Packaging Europe Issue 10.4

VOLUME 10.4 – 2015

SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS 2015 CELEBRATING THE BEST GREEN Laminated with Cosmo FilmS’ velvet thermal lamination film

PACKAGING INNOVATIONS & INITIATIVES

| ii | Packaging Europe

Contents

VOLUME 10.4 – 2015

The cover of this edition has been laminated with a BOPP-based velvet film supplied by an India based global group, Cosmo Films Ltd. which is a leading provider of lamination solutions & polypropylene films. The film with velvet fabric touch is one of the many beautifully textured lamination films that the company offers. Thermal lamination of this film is possible on all kinds of printed and non-printed paper and film is extensively used on perfume, liquor & cosmetic cartons; manuals; shopping bags and diaries. Various decoration printing techniques can be performed on the surface post lamination. For further info, write to enquiry@cosmofilms.com

3

6 10 12 16 20 24 26 28 30 32

Editorial Tim Sykes Sustainability Awards 2015 Best Packaging Solution Best Material Innovation Machinery Recycled Feedstocks Cutting Food Waste Weight Reduction Bio-based Retail End of Life Solutions Brand

Events 44 Looking ahead to FachPack Commentary 36 HAVI Sustainability: The crucial question 38 Dow An American perspective on European packaging 40 Labelling Meeting the sustainability challenge 46 Special report Efficiency deficiencies 47 Encirc Supply chain innovation 48 Design Opinion Navigating the way to structural packaging innovation 50 Colours Creative communication tips to help drive sales 52 Gore Improving sustainability and the consumer experience 55 BIO-FED Added value through global plastics expertise

56 60 64 68 70 74 81 84 86 90 98 103 106 110 117 120 124 128 131 134 138 144 150 153 158 164 167

Industry Profiles Sonoco and Weidenhammer An Uncanny Combination Waddington Europe A highly acquisitive mind SwiftOpen Easy does it Elif Packaging for life Carl Ostermann Erben Focus on what’s important Delta Print At the forefront of carton design NVC Sharing information, education and innovation Constellium Packaging and sustainability at Constellium Quadpack Premium wood packaging Cartiera dell’Adda A strategic alliance Sammontana Real Italian ice-cream Smurfit Kappa Opening the future of Smurfit Kappa Jiffy Packaging One bag goes a long way Skan Keeping it clean RonTech The feeder specialists Robino & Galandrino Celebrating success Multipack Service and innovation Dyntec Delivering safer IBC packaging Kautex Maschinenbau Celebrating excellence Bak Ambalaj European quality from Turkey SP Group A passion for plastics Haidlmair All from one hand Schott Driving glass innovation Komus Upakovka Mapping its way through success Stork Food & Dairy Systems A leader in processing and filling PaperFoam Pick up the foam Hirsch Servo Group Protecting products and safeguarding the future

Packaging Europe | 1 |

Advertisers Index Symbols 3D Laser 5M s.r.l. Lavorazioni Meccaniche

H 123 127

A AHP Merkle Ambrogio ARaymond Arti Grafiche Reggiane & Lai Asahi Photoproducts AVT

78 95 55 161 35 83

C Carl Ostermann Erben Cartiera Torre Mondovì Castus Cerutti ChargePoint Technology CMII Comexi Group Constellium Cosmo Films

72 92 115 137 112 94 135 85 9 116 9 160

E EasyFairs EKB Elba Elif ESI Euromac

42 160 170 68 ii 39

F Fabo Franchini Acciai

53 127

G Gerosa Group Getinge La Calhène GN Thermoforming Equipment Graco Groniner

| 2 | Packaging Europe

Impresa De Mitri Integrated Timber Solution

100 113 157 23 114

97 80

J Jiffy Packaging Company

109

K KBA-Flexotecnica Komori-Chambon KWH Plast Schur Flexibles

79 76 35

L Lannutti Lasercomb Group Laviosa Chimica Mineraria Lic Packaging Linpac Packaging

97 78 92 29 19

Marchi Industriale Matthews Brand Solutions Moba Eurotubi Monomatic

95 45 53 77

O 93 4

P Packly PakTech Parkside Flexibles PENKO Engineering B.V. Posimat

22 35 33 160 163

Q Quadpack

89

R Re-Plast Extruder Corporation Robatech Rolls To Roll

SA Giuseppe Cristini Sartorius Seda Group Skan Soem Sonoco SP Group Stora Enso SwiftOpen Systech

155 15 92

93 114 101 112 94 59 143 78 67 15

T Technotraf Thermo Fisher Scientific Thermoplay Ticiemme Toyo & Deutsche Aerosol Transdanubia Tubettificio M. Favia

89 18 146 123 18 147 22

V VST Paper & Board

M

Oleodinamica Sabatini Omron

D DE-STA-CO Dow Dutch Blower

S 14 137

I 149 94 152 100 73 33

B Belfast Foiling Company Bianco Federico Trasporti BIO-FED Blomix Branson Bühnen

HP Hudson-Sharp

97

W WAB Waddington Europe Woodside Haulage

37 63 78

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

Designers Claire Bidle Rob Czerwinski Leon Esterhuizen IT Support Jack Everson

EDITOR

Web Development Neil Robertson Production Manager Kamila Kajtoch Administration Amber Dawson Kayleigh Harvey Senior Account Managers Kevin Gambrill Jesse Roberts Features Managers Mauro Berini Martin Gisborne Jamie Gibson Clayton Green Matthew Howe Emma Kerton Dominic Kurkowski

Art Administration Tania Balderson

Packaging Europe

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

© Packaging Europe 2015 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form for any purpose, other than short sections for the purpose of review, without prior consent of the publisher.

POSITIVE PUBLICATIONS

Tim Sykes

IT

gives me great pleasure to introduce Packaging Europe’s inaugural Sustainability Awards. Having spent the last two months analysing the multitude of nominations we have received, we have been awed at the industry’s achievements and its genuine commitment to substantive progress towards reducing environmental impacts. At the same time, we have been a little overwhelmed at the task of picking out winners from a wide and deep field of impressive innovations and initiatives. When we launched this project we were quite unprepared both for the scale of the industry’s response and for the degree of agonising (and eventually remorse) we would face, as we made our selections and found it necessary to eliminate outstanding solutions that would have made worthy winners.

Over the following pages we celebrate the best examples we could find of green packaging accomplishment – whether through product development, early stage R&D or cross-industry collaboration. These range from a generational leap in sterilisation technology to breathtaking reductions in material and weight, and from impressive cooperation across the supply chain to game-changing commitments to renewable feedstocks. I hope our selections will provoke debate - and in doing so encourage stakeholders throughout the value chain to take stock of the tremendous potential of emerging technologies ripe for adoption, as well as of opportunities to develop and cross-pollinate ideas which can take sustainable packaging further still.

This special Sustainability Awards edition also features commentary from industry leading organisations. Phil Davidson of HAVI Global Solutions argues that a holistic approach to a product is essential to ensuring its packaging is truly sustainable. Mike Fairley, of Tarsus, organisers of the global Labelexpo shows, describes how the labelling industry is facing up to the sustainability challenge. Sealed Air’s Jim Barker discusses supply chain efficiency and how packaging can offer relief at some of the most crucial pressure points. Meanwhile, Liam Maguire of Encirc asks how companies can realise the demand for innovations that can increase both economic viability and long-term sustainability in the supply chain.

Also in this edition we take a first look ahead to FachPack, which will be the special focus of our September magazine. Following an extended assignment this side of the Atlantic, Apurva Shah of Dow shares his insights on the European packaging market from a US perspective. Anthem’s Tim James talks us through the delicate task of navigating past the perils along the way to successful structural packaging innovation.

Finally, Adrian Whitefoord of the design consultancy Pemberton & Whitefoord distils thirty years of wisdom concerning graphic design for packaging.

Tim Sykes ts@packagingeurope.com @PackEuropeTim

A Square Root Company

Packaging Europe | 3 |

| 4 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 5 |

Best Packaging Solution

Winner: Tetra Pak, E3 Platform

G

old medal in our prestigious Best Sustainable Packaging Solution award goes Tetra Pak’s E3 filling machine, which was launched at Fispal Technologia International Trade Show in São Paulo just a fortnight ago. The award comes both as acknowledgement of a truly revolutionary sustainable innovation and as credit to Tetra Pak’s long-term commitment to R&D, given that the great leap forward at the centre of the E3 represents a culmination of a quarter of a century of R&D.

| 6 | Packaging Europe

Best packaging solution

The E3 heralds a new generation of filling machines which use electron beams rather than hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to sterilise packaging material. This eBeam sterilisation technology that was developed by Tetra Pak in collaboration with COMET, a world leading company in high-voltage and high-vacuum technology. The technology works by focussing a controlled beam of electrons onto the surface of packaging material as it runs through the filling machine, killing any bacteria or micro-organism present. The environmental benefits of using eBeam include easier water recycling and elimination of the packaging and product waste which used to result from spoilage through sustained contact with H2O2 during line stoppages. In addition, the electricity savings thanks to eliminating H2O2 preheating, heating and drying can be as much as 33 per cent based on pilot tests at customer sites.

The reduction in wastage and energy use translate into significantly lower operating costs for the customer. In addition, the E3 has the potential to run at speeds of up to 40,000 portion packages every hour. With eBeam, speeds of up to 40,000 portion packs per hour, or 11 packs every second, can be achieved. Market tests have shown this increased capacity can save beverage manufacturers as much as 20 per cent in their operational costs.

Charles Brand, executive vice president, Product Management and Commercial Operations at Tetra Pak said: “This is a very exciting development. The E3 not only delivers significant cost and environmental benefits to our customers, it also marks the start of a new era in the world of carton packaging. The efficiency and effectiveness of filling equipment has just taken a major step forward.”

Another advantage, thanks to the modular design of the E3 platform, is offering increased production flexibility to manufacturers. By installing an eBeam kit, manufacturers can switch between pasteurised and extended shelf life (ESL) production orders on the same E3/CompactFlex filling machine.

The launch of the E3 follows successful pilots with some of the world’s leading dairy producers, such as Rajo, the largest dairy producer in Slovakia. Rajo has already produced more than 110 million packages of UHT milk in Tetra Brik® Aseptic 1000 Slim on a Tetra Pak A3/Speed machine equipped with the new eBeam sterilisation system.

Peter Novorol’nik, Production Manager at Rajo said: “Innovation is one of the cornerstones of Rajo’s strategy. In the domestic market, we are the market leader in every segment where we are active, but it is not all about new products. We also need to constantly drive for innovation in managing factory costs. Today we can say that the new eBeam technology could be the solution for future improvement.

This innovative system offers clear savings on hydrogen peroxide consumption.

To sterilise one million packages you need 300 litres of hydrogen peroxide, so the saving is considerable.”

The E3/Speed will be commercially available from 2016. Meanwhile, Tetra Pak told Packaging Europe that the E3 platform will be rolling out a number of extensions of the eBeam technology over the coming years. Among new machines in the pipeline are the Tetra Pak® E3/CompactFlex Extended Shelf Life, E3/Speed Portion Packages, and an E3/ Flex Extended Shelf Life.

Visit: www.tetrapak.com

Packaging Europe | 7 |

Runner up: Sleever International, LDPET Recyclable Sleeving L aunched in 2014 after five years of R&D, Sleever’s LDPET solution has already won plaudits as a major innovation in sustainability, having been awarded the ‘Oscar de l’Emballage’ within the environment category. The solution is the first to enable bottles decorated with either a total or a partial sleeve to be treated and recycled to produce new bottles. The LDPET solution facilitates 100 per cent recycling of sleeved bottles to produce a completely pure recycled resin, a prerequisite for the manufacturing of new bottles.

Developed using several technological platforms of Sleever International, this breakthrough was made possible thanks to two major innovations. The first is the SI-TPEG/050 ZL film, which shows a spectrum recognised by infrared detection systems as being the same as PET, and a specific gravity below one which allows easy sorting via a floatation tank. The second is a unique printing process, which ensures that the specific non-bleeding inks attach perfectly to the sleeve during separation processes.

As a result of these two innovations, the LDPET sleeve makes it possible eliminate bottle rejection at the optical sorting stage: any bottle decorated with an LDPET sleeve (be it total or partial) will be oriented, with no exception, towards the PET recycling channel. In addition, one can produce a completely pure recycled resin, with no pollution risk due to ink migration or imperfect sorting. Inks remain trapped in the flakes of sleeve which float to the surface of settling tanks, while PET flakes sink to the bottom.

With the LDPET sleeve, recyclers benefit for the first time from a solution that allows the systematic bottle-to-bottle recovery of PET bottles. Sleever describes the LDPET sleeve as “a real step forward in terms of sustainable development for bever-

age manufacturers who can now produce new bottles from used ones, whether the decorating solution chosen is a partial or total LDPET sleeve”.

Although the LDPET sleeve can be integrated perfectly on existing equipment, its implementation with the SleeverCombisteam®-LDPET will offer higher production outputs. This allows total or partial decoration of bottles ranging from 20 cl up to 2 liters, with two models enabling to follow outputs between 8000 and 12,000 or between 15,000 and 30,000 bottles per hour.

The innovation has been validated by approval from the APR (the Association of Plastic Postconsumer Recyclers) to be used in the bottle to bottle channel. This highly demanding professional association represents today 90 per cent of the North American recycling capacity. Moreover, if the LDPET sleeve is of utmost interest for beverage manufacturers, who are key players in the PET sector, it also offers new opportunities to all manufacturers of household products, cosmetics and solid food products.

Visit: www.sleever.com

Runner up: BUERGO.FOL, Foamed APET W ith concerns about the sustainability of feedstocks required for bioplastics, BUERGO.FOL, the German manufacturer of flexible and rigid films for the food industry, has taken an alternative approach to the goal of sustainability: by developing a new generation of APET films. The company has launched a range of foamed APET films in thicknesses ranging from 300 to 800 μ under the brand name ‘BUERGO.PET expanded’.

| 8 | Packaging Europe

The weight of the foamed film is approximately 30 per cent lower in comparison to that of conventional APET films. This results in significant material savings, and therefore to a more sustainable use of natural resources. BUERGO.PET expanded has a very high mechanical strength and is perfectly suited for use as a deep draw film on all common thermoforming and packaging plants, even on older models. This means processors of the film and packagers using the film can still use their existing plants without having to retrofit them, and they can even continue working with their standard machine settings.

The thermal formability is also much better than that of non-foamed films. For example, extremely deep recesses can be formed without requiring the use of a stamp. The structures applied to the thermoforming mould are formed precisely and with detailed contours on the foamed film. Furthermore, the foamed APET film can be cut perfectly – sharp edges and sharp corners are a thing of the past now. At the same time, wear on the cutting knifes is minimised.

The foaming effect also provides the advantage of preserving the packaged product for longer, thanks to its insulating effect. Visually, the foam structure is appealing to consumers, and the film and packaging have a soft, tactile feel while still providing a good grip.

The new foamed APET films can also be bonded to a laminate with barrier films from BUERGO.FOL in an additional refinement step. The bond is strong and permanent.

Delamination does not occur in cover films or in bottom films. By selecting suitable laminating films, it is possible to vary the barrier properties for oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapour as well the opening characteristics of the packaging.

Visit: www.buergofol.de

Best packaging solution

Packaging Europe | 9 |

Winner: Amcor Rigid Plastics, Hot-Fill PET Bottle A mcor Rigid Plastics takes first prize in our award for Innovation in Packaging Materials thanks to the development of the industry’s lightest heat-set PET container, which it designed exclusively for a leading beverage supplier. The innovative 500ml bottle sets a new benchmark for heat-set PET containers, enabling manufacturers to achieve aseptic filling packaging weights without the prohibitive investment, while offering a more ecofriendly option. Amcor’s Latin America design team, based in Miramar, Florida, worked in

Best Material Innovation

| 10 | Packaging Europe

partnership with the beverage maker to develop the new container which gives regional consumers a lighter, more functional sports bottle. The new product has been initially launched in Central America with future plans calling for distribution throughout the entire Latin America region.

The new 500ml container is claimed to be the most eco-friendly PET bottle in the market. Compared to a standard 500ml heat-set PET container weighing about 34 g, the new bottle is just 22 g – approximately 30 per cent lighter. The material reduction increases the bottle’s recyclability and reduces the energy needed for its production, dramatically decreasing the package’s environmental footprint.

Greenhouse gas emissions are cut by 26 per cent, energy use is reduced by 23 per cent, and water consumption is decreased by 24 per cent. The new container also results in a 26 per cent reduction in the amount of waste that could potentially end up in a landfill.

“Currently, aseptic filling applications allow for lightweight bottling, however those systems are capital intensive,” according to Carlos Londono, senior/group lead designer for Amcor Rigid Plastics. “Amcor’s new innovative approach to hot-fill packaging will change the beverage packaging industry, especially for emerging markets. Hot-fill manufacturers who desire to use lightweight containers won’t need to make a capital investment in aseptic filling lines in order to maintain competitive pricing.”

Achieving the lightweight properties which could withstand intense vacuum absorption was a big challenge. Amcor applied its VAB technology to the base and ERGO technology to the body. The VAB base is a light weighted diaphragm-like structure that aids in the cooling process by helping to absorb vacuum.

“The structure of the bottle had to be designed to provide both function and aesthetics when absorbing the vacuum,” said Jeff Klok, senior industrial designer for Amcor Rigid Plastics. “Pushing the boundaries of conventional weights, we found that the light weight of the package was ultimately the biggest challenge.”

The new hot-fill package also offers Latin American consumers a more functional sports bottle. Previous containers have typically been more robust and rigid, making them harder to squeeze. “This wasn’t going to be an option for us,” said Mr Klok. “Rather than trying to force rigidity, we embraced the flexibility.” The new bottle is ergonomically superior, since its grip has been properly engineered and designed for the consumer’s overall experience.

The Amcor design offers a sleek ergonomic form with oppositional hand grips that flex under pressure. This feature, in combination with grooved finger-holds and a sports cap closure, creates a highly functional squeeze bottle that utilises the flexibility made available by lightweighting for rapid rehydration.

Along with the ultra-lightweight container, Amcor and Bericap developed the industry’s lightest 33mm tamper-evident finish/closure for hot fill, weighing in at just 3.7 g. Amcor believes the unique finish will become a new standard for hot-fill bottles due to the 7.9 g reduction in weight compared to the standard 38mm ALCOA. This new finish led to the creation of a Bericap closure with a built-in seal that eliminates rubber liners or induction seal foils, thus reducing overall materials use. The Bericap closure is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) instead of polypropylene (PP) like the previous caps. HDPE is more widely accepted than PP in recycle streams and the absence of any other barrier materials such as ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) or paper/foil increases recyclability.

The new hot-fill bottle is designed to run on existing filling lines with minimal changeover. In addition to 500ml bottles, the new design will be adapted to other package sizes including 350ml, 600ml, and 1L containers.

The innovative solution has already received numerous industry plaudits, including a WorldStar award in the beverage/non-alcoholic category.

Visit: www.amcor.com

Best material Innovation Runner up: Italian Institute of Technology, Nanotechnology T he Italian Institute of Technology (ITT) takes its place in our awards in recognition of its important work on the development of smart packaging materials using nanotechnology. Its team has developed and patented an innovative packaging technology which coats fibrous materials such as cellulose with nanomaterials, which protect every single fibre using an ultrathin polymeric layer. This treatment lends hydrophobic and oleophobic properties to paper and cardboard packaging materials, without affecting their recyclability.

This technology has the potential to be used on different kinds of cellulosic containers that are used in food packaging in order to act as barrier for water and oils from the food to the food containers; oxygen and aromas from the content to the outside, thus maintaining nutrition properties, freshness and shelf life unaltered; external gases, thus avoiding any kind of contamination; and mineral oils migrating from recycled paper to the food, which is especially problematic when high temperature and greased foods are involved.

In the developed procedure, the fibres constituting the paper network are encapsulated in a thin shell of polymeric composites that act as barrier against the migration of such oils.

All the polymers used for this scope are FDA approved. Cellulose is a natural polymer that is extensively used for the production of paper and cardboard. Although cellulose is

an environmentally friendly material, its water/humidity absorbance limits the applicability in the food packaging area, particularly when paper containers come in direct contact with food of high content of water. To solve this drawback, the side of the paper container in contact with food is often coated with films of synthetic materials to achieve water barrier properties. Unfortunately, in this way, the final product loses its natural and biodegradable properties, as well as its recyclability. Moreover, the fabrication of this type of container requires additional steps that complicate the production process and increase the cost and the weight of the final product.

IIT’s technology is able to add new functionalities to cellulose-based fibrous materials, reaching a high degree of water and oil resistance. Composite polymeric materials are used to effectively treat each single fibre of the network without altering their appearance.

The treatments are applied on the fibrous materials in the post-production phase and the recyclability of the final products is not affected. Moreover, the polymeric shell can be functionalised with nanoparticles having specific properties, like fluorescent, magnetic and antibacterial.

In the plastic industry IIT has developed patented technology which allows the production of completely compostable bioplastics. In particular two different technologies have been developed at IIT for the fabrication of bioplastics from agro-waste and starch. The first one is the direct transformation of inedible agro-waste into bioplastics and the second one is elastomerisation of agro-waste or starch into robust bio-elastomers.

The first process uses an organic acid to transform the cellulosic agro-waste into amorphous plastics. The acid can be recycled in closed system of production. The second process uses micronised agro-waste powders including starch dispersed in silicone-based polymer precursors to produce bio-elastomers containing not less than 50 per cent vegetable based ingredient by weight. Typical agro-waste products that can be used are parsley and spinach stems, cacao pod husks, rice hulls, oat hulls, orange peels, and starch.

Depending on the plant species used, the resulting biopolymers are characterised by diverse mechanical properties, ranging from brittle and rigid to soft and stretchable.

Blending these vegetable waste solutions with the similar organic acid solutions of pure cellulose, all-natural plasticisation of amorphous cellulose is achieved. These new bio-plastics can replace many non-degrading plastics, preserving the environment, and open up new avenues towards tailoring mechanical properties of cellulose for.

Visit: www.iit.it

Runner up: Jiffy Packaging Co., Earth Aware® J iffy Packaging’s new Earth Aware® brand is all about minimising packaging and reducing transport waste. The concept involves banding bundles of Jiffy’s AirKraft bubble lined mailers, entirely removing the need for corrugated secondary packaging. Available in a variety of sizes, this neat, clean and easy to use format allows for increased pallet quantities, therefore improving transport yield and handling costs.

Due to the fully laminated construction of the bubble lined mailers, bundles are layered, providing a robust and strong pallet for distribution. Pallets can be double stacked as normal for efficient storing and transportation. Jiffy is also able to offer flow wrapping around each bundle offering protection from dust and making it possible to break down the pallet to be despatched in 50 unit bundles.

As a result of the innovation, Jiffy’s size one mailer packed in Earth Aware format offers 44 per cent more mailers per pallet, in other words 44 per cent more product per truck.

The savings involved mean that a full truck load of 52 pallets of CD mailers would increase the volume per pallet and volume per truck by 100 per cent.

Jiffy Packaging commented: “Removal of the corrugated box also helps with distribution direct to packing stations, rather than the costs and time involved in decanting from the box, and importantly, removes the need for disposal of the corrugated outer pack.”

Visit: www.jiffy.co.uk

Packaging Europe | 11 |

Best Machinery Innovation

Winner: Sidel, PET Line Energy Savings S

idel’s ECO lamps yield substantial energy savings in PET lines – as demonstrated in production conditions this year. A modular upgrade undertaken by Sidel of the production line at Japan’s Kirin Distillery has resulted in an 18 per cent saving in the use of electrical energy, after ECO lamps were fitted to the blow moulder on the water line at the distillery, providing a balance of cost and sustainability benefits.

The whisky distillery, which currently holds the record for being the world’s largest, is located in the town of Gotemba at the foot of Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji. The site was selected because it was felt that Gotemba has a climate most like that of Scotland, the birthplace of whisky. With an average annual temperature of only 13°C, it is cooler and more humid than other parts of Japan - especially in summer.

The Kirin facility is one of ten whisky distilleries in Japan and its production water is taken directly from underground streams flowing beneath the mountain. Unlike most other whisky distilleries throughout the world, the Kirin Distillery undertakes every production process, from mashing to bottling, on-site. It covers a massive 520,000m2 and has an annual production capacity of 12 million litres of four types of whiskies comprising one malt and three grain whiskies. Recognising the opportunities that the underground streams provide for also marketing bottled water, in 1999 Kirin installed a dedicated Sidel PET bottle blowing line and it is this line on which the modular upgrade has been completed.

There is a growing need within the beverage industry to balance economic performance with environmental concerns and reducing greenhouse gas emissions is an integral part of the process. With the heating lamps used to produce preforms accounting for 90-95 per cent of the electricity used by a blow moulder, Sidel ECO lamps have been developed based on a seemingly simple concept that addresses these concerns. Since their launch in 2008, Sidel’s ECO lamps have been meeting customers’ requirements providing an effective solution which is easy to install. Available as a modular upgrade of beverage production lines on both the Sidel SBO Series 1 and Series 2 blowers, ECO lamps generally result in energy savings of around 15%. In some cases, installation requires no modification to either the existing oven or the blowing process. As well as reducing energy consumption, Sidel’s ECO lamps are robust and have a life expectancy of 5,000 hours.

Moriyasu Uchibori, lead Customer Service Manager of Sidel, Japan, explained: “With electricity costs still rising globally and the growing drive to reduce CO2 emissions, produc| 12 | Packaging Europe

ers around the world are looking to optimise productivity and minimise the total cost of ownership on all their lines. In a typical line, preform heating lamps are clearly an area with potential for greater energy efficiency. Sidel’s ECO lamps represent one way in which both energy and money can be saved.”

With the increasing environmental consciousness of consumers, sustainable packaging and the renewability of water sources are important factors in the bottled water market. In 2013 total volume sales of bottled water in Japan grew by four per cent to reach 4.4 billion litres. From 2013 to 2018, the total market for bottled water in the country is forecast to grow by a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 0.7 per cent in value terms, with still bottled water increasing by 0.3 per cent CAGR. The project manager at the Kirin Distillery commented: “Kirin selected Sidel’s ECO lamps to be fitted to its existing PET water line in its continuous search for greater sustainability and cost effectiveness. The lamps have generated substantial energy savings and have also brought the benefits of improved process stability and optimised production output.”

Visit: www.sidel.com

best machinery Innovation Runner up: Comexi Group, Sustainable Offset C omexi’s revolutionary sustainable offset technology is a winner because it combines environmental gains with an ability to meet the requirements of today’s market. The Comexi OFFSET CI8 is a variable format press with central impression drum specially designed for printing on elastic materials. It is a solution that responds to the main challenges that faces the flexible packaging printing sector: reducing environmental impact and increasing energy efficiency, while delivering high print quality and production flexibility to the time to market.

The technology has won recognition from the European Union in the form of the EMAS award for ‘Effective eco-innovations supporting improvements in environmental performance’ in the category of large companies. The European Commission, in charge of grant-

ing the prize, selected Catalonia-based Comexi Group for its Comexi Offset sustainable printing technology among the six candidates in this category. Manel Xifra, president of the company, collected the EMAS award during the course of the XVIII European Forum on Eco-innovation in Barcelona.

“We are thrilled to receive this award. It is a great recognition for the company’s crucial commitment to incorporate innovation to our objectives in order to transform the flexible packaging sector in a sustainable industry,” remarked Mr Xifra at the ceremony.

“In its deliberation, the jury assessed the innovative capacity of Comexi Group for driving technologies to reduce or eliminate the use of solvents in the industry of flexible packaging.

The Comexi Offset solution is an example of our commitment to reduce the environmental impact of industrial activity and emphasise continuous improvement throughout the production process.”

Underpinning the strengths of the OFFSET CI8, Comexi has obtained the EMAS, Ecomanagement and Audit Scheme distinction, becoming one of the few companies in the sector worldwide and the only one in Spain with this certification. This certificate strengthens Comexi Group’s commitment in improving its environmental management, within the framework of its Integrated Management System, which has also enabled the company to advance in the fields of Quality, Safety, Work Safety, and Innovation management.

EMAS is a voluntary tool that enables organisations to take on full responsibility for environment issues, improve their environmental behaviour and set an example with their public environmental statement (outlining impacts, goals and indicators, and improvements obtained) which is available for all interested parties.

Visit: www.comexigroup.com

Runner up: Domino, A520i CIJ Printer C ontinuous ink jet (CIJ) printing is the most commonly used process for applying codes to goods. It works through a non-contact process, as ink is circulated through the print head and back in to the printer, it loses some of its solvent content through evaporation into the atmosphere. This loss is automatically replaced with more solvent known as ‘make up’, in order to maintain the ink at the correct viscosity.

Domino’s latest CIJ printer, the new A520i, uses an i-Tech module that contains the working ink and ink filters for the printer. The new i-Tech module performs the job of the reservoir and filters as one function. The module only needs replacing once a year, with reduced ink waste, which translates to a saving of 5.1 litres per printer per annum. Therefore in a typical year this new technology reduces ink wastage by as much as 90 per cent. Furthermore, the way in which the A520i prints pulls much less air through with the continuous cycling of ink, which means that a smaller amount of solvent evaporates from the ink and, as a result, the A520i requires 50 per cent less solvent ‘make up’ during its lifetime.

The development of a printer that requires less consumables and reduces waste demonstrates Domino’s approach to making the production of packaging more sustainable, as well as its commitment to the environment.

Sandy Shattock, Group corporate responsibility manager, Domino Printing Sciences, commented on Domino’s environmentally conscious approach in the use of CIJ inks for coding and marking: “We believe businesses have a social responsibility to ensure that they continually strive for accountable stewardship of our natural environment. At Domino, we are committed to developing products that advance our environmental performance, by improving the efficiency with which we use resources. We seek to ensure that every generation of coding and marking printers that we develop is more resource-efficient than the last.”

He continued: “We benchmark ourselves through a detailed in-house analysis of the life cycle of our previous systems. One of the findings from this analysis is that the main areas in which our coding and marking CIJ printers have a potential environmental impact are energy use, as well as the use and waste of volatile organic chemicals.”

Visit: www.domino-printing.com

Packaging Europe | 13 |

| 14 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 15 |

Best Recycled Feedstocks

Winner: BASF and Schuster, Recycled Board for Fast Food Packaging B ASF and Feinpappenwerk Gebr. Schuster GmbH & Co. KG have worked jointly to develop a solution for a combined migration and grease barrier on recycled cardboard.

The biopolymer ecovio® PS 1606 is applied to recycled cardboard in an extrusion coating process. This enables the proportion of recycled paper fibres in fast food packaging to be increased while simultaneously making it industrially compostable.

This is possible through the use of ecovio® PS 1606, a high-quality and versatile biopolymer from BASF. The special advantage: ecovio® is bio-based and biodegradable according to American Standard ASTM 6400 and European Standard EN 13432. The polymer coating applied to the cardboard is many times thinner than a human hair, but nevertheless provides the packaging with outstanding protection against potential migration of undesired substances while simultaneously offering high greaseproofness and liquid tightness. Cardboard packaging produced on this basis is more than 90 per cent biobased, recyclable and industrially compostable.

Traditional barrier coatings are increasingly losing acceptance among customers because they hinder recycling or composting of used fast food packaging. The use of recycled cardboard for fast food packaging, however, is limited by the fact that substances can migrate from the packaging into the food. Many printing inks contain mineral oils, plasticizers or even residues of UV printing ink components. Since the printing ink

| 16 | Packaging Europe

residues are not removed completely when recycling the paper fibres, residues remain.

When these substrates are used for food packaging, residues can migrate from the cardboard into the food especially when the foods are packaged hot or if they are greasy or liquid. This is why fast food packaging has so far been produced mainly from fresh fibre materials.

A study by the Cantonal Laboratory of Zurich from the year 2011 has shown that significant amounts of undesired substances can migrate into food from fast food packaging with migration potential. Classical coatings of polyethylene or polypropylene do not offer adequate protection. Here, ecovio® PS 1606 provides outstanding protection as a coating for the fast food packaging produced from recycled fibres. Measurements at an independent food laboratory have shown that there is no leaching of contaminants from the recycled fibre-based packaging into hot, greasy or liquid foods.

From the wide range of cardboard qualities used by the Schuster-Karton company, coating with ecovio® allows all possible types of fast food packaging to be manufactured in conformity with food safety and environment friendly standards. Many consumers’ wish for new, sustainable and above all resource conserving fast food packaging materials is thereby fulfilled.

Visit: www.basf.com and www.schuster-karton.de

best recycled feedstocks Runner up: Mktg Industry, Petite Boîte à Beauté M ktg Industry Srl, based in Crema, Italy, scoops its place in the awards not for material R&D but for innovative use of recycled materials, combined with great structural design. PBB: Petite Boîte à Beauté is a standard Collection of Compact Cases & Palettes for make-up which is currently the only packaging dedicated to pressed powders, baked powders and hot poured formulas approved

by Ecocert Greenlife.

PBB, made of 100 per cent recycled cardboard and 100 per cent recycled paper, has successfully passed Ecocert’s strong evaluations tests in order to receive the Ecocert and Cosmos Attestation of Conformity. Complying with these Natural and Organic standards means that eventual Ecocert Certification process of final clients is simplified by a pre-approved packaging.

Marketed under the slogans ‘Eco is Logical’ and ‘Logical is Eco’, PBB makes a significant contribution to the cosmetic packaging market, where the notion of ‘sustainable luxury’ has taken a significant foothold.

