource management, digital technologies and product safety saw concrete expression in numerous innovations.

The circular economy was the top issue. Messe Düsseldorf said it seems to be a simple model, but is also allencompassing and poses major challenges in many areas.

In the age of climate change, it said the important thing is to produce as little unrecyclable waste as possible. Handin-hand with this goes the need to conserve resources. Therefore, interpack showcased sustainable processing and packaging solutions as well as digital services that help to make production processes efficient and sustainable.

For example, the focus was on reducing the carbon footprint of packaging throughout the value chain, improving

interpack had many technologies on show and hosted forums that discussed the packaging requirements of today and tomorrow

energy efficiency and the increasing importance of reusable materials, which aim to help the industry make optimal use of resources.

And when it comes to transformation processes, Messe Düsseldorf said little can be done without digital technologies. Big data, augmented reality and remote machine maintenance have long since found their way into assembly shops and machine fleets.

For example, the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging provided information on digital training systems based on virtual reality. In addition, technologies such as Holy Grail 2.0, RFID, NFC or augmented reality were also focussed on at the event.

The fourth hot topic at interpack was product safety – one of the core tasks of packaging. The industry is already making an important contribution to reducing food waste. Digital technologies are key in this regard.

Sustainable packaging technologies

All facets of sustainability were top themes at interpack. Exhibitors presented highend technologies and holistic concepts that consider efficiency and sustainability along their entire production line.

“Many companies in the consumer goods industry have set their own sustainability targets,” VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association managing director Richard Clemens said.

“Over the past few years, packaging machinery manufacturers have succeeded in implementing sustainable packaging concepts by means of corresponding technical adaptations and newly developed machinery solutions. interpack is the showcase for innovations and, at the same time, the point of departure for developing further towards a sustainable circular economy.”

The many solutions celebrating a world premiere at interpack also included a host of packaging materials and supplies in all their diversity. In excess of 1,000 exhibitors were showcased in this segment alone, making for a new record.

Some new technologies on show

Heidelberg unveiled a new Boardmaster developed for high-volume folding carton printing. The first systems are already being installed by large packaging customers.

Heidelberg said this flexo web press, with a machine availability of up to 90 per cent and a maximum printing speed of 600 meters per minute, doubles the

productivity and dramatically reduces the total cost of ownership in industrial packaging production.

Heidelberg CEO Dr Ludwin Monz said, “With the world premiere of our Heidelberg Boardmaster, we are responding to key customer challenges in the packaging market – cost pressure, the skills shortage, and the need to optimise productivity and sustainability”.

The new machine is especially suited to the food and beverage sector’s folding carton applications, which are becoming increasingly popular due to a growing global demand for packaged products.

Heidelberg packaging sector executive vice-president Christian Steinmassl added, “The Heidelberg Boardmaster enables industrial packaging producers to reduce their operating costs significantly.

“With its numerous benefits for customers, the Boardmaster also provides an attractive alternative for many users who have so far opted for very large format –sheetfed offset printing.”

The Boardmaster was developed entirely from scratch at the Heidelberg competence centre at the company’s Weiden site in Germany in close collaboration with international packaging customers. It also factored in their key challenges – cost pressure, the skills shortage, and the need to optimise productivity and sustainability.

The printing speed is up to 600 metres per minute, corresponding to around 38,000 print sheets in format 6 (sheet width 148 centimetres) per hour. It can handle substrates with grammages between 70 and 800 grams per square metre.

Fujifilm, which recently partnered with Henkel and Nordmeccanica to deliver production and sustainability benefits for customers with its Jet Press FP790 digital inkjet flexible packaging press, had the new technology on show.

“With the challenging demands of the flexible packaging market, particularly the short turnaround times and regulatory requirements, we wanted customers of our Jet Press FP790 to be in the best possible position to maximise the production opportunities from day one,” Fujifilm Graphic Communications EMEA head of packaging Manuel Schrutt said.

“Working with such a renowned global brand as Henkel, and having access to its market-leading laminating adhesives and the support of its technical team, has enabled us to undertake thorough postpress testing of flexible packages produced by the Jet Press FP790.

“As a result, future users of our new digital packaging solution can rest assured that when using Henkel’s solvent-free laminating adhesives, press compatibility, optimum bond strength, and lamination properties will be guaranteed for a wide range of flexible packaging applications.”

Henkel Adhesive Technologies senior business development manager for packaging adhesives Stefan Gloetzel said, “We have been extremely impressed with the test results, which demonstrated that the solvent-free laminating adhesives, including grades from our RE range, perform seamlessly with the quality print output from Fujifilm’s FP790 digital packaging press.

“In addition, our RE range is designed for recycling, therefore helping package printers to create sustainable, flexible

Heidelberg launched a new Boardmaster at interpack

Fujifilm’s Jet Press FP790 digital inkjet flexible packaging press

packaging solutions that go beyond their primary functionalities.”

