Packaging Europe Issue 13.2

VOLUME 13.2 – 2018

THE PLASTICS CHALLENGE

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT PACKAGING WASTE?

GREENPEACE INTERVIEW • NEW HORIZONS IN RECYCLING FOOD WASTE • THE NORWAY MODEL • DESIGN FOR END OF LIFE

Head of Content Tim Sykes

Editors

Head of Commercial Operations Jesse Roberts

Elisabeth Skoda Libby White

Head of Sales

Head of Studio

Senior Sales Executive

Gareth Harrey

Dominic Kurkowski

Art Editor

IT Support

Paul Holden-Abbott

Syed Hassan

Kevin Gambrill

VOLUME 13.2 – 2018

PACKAGING EUROPE

Advertising Coordinator Data Manager Kayleigh Harvey

Andrew Wood

Executive Assistant Amber Dawson

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© Packaging Europe Ltd 2018 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.

ISSN 2516-0133 (Print) ISSN 02516-0141 (Online)

Cover and contents images © Greenpeace

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Editorial Tim Sykes Greenpeace The challenge PlasticsEurope Solutions based on causes, not symptoms Regulation Inside the EU’s Plastics Strategy Retail Iceland pledges to eliminate plastics Recycling Flexibles CEFLEX interview Chemical Recycling The great new hope Design Sustainability in rigid plastics Norwegian Model Tracy Sutton reports from her field trip Ipack-Ima Italy and Europe prepare for Ipack-Ima End-of-Life Scenarios Smurfit’s Arco Berkenbosch on realistic design Personal Care Outer beauty encases a sustainable soul Innovation Spotlight TIPA’s groundbreaking compostable collaboration

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Anuga FoodTec Expo preview Interview with exhibition director Matthias Schlüter WUR’s Toine Timmermans on food waste Exhibition highlights

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High Speed Production Efficient acceleration Cart Technology A point of friction Preview NPE2018 Digital Nomad Will it make the boat go faster?

Tim Sykes

EDITOR

E

ven if you have been holidaying in Antarctica with unreliable WiFi since new year, it probably hasn’t escaped your attention that the packaging waste problem has been higher than ever on the public agenda. The world is demanding urgent action to effect a plastic-free natural environment. Of course, this raises a hundred practical questions. What can we do with plastics? What would we do without them? In our view, it’s crucial at this moment for all sides in this debate to engage. Atomistic positions are inadequate. As most of us are aware, it would be catastrophically counter-productive to eliminate packaging waste at the expense of soaring food waste and CO2 emissions. The corollary of this is that there’s using food waste as an excuse for inaction on packaging waste is no longer tenable.

Packaging Europe is a platform for the various positions and stakeholders in this discussion to engage, examine each other’s arguments, and – we hope – illuminate some common ground from which industry and society can take practical, holistically viable steps forward. This will be a sustained focus of our content throughout 2018 and beyond. It will also be a key subtext of our Sustainability Awards, which are back for a fourth edition this year in a new and greatly expanded iteration.

In this edition of the magazine we launch head-first into the plastics debate.

Louise Edge of Greenpeace presents, if not exactly the case for the prosecution, a radical challenge to the packaging value chain to act fast on the waste crisis.

Testing the assumptions behind the NGO’s call to scale back use of plastics, we also hear from Patricia Vangheluwe of PlasticsEurope, who argues in favour of addressing causes rather than symptoms of the ocean plastics problem, and unpick the content of the EU’s new Plastics Strategy, which seeks to integrate polymers into the circular economy. Given that Greenpeace tends towards

pessimism in relation to that objective, we also take a look at the potential for widespread recycling of plastics. I talk to Graham Houlder of the CEFLEX project and some of Europe’s authorities on the emerging potential of chemical recycling. We also hear from the head of packaging at Iceland – the first major supermarket to earn the praise of Greenpeace by pledging to entirely eliminate plastic packaging.

From Iceland to Norway – circular economy packaging design expert Tracy Sutton reports on her recent field trip exploring the Norwegian model, including a deposit return scheme that is yielding impressive recycling rates. Meanwhile, Smurfit Kappa’s Arco Berkenbosch offers another end of life perspective, putting forward the view that packaging design needs topay much closer attention to what actually happens to ‘recycable’ packaging waste inmessy reality.