Mktg Industry, a young start-up company, has already won one sustainable packaging award for PBB, having emerged clutching ‘Best Eco Design Packaging 2015’ at Cosmopack 2015.

“We made a make-up compact case entirely manufactured using only recycled cardboard and recycled paper - a simple concept, yet very innovative and unique,”

commented Stephen Focolare CEO at Mktg Industry. “Cardboard and paper are materials that have never been before seriously considered for the production of primary packaging for cosmetics, but thanks to the expert hands of Mktg industry’s engineers and designers we were able to create an innovative packaging entirely manufactured with 100 per cent recycled materials, a packaging that can be a great eco alternative to plastic.”

He continued: “Also very important is the fact that our cardboard compacts are entirely produced in Italy, therefore according to all the European standards and regulations on environmental protection and workers’ rights, and this also means being Eco or at least Eco-Ethical. For us as a start-up company to compete with more than 50 companies, including some of the most important national and international cosmetic companies in the world was already an honour, then the fact that we won is a dream becoming true. This international recognition is a demonstration that with a lot of passion, creativity, hard work and tons of love it is still possible to do business “Made in Italy” in a winning way.”

Visit: www.mktgindustry.com

Runner up: Sonoco, EcoTect® E coTect®, Sonoco’s premium grade of uncoated recycled board (URB), specifically manufactured for superior printability, earlier this year became the first URB to be certified by the Rochester Institute of Technology to Hewlett-Packard (HP) Indigo print platform specifications.

This paper innovation is revolutionary for the printing industry, where customised, short runs of folding carton products and packaging was an option that was not previously available. Now, in a marketplace increasingly looking for the agility of digital printing as well as more sustainable packaging solutions and materials, this is possible with Sonoco EcoTect on the HP Indigo 5500, 7x00, and 10000 digital press platforms.

“Printers with HP Indigo capabilities now have a certified uncoated recycled board option that is sustainable and functional as a result of this innovation,” said Bill Hagen, Sonoco’s senior engineer/scientist. “Sonoco is committed to innovation in all areas of the company. When the market need was discovered, our team jumped on the opportunity. It took a little more than a year for us to create it, test it and achieve HP Indigo certification through the Rochester Institute of Technology. It is revolutionary and will allow for much more intricate, higher defined, less expensive, customised printing on a 100 per cent recycled paperboard for folding carton applications.”

EcoTect products are produced in Sonoco’s Trent Valley, Ontario, Canada, and Hutchinson, Kan., facilities. EcoTect for Indigo press applications is exclusively offered through GPA Specialty Substrates, McCook, Illinois.

Sonoco is one of the largest diversified global packaging companies and a leader in innovative packaging solutions.

Visit: www.sonoco.com

Packaging Europe | 17 |

| 18 | Packaging Europe

LINPAC EXTENDS INDUSTRY FIRST FRESHWARE RANGE Europe’s leading fresh food packaging manufacturer, LINPAC, is extending its Freshware range. The industry leader manufactures super cleaned crystal clear trays and containers which are produced from up to 95% recycled materials.

The Freshware range taps in to the growing popularity and demand for chilled prepared and convenience foods and now includes a simple round pot, which targets specifically the chilled delicatessen category. The range also includes hinged and lid sealed containers, tubs for prepared fruit and salads, dips, sandwich fillers, fresh pasta, pizza, prepared vegetables (e.g. stir-fry), chilled bakery, cooked meats and prepared fish packaging solutions.

The latest edition – the round pot - alongside all of the products in this market sector, offers LINPAC customers the security of knowing that the Freshware range is manufactured from up to 95% post consumer recyclate, supercleaned by LINPAC and approved under EC 282/2008 and guaranteed food safe to EC 1935/2005. Freshware products are also fully recyclable alongside standard bottle waste and the use of PCR in its manufacturing process reduces the carbon footprint by up to 40%.

Sales Director for Freshware at LINPAC, Nick James, said: “We’ve invested heavily in new thermoforming capability in Featherstone for the Freshware range in order for us to target what is a large market opportunity in the UK and mainland Europe. The new equipment provides the additional capacity required to meet the needs of this demanding market. At the same time we’ve recruited a specialised sales team across Europe to support and advise our growing customer base.”

Whilst the Freshware range includes standard formats such as round pots, square and rectangular hinged containers and pyramid shapes, LINPAC also offers a bespoke design service to develop individual shapes or ranges of containers to present prepared and chilled foods to the consumer in uniquely different and attractive formats. The LINPAC design team relish a challenge and work in partnership with customers to develop the perfect pot.

Visit: www.linpacpackaging.com

Packaging Europe | 19 |

Winner: Bemis/DuPont, Resealable Solution for BelGioioso IN a world where many cost-conscious consumers buy food in bulk, the ability to confidently re-close the package to keep food fresh is critical to prevent food waste. This category-winning solution from Bemis Co. using DuPont materials is a recent packaging innovation that can contribute to reducing some of the 1.3 million tons of food that is lost or wasted around the world annually.

This year Bemis Co. developed a new BelGioioso Mild Provolone packaging solution using DuPont™ Selar® PA and DuPont® Bynel® in a resealable package. The package is made up of two individually sealed compartments. This transformational package provides consumer convenience by allowing the user to easily peel and reseal the package 20 times or more with fingertip pressure. What’s more, the package is perforated which allows the consumer to easily separate the two compartments without using a knife or scissors.

Bemis’ SmartTack™ EZ Peel® Reseal™ technology allows the individual cheese compartments to be sealed separately, preserving the freshness of the unused portion until opening and reducing food waste – all while creating differentiation at the club store level for BelGioioso Cheese.

“High-performance materials add value to packaging in many ways, but especially in protecting food and keeping food fresher and more appealing longer,” said Yasmin Siddiqi, global packaging relationship manager, DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers. “As the packaging industry converges on this global issue, more and more solutions like this resealable system will be required.”

DuPont™ Selar® PA was selected for improved formability and puncture resistance and Bynel® was selected for its performance as a “tie layer” to help bond dissimilar materials.

Cutting Food Waste

| 20 | Packaging Europe

The solution has already attracted plaudits – Bemis having won a Silver Award in the 2015 DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation in May, demonstrating excellence in the Enhanced User Experience criteria. Judges for the 27th DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation said this entry delivers on its promise to provide convenience, value and freshness.

“BelGioioso Club Store package with Bemis SmartTack™ EZ Peel® Reseal™ technology is a real breakthrough in terms of packaging science and innovation,” said Jane Skelton, head of Print and Packaging at Sainsbury, the UK-based retailer, speaking as a representative of the 2015 DuPont Awards judging panel. “These club-sized, dual packages can be easily separated for storage and use. And, due to the resealable technology, the cheese stays fresh after multiple openings, avoiding food waste.”

DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers manufactures an extensive mix of adhesive, peelable lidding and sealant resins and provides a globally networked development team to work with customers on packaging programs that help protect the product, the environment, improve shelf appeal, convenience and reduce cost in the food, cosmetics, medical products and other consumer goods and industrial packaging industries.

Visit: www.bemis-europe.com and www.dupont.com

cutting Food Waste Runner up: Solveiga Pakstaite, Tactile Smart Packaging S olveiga Pakstaite of the UK’s Brunel University adds a runner-up place in our Sustainability Awards to her victory in the UK leg of the James Dyson Award in recognition of her original approach to smart packaging. Her bio-reactive tactile ‘Bump Mark’ label is an innovation that aims to help combat food waste by providing real-time food expiry information which could complement or replace traditional best-before dates.

As the subject of her final year Industrial Design & Technology project, Solveiga devised a label which contains a layer filled with gelatine, covering rigid bumps beneath. “Since the jelly is solid when it sets, the bumps cannot initially be felt,” Ms Pakstaite told Packaging

Europe. “However, as the gelatine decays, it becomes a liquid, which means a consumer pressing the label can feel the bumps.”

Being a protein similar to meats, milk and cheese, gelatine ‘expires’ at a similar rate to perishable packaged foods. Moreover, as Ms Pakstaite pointed out, the pace of the gel’s decay can be manipulated to match that of the contents of the package by altering the concentration: “The higher the concentration of gelatine, the longer it will remain solid.”

Having filed for patent, Ms Pakstaite is now looking to further refine her prototype by testing it at a microbial level. To this end she is in conversation with retailers and manufacturers and open to working with partners with a view to commercialising her invention.

As with many leaps forward in technology, the Bump Mark came about not through looking for a solution to a specific problem, but by applying a familiar idea to a new context.

The concept came about as a result of Ms Pakstaite’s exploration of tactile solutions for the blind in public transport contexts.

“From my research interviews, I discovered that blind people often found it hard to work out whether their food had expired,” she said. “But as I worked on the concept, I realised that the Bump Mark could be of use to sighted people too, as the arbitrary best-before date does not always reflect the condition of the food or drink. The Bump Mark label, incorporated into the layers of packaging so that it faces the same environmental conditions as the product, simply copies what the food in the package is doing, giving a far more accurate indicator than a printed date.”

Follow Solveiga on Twitter: @SolveigaP

Runner up: Insignia, Stock Rotation Smart Label T he Stock Rotation smart label, by Scotland’s Insignia Technologies, is designed to cut down on food waste and improve food safety at every stage of the food supply chain.

From the moment the smart label is stuck to a box or pallet of fresh produce, it starts to change colour over a pre-calibrated period of time. This means that at any point in the supply chain you can ‘see’ how fresh the fruit, vegetables, meat, or dairy goods are inside the box.

The label changes colour over time, from yellow to purple. It is both time and temperature sensitive so has the potential to highlight any problems of temperature abuse the produce may have experienced.

This simple, visual solution promises to tackle the perennial problem of stock rotation and poor practices in the transportation of fresh food, in both developed and developing markets.

David Kilshaw, CEO of Insignia Technologies, explained: “Between 30 and 50 per cent of food produced globally never reaches the consumer. To keep up with the world’s ever increasing demand for food, the sector must change the way it works now and reduce waste at every stage in the supply chain from farm to supermarket to consumer.

“The Stock Rotation label is the latest of the ground breaking technologies we have developed, and will play a critical role in increasing industry efficiency and improving freshness with a low cost and easy to use product.”

The label enhances current processing, transportation and distribution systems, by offering a clear visual indication of which pallets should be prioritised for use. The labels reduce time spent checking date labels, improve freshness through the supply chain, increase operational efficiencies and can also highlight problem areas where temperature abuse is occurring.

By enhancing freshness and potentially improving shelf life, the ultimate goal is to reduce food waste.

Insignia’s patented technology is the outcome of five years of research and development at the University of Strathclyde’s Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, followed by two years of further research in state-of-the-art laboratories at BioCity Scotland.

Insignia’s strategic aim is to reduce food waste and enhance food safety. The company has developed an exciting range of intelligent packaging applications which are being successfully utilised and trialled in the US and UK. This news follows the launch of Insignia’s first product, an embedded timer for food packaging designed to reduce food waste in domestic kitchens.

Visit: www.insigniatechnologies.com

Packaging Europe | 21 |

| 22 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 23 |

Weight Reduction

Winner: Dow Chemical Company, PacXpert™ P acXpert™ Packaging Technology is a flexible alternative to rigid containers from one to 20 litres for use in a variety of domestic, industrial and institutional applications. While Packaging Europe has awarded it first place in the Weight Reduction category in recognition of the way it facilitates the replacement of heavier, rigid containers, PacXpert brings a number of environmental savings – with the associated cost reductions – throughout the supply chain. It requires less material and is delivered flat when empty, increasing shipping and warehouse efficiency, and possibly reducing carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, its unique design allows the evacuation of all the content, even for highly viscous products.

Finally, after use, PacXpert occupies less space reducing the volume of waste and, thanks to its modular structure, it could potentially be reused or recycled.

Suitable for a wide range of applications, from loose food products and bulk beverage containers to windscreen fluid, PacXpert Technology’s flexible, lightweight design delivers 50 to 80 per cent weight savings over traditional rigid packaging alternatives. It is also lightweight for transportation purposes, weighing ten times less when empty, and for disposal, meaning emptied containers take up less receptacle space when discarded.

In addition, the technology reduces content waste by allowing consumers to achieve a better product yield – Dow claims it results in potentially zero leftover product (compared with five to 20 percent leftover with a viscous product in rigid packaging). It requires less overall raw material during the manufacturing process when compared to rigid packaging alternatives. Moreover, it is easily stackable, being the first pouch on the market without secondary packaging requirements, takes up 40 per cent less shelf space, is reusable and can be recyclable, and offers printable film instead of using additional label material.

| 24 | Packaging Europe

An early product of Dow’s new ethos collaborative innovation, centred on its Pack Studios facilities, PacXpert looks set to be a sustainable innovation which is desirable in the consumer marketplace. It provides striking differentiation on the retail shelf, with four printable sides that maximise branding opportunities. In addition, thanks to a second handle on the base of the pouch, offers easy handling and controlled pouring, even in high volume formats. Available in a range of sizes and for both edible and non-edible items, PacXpert offers a variety of customisable options such as fitment closures.

PacXpert has already received industry plaudits for its performance, sustainability and cost-savings advantages, notably at the 2015 Edison Awards’ gala in New York City.

Dow received the Silver for PacXpert™ Technology in the “food packaging and beverage” category and was selected by a panel of more than 3000 executives and academics for The Edison Award based on four key criteria – concept, value, delivery and impact.

Visit: www.dow.com/packaging

weight reduction Runner up: Elif Packaging, ElifFine

T

he innovative packaging solution ElifFine, developed by Turkey-based Elif Holding A.S., offers a new, eco-friendly flexible packaging solution for brand owners looking for sustainable packaging solutions. Pending patent, ElifFine is pitched as an optimum sustainable packaging solution, based on natural material. Although it has the tactile feel of paper, ElifFine has some specific advantages over paper thanks to its unique constitution.

Thanks to its higher barrier properties compared to standard PE films, ElifFine also offers environmental benefits. It decreases packaging weight and eliminates the need for lamination, which makes the packaging more easily recyclable.

ElifFine achieves its light weight due to mineral fill and elimination of traditional barrier layers. At the same time, it combines the high vapour and oxygen barrier properties of plastics with the folding properties of paper. It also provides high stiffness, high maximum force and high tear resistance. Applicable for wrapping food, personal care and home care products, ElifFine is solventless as well as non-laminated.

“Sustainable packaging will continue to be a key area of development for brands looking to not only improve their image with consumers, but also provide a better product experience and, ultimately, improve the bottom line,” the company commented. “Elif beliefs that the future of sustainable packaging should not only be about becoming more efficient and sustainable, but also helping the global consumers lead a life that’s more convenient and aspirational, but with a limited impact on the environment. Elif’s goal is to create attractive, well presented packaging with the least possible environmental impact and fervently works for it. It is in this context that ElifFine has been developed. The product offers an attractive tactile packaging experience as well as an environmentally responsible packaging solution for brand owners. Eliminating higher cost materials for barrier properties and need of lamination, ElifFine creates additional value for brand owners for a low cost.”

Visit: www.elifplastik.com.tr

Runner up: International Paper, Food Container Lid I nternational Paper Foodservice Europe has launched a paper lid for its range of paperboard food containers. The introduction of this competitively-priced one-piece lid means foodservice operators can now opt for a totally paper board packaging solution for takeaway soup and other hot or cold food products.

The design of the new paper lid differs to other lids currently on the market. A one-piece construction, the lid has only one layer compared to traditional lids with two layers. In addition, instead of the small vent holes that usually feature on top of the lid, IP’s paper lid has specially designed pleats that sit up against the rim of the food container. This allows just enough steam to escape so the lid will not bend or cave-in when hot food is placed in the container. The pleated design, with its absence of vents, means the top of the lid presents a smooth print surface for high quality customised printing. Furthermore, the lid features a specially designed ‘tuck-under’ so when it is placed on the container it snaps onto the rim to help secure it – even if the container is accidentally tipped over.

The paper lid combines functionality with sustainability, providing operators and consumers with a splash and leak-resistant product that also comes with a positive environmental message. It contains up to 45 per cent less material weight than other paper lids for a lighter-weight solution. In common with all foodservice packaging items supplied to the UK market by International Paper Foodservice Europe the new paper lid meets the requirements of the SFI® Certified Sourcing programme. This North American-based programme ensures the use of fibre from responsible and legal

sources and demonstrates International Paper’s support for improved forestry practices and strong communities.

International Paper Foodservice Europe is able to supply the lid in two stock designs: Carte Blanc® (unprinted) and Translations™, a stock design featuring words to describe culinary flavours and tastes in four different languages.

Visit: www.internationalpaper.com

Packaging Europe | 25 |

Winner: Tetra Pak, 100% Plant-Based Carton

T

etra Pak has brought to market the industry’s first beverage carton made entirely from plant based, renewable packaging materials. The new Tetra Rex® carton is the first in the market to have bio-based low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films and bio-based high-density polyethylene (HDPE) caps, both derived from sugar cane, in addition to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC ™) certified paperboard.

Developed in partnership with Braskem, the leading biopolymers producer, the new Tetra Rex package was unveiled in 2014 and hit shelves in early 2015. It is available in a range of sizes, from 250ml to 2000ml, for all chilled milk specifications. Tetra Rex Bio-based is manufactured solely from a combination of plastics derived from sugar cane and paperboard. Like the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™) certified paperboard, the plastics can be traced back to their origin, affording the package the highest category of bio-based certification from Vincotte, the internationally-recognised assessment body.

Best Bio-based

| 26 | Packaging Europe

“Environment excellence is one of Tetra Pak’s strategic priorities and a driver of our product development activities,” said Charles Brand, VP marketing & product management at Tetra Pak. “Together with suppliers, customers and other stakeholders, we are leading the industry towards 100 per cent renewable packaging. We believe that increasing the renewable content of our packages is not only good for the environment, but also offers our customers a competitive advantage in the overall environmental profile of their products.”

The bio-based plastics used by Tetra Pak are produced by Brazilian chemical company, Braskem, which sources all of its feedstock from sugar cane grown on degraded pastures.

“Tetra Rex Bio-based offers customers a fully renewable package made from materials that can be traced back to their plant-based source,” remarked Mr Brand. “It’s good for the environment, and it’s excellent for communicating with consumers – the product they actually hold in their hands is derived entirely from plants. The pack that grows back.”

Finnish dairy brand Valio became the first customer to introduce Tetra Rex Bio-based, for its Valio Eila® lactose free semi-skimmed milk drink, around the beginning of the year.

The company plans to use the package for other products in its range and has also elected to use Tetra Pak’s bio based closures for all its gable-top packages.

“After all of the hard work and significant investment that has gone into bringing this package to market, it is hugely rewarding to get such a positive response from both Valio and their consumers,” commented Mr Brand.

Arla Food’s Swedish Eko brand organic milk is another early adopter of the pack. Meanwhile, dairy companies in other parts of the world will soon be launching the Tetra Rex following the introduction to the European market. Proliferation is expected to be underpinned by the fact that customers using the standard one-litre Tetra Rex with TwistCap OSO 34 can easily transfer to the new version without the need for any additional investment or modification to their existing filling machines.

Visit: www.tetrapak.com

Best Bio-based Runner up: Floreon

F

loreon is a novel and biodegradable, polyester-based polymer blend with a standard bioplastic called polylactic acid. The innovative material is much tougher and easier to process than current materials - a development that is regarded as essential to extend the uses of bioplastics. Developed by the bioplastic technology company Floreon Transforming Packaging Ltd, Floreon was recently granted a patent, which took just over four years to obtain.

Conventional PLA is produced from sustainable (plant) feedstock, which means it has a lower carbon footprint and non-renewable energy usage than any mineral-based thermoplastic. However, until now it has been renowned for its poor toughness and tendency to lose strength on storage in warm conditions, which means its use has been restricted to niche areas.

Floreon addresses the need for a PLA-based bioplastic suitable for manufacturing degradable and compostable articles, such as bottles, but with improved mechanical, physical, chemical and thermal properties. Not only does Floreon have improved toughness, higher strength and durability compared to PLA, but also it is recyclable, biodegradable and requires far less energy to process compared to rival products.

Improved mechanical properties and optimised flow rates mean Floreon can be used in a variety of process moulding techniques to produce a wide range of types and sizes of applications, including packaging trays, cutlery and thin walled injection moulded parts, where the use of PLA has been limited in the past. In addition, improved processing efficiency means production time and energy consumption have been greatly reduced.

Dr Andrew Gill, Floreon technical director explained the value of the new patent. “This patent is very important to us – as a technology led company it provides a competitive advantage that will enable us to create proprietary solutions that others cannot copy. By definition, patented compositions need to be novel and provide a benefit to society over previously available technology. So this patent, which protects our innovative bioplastic material called Floreon, is a clear demonstration that we have created a new way of gaining performance benefits not achievable by others.”

Awareness of the need to reduce the amount of landfill waste and the desire to reduce dependence on fossil resources is increasing the interest shown in bioproducts by plastic processors and compounders. By delivering advanced technical properties, which increase product attractiveness and expand the range of uses for bioplastics, strong growth in demand for these materials is expected across the globe.

Currently the patent has been granted in the UK, New Zealand and Australia. This success gives CEO and company founder Shaun Chatterton real confidence that other patent offices will also approve the application. “With global demand for bioplastics set to rise by around 20 per cent per year, we can see a huge export potential for Floreon. We are delighted with these first patent approvals, and are rapidly progressing patent applications across all major population centres - including US & Canada, China and Europe. Our aim is to have global protection for our technology so that we can promote Floreon internationally.”

Visit: www.floreon.com

Runner up: PLAPACK, New-Generation PLA

N

ovember 2014 saw the successful completion of the PLAPACK project following three years of development. AIMPLAS (Spain’s Plastics Technology Centre) collaborated in the project, which was funded by Direct Innovation Line CDTI, along with two research centres and six companies. The result was a new generation of biodegradable compostable, low migration and high flexibility plastics of natural origin suitable for food contact, which can be used for the manufacturing of disposable household and food packages among other products.

More specifically, the result is a modification of polylactic acid (PLA), giving it a lower environmental impact than materials currently used. High compatibility with polymer additives has been employed in its formulation. Processing in extrusion and injection moulding with conventional equipment has been improved in order to achieve properties and characteristics required for every product.

A variety of plastic products have been developed from this new material, from nonpackaging applications such as UV-resistant clothes hangers with low migration so that

they will not stain clothes, to packages for the food industry resistant to impacts, low temperatures and oils and with barrier properties to oxygen and water vapour. Equally, the project has succeeded in manufacturing glasses resistant to low temperatures and alcohol beverages.

In addition to all these products produced through extrusion and injection moulding processes, it is also possible to obtain multilayer structures made with this new bioplastic. This would adjust not only functional properties but also aesthetic factors at a competitive cost.

The PLAPACK consortium was formed by the following companies: Plásticos Erum, Condensia Química, Nanobiomatters, Envaplaster, Papel Plast y Criimpla. AIMPLAS and other research centres such as the Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology Department at the University of Alicante and the Institute of Polymer Science and Technology of the Spanish National Research Council (ICTP-CSIC), have contributed to this project.

Visit: www.aimplas.es Packaging Europe | 27 |

best retailer Best Retailer

Winner: Marks & Spencer M arks & Spencer, the UK-headquartered retailer, wins Packaging Europe’s award in recognition of its consistent, substantive commitment to sustainable packaging in retail. Earlier this year M&S published its 2015 Plan A Report, the first report since it launched the third stage of its Plan A sustainability journey – Plan A 2020.

This demonstrated that strong progress has been made on Plan A commitments (47 of which have been achieved) and priorities, including rolling out the plan across M&S’s international business and driving its attributes into M&S products. Moreover, almost two thirds (64 per cent) of M&S products now have a ‘Plan A attribute’, an eco or ethical quality over and above the market norm, representing an increase of seven per cent year on year. It also found that M&S remains the only major retailer in the world to have carbon neutral operations.

Its approach specifically to packaging development has been meticulous, featuring numerous innovative instances where packaging has been substituted by lighter and more easily recyclable alternatives. One of Packaging Europe’s favourite examples was the phasing out of plastic wires used in toy packaging to hold the product securely in its carton in favour of specially developed ‘PaperTies’, which are not only FSC-certified and recyclable via kerbside paper recycling bins, but also removed more easily by the customer,

| 28 | Packaging Europe

in contrast with the impatience-inducing standard plastic or metal ties. Looking at baseline indicators, the amount of packaging M&S uses for home deliveries has been cut by 60 per cent since 2009, while 2.8 billion carrier bags have been saved as a result of the 5p Food Hall carrier bag charge introduced in 2008.

“Plan A 2020 is a sustainable business plan that puts Plan A at the heart of our brand,” remarked Marc Bolland, chief executive. “It aims to engage our customers, employees and stakeholders. We’ve made strong progress in the past 12 months, including working with the Consumer Goods Forum and World Economic Forum. As part of this work we’ve actively supported global progress on deforestation, low carbon refrigeration, the circular economy and engaging the ‘millennial’ generation’s attitudes to sustainable consumption.”

Mike Barry, director of Plan A, added: “Plan A 2020 is equipping us for the future and helping us deliver exceptional products and services for our customers. The report shows that we have much to be proud of, but it also shows how long our ‘to do’ list is if we’re to become a truly sustainable business. In the next 12 months we’ll step up our efforts on circular economy activities, roll out a more localised Plan A and become a more transparent business.”

Visit: http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/plan-a

Packaging Europe | 29 |

End of Life Solution

Winner: Lavazza / Novamont, Compostable Espresso Capsules Title

T

he first wholly biodegradable and compostable coffee capsules for espresso machines were launched in March and will hit the market towards the end of 2015. This product is the result of a five year research project and a strategic alliance between two leading representatives of Italian industry - Lavazza and Novamont – in collaboration with the Polytechnic of Turin.

The new Lavazza coffee capsules will be made of Mater-Bi® 3G, a material belonging to the third generation of Novamont’s bioplastics. Mater-Bi® 3G is made with a new thistle-based bio-polymer and contains a significant percentage of renewable resources. It is ready for organic recycling according to EU standard EN 13432 and effects considerable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

In the current linear model of production-consumption-disposal, the product ends its lifetime as waste and is sent to a landfill site or incinerator. The compostable capsule created by Lavazza and Novamont can instead be disposed of along with other organic waste and processed industrially to become compost, in line with circular economy principles.

The capsule, which is compatible with the Lavazza Minù coffee machine, contains two blends of coffee beans certified by Rainforest Alliance - an NGO with which Lavazza has been working for more than 10 years, and which certifies the economic, environmental and social sustainability of raw materials.

During the Universal Exhibition EXPO 2015 in Milan, Lavazza will be the Official Coffee Partner of the Italian Pavilion. In this framework, the Lavazza Sustainability Hub, located in Cascina Cuccagna in Milan, will host a multitude of sustainability related activities such as the reuse of coffee grounds. Together with Novamont, the Polytechnic University of Turin, Slow Food and Pollenzo University, Lavazza will organise meetings, workshops and trainings

| 30 | Packaging Europe

focused on the valorisation of the product end of life. Through a greenhouse built on the principles of bio architecture, Lavazza will introduce the public to the multiple industrial sectors where coffee grounds can be used: from construction to energy, from chemistry to cosmetics.

By valorising the end of life of coffee grounds, the life cycle of the product is closed, and at the same time reopened to other production cycles. Coffee grounds become humus, thus creating further value chains in a network of open industrial relations which revitalise the local territory. The output of one process becomes the input for another leading to zero greenhouse gas emissions. During EXPO, Lavazza and Novamont together with AMSA (Milan’s waste collection company) will be working on a project to demonstrate the social, cultural and economic value of this approach. AMSA will collect the grounds, which will then be transferred to the associations involved in the project and taken to the collection centres run by the social cooperatives. They will then be tasked to transform the grounds into tangible products, such as substrata for edible mushrooms, pellets, ink, semiprocessed goods and many others.

Lavazza states that it pursues an ethos of continuous improvement, research and innovation based on partnerships of excellence such as the one with Novamont: “A 360 degree approach to economic, social and environmental sustainability with an open and pre-competitive attitude focusing on applied research as a driver for innovation and sustainability. Thorough investments assessments, deep market analysis, strict selection of appropriate resources and precise definition of timing are the secrets of strategic applied research.” The compostable capsule and the partnership with Novamont are concrete evidence of this approach, and a worthy winner of our End of Life category.

Visit: www.lavazza.com and www.novamont.com

End of Life Solution

Runner up: Parkside, Compostable bag T he EU has set stringent targets for recycling of plastic packaging materials. However, flexible packaging materials are often unsuitable for recycling due to their multilayer lamination or co-extrusion nature, making it impossible for the recycler to separate the materials. UK-based Parkside wanted to fill this gap in the market and by developing a range of compostable products now has a credible alternative solution to landfilling: the first flexible multilayer laminates that can be disposed of in a home or industrial composting environment.

After years of work at Parkside’s Normanton site, these products have been awarded Vincotte OK Compost and OK Compost HOME accreditation. The duplex and triplex laminates have undergone rigorous testing and have been proven to break down under specified conditions within a 12 week (industrial) and 26 week (home) period.

The success gives environmentally aware brand owners, packers, retailers finally the option of flexible packs that can be disposed of by consumers, avoiding landfill and any detrimental effect on the environment.

The range of laminates, launched under the Park-2-Nature brand name, are initially being targeted towards the coffee bag market where many brand owners have been requesting sustainable solutions for their flexible packaging but is also suitable for a great many different food products such as dried fruit and confectionery.

The aesthetics of the Park-2-Nature packs are designed to be comparable to standard high quality flexible packaging laminates providing great shelf appeal, which will drive sales for retailers. The oxygen and moisture barrier performance of the product is designed to deliver extended shelf life and minimal product waste – again, similar to other flexible packaging laminates.

Having compostable paper and film barrier laminate substrates is a big step forward for the industry and opens up significant opportunities for Parkside to develop business with customers working with green, organic and environmentally sensitive brands.

With manufacturing facilities in Europe and Asia, Parkside are able to offer this finished product on a global basis. Parkside is now positioned as a serious speciality packaging player.

Visit: www.parksideflex.com

Runner up: BPI Recycled Products, Green Sack Fusion G reen Sack Fusion, the latest offering in BPI Recycled Product’s Green Sack™ range, is produced from super strength film, giving the product improved performance whilst using 33 per cent less material. BPI Recycled Products has invested in state of the art machinery with new triple layer technology to manufacture a sack which extends the environmental advantages of the existing range.

Made from waste at local facilities, Green Sack Fusion has a carbon footprint up to 1/3 lower than refuse sacks made from virgin material and much lower than 100 per cent recycled sacks made in East Asia, which involve from high product miles. Every tonne of recycled polythene use make the sacks saves 1.8 tonnes of crude oil, reduces energy use by 2/3 and entails 90 per cent less water usage compared to a tonne of virgin polythene. Compared to using virgin polythene, every tonne of polythene recycled to make Green Sack Fusion sacks cuts sulphur dioxide emissions by 33 per cent and nitrous oxide emissions by 50 per cent. It also prevents the release of 1.5 tonnes of

CO2 into the atmosphere. Meanwhile, deriving from 100 per cent recycled waste helps reduce landfill.

The Green Sack Fusion is made using farm waste polythene such as used silage bale wrap and horticultural film, which has been chosen because of its strength. Thorough tests have shown that the sack can carry up 10 kg of waste. Thanks to this toughness, it offers up to ten times the tear resistance of other premium brand refuse sacks.

BPI Recycled Products holds both ISO 9001 and IOS 14001 accreditations. Our sites are also accredited by the UK government’s Environmental Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

BPI Recycled Products is part of British Polythene Industries (BPI) plc – a global business operating across many different and diverse market sectors and supplying 280,000 tonnes of product to customers in more than 50 countries worldwide.

Visit: www.bpipoly.com Packaging Europe | 31 |

Best Brand

Winner: Ecover, Ocean Plastic Bottle L aunched in the summer of 2014, Ecover’s Ocean Plastic Bottle has already won several awards in recognition of its combination of a revolutionary sustainable packaging concept and tactile design, based on natural principles. The project saw cleaning pioneer Ecover join forces with Logoplaste Innovation Lab, which conceived the design and produced the washing-up liquid bottles made from ocean plastic waste.

The vision behind the package was to help turn the tide on the plastic waste polluting our seas and oceans, as well as creating the conditions for a systematic clean-up of the waste that’s already there. Current estimates state that one million sea birds and 100,000 sharks, turtles, dolphins and whales die every year from ingesting plastic. Fish in the middle depths of the Northern Pacific Ocean are ingesting as much as 24,000 tonnes of plastic each year - equivalent to 480 million two-litre plastic bottles, or the weight of 132 blue whales. Not only would a reduction of waste plastic in the ocean make for healthier fish and sea mammals, it would ultimately also reduce the levels of micro plastics in our food and drinks.

The Ocean Plastic Bottle, the first ever bottle made from waste plastic fished out of the ocean, is a small but potentially meaningful step to combat this grave problem. The bottle, containing Ecover washing-up liquid, is made entirely from recycled plastic, with 10 per cent of that plastic retrieved from the sea. In other words, we have an instance of packaging that seeks to invert the dynamic: packaging which removes waste from the sea instead of adding to it.

Beyond this powerful narrative, and given that any sustainable product will only succeed if it captures the imagination of consumers, Packaging Europe was also impressed by the coherence of the product and packaging design. The washing-up liquid itself has been developed with a special ‘sea lavender and eucalyptus’ fragrance – bringing the scent of the sea to consumers’ homes. Moreover, to emphasise the importance (and wonders) of our oceans, the design of the bottle was inspired by the skeleton structures of diatoms and | 32 | Packaging Europe

radiolarians. These are single celled organisms found in our oceans that are able to create extreme lightweight yet solid skeleton structures. By applying the same principles of that skeleton structure, Ecover was able to create an aesthetically pleasing plastic bottle that uses 15 per cent less plastic without losing mechanical capacity.