Commercially available later this year, Fujifilm’s Jet Press FP790 digital inkjet flexible packaging solution features an environmentally friendly design incorporating water-based inkjet print technologies capable of delivering high production output for mainstream applications.

It offers 1200dpi by 1200dpi image reproduction, can reproduce more than 90 per cent of the Pantone colour gamut, and features two dedicated white inkjet channels for high white opacity.

micro-flute, while minimising material consumption and transport volume.

The company also introduced its new, electric Delta application head, developed for box closing applications. Until now, pneumatic application heads commonly were used for this process step.

Sidel’s top international customers from the personal care industry.

Additionally, its new compact palletising solution, RoboAccess_Pal S, which combines the best of both robotic and ‘cobotic’ worlds, was highlighted at the show.

The RoboAccess flexible robotic palletising cell deploys frontline technology at entrylevel price and is a great starting point for end-of-line automation.

Its capability to handle corrugated cases with both glued and taped top flaps, its enhanced HMI with new intelligence functionalities, and its efficient and safe case handling (even of instable and small packs) all make RoboAccess one of the market leaders in terms of performance/ price ratio.

Forward-looking content

used interpack as a platform to show how to conserve resources with intelligent packaging solutions

At this year’s interpack, Baumer hhs exhibited its latest products for improving the sustainability of packaging applications.

Baumer hhs conducted live demonstrations of various gluing applications that conserve both energy and resources. Visitors watched the XmeltBio in action as it applied bio-based adhesives, and saw how the Xmelt applied low-temperature hot melts at the company stand.

Another focus for Baumer hhs at interpack 2023 was intelligent solutions for securing pallets in end-of-line packaging using pressure-sensitive adhesive instead of shrink-wrap. These solutions reduce the consumption of plastic film, minimising waste in logistics. The adhesive is sprayed onto the transport boxes, reliably securing each successive layer on a pallet.

Another segment Baumer hhs showcased at the tradeshow was high-performance systems for applying pressure-sensitive adhesives in the production of e-commerce boxes. Developed specifically for this field of application, they offer high reliability and guarantee maximum application quality.

They also meet a very wide variety of demands, including exceptionally uniform gluing on heavy-duty corrugated board, paper-based lightweight packaging and mailers made of folding carton board or

At interpack, Herma for the first time demonstrated how uninterrupted labelling processes can be set up in a packaging or labeling system – even retrospectively –simply, reliably and without any significant programming effort.

It focused on its new redundancy function which was developed for the Herma 500 applicator using a machine study with Clean Design, in which two Herma 500s were installed. The Clean Design ensures an even higher degree of modularity and particularly rapid availability of the respective standard version of a labeling machine.

The redundancy function can be optionally activated for all new or previously installed units, provided that the firmware is up to date and that the units have a CAN bus connection and work with mechanical winders and unwinders.

The redundancy function ensures that two Herma 500s connected in series can communicate directly with each other.

Shortly before the end of a label roll or in the event of an unplanned stoppage, the active applicator issues a command to a redundant partner applicator assigned to it in advance to take over the labeling process. Based on previously entered parameters but also real-time data, each applicator “knows” exactly when to start.

Sidel showcased its end-of-line packaging solutions, demonstrating its extensive expertise in the food, home and personal care industries.

As a leader of end-of-line equipment, the company premiered its new flexible Cermex ProSelex infeed system for shaped bottles, which was exhibited with live demos of shaped bottles from one of

interpack was not only a business but also a content platform for the sector, both live and digitally. A total of 50 talks were hosted at the Tightly Packed TV studio care of interpack and ‘packaging journal’, thereby generating additional visibility and reach of the top themes and trends through live streams. Some 200,000 viewers dialled in during the run-time of the trade fair alone.

The Spotlight Talks & Trends Forum proved a visitor magnet and focused on seven themes on seven days including amongst others, logistics, circular economy and e-Commerce. The programme was presented jointly by interpack, the dfv Conference Group and PackReport.

New and fresh impulses

Also attracting plenty of attention were the other Specials such as the interpack Start-up Zone, the joint stand Co-Packing, several award ceremonies spotlighting exciting packaging innovations, the ‘Save Food Highlight-Route’ with new approaches to fighting global food loss and waste and the promotion of women at ‘Women in Packaging’. The special buzz at this premiere came by way of the approximately 200 women from the international sector, who exchanged and established new networks during interpack.

Components – which was held as a concurrent event with 80 exhibitors in a separate hall – also went down well with visitors. The upstream industries supplying components and software to packaging technology and process engineering play a prominent role in the digitalisation of manufacturing processes.

Messe Düsseldorf confirmed that the next interpack will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany from 7 to 13 May 2026.

Baumer hhs

Herma’s new redundancy function has been developed for the Herma 500 applicator

The future of flexo

Labels & Labeling explores what’s next for conventional press technology

By Chelsea McDougall

Conventional press manufacturers have marked record sales in recent years as converters looked to add capacity in the wake of the pandemic surge ordering. But at Labelexpo Americas 2022 – the industry’s biggest reunion in four years – flexographic presses were nowhere to be found, while digital press technology stole headlines. It left many wondering: is flexo dead?