This magazine also looks ahead to Anuga FoodTec, this year’s premier showcase of packaging and processing technologies for the food market. A particularly important component of the event will be its theme of resource efficiency, and we speak to Wageningen University & Research’s Toine Timmermans, one of Europe’s leading authorities on food waste, ahead of his appearance at the conference. Elsewhere in this edition you can read about developments and drivers in high speed production, trends in personal care, the added value of independent cart technologies and previews of some of the essential expos looming on the packaging calendar.

Tim Sykes ts@packagingeurope.com @PackEuropeTim

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GREENPEACE © Laura Warnell

THE CHALLENGE TO PACKAGING Quite rightly, packaging looms high both on the political agenda and in public concerns. There is intense pressure to act urgently on the issue of packaging waste, in particular plastic waste, in the face of increasing evidence of its grave impact on the environment. Sometimes the popular ‘case for the prosecution’ against packaging can be simplistic and involve calls for measures that would lead to disastrous unintended consequences. On the other hand, complacency is inexcusable. We believe it’s important to listen in good faith to perspectives from outside the industry bubble. Perhaps their views need to be qualified and balanced – but first we have to engage. Louise Edge, senior oceans campaigner for Greenpeace UK, sets out her challenge to packaging. Tim Sykes listens.

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IM SYKES Could you set out the impact of packaging waste on the environment?

How does it rank in severity among the greatest environmental threats facing the planet?

OUISE EDGE It has become increasingly clear in recent years that single use plastic packaging is having a deeply worrying impact on the world’s oceans. It’s estimated that up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic are entering the oceans every year – equivalent to a rubbish truck full every minute. Once in the ocean plastic can take centuries to break down and this pollution is rapidly accumulating in the marine environment. This is why studies are now finding plastics in every ecosystem sampled – from the world’s deepest ocean trenches, to uninhabited pacific islands to supposedly pristine Arctic ice.

This has real impacts. Larger plastic items like bags can choke or entangle species like seabirds, turtles, and whales, and when plastic packaging breaks down into smaller pieces these disperse throughout the ocean environment.

All images © Greenpeace

These microplastics act as sponges, accumulating toxic chemicals already in the oceans. They are known to be eaten by marine creatures from plankton at the bottom of the ocean food chain to whales at the top and they, and the toxic chemicals they collect, may be concentrated as they pass up through the food chain. Recent studies have found microplastics not only in seafood, such as oysters, mussels and fish, but also in sea salt, tap water and even beer - with scientists highlighting the need for further research into the risks for human health.

Given this evidence plastic pollution, alongside over-fishing and climate change, is clearly emerging as one of the biggest threats facing our oceans.

However, as this is an emerging issue for science we also face a lot of unknowns - questions which scientists have not yet conclusively addressed, for example: what is the impact on humans of ingesting the plastic particles that scientists have been finding in food and drink? Studies have found that some in some marine species plastic ingestion can affect development of eggs and larvae inhibit feeding and activity levels – is this the case for other species?

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GREENPEACE Louise Edge, senior oceans campaigner for Greenpeace UK

In the meantime, operating on the precautionary principle, Greenpeace are calling for urgent action to turn off the tap of plastic pollution – and this includes dramatically reducing the use of plastic for single use packaging.

TS LE

What is Greenpeace’s overall view of the role and impact of packaging?

Packaging can clearly have benefits in terms of protecting products.

However, it clearly also requires resources and energy to produce – whether that is oil and chemicals used for plastics, or the timber used for card and paper - and that of course has an environmental impact.

So, given we live on an increasingly crowded and resource stretched planet our focus needs to be on minimising our impact (in this case the impact of our packaging) and building an economy that is circular and doesn’t waste resources, but also one that shrinks the circle – so we use less not more resources year on year – as there isn’t a magic resource tree out there.

In practical terms this means following the familiar mantra of reduce, reuse and recycle, and that means we need a lot of redesign.

TS LE

How would you like to see retailers and brand owners respond to the problem of single-use plastics?