In 2014 Ecover used one ton of recovered ocean plastic in its packaging – with the aim of increasing volumes year on year. The brand owner is also exploring with project partners how to increase the amount of recyclable ocean plastic available for collection, for example through the use of additional sources such as beach clean ups. Another crucial area to study, according to Ecover, is the composition of the ‘plastic soup’ floating in our seas and oceans, to optimise the recycling process in the future.

Among awards claimed by the Ocean Plastic Bottle is the prestigious Red Dot Award: Communication Design 2014 for Packaging Design, one of the largest and most respected international design competitions. The bottle was chosen ahead of more than 7000 entries and the first prize was awarded at the ceremony in Berlin last autumn.

Visit: www.ecover.com

best brand

Packaging Europe | 33 |

Runner up: Coca-cola, Plantbottle™ U nveiled by The Coca-Cola Company in June 2015 at the World Expo in Milan, the latest iteration of its PlantBottle™ is the world’s first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant materials. In using groundbreaking technology to create a recyclable plastic bottle made from renewable plant materials, the brand owner can justifiably claim to have pushed the boundaries of sustainable innovation. Packaging Europe also recognises the importance of Coca-Cola, as a global market leader and one of the world’s most recognised brands, showing leadership in demonstrating the potential for sustainable innovation in packaging, even while we acknowledge that there is much work to be done before PlantBottle is distributed on a large scale.

PlantBottle is Coca-Cola’s vision to develop a more responsible plant-based alternative to packaging traditionally made from fossil fuels and other non-renewable materials. The packaging uses patented technology that converts natural sugars found in plants into the ingredients for making PET plastic bottles. The packaging looks, functions and recycles like traditional PET but has a lighter footprint on the planet and its scarce resources.

Nancy Quan, global research and development officer at The Coca-Cola Company, commented: “Today is a pioneering milestone within our Company’s packaging portfolio. Our vision was to maximise game-changing technology, using responsibly sourced plant-based materials to create the globe’s first fully recyclable PET plastic bottle made entirely from renewable materials. We are delighted to unveil the first bottles here at World Expo – a world-class exhibition where sustainable innovation is celebrated.”

The PlantBottle maintains the high quality package consumers expect but with the added benefit of being made from renewable materials. It can be used for a variety of packaging sizes and across water, sparkling, juice and tea beverage brands. Today, the company uses sugarcane and waste from the sugarcane manufacturing process to

create PlantBottle packaging. Both materials meet The Coca-Cola Company’s established sustainability criteria used to identify plant-based ingredients for PlantBottle material. These guiding principles include demonstrating improved environmental and social performance as well as avoiding negative impacts on food security.

Since the 2009 launch, The Coca-Cola Company has distributed more than 35 billion bottles in nearly 40 countries using its original version of PlantBottle, which is made from up to 30 per cent plant-based materials. It is estimated the use of PlantBottle packaging since launch has helped save the equivalent annual emissions of more than 315,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

The Coca-Cola Company plans to continue investment in PlantBottle technology, and to produce the 100 per cent plant-based version on a commercial scale.

Visit: www.coca-colacompany.com/plantbottle-technology

Runner up: REFLEX Project T he REFLEX project appears in our Sustainability Awards in recognition not of a particular innovation, but as an exemplary model of collaboration bringing brand owners and the packaging industry together to solve problems faster. The two-year REFLEX project, funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, aims to create a circular economy for flexible packaging – from confectionery wrappers to detergent pouches – by involving the whole supply chain, from polymer production and packaging manufacture to waste management and recycling.

Led by Axion Consulting, the innovative collaborative project involves the global brands Nestlé and Unilever in the drive to significantly improve the recyclability of flexible packaging and diverting more of it from landfill. In addition to the high-profile brand owners, the project involves major stakeholders across the value chain. These include serial collaborator the Dow Chemical Company, which has made its Pack Studios facility available to the project; the converters Amcor and Interflex; and waste management and recycling specialists Sita Holdings and Tomra Sorting.

Flexible packaging such as plastic bags, confectionery wrappers, frozen food bags and pouches makes up nearly a third (32 per cent) of consumer plastic packaging in the UK. However, virtually all of the 556,000 tonnes produced annually ends up in landfill. By contrast, 58 per cent of plastic bottles are recycled.

| 34 | Packaging Europe

“This project aims to remove the barriers preventing flexible packaging being recycled, thus enabling recyclers such as Axion and Sita to change the supply chain, create a circular economy in flexible packaging and divert it from landfill,” explained Axion director Roger Morton.

“To achieve this, innovative recyclable flexible package designs and materials are required, where all the materials used can be reprocessed together. Recycling these materials is still very technically and commercially challenging.”

The project will include innovative inks, new barrier polymers, novel packaging designs and a new automated sorting technique. With the backing of Nestlé and Unilever, two brand owners that see consumer value in offering recyclable packaging, industry-wide guidelines for recyclable packaging will be agreed and disseminated.

Each step of the process will be trialled during the project, thus demonstrating to the full supply chain that it is viable to create a circular economy in plastic flexible packaging.

Currently, recycling flexible film presents a number of challenges with low yields due to multi-layer barrier materials, difficulties in sorting it from bulk waste and high ink loadings that affect the final recycled product colour. Confusion among consumers over what exactly can be recycled is also a significant barrier to recovering more of these materials.

“Flexible plastic packaging represents a huge challenge to current recycling routes, because seemingly ‘simple’ packages, such as a biscuit wrapper, may incorporate several functional layers to deliver heat-sealable, oxygen barrier, metallised, printed and varnished packaging with high tear strength, good puncture resistance and minimum cost,” continued Mr Morton. “The complexity of these multi-layer films makes them virtually impossible to recycle by current methods because of the mix of polymer types and inks used.”

Research has started into how flexible packaging can be collected, sorted and then reprocessed into high-quality recycled plastic pellet suitable for use in the manufacture of a wide range of products. It is anticipated that the market will follow a similar model to that for plastic bottle recycling and take ten years to mature to a point at which more than 50 per cent of flexible packaging is diverted from the waste stream.

Visit: www.axionconsulting.co.uk

best brand

Packaging Europe | 35 |

Sustainability: The Crucial Question Phil Davidson, European Sustainability manager at HAVI Global Solutions, argues that a holistic approach to a product is essential to ensuring its packaging is truly sustainable.

S

ustainability is one of today’s most pressing issues around the globe and perhaps particularly for the packaging industry. While the implications are quite wide ranging, waste levels, cost savings and customer loyalty are a couple of the areas most directly impacted by sustainability agendas.

The progress that has been made in recent decades must not be disregarded. Since 2000 levels of recycling in the developed world have increased significantly, and the volume of waste being sent to landfills has reduced on a per capita basis. In addition, we are seeing the increasing use of new technology which is also making a great impact on the industry. Intelligent packaging now offers companies the opportunity to be notified when goods are spoilt or are out of date. In addition, new developments in coatings are playing a critical role in ensuring that food and drink packaging is as recyclable as possible.

Undisputed as these achievements are, there remains a significant amount of work to be done if companies are to truly answer the crucial question of sustainability. In essence, it is vital for organisations to look beyond short-term goals, assessing the waste streams at all levels of the product life cycle. While many companies are looking towards lighter| 36 | Packaging Europe

weight packaging as a means of improving sustainability credentials and saving on costs, it is important to remember the vital role which packaging plays in protecting and maintaining the product. The correct balance must be found if sustainability is not to be relegated as simply a means of enhancing profits. Yet achieving this balance is not easy, with a wealth of factors at play which must be taken into account.

Back to basics A first crucial step for companies when assessing their sustainability approach is to start from the very beginning, by examining precisely what components make up a product and its packaging. Many of today’s consumer goods have been reengineered to be manufactured from recyclable materials without any compromise to product integrity, safety, or aesthetic appeal. Simple as it may sound, maximising the use of recycled materials and minimising the creation of non-recyclable components has the most immediate and direct impact on waste streams.

Equally important is to establish which aspects of the packaging are essential, how much of it is required, and whether or not it can be made from recycled materials itself.

Organisations are continuing to find opportunities to reduce packaging and change its compositions. Yet, considering merely a reduction in packaging is a high-risk approach to take. Products can be broken and foods spoilt if they are not packaged appropriately. An unusable product can be just as big a contributor to the waste stream as the packaging itself.

The importance of audits Conducting an audit of the waste stream should form a staple part of any company’s approach to achieving higher levels of sustainability. With increasing environmental legislation, both at a European and national level, it is more important than ever that organisations determine precisely where waste is coming from and where it is going. This requires assessing every aspect of the supply chain- from the boxes and pallets from the suppliers, to the check-out carry bags that consumers take home.

An additional key outcome of the audit should be to ensure that all stakeholders are equally committed to the sustainability cause. It is possible for an individual organisation to be doing a great job of minimising waste, only to find that suppliers are contributing significantly to the waste stream in providing the raw materials required. A complete product lifecycle analysis ensures that issues which may previously have been out of sight are no longer hidden.

Educating the consumer In many ways, consumers today are more aware than ever before of their carbon footprint when purchasing goods. Governmental awareness campaigns, both at a local and national level, have helped significantly in ensuring people are aware of what can and cannot be recycled. Yet recyclable products continue to contribute to the waste stream. It is therefore crucial that companies seize all opportunities to display information on the product and packaging that makes it clear what elements can be recycled, and how this should be done. One innovative way to do this is through the use of logos that consumers can clearly recognise. As an additional benefit, logos such as these also enhance consumer’s perceptions of the ‘greeness’ of the brand, helping to drive customer loyalty.

Corporate Social Responsibility reports are an additional step companies can take in improving the way they interact with consumers and increase awareness of sustainability. As with the marketing of products, creativity is key. In-store posters and displays, information on product packaging and posts on social media can all be extremely effective methods for organisations to educate customers. The underlining message to highlight is how the actions of both the consumer and the company are making a difference.

Technological breakthroughs Alongside an increased awareness on the part of the consumer, we are also seeing much more sophisticated forms of technology in the packaging industry, which are helping to drive higher levels of sustainability. For example, some companies are making the transition from non-recyclable plastics such as polystyrene to recyclable PET and bio PET, taking them that one step further to achieving zero waste. Bio PET is an environmental and technological breakthrough that will allow companies to source plastic made from rapidly regenerating plants and agro-waste. Using bio PET is expected deliver stable and predictable pricing as production grows, and will ultimately be available to be sourced locally from Europe.

Similarly, some companies are also taking steps to remove the non-renewable coating material currently used in many carton board, cup and lightweight paper products, such as sandwich wraps. To replace this, developments are being made to create coatings that are both repulpable and compostable, ensuring that waste is reduced where possible at every level.

In summary, we are continuing to see a number of notable breakthroughs in the packaging industry when it comes to sustainability. Attitudes and approaches to this complex issue have changed significantly over recent years, thanks to increased legislation and enhanced consumer awareness. However, to fully expand in this area, companies must adopt a holistic approach which assesses the waste stream at every level to establish precisely what still needs to be done.

Packaging Europe | 37 |

Emerging Themes in the European Packaging Market Following an extended assignment this side of the Atlantic, Apurva Shah (North American market manager for Dow Chemical’s Food & Specialty Packaging Segment) shares his insights on the European packaging market from a US perspective.

AS

I buckled my belt on the flight from Houston to Zurich, I couldn’t stop thinking about what an exciting a time it is to be in our industry at the moment. Over the past six years, I’ve worked in Dow Chemical’s North American Packaging & Specialty Plastics business in a variety of sales and marketing roles and I currently serve as market manager for our Food & Specialty Packaging segment with commercial oversight for our North American Pack Studios - our innovation centre in Freeport, Texas.

For the last four months I have had the opportunity to work in our European headquarters in Horgen, Switzerland with the purpose of learning and experiencing the packaging industry in Europe with the end goal of enhancing the collaboration across the two regions in the wake of our next set of expansions. It didn’t hit me until I was in Moscow, four weeks into my trip, at an event we co-hosted with other industry partners – where I made a plea to our customers and industry partners to seize the moment. Very rarely do the stars align, like they do today in the packaging industry. Firstly, you have a consumer base that is demanding more innovative packaging to cater for their own unique lifestyles. Secondly, we see a converter base which is investing significantly to broaden their capability to meet the needs of more sophisticated packaging. Finally, there is a raw material base which is set to expand at an unprecedented rate to meet the current and future needs of the global packaging market.

There are three recurring themes that characterised my experience with the European packaging industry during these past few months and which will reshape the industry in the future. These are the globalisation of markets, the appetite for innovation, and the framework of collaboration. While in the short-term the fall of oil and weakness in the Euro has yielded opportunities for European plastic converters to profitably export to the Americas, I believe that this is only the spark for the further globalisation of the European packaging market. When you look at when the Euro and oil were last trading at similar levels, you have to look back to around 2003. When you pair favourable market conditions, the European converters’ disciplined approach to manufacturing, and advances in communications and technology, I believe these short-term export opportunities will turn into opportunities for more structural investment for European converters into the Americas.

The second recurring theme is the renewed appetite for innovation. We’ve traditionally viewed Europe as a market for our most tried and tested developments, but the combination of investment dollars into eastern Europe, employees from four different generations, and a modernisation of grocery and retail in eastern Europe, has fuelled a new and exciting drive for innovation. The most frequent topics for innovation are based around improved throughput and processability on extrusion equipment, peelable and resealable solutions, recyclabil| 38 | Packaging Europe

ity / sustainability, and high barrier. As a market manager, there is nothing more fulfilling than delivering developments which are relevant to the market and especially in eastern Europe. While in Europe, we frequently walked out of meetings with projects based around all of these themes. While I think it’s always critical to stay focused on what creates value, leveraging the entrepreneurial spirit of this generation while mentoring them in a structured environment can yield fruitful opportunities to stand out in new and existing markets.

The last recurring theme is the creation of a new framework for collaboration. Europe’s plastics industry is inherently a more fragmented market than the United States, due to the sheer diversity across the region, but that diversity and fragmentation has paved the wave for collaboration not only within companies but across the entire industry. We recently completed another wave of expansions for Pack Studios, and honestly, I must say it was just in time. The developing geographies of eastern Europe on average spend two thirds less on R&D compared to their western European counterparts and, as a result, rely on collaboration to drive innovation and differentiate themselves. From our perspective, this is a critical difference to the United States and western Europe, where converters tend to look at their raw material suppliers as an extension of their testing and analytical teams rather than drive collaboration and innovation.

As I return to the US, I’m anxious to see Europe transform through this wave of expansions and more specifically, how the region will be a change agent for the global market.

Packaging Europe | 39 |

Labels Meeting the Sustainability Challenge

By Mike Fairley, director of Strategic Development, Labels and Packaging Group, of Tarsus plc, organisers of the global Labelexpo shows.

T

he past decade has been one of quite significant evolution, change and challenge for the label industry – and for all the many packaging and brand end-user sectors that make use of labels each day for product decoration, marketing, distribution and traceability. Continuous development and innovation in label materials, technology and application, as well as the introduction of interactive label solutions, have all contributed to year-on-year above GDP growth for labels, and especially consolidating self-adhesive labels as the preferred and dominant label technology.

One of the most significant of all the technology changes has been the rapid rise of digital label printing – now some 30 per cent of all new self-adhesive press installations worldwide – which offers the benefits of producing short runs, personalisation, uniquely individual labels, multiple versions or variations, and new brand protection solutions. Digital has also contributed to the move towards more sustainable solutions by eliminating plates and platemaking materials, reducing set-up and run wastage, providing exact quantities, as well as offering efficiencies to end-user buyers.

However, it has been in the whole area of self-adhesive materials where the major environmental and sustainability challenges have had to be met. Nevertheless, whatever the type of label − self-adhesive, wet glue, sleeve, wrap-around, in-mould − they all make use of a paper, plastic, synthetic or other material to carry the printed image, which is subsequently applied to a wide variety of products or containers. Self-adhesive label materials though are made-up of a sandwich construction of a face material, adhesive and backing release liner – which has undoubtedly presented some of the most demanding challenges.

| 40 | Packaging Europe

This label substrate is one of the key elements that the end-user pays for and, not unnaturally with today’s global environmental pressures, has also been coming under increasing pressure to be seen as ‘greener’, more sustainable and easier to dispose of.

Worldwide, there is now a plethora of commendable initiatives − frequently backed by documented schemes and special on-pack or on-label logos − that the self-adhesive label converter can now sign up to: sustainable forest products, sustainable green printing, carbon footprint labelling, chain of custody certification, scorecard schemes, compostable packaging logos and more. All are taking the packaging and label industries forward into a much needed ‘greener’ future.

Some labels may also need to be recycled with the container, or maybe washed-off or removed at some time after application. Others labels perhaps need to be compostable or free of certain chemicals. The demands on label substrates seem to grow every day – both from the converter’s point of view and from the customer’s, and, increasingly, from the ultimate end-user, or one or more of the environmental pressure groups. National and international legislation also continues to put more pressure on disposal of waste from label production, matrix and liner.

Solutions for self-adhesive liner waste, for example, have grown rapidly, with schemes around the world that convert the backing waste into fuel pellets, into building and decking products, into paper hand towels that can be used with the dispensers found in hotel or aircraft washrooms. In Europe, paper liner waste is also being re-pulped into new paper and packaging materials.

Removal of self-adhesive labels has also long been a challenge during glass bottle recycling. Now, a new self-adhesive technology developed by Avery Dennison improves glass bottle recycling by enabling clean separation of label material from the glass, a technology already adopted by Heineken in France. In Japan, self-adhesive labelstock manufacturer Lintec is today using 80 per cent recycled PET content in its label face materials, using PET bottles as the raw material.

Another initiative is taking mixed plastic waste and converting it into durable, lightweight curbstones to replace concrete. As these, and other recycling initiatives continue to grow, the whole image and perception of self-adhesive liner and packaging waste is becoming far more positive and sustainable. All this work is essential for the future of label converting.

Today, the major label user organisations – the brand owners, retail groups, consumer products manufacturers, etc. – are regularly presenting their label suppliers with environment or sustainability assessment documents, with requirements for materials efficiency, for the use of responsibly sourced raw materials (made in an efficient, ethical and environmentally responsible way), for third-party certified (CoC) materials supply chains, transparency about where and how materials have been produced and on the handling and disposal of materials waste.

Put together, all these initiatives have already led to lighter and thinner label materials, to sustainably managed forest paper products, recycled content in label papers, chemical free label papers, biodegradable substrates, compostable label stocks, corn starch and other bio label films, down-gauging, recyclable grades, environmentally benign or recycling com-

patible adhesives, chain-of-custody certification and a whole host of label waste recovery, recyclable and re-processing solutions.

Outside of self-adhesive label sustainability and environmental initiatives, the shrink sleeve sector has also been introducing new initiatives. Sleever International for example, now offers a LDPET sleeve which permits 100 per cent recycling of sleeved containers while producing a completely pure recycled resin, a prerequisite for the manufacture of new containers.

Another approach now being offered for the recycling of full-wrap shrink sleeved PET containers is that developed by Sun Chemical Corporation and which uses a novel reversible adhesive for seaming. Here, the sleeve gets removed early in the recycling process and requires no process changes at the recycling facility.

As can be seen from the above examples and initiatives, the label industry is very adaptable and is quick to change and evolve to new challenges. The demands of new sustainability, environment, recycling and waste pressure of the past ten years have been quite intense, yet the world of labels has rapidly adapted to the new and changing demands. Even more label sustainability solutions can be expected at Labelexpo Europe in September.

There are still challenges to resolve and much development is still ongoing, yet selfadhesive and sleeve labels in particular are growing faster than ever as they solve ever more problems and create exciting new opportunities. They must be doing something right.

Long may this continue for a successful future for both producers and users of labels.

Labelexpo Europe takes place in Brussels on 29 September to 2 October 2015.

Packaging Europe | 41 |

| 42 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 43 |

EVENTS

FachPack 2015: Innovative and Popular P

ackaging Europe is proud to announce a close partnership with FachPack 2015, which will see an array of exciting content published over the coming months.

We begin looking ahead to the show and its anticipated highlights over the summer, with the launch of a dedicated microsite, featuring regular exhibition news, previews and commentary in the run-up to FachPack, as well as live reporting from Nürnberg at the end of September. The September issue of Packaging Europe magazine is our special FachPack edition, consisting of an extended guide to the show, its programme of events, practical information, maps and commentary on the key industry trends that will be on display.

Packaging Europe will also share a behind-the-scenes look at some of the exhibits, product launches and innovations that we predict will be a hit among the visiting professionals.

FachPack is one of the most significant European trade fairs covering all aspects of the packaging theme. And it is extremely popular: from 29 September to 1 October the exhibition in Nuremberg will be entering its next round and is currently experiencing a run on exhibitor places (2013: 1,439 exhibitors). In addition, young, innovative companies from Germany will be provided with the opportunity to present themselves to the visitors at the fair for the first time in a pavilion. Also innovative and well-frequented: the diverse support programme.

Director of Exhibitions, Heike Slotta, is looking ahead to autumn with extreme optimism: “This year FachPack will be completely booked! I can already say that based on today’s registration figures.” The expected total of 37,000 trade visitors will thus be spoilt for choice. Around 1,500 exhibitors are presenting their products and services from the areas of packaging, technology, finishing and logistics. The focus of this year’s event: the “Marking & labelling” theme, which runs through the visit to the fair like a common thread: the exhibitors, special presentations, forum presentations etc.

| 44 | Packaging Europe

Young, innovative companies take note The personal contact with customers, interested parties, sector experts, but also competitors makes participation at a trade fair such as FachPack a success. Young companies presenting innovative products or services should really seize this opportunity.

Under certain terms and conditions, they can receive sponsorship from the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, BMWi) for their trade fair participation. At the last FachPack around 20 companies benefited from this facility. Once again, in 2015, the participation will be supported by up to 7,500 Euro in funding or 70 percent of participation costs met. Companies will be sponsored, who: • are active in one of the packaging sector areas: packaging materials and packaging, packaging machines, logistics, printing or services covering all aspects of the packaging theme, • offer products/services, which are innovative or which at least represent a key improvement in standards, • have their head offices and business operations in the Federal Republic of Germany, • comply with the respective valid EU definition of a small company (less than 50 employees and an annual balance sheet total or turnover of a maximum 10 m Euro) • not older than 10 years.

A diverse support programme The start to the fair could not be more colourful: the keynote speaker at the opening is Karim Rashid, a “Popstar in the design world”. The packaging designer, who has won a whole series of awards, including the Red Dot Award: Communication Design in 2013, will be focusing attention on the creativity and innovative strength of the sector and generating impulses for the following days of the fair. The diversity of the special themes invites visitors and exhibitors to take a look beyond their own horizons and get inspired through contacts, discussions, lectures and presentations etc.

In this context, the PackBox Forum is thus once again presenting a diverse mixture of themes ranging from Smart Labelling through to innovative concepts in machines, logistics, printing and design right up to young, up-and-coming talent and careers. For the first time, within the framework of the central “Marking & labelling” theme, small and medium-sized companies will be presenting themselves in a pavilion organised by the Verband der Hersteller selbstklebender Etiketten (Association of Self-adhesive Label Manufacturers, VskE).

Packaging Europe’s special FachPack edition will be distributed to all print and digital subscribers, in addition to being distributed at FachPack itself both at the international media area and to every exhibitor. Our FachPack guide will also be accessible free of charge to all readers as a downloadable and smart-phone-friendly electronic guide designed to help visitors plan their trip to Nürnberg and, once there, navigate their way around the most important exhibits.

For more information on the exhibition visit www.fachpack.de, or to receive or be featured in Packaging Europe’s FachPack guide, email ts@packagingeurope.com.

Diary FachPack

Date: 29 September - 1 October Visit: www.fachpack.de

Labelexpo Europe

Date: 29 September - 2 October Visit: www.labelexpo-europe.com

PPMA Show

Date: 29 September - 1 October Visit: www.ppmashow.co.uk

Scanpack

Date: 20 - 23 October Visit: www.scanpack.se

Venue: Nürnberg, Germany

Venue: Brussels, Belgium

Venue: Birmingham, UK

Venue: Göteborg, Sweden

Smithers Pira Packaging Forum Date: 2 - 3 November Visit: www.pack-forum.com

Venue: London, UK

Plastic Caps & Closures

Date: 4 - 5 November Venue: Nice, France Visit: www.plasticscapsandclosures.com

10th European Bioplastics Conference Date: 5 - 6 November Venue: Berlin, Germany Visit: www.european-bioplastics.org/conference

Plastics Recycling Show Europe

WPO Announces WorldStar 2015 Winners

Date: 25 - 26 November Visit: www.prseventeurope.com

Venue: Brussels, Belgium

T

his May entrants of the WorldStar Awards gathered at IPACK-IMA for the ultimate packaging awards ceremony. The 2015 round of the WorldStars, the most important packaging award in the world, organised by WPO (World Packaging Organisation), brought in 264 entries from 37 countries. Judged in Colombo, Sri Lanka, there were 148 winners from 33 countries; 84 of those winners attended the ceremony to collect their awards.

The project Locked4KidsBV celebrated winning Gold in the President’s Award, one of the prestigious special awards. The winning pack, Locked4Kids Child Resistant Carton Box

by Ecobliss, is the World’s first child resistant carton certified against both ISO/EN 8317 and US 16 CRF 1700.20 standard.

Grands Moulins d’Israel/Studio Batshi won Gold in the Marketing Award category for their series of retro style flour packaging. In the Sustainability Award, the Del Valle Reserva in Tetra Prisma® Aseptic 1000, which replaced conventional polyethylene layers with low density polyethylene from renewable materials, took the Gold Award – the packaging industry’s first in a carton.

Following the awards presentations, attendees continued the celebrations in a cocktail and networking reception. Tom Schneider, president of WPO, said, “When you win a WorldStar Award you become part of a bigger process and part of pushing the envelope of packaging and that’s what we need to make packaging more valuable to people.

Better quality of life for more people through better packaging is the World Packaging Organisation’s moto. The WorldStar Awards embody that concept.”

When asked about the standard of this year’s entrants, Schneider remarked: “It seems that the quality and creativeness of the entries become more interesting and sophisticated every year.”

Packaging Europe | 45 |

Efficiency Deficiencies To operate profitably and push service levels above those of competitors in a drive for growth, logistics businesses have to maximise efficiencies across their operations. Driving efficiencies into supply chains is an unrelenting battle facing logistics professionals on a daily basis. Where speed and productivity buckle, a business haemorrhages profits and loses competitive edge. Jim Barker, European Packaging Application Centre manager for the global leader in protective packaging Sealed Air, discusses these stresses and strains on the sector, and how packaging can offer relief at some of the most crucial pressure points within business and through the supply chain.

The marketplace “Globalisation has resulted in the tremendous growth of international trade over the past several decades, and the logistics sector has coped well with that continual growth in demand.

But as developing economies boom and trading expands globally, and as e-commerce starts to out-perform store retailing, the need for logistics services increases exponentially.

As businesses seek to out-run the competition themselves, they are turning to their logistics operations to give them the edge. Just in the last two years, lead times for a whole swathe of operators have been reduced from two to three days to less than 24 hours.

Stability in the marketplace is no more.

Often the improvements in infrastructure and working practices of logistics operators do not match the growth in demand faced. This not only places pressure on logistics professionals to rid their business of deficiencies, but also to push processes once deemed efficient to an even more productive point.

Due to the market becoming commoditised, packaging is one such efficiency that is consistently overlooked. It can act as a stimulant throughout the supply chain to boost productivity and offer a competitive edge.

Space efficiency Reduced transit and storage space and costs, a reduced packaging inventory, and more room for and accessibility to stock are all benefits of space efficient packaging solutions. It is crucial that businesses minimise packaging whilst maximising protection. For example, specialised packaging foams can expand on site up to 200 times their liquid volume, allowing our customers to benefit considerably from reduced inventory, space and also requiring less handling than other more traditional packaging materials. There is a big move to this just-in-time packaging across the logistics sector because the market is demanding it. | 46 | Packaging Europe

Alongside this, consolidation is often enhanced using suspension and retention packaging which uses its unique flexibility to pack many shapes and sizes. It’s reusable for return shipments minimising waste at both ends of the distribution cycle. Because of the demand, we have recently introduced a new Korrvu® design, Korrvu® Lok™ – a solution specifically aimed at e-commerce sector.

Process efficiency Packaging line speed is crucial. Identifying bottlenecks on the line such as labelling; leaflet insertion; sizing; end-of-line processes and packaging material choices all contribute to the individual line speed and can be improved through the correct packaging solutions.

Consider reducing the bottleneck with packing line automation, also, by rethinking your conveyors, such as multi-lane or helical conveyors. Many of our inflatable packaging systems integrate with conveyors and packing lines to optimise flow and speed.

Resource efficiency Shrink films can cause unnecessary downtime and energy expenditure. Many in the industry are still using 15-20 micron shrink films - Sealed Air’s micro-layer CT films can now be supplied at just 9-11 microns. More metres on a roll will see them last longer on the line, reducing the required scheduled down time for switching rolls, with the ultimate impact being more products packaged per day. There is also a green impact, with energy savings due to the higher volume capabilities.

Whilst the current environment isn’t conducive to analysis of where the pressure points are in a supply chain, it’s crucial these are assessed now. Audits will often show that small total expenditure costs such as packaging can have a significant impact on efficiency, productivity and profitability.”

Supply Chain Innovation At a time when packaging manufacturers need to keep costs down and reduce their impact on the environment, a spotlight is being shone on those innovations that can increase economic viability and long-term sustainability in the supply chain. Liam Maguire, logistics and supply chain director at Encirc takes a look at the ways manufacturing companies can make this a reality.

IT

goes without saying that without a comprehensive logistics offering, the route to market for many packaging manufacturers, suppliers and third parties would be fraught. To make sure the supply chain is sustainable, efficient and cost effective, however, requires continued improvements and consideration of each element, which often results in the need for it to be shortened.

Shortening the chain Inevitably, the focus often falls on reducing the amount of road movements to reduce cost and carbon. If loads are half-full or empty on return legs then costs, both financial and environmental, will likely run high. One way to counteract this is to consolidate deliveries by loading products from a number of suppliers onto one vehicle, or rerouting vehicles on return routes to collect raw materials or supplies.

What’s more, if goods are being stored miles from the destination then investing in on-site warehousing solutions would be advisable. This can ensure the maximum return on investment and limit the number of heavy goods vehicles needed.

Having fewer vehicles on the road in a shorter supply chain means that vast amounts of carbon can be saved each year, which is the most viable option at the bottom line for companies. This reduces the environmental impact of excessive transport and makes considerable sense for any business wishing to demonstrate sustainable practices in action.

Real-time monitoring The global economy operates in real-time, so for the supply chain to be proficient, have a significant competitive advantage and contribute to companies’ sustainability credentials, it’s imperative for manufacturers to tap into the real-time information available at their disposal.

Technological innovations have enabled packaging manufacturers to react to real-time information with relative ease. Systems, such as business intelligence platforms (BIP),

increase efficiency and sustainability by quantifying data to facilitate the transport of goods and streamline the process.

Vehicle capacity, communication and planning can be managed on a global level from a single BIP dashboard. This can help manufacturers to manage and monitor everything centrally, while analysing information to add the most value in the supply chain. Effectively, data can be turned into decision-making material to bring short and long-term improvements to efficiency to fruition.

Managing relationships Achieving sustainability on a global level isn’t as simple as making sustainable products. As much as 70 per cent of product sustainability comes from suppliers, so the responsibility lies with manufacturers to make sure those end products meet their own strict environmental requirements.

To do this, business expectations and relationships need to be managed carefully throughout the supply chain. Manufacturers should map the journey from supplier to consumer carefully and only engage with companies that align with their own values.

Wherever possible, transparency is a valuable asset. Finding a middle ground that meets the needs of both manufacturer and supplier is reliant on clear information being exchanged. This can then help to create a business network that operates responsibly and encourages innovation where necessary.

Packaging manufacturers that use intelligent data to make informed decisions about supplier relationships will build a supply chain with the ability to evolve in the ever-changing global market and meet complex business needs.

In all, manufacturers need to constantly evaluate their supply chains to ensure they meet these goals as well as their customers’ needs. The key is to continually assess what is expected of supply chains of the future and ascertain how this works in practice. Only then will advancements be made.

Packaging Europe | 47 |

Navigating the Way to Structural Packaging Innovation In Greek mythology, Scylla is a six-headed sea monster that eats sailors who sail too close. Charybdis is a whirlpool capable of swallowing your ship whole. The only problem is, you have to sail right between Scylla and Charybdis to discover what’s beyond – according to Tim James, senior director of Structural Packaging and Innovation, Anthem.

Henry Fuseli, Odysseus in front of Scylla and Charybdis

G

etting to a new place with your packaging can be a lot like that. On one side, if your new package doesn’t retain the identity and appeal of the old one – plus meaningful advantages – unhappy consumers can bite you. On the other side, if manufacturers can’t or won’t retool to produce it, your new package could be sunk before it even reaches the shelf.

| 48 | Packaging Europe

Some brands try to chart a safe course, avoiding any risk. They’re unlikely to get any further than they’ve already come. Other brands brave the journey of structural innovation, only to be done in by entrenched consumers or manufacturers.

Heroic brands find a way through to the future.