“Flexo is not dead or dying at all,” said newly-named Gallus CEO Dario Urbinati.

“Yes, we are seeing a strong drive toward digital – but we do not see digital as being able to handle 100 per cent of jobs or completely replacing conventional print technology. We see them as complementary technologies. Flexo technology is not standing still.”

Industry experts agree. Flexography is certainly not going anywhere soon. It’s time -worn and tested technology, and one that in recent years has only gotten faster,

more automated and easier to run. In conversations with the leading conventional press manufacturers, L&L learned that, in truth, flexo is far from dead, but rather, conventional print is adjusting to a ‘new normal’ and a changed label converter.

State of the market

Throughout the so - called COVID years, flexo press sales soared, driven by a pandemic-related buying surge in key high-run segments, like food, beverage, household chemical and pharmaceutical markets.

The rapid demand for quick-turn labels meant that many brands were shelving ideas for creative marketing and versioning, and flexo converters were kicking out labels as fast as they could print them.

In response to this rapid growth, converters of all stripes were looking

to add capacity. According to a Reports and Insights study, the global narrow web flexo press market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 6.1 per cent through 2030.

“Mark Andy had our biggest flexo year ever this year, by a pretty considerable margin,” said Tom Schelmbauer, chief business officer at Mark Andy.

“Converters were tentative in their buying for a while as they were trying to figure out where digital’s place was. What they found is that a high productivity, high throughput flexo asset is even more important today.

“Once converters move their short-run work over to digital, they can really make serious money with their flexo machines by optimising the distribution of jobs to assets that are perfect for what the converter is trying to do.”

While the past few years have been fruitful for flexo OEMs, some industry experts

A flexographic printing machine with an ink tray, ceramic anilox roll, doctor blade and a print cylinder with polymer relief plate stuck on it

predict that conventional press sales may cool in the coming years as brands and converters re - evaluate their digital strategies post-pandemic.

“Based on extensive research we have done that included surveying large numbers of converters in the US and Europe over the past several months, we are forecasting that 2023 will be a much more challenging year for conventional/analog press technology and that converters will once again prioritise their digital growth strategies,” said Jennifer Dochstader of the market research firm LPC.

“We are predicting that the number of new digital presses sold will once again outpace the number of conventional/analog presses sold and we could see a precipitous drop in conventional/analog press installations in North America and Europe.”

Against the backdrop of all this, conventional press manufacturers are responding to a changed buyer.

Total cost of ownership

Today’s converters are not simply looking at capital equipment based solely on speed and output figures anymore. Data-savvy converters are looking at a machinery’s total cost of ownership as they face an onslaught of market challenges.

Turnaround times are getting shorter; materials are harder to come by; prices are increasing; brand owners are keen on process regulation and keeping an eagle eye on costs. In that environment, a technology’s total cost of ownership becomes even more important as converters chase what Heidelberg vicepresident of digital print Dan Maurer calls, the “tenacious pursuit of cost efficiency”.

Total cost of ownership, or TCO, is a big-picture approach that OEMs and

converters are using to calculate the true costs of an asset over its lifetime. It’s a model in which the sticker price is only one part of the equation.

Today’s label converter is weighing and tracking the TCP – total cost to print –and factoring in a slew of variables, including costs for servicing and maintenance, downtime, consumables and energy costs, just to name a few.

Urbinati said, “I like the total cost of ownership model because it really reflects 360 degrees of your operation. We have invested extensive work into building a proper TCO calculator to provide a true and fair view of costs associated with running a specific piece of equipment”.

In this view, conventional OEMs see flexo as a clear winner here. Flexo presses, they say, afford converters an ink and substrate flexibility that digital just can’t compete with.

“I am seeing more sophistication overall,” Schelmbauer said. “Not only are machines getting more sophisticated, but so is our customer base and how they evaluate cost. Converters are getting savvier with how they use the machine and how they extract capacity.”

Automation

Speed has been a major factor weighing in flexo’s favor. However, that line is getting blurry. Digital has historically been seen as a way to offload short-run work, while flexo presses kick out the medium- to long-run jobs.

As we saw at Labelexpo Americas 2022, digital presses are only getting faster. This means today’s converter must now weigh the options between investing in a highly automated flexo press or new digital presses that can boast operating speeds traditionally attained only by flexo.

At the same time, conventional press OEMs are automating every press function that can be automated. The innovations in this respect have been nothing short of incredible. Servo-driven automatic print pressure and register adjustment, quick change die cut, short web path, auto pre-setting and high-definition vision systems are a few of the automation bells and whistles offered by conventional OEMs. And yet, the more automation features added to an asset, the higher the price tag. Sometimes that can make a highly automated press can be out of reach for small or mid-size converting companies.