Given the gravity of the ocean plastic crisis we are urging companies to pledge to work to eliminate use of plastic packaging. We need to simply turn off the tap of plastic flowing into our oceans and we need to do that as quickly as possible.

Given how prevalent plastic packaging is in our culture this will clearly not happen overnight – there is a lot of work that we all need to do to come up with viable eco-friendly alternatives - so in terms of priorities we are asking companies to take the following steps: 1. Create a reduction policy and transition plan. Create a public commitment to reduce their plastic footprint. In addition, share their roadmap - provide clear and publicly transparent action plans, with time-bound milestones and benchmarks so that progress towards objectives can be clearly monitored. As part of the roadmap, create a clear transition plan away from single-use plastic to reusable packaging and new delivery systems and ensure all single-use plastic materials currently in circulation are captured for safe and regulated recycling or disposal, immediately pull all non-recyclable products, and increase recycled content to the maximum possible for remaining products. | 6 | Packaging Europe

2. Phase out single-use plastic packaging. Eliminate problem plastics and chemicals – i.e. plastics that are harmful to either health or the environment during manufacture, use or disposal, including those that cannot be easily recycled – i.e. materials such as expanded polystyrene, polystyrene, multi-layer packaging like sachets and PVC. Set up a phase out schedule for all single-use plastic packaging/items as part of the transition plan. Replace single-use plastics with reusable and/or alternative delivery systems that promote reuse wherever possible.

3. Invest in reusable packaging and new delivery systems. Invest in R&D of innovative, socially and environmentally responsible ways of delivering your goods without single-use plastic packaging.

4. Extended Producer Responsibility. Take full responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their product and its packaging.

5. Increase transparency. Annually measure and report on plastic use, reuse, recycling, reduction and disposal and perform annual third-party auditing on entire life cycle of products and delivery systems.

6. Collaborate to standardise packaging design across sectors (for polymers, colour or materials) in order to maximise reuse and recyclability and with stakeholders in policy development and implementation.

TS

The plastics industry, along with a lot of brand owners and retailers, points out the role plastic plays in preventing food waste and its resource efficiency due to its lightness, etc. While there is an empirical basis for these claims, I’m sure you wouldn’t accept that this suffices to justify the waste and its environmental impact. Nevertheless, there is surely a tension between the need to act urgently on plastic waste and the fact that food waste and carbon emission crises would be exacerbated significantly if society cut out plastics before developing sustainable alternatives. How do you navigate this tension?

LE

We need to act urgently to address the ocean plastic crisis, but of course we need to ensure we do this in a way that does not have unintended consequences in terms of increasing food waste or carbon emissions.

Achieving this will require innovation and strong cross sector collaboration over coming months and years, but we believe that with commitment and focus it is achievable.

TS

How do you view the aspiration of the EU and initiatives to integrate plastics into the circular economy by pushing for universal collection and recycling? Is there a role for plastic packaging if these objectives are achieved?

All images © Greenpeace

GREENPEACE

LE

Ultimately achieving packaging reduction and reuse is going to be the most effective way of tackling this crisis and reducing resource use.

Plastics can only be recycled a finite number of times, and so plastics inevitably ultimately travel from oil fields to landfill, or the wider environment. This is a problem for all plastic use but using plastic for packaging accelerates the process enormously. Replacing all plastic packaging will not happen overnight and in the interim immediate measures need to be taken to address problem plastics and to ensure that only materials that can be recycled, and actually are recycled, are put onto the market.

TS

How do you respond to arguments that the marine packaging litter crisis is chiefly caused by failure to collect rubbish (e.g. the key polluters are countries lacking adequate collection infrastructure, whereas Europe is a relatively insignificant contributor) and that the solution is therefore above all about investment in waste management and public education?

LE

The ocean plastic crisis is ultimately caused by a design problem – and the fact we have been using a material that (as we now know) lasts forever in a marine environment for disposable products like packaging. Plastic is simply the wrong material to be using for single use packaging.

In terms of the argument that the responsibility for ocean plastic waste sits with countries in Asia who have inadequate waste systems, this does not stand up. Firstly, the majority of the plastic packaged products sold into these markets – including the multi layered sachets that are a particular issue in