Making flexibility an advantage The most notable innovation in packaging over the last ten years has been the rise of flexible solutions across a wide variety of product categories. Flexible pouches can lower material requirements and reduce energy, printing, transportation, warehousing and other costs. They can shrink the brand’s environmental footprint. And they can help brands go to market faster.

But what happens to the brand equity you’ve built into a rigid bottle – that iconic shape, its familiar usability, the feeling that it belongs there, on the store shelf and in the shopper’s home?

The label alone should never be your brand’s sole differentiator. When a packaging innovation takes away a familiar shape for your brand, it has to give something back that engages your consumers even more than before – an instantly recognisable advantage that’s desirable and proprietary.

A classic example of this is baby food. When mothers saw the familiar glass jar replaced by flexible pouches in the store, they immediately realised the advantages of a package that’s safer, easier to carry, less messy, and even more enjoyable for baby. For the purpose of feeding babies, the new flexible package was inherently more attractive to shoppers than the old glass jar.

But what about another product category, where the advantages of flexible packaging may not be so obvious? How do you bring a radical change to the shelf without getting bitten by shoppers who identify strongly with your old package?

Bringing consumers into the design process Ideally, shoppers should recognise your brand in-store, immediately understand the functional benefits of your new package, try it, and never miss the old bottle when they realise how much better your new pouch fits their lives. To make sure that happens, you need to get actual consumers involved as early as possible in the product development process.

For example, we recently undertook a design exercise for bringing flexible packaging to hand soaps, shower gels and other personal care products. The goal was to design a stand-up pouch that would benefit a well-known brand by lowering material and production costs while enabling easier recyclability. However, it could only succeed by appealing to consumers.

We had to make the package easier to use while giving it a form that is instantly recognisable both for its beauty and functional advantages – enabling it to become the next iconic expression of the brand’s values and equities.

We sketched many pouch concepts – a handle for hanging, a shower-stall suction cup, a headstand pouch that dispenses from the base, a ‘bag in a bottle’ concept with a rigid shell that accepts refill pouches, and many more. We also sketched many closures – snap-off, twist-off, pull-out, flip-up, and others. To evaluate these ideas, we turned to actual users as early as possible in the design process.

That meant assembling pouches, 3D-printing closures and other parts, and getting fully functional prototypes into the hands of consumer/testers. Within two or three weeks of the project kick-off, we already had real-world consumers evaluating our first five working prototypes.

point of this iterative design/prototype/test process is to fail quickly and fail as often as necessary – so you can keep moving on toward the one design everyone loves to use and wants to take home.

Consumers can also help you understand how to reveal brand meaning through packaging structure. For example, while testing the ‘bag-in-a-bottle’ prototype with its rigid holder, one woman remarked that she wouldn’t be particularly interested – but her husband would love something like that. He could just throw it in his bag and take it to the gym without worrying about it. Plus it had a masculine look and feel.

Through that tester’s observations, a design that had been created as a functional exercise revealed its true meaning in its inherent appeal for men.

Getting manufacturers on board Engaging consumers flawlessly is only half the challenge. You also need to bring manufacturers a package design they can actually produce – without inordinate capital expense or disruption to their current production lines.

Just as important as iterative prototyping and consumer testing, you should be auditing manufacturers. By speaking with OEMs and analysing production facilities, your goal is to learn all the details of the existing production setup, then determine what new investments and changes will be required to manufacture your proposed package.

Some projects may require the new package to be produced on existing manufacturing lines, with minimal modification. Such a limitation can be challenging, but it doesn’t mean you can’t innovate. Instead, it’s something you need to know up-front in order to avoid taking your design down impractical paths.

Whatever the project’s constraints, you need to continually validate each design iteration against what’s practical to manufacture.

Setting sail Don’t be afraid of your customers. They are not a six-headed monster. Let them help you.

Don’t be afraid of your manufacturer. They’re not an unalterable whirlpool. Get in there and see if you can change the manufacturing flow just enough to make a difference for your brand.

Brand change always involves risk, but the bigger risk is not changing. To discover your structural packaging innovation, with confidence, get everyone on board and set sail.

Failing faster and better When you observe consumers using prototypes the same way they’d use the product at home, you can quickly see where you’re missing the mark, develop new prototypes, and test again. You can identify risks and chart a better course. Rinse and repeat until you have a flexible package people are excited about using, with no reservations.

For example, we developed a prototype that seemed very elegant, with a simple and beautiful twist-off closure. Expectations ran high, until a tester pointed out something that should have been obvious: “The cap is going to get dropped in the shower and go down the drain.”

Far from disappointed, the team went eagerly back to their sketches, CAD renderings and 3D printers to create an elegant, integrated closure that is easier to use. The whole Packaging Europe | 49 |

Creative Communication Tips to Help Drive Sales It is a fact that good packaging design drives sales. Packaging is the face of your brand, your on-shelf advertising and, if well considered, provides standout on a crowded retail shelf. In practical terms, packaging assists consumers in identifying your brand whilst informing them of your product’s ingredients or contents. From an emotional perspective it intends to engage and make your product as attention grabbing and desirable as possible – writes Adrian Whitefoord, co-Partner of design consultancy Pemberton & Whitefoord.

S

tartlingly, a pack in the retail environment has a 2.6 second timeframe in which to impress the consumer. Packaging that is not sufficiently eye-catching is commonly shunned. Therefore, it is fundamental that the visual impact of your packaging is potent, however it is not enough to just produce something that looks appealing; it must also fulfill it’s duty of communicating key information to the consumer through well considered pack architecture.

Having thirty years design industry experience and insight, I have gained extensive knowledge and understanding of the visual factors one must consider when generating effective packaging communication.

“Design is thinking made visual” (Saul Bass) Humans are highly influenced by visual stimulus. Research has proven that 90 per cent of information transmitted to the brain is visual and those visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text. This must be given due consideration. Your packaging must be visually exciting, and importantly, memorable yet it must also be suitably informative. This requires a delicate equilibrium of creativity, pragmatism and logic.

“Colours must fit together as pieces in a puzzle or cogs in a wheel” (Hans Hofman) A recent study of the world’s top 100 brands (by brand value) saw that 95 per cent use only one or two colours in their logo design. Prime examples are: Coca-Cola’s iconic red and white, Tiffany’s robin egg blue and Cadbury’s trademark purple. Interestingly, many of these brands are so visually recognisable that consumers are able to identify them entirely through their colour signatures.

| 50 | Packaging Europe

It has been determined that 80 per cent of the visual information we absorb is related to colour, and that 60-80 per cent of a consumer’s purchasing decisions are influenced by it, with logo colours often the first thing a consumer perceives. Colour can make or break consumer-purchasing decisions, sending out positive or negative cues, so it is essential to choose the right one(s) to ensure empathy with your product’s values.

The colour red (Virgin, Levi’s and Marlboro) evokes passion, is attention grabbing, energetic and provocative. Contrastingly, blue (Dell, Samsung and Gillette), is a prevalent choice for brands who wish to evoke dependability and trustworthiness.

Think vigilantly about colour connotations as they can create flavor and performance expectations. Consumers often associate the colour of wrapper with the colour of the product, which is why blue is not common on food packaging. Colour can instantaneously communicate your product’s values so it is vital to get right.

“Honesty is the best policy” (Benjamin Franklin) Be clear and concise and keep your design uncluttered. If your packaging is flooded with messages, call-outs, wild fonts and outlandish graphics how can you expect consumers to comprehend what your product is offering? Less is often more.

Ensure your message is candid and clear; is your product healthy because it is providing something (high in Omega 3) or because it is removing something (low salt)? It is incredibly importantly not to mislead or misinform your consumer; you should understand the legal implications of doing so and the damaging effect it will have on your products credibility and ultimately, sales. Spurious claims aggravate consumers and brand loyalty can be lost forever.

This example is a favourite of mine because it indisputably indicates how influenced consumers are by packaging. Kraft’s rebrand of the cereal Shreddies in 2008 to Diamond Shreddies was an unprecedented success; sales soared 18 per cent in just one month.

The genius was that no alterations were made to the recipe, texture or structure of the cereal; it was achieved entirely through the packaging. Consumers genuinely believed they ‘tasted’ the difference (of the 45 degree rotation!). What was initially a spoof became a successful campaign. I certainly do not advocate customer deception (in fact, quite the opposite) but it does illustrate the significance of packaging communication and how influential and powerful it can be.

to the tech-savvy Millennial market. If this is your product’s demographic, my advice would be that by utilising digital technology, you could create a pleasing USP and your product would stand out (physically and figuratively) from the crowd.

Digitally interactive packaging is becoming increasingly widespread but at this stage, is still a point of difference so is worth considering within your overall business approach.

Jump on the bandwagon now and you could be one step ahead of your competitors and ready for the next innovation.

“Typography is the craft of endowing human language with a durable visual form” (Robert Bringhurst) Typefaces have unique personalities and it is important to select them appropriately.

Fonts influence the consumer consciously and subconsciously; in fact, we are all subject to the allure of typography, often without direct recognition.

When selecting a typeface, it is vital to contemplate the direct and indirect impact it will have on your consumer; the wrong choice could influence your consumer negatively. If your chosen font looks out-dated, ostentatious, boring or just does not match your product’s values, your packaging will simply not impress. This can be a challenging but rewarding aspect of your design armoury.

An example of a typographic ‘hiccup’ was Tropicana’s restyling of its classic font with the intention of creating a more contemporary persona. Sales plummeted an enormous 20 per cent in two months; subsequently they swiftly reverted back to their original lettering. Even giant companies don’t get it right every time!

“Create your own visual style…let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others” (Orson Welles)

“In trying to please all, he had pleased none” (Aesop) If you try to gain everyone’s approval, you risk gaining nobody’s. You should meticulously consider your product’s target consumer to make sure your packaging appropriately appeals (and that call-outs ‘talk’) to your identified demographic.

If your product is aimed at allergen sufferers, you need to be crystal clear precisely what your product is free from (in order of importance if more than one allergen has been removed). Supposing your product is a gluten, dairy free bread, you should ensure your primary message is that your product is free of gluten; consumers interested in purchasing ‘free from’ bread will be looking, primarily, for this information. Likewise, if your product has ‘added’ ingredients (such as vitamin D, protein or iron) make sure you clearly communicate that.

This advice may seem agonisingly obvious but I have witnessed countless companies fail to consider their demographics’ primary requirements resulting in products reaching the market, but failing due to lack of impression and engagement.

“Dream, diversity and never miss an angle” (Walt Disney) Consider how digital communication could enhance your packaging and engage your consumer. A QR code revealing a YouTube tutorial incorporating your product into a recipe an entertaining augmented reality feature (fundamentally, an advert) would particularly appeal

Be conscious of other brands in your sector, but do not simply follow; carve your own path.

It is important to identify and analyse their pros and cons and learn from their mistakes.

Can your packaging better communicate its values? Can you create a GDA structure that is easier to understand? Can you create a unique identity that your competitors have not conceived? Can your product appeal to your consumer better by using sustainably sourced packaging materials (and shouting about it)?

Take inspiration from anywhere and everywhere. Use a wide variety of resources when conceptualising your packaging; comb the Internet, go into stores you don’t typically visit, read packaging and design books, look at past design award winners (Cannes Lions, DBA Design Effectiveness Awards and Mobius are prestigious design industry awards), attend exhibitions, galleries and university shows and utilise professionals.

“Teamwork makes the dream work” (John Maxwell) Engaging with design experts can benefit and aid you in achieving your desired goal. Their years of industry involvement are invaluable. Designing fantastic, informative, standout packaging is no easy feat. Working with a design consultancy will guide you to making the right decisions, they will best know what will and will not work.

Make sure you find the right creative partner though. The process should be collaborative, a merging of your and their opinions and ideas, a symbiotic relationship. Some agencies can get carried away and the process may become unbalanced. Don’t be overpowered; after all it is your product!

Packaging Europe | 51 |

Gore and Miele Improve Sustainability and the Consumer Experience Together, Gore and Miele have teamed up to make the laundry experience more effective and more convenient for the customer, and more environmentally sustainable for everyone.

“O

ur partner Miele launched an innovative system of dosing detergents automatically and perfectly,” says Peter Hils, W. L. Gore & Associates. “The end user just inserts the detergent containers, and the machine will run for 27 loads without needing further detergent refills.”

This innovative dispensing system, known as TwinDos, can save users up to 30 per cent in detergent consumption, significantly reducing the amount of chemicals and surfactants entering wastewater systems, while actually improving the cleanliness of the laundry, and convenience to the end-user.

Miele realised that for TwinDos to succeed, it must perform with precision and reliability, every time, over time. To obtain that level of reliability, they partnered with GORE® Packaging Vents.

“Our premium laundry systems operate much more sustainably due to sophisticated electronic control systems that monitor and optimise everything from water and energy use to detergent use. In the case of our TwinDos dosing system, we knew it was critical to effectively vent the dispensing containers,” says Mrs. Maria-Paz Linaje, product manager of Miele. “This is due to the challenges inherent in the laundry environment itself.”

First, today’s more effective cleaning agents use more concentrated formulations, which in itself contributes to sustainability. But these products, especially bleaches and stain removers, create significant off-gassing, which causes pressure build-ups within the dosing container. Pressure differentials can also arise due to the vast temperature swings, from hot to cold washes. In both cases, these pressure imbalances must be quickly equalised, before they cause the dispensing containers to deform and potentially leak.

GORE® Packaging Vents add convenience, precision and efficiency to Miele’s laundry detergent dispensing.

Gore has developed many venting technologies that maintain packaging integrity for household and industrial chemicals and cleaners, as well as agricultural chemicals.

Their expertise yielded a prompt and effective solution to the challenges Miele faced: the GORE® Packaging Vent D15. Its continuous bidirectional airflow rapidly equalised pressures, even when tested under the most rigorous conditions. The vent, featuring press-fit construction, was easily integrated into Miele’s automated manufacturing process, and provided a highly-reliable seal to the dosing container, so there was no chance of the cleaning agents leaking out.

| 52 | Packaging Europe

In addition, the vent’s GORE™ Membrane reliably protects the containers against ingress of liquids and other contaminants, including the dust and lint that is part of every home laundry environment.

“We knew that venting our laundry dispensing containers was the key to maintain Miele’s premium-level precision, performance and efficiency over time,” says MariaPaz Linaje. “We knew that Gore had the venting technology and expertise to deliver the optimal solution for our application.”

“What makes this especially exciting is that you can see the GORE® Packaging Vents as part of the sustainability concept, and you can also see their practical application in the day-to-day performance of the TwinDos packaging,” said Helmut Klug, Gore.

About W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. Gore is a technology-driven company focused on discovery and product innovation.

Well known for waterproof, breathable GORE-TEX® fabric, the company’s portfolio includes everything from high-performance fabrics and implantable medical devices to industrial manufacturing components and aerospace electronics. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Newark, Delaware, Gore employs approximately 10,000 associates in 30 countries worldwide.

Visit: www.gore.com

Packaging Europe | 53 |

| 54 | Packaging Europe

Added value through global plastics expertise In October 2014, BIO-FED was founded with the acquisition of the bioplastics division of a US-based biotechnology company.

BIO-FED produces and markets biobased and/or biodegradable plastics under the brand name mvera®. As a branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH, BIO-FED is a member of the international Feddersen Group, which is headquartered in Hamburg.

T

he Feddersen Group has its origins in K.D. Feddersen & Co., a trade firm for chemical products founded in 1949 by businessman and Hamburg native Karl Detlef Feddersen. The divisions in the Group focus on trade in chemicals and engineered products worldwide, representing renowned companies in the chemical, investment and consumer goods industries with their own branch offices in Europe and throughout the world. In addition to export trade, the alliance today is engaged in the worldwide distribution and production of plastics, the stainless steel trade and machine manufacturing.

The BIO-FED team, consisting of plastics specialists with years of experience, is ready to serve you at the company’s headquarters at BioCampus Cologne. As experts in developing, compounding and marketing biobased and/or biodegradable plastics, we provide customized technical solutions developed specifically for your application.

Our mvera® products are produced at AKRO-PLASTIC in Niederzissen (Germany).

AKRO-PLASTIC is one of just a few compounders to operate a test lab certified to DIN EN ISO 17025 by the Deutscher Akkreditierungsrat (German Accreditation Council).

Additional relevant test methods for biocompounds are available at AF-COLOR, another branch of AKRO-PLASTIC, headquartered in Niederzissen.

Taking responsibility The goal of our research and development work is to incorporate trends and new ideas to best satisfy your needs. At BIO-FED, we combine the latest developments from the markets with decades-long experience to create innovative products. Our partnerships with other divisions in the Feddersen Group and our use of a global distribution network allows us to offer our customers global service, providing them with added value. We operate four production sites on three continents with access to the major sales markets.

K.D. Feddersen Holding GmbH is the sole proprietor of all divisions in the Feddersen Group. Their sole shareholder, the non-profit K.D. Feddersen Foundation, operates an assisted-living facility in Hamburg. Our profits go primarily towards supporting the work of the Foundation – true to the motto of our company’s founder, Karl Detlef Feddersen: “Acting on behalf of people – acting through global trade”.

Ideas lead to applications Currently our products are well-established in a number of applications and can be used in various processing methods. Below are some examples of different areas of application.

All products can be colored individually.

Film applications • • • • • •

Shopping bags Biowaste bags Dog waste bags Agricultural films Food packaging Labels, such as for fruit

Injection moulding applications • • • • •

Agricultural applications such as flower pots, cable ties and plant ties Food and cosmetics packaging Caps and closures Toys Drinking glasses, disposable cutlery and dishes

Biomasterbatches (EN 13432 certified) • • • •

Color and carbon black masterbatches Additive masterbatches Scent odour masterbatches, e.g. lemon Odour absorbers We provide technical service and on-site support for machine setup and production.

We can supply color and additive masterbatches based on biopolymer carriers in partnership with AF-COLOR. Our products are certified in compliance with “OK compost”, “OK compost HOME” and “OK biodegradable SOIL”, for example.

BIO-FED has a comprehensive quality management system based on a legally robust organization. Our AKRO-PLASTIC production site with a capacity of about 100.000 tons is certified to the following standards: • AKRO Excellence (Integrated Management System) • DIN EN ISO 9001:2008 (Quality Management System) • ISO/TS 16949:2009 (Quality Management in the Automotive Industry) • DIN EN ISO 14001:2005 (Environmental Management System) • DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005 (Accredited Laboratory) • ISO 50001:2011 (Energy Management System) • BS OSHAS 18001:2007 (Workers’ Protection Management System) Visit: www.bio-fed.com

Packaging Europe | 55 |

Headquarters of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH in Niederzissen, Germany.

Sonoco and Weidenhammer.

An Uncanny Combination.

175 years of experience, 21,000 employees, 340 locations, two companies, one mission; to use rigid paper packaging to develop uncanny solutions for customers around the world. In late 2014, Weidenhammer Packaging, headquartered in Hockenheim, Germany joined forces with Sonoco Products Company, a $5 Billion global packaging company based in Hartsville, SC, USA to form the world leader in rigid paper containers, or as some call them, composite cans. As Europe’s leading provider of composite cans, along with composite drums and rigid plastic containers, Weidenhammer, with approximately 1,100 employees and 13 production facilities throughout Europe and South America, helped to expand Sonoco’s geographic and technological footprint. | 56 | Packaging Europe

C

ommenting on the acquisition, M. Jack Sanders, Sonoco CEO, said, “Combining Weidenhammer’s state-of-the-art production and technological capability places Sonoco in a leading position to provide its global consumer product customers with unparalleled packaging expertise throughout North America and Europe, and creates a strong presence in the emerging markets of Southeast Asia, China, Eastern Europe and South America.”

Already a strong global player in rigid paper packaging, Sonoco saw exceptional value in the intellectual capital, engineering and production capabilities of Weidenhammer. By bringing the two companies together, they are able to offer customers a literal “end-toend” solution when it comes to rigid paper packaging because they are able to produce every element involved in making a high performing composite can. Additionally, Weidenhammer helps broaden the Sonoco packaging portfolio in the area of technologically advanced plastic packaging.

The acquisition not only expands the global footprint of the Sonoco, but it also introduces a further evolution of the composite can itself. The primary new technologies that

will be offered around the world include shaped or non-round can production capability, recessed membranes and paper bottoms.

The application of unique, non-round technology allows for the production of shapes ranging from oval to square to rectangles. The new shaped composite cans really stand out on the shelf and capture consumer attention at the point of sale. With the addition of Weidenhammer’s capabilities in barrier injection molding, specifically barrier in-mold labeling, the combined company is able to offer another high-performance packaging format that can disrupt the retail shelf.

And with a retail market more challenging than ever, products have to stand out from the crowd. Over the past 29 years, the average supermarket has gone from carrying 9,000 products to nearly 47,000 products. Additionally, the average consumer is exposed to over 1,000 advertising messages each day. Well-designed packaging is a brand manager’s greatest tool to engage the overwhelmed consumer. As we all know packaging should be much more than just a container for a product.

Packaging Europe | 57 |

• • • •

It must also: Attract attention on crowded shelves Deliver a positive brand experience to encourage repeat purchases Protect the integrity of the product And ideally, it should be cost efficient, lightweight and eco-friendly

The composite can delivers exceptional branding, even post-purchase. One of the great advantages of the composite can is resealability. In “at-home” tests, consumers disliked having to transfer food to another container after opening. Composite cans have an easyto-reseal plastic lid, which means customers don’t have to transfer the food to a different container. The majority of millennials and consumers aged 55 and older agree that the most important benefit of the composite can is the ease of opening and reclosing the container.

As a companion option to the composite can, the barrier IML (in-mold label) package combines robust product protection, with trendsetting shelf-appeal through full-body graphics. Like the composite can, it offers a cost effective alternative to metal and glass, and provides superior moisture protection when compared to traditional multilayer plastic packaging. The IML package also delivers a high barrier in a monolayer structure.

Durable and lightweight, it is also compatible with retort, hot-fill or gas-flush filling systems. And to top it all off, it comes in a wide variety of shapes including nesting options for efficient transport.

As more and more households are becoming food-waste conscious, it is extremely important they don’t feel like they wasted money on a product that went stale overnight.

| 58 | Packaging Europe

An easy-to-seal container like the composite can helps maintain the freshness they want without the hassle of having to use a separate closure, like a chip clip. To match the growing “on the go” consumer trend, the barrier IML package is ideal because of its light weight and easy open features.

Sonoco continues to experiment to see how far they can take the composite can. This includes developing cans that are able to withstand pressure – for soft drinks, beer and aerosols. And they are looking at new markets such as warm fill for syrups and fruit fillings. The same holds true for the barrier IML package with provides an exceptional option for a number of different retail products.

With the rigid paper container and the barrier IML package, Sonoco is able to offer customers two extremely attractive and versatile packaging formats. These two packaging platforms allow Sonoco to serve a wide range of markets including, processed foods, moisture-sensitive powdered beverages, tobacco, confectionery, personal care, pet food, pharmaceuticals, baby food, and home and garden products.

By coming together, Sonoco and Weidenhammer are building a products and services portfolio that delivers a 360° Customized Solutions™ approach tailored to the unique needs of each customer. When combined with a unique i6 Innovation Process™, deep material science expertise and the capabilities to offer end-to-end packaging services, customers’ can have access to a partner that is focused on providing innovative packaging solutions that enhance their business and their brand. And that is an uncanny combination.

Visit: www.sonoco.com

Packaging Europe | 59 |

A highly

acquisitive

mind

All aboard the train to Europe – Waddington Europe is on a journey to develop a strong European brand

T

ime and tide waits for no man and, so it seems, thermoforming. A number of principal players in the food and non-food packaging industries have made significant acquisitions in recent times – for many businesses consolidation provides an increasingly important means of not only increasing sales and profits but also scale, market and global reach. So in common with a number of other key players in the packaging arena the newly established Waddington Europe brand has set in train an evolving strategy that will see it become a major European force through a combination of investment in organic growth and thoughtful, careful and strategic acquisitions.

In September 2014 Par-Pak Europe, a packaging manufacturer with a strong presence in the bakery and confectionery market and a member of the US based Waddington Group, bought Irish Thermoformer Holfeld Plastics. By adding this company to its portfolio it now owns a company with a prestigious UK-wide customer base in meat, poultry, fish and fresh produce packaging.

And so Waddington Europe was born – a fresh name on the European stage crystallising the activities of the member companies and the next generation of thermoforming pioneers. But this was just the beginning.

In a relatively short period of time and following that acquisition both companies have seen investment from their parent company. Their sales teams have enthusiastically focused on presenting, promoting and selling a much wider portfolio of products broadening the offering, burgeoning sales have followed, fully validating the confidence placed in them by the parent company.

In the intervening period Waddington Europe has been on the European events stage exhibiting its Fresh Produce packaging at Fruit Logistica in Berlin and later at the International Seafood Processing Expo in Brussels.

Increased confidence in the global economy as well as in the extensive range of products offered by Waddington Europe resulted in new business enquiries from across the UK and Europe as well as introductions to International buyers.

Deltaform Group joins Waddington Europe In May the Waddington Group grew again when it acquired the highly successful Deltaform Group.

The group comprises both Somerset-based Deltaform and Buckinghamshirebased Chiltern Thermoforming. Both are leading independent manufacturers of rigid packaging for the UK food industry known for their customer service and innovative design. | 60 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 61 |

Deltaform was established in 1993 and with its in-house design studio, unique pattern making and sampling facilities its response times are some of the fastest in the industry. A skilled design and development team creates bespoke packaging to suit customer requirements. The Deltaform Group combines two highly complimentary organisations with a strong and influential packaging reputation in the food and non-food sectors offering an extensive range from convenience food packaging, to bakery, confectionery, meat, fresh produce and cosmetics/toiletries packaging.

The acquisition of both manufacturers greatly reinforces the Waddington Europe brand, joining Par-Pak and Holfeld and enabling accelerated growth and expansion into new and exciting market sectors in both the UK and Europe.

| 62 | Packaging Europe

For Waddington Europe both companies have wasted no time in proving their worth, having already started to bring an exciting breadth of products to a vastly extended customer base offering shared values, expertise and customer knowledge.

Minding the gap Holfeld Plastic’s material development has all the hallmarks of strategic gap analysis – the company’s confidence in developing and successfully marketing/launching new materials has paid dividends and stretches back over the decades.

Holfeld Plastics has enjoyed unprecedented demand for its roll film, turning up the heat on food contact films and creating a significant demand and order input.

eCOPET (rPETeCO), a lightweight, low carbon material, has achieved world class status and has received the highest sustainability award as a Worldstar winner. The company was also the first to develop an eCOPET vacuumed skinpack range for the meat and protein sector.

The result of all this has meant new business opportunities for rPETeCO – the culmination of a two-year project to develop a lightweight, low carbon material with a distinctive, highly tactile non-plastic appearance equally at home on the cosmetics and toiletries shelves as it is in the food aisles.

Business in film production is booming with orders coming in on a daily basis from the UK and mainland Europe. The company’s extrusion plant is now running 24/7 to maintain supply against a background of unprecedented demand.

To meet this demand, new capital investment is planned to significantly increase extrusion capacity for the industrial food and non-food packaging markets. This offers a positive insight into the future plans for Holfeld as part of the rapidly evolving Waddington Europe company – a confidence that will be shown in all companies under the Waddington Europe banner.

A pioneering example of Holfeld’s materials development and continuous product innovation is Hydrozorb, a substitute for styrene and a lightweight low carbon carefully blended combination of rPET with organic and inorganic fillers. It demonstrates altered characteristics from conventional rPET with all the commercial advantages of polystyrene without the environmental impact. With surface tension reduced it can improve the shelf-life of perishable soft fruits and mushroom products.

Watch this space The plastics industry is seen as a key pillar in manufacturing in Europe. Waddington Europe has every reason to be confident – with four celebrated and complimentary packaging manufacturing sites under its banner, the company wants to be at the forefront of the European packaging business with a superb, differentiated portfolio, competitive pricing and cutting edge innovation. The train is gathering speed.

Visit: www.parpak.co.uk, www.holfeldplastics.com, www.deltaform.co.uk and www.chiltern-thermo.co.uk

Packaging Europe | 63 |

Easy does it

SwiftOpen, a new opening concept for the flexible packaging industry, was a proud recipient of the WorldStar for Packaging Award 2015. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to managing director Kim Pihl to find out how this was achieved and the company’s ambitious plans for growth.

I

nnovative Nordic packaging company SwiftOpen LLC has created a fresh new approach to flexible packaging openings. Marketed as ‘one small cut makes a world of difference’, the SwiftOpen concept is easy to use and easy to implement. Based in Denmark, the small yet rapidly growing company is excited about the obvious potential of its product, with the team, lead by managing director Kim Pihl, dedicated to spreading the word of this highly convenient development.

Mr Pihl spoke to Packaging Europe to introduce the SwiftOpen concept and to explain its myriad benefits. He said, “ Everybody wants more convenience and that’s what our SwiftOpen concept is all about. We’ve already gained excellent feedback from our growing customer base and I’m keen to make sure that as many people as possible know about us, our product and the big advantages we can offer them and their customers.”

The SwiftOpen concept is a simple yet ingenious idea that is already proving successful. Easy to open and re-close, it features a small cut in the flexible packaging pouch that allows all types of consumer (including those with limited manual dexterity) to access the product without problems and without needing to use a knife or scissors. Mr Pihl | 64 | Packaging Europe

explained, “An increasing number of people are unable to open consumer packaging without assistance so we here at SwiftOpen have met this challenge by developing our unique easy open feature to a wide range of flexible packaging types at a low cost. Our concept eliminates the frustrating uncontrolled tearing associated with conventional packs and allows for consumers to use flexible packaging as storage at home instead of needing another container.”

More value, less hassle The small cut in the flexible packaging pouch is joined by a fully-openable fin which has a re-closeable strip. Only low force is required to open the pack and the fin is easy to lift,

FlexBox

both of which maintain the integrity of the pack and the goods inside. Mr Pihl continued, “Packaging with SwiftOpen helps to reduce food waste by making opened packs easy to store and keep goods fresh – just one of the ecologically-friendly advantages. It also helps to reduce carbon footprint due to cutting the need for additional packaging in the home and it allows for a reduced amount of raw material per pack. Furthermore, it can be applied to various material specifications including biodegradable and sustainable materials.”

Requiring only a moderate modification to existing packaging machine lines, the SwiftOpen concept is easy to apply at a low cost, yet brings considerable advantages to both brand owners and consumers. Mr Pihl said, “We have already developed a number

Stand-Up-Pouch

Pillow Pack Packaging Europe | 65 |

“We have identified a high potential for our concept in each of these areas, particularly cheese applications and snacks and confectionery. We love to talk to brand owners directly to illustrate just how easy our concept is to add to their existing flexible packaging production. SwiftOpen is a valuable upgrade to their product at a low cost. It makes perfect sense.”

of strong mutually-beneficial partnerships with brand owners, filling producers and converters. As we focus on bringing our easy open concept to a wider audience it is important to note that we have a large number of tried and tested projects with well-known brands. We have proven that we can effectively and affordably deliver a new innovative solution to flexible packaging.”

Protected by patent and trademark, SwiftOpen is applicable for HFFS, VFFS and pre-made packaging. The ideal partner for various packaging applications in the food industry, such as snacks, confectionery, cheese, frozen food, fresh and processed meats and pet food, it provides added value shelf appeal as well as a point of differentiation. Mr Pihl continued, “We have identified a high potential for our concept in each of these areas, particularly cheese applications and snacks and confectionery. We love to talk to brand owners directly to illustrate just how easy our concept is to add to their existing flexible packaging production. SwiftOpen is a valuable upgrade to their product at a low cost. It makes perfect sense.”

| 66 | Packaging Europe

Ready for anything The broad range of potential applications for the SwiftOpen concept includes sharing and pour-out packaging, multiple portions and single serve packaging as well as various pack formats and shapes. Mr Pihl is particularly excited about the potential of the ‘on the go’ consumption market. He said, “Hand-held and eat-out-of-the-pack foods and snacks are a huge growth market in the US and I expect that Europe is not far behind. Our SwiftOpen concept packs developed is ideal for this valuable market as the packs can be opened so easily and controlled, with no crumbs, and with resealable options.”

In terms of future development, Mr Pihl is clear that SwiftOpen is perfectly positioned to go from strength to strength. It holds the IP rights in various countries including Europe, North America, China, India, Brazil and South Africa and is keen to find suitable partners to exploit the growth opportunities. It is also working with film converters and filling machine manufactures to fit and/or retrofit the SwiftOpen in order to better serve their customers and end users.

Visit: www.swiftopen.com

Packaging Europe | 67 |

Focus on what`s important A German professional pre-press partner that is active across Europe, Carl Ostermann Erben provides flexo and letterpress printing plates made to latest technology standards and solutions for the most demanding of printing challenges. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to business development manager Michael Halfar to find out more.

| 70 | Packaging Europe

C

arl Ostermann Erben was founded in 1891 in Bremen, Germany, by pioneering printer Carl Ostermann. His forward-thinking vision saw that pre-fabricated counter plates would replace the current factory-made counter plates and so, to turn his idea into a reality, he set up a small production company that quickly became successful. Carl Ostermann’s pre-fabricated counter plates soon gained a great reputation for performance and quality both at home in Germany and abroad, with the company’s quick yet stable growth reflecting its position.

Today, Carl Ostermann Erben (COE) has enjoyed a number of moves and expansions while remaining a family-owned German company, with family members still at the helm and maintaining the innovative spirit of its founder. Now one of Europe’s full-service pre-press partners, COE appreciates that its success remains founded in fair business ethics, innovative technologies and materials and taking care of employees.