Nilpeter recently hired a new chief technology officer with a background in automation and digitisation. In an interview with L&L, Carsten Clemensen talked about striking a balance between high-performing automation and reigning in costs.

“We always have an eye on all our machines – from the entry-level and up – to find the balance between where we can automate and still remain cost competitive,” Clemensen said.

“Our machines always fit the needs of the converter while maintaining a cost approach of the customer. We’re always aiming for that balance: entry-level and high-end still based on the same technology.”

Nilpeter sales director Jakob Landberg added, “Our whole idea is to make flexo smarter, make it more automated, digitalise it. Is Industry 4.0 old-fashioned now? That’s the discussion we’re having. How do we turn the printing machine into something that needs as little interference from humans as possible without losing quality and without losing flexibility?

“There are so many aspects that have not entered into our industry yet.”

Efficiency is not the only goal behind these automation innovations. As a labour shortage squeezes the entire global industry, label converters are looking at automation as a way to optimise production and do more with fewer skilled employees.

Oftentimes, that means developing machines for the new class of flexo press operators working today.

“We are building the equipment around the talent base that’s coming up in the way that they want to work,” Schelmbauer said.

“We can’t keep running machines like a 1970s press because the world today is more efficient, and more data driven.”

Omet recently launched its KFlex range of flexo presses. CEO Antonio Bartesaghi believes label converters will continue to

A close-up shot of labels manufacturing on a flexo printing machine

choose flexo provided the technology continues to progress towards “set and forget”, where machines can be operated by semi-skilled labour assisted by basic automation and machine intelligence.

Data collection

Label converters today are sophisticated data collectors as they move to a quantitative production environment for a connected digital workflow.

Bobst’s North American business unit director Matt Bennett puts a finer point on it.

“The trend we’re all talking about now is a connected workflow. The way label converters run the business today, they evaluate what’s going on the press, and what’s going out. They’re measuring everything: material usage, ink, water, energy, set up, downtime – anything that has to do with running the press. They’re collecting that data and evaluating it against every other job,” he said.

With these connected systems, label converters can identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in their print processes, and then optimise their presses, reduce waste and increase output. Oftentimes this data is accessible in real-time (with historical data) and available from anywhere.

Theoretically, a press shop manager can be at a work conference offsite and be able to monitor what’s happening back on the production floor.

“That information is critical to business owners and press operators. Converters, they’re not shooting blind. They accurately collect data in real-time and react in real-time. Shop floors today have to be maximally efficient with as few people as possible,” Bennett said.

Conventional OEMs each have their own version of data collection or connected workflows. Bobst with its Connect Essential, Gallus and Heidleberg with Prinect connection and networking system, Mark Andy with its SmartLink technology, launched at Labelexpo Americas 2022, Nilpeter with its Powerlink platform, and Omet with Service 4.0. Perhaps the first to launch this technology was MPS with its MPSConnect.

Integrating with digital

Throughout all of these interviews, conventional press manufacturers eschewed an “us versus them” mentality when it comes to digital print.

In fact, the way most see it, these technologies are complementary and almost all of these suppliers have digital technology in their product portfolios.

It’s a clear strategy of these conventional OEMs who see that a label shopfloor has enough room for both technologies.

Rather than see digital print as a competitor, the relationship between the two technologies can create a powerful synergy with the right book of business and the right strategy.

“The debate goes on when it comes to which technology to invest in. But rather than seeing digital and flexo as competitors, at Bobst, we’re asking: how can we create a powerful relationship between the two that will add more value, reduce waste and increase productivity?” Bennett said.

Presses getting wider

Flexo presses are getting wider to cater to the high-growth flexible packaging market. Label converters have leaned into the flexible packaging market and for good reason.

For starters, label converters are already familiar with the key end-use markets that drive much of the growth in that market: the food and beverage, healthcare, household, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals markets namely.

Further, label converters are already supplying labels to the customers, so it makes sense for brands to source all their printed packaging needs from a single source. But perhaps the biggest driver is what makes digital printing attractive: run lengths.

Much like the disruption the label market has witnessed in recent years, SKUs are getting shorter – far too short to make financial sense on the wide web CI flexo and gravure presses on which flexible packaging is commonly printed.

A flexo or digital label converter is well-positioned to cater to shorter lead times and smaller runs and widen their

portfolio offering. Typically, what is considered a short-run job in the flexible packaging world might actually be a medium run for a label converter, which is another factor that makes the mid-range flexo press format work.

That, in turn, would suggest it makes sense for label converters to consider both mid-web flexo and digital for flexible packaging to cover the full range of what a flex pack buyer might consider a short-run.

Emerging brands and start-ups are ripe for opportunities for flexible packaging, as oftentimes they are experimenting with versioning and new packaging formats.

“Narrower and mid-web conventional and digital printing has effectively opened up the market to a whole range of new customers who have never previously had a solution for short-run flexible packaging orders,” writes Mike Fairley in the Label Academy book on flexible packaging.

“Label converters entering the flexible packaging market are particularly finding new business opportunities with the independent and more regional brands, helping these smaller and medium-sized company buyers to simplify how they buy their flexible packaging, and guiding them in understanding the specifications, tolerances, materials, origination, colour technology, inks, and print requirements.”

Conventional OEMs are listening, and as a result, flexo presses are getting wider. Today’s standard press from the likes of Mark Andy and Nilpeter are 17-inches and up. Nilpeter has seen success with its FA-26, and likewise Lombardi with its full-servo Invicta 630; Omet with its X7; Bobst with its M5.

MPS’ EF presses go up to 22-inches, with a portfolio that offers wider options. Labelexpo Europe 2023 will be home to many of these machines, as flexible packaging is expected to take centre stage.

The flexography printing process on an in-line press machine

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What is the potential impact of reusable packaging?

Renewed interest in reusable packaging is gathering momentum. However, the concept is complex, and stakeholders should understand the impact of cost and environmental factors

The concept of reusable packaging is not new. Over the past century, reusability systems were in place for commodities such as milk and wine, among others. Today, as industries around the world aim to reduce their carbon emissions in response to increasingly bold climate targets, reusable packaging has once again gained significant interest.

Despite this renewed interest, many trials in the pilot phase are unable to scale. One simple explanation for this is that there are several limiting factors within the current packaging value chain, mainly linked to a lack of acceptance, a lack of infrastructure, regulatory pushes for reductions in overall packaging, product safety, and cost.

This article aims to further the dialogue on packaging choice and broaden the

available fact base related to reusable versus single-use packaging. With this in mind, we modelled two different potential use-case scenarios in Europe pertaining to environmental footprint and the cost impact of switching from a single-use-packaging model to a reusability model.

The use-case scenarios, one for takeaway food and one for e-commerce packaging, were selected to compare today’s paperbased packaging with reusable plastic made with polypropylene (PP). The modelling indicates that stakeholders can further investigate the enabling conditions needed before reusable packaging outperforms single-use packaging across environmental, social, and economic factors. These conditions are not always inherent to the packaging itself.

The challenges that come with scaling reusable packaging

Regulatory requirements on packaging sustainability and demand from consumers have sparked renewed interest in reusability solutions across the packaging value chain. Such solutions can help cut greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions and packaging use by reducing the number of packages on the market. This can be achieved by increasing the reusability of those packages and raising the number of use cycles (referred to as rotations).

That said, there are several limiting factors to scaling reusability within the current packaging value chain, mainly linked to a lack of acceptance, lack of infrastructure, product safety, and cost. To better understand these complexities, this article

Whether or not customers adapt their daily behaviours will affect the successful implementation of reusability solutions versus single-use packaging

examines the potential impact of reusability solutions across three dimensions:

• the economic impact of reusability solutions versus alternatives (for instance, accounting for the packaging itself, handling, and costs of logistics)

• the environmental impact (that is, CO2 emissions) of reusable-solution materials and the actual reusability system (emissions from item production and from rotation)

• the societal implications for stakeholders (such as single-use packaging producers, reusable packaging operators, merchants, and consumers) resulting from the introduction of reusability systems.

Accounting for these three dimensions, our reusable-packaging use-case scenarios focused on incumbent alternatives in Europe, including the effects of use cycles and total product life cycles.

Scenario modelling for reusable packaging in e-commerce and takeaway food service

We analysed two diverse use-case scenarios applying to Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations targets in two different markets – e-commerce packaging in Germany and takeaway food service packaging in Belgium – assessing cost, total CO2 emissions, and water consumption. The chosen number of rotations was set to 20, based on the minimum number of uses needed to be close to the emissions of the single-use version.

Scenario one: E-commerce deliveries for non-food sectors in Germany

This scenario focuses on non-food

e-commerce sectors such as fashion, electronics, and beauty products. Germany’s e-commerce market is one of the largest in Europe, with approximately 2.3 billion deliveries per year.

However, the share of reusable packaging is negligible; a few examples exist, but the penetration rate is close to zero. We modelled a shift from padded-paper mailer bags and boxes to protective-plastic mailer bags or boxes using PP, which is recyclable. In the model, we set up a collection of the reusable items from collection points close to residents for redistribution to the next use cycle, excluding a washing stage.

The model shows a significant increase in the amount of transportation needed because of the need to return packaging to reusable-packaging operators, third-party logistics centres, or distribution centres.

In fact, for packages that achieve 20 rotations, transport will likely account for more than 75 per cent of costs and more than 65 per cent of CO2 emissions (Exhibit 1). Based on the e-commerce modelling, reusable packaging that exceeds 20 rotations can be competitive from an environmental perspective, and further rotations could be needed if cleaning operations create more emissions.