Yesterday and today Business Development Manager Michael Halfar spoke to Packaging Europe about how the strong history of COE helps to keep the company on track today. He said, “We are rooted in our history as well as being fiercely passionate about innovation. It’s a good mix as essentially we are the plate making department for our customers; they trust us to work as part of their business and to deliver the exact plate making solution they need.”

The COE core business is to investigate the possibilities of printing plates by assessing and analysing the best technology available on the market. It then invests in this technology if it hasn’t already and is able to offer it to various printing houses. Mr Halfar explained, “We invest in printing plate technology so our customers don’t have to: our customers get the best possible selection of the available technologies as we do all of the research and can present the relevant information. It saves a considerable amount of time and money for our customers as they are guaranteed to have the most appropriate printing plate solution.”

Packaging Europe | 71 |

Once COE has assessed all of the relevant printing plate technologies and has presented its findings to its customers, it can provide printing tests done on site. Mr Halfar continued, “We make a fingerprint of their press and carefully assess the results in order to ensure that we are offering the best technical solution. This is all based on fact – it’s been measured. We know that we are truly offering the best printing plate solution for their requirements because it is proven by facts and figures.”

“One of the solutions to our customers is the new water wash AWP™ Pinning Top Dot plate technology from Asahi Photoproducts. We have seen particular advantages of that plate in the very fine highlight dot areas as well as its good registration capabilities. The printer most of the time finds a clean plate after printing which is highlighting the fact that he does not need to stop the press during the run for plate cleaning.”

A true partner By working as a true partner, COE lets it customers focus on their core business.

Through delivering a complete pre-press service, it embeds its many years of experience into its customers’ businesses. Mr Halfar added, “We spend each and every day using our pre-press experience so that our customers can enjoy perfect results. Our customers can benefit from the very latest industry developments and innovations without spending the time and money it takes to assess this information. We also work closely with machinery manufacturers and ink suppliers so that the solutions are quick to market and our measurement lab constantly guarantees precise analysis.

We consider every step of the process in our one-stop shop so that our customers can focus on their core business.”

COE’s main type of customer is European label printers, with around 80 per cent of its current activity coming from the label industry. Usually it works with label printers with just one to six flexo presses as it is here that its ‘all inclusive’ research and investment provision is most appreciated. Mr Halfar noted, “Bigger players tend to make their own plates, but we can still certainly add value for these customers as they tend to stick with the technology they’ve historically invested in whereas we can assess the whole market. We can see if there’s a more appropriate solution as we’re not restricted in any way. COE is certainly a JIT printing plate partner for major player too.”

With COE continuing to ‘grow gently’, Mr Halfar is clear that its future will be every bit as successful as its long history. As the label industry is known to work based on partnerships, the fact that COE is highly experience in building long-term, mutually-beneficial relationships and can clearly measure and deliver the facts is a welcome approach. Mr Halfar concluded, “Convincing customers of the advantages of working with a printing plate partner takes time, but as we are able to quantify our benefit through saved time and money and we have excellent references from our long-term partners, we know that we can show how COE is a valuable addition to your team.”

Visit: www.coe-bremen.de

| 72 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 73 |

At the forefront of carton design With the winning combination of a strong background and a drive and ambition for growth; anticipated turnover from Belfast-based printing business Delta Print Ltd is expected to be over â‚Ź70 million in 2016. Libby White spoke with company chairman Terry Cross to find out more about the successful investments and expansions that have been driving it forward since its humble beginnings.

| 74 | Packaging Europe

D

elta Print Ltd was founded 35 years ago by current chairman, Terry Cross, as a small commercial printing business in North Belfast. In the late 1980s, the company focused on folding carton packaging, invested in converting capability. Settling on the present site in 1995, the now named Delta Packaging Ltd operates a 20,000m2 facility encompassing flexo and litho printing and converting lines and is a major supplier to the branded food service and frozen, chilled and ambient retail food sector.

Advanced capabilities Delta has invested in exciting expansion plans to its facilities and also in pushing new innovations into the forefront of the industry. Its production capabilities in Belfast have recently been expanded to include a new 55,000 square foot facility housing one of Europe’s most advanced carton manufacturing environments. Mr Cross comments, “Delta’s new plant offers 10-colour HD flexo reel-to-reel printing with bespoke, variable, downstream coating and drying units for the in-line application of functional barriers and specialist finishes. Complementing the press are off-line sheeting, large format platen die-cutting and off-line rotary die-cutting options. This new plant has the capacity to convert an extra 300 million square metres of substrate per annum.”

2015 will see the establishment of a new manufacturing facility in Poland, giving Delta a strong base for geographical expansion. “Through the relationship with EPS Poland, Delta can expand its geographical reach throughout central and eastern Europe,” Mr Cross explains. “The facilities in Gliwice will also offer both flexo and litho printing op-

tions with a full range of converting capability designed to enhance Delta’s penetration of the European Food Service business and also to facilitate further growth with existing general carton packaging customers.”

Strengthening skills Delta has recently invested in P4CK ltd, leading to an exciting synergy of skill sets between the two companies. “P4CK is a young, talented product design company which brings patented designs for portable, direct- and indirect- contact pack concepts to market. Delta brings procurement, manufacturing and logistics strengths to the association as well as its extensive customer and contact base. In addition to putting weight and scale behind the marketing of existing designs, the companies are working on specific customer-driven design briefs and new industry-focused pack concepts to bring to market,” Mr Cross tells us.

On a wider basis, P4CK’s pure design and invention credentials will enhance Delta’s innovation capabilities and broaden the product ranges available from both Belfast and potentially through EPS in Poland. An example of the innovative designs born from this collaboration is the BevBax™, a robust packaging solution that can carry a combination of snack food and beverages. The flat-pack design pops open easily and can feature high impact branding with up to six colours. The BevBax™ can be configured to suit a number of different applications: Multiple beverage sizes and snack types, from popcorn to fast food, to drinks, and branded and unbranded applications.

Packaging Europe | 75 |

DELTA PACKAGING CHOOSE KOMORI-CHAMBON AS THEIR IDEAL PARTNER Presentation of the company:

Komori-Chambon is specialised in the design and manufacture of web offset and gravure presses and rotary die-cutters. It was founded in 1989 through the merger of Machines Chambon: a French company established in 1887, pioneers of in-line printing, cutting and delivery systems for packaging, and the Komori Group, established in Japan in 1923, world leader manufacturing high-quality offset presses.

Liquid, tobacco packaging and general folding carton are the company’s main markets.

Delta and Komori

Delta Packaging, well-known for delivering high-volume packaging, with the quality, accuracy and stability demanded by the large brand owners, have now more than doubled their production capacity in Belfast by investing in an extremely productive Komori-Chambon new line.

Neal McCone, director of Delta Packaging Ltd., Belfast, explains: “We spent a lot of time to examine all the possibilities, benchmarking everything available globally.

In the end we chose Komori-Chambon as our ideal partner for the offline rotary die cutting. We are delighted to have made this choice - the Komori-Chambon solution is the best fit for our growth aspirations, meeting the high productivity, low waste and demanding engineering expectations. We now have an incredibly productive line, designed for delivering the demands of large brand owners.”

“The new Komori-Chambon rotary die-cutter installed in Belfast enables us to have important technical capabilities, and the very stable profile, accuracy and super-high volumes sought by the large brands” Neal McCone tells us, adding that “the customers have to be big enough to get their production made on the new line”.

With its new manufacturing capability in Poland, Delta will therefore have two rotary die-cutting units amongst their equipment to service their customers in Europe.

| 76 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 77 |

| 78 | Packaging Europe

KBA-FLEXOTECNICA S.p.A. Sets Top Performance in the Folding carton After a number of successful installations in the North American market KBA-FLEXOTECNICA is proud to announce to have successfully delivered and put into production a unique flexographic printing press of the prestigious series EVOXG fully sleeved and gearless featuring highly innovative technical systems and specially engineered for HIGH PERFORMANCES up to 600 m/min (1969 fpm) on paper and board up to 450 gsm with water based inks in Northern Ireland to Delta Print & Packaging.

Delta Packaging print for Blue Chip companies such as McDonalds, Kellogg’s, Nokia and Jacobs to name just a few. Primarily the press has been purchased to run medium and large fry scoops and burger boxes for all of Europe in vast quantities together with fast food products the press will be printing a large variety of cartons for the breakfast cereal marketplace, biscuits, phone boxes and a variety of food cartons.

The high grade press from KBA-Flexotecnica will be run reel to reel to feed a reel to rotary die cutting line and a reel to sheeter which in turn will feed two sheet fed flat-bed die cutters. The press has been future proofed with a 10 unit CI with large repeats, 1500mm (59”) web width and two independent in-line flexo units with large capacity, multi zone drying capacity to cope with future developments of anti-grease coating applications with large lay down capability which ensure optimum converting efficiency.

Both of these in-line units have the facility to print on the front side and backside of the substrate in tight register to the CI section for patterned varnish and anti-grease coatings.

Developed to achieve top performances in terms of quality, productivity and operational efficiency, this machine incorporates several unique features such as the fully Automatic Impression System AIF, automatic register control between the print run on CI and the patterned front and reverse varnish or coatings, automatic wash-up system SPEEDY CLEAN with integrated new generation ultrasound viscosity controls, in-line spectral colour measurement system which together with high performance 100% video inspection offer standardized consistent print quality and significant reduction of in setup time and material waste minimizing the need for human intervention at press stops.

The printing press will be completed at the end user’s plant in Belfast with the installation of automatic shaft-less winders from Monomatic capable of handling reel diameter up to 1,800mm for automatic butt splice at maximum line speed featuring the ability to easily handle long run jobs with high speed capability.

To achieve cost effective and reliable performance KBA –Flexotecnica relies on comprehensive innovative design engineering, precision machining and advanced electronics to offer with their presses ease of operation, high quality execution, technical sophistication and proven performance.

Further details and info: Ms Maria Costantino, Sales & Maketing Manager, maria.costantino@kba-flexotecnica.com or visit www.kba-flexotecnica.com

Packaging Europe | 79 |

Colm Bradley, Managing Director, Delta Packaging and Senator Stanley Rosenberg, MA Senate take a tour of the Delta Packaging headquarters.

Another innovative design is the Flexicarry™, a one-, two-, three-, or four-pint beer carrier whereby one size fits all pint cups. Flexicarry™ is the only flexible multi-cup carrier in the world which can conveniently and safely carry and share up to four drinks without spilling. Supplied flat, this international patented design is manufactured in the UK from fully recyclable low slip PP. It can be branded on both sides with up to 4 colour litho printing. On testing at stadia events, the Flexicarry™ has been shown to increase speed-of-service at beer concessions by up to 50 per cent versus existing cardboard carriers. The product also benefits from being extremely light, reducing packaging waste and storage space by over 75 per cent compared to competitors. The Flexicarry™ has passed stringent health and safety tests, and unlike other carriers, is not a trip hazard or a potential projectile.

Customer relations From ice cream to consumer electronics, Delta produces packaging for some of the world’s largest brands, and offers supply and logistics support across Europe whilst protecting the global brands. In particular, Delta manufactures a broad range of branded retail packaging for customers across the dairy, cereals, prepared meals, biscuits, confectionery, added value meat and ice cream sectors.

Delta has significant, long-standing client relationships, with the first key packaging client acquired 25 years ago. Terry Cross is quick to point out, “Customer retention has been achieved through a flexible attitude to service, production and development needs, underpinned by a commitment to reinvesting profits into renewing production assets.”

Offering both rotary flexo and sheet-fed litho capabilities and being early adopters of productivity driven technologies has allowed the Company to maintain a competitive edge throughout the UK, Ireland and western Europe. A constant focus on cost reduction and seeking optimum scale supports the investment plans. | 80 | Packaging Europe

Future growth Geographical expansion is important for the business. Terry Cross explains, “Driving market share in branded foodservice packaging is a key facet of our growth strategy.

However, building a flexible production footprint that allows the business to target a ‘best fit’ product mix across central Europe is important. The team is seeking opportunities that play to the company’s innovation, production and service strengths within the food, household goods, foodservice, healthcare and consumer products sectors.”

A commitment to R&D and process improvement has resulted in a leadership position in the application of functional barriers for direct food contact and other areas. This remains a key strategic direction for the company in light of the many emerging migration issues driving European legislation.

Delta will focus on maintaining the growth profile established for the Belfast site in line with qualifying supply from EPS in Poland by Summer 2015 and ramping up volume production there in the months ahead. Terry Cross concludes, “We expect 2016 and 2017 to offer double-digit growth on the way to targeted turnover of €120 million by 2020.”

For more information, visit www.deltapack.com or contact Neal McCone, Sales Director of Delta Packaging on +44 (0)7785 327252

NVC – sharing information, education and innovation NVC (Netherlands Packaging Centre) was founded in 1953 as an association of companies addressing the activity of packaging throughout the supply chain of packaged products. Elisabeth Skoda spoke to Michael Nieuwesteeg, the association’s managing director, to find out more about the benefits a membership offers (like participating in NVC’s innovation projects, information services and education programme), and also attended his lecture at Salon Emballage on 19 November 2014 in Paris.

Packaging innovations for e-commerce like this one by Rollor Express are addressed in the NVC Innovation Project Web Retail Packaging, driven by an international NVC working group which includes the premier global retailers and suppliers.

Packaging Europe | 81 |

Helping member companies in finding their way out of the Google maze in packaging is one of the key activities of the NVC . Each month, they receive a members-only overview of the packaging developments worldwide and at any moment they can contact the NVC association staff for guidance and assistance.

This trophy with a solid gold walnut inside is the symbol of De Gouden Noot, the world’s most competitive packaging innovation competition (www.degoudennoot.com) .

O

ne of NVC’s core aims is to stimulate the continuous improvement of packaging. NVC members include retailers, manufacturers of packaged products, design agencies, suppliers of packaging and related services in areas such as print and software, suppliers of packaging machinery and test institutes.

“More than 550 companies have joined the NVC and share the future in packaging in this way. Membership is subject to a Code of Conduct which ensures proper behaviour and adequate openness of each member-company to the others,” Mr Nieuwesteeg explains.

He cites the DHL Global Connectedness Index 2014 describing the Netherlands as the “world’s most open economy. As a result, NVC’s activities are bi-lingual (Dutch and English) and no difference of membership exists between ‘foreign’ and ‘Dutch’ companies.”

Varied functions NVC works on four main themes, as Mr Nieuwesteeg explains. Firstly, it provides reliable and up-to-date information on global packaging developments and assists the members in finding the right answers to their problems.

“NVC offers an information service, offering reliable information, consistency and confidentiality when required. Members can access this information service free of charge as part of their membership,” Mr Nieuwesteeg points out.

Its second task is the provision of adequate education and training in the field of packaging, be it in the classroom, online or within a company.

“We support the NVC Chair Packaging Design and Management at Twente University in Enschede, which is very close to the German-Dutch border, for regular students aged | 82 | Packaging Europe

18–23. Furthermore, we successfully offer the European NVC Course Programmes in Packaging I and II for middle management (I) and higher management (II), addressing employees in companies throughout Europe. Eight nationalities have been enrolled in the NVC Course Programmes in Packaging I and II already (German, British, Spanish, Polish, Turkish, Belgian, Dutch and Greek),” Mr Nieuwesteeg adds.

Globally accessible online courses and webinars are also available, with live tutor, full interaction and internet-based access via the in-house developed NVC blended learning environment.

A third important theme is innovation, in the form of projects including pharmaceutical packaging, leakage detection, web retail packaging and the innovation competition De Gouden Noot. With the De Gouden Noot award, the NVC stimulates innovation of packaging and packaged products. It can be won by retailers, producers of packaged products, design agencies or packaging suppliers, who can also enter the competition jointly, since working closely together is essential for most packaging innovations. The unique trophy with a solid golden walnut is the symbol of the contest.

As it is the world’s most competitive packaging innovation contest, only one winner takes home the trophy. De Gouden Noot 2014 was won by Dampack International with its BeeMagicTray. The Silver (‘Zilveren Noot’) went to Ecobliss with the Locked4Kids.

The Bronze (“Bronzen Noot”) was for Ardagh Group and Plato product consultants with their SpRing Latch.

“This way NVC members from the entire supply and recycle chain of packaged products inspire each other by sharing knowledge and using this knowledge to innovate, resulting in more insights and better packaging,” Mr. Nieuwesteeg is happy to report.

Single material meat packaging innovation BeeMagicTray, winner of the 2014-edition of packaging innovation competition De Gouden Noot.

The NVC online courses, workshops and webinars allow global access and full interactivity, based on live tutors who are supported during the lessons by highly skilled e-course technical support assistants.

Finally, NVC supports market development by supporting trade journals, exhibitions and providing elegant and transparent communication between packaging demand and supply via the online bi-lingual Buyer’s Guide.

Lectures and events As part of its aim to educate and inform about packaging, NVC regularly holds talks and lectures at a wide range of events.

On Wednesday 19 November, NVC delivered a lecture at the international packaging exhibition Emballage in Paris together with Comexposium, about the cooperation in packaging between France and other European countries: ‘Why Europe needs France – and France needs Europe – in packaging’.

In his lecture, Mr Nieuwesteeg elaborated on the synergies between France and the whole of Europe, addressing the current situation and probing into the future of packaging from a French-European and European-French perspective.

“Packaging is temporarily integrating an external function and a product to enable the use of the product. France plays an important role in packaging based on its position in a range of important sectors of product manufacturing, logistics, retailing and packaging manufacturing. Even more importantly, France is globally known for its cultural heritage and associated views on design and quality,” Mr Nieuwesteeg pointed out in his lecture.

“Recent powerful adverts, for example the Eiffel tower drinking Perrier mineral water, and the Bleu de Chanel campaign, showcase French creativity, which the whole of Europe can benefit from.”

He went on to elaborate that the EU’s GDP only makes up 23.7 per cent of the entire world’s GDP, and France’s GDP is only 15.6 per cent of Europe’s GDP, so cooperation and specialisation on a European scale is necessary in order to stay competitive.

“France can learn and benefit from Europe in different ways – harmonised legislation and markets, internationalisation, instant information and communication and the cooperation of different cultures as drivers for competitiveness.”

European regulations mean that food safety, environmental questions, labelling, transport and consumer questions are all decided on a European basis. The internet and social media have made the world a smaller place.

“We are all in the same aquarium. Anything that happens in France can be broadcast to the world instantaneously, therefore is happening in the world as well – and vice versa,” he added.

In his talk, Mr Nieuwesteeg noted that so far unfortunately there have been no French business students in the NVC European graduate programme and that they are also missing from other European institutions, such as the international NVC working group for web retail packaging , and invited France to play a more active role in Europe. He finished off with a Dutch saying, illustrating the risks of being too much self-focused in packaging: “If you are not at the table, you might be on the menu.”

Visit: www.en.nvc.nl Happy faces at the annual graduation ceremony of the NVC Course Programme in Packaging, attracting business students from all over Europe who want to accelerate their career and boost the competitiveness of the companies they work for.

Packaging Europe | 83 |

PACKAGING AND SUSTAINABILITY AT CONSTELLIUM Interview of Catherine Athènes, Sustainability Council Leader, Constellium.

Why recycling is so important for aluminium packaging?

Recycling is carried out at all three stages of the aluminium life cycle – using the internal process scrap created during transformation; customers’ scrap produced by stamping, milling and other processes; and the recovery of end-of-life products. Recycling aluminium products requires 5% of the energy that would have been used otherwise to produce primary metal. Therefore, recycling is both a business imperative and a major driver of sustainability.

Out of all the three stages, end of life recycling is what really matters as this is the only way to significantly improve the CO2 footprint of aluminium since internal and customer’s scrap is being entirely recycled. Every time an aluminium beverage can is recycled at the end of its useful life, the use of primary metal is avoided and CO2 emissions are saved.

End-of-life recycling of packaging aluminium products is progressing, particularly the beverage cans which in Europe has seen its recycling rate dramatically increasing from 25% in 1992 to 69,5% 20 years later. Although this is a good progress, more needs to be done to further increase that level and insure higher resource efficiency.

Customers are looking for more sustainable packaging. What can you propose?

Using aluminium for packaging is already a sustainable option as aluminium is infinitely recyclable with no loss of property of downgrade in material integrity.

And if a beverage can is effectively recycled, then this property materializes in a

much lower environmental footprint, especially if you think that this process goes on and on.

We have been, at Constellium, able to measure, in a verified way, the effect of recycling on the CO2 footprint of an aluminium beverage can. With the current European end of life recycling rate of the beverage can, that is 69,5%, the CO2 footprint of our can is 80 g (lower than European average) and it would decrease to 60 g for a 100% recycling rate.

Increasing end of life recycling of beverage cans improves its sustainability as a package. This is not necessarily the case when one proposes a beverage can with higher recycled content. And this is why we do not think that this metrics is the right one.

A high recycled content in one specific product, let’s say a beverage can, could very well have been obtained by allocating available scrap to this specific can while taking it away from another product. Because of the limited availability of secondary aluminium globally, increasing the recycled content of one product simply diverts recycled metal, thus creating no environmental benefit. On top of this, since recycled content includes process scrap which is part of the optimized manufacturing loop, its level can be misleading in terms of CO2 savings.

The fact is that customers, consumers, ourselves as a leading aluminium manufacturer, as well as legislators, municipalities, waste management companies and all relevant stakeholders are all part of the solution to increase the sustainability of packaging and especially of aluminium beverage cans.

Since recycling is so important, what is Constellium doing on that front?

Are there other initiatives then recycling to improve packaging sustainability?

As part of a solution provided by many stakeholders working together, Constellium works in a collaborative way on recycling, participating in various industry programs.

We concentrate on three priority areas: improvement of the scrap collection rate in collaboration with key stakeholders, improving sorting through partnerships and improving recycling processes, including the development of new scrap tolerant alloys.

On the beverage can collection side, we are involved in initiatives such as Every Can Counts, an awareness program promoting beverage can recycling in eight countries in Europe, which is organized by the beverage can industry along with recyclers. We are introducing the program at major events and in university campuses in Alsace, France, where we operate a major recycling facility.

We also work on sorting improvement through our participation in European Aluminium and its specific initiatives, aiming at increasing the quantity but also the quality of aluminium scrap coming out of household waste.

With the recent acquisition of Alabama-based Wise Metals, we have increased our recycling capacity tremendously, especially the recycling of Used Beverage Cans. The Muscle Shoal facility recycles every year the equivalent of 14 billions cans!

Material stewardship, including design for recycling, collection, sorting and recycling of end of life scrap throughout the value chain is key for sustainability. However, given the growth of aluminium production, and considering that the life cycle of aluminium products on average is rather long, primary aluminium will still be needed.

It is important that this aluminium is produced according to certain standards, throughout the value chain. This is what the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative fosters through the newly published performance standard. Constellium has been an early member of this initiative which has built a standard through a multi-stakeholder consultation process, involving non industry organizations among which renowned NGOs. The performance standard addresses issues such as biodiversity or respect of indigenous people at the bauxite mining stage, Greenhouse gas emissions at the smelting operations or storage of waste for alumina refineries. The standard recognizes also the need for increased material stewardship across the value chain.

Finally, at Constellium, we also work on our own operations to improve our environmental and social footprint. We have increased our energy efficiency, we are increasing the number of sites which are ISO 50001 certified, and we strive to develop every day more sustainable solutions through our ambition innovation programs. These efforts also n count in the overall sustainability of packaging!

Visit: www.constellium.com

Packaging Europe | 85 |

| 86 | Packaging Europe

Premium

wood packaging In the two years since Quadpack acquired Technotraf, the extensive investments and strategic development that ensued has garnered excellent results. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to commercial director Jaume Ordeig to find out more.

F

ounded in the UK in 2003 and now a globally-active market leader in the field of high quality packaging for the skin care, cosmetics and beauty industry, Quadpack Group is an independent packaging organisation. Present in 10 countries worldwide and operating sourcing operations in Asia and Europe, the company also has its own test laboratories and a dedicated logistics centre in Barcelona.

Quadpack’s concept-to-completion offer for prestigious beauty packaging is its USP. Specialising in total packaging development for skin care, cosmetics and perfumery brands, the company portfolio includes airless packs, glass and plastic jars, bottles, tubes and pumps, caps and dispensers. Its airless range from leading manufacturer Yonwoo has been particularly well-received by the premium beauty brands across Europe, thanks to myriad benefits including formula protection from external contamination, the ability to dispense both low and high viscosity formulas and less waste, with over 95 per cent of the product being dispensed. Quadpack has also performed strongly in the glass bottles range with leading perfumery brands, with 30ml, 50ml and 100ml options of all manner of standard and bespoke designs.

A beautiful match In March 2013 Quadpack acquired manufacturer Technotraf Wood Packaging to create its new Manufacturing Division. This strategic move has added beautiful bespoke caps and components from sustainably-sourced wood to the Quadpack offer. Packaging Europe spoke to commercial director Jaume Ordeig to gain an insight into how this development has boosted the presence of both parties. Mr Ordeig said, “Wood packaging is truly beautiful – naturally beautiful – so to partner with a leading premium-brand beauty packaging company is a perfect match for us. In the two years since Technotraf Wood Packaging became a part of the Quadpack Group, we have made considerable developments, made structural changes, invested heavily and put in place all manner of positive changes. Extensive renovations were carried out in the factory, we’ve added new automated machinery and our production workflow has been upgraded.”

These progressive moves have already resulted in a steady increase in orders, with 2014 figures posting a 20 per cent more than anticipated growth. Mr Ordeig added, “Technotraf products are becoming increasingly sought after by the leading global

Packaging Europe | 87 |

| 88 | Packaging Europe

beauty brands thanks to our focused sales drive, our successful international marketing campaign and of course our unique, beautiful wood packaging.”

Established in Torello, Spain in 1983, Technotraf Wood Packaging manufactures wooden components for beauty packaging. Sourcing all its raw materials sustainably from managed forests, Technotraf is certified by the PEFC. Its bespoke products are the perfect complement to high-end beauty, fragrance and skin care ranges. Mr Ordeig was keen to highlight how the company essentially created the wood packaging for the beauty industry, following a period of strategic reassessment. He said, “We are the market leader in premium wood packaging and have been for some time. A few years ago we decided to start looking for new markets and we thought that the high end perfume and cosmetics sectors would be a good fit for our products and expertise. So essentially we created our own market as there was nothing available before in wood for these types of products.”

This year’s WorldStar Packaging Awards, the most prestigious international packaging award, has already recognised the world-class quality of Technotraf ’s work. The wooden fragrance pack created for Armand Basi’s Wild Forest received an award in the Health & Beauty category. This packaging places a glass bottle within a wooden container crafted from a single, solid block of ash complemented by a matching ash cap. This bespoke design was highly successful in setting the product apart from its competitors.

Commercial and creative

promote the balance between wood as a commercially feasible product and one which would work in a qualitative environment. We achieved this through a total conversion of our activities including investing in new machinery, changing some production processes and a change in our company culture. Really it was a total transformation so that we were prepared for the cosmetics and perfumery markets. Of course, our dedication to wood stayed the same, but the type of packaging and the type of market was a real turnaround.”

Following the success of this transformation, Technotraf is now in a period of consolidation. Mr Ordeig continued, “I’m proud to say that we convinced the market of the beautiful potential of wood as a premium packaging material, particularly due to our creating some truly outstanding projects for leading cosmetic and perfumery brand owners. Now our aim is to make this material even more accessible, to connect with more people in the industry to share the value-added benefits of adding wood to premium beauty brands. Just last month I was in London visiting a number of design agencies, highlighting the possibilities of wood as a packaging material. It’s very much a material of the future; when sourced from ethically and sustainably managed forests, wood is an endlessly renewable packaging material.”

It is understandable that the Quadpack and Technotraf teams are feeling optimistic.

Mr Ordeig concluded, “We’re keeping ahead of the market and of our competitors. We’re continually adding innovative ideas to our portfolio and promoting the use of wood as a packaging material for brands that value premium presentation of their products.”

Mr Ordeig continued to explain how this market needed convincing of the benefits and possibilities of wood as a suitable packaging material. He said, “We had to carefully

Visit: www.quadpack.com

Packaging Europe | 89 |

A strategic

alliance Cartiera dell’Adda and Cartiera di Bosco Marengo have joined forces to become one of the major players on the European market for cardboard and multi-layer paperboard. Daniele Garavaglia looks at their investment plan and their plans for growth.

C

artiera dell’Adda SpA has been a constant market presence since the fifties, and this is no small achievement. Based in Lecco and owned by the Cima family, the Italian paper manufacturer is today run by CEO Giuseppe Cima. He begins: “Our company has a long-standing tradition but is also strongly future-oriented. We specialise in grey board production for different industries, especially for the packaging and tube sectors.”

Cartiera dell’Adda is currently worth €45 million annual turnover and, with its 85 employees, has an overall production capacity of 150,000 tonnes a year. It is a consolidated presence in the Italian market whose exports, mainly to the eurozone, are growing steadily (currently accounting for 50 per cent of volumes). | 90 | Packaging Europe

Maximum versatility The paper and board market is becoming increasingly diverse when it comes to both board quality and volume Cartiera dell’Adda has long been able to meet the demand for increased versatility, whilst choosing to use recycled paper as its main raw material and producing large quantities of medium-quality paper and cardboard.

“A major turning point for us was in 2009 when we invested nearly €10 million to modify what has become one of the biggest machine for multi-layer grey board production in Europe,” says Mr Cima. The online slitting and cutting machine, with its 4.50 m working width, moulds the final product (greyboard), obtained from mixed waste, into

various formats including boards for spiral and straight tubes, edge protectors, interlayer separators, and for graphic and converting purposes.

The implementation of this cutting-edge equipment led to a tremendous increase in production capacity and flexibility, almost doubling the company’s revenue in a five-year period. It also has a beneficial influence on the visual quality of the board produced. “We asked PMT Italia, a world leader in paper machinery manufacturing, to take care of the design and construction of a new section of the machine. They thoroughly analysed together with us our needs and technical issues and developed solutions using a highly innovative approach,” says Mr Cima.

Quality, technology and responsibility The company’s ability to offer the highest levels of quality comes from several factors: the use of state-of-the-art technology; respect for the environment; research on different product applications; production flexibility; product tracking; and excellent pre- and post-sale customer care. Furthermore, says Mr Cima, “our company is committed to cooperating with universities by promoting academic education and professional training.”

Cartiera dell’Adda has also implemented valuable social and environmental responsibility plans, the importance of which is all the more evident since its premises are located

Packaging Europe | 91 |

| 92 | Packaging Europe

OLEODINAMICA SABATINI srl Strong of its 25 years of experience in the paper-making industry, Oleodinamica Sabatini designs and manufactures power and lubrication hydraulic units, using the best world brands of components and the latest available electrohydraulic technologies.

The company’s on-going research, numerous applications produced, demand for new technical solutions and level of attention paid to energy saving- which the paper making industry demands- have allowed Oleodinamica Sabatini to become the sector leader.

The company’s range of hydraulic units covers a number of areas, ranging from mixture preparation (valves control, compactors) and continuous machines (presses, jumbo presses, shoe presses, size presses, gearbox bearing lubrication) to grinders, rewinders, finished reel handling and strapping, and reel converting machines (presses, embossers, unwinders);covering tissue and flat paper machines.

The products supplied by the company include small to large hydraulic units, made of steel, carbon or stainless steel; as well as other equipment used in units, namely normalised hydraulic cylinders, valves cabinets, flowmeter panels, electrical components and control panels.

Oleodinamica Sabatini is based in Ponte Stella (Pistoia), where it has two sites, occupying a 6000sqm overall covered area. It employs 15 staff, who are specialised in manufacturing products according to client’s requests.

Packaging Europe | 93 |

| 94 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 95 |

into the natural park of the Adda river. The company produces all its energy on-site from its own co-generation plant. Waste water is purified in a state-of-the-art, constantly monitored treatment plant to ensure maximum efficiency.

ing and commercial strategies. The vendor pool is wide and well structured: from waste paper sellers to filter manufacturers (Albany, Filcon Filters, Cristini Feltrificio, Marone), and chemical industries (Cargill, Siral, Sacchetto, Chemiba, Basf, Nimco).

Strong partnership

Opening new markets

“In order to become an international leader in the industrial use of waste paper, we partner with different Consortia for waste separation to promote environmental awareness and increase the percentage of waste collection and recycling.”

The strong growth it has experienced in the past few years has encouraged Cartiera dell’Adda to broaden its horizons and look for a production and commercial venture with a qualified partner. Cartiera di Bosco Marengo SpA was chosen because of its similar long history in the paper sector, for its €29 million turnover, 50 highly qualified employees and annual output of 90,000 tonnes. Traditionally owned by the Ghigliotti family, Cartiera di Bosco Marengo specialises in products such as coreboards used for high-strength tubes and the packaging sector.

This partnership has led to the formation of a joint venture company that has taken over both the sourcing of raw material and consumables and the development of market-

This new integrated business structure is helping Cartiera dell’Adda and Cartiera di Bosco Marengo to achieve their long-term goals: increasing production and expansion on foreign markets. “The higher technology standards we have reached will lead us to increase production volumes: +15 per cent for Cartiera di Bosco Marengo, now only a step away from its full potential; and up to 30 per cent for Cartiera dell’Adda. In addition, we can now look for new applications for our products,” explains Mr Cima.

Another key to future success will be an increased focus on internationalisation. “We need to increase our exports and open up new markets. Our joint venture company is hiring new staff to build a more dynamic, effective, and customer-oriented marketing and commercial strategy.”

| 96 | Packaging Europe

Visit: www. cartieradelladda.com

Packaging Europe | 97 |

| 98 | Packaging Europe

REAL ITALIAN ICE-CREAM In the early 1940s, Romeo Bagnoli earned himself a reputation as a maker of fine ice-creams in his dairy and icecream parlour in Empoli, Tuscany. He used the very best milk from a nearby farm called Sammontana and, in the end, the farm gave its name to the ice-cream parlour and the company that grew out of it. In the spring of 1948, his eldest son, Renzo, transformed the small parlour into a veritable ice-cream workshop. The story of a company that is now one of the most important in the Italian ice-cream market began. Laura Travierso reports.

T

oday Mr Leonardo Bagnoli, grandson of Romeo and CEO of the company, shares with us his forecast for the future of the family firm. “Sammontana is a company with an annual turnover of over €330 million. We rank number two in the Italian ice-cream market, and we are the leader in the Italian pastry market thanks to our property brands Tre Marie and Il Pasticciere.”

The reasons for the company’s success are simple: high-tech equipment, total quality assurance at every stage of the production process (including the selection of ingredients), and continuous innovation in order to anticipate and satisfy the needs of consumers, who remain the top priority. By adopting these business eth-

ics, Sammontana has become the second largest ice-cream manufacturer in Italy and the largest fully Italian-owned company, behind the multinational Algida-Unilever. The Tuscan company was also the first ice-cream manufacturer to achieve ISO 9001 certification and since 1997 has complied with this most advanced and rigorous quality standard.

The international overview Currently, international markets account for 3 per cent of the company’s turnover, but this share is expected to increase quickly and soon. In the UK and Germany,

Packaging Europe | 99 |

| 100 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 101 |

Sammontana operates as a private label, producing for well-known companies like Iceland, Edeka, Aldi Sud and Aldi Nord with brands as Mucci and Gelateria Ducali. “It is difficult to affirm our own Sammontana brand in foreign countries,” says Mr Bagnoli. “Indeed, in this industry the lion’s share is made by multinational players like Unilever or Nestlé.

“In some cases, therefore, we have chosen to enter new markets through the private label approach. We are certainly able to grant a high standard of quality in the production process, as we can offer a wide range of different product solutions, from the original or tailor made recipes to the celiac ones.”

Innovative production lines Sammontana has two ice-cream production facilities, in Empoli and Verona, and two supplementary plants dedicated to croissants – one in Vinci, near Empoli and the other in Rome. In this year alone, the company has already invested about €4 million into a new machinery line at the Empoli factory. This new production line enables the highest quality cone production standards: thanks to this, the wafer cone is worked out in a plumb-line that allows for the more even spraying of chocolate in the wafer.

| 102 | Packaging Europe

Barattolino Sammontana In 1970, Sammontana launched is first Barattolino. This was a revolution in the Italian ice-cream market: for the first time, economy-sized tubs of soft and creamy ‘mantecato’ ice-cream entered Italian homes. “Now, it’s time to launch our Barattolino all over the world,” reveals Mr Bagnoli. “Barattolino will seduce all of you. Our goal is to present the real Italian ice-cream taste in two different sizes (1000ml and 500ml) in a limited edition. The ice-cream will come in five appealing flavours: Cioccolato, the award winning toscano black 66 per cent chocolate by Amedei in a smooth and bold gelato; Affogato al caffè, a creamy coffee gelato folded with smooth coffee ripple and enriched by caramelised hazelnut pieces; Limoncello, creamy gelato with a sweet and lemony ripple of Limoncello Liqueur from the Amalfi coast enriched by white chocolate drops; Cantuccini e Vin Santo, the almond taste of cantuccini biscuits and the sweet notes of Vin Santo-a classic Tuscan pairing of flavours; and Mascarpone, rich mascarpone cheese gelato with a smooth soft fruit ripple and crunchy biscuits.

“The new flavours,” continues Mr Bagnoli, “are exclusively made for the foreign market. Our goal for the next few years is to spread the Italian ice-cream taste all over the world. For this reason we decided to start from Barattolino, our iconic brand on the domestic market.”

Opening the future

of Smurfit Kappa

Roberto Villaquiran (CEO Corrugated Division Europe) talks to Tim Sykes about Smurfit Kappa’s continuing brand evolution from paper-based packaging material manufacturing giant to indispensable supplier of packaging expertise.

Packaging Europe | 103 |

W

ith net sales of €8.1 billion in its packaging division in 2014 and 43,000 employees across 33 countries, Smurfit Kappa does not require the usual introductions to the reader. The business is active across the whole paper-based packaging spectrum, with a portfolio spanning from conventional corrugated packaging to Bag-in-Box® and folding carton, and integrated into Smurfit Kappa’s extensive mill system. However, it is not size or market position that the company emphasises when it talks to the market.

“The merger of two great companies in Smurfit and Kappa brought about a vast group in terms of geographic spread and portfolio. However, we don’t stress the fact that we are ‘big’ as such,” reveals Mr Villaquiran. “We think of being a hassle-free supplier as our great differentiator. We are easy to deal with and reliable thanks to our infrastructure, our quality of service and our commitment to providing a common method across the whole market.”

If size is not itself a USP, it is undoubtedly a strength on which Smurfit Kappa draws heavily.

“Our scale does of course lend us certain capabilities,” observes Mr Villaquiran.

“For instance, every year we are involved in some 30,000 supply chains. This builds up an enormous amount of knowledge of our market across various sectors, which we can leverage to the benefit of our customers. Meanwhile, we have some 200 operating units across Europe in our portfolio, each of which has four dedicated designers working on it. This means we have a total of around 800 designers bringing innovation to the marketplace.

“Our scale and approach allows pan-regional customers to benefit from consistency across their packaging solutions, and smaller customers from new innovations from around the globe. So you could say that our size is a crucial facet which enables us to understand our market more profoundly and carry out more in-depth, value-adding conversations with our customers.”

| 104 | Packaging Europe

Solutions, not volumes Exploiting this critical advantage in know-how is arguably strategic priority number one for Smurfit Kappa, reflected in its much heralded ‘Open the future’ initiative.

“The vision is to be a preferred end-to-end packaging provider – a business model that revolves around selling solutions, rather than selling paper by the metre, as we used to,” says Mr Villaquiran. “I should point out that ‘Open the future’ is as much an ongoing internal initiative as a branding drive to let the market know how we have changed. We recognised some time ago a need to open and energise the company, and before launching the campaign, I spent two solid months travelling around Europe visiting our sites to talk to everyone so the whole company is aligned to this ethos.”

This shift in approach is reflected in the recent launch of tools such as the six-step ‘ShelfSmart’ process. Unveiled in April 2015, ShelfSmart is a packaging solution combining and channelling the company’s expertise, consumer insights, proprietary technologies and partnerships to generate a competitive advantage at the point of purchase, as well as delivering cost reductions by optimising their supply chains from source to end markets.

Other recent innovations bringing together new technology and Smurfit Kappa’s unique market insights include the ‘3D Store Visualizer’ and ‘Shelf Viewer’. Together, these represent a range of solutions which enable the customer to compare the positioning and merchandising of up to 22,000 products, view new designs in a 3D virtual environment, and test their impact on real shoppers in a risk-free environment using online eye-tracking tools, allowing customers to make it right before making it real. Meanwhile, Smurfit Kappa’s design experience is on hand to offer bespoke packaging solutions that respond to this real-world intelligence.

Customers at the centre of the conversation These innovations offer solutions to a marketplace in which brand owners are hungrier than ever for differentiation through packaging. “Of all the decisions taken in a super-

market, our research on shopper marketing found that 76 per cent are impulse buys,” Mr Villaquiran remarks. “During a 20 minute shopping trip, on average only three minutes are spent looking at products. This means there is great onus on being able to stop, attract and seduce the consumer. One of the reasons discount retailers have been so successful in recent years is because of their strategy of offering less choice.”

In these two contexts Smurfit Kappa identifies an opportunity to help the brand owner. “The question we have to ask ourselves,” says Mr Villaquiran, “is ‘How can we help them bring products to market faster and more effectively?’ We have to move away from talking about Smurfit Kappa to talking about the customer – putting them at the centre of the discussion.”

Demand for the kind of end-to-end packaging supplier that Smurfit Kappa is positioning itself as is also boosted by a shift in how customers view packaging. “On one hand, brand owners have come to understand that packaging represents the consumer’s first engagement with the product. Packaging is therefore becoming a bigger focus of attention for brand owners. On the other hand, they are coming to realise their core competency is in product development, not in packaging. In this context they are beginning to recognise that buying into Smurfit Kappa’s expertise can shorten their time to market.”

Smurfit Kappa brings its ‘Open the future’ approach to delivering customer growth through insight and innovation into action through its network of experience centres around Europe. Now comprising nine regional centres rolled out across Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, UK, Ireland and Poland, and a recently launched Global Experience Centre in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, the facilities are hubs for developing cutting edge new packaging solutions in a deeply collaborative way, while giving customers access to expertise at a local level.

“Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies and tools, such as a Virtual Store, a Retail Insight Centre, a Shelf Viewer and a full screen cinema room, our Experience Centres provide a refreshing environment for customers to get hands on with applying real-time insights to their challenges to develop faster, better and right first time solutions for their packaging needs,” Mr Villaquiran adds.

Investing to serve the market One of the traits Mr Villaquiran emphasises is offering a consistency of approach, ethos and service wherever in the globe a customer interacts with Smurfit Kappa. This aspira-

tion is backed up by the €410 million the company invests annually in making sure its manufacturing facilities and packaging solutions are state-of-the-art.

“Installing every technology in every single plant obviously wouldn’t be cost effective,” accepts Mr Villaquiran. “However, our principle is to make sure we offer our complete range of solutions wherever our customer is located, by making sure that the very best equipment is available in each region we are active in.”

The company is currently investing heavily in digital print, with an eye on growing demand for late stage differentiation. And, as mentioned, Shelf-ready packaging is another growing market for Smurfit Kappa, reflected in significant investment in print, die cutting and perforation equipment. The business is also spending to guarantee quality and capacity in technologies such as folder gluers, corrugators, quality control and vision inspection.

Meanwhile, Smurfit Kappa enjoys the healthy condition of being able to expand its business through carefully chosen acquisitions. “This is an exciting moment for the company,” says Mr Villaquiran. “The recession happened and we are one of the organisations that weathered it and came out stronger. Smurfit Kappa exists in its present form as a summation of a series of acquisitions and mergers, and as a company one of the things we excel at is integrating new cultures. We are not arrogant and are ready to take on things that companies we acquire do better. We have already made acquisitions this year in the UK and Central America and we will continue with our policy of complementary acquisitions and moving into markets where we are not present.”

The packaging marketplace is as complex and challenging as it has ever been for brands, who have to navigate and adapt to the uncertainties of late-stage differentiation, private label, e-commerce and the focus on megabrands. According to Mr Villaquiran, the strategic course embodied by ‘Open the future’ enables Smurfit Kappa to respond to these circumstances and in the process demonstrate the many ways it can work collaboratively with customers to maximise their business success.

He concludes: “Every customer has their own specific needs. Over the course of ten years we have been building a consistent brand for Smurfit Kappa, in terms of quality, operating standards and approach to market. As a company we are relentlessly committed to opening our minds to the future to benefit our customers. Whether they come to us wanting to reduce costs, increase sales or mitigate risk, we are in a position to leverage the insights we have gained in order to help them deliver maximum business impact.”

Visit: www.smurfitkappa.com and www.openthefuture.info Packaging Europe | 105 |

One bag goes a long way

Built on the solid foundation of a strong and iconic brand, Jiffy Packaging Co. Limited is set to enter a new phase in its history, supported by a pivotal multi-million pound investment programme, strategic restructuring, and a fresh focus on developing innovations for new markets.

After celebrating 50 years of business in 2014, a game changing step in Jiffy’s journey was taken on 1 May 2014 when the business was acquired by Airpack S.p.A, Lodi, Italy from Pregis Corporation. Libby White was given a tour of the impressive UK headquarters and facilities by Fiona MacDougall, Sales and Marketing Director, and spoke with Max Weller, Managing Director, who set the scene for Jiffy’s forward-thinking plans.

1

964 saw the advent of the renowned Jiffy Padded Bag® on the UK market. Today, utilising the very same machine production started on, Jiffy continues to manufacture the same product, with the added function of a self-sealing strip applied with supplementary end-of-line equipment. Testament to the durability and design of the product, one such bag has travelled a million miles between the UK and New Zealand as two pen friends exchanged audio letters over many years. The combination of no side seams and a double glued bottom ensures a very strong construction of the bag, epitomised by its 50-years success story on the market.

From the backbone of its failsafe solutions and iconic brand, the company has also injected its unique ideas into many other products and applications, and is determined to continue on this path. Whilst competitors are targeting Jiffy’s market with lower cost, unbranded products, Jiffy is retaining its focus on performance and high quality.

New era Max Weller gives an overview of the history of Jiffy’s ownership over the past decade: “The business was acquired in 2005 by A.E.A. Investments and adopted the Pregis Corporation identity. During the recession period, Jiffy went through some difficult times and saw a rather detrimental change.

| 106 | Packaging Europe

“From 2011, we worked hard to create a turnaround. We stand today as the second leading player in the market for the products we sell in the UK with a £25m turnover and a noticeable delta between ourselves and the remaining players in the market. The business was divested on 1 May 2014 to new private owners, with a number of strategic shareholders.”

The whole of the European operations will now trade under the iconic name of Jiffy Packaging, which carries a powerful market presence in the UK. The owners plan to replicate this strong branding across Europe.

Sergio Folli is the principal shareholder of the business: as a previous owner of Airpack S.p.A and President of the European business, he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge. Max Weller adds, “Other shareholders own technology based businesses that are specific to our market which will open up new opportunities for us.”

Different ownership leads to fresh opportunities and strategies. “It hasn’t been business as usual,” Max Weller observes. “Our new owners have been focusing on identifying the market opportunities by European regions and looking to further enhance and diversify the potential sales. If there is a specific application for products we manufacture, and they have identified a market we are not currently tapped into, they have the means to help us expand.”

Initially, a two-phase investment plan will be implemented. The first phase is imminent, set to start in June 2015. A further phase of enhancement will occur in July 2015. This will add significant turnover to the business and will also open up the flexibility of Jiffy Packaging in terms of what it is able to produce. “Beyond these initial exciting developments, our new owners have already approved further investment for the first quarter of 2016, showing this will be a continuous strategy,” Max Weller is happy to share.

Diversification The comprehensive portfolio of solutions offered by Jiffy Packaging and its range of technologies become very quickly apparent when shown around the 250,000 sq. ft. facility based in Winsford, Cheshire, UK. The juxtaposition of tried and tested equipment and modern developments are found in both the machinery Jiffy uses, and its product portfolio. The ‘shake to activate’ Jiffy Padded Bag® is manufactured today and printed flexographically on the 51 year old original Jiffy machine, which sits comfortably side-by-side with end of line robotic automation introduced in 2011. Modern palletising robots were also introduced in the facility in 2007.

Jiffy possesses a wide variety of manufacturing capabilities from its one factory in the UK. It has machinery and equipment for padded bags and pads, sheet foam extrusion, fully extruded PE plank extrusion, bubble film (mono and co-extruded), bubble lined mailers, and conversion.

The vast range of protective packaging products being manufactured at any one given time is palpable as we make our way round the different lines. Fiona MacDougall says, “On top of our Jiffy Bubble Film, Jiffy Foam and Jiffy Mailers, our conversion machinery can convert the bubble and foam we produce into products with different characteristics and properties, such as pouches and sheets. Also, our laminating equipment can bond bubble or foam to each other, or with paper, metallised film, coloured film, printed film, even triple layer options are available. So there are many possibilities and flexible options for our customers.”

base materials are bonded to another substrate, real added value is delivered through changed characteristics.

“Through lamination we are able to create products with increased strength and puncture resistance, improved insulation and cushioning properties and products with varying levels of emissivity,” she is proud to share. “We can also change and improve the aesthetics of bubble film and foam by laminating a coloured or printed film which can add promotional messages to the product or customer branding. Some laminated products also aid conversion – when taking them from a roll into a pouch for example.”

One of Jiffy’s most popular ranges is the Furni range – a super strong, flexible, protective cushioning wrap used for furniture removals and distribution. It can be bespoke printed so can be branded for the end-user and four products make up the range, each lined with an alternative substrate offering varying characteristics for each application.

Jiffy also offers a range of Proflex profiles in the UK. These are manufactured in its Romanian plant, offering surface protection and edge protection to limitless packaging applications.

Added value Fiona MacDougall points out that laminated bubble and foam is one of the most popular combinations, retaining both the bounce and cushion of the bubble allied with the non-abrasive, no-scratch nature of foam. However, when either of these two

Packaging Europe | 107 |

Versatility “Our products today are much more accessible to a wider range of customers owing to the changing face of the marketplace,” underlines Fiona MacDougall.

As a flexible company, Jiffy has addressed a shift in commerce. As it is on the cusp of sharing some upcoming announcements, hints of new products and applications are rife. Max Weller points to the breadth of Jiffy’s portfolio and its adaptability to the marketplace: “Over the past ten years, our route to market has changed quite significantly. Rather than selling, in the main, to packaging distributors, we are addressing the needs of strategic markets, with enhanced product offerings for technical applications.”

He continues, “Our protective packaging offerings are driven by the growth of retail, mail order and distribution, and most significantly online retail. The demand from online retail has risen considerably, and continues to do so rapidly. Reflecting this, on top of our 150-strong staff we take on extra employees in Q4 in preparation for the huge increase we see in orders leading up to Christmas. We have adapted our product portfolio accordingly, adding smaller retail packs, multi-packs, and smaller length reels of bubble film to suit the needs of our customers.”

Jiffy also updates and adapts its processes with an eye to providing greener solutions.

Where previously certain bubble roll products for the retail and office products sector would have been wrapped in a polythene outer pack, Jiffy now offers a simple bellyband, which reduces the outer packaging and provides a neat bundle.

box helps with distribution direct to packing stations and removes the need for the disposal of the corrugated outer pack. Available in a variety of sizes, this neat, clean and easy to use format allows for increased pallet quantities, therefore improving transport yield and handling costs. For example, packing an AirKraft size 1 bubble lined mailer in this method saves +700kg of corrugated per 40’ trailer. Efficiency and cost reduction is also achieved through increased volume per pallet. AirKraft size 1 allows for 3600 units per pallet – 44 per cent more than a boxed equivalent.

Green roots

From strength to strength

The environmentally aware ethos of Jiffy is clear from the first steps into the factory.

Fiona MacDougall comments, “We try to keep waste to a minimum, and reuse waste wherever possible. We add a percentage of reclaim material into the mix of polyethylene granules, either from recovered waste in the factory, or internal recycling.” For the fully recyclable Jiffy Padded Bag®, end of newsprint and Jiffy’s office paper waste are added to the mix.

As an example of a green product, Fiona MacDougall describes the innovative Earth Aware® solution, which minimises packaging and reduces transport costs. “Our customers were asking for a more efficient process for their mailers which did not hinder their operations. So we introduced a solution which discarded the need for an outer carton.

We always listen to the needs of our customers and as a flexible business will develop a clear solution.”

Ideal for high volume mailers concerned by carbon footprint, it saves raw materials and is also more convenient for end-users, as removal of the corrugated

Jiffy will clearly remain the leading player in the market on account of its priorities, which Max Weller lists in order of importance as performance, quality and then cost. He adds, “Our brand without any doubt sets us aside from our competitors, and supporting that is the strength of our product portfolio and the fact we are a very flexible company.

We have a very can-do approach.”

Under the new ownership, Jiffy has the support to stride forward with new investments and product offerings, which Max Weller is confident will continue year after year. He concludes, “We will be going to the market place with new product offerings in 2015, and again in 2016. Over the years, we have seen the company grow into a sizeable business, with the added benefit of an iconic brand name. Fortunately we have been able to maintain the strength of that brand, as we continue to go from strength to strength.”

| 108 | Packaging Europe

Visit www.jiffy.co.uk

Packaging Europe | 109 |

Keeping it clean With over 45 years of industry experience, Switzerland-based Skan is a pioneer of cleanroom equipment and isolator design for the global pharmaceutical industry. Elisabeth Skoda spoke to Martin Glaettli, the company’s sales manager, to find out more about what makes it a leader in its field.

| 110 | Packaging Europe

S

kan’s focus is on building environments in which cleanroom conditions can be maintained and improved, with the idea of separating the operator from the process. The company’s products are mainly used in the pharmaceutical industry.

“Skan’s wide product range spans from small installations such as biosafety cabinetsand grade A sterility test isolators for the pharmaceutical production industry up to dedicated production line isolators with high throughput; and the general planning of production processing systems, such as the processing of sterile powders, where we have to integrate equipment into the isolator, which means compounding, milling, sieving, sterile packaging processes and so on,” Mr Glaettli explains.

Innovative products Skan is continuously innovating in order to stay ahead of the competition, and Mr. Glaettli highlights several new products which were launched in the past two years, starting with the PSI-L®, a new small sterile grade A working platform.

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

The PSI-L® meets all current pharmaceutical small scale processing requirements.”

A second innovation Mr Glaettli is keen to point out is Skanfog® Sara, an airlock system allowing for the safe and rapid transfer of precious content, with gentle H2O2 decontamination by micro-nebulisation.

“We are using vaporised fogged hydrogen peroxide which is sprayed into the chamber, enabling fast decontamination times.”

Last but not least, Mr Glaettli talks about SKAN BI®, a biological indicator for H2O2 decontamination processes.

“The innovative design of its carrier and immediate packaging guarantees optimal, secure handling. The SKAN BI®’s reproducibility and efficiency meets even the most stringent customer demands and cGMP requirements. Similar products have been avail-

able on the market, but not in the quality we needed to prove to our customers the quality of our decontamination system, so we decided to make our own biological indicators in our scientific lab.”

Competence centre Skan is proud of the expertise the company has gathered over many years in the industry, and its competence centre is a testimony to that.

“Our competence centre incorporates all of Skan’s profound knowledge about hydrogen peroxide decontamination. Skan looks after the entire decontamination process.

In close cooperation with stakeholders in the pharmaceutical industry and universities, the competence centre continuously improves knowledge and expertise, with specialists processing validation microbiology, applied science, and research and development.

Meanwhile a team of experts works on cycle development methods, H2O2 decontamination processes and analysis of product development,” Mr Glaettli points out.

“Within our competence centre we also work on the development and production of Skan BI®, and do lab research and material testing. Packaging for sterile pharmaceutical producs does not only have to be tested for penetration of hydrogen peroxide, but also for surface stability, i.e. chemical stability, whether the material gets pale or disintegrates, or what happens with active hydrogen peroxide. Another question is whether a material is suitable for surface decontamination with hydrogen peroxide. Not all surfaces can be cleaned in the same way. Within our competence centre we also have our dedicated R&D department with a team of four people.”

Quality for customers Customers rely on Skan as a reliable and flexible partner, as Mr Glaettli explains: “We have process knowledge in-house, and don’t outsource qualification and validation services, unlike many of our competitors. To complete the range of processing equipment we have a network of cooperation partners who work closely together with us, and who have chosen to provide the same high quality we do.”

Packaging Europe | 111 |

ChargePoint Technology

SKAN have been working with ChargePoint Technology on their aseptic range of split butterfly valves AseptiSafe©, which has been specifically designed to transfer aseptic products and components in fill/finish, biotech and sterile API production.

Working with SKAN allowed ChargePoint to independently test the valve at a microbiological level to ensure the transfers were free from any microbial contamination.

During testing, exposed faces of the Passive and Active halves of the valve were inoculated with a Grade C level of viable contamination, before being docked together and 20mm vial stoppers transferred. Multiple transfers with thousands of stoppers were tested and incubated in SKAN’s laboratory.

The testing was completed with excellent results, showing that all stoppers were free from any microbial contamination.

Getinge La Calhène Getinge La Calhène provides leak-tight transfer systems for secure ultra-clean transfer of sterile and/or toxic materials, into and out of clean zones such as isolators.

Getinge’s DPTE® solutions are installed on isolators and production lines in pharmaceutical plants throughout the world, with Skan being a most valued customer.

Getinge La Calhène’s new DPTE®-XO system provides faster connections. The functioning principle of the DPTE®-XO Alpha port ensures that during the transfer there is no rotation, either of the Alpha flange or the Beta part. The absence of rotation brings ergonomic benefits and reduces particles creation (friction minimized).

The DPTE®-XO provides an extra degree of security while being backwards compatible with the entire DPTE® range of products and accessories already installed worldwide.

| 112 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 113 |

Sartorius Sartorius and SKAN together have a long and successful partnership in providing latest technologies and solutions to the pharmaceutical market. Sterility testing is one of the most important applications in Quality Control of Pharmaceuticals. In this respect, the Sterisart® Universal Pumps for liquid transfer during the test can be gas-tight integrated in the surface of the Isolator. Besides, the validated H2O2 impermeable foil of the filtration disposables allows direct use of Sterisart®NF in Isolators. For a perfectly smooth, long time operation Sartorius provides adapted service and training programs. Additionally, critical process data such as Barcodes of the Sterisart®NF units can be scanned, stored, saved and transferred with the integrated Barcode scanner.

castus GmbH & Co.KG – for a safe and smooth transfer process castus is a German manufacturer of RTP Ports, standard sizes 105-620, with their own patented safety interlock system.

They have dedicated their recent developments to facilitating the process planning of their worldwide customers in the cleanroom sector.

As a very flexible and innovative supplier, which sets great value upon quality and close cooperation with their customers, they share a common company policy with Skan.

To receive more information about their diverse range of products from alpha Ports over Rotating Ports and technically advanced beta equipment to trolleys, visit their homepage www.castus.pro.

| 114 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 115 |

DE-STA-CO DE-STA-CO is a pioneering manufacturer of innovative material handling tools for a wide range of industries on a worldwide basis. With focus on clean room applications in pharmaceutical industry, DE-STA-CO provides Central Research Laboratories (CRL) manipulation, transfer and remote handling equipment, which allow human operators to safely perform dexterous maneuvers in hazardous or sterile environments. CRL Push-Through Glove System allows for the interchangeability between gloves, viewing windows, bag-outs, and plugs without losing enclosure containment or risking the spread of contamination.

DE-STA-CO and SKAN are in a long-year cooperation providing innovative solutions to improve quality and safety in the pharmaceutical industry.

Skan also provides training for GMP and FDA inspectors to learn more about hydrogen peroxide decontamination and bio burden reduction on surfaces.

The company is proud of the quality it can provide to customers. “We are global market leader, with over 150 filling isolators and over 200 lab isolator installations running worldwide. Our clear goal is to keep no applications that are not running because of Skan’s nonperformance. This is how we prove the quality of our installations,” Mr Glaettli points out.

From Switzerland to the world Skan’s headquarters are located in Allschwil in Switzerland, where engineering and assembly is also situated. The manufacturing site for the steelwork isolator is located close to Basel and is taken care of by sister company Hasler.

A recent major investment was the opening of Skan Germany. The site in Görlitz takes care of steel work and pre-assembly.

“Setting up Skan Germany was the right step at the right time, and will be particularly beneficial to us because of the currently strong Swiss Franc,” Mr Glaettli adds.

Skan works closely with a wide range of partners and suppliers to guarantee the best quality for its customers. “We refer to our suppliers as cooperation partners, and we work with well-known names in the industry, such as Bausch & Stroebel, Groninger, Uhlmann, Atec, Harro Hoefliger, and Rohrer Packaging Machines as well as transfer port specialists Getinge, Castus, CRL and Sartorius.

Skan is well represented all over the world with established subsidiaries Skan US and Skan Japan. “We are also working in China, India and South America, and picking up momentum there,” Mr Glaettli adds.

Skan will continue on its successful path and diversify further in the future. “We are looking in the direction of offering general planning of large processing systems and general engineering of production processes, i.e. not just selling a machine but offering an integrated engineered process” Mr Glaettli concludes.

Visit: www.skan.ch

| 116 | Packaging Europe

The feeder specialists

R

onTech, headquartered in Graubünden, Switzerland, specialises in feeders and supply systems. The company was founded by Kurt and his son Jörg Roncoletta in 1993 and today is run by his son and daughter-in-law.

Claudio Margadant begins: “Today we considered to be one of the leading companies in the area of feeders and supply systems. Many well-known manufacturers in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food and toy industries rely on RonTech products.”

RonTech devices are used in numerous industrial applications, but especially in the pharmaceutical sector. One of the most frequent applications is the patient information leaflets that come with medications. However, its solutions also include a wide variety of customised feeding and automation systems.

Claudio Margadant says: “We develop and build compact feeding systems for flat products of all kinds and have also developed SpaceFeeder, the universal infeed system for bulk material. Since we design these machines ourselves, we offer special customised solutions

RonTech is a Swiss family run business that develops, designs and builds friction feeders, vacuum feeders, rotation feeders and space feeders for the pharmaceutical and food industry as well as other applications such as cosmetics, toys and mores besides. Marco Siebel spoke to sales manager Claudio Margadant to find out more about the company.

for many feeding tasks that can be inserted seamlessly into your sorting and packaging lines.

All of our products feature high quality, functionality, sturdy processing and a contemporary industrial design. They are user-friendly, very low maintenance and CE-compliant.”

Investments In 2014 RonTech invested in the latest CNC drilling technology. For 2015 it will invest in one more 5-axis computer controlled milling machine. Its workforce of 45 now have even more room in the expanded production facility, where they will continue to design and custom build OEM machines for clients the world over.

Claudio Margadant continues: “All of our machines are built on-site, at our recently expanded production facility in Graubünden. Being a Original Equipment Manufacturer, one can find our machines all over the world; 80 per cent of our direct customers are based in Europe and the USA, whilst 20 per cent are based in Switzerland.”

Packaging Europe | 117 |

Advanced technology Both the RonTech friction feeder type MF and CompactFeeder CoF2 are used wherever flat products of all types are fed into a packaging material using the principle of friction for processing.

Claudio Margadant tells us: “Selecting the correct type of friction feeder is based primarily on the size of the product and on the output customers want. We offer our standard devices in a modular system. A standardised basic device is complemented by customerspecific options. This ensures that a customer receives exactly the device he or she needs.”

The revolver magazine is available in combination with the type MF friction feeder.

The system uses the feeder’s automatic filling capabilities. Products to be processed are inserted directly into the tray holder in the original tray. This makes it possible to reach a filling height of up to 900mm. As an option, loose packaged products can be added to trays specially designed for use in the device. Leaflets, booklets and blisters are the most frequently processed products. Use of a revolver magazine means the process is largely

| 118 | Packaging Europe

autonomous. The product guiding in the feeder magazine is extremely precise, thereby practically excluding sources of error.

SpaceFeeder and Pick&Place feeders The SpaceFeeder is used for separating and feeding loose film bags, four-sided sealing bags, flow packs, 3D bags and much more besides.

The Pick&Place stands out thanks to its slim design and variable operational area range. It is available as a multi-lane unit as well as with synchronised transverse stroke, enabling it to be used on continuous, high-speed packaging machines.

Claudio Margadant: “Because the technical layout has been meticulously designed, service and maintenance tasks can be performed very easily and in a very short time frame. The few parts that are subject to wear and tear can be replaced with a few simple manual motions. Since our products are being marketed the world over we pay a lot of attention to longevity and ease of maintenance.”

“Our products are bought by packaging machine producers that serve the pharmaceutical and food industry. Those two industries are where we expect further growth in Europe and USA but also in India and the South American continent.”

Rotation feeder RonTech rotation feeders (‘drum feeders’) are used to feed single sheets, newspapers and brochures up to DIN A3. Products are removed from the product magazine by a rotary claw movement and transferred to the packaging process. RonTech rotation feeders are used in graphics, printing and mailing, but can also be found in other applications.

we expect further growth in Europe and USA but also in India and the South American continent. We are talking here about an annual increase in turnover of more than 10 per cent for the next couple of years.”

Visit: www.rontech.ch

Collating systems and TopSorter The RonTech collating systems consist of a number of successive feeding devices attached to a collating section. A transfer module, manual handling stations and emptying stations can be added to the unit. The collating system is a highly customised, client-specific system that can be used with any feeding system from the RonTech product line. This makes it possible to meet almost all requirements encountered when collating a product for a packaging unit. The RonTech collating systems are also available as a basic device without feeding systems.

A new product from RonTech, the TopSorter – a machine that adds leaflets to can & bottle tops – will be launched by the company at the Achema show in Frankfurt am Main in June 2015.

Future expectations As is often the case with family owned and run businesses, the growth of the company depends on its own resources; no take-overs are planned, just sturdy craftsmanship and innovative adaptability to customers’ specific demands.

Claudio Margadant concludes: “Our products are bought by packaging machine producers that serve the pharmaceutical and food industry. Those two industries are where Packaging Europe | 119 |

| 120 | Packaging Europe

Celebrating success This year, Robino & Galandrino is celebrating its first 50 years as a leading manufacturer of automatic machines for the secondary sealing of bottles. The company continues to invest in technology to innovate and diversify its offer.

Daniele Garavaglia reports.

E

very day, millions of bottles of champagne, whisky or beer are opened throughout the world. Many of those bottles have been capped and sealed using machines manufactured by Robino & Galandrino, a company established 50 years ago in Canelli (Asti), in the land of ‘spumante’, the traditional Italian sparkling wine. After half a century, and five years of extraordinary success, Robino & Galandrino is looking to the future with great confidence, under the guidance of president Andrea Tacchella and CEO Lorenzo Rosselli.