Accounting for the fact that infrastructure for e-commerce returns is already in place and functioning – facilitating the implementation of a reusability model in e-commerce – the cost increase of shifting to reusable packaging for e-commerce in this scenario is more than 50 per cent for mailer bags and nearly 200 per cent for boxes.

Making every tenth parcel reusable adds around €30 million in costs for the total market in Germany.

However, the volume of reusable items in the system could bring additional challenges to the logistics infrastructure.

Meanwhile, CO2 emissions could grow by 10 to 40 per cent, given that handling of reusable items per rotation and transport alone are estimated to exceed emissions of single-use products. Because reusable packaging will include a standardised choice of mailer bags and boxes, overpackaging could also increase, adding additional costs and CO2 emissions because of inefficiencies in loading and transport.

In addition, washing might be needed to reach a high number of rotations because water consumption and carbon emissions are likely to increase. By 2040, using zeroemissions transport (such as electric vehicles) can help reduce the CO2 footprint for collecting items and redistributing them to warehouses for further use.

However, the actual CO2 footprint of transportation and distribution when using electric vehicles depends on the share of renewable sources in the electric grid, where the German electricity mix has a large environmental footprint.

Scenario two: Takeaway food service in Belgium

Generally speaking, convenience has been the main driver for a thriving takeaway market in many countries. In Belgium alone, more than a half a billion cups and containers are sold in takeaway food businesses per year.

However, a significant disadvantage is that takeaway food bought from outlets often results in consumers discarding used packaging in households, offices, public locations, and on public transportation. This scenario assumes that consumers receive food or drinks packaged in reusable food containers or cups, either at a food service location or via home delivery. To facilitate the returning of reusable packaging, the model assumes that collection points are established. These would likely be located at restaurants and cafés as well as at or close to various common destinations for takeaway food, such as private homes and offices, enabling consumers to drop off their reusables while carrying out other errands.

Finally, the model was built on the basis that system service providers (whether incumbents or new players) collect items, clean them, and redistribute them back to restaurants and cafés.

The modelling shows that a reusability solution can double the cost per use of container or cup (Exhibit 2). And emissions will likely increase more than costs –

Exhibit 1 shows the cost increase for reusable packaging in e-commerce in Germany is 50 to 200 per cent compared to single use

by more than 150 per cent – on account of the higher share of fossil components in materials, transport, and energy use.

The combined impact on Belgian takeaway businesses could raise costs by more than €10 million while adding five kilotons of CO2 emissions and increasing water consumption by at least 20 million litres.

At the target number of 20 rotations, single-use alternatives made primarily from paper are still more cost-effective and result in lower carbon emissions, even at recycling rates of 30 per cent by 2030.

Thus, a system service provider of reusability solutions would need to prove a much higher number of rotations (and a low percentage of losses) to achieve economic viability (but not environmental viability based on today’s transport modes and energy mix).

For solutions in takeaway and home delivery, cleaning the packaging at the café or restaurant could reduce transport emissions and costs for containers and cups, compared with a centralised cleaning model delivered by system service providers. Notably, tableware at dine-in food service premises (not included in this scenario) would also need to change from single-use to reusable items, for which cleaning would be done at restaurants and with no additional transport required.

Beyond the direct implications of the modelled switch to reusable packaging, there are several wider societal impacts to consider. The major considerations for food service are the challenge to maintain a high level of food safety and the increased cost of packaging that will potentially be passed on to consumers (making it more expensive to eat) or lead to cost savings elsewhere.

At the same time, consumers would need to learn new behaviours as they adjust to a different system. The implied reusability model would require customers to store, potentially rinse (leading to extra water consumption), and return items to a collection point or reverse vending machine, similar to deposit return schemes for bottles and cans.

Key questions to address

Our two use-case scenarios indicate that reusability can add costs to the system and increase the use of fossil components in terms of materials, transport, and energy. In addition, they indicate that reusability can best be implemented where long-distance transport and washing can be avoided, where many rotations can be guaranteed, and where companies and consumers do not have to invest in parallel setups or add unnecessary complexity to the supply chain.

The following key questions can help shape decisions over whether reusable packaging is the better option in terms of environmental, societal, as well as economic impact:

How many use rotations are needed?

Today, a few publications have considered anywhere from three to ten cycles in food (service) packaging to be appropriate, while B2B reusable crates are reported to be at about 24 rotations. Our models show that successful system operators need to go beyond 20 rotations before emissions reductions can be achieved; for takeaway food packaging, this could be as high as 200 rotations.

Therefore, using reliable and lasting materials as well as ensuring a high number of returns via incentives and harmonised communication will be necessary to make reusability an

economically and environmentally efficient solution. At high rotation numbers, a significant reduction in packaging waste will also be beneficial.

What is the average distance reusable packaging will travel?

In a reusability setup, packaging needs to be returned to the system after each rotation. Between use cases, the average distance can vary significantly, potentially adding more emissions costs and thereby key disadvantages compared with singleuse packaging. In densely populated areas, collection, cleaning, inspection, and redistribution of reusables will be similar to last-mile deliveries, which are also reported as having significant costs and emissions.

Indeed, the learning curve entails understanding how to become efficient and shift to low-carbon transport. Further, standardised packaging can lead to inefficiencies because of overpackaging. Companies would likely need to use reusable packaging within cities and avoid excess volumes to become cost and carbon efficient.

What recycling rates can be achieved?

In general, paper-based packaging achieves recycling rates in Europe of approximately 70 to 85 per cent, while plastic packaging reaches about 15 percent. By contrast, a higher share of packaging in food service is not sorted into recycling bins and typically ends up as waste. Thus, takeaway packaging needs a rapid increase in recycling rates, both for single-use and reusability models. For reusable packaging that doesn’t reach high rotations (beyond 20), an easy fit in existing recycling streams will be necessary.

What adaptation to operating modes will be required?

In most sectors, except glass beverage bottles in countries with deposit return schemes in place, reusability brings a significant change for both businesses and consumers. In food service, there is a need for a new format in the value chain to include reusable packaging, for which collection and reverse logistics hardly exist today.

In many use cases, there is a need to invest in reusability setups for filling lines, warehouses, retailers, and other locations while maintaining existing packaging setups for single-use packaging in the medium-term. Whether or not customers adapt their daily behaviours will affect the successful implementation of reusability solutions versus single-use packaging. The easier that reusable items can be returned, the easier a reusability circle can be maintained.

Exhibit 2 shows the cost increase for reusable packaging in food service takeaway in Belgium is approximately 100 per cent compared to single use

UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS

Food Pro 2023

July 23-26, 2023

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Pack Expo Las Vegas

September 11-13, 2023 Las Vegas, US packexpolasvegas.com

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September 11-14, 2023 Brussels, Belgium labelexpo-europe.com

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September 19-21, 2023

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December 5-8, 2023 Shanghai, China labelexpo-asia.com/

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March 4-6, 2024 Guangzhou, China chinasinopack.com/

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Australian delegation shines at 2023 WorldStar Packaging Awards

The Australian delegation picked up 22 awards at the 2023 WorldStar Packaging Awards, of which three were Special Awards

Beverages, Household, Transit, Medical & Pharmaceutical, Health & Personal Care, Labelling & Decoration and Other.

Food

• Smarties Paperisation

– Nestlé Australia

• Waitoa free range chicken – Ingham’s New Zealand, Sealed Air New Zealand

• Ecotite R barrier shrink bags

– Amcor Flexibles

• Praise 100 per cent rPET Mayonnaise

Bottle – Goodman Fielder

• FSC Rectangle Paper Containers

– BioPak

Fresh Fruit & Vegetables

On 8 May, the 2023 WorldStar Packaging Awards, run by the World Packaging Organisation, saw 300 people from over 40 countries converge at interpack in Duesseldorf, Germany. Of the 300 guests, 20 were Australians who had travelled halfway across the globe to receive their awards and be recognised by their global peers for their packaging designs.

Not only were A/NZ PIDA Award winners recognised with 19 awards across nine categories, but three of the companies picked up the coveted WorldStar Special Awards.

Caps & Closures was recognised with silver recognition for two different products –the new Accessible Packaging design Special Award for the EzyGrip and Packaging that Saves Food Special Award for the ThermoShield Temperature Monitoring System – Food. This brought the tally for Caps & Closures to six WorldStar awards, making it the first Australian company in history to win this many awards.

Caps & Closures managing director Brendon Holmes said, “When the recognition comes from your industry peers, representing Australia comes with immense pride. Receiving two WorldStar Special Awards that recognise our efforts in Save Food Packaging and Accessible Packaging was tremendous.

“Our focus on fighting food waste, brand protection, accessibility and sustainability remains, and these awards inspire us further to continue down this path. It was good to see many companies at interpack

adopting similar innovative solutions that improve the consumer experience in accessibility and functionality.”

BioPak also made history being the first Australian company to win the coveted gold Sustainability Special Award for its Sugarcane Pulp Hot & Cold Cup Lids. This brought BioPak’s tally to three wins for the 2023 edition.

BioPak CEO Gary Smith said, “Attending the WorldStar Awards and being surrounded by so many innovators was a boost for me to excite all at our business into working harder and smarter at continual improvement and sustainable developments in our industry. We were humbled to be singled out in an evening to receive the coveted gold for the Sustainability Special Award, where there is so much good in overcoming mediocrity and bad practices.”

In addition, A/NZ had a table of firsttime winners including Result Group, Ego Pharmaceutical, JBS and Opal.

“Being amongst global peers and fellow Australian WorldStar Award winners was an experience for sure. Sharing the night itself with our project partners was sensational, but bringing the award home to the team and seeing the pride on every face is something I will never forget,”

Result Group managing director Michael Dossor said.