Meeting market demands According to sales manager Fabrizio Panza: “We specialise in the production of machines for the secondary sealing of any kinds of bottles and products. The solutions we offer can meet the most demanding market needs. We supply our products to all major wine producing companies in the world, as well as to many cider makers, breweries, distilleries, oil mills and vinegar manufacturers.

“It is no coincidence that 80 per cent of our production is sold abroad, mainly in France where we have a 95 per cent market share. Our products are used for some of the most famous champagne brands, from Dom Perignon to Krug, Veuve Cliquot and

Crystal. Other important markets are the UK, where our customers include Ballantines or Glen Grant, and the US, both for spirits and beer. We also enjoy a consolidated position in Russia, whilst in the past few years the strategic importance of the Chinese market has also grown.” The company’s global success has resulted in the doubling of production and revenue in the last five years.

When asked what might account for this tremendous increase, Mr Panza explains: “We have grown with the market, always focusing on designing and producing clientoriented equipment. Customisation is our working philosophy. We have found that the bigger the client is, the higher their customisation requirement will be. This is why the market acknowledges that two features strongly distinguish us from our competitors: leadership in system technology, resulting from the hard work of our R&D department; and the structural soundness of our machines, designed for high-output industrial use.”

Wide range of automatic machines Robino & Galandrino’s core products are its Rekord automatic rotary wirehooding machines, for the automatic dispensing and closing of metal wirehoods onto champagne bottles (production speeds from 4000 b/h to 25,000 b/h). These machines include

Packaging Europe | 121 |

automatic pick-up systems and wirehood dispensers, bottle infeed screws, multiple-head rotary carousels for wirehood closing, and electronic controls for starting or stopping the machine based on bottle flow at the entry/exit of the line. All machine functions are controlled by a central control panel through a PLC and an inverter. Rekord T, a monobloc automatic rotary version, is available for corking and wirehooding champagne bottles when space issues have to be considered.

As for capsulating machines, Robino & Galandrino’s range includes as many as seven different automatic machines: from automatic distribution and rolling monoblocs to the revolutionary Poker system for the application of any types of capsules.

Partnership with world leading companies “For electronic and control systems, we rely on leading vendors in the markets to which we export, since they are already aware of the issues local users are facing. To mention just a few, we work with Schneider Telemecanique for France, Siemens for Germany and Allen-Bradley for the USA. SMC and Festo are our vendors for pneumatic components.

Omron, Schneider, Danfoss, and Allen-Bradley supply us with inverters, while for geared motors and drive systems we rely on Bonfiglioli and Sew-Eurodrive,” explains Mr Panza.

Other technical collaborations are developing within the company. At the end of 2012, Robino & Galandrino acquired Omar (now renamed Omar R&G) – a competitor specialising in automatic machines. “Besides producing low/medium output bottling machines, Omar R&G has expanded our range with the addition of washing-drying machines and bottle heating tunnels.”

Another fast-growing area for the company is packaging. Its TS Packaging Division handles the design and manufacturing of complete automatic systems for filling pouches, such as flexible bags for packaging liquid (juices, soups, detergents, etc.) and dry products (powders, drugs, seeds, toiletries, etc.).

| 122 | Packaging Europe

Three directions for growth Robino & Galandrino’s success is in part based on taking advantage of the synergies within each of its divisions, and this will continue to shape the group’s development. As such, Mr Panza tells us: “We are planning our growth in three directions. Our business is our priority – i.e. the development of new models of capsuling and sealing machines and

the expansion into new markets. Then comes production and commercial integration with Omar R&G to offer our customers and prospects a wider range of equipment. And last but not least, focusing systematically on pouches – a market that is currently seeing double-digit growth.�

Packaging Europe | 123 |

Service and innovation Multipack designs and manufactures automatic packaging machinery for both the pharma & cosmetic and the tissue sectors. What makes it stand out is its high level of innovation and service, as Barbara Rossi found out in a conversation with general manager Davide Angelini.

| 124 | Packaging Europe

M

ultipack Srl was established in the Bologna area of northern Italy in 1979.

Its founder, Aldo Stupazzoni, who still owns the company today, started by manufacturing packaging machines for the pharmaceutical sector. In the 1980s the company began to produce wrappers for the tissue industry (specifically for folded products).

Today Multipack, which is still a family company with roots firmly established in the Bologna area, manufactures packaging machinery for both the pharma & cosmetic and the tissue sectors. Mr Angelini specified, “While we serve the tissue sector directly, we supply the pharma & cosmetic industry through our partnership with the Marchesini Group. Our product portfolio is extremely wide, employing various technologies. Our range of automatic packaging machinery includes wrappers, stretch wrappers, stretch banders, case packers, de-packers, and tray/box formers. Our stretch wrappers, stretch banders and tray/box formers are mainly supplied to the pharma & cosmetic sector, as are the de-packers. Wrappers (offering full wrapping or banding) and case-packers are mainly manufactured for the folded tissue industry.”

Bespoke solutions Customisation plays an extremely important role, because machines are designed to suit different products; hence Multipack pays the utmost attention to engineering, in which it invests significant resources. Around 20 per cent of its employees work in R&D, as 40 per cent of the annual output consists of brand new models. “In fact, whilst not all of our machines are customised, a large percentage of them are, especially those for the cosmetic sector where sophisticated packaging is key.

“When I joined Multipack we were only making one model for the tissue sector, but now we have 12 different versions. The tissue range has experienced the greatest expansion in recent years, even if (unlike in the cosmetic segment) tissue packaging

has a purely logistical and hygienic function. It has to be economical at the same time.

We are world leaders when it comes to the supply of automated packaging machines for the folded tissue sector.

“Listening to our customers – being their partners rather than simply their suppliers – has been the basis of our product development. Thanks to this, today we can offer our clients anything that they might need for their tissue products. We serve all the major manufacturers of tissue products. Specifically, our machines are used for the packaging of napkins, towels, place mats, tablecloths and facial tissue.”

The company strongly believes in innovation. As mentioned earlier, every year Multipack produces a significant number of brand new prototypes, leading to new machine models. “Innovation is extremely important to differentiate ourselves from our competitors, especially those based in the Far East. Service is equally important. For this reason, we invest in R&D on a continuous basis. In recent years we have made it a policy to introduce a new machine each year. We invest in innovation for all of the segments that we serve. We recently produced a machine for an American client, designed and manufactured according to their specifications and in compliance with American standards.

These were quite different from our usual machines in terms of speed and capacity.”

Significant partnership “Our partnership with the Marchesini group is extremely valuable to us. We supply them with a range of machines which are integrated into and complete their packaging lines.

We are their sole supplier of these types of machine and we only supply these machines to them. We also supply them with all the relevant ancillary services, such as start-up.

Thanks to their commercial network we can distribute our products all over the world.

Working with Marchesini for such a vast market (pharma & cosmetic) helps us to remain up-to-date in terms of technology.”

Packaging Europe | 125 |

Around 60 per cent of the company’s turnover is generated by the tissue segment, while machinery for the pharma & cosmetic industry accounts for the rest. Whilst it sometimes supplies individual machines, it also offers turn-key solutions for the tissue industry, offering a number of linked machines or acting as a system integrator. This happens a lot for the South American and Middle Eastern markets, which use different packaging sizes for tissue products. Multipack supplies them with both primary and secondary packaging machinery.

Global sales Europe, defined geographically rather than in terms of EU boundaries and thus including parts of Russia, generates about 60 per cent of turnover. Italy only accounts for a small percentage of this. “We almost have a monopoly in Mediterranean Europe, including France. We are also well established on northern European markets and in the European part of Russia, as well as exporting to some other world regions.” This mainly applies to the tissue sector, as distribution for the pharma & cosmetics segment takes place through the Marchesini group and is more homogenous, covering all regions of the world.

Future geographical development in the pharma &cosmetic sector will depend on the requirements of the Marchesini Group. Meanwhile, in terms of tissue industry products, Mr Angelini explained: “We are investing a lot in North America (US and Canada) as we really believe in the potential of this market. Here tissue consumption is almost double that of Italy. As explained earlier, we have recently developed a new machine according to US specifications. South America also offers good growth prospects, owing to a standard of living and demographic increase, resulting in higher volumes of tissue consumption. I think that North Africa will also offer growth opportunities, as soon as the political situation has settled down. Finally, there is a lot of interest in the Middle East, as they really appreciate European-made machinery and new technologies.

“In addition to geographical expansion, our future growth will depend on innovation and service levels. This is what differentiates us from our competitors. We are investing a lot in customer services, taking on new staff and so on. With regard to innovation, we are developing two new machine models for various sectors, which we believe will play an important role in our future growth.”

The ISO 9001 certified company manufactures and assembles its products in Italy, operating from a sole site in Casalecchio di Reno (Bologna) where 50 people are

| 126 | Packaging Europe

employed. The company has supplied and installed over 2500 machines worldwide, and has about 700 clients and 46 machine models in its portfolio. Last year it achieved a turnover of €12 million Euros turnover, which this year is expected to increase to over €14 million. The role of suppliers is vital in the success of the company. In fact, similarly to many Bologna area-based companies, Multipack has a network of locally based and highly reliable external suppliers to which it outsources its component manufacturing processes. This allows the company to maintain a yearly output of about 100 machines a year, while directly employing only 50 people. The role of these suppliers is therefore very important. “They supply us with high quality and reliable products and services, contributing to our success.”

Visit: www.multipack.net

Packaging Europe | 127 |

Delivering safer

IBC packaging Dyntec is a market leader in the development and manufacture of paperboard containers for the safe shipment of liquid and solid bulk products. Packaging Europe asked Ronald Jurgens, the company’s managing partner, about its latest innovative products and plans for future growth.

| 128 | Packaging Europe

PE: Dyntec was founded in 1999. Could you tell me about the development of the company since then?

RJ: Since its foundation Dyntec has been committed to the development of paperboard containers for liquid and solid bulk products. Our main goal is to offer overall packaging solutions that enable the safe shipment of goods to any destination worldwide, in order to meet the latest international regulations and guarantee time-to-market for either nutritional or industrial products.

PE: Two years ago Dyntec invested in a new manufacturing plant. What additional capabilities did this add to your company and what results has it brought?

RJ: We established a new production facility in Chile in 2012 and with this state-of-theart plant we now not only supply Chilean exporters with different types of containers for bulk products, such as wine, concentrates, purees, fish oil and dried fruits, but we also have a leading position the Southern Cone. From our plants in Argentina and

Chile we supply a vast array of companies not only in Argentina and Chile but also in Peru and Uruguay. Chile, however, is a very export orientated market where we have gained a strong reputation as a reliable supplier of agro-industrial products.

In Chile we have been supplying high-quality products and profiting from the country’s ‘counter-season’, where Chile has a competitive advantage, but in order to deliver these products companies here require reliable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly packaging of the type that Dyntec can supply.

PE: Dyntec is known as a producer of innovative corrugated packaging solutions. Could you please tell me about your range of products and their market applications?

RJ: Dyntec manufactures Corrugated Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBC) for liquid and solid products at our manufacturing plants in Argentina and Chile. Our containers are designed to reduce costs across the value chain and are considered a cost-effective alternative compared to similar containers in wood, metal and plastic.

Our packaging also ensures faster assembly, thus reducing labour costs, and it also takes up less storage space. In addition, we can reduce transportation costs as we can ship our containers folded and they are 100 per cent recyclable.

Packaging Europe | 129 |

PE: How important is innovation to your business? Do you produce bespoke solutions or work on innovations that meet the changing needs of the market?

RJ: As stated in ‘Our Mission’, Dyntec will stay at the forefront in the development of innovative, sustainable, efficient and reliable packaging solutions. For example in 2013–2014 we launched four new designs: Dynaseed, which is a container for transgenic seed that can hold up to 500kg; Dynakraft, which is a versatile container for different solid products such as PET; Dynabulk, which is ideal for milk powder; and a new version of our Dynafruit packaging for fresh fruit, which replaces the traditional wooden bin.

PE: What would you describe as Dyntec’s main selling points as a business and why do your customers choose to work with you?

RJ: As our containers are technical products they cannot be sold ‘off-the-shelf ’. We work closely with our customers to ensure that their products receive the best possible packaging solutions. During this process we build a very strong relationship with them, as our customers undergo a very strict approval procedure. Our consultative training method includes on-site training for assembly and filling as well as conditioning for shipment and finally the dispensing procedure.

| 130 | Packaging Europe

PE: Where are your most important markets?

RJ: The trend of developing global suppliers is leveraging the growth of subsidiaries located in the Southern Cone and raising national standards to a world-class level. This is one key fact that we consider will boost Dyntec’s growth as we meet international standards and manufacture packaging solutions in line with the quality requirements of receivers. We are able to fulfil their needs in terms of cost, versatility, strength and recyclability.

PE: Finally, are there any other aspects of your business that you would like us to cover in this interview?

RJ: Dyntec is aiming to become a strategic supplier of IBCs in the Southern Cone. We manufacture our paperboard containers according to international standards using large virgin timber fibre liners that guarantee a world-class product. We have been approved by the relevant multinational companies and are proud to have Nestle, P&G, DOW, Henkel. L’Oreal, and HB Fuller amongst our customers, who have all decided that Dyntec is the right choice!

For further details of Dyntec’s innovative IBC packaging products and services visit: www.dyntec.com.ar

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE This year the German company Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH will celebrate its 80th anniversary. In the run-up to this important event, Vanja Švačko spoke to the company’s managing partner Andreas Lichtenauer and Christian Kirchbaumer, team leader communication and marketing, about the key highlights of its extraordinary history.

Packaging Europe | 131 |

T

he company was originally founded as ‘galvanic shops’ in 1935 by Reinold Hagen, who was not only the founder but also the inventor of the first commercial blow moulding machines in Europe. This explains why Kautex Maschinenbau has always been considered as a pioneer in its field, and why it continues to develop new technologies to stay at the forefront of its industry.

The first Kautex machine, for blow molding PVC tubes, was invented in 1949 for experimental purposes, followed by the standard ‘V8’ machine in 1954. Shortly after, the company started exporting machines to the USA, which marked a vital milestone in its history. Kautex sold both machinery and blow moulded products and started with 10-litre vessels in 1950, reaching a volume of 5000 litres in the 1970s with the production of the first plastic oil tanks for domestic heating. In 1973 Kautex presented the world’s first automotive plastic fuel tank from serial production. In the same decade its machinery arm was established as Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH – a spin-off of the Kautex company which was sold to Krupp in 1977. Another milestone came in 1989 with the introduction of the first six-layer co-extrusion machine for the production of plastic automotive fuel tanks.

“Because of the increasing concern for environmental protection in the 1990s, alongside some of our clients we developed a fuel tank production process with a barrier layer inside the tank to prevent hydrocarbons permeating through the tank wall. Up to this

| 132 | Packaging Europe

point, the attempts to continue reducing the amount of hydrocarbon emissions that pass through plastic has been one of the major priorities for R&D,” said Mr. Lichtenauer.

In 2010, in cooperation with Vitec USA, Kautex Maschinenbau introduced the C3LS® blow moulding process, to fulfil the PZev/LEV3 requirements With a more than 80 per cent market share in the automotive industry (plastic fuel tank machinery), Kautex Maschinenbau is a clear leader in that segment. “But when it comes to the packaging sector,” explained Mr. Lichtenauer, “there is a completely different picture. Many companies are in competition with many different levels of product quality.

Over the past few years we have achieved sales of around €110 million so Kautex can be considered among the largest in its field in those terms.”

Balancing demands In his earlier interview for Packaging Europe Mr. Lichtenauer had mentioned the company’s plans to increase its packaging activities and this strategy continues to be implemented. Alongside this, Kautex has been strengthening its business in China, North America and certain African markets. As recent sales in Asia show, especially in the dairy-processing sector where a barrier layer is an essential part of the package, there has been an increased demand for its KCC and KBB machines. The all-electric KBB machine was launched at the K2013 as a new benchmark for consumer packaging. “Apart

from the machines already running in Asia, we are working on a big contract in North America for a similar application for sensitive beverages. The complete extrusion blow moulding line has an output of more than 25,000 bottles per hour and we are expecting to secure the order this spring,” claimed Mr. Lichtenauer. “China is another large market where the applications are mostly used for vitamin or flavour-enriched milk drinks. For this industry, the plan is to fortify sales by investing in a few lines every year, with each consisting of five to ten machines.”

we have to make extra efforts to attract young experts by offering them education and practical training in our subsidiaries abroad.”

“Taking into consideration our global platform that enables us to offer complex services and different applications, I have to say that there is no equal to Kautex internationally. It is quite challenging to defend this position on a daily basis, but we are doing it by pursuing further global expansion, decentralisation and innovation,” concluded Mr. Lichtenauer.

Unique services

Visit: www.kautex-group.com

The decisive advantages of Kautex’s business portfolio include its comprehensive services, including training, a 24/7 customer hotline, worldwide service technicians and the technical centre (Technikum) for research. The technical centre is in Germany, and there are plans to open additional centres at its subsidiaries in China (Shunde) and the Unites States (New Jersey).

The company is also trying new types of, biologically degradable raw materials and is working on reducing bottle weights. As a part of its consultancy business, Kautex is looking at ways to improve cycle times and production processes.

Kautex trains its customers’ staff in the use of its equipment in order to help them optimise their production processes. Although the training centre is in Germany, the company also offers similar services for customers worldwide.

Kautex’s latest service offering involves training on virtual machines (without material consumption or risk of damage) which simulate a real production process, including potential malfunctions. “Market feedback is already very positive so we will demonstrate a virtual machine alongside our new KBB machine at the NPE show (Florida) in March 2015,” stated Mr. Christian Kirchbaumer.

“We are an international company providing elaborate technical services worldwide.

Our portfolio is well-diversified, from KCC machines that can make very small bottles up to larger KBS machines for plastic fuel tanks or other large industrial containers such as intermediate bulk containers (IBC) and drums. We also work with composite materials, with one line already running in India and another planned for Africa.”

The company has recently extended its business to include the development of production technologies for LPG, CNG and hydrogen pressure vessels. Other projects for Kautex Maschinenbau include the development of blow moulding machines for garden storage sheds or aircushions for sport shoes.

Celebrating eight decades Kautex Maschinenbau is planning to celebrate its 80 years of business at an Open House event in late September.

Looking back on decades of relentless achievements, Mr. Lichtenauer stressed that the company has always relied on the skills of its employees. “As a medium-sized company Packaging Europe | 133 |

European quality from Turkey

Turkish flexible packaging manufacturer Bak Ambalaj offers the strategic benefits of being part of a larger group while delivering fresh, innovative packaging solutions to its customers worldwide. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to General Manager Murat Yildiz to find out more.

| 134 | Packaging Europe

Comexi Group Comexi Group works on a daily basis to build and maintain sustainable long term partnerships with clients in order to support their businesses.

Comexi Group, as a leading company specializing in machinery solutions for the flexible packaging conversion industry, and Bak Ambalaj have joined forces to drive Turkish market by meeting the most stringent demands.

Bak Ambalaj is planning to increase its production capacity while offering better products to its customers. To reach its goals, Bak Ambalaj puts its trust over the years in more than 10 cutting edge Comexi pieces of printing and finishing machinery.

Packaging Europe | 135 |

B

ak Ambalaj manufactures flexible packaging for more than 200 customers in over 40 countries The Turkish-based company produces a wide variety of flexible packaging solutions for even complex requirements, which General Manager Murat Yildiz told Packaging Europe is a key ingredient in its recipe for success. He said, “We are very flexible, we can always come up with a smart solution to our customers’ packaging needs and we are very proud of our ability to develop functional, attractive packaging that adds shelf appeal and provides prolongued shelf-life that meets and exceeds customer expectations.”

Established in 1973 by Enver Bakioglu, Bak Ambalaj has always been focused on flexible packaging, with its first product the flexo-printed outer packages for pasta.

The company’s expertise in food packaging has continued to mark its growth and development, with this being its largest sector and the one with which the name Bak Ambalaj is most associated. Continuous growth and progress followed, with state-of-the-art facilities and additional sites added to its location in one of Turkey’s largest and most modern industrial zones, Izmir Ataturk Organised Industrial Zone. The 4 different plants and a big warehouse are built to provide sustainability and a good covered Business Contingency Plan.

As Turkey’s leading flexible packaging company, Bak Ambalaj is part of the Bakioglu Holding Company, which is operating as a vertically integrated group of companies with productions of BOPP films, PE blown films and rotogravure cylinders. Proud of its high global standards and reputation for excel¬lence, the Holding Company brings true strength and solidity to Bak Ambalaj’s day-to-day and long-term activities.

Always investing Bak Ambalaj’s most recent investments include its increase in production capacity thanks to the installation of a new 10-unit flexo printing machine an 11 unit rotogravure printing machine and new solvent based and solvent free laminations machine. It also started operations in its European Logistics Centre in the Netherlands in 2013, which has played an important role in its continued expansion in western Europe in particular. In 2014 a subsidiary in Germany has been created. The Technical Service and Commercial team presence in Germany is a new step in the history of the company Bak Ambalaj which aims to be closer to the Market and provide better services. Mr Yildiz explained, “We are very well positioned to serve our customers wherever they are in the world; Turkey is a great gateway to Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, Africaand many other locations by sea as we are located very close to a major port. We are close to Europe both in terms of location and mentality, and especially quality expectations, while having the distinct cost advantage of being based in Turkey. It’s a very appealing offer for our customers.

| 136 | Packaging Europe

In order to act as a European producer, our next plan is the establishment of new sales organisations in the different parts of Western Europe” added Mr Yıldız Offering door-to-door deliveries of flexible packaging worldwide, with custom¬ers in Europe and as far apart as North America Bak Ambalaj’s new expansion route will be the emerging markets in all Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Mr Yildiz noted, “We work with many of the world’s leading brands already as they appreciate our high level of flexibility to adapt any fast pacing environment, cost competitiveness coupled with our high quality guaranteed. We have a very good reputation in the market so the role of our sales team is not so hard – the Bak Ambalaj name is very positive. With our strong and experienced teams we aim to increase our strong foot print in our European Home Markets and grow furtherly in the Emerging Markets”

Expanding flexible portfolio The Bak Ambalaj product portfolio includes a wide range of flexible packaging solutions, with a core focus on the food packaging sector. It includes packaging for snack foods, biscuits and confectionary, bread and fresh food, instant foods, dried foods, pasta, coffee and tea. The company also offers packaging for chemical and hygiene products and other products. Working with major global brands such as, Milka, Carte Noir, Nescafe, Lipton and Knorr, the company’s production process includes pre-print, production and application. Mr Yildiz said, “We have many great experts in their field working in our R&D, pre-press and graphics departments in order to enable us to continue to offer the very best flexible packaging solutions. We have the very latest facilities in-house, including a laser scribing machine, so that we can design and produce packaging with desirable options such as horizontal line laser scribing for easy-open packages.”

Bak Ambalaj is increasingly active in the pet foods, frozen food, health care, hygenic products packaging sector, which repre¬sent an important part of its future growth strategy. Mr Yildiz concluded, “We are always keen to stay one step ahead, both of the competition and of our customers’ demands. Our short-term aim is to utilise our extensive production capacity, which we are well on track to do. Our longer-term aim is to increase our footprint in all the major European countries, with a clear focus on our core business of flexible food packaging. We will also continue to expand our pet food packaging activi¬ties and will boost our profile in the frozen food packaging sector too. It’s all about increasing our visibility to major brands that will appreciate and benefit from our European mentality and Turkish cost advantage.”

Visit: www.bakambalaj.com.tr

Cerutti The long term relationship between Bak Ambalaj and Cerutti Group has been consolidated two years ago with the installation - at Bak-2 production plant, Izmir - of an innovative rotogravure printing machine Cerutti model R984, featuring the most advanced technical solutions and able to produce at very high speed with in-line lamination and in-line water-based cold seal application.

The unique solutions adopted on this printing and converting line gave to Bak Ambalaj the possibility to compete among the most important European converters of flexible materials; at the same time, Cerutti has confirmed to be one of the most recognized and well-know manufacturer of printing and converting lines for this industry.

Packaging Europe | 137 |

A passion for plastics

With its roots in the south of Spain, SP Group has grown from a small local manufacturer of plastic bags for bread to a major provider of flexible packaging. Elisabeth Skoda visited the company’s headquarters and production facility in Villarrubia, Cordoba as well as the production site in Espiel, and spoke to Francisco Bernal, the company’s CEO and managing director, and Maria Eugenia Gonzalez Alvarez, the company’s marketing manager, to find out about its comprehensive product range, impressive growth and plans for the future.

| 138 | Packaging Europe

SP

Group manufactures flexible plastic, coextruding and laminating films to use in food wrapping. These materials are used in a wide range of food products as legumes, frozen foods, snacks and confectionery products, among others. Our offer includes flexographic, offset and rotogravure printing. SP Group also manufactures thermoforming films for semirigid trays, blister packaging or other market usages.

“The company started out under the name Plastienvase in 1985, as a small company manufacturing plastic bags for the bread market. Since then we have worked hard and invested heavily. We started out with nothing, and in 2014 we closed with a turnover of €114 million,” Mr Bernal is proud to point out.

Despite its impressive growth over the last 30 years, the company is still family owned. “My grandfather founded the company, my father recently retired, and now my cousins and I are running the company,” Mr Bernal says.

Flexible solutions Up to 90 per cent of SP Group’s business is in the food industry, and the remainder is made up with pharmaceutical and laboratory applications, technical films for the car industry and agriculture.

SP Group benefits from a high degree of specialisation in the food packaging industry, and offers a wide range of high quality flexible films. These films can be printed with rotogravure, flexographic or offset technology.

“We have the technology to conserve products’ flavour and freshness, and offer thermoformed films with up to nine layers. We can also produce laminations with different materials such as paper, anti- staining lacks, sterilisation films, and re-closable films that can seal directly onto mono aPET. For products that are to undergo a thermal process, we offer pasteurisable and sterilisable films for trays and pouches to be put into microwaves,” Mr Bernal explains.

“Our R&D department is extremely busy, we have at least three or four new projects to work on every month. We also work closely with universities and research institutions in order to be able to present our customers with the latest innovations,” Ms Gonzalez Alvarez adds.

Catering for market trends Mr Bernal has observed a trend in the market towards reducing weight of packaging, and to make it even more recyclable. Another groundbreaking development is the lamination with paper.

SP Group caters for this with the development of Naturfilm, a new development Mr Bernal is keen to talk about.

“The product was created following customer interest in structures with a base of thermoformable paper. This material is ideal for lids and/or flow-packs, and can be used in many different sectors. This type of paper offers plenty of design options.

The process works with coated and glossy paper, kraft and white kraft paper.”

Packaging Europe | 139 |

Another innovation Mr Bernal is interested in highlighting is the development of a UV barrier for the protection of foods such as fresh meat: UV block, mainly in PET complex that can be used for several packaging formats. It is high barrier with no chlorine compound, is effective at protecting food at a sensory and microbiological level and is transparent. The filter does not affect the mechanical properties such as slip, weld, etc. of the packaging.

“Trials show that food products such as meat or fish, which are packed with a UV block barrier film, can stay fresh for up to 23-26 days longer on the supermarket shelf,” Ms Alvarez is proud to point out.

Apart from weight reduction and environmental friendliness, cost reduction is another important topic in packaging, and SP Group works hard to provide the same or even better quality at a reduced price.

“Lifestyles and consumer demands are evolving, and food manufacturers have to work hard to keep up to date with evolving packaging trends,” Ms Gonzalez Alvarez adds.

| 140 | Packaging Europe

Showcasing quality SP Group regularly attends trade fairs to present its expertise to the industry. Most recently, the company attended CFIA in Rennes in France, a major trade fair for the food industry. Other important fairs they have attended have been Scanpack in Sweden and Fachpack in Germany.

Being a reliable partner to customers is a key priority for SP Group. “We try to be close to our customers all the time. We are proud to be the European converter with the shortest delivery time. Usually, it takes companies four to six weeks to deliver their products, but we have done it in two weeks or even ten days.”

R&D is another important part of the puzzle, as Mr Bernal explains. “We develop new products for our customers, and listen to their needs, developing new films and new solutions to adapt to individual specifications. For example, we offer 40 kinds of sealing films, because every customer has different machines, working at higher temperature, or faster or slower.”

SP Group’s quality department always reacts very quickly to possible customer complaints, leading to great customer satisfaction, and the company boasts an average of 88 per cent and 90 per cent customer satisfaction in its reports.

“Recently Nestlé gave us a 97 out of 100 satisfaction rating, which we were very happy with,” Mr Bernal adds.

machine, making it the first company in the market to offer all three types of printing technology.

“What sets us apart from the competition is that we really offer everything under one roof. We extrude our own films on site. Many of our competitors operate with ready-made films,” Mr Bernal is keen to point out.

International reach

Ongoing investments

SP Group has two production sites in Spain – in Villarrubia, near Cordoba, and in Espiel, both in the south of Spain. A third production facility is situated in Arras, in the north of France. SP Group’s headquarters are situated in Villarrubia.

“Initially, we were situated in the city centre, but we needed more space. At our current headquarters, we have 70,000 square metres of space, and at our other site in Espiel, we have 40,000 square metres of land. In France, we have 30,000 square metres of land. At our headquarters, the focus lies on flexible film, printing and pouches, and the extrusion of sealing films, polyethylene and polypropylene. In Espiel, thermoforming films takes place, including for vacuum applications of up to nine layers, and reheating films for the thermoforming for the making of trays. In Arras, the smallest but strategically important site to be close to our northern European customers, film lamination and rotogravure printing takes place,” Mr Bernal explains.

SP Group’s impressive machine equipment includes five rotogravure machines, three flexo machines, seven lamination machines, four blown extruders and four cast extruders, as well as slitting and cutting machines for customisation and stand up pouches. In addition, it has recently invested in a brand new offset

Mr Bernal points out an exciting investment for SP Group, plans for a new production site in Poland: “We have just started to set up a new subsidiary in Poland, and I will be travelling there shortly to sign the contracts with the architects. The new production plant will be built from scratch on 30,000 square metres of land, and will have a footprint of 5,000 square metres. To start with, we will install an offset printing machine there (the second such machine to be installed in our facilities), and will develop and evolve the factory from there. We anticipate the start of operations in Poland for the second quarter of 2016.”

Expansion is an important topic for SP Group. “Growth in Western Europe has stagnated, therefore we have great interest in finding growth by going further afield and developing sales network in new countries. We have existing sales networks in Germany, the UK, Scandinavia and Poland, where we are currently in the process of creating a new plant. From there, we hope to be able to supply the eastern European and Scandinavian markets. We are also exploring options in Mexico and the USA. Continuous investment is one of the cornerstones of the SP Group’s success. A major investment in 2014 saw the purchase of a Comexi Nexus ML1, which was installed on site in Villarrubia, Córdoba.

Packaging Europe | 141 |

“As well as increasing our production capacity, this machine also opens doors to other markets, thanks to all the design and manufacture possibilities for new products that it provides. It is the first laminator of its kind to be sold and installed in Spain,” Mr Bernal points out.

“We always like to be on top of what technology has to offer. In the past two years, we invested around €19 million. For 2015 and the beginning of 2016, we are already planning at least €16 million of investments into the acquisition of new machines and the setting up of the new factory in Poland.”

Moving into new geographical markets is important, and to this end the group has its sights set on Africa. The company already has a sales network in Cameroon.

“There are several countries in the south and west of Africa which are stable economically and politically, and are experiencing growth, so we have agents in Africa,

| 142 | Packaging Europe

making relations with big customers. We hope that in a few years these countries will be emerging markets like China was a few years ago,” Mr Bernal says.

The SP Group is confident it will be able to continue on its successful growth path of development, increasing sales by 10 per cent on average every year.

“We are hoping to grow through a combination of the sales networks we are developing, acquisitions, and looking at factories that can complement our technology, products and customers. In Poland, we decided to build up a new factory from scratch, as nobody has the technology we are going to introduce there. In 2020, we hope to be one of the leading European groups in our sector, with a turnover of over €250 million. We are already close to this. If we continue to work hard and with passion to give our customers what they need, we will get our reward,” Mr Bernal concludes.

Packaging Europe | 143 |

All from one hand Since its foundation in Austria in 1979 when Josef Haidlmair took over the family forge from his father, toolmaking specialist Haidlmair GmbH has evolved into a producer of injection moulds for packaging solutions, holding a leading position worldwide. Today’s CEO is Josef ’s son Mario Haidlmair, who has brought with him years of experience from some of Europe’s most well-known companies in the toolmaking industry. He spoke to Libby White about the latest investments, acquisitions and expansion plans of the family-owned company.

| 144 | Packaging Europe

T

he year 2014 marked the 35th anniversary of Haidlmair GmbH, which has grown from strength to strength since its establishment and is poised for further expansion and exciting developments throughout 2015 and beyond. At its headquarters in Nußbach, Austria, which is the main plant of an impressive group portfolio of nine companies in six countries, about 240 employees work for the mouldmaker, attaining a turnover of approximately €38 million. A total of around 580 employees work in the nine companies, with the overall turnover of the Haidlmair group reaching approximately €80 million.

Mainly serving the packaging and logistics sector, the core focus of Haidlmair are injection moulds for all sorts of containers, for example beverage crates, storage and logistics containers, recycling containers, pallets and pallet boxes. It also provides solutions to automotive companies, for which it produces moulds for technical and automotive parts.

Mr Haidlmair comments, “We are able to produce moulds of up to 80 tonnes in weight. We are the specialist for high end moulds with the integration of all the most modern application technologies, like gas or water injection technology for in-mould-labelling.”

customers with solutions for the whole process chain, from the mould to the automation solution – all out of one hand which is a big advantage for us.”