The nine general categories where A/NZ designs were recognised include Food, Fresh Fruit & Vegetables,

• Australian Table Grapes (ATGA) pilot – Result Group

Beverages

• Kraft Renewable Milk Carton

– Brownes Dairy

• Norco 100 per cent rPET Milk bottle

– Pact Group

• Coles Home Compostable Coffee Capsules – Coles Group

• Sugarcane pulp hot and cold cup lids – BioPak

• ThermoShield Temperature Monitoring system – Caps & Closures

Household

• Earthwise Eco Laundry Scoop

– Earthwise Group

• KOH Kerbside recyclable spout pouch refill pack – O F Packaging & Close the Loop Group

Health & Personal Care

• Etch & Ethos – EGO Pharmaceutical

Medical & Pharmaceutical

• EzyGrip – Caps & Closures

• ID Shield Anti counterfeit system

– Caps & Closures

Transit

• JBS and Opal Dunnage Solution

– JBS and Opal

Labelling & Decoration

• ID Shield Anti counterfeit system

– Caps & Closures

Other

• Royal Australian Mint Coin Box – Macher

Some of our local proud winners at the 2023 WorldStars

A/NZ Special Award-winning packaging designs

They are independently tested and verified to completely biodegrade within 120 days in a commercial compost facility, the end product is a non-toxic, nutrient-rich compost.

The core value in developing ThermoShield was to combat food loss resulting in wastage. ThermoShield is developed to be a crucial cold chain safeguard across refrigerated production, storage and distribution activities.

With the ability to account for, identify and improve the weak links in the supply chain network, Caps & Closures provides a simple yet effective solution to one of the primary causes of food waste. Clever use of ThermoShield can also improve the product brand through intuitive design that would boost consumer confidence and purchasing happiness, knowing that what is purchased has been taken care of.

Caps & Closures ThermoShield is an optical system, where the packaging will dynamically change its colour appearance at a pre-selected temperature switching point. ThermoShield packaging safeguards cool and cold chain products by monitoring temperature through the entire process, using thermochromic materials designed to change colour when the temperature of a product changes.

This is useful in the transport and warehousing because the over temperature stock can be clearly seen. ThermoShield products are smart and ensure that there is no overheating of perishable food and temperature sensitive items in transit and in storage, which is a major cause of food spoilage, loss and waste.

BioPak Pulp Hot & Cold Lids –gold Sustainability Special WorldStar Award winner

Switching from single-use plastic packaging derived from finite fossil

resources to sugarcane packaging makes a big difference. If a large QSR swapped out 10 million conventional plastic lids to sugarcane pulp BioCane alternative, they could avoid 37,400kg of fossil-fuel plastics, offset 83,478kg of carbon emissions and if all were composted at home, the organic waste would create 25,900kg of nutrient-rich soil which in return sequesters even more carbon from the atmosphere, reversing climate change.

In comparison to other packaging products in its class, BioPak maintains the ability to increase or decrease the gauge of the pulp, the density of the pulp and its composition. Its blend of wheat straw pulp with bagasse ensures a stiffer package at a reduced weight.

Its production facility is certified to ISO 14001 environmental standards and the products are made from rapidly renewable plant-based agricultural by-products designed to be compostable at the end of their life.

The sugarcane pulp lids are PFAS free as drinks don’t contain grease and these lids perform well as a takeaway lid. The BioPak sugarcane cup lids are recyclable (when not contaminated with food) and certified home compostable to AS5810 and European NF T51-800 standards, and industrially compostable to Australian AS4736 or European EN13432 standards.

Caps & Closures EzyGrip – silver Accessible Design Special WorldStar Award winner (new category)

Caps & Closures’ EzyGrip is easy to grip, has an ergonomic design and is childsafe. Thanks to medical and scientific achievements, more of us enjoy good health as we age, with longer more fruitful lives and a more active lifestyle.

Consequently, we are experiencing a global trend where national populations are ageing, and a growing number of consumers suffer reduced hand strength and dexterity. Caps & Closures created this solution as our senior population would benefit from a better ergonomic design that makes opening a product easier.

EzyGrip features large evenly distributed side lobes enhanced with mini surface ribs to improve hand grip over the standard cap significantly, reducing hand and wrist strain and allowing the adult consumer to get what they need with ease.

While the enhanced grip design makes opening easy, EzyGrip can be integrated with the Caps & Closures’ child-resistant closure design, resulting in a safer product especially in the application of prescription medicine and hazardous substances.

EzyGrip has optional additional safety, hygiene and sustainability functions such as tamper-evident seals and advanced additive technology like BioShield, EnviroShield and Oysterlean. EzyGrip’s ‘senior-friendly’ design methodology gives seniors easy access while providing safety, health and sustainability benefits to our community through additive technology.

Caps & Closures ThermoShield – silver Save Food Packaging Special WorldStar Award winner

Caps & Closures’ ThermoShield solution

BioPak’s sugarcane cup lids

Caps & Closures’ EzyGrip solution