The transaction will create good prospects for Mould & Matic Solutions GmbH’s growth-oriented development. Mould & Matic Solutions GmbH is headquartered in the upper Austrian community of Micheldorf. The company has also operated out of a location in Slusovice, Czech Republic, since 1995. Mould & Matic’s core competencies include the manufacture of machine tools and automation solutions for the packaging industry. Its broad expertise in the technologies of thermoforming, injection moulding and blow moulding is highly prized by its clients.

Mario Haidlmair adds, “We have experienced a very good collaboration with Greiner Packaging International in the past few years. However, Mould & Matic’s clients very often also included Greiner Packaging International’s competitors. This made the 50:50 share a disadvantage at times for Mould & Matic. Being the sole owner gives us even better opportunities for expansion in the future. We stand behind the current staff and are convinced that they will continue to deliver outstanding work in the future.” In addition, the conditions are now in place for optimal integration into the Haidlmair group.

Advantageous acquisitions

Expansion into North America

As a progressive company, Haidlmair looks to acquisitions and investments in order to strengthen and expand its operations. Last year, it acquired the remainder of Mould & Matic Solutions from Greiner Packaging, making it the sole owner of the company. Mario Haidlmair explains the benefits of this acquisition: “We are now able to provide our

Haidlmair has recently increased its presence with a new subsidiary in North America. Mario Haidlmair points out, “We already had a sales representative and a service centre there since 2012 but we recognised that it is really difficult to sell our moulds if we are not producing there.”

Packaging Europe | 145 |

Thermoplay Haidlmair and Thermoplay estabilished an effective partnership since many years. Haidlmair as a manufacturer of high class mold needs a producer of injection systems with a global range of services.

Together we are able to offer that kind of service worldwide and this is the reason to achieve sustained success with Haidlmair.

Thermoplay designs and manufactures a complete range of standard and special hot runner systems, including complete hot half, temperature and sequential controllers, flow analysis and customized projects in order to satisfy any type of requirement for high technology injection molding.

Haidlmair together with Thermoplay are always one step ahead.

| 146 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 147 |

In order to serve the local customers more efficiently, and drastically reduce response and delivery times, it was vital for Haidlmair to invest in a manufacturing facility based in North America. “Consequently, for a few years we have been looking for a suitable production facility. We just recently invested in the acquisition of the majority of the well-respected tool manufacturing operation, Tesan Mould, which has been renamed Haidlmair North America and is now our production facility based in Toronto, North America.”

Tesan Mould presented itself as the ideal opportunity. It is a family business with a long tradition just like the Haidlmair main plant in Nußbach. It has been manufacturing high quality tools, for similar industries to the ones to which Haidlmair caters, since 1978. Tesan Mould also recently experienced a genera-

| 148 | Packaging Europe

tion transfer with the founder Riccardo Tesan passing on the reins to his eldest son Lucas Tesan who was named general manager, and younger son Jesse as production manager. Having many things in common between the two companies made the decision to enter into this partnership an easy one for both parties.

Haidlmair immediately assumes a majority interest in Tesan Mould, while the Tesan family continues to own a significant percentage of the company shares and will continue to manage the company with Lucas Tesan as the general manager.

All activities in North America will be carried out from this location to best serve the customer. In the near future investments in the companies’ infrastructure will be made and a few specialists from the Austrian parent company will relocate to Canada to support their new colleagues with their extensive tooling know-how.

AHP Merkle AHP Merkle stands for 100% quality. Our hydraulic cylinders are fitted with hardened, ground, hard chrome plated and finely polished piston rods.

Haidlmair GmbH benefits from this quality standard for may years, now.

Visit: www.ahp.de/technikum

Achieving optimum balance Whilst investing time, effort and money into the expansion of the company, Haidlmair also continues to advance its already established production sites, ensuring it can rely on modern and up-to-date facilities.

Mario Haidlmair gives a prime example, “We have invested in a new hall for a large milling machine and big mould assembly area at our headquarters. We also renewed the floors and the lights in the whole production area of our factory to provide our employees with the best possible working conditions. We are constantly investing in the renewal and modernisation of our machinery to be able to provide the best possible products for our customers.”

He concludes, “We try to expand in a reasonable way, on one hand in our home region in Austria and on the other hand in regions all around the world, where you see potential –fFor example in North America, where we have our own production facility. In other high potential regions, we will try to get into the market with our products or even expand our market shares.”

For more information, visit www.haidlmair.com

Packaging Europe | 149 |

Driving glass

innovation

As an international technology group, Schott AG has 130 years of experience in the areas of speciality glasses and materials.

Elisabeth Skoda spoke with Schott’s product manager Gregor Deutschle about what makes the company a leader in its field.

Jörg Ströbel, Area Sales Manager of Bausch+Ströbel, joined the interview to talk about the two companies’ cooperation on the recently launched adaptiQ™ system.

| 150 | Packaging Europe

S

chott’s core markets are the household appliance, pharmaceutical packaging, electronics, optics and transportation industries.

As one of the world’s leading suppliers of parenteral packaging for the pharmaceutical industry, Schott offers a broad spectrum of standard or customised packaging solutions, including: syringes, vials, ampoules, cartridges and special articles of tubing glass or polymer. Schott has 16 plants for pharmaceutical packaging in 13 countries, producing more than 9 billion items each year.

“We have manufacturing and sales units in 35 countries round the world. Our workforce of 15,400 employees generated worldwide sales of 1.84 billion euros for the 2012/2013 fiscal year. Schott AG, with its headquarters in Mainz (Germany) is owned by the Carl Zeiss Foundation,” Mr Deutschle says.

Schott also manufactures FIOLAX® glass tubing in Europe and Asia, with a production capacity of far more than 100,000 tons per year. FIOLAX® has grown to become the gold standard for glass packaging in the pharmaceutical industry.

Continuous investment is important for the company, as Mr Deutschle points out: “We are continuously expanding our production capacity in line with market demand.

Through this, we are able to support our customers’ growth objectives. For example, we have opened new production plants in Russia and India in the past two years, and we further extended our capacity in Indonesia.”

Successful cooperations Schott regularly exhibits at trade fairs. “The Interpack show focused very much on filling line technology, so it was a perfect opportunity for us to highlight our close cooperation with filling line manufacturers,” says Mr Deutschle.

At the fair, Schott presented a wide range of new product innovations, including the adaptiQ™ system, which offers higher efficiency for pharmaceutical companies. This new system for ready-to-use pharmaceutical vials was developed in close cooperation with

filling line manufacturers such as Bausch + Ströbel, a German supplier of production systems for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and allied industries.

“We have a long history of successful partnerships with Schott working on different projects. There are Bausch + Ströbel lines in operation at several Schott facilities,” says Mr Ströbel.

“Schott adaptiQ™ consists of a nest and tub configuration that allows for as many as 100 vials to be securely fixed inside a holder (nest) and delivered to the pharmaceutical company packaged in a sterile container. adaptiQ’s patented nest design allows for direct filling, freeze-drying, weighing and closing inside the nest. At the same time, the glass containers are protected so that they do not come into contact with each other or machine components,” Mr Deutschle explains.

“The idea of adaptiQ is to give customers more flexibility and freedom, and enable them to focus on the core processes of filling and closing the containers and not on preparing them. Therefore, SCHOTT will take of depyrogenation, washing and sterilisation of the vials. The system is designed around the standard size syringe taps, and can be processed on a wide range of filling machines. This is cutting-edge technology, already designed to be future proof. A big advantage is that glass-to-glass contact can be avoided, and we offer freeze drying with in the nest, which is unique.”

He continues: “With regards to the processing of these vials, the basic concept revolves around easy adaptation of the syringe fillers to run the adaptiQ packaging material. Existing proven technology can be used to run this material. Bausch & Ströbel is keen to work with the latest trends, and Schott delivers the latest technology on the market with regards to combining mechanics and automation.”

Innovation range At Interpack, Schott also presented a new prefilled syringe for sensitive biotech drugs – the syriQ™ InJentle. “With syriQ InJentle, we have developed a solution for use with highly sensitive biotech drug substances. The special geometry of the glass barrel does not

Packaging Europe | 151 |

require any tungsten pin during the glass forming process. The design offers yet another advantage: during storage, the drug does not come into contact with the needle or the adhesive that holds it. A tamper-evident closure shows whether the syringe has already been used. This closure can still be opened easily even after longer storage periods. Yet another advantage is that the staked needle does not stick into needle shield, therefore the needle remains sharp. This makes injections less painful for the patient,” adds Mr Jörg Döscher, Director Strategic Marketing of SCHOTT’s Pharmaceutical Packaging business segment.

In order to reduce the risk of delamination – one of the top priority issues for the pharmaceutical industry – Schott has developed Vials DC. “Delamination is a term used to describe the peeling of inorganic flakes from the inner glass surface of a pharmaceutical vial as a result of interaction with its contents. Schott is now the first manufacturer to offer pharmaceutical vials that lower the risk of delamination, which can be determined with the help of a threshold value. Schott Vials DC (DC=delamination controlled) were made possible by an optimised manufacturing technique and a patented Quicktest,” says Mr Döscher.

Finally, Schott also showcased its versatile TopPac pre-fillable syringes for improved patient comfort, as Mr Döscher explains.

“The broad range of applications for TopPac syringes helps medical practitioners address the two main concerns of the healthcare sector: ensuring patient comfort and safety. TopPac syringes have been optimised for injecting highly viscous drugs, such as hyaluronic acid (HA), and for intensive care, including infusion therapy with large volume syringes via infusion pumps. In both of these applications, TopPac offers maximised precision, safety and comfort, ensuring high-quality patient care through safe and comfortable drug delivery.”

| 152 | Packaging Europe

Comprehensive customer service Schott is proud to be a reliable partner for its customers. A true global footprint allows the company to produce close to clients and markets. Other advantages include a high level of quality and comprehensive know-how in matters of primary packaging for injectables, a long-standing track record and a unique combination of analyses in all areas of pharmaceutical packaging.

“At Schott we follow a holistic approach. When it comes to drug development, packaging has become an integral part of the overall product concept. In fact, choosing the right packaging partner can have a major impact on approval cycles and time to market, contributing directly to economic success. Schott’s developers and product managers are on equal grounds with the pharma companies, and by participating in customer projects they have the opportunity to contribute their unique know-how at the early phases of a drug’s product cycle. Our main objective is to work together with the pharma company and with partners (e.g. filling line and device manufacturers) at particularly critical points of the value chain,” Mr Döscher adds.

Already today we offer solutions for the most pressing needs of pharma companies, such as delamination, solutions for sensitive biotech medications or more flexible production setups. The close cooperation with our customers will enable us to develop and market further innovations in pharmaceutical packaging and thus support the growth plans of our customers in an effective manner.”

Visit: www.schott.com

MAPPING ITS WAY THROUGH SUCCESS

Komus Upakovka, a subdivision of the diverse Russian Komus trade and production association, celebrates two decades of successful operations this year. To mark the occasion, Vanja Ĺ vaÄ?ko talked to general manager Anton Yagodin about the strategy that has consistently helped the company in reaching its growth targets.

Anton Yagodin, General manager

Packaging Europe | 153 |

K

omus Upakovka was established in 1995, with the first independent production of disposable food packaging starting two years later. Since then it has been defining itself as a leading representative of the rigid plastic packaging industry in the Russian Federation. With a portfolio encompassing packaging for various food products such as salads, desserts, sushi, fast food, semi-finished products, dairy and confectionery, every year the company introduces new products with improved features from the point of view of design and technology, which ensure its leading position in the field.

“We are producing packaging with a high aesthetic value that helps our clients to sell their products. Recently there has been a tendency to reduce costs: That is why we are optimising our product range and apart from our standard products we are trying to offer cheaper and more economical packaging to retailers whose number in Russia is rapidly

| 154 | Packaging Europe

increasing. Among other things, we develop versatile packaging which allows retailers to decide by themselves what to use it for,” says Mr Yagodin.

“Exactly that kind of packaging was the winner of the 10th international contest for the best food packaging and labels in the category ‘Packaging for food and beverages’ at the PRODEXPO-2015 trade fair in February this year. I strongly believe that, in addition to positive customers feedback, Komus Upakovka is set to win more awards in the future as a result of implementing many innovative changes in order to strengthen its position in the packaging industry,” continues Mr Yagodin.

The company holds the ISO 9001:2008 certificate, successfully repeated last year by the same French audit company Afnor. In December 2014 Afnor also awarded the company’s plant in the Odintsovsky District with the food safety management certification ISO 22000:2005.

Packaging Europe | 155 |

Sound marketing strategy The company has an efficient network of production, distribution and sales systems covering all key business regions of the Russian Federation. The operations are carried out in five locations established during the period of 1997 to 2005: Odintsovsky District, Kaluga region (Maloyaroslavets), Krasnodar region, Ural and Siberia. There are a few additional logistics and warehousing centres in St Petersburg, Samara and Krasnodar that round off this comprehensive business programme. Having a strong network throughout the country that keeps the company in touch with current customers’ needs is one of the competitive advantages of Komus Upakovka.

Mr Yagodin explains, “The main strategy of our company is to consolidate our position on the market and to ensure that we can fulfil our customers’ needs by offering them satisfactory products. Building an extensive operational system all over the country has proved to be a viable strategic model, which will also help us to grow our customer base and to maximise our business in the future.”

In control of the production cycle Although one of the most popular materials used in the rigid food packaging industry in Russia has long been biaxial oriented polystyrene (BOPS), all manufacturers of BOPS film until 2006 were outside of the Russian Federation. In 2006 Komus Upakovka decided to invest in a plant which presently serves to secure its own raw materials and became not only the sole Russian manufacturer of BOPS but also a company which is in control of its entire production cycle.

“Komus Upakovka is still the only Russian producer of BOPS and so it will likely remain. As far as foreign suppliers are concerned, there is one BOPS producer in Belarus and several Chinese suppliers. Although demand for BOPS film is huge, we do not sell our raw material because it is fully consumed for our own production,” states Mr Yagodin.

“Our production efficiency is increased owing to innovative technological approaches such as lean production and Single-Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED), which effectively reduce production costs and enable the production of the required number of quality products at the right time.” | 156 | Packaging Europe

The main market for Komus Upakovka is Russia, but Belarus and Kazakhstan, whose food packaging industries have been actively developing in the past two years, are also important. In those regions the company is present through its distribution centres and partners. Currently there are no plans to expand further into new geographical regions but to use existing facilities and machinery and modernise them.

“As far as other investments are concerned, in 2013 the capacities of Komus Upakovka were strengthened with a large amount of complex machinery and equipment.

We have realised that in order to grow further, we needed to increase our production capacities. Our plan is to gradually upgrade those machines that can no longer meet the new requirements of our clients and in that we fully rely on our long-term suppliers like GN Thermoforming Equipment, as well as on our many other suppliers of high-quality production equipment.”

Dynamic development In developing markets such as Russia, business trends are changing quickly to reflect the pace of change in consumer lifestyles. With a very productive logistic network, it is safe to say that Komus Upakovka is set for a profitable future.

According to Mr Yagodin, the company is “ready to respond to all demands and to utilise everything we have in order to invest where our future opportunities lie. Although there is more competition on a day to day basis, the Russian market is large enough for all and we feel very confident therein.

“Apart from that, our business prospects depend hugely on which materials will be in demand in future. For instance, we are quite interested in PET packaging which is very popular in Europe for a long time and whose production has noticeably increased in Russia as well, although ten years back the market depended solely on imports. The market situation in Russia today indicates that only manufacturers who are able to ensure the execution of the entire cycle, from extrusion to the final product, have the best chances of success. Komus Upakovka has these capacities.”

Visit: www.komus-upakovka.ru

GN Thermoforming Equipment GN’s relationship with Komus of almost two decades is a testimony to their successful partnership! GN is proud of its contribution to Komus’ success and looks forward to continue supplying them with thermoforming equipment to satisfy their production requirements.

We wish our friends at Komus a prosperous future as they move forward with their growth plans.

GN Thermoforming Equipment based in Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada, is a leading manufacturer of roll-fed thermoforming machines for the production of quality plastic packaging. They have exported equipment in nearly 70 countries over the past 35 years.

Packaging Europe | 157 |

A leader in processing and filling With its roots dating back a hundred years, Stork Food & Dairy Systems today develops, produces and supplies integrated processing and filling lines for the dairy, juice, food processing and nutraceutical industries. Elisabeth Skoda spoke to Frans Wesselingh, Sales Director at the company, to find out more about recent innovations and the company’s appearance at Anuga FoodTec in Cologne. | 158 | Packaging Europe

U

nder the name of Stork Food & Dairy Systems, the company has been successfully working in the areas of aseptic filling, UHT processing, HDPE bottle manufacturing and packaging technology of liquid food products.

Product quality and shelf life depend on effective packaging, processing and filling. Stork has incorporated these three aspects in the Food & Dairy Systems concept.

The Food & Dairy Systems is based on the experience gained by supplying over 1000 UHT processors, 150 blow moulding machines, 150 rotary weight fillers, 60 linear aseptic fillers.

Stork is organised in two business units – SB&BS (Bottling and Blowmoulding Systems) and SF&DS (Food and Dairyprocessing systems). The company’s turnover averages between 50 and 100 million Euros per year, and it has 250 employees worldwide.

From the Netherlands to the world “Our head office is situated in Amsterdam, where we also assemble our equipment. We have outsourced the manufacture of most parts, apart from the tubular coils for our UHT sterilisers, which we manufacture in-house,” Mr Wesselingh explains.

“Stork recently moved both business units into one facility in Amsterdam, which has enough space to manufacture and deliver all equipment. Parts are manufactured outside, and space required for final assembly and testing is limited. The space we have right now is good enough for the coming years until 2020,” he adds.

Stork is present all over the world, with offices in Indonesia, China and India, the USA, Brazil and Mexico. Within Europe, where, apart from Amsterdam, also offices in the UK and in France are situated.

“Stork has been in the food and dairy business for almost 100 years and we are present throughout the world; we are able to deliver high end solutions – our reliability and availability is high and our cost of ownership is low,” Mr Wesselingh adds.

He sees the company’s main area for growth in South America and Asia. “We see the biggest potential in the emerging markets in India, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Southern America. The market is also picking up in Europe, and the economy is going in the right direction again.”

Product range Stork Food & Dairy Systems are continuously expanding their expertise in the areas of filling, processing, bottle making and packaging technology. Mr Wesselingh highlights just a few products from the portfolio, starting with the SF&DS business.

Stork’s Sterideal is a unique concept for indirect heating solutions to sterilise products at UHT, allowing to kill harmful organisms but preserving the taste.

“The Sterideal is the only UHT system with a helical heat exchanger unit. This unique design offers maximum heat transfer and allows to heat up and cool down products extremely efficient. The result is effective sterilisation combined with excellent preservation of taste,” Mr Wesselingh adds.

Packaging Europe | 159 |

ing to UL d r Panel o c c building a We are a UL certified system integrator with a lot of experience in panel building according to UL. Our experience in UL panel building and close collaboration of engineering, work preparation and production enables client-specific cabinets.

Can we cooperate? www.ekb.nl

PENKO Engineering B.V. PENKO Engineering B.V. specializes in the development and manufacture of high accuracy and reliable electronic weighing and dosing systems typically designed for use in process industries. We also provide OEM companies with a wide range of weighing and dosing measurement, display and sequencer components and products for integration in automated machinery.

Established over thirty years ago, our ambitions have not changed – we are dedicated to supplying the best weighing and dosing solutions to clients who depend on continuous and batch control manufacturing processes.

“Stork has been in the food and dairy business for almost 100 years and we are present throughout the world; we are able to deliver high end solutions – our reliability and availability is high and our cost of ownership is low.” | 160 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 161 |

The Steritwin solution combines direct and indirect heating in one system. Where som high quality products require direct heating to preserve colour and vitamins.

In this case steam is directly injected in the product enabling temperatures of more than 150°C. Steritwin provides both direct and indirect heating and offers maximum efficiency, productivity and flexibility for processing a wide range of viscosity in food or dairy.

“This will save energy while providing a high level of energy recuperation, which gives us a unique position in comparison to our competition,” Mr Wesselingh is proud to point out.

Finally, Stork’s tubular design, offers an uninterrupted product channel without dead corners and gaskets, designed specifically to offer maximum aseptic safety while processing Dairy, Fruit and vegetable juices. Its unique design does not hinder the flow and allows for quick and thorough cleaning.

On the SB&BS side of the business, Stork’s Asep-Tec is an advanced linear filler which offers maximum flexibility within a small footprint. The small aseptic area and patented laminar down force airflow system give perfect control over conditions throughout the entire operation. The aseptic zone has limited moving mechanical components, ruling out

the need to disturb aseptic conditions when making adjustments. A Stork Asep-Tec linear filler has a capacity of up to 30,000 bottles per hour. It stands out by the range of products and bottles (HDPE, PP, PET) it can handle, its high speed, its reliability, and its flexibility.

“The Asep-Tec is the first and only aseptic linear filler with an aseptic screw cap module with FDA approval for PET and HDPE bottles. With this functionality Stork can now offer an aseptic filler with aluminium foil, aseptic screw cap for HDPE or PET on one platform,” Mr Wesselingh points out.

Completing the portfolio, the Stork Bottle-Tec blow-moulding equipment makes the production of HDPE bottles in-house possible. It is equipped with a sophisticated control system with a touch screen HMI, offers improved weight control and durable design. The blow-moulding machine produces mono, three or six layer bottles in varied shapes and sizes. The moulds are easily changed to accommodate a different container design.

“Stork is able to combine product, bottles and machines to fill the bottles to provide ideal solutions for its customers,” Mr Wesselingh says.

Showcasing expertise at Anuga At Anuga FoodTec in Cologne, Stork showcased its brand and its latest solutions, featuring products made or filled with Stork machines, including the Steriseal, Steritwin, Asep-Tec and Bottle-Tec. “Visitors were able to see what is possible in the world of bottling, processing and packaging. We also worked closely together with other package suppliers to showcase what we can do. For example, we are able to fill into carton packs and pouches, working on joint projects with carton manufacturers. Samples were available at the booth which visitors were welcome to try,” Mr Wesselingh concludes.

Stork is ideally set up for a successful future, with ongoing innovations in equipment, cutting total cost of ownership for its customers.

“We want to continue to further improve safety and quality, develop into new markets n and work on further product/market combinations,” Mr Wesselingh concludes.

Visit: www.sfds.eu

| 162 | Packaging Europe

POSIMAT, S.A. POSIMAT, S.A. is the world’s leader in design and manufacturer of empty plastic bottles unscramblers and handling systems for more than 30 years.

We manufacture a full range of unscramblers that offer the best handling conditions for empty bottles, flasks and vials, from the smallest to the largest sizes. Even those bottle formats which have difficult and unstable shapes, also for low and high speeds.

• MASTER unscramblers for low maintenance and easy operation.

• MULTICHUTE and MONOCHUTE unscramblers for high speeds.

• POSIPUCKS unscramblers specially for customers who use puck lines.

• POSIPHARMA, MICRO and ACCESS, unscramblers for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

• BOTTLE ORIENTORS to turn asymmetrical bottles.

• Unscrambler with BTU (Bottle transfer unit) combination,which orients and inserts bottles in pucks.

• DEPALLETIZERS to depalletize plastic bottles automatically.

• POSISILO storage bottles.

• AIR CONVEYORS • AIR OR WATER RINSERS. Visit: www.posimat.com

Packaging Europe | 163 |

Pick up the foam Young, dynamic packaging company PaperFoam specialises in innovative bio-based packaging solutions with a very low carbon footprint. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to director Mark Geerts to learn more about how this fresh sustainable packaging supplier is increasingly working with some of the world’s biggest brands.

| 164 | Packaging Europe

C

entrally located in Barneveld in the Netherlands, PaperFoam is a forwardthinking, truly innovative packaging company. Resolutely focused on design-led sustainable packaging, PaperFoam utilises its smart research and development to create a patented injection moulding technology that has gained acclaim from modern companies worldwide.

PaperFoam has developed a number of distinctive and innovative packaging solutions for a broad range of customers from industries including consumer electronics, medical, cosmetics and dry foods, working with leading brands like Veuve Clicquot, Microsoft and Philips. The common thread across all of PaperFoam’s customers is a desire to boost the brand image through protective, ecologically-sound packaging. Director Mark Geerts explained how this is being achieved: “We love to marry design and function together in innovative packaging. We have created a bio-based, compostable material that is produced with our own PaperFoam patented injection moulding technology which we use to maximum advantage.”

The highly sustainable material is certified bio-based, compostable and recyclable.

As one of the most environmentally-friendly packaging materials available, PaperFoam is made from locally-sourced renewable raw materials such as industrial starch, natural fibres, water and premix. Mr Geerts explained how it is made. He said, “We make PaperFoam using an injection moulding process that has been specially designed to make our products. The material is injected into a mould, then baked. It can be used for all sorts of products, particularly high-value gadgets where smart, reliable packaging is imperative.

There are loads of advantages to using PaperFoam; there’s the possibility for friction fit or clamping features, we can incorporate embossed logos or text, there’s no risk of scratching or dust so no need for poly-bags, the injection moulding process gives a perfect fit and there are unlimited colour possibilities.”

Unique alternative With such an impressive, unique list of advantages over and above the exceptionally ecologically sound characteristics of the material itself, it is no surprise that PaperFoam is proving popular innovative start-ups and fresh-thinking companies. Mr Geerts continued, “We’ve opened a new office in the Bay area of San Francisco as we’ve been working with a number of tech companies and start-ups there that want great green packaging for their high-value gadgets. The team work closely with our manufacturing people in the Netherlands – we have dedicated sales people and experienced designers there that are in close touch with the market. There are loads of opportunities for us in the US and other markets where bright companies are looking for a fantastic material to package their new devices in style.”

The collaborative process that PaperFoam offers new customers who want an innovative, sustainable and attractive packaging solution is proving highly successful. With the possibility to manufacture beautiful, functional and creative packaging solutions with all manner of features like clamping, embossing, hinging and friction fits, the range of smart products available looks like a design catalogue rather than a packaging portfolio. Mr

Packaging Europe | 165 |

Geerts noted, “Our designs are awesome. They look fantastic and they are good for the planet too. And they do a great job of keeping the product inside safe. It’s a win, win situation. I have an incredible fact for you: we know that if every citizen in the UK replaced just one item of plastic packaging with a PaperFoam pack a day, carbon emission would reduce by 0.1 per cent. Transpose that to all of Europe and it makes a huge difference.”

Big brands love PaperFoam A recent example of the beauty and function offered by PaperFoam is its collaboration with famous Champagne house Veuve Clicquot. Working closely together with the marketing department, PaperFoam developed an innovative isothermal clamshell package that keeps the Champagne chilled for up to two hours, is ridged and also resistant to condensation. The packaging has won an important award: the 4th of May the packaging received the Dieline award for the most sustainable and innovative packaging. Other recent projects include clever multi-product packaging for leading

| 166 | Packaging Europe

personal care brand Burt’s Bees and an attractive two-tray solution for well-known Swiss blade manufacturer Victorinox.

PaperFoam ships worldwide thanks to its carefully-selected production sites in North Carolina and Malaysia working close with its Netherlands head office and central manufacturing facilities. Preferring to manufacture as locally as possible to keep transportation costs and environmental impact low, PaperFoam is increasingly working with the worldwide offices of forward-thinking companies wherever they are based. Mr Geerts concluded, “The trend for combining green materials and beautiful design continues to become stronger. As we’ve already proved that we are more than capable of marrying these two important elements in highly-functional packaging solutions, we’re finding that our offer is appreciated across all sectors that want fantastic packaging with a conscience.”

Visit: www.paperfoam.com

• Packaging • Insulation • Technology

Protecting Products

and Safeguarding the Future

The HIRSCH Servo Group was founded in 1972 and has since grown into an international company that concentrates on packaging, insulating materials and technology. Siegfried Wilding, Member of the Board, explained to Packaging Europe how the company has successfully strengthened its position on the international market, exemplified by an impressive total revenue in the financial year 2013/14 of €89 million.

L

isted on the Vienna stock exchange and employing around 550 staff, the HIRSCH Servo Group operates from its head office based in Glanegg in Austria. In addition, it has three sites in Hungary, in Sárvár, Jásfényszaru and Nyíregyháza; two in Poland, in Wroclaw and Lódz; two in the Slovakian Republic, in Podolínec; two in Romania, in Cluj and Oradea; and one in Italy, in Maslianico. Siegfried Wilding comments, “The expansion into central and eastern Europe was a natural progression as many of the company’s clients moved east and HIRSCH followed them.” With such a strong footprint in Europe, the company is able to serve the needs of its customers quickly and efficiently and that is also an important reason why HIRSCH is a reliable partner for their customers in various countries.

Comprehensive portfolio HIRSCH is committed to a sustainable strategy which is also reflected in the ecological benefits of EPS, offering potential for saving energy and protecting the climate. For years,

HIRSCH has concentrated on the further improvement of the favourable characteristics of this material and the development of new applications.

The Processing Segment of HIRSCH contains the two divisions of Packaging and Insulation, in which HIRSCH manufactures products made from expandable polystyrene (EPS), expandable polypropylene (EPP), expandable polyethylene (EPE) and Arcel.

Siegfried Wilding explains, “The main applications for these are for safety products (such as crash helmets, children´s car seats etc.) and consumer products as well as insulation products. Packaged in EPS, EPP, EPE or Arcel, various articles are cushioned and cradled against impact, vibrations and temperature fluctuations during shipment.

HIRSCH packaging solutions provide protection for the transportation of valuable and sensitive high-technology products such as entertainment electronics and white goods for global customers.”

HIRSCH also manufactures anti-static EPP and EPE trays which serve as carriers for highly sensitive products, such as home entertainment equipment. Thanks to its high

Packaging Europe | 167 |

HIRSCH Mold Shop

Transport packaging for white goods, f.e. wine refridgerator

HIRSCH production line

dimensional stability and temperature resistance combined with low thermal conductivity, EPP also enables versatile solutions for insulation with aesthetic appeal. Die-cutted and glued EPE is used for protecting items in transit, for example in the furniture and electronics industries. HIRSCH also develops and produces technical parts with inserts made from various materials and shape-moulded components made from two different material thicknesses.

In the Technology Segment the group’s engineering companies HIRSCH Maschinenbau in Austria and Hirsch Italia in Italy together form a worldwide leader in the production of shape and block-moulding equipment, including moulding tools and preexpanders. HIRSCH is the world’s only supplier of innovative machine and mould making technology for processing EPS and EPP into shape-moulded parts and insulation that has also gained the necessary expertise from working as a moulder.

Siegfried Wilding points out the latest major investments at HIRSCH as, “the extension of the packaging production to Cluj, Romania and the start-up operations of the new cutting line for insulation boards at the Glanegg, Austria location.”

Expanding expertise “For more than 40 years HIRSCH has offered turn-key solutions for EPS/EPP Shape Moulders who use the HIRSCH Shape Moulding Technology but of course also moulds for moulders using other technologies than HIRSCH,” Siegfried Wilding adds.

| 168 | Packaging Europe

HIRSCH Management: Harald Kogler and Siegfried Wilding

The services HIRSCH offers ranges from assistance during the product design, technical drawings, providing 3-D mould designs, mould manufacturing, mould testing and optimisation to providing moulded part samples for customer approval and providing set-up information for the moulding machine. This full scope service makes HIRSCH a unique mould maker in the EPS/EPP industry. The manufacturing capabilities reach from aluminium cast moulds to highly complex fully CNC machined dual material moulds.

HIRSCH was also the first EPS mould maker to introduce the ‘Inserting Plate’ as an integrated part of the mould for insertion of any kind of product into the EPS mould, for example for ICF Building Blocks. Innovative solutions to customers’ requirements are one of the key strengths of the HIRSCH Mould Shop.

Latest technologies The role of HIRSCH as an international technology leader in the area of preexpanders and blockmoulds is undisputed. Thus, the HIRSCH technology is continuously optimized and advanced. “The latest developments which complete the preexpander product range with respect to volumes and special applications in case of higher densities are the two discontinuous fluidised-preexpanders PREEX 5000 and PREEX 8000,” Siegfried Wilding shares. But HIRSCH proved its performance leadership also with an innovative production procedure for the fully automatic, double adjustment system for the production of high quality insulation boards on the new horizontal blockmould.

Various insulation products made by HIRSCH

Various products that provide optimal protection for people and products

The HC-shape molding machine for EPS and EPP processing with electric drive was complemented by a solely electric drive for an increase of the speed by more than 100 per cent, a reduction of energy and a lower noise pollution as well as the compliance with highest hygienic requirements, e.g. for food packaging, due to the elimination of hydraulic oil.

Future growth A move which will no doubt influence HIRSCH for the better is its recent transition to a new core shareholder. Since last autumn the new core shareholder of the HIRSCH

Servo Group (with 85 per cent of shares) is the Austrian Herz Beteiligungs Ges.m.b.H., a holding company of the worldwide operating Herz Group. The Herz Group is a leading manufacturer of products for building technology as well as for biomass boilers and heat pumps with around 12 production locations in Europe.

Siegfried Wilding summarises, “It can be said that the new core shareholder and a strengthened equity structure, in addition to site-specific programs for improving productivity and results, have created the basis for successfully strengthening the HIRSCH Servo Group´s international market position.”

For more information, visit www.hirsch-gruppe.com

EPS transport protection packaging

EPP enables versatile solutions for

Transport packaging for electronic goods,

for kitchen sinks

insulation with aesthetic appeal

f.e. espresso machine

Packaging Europe | 169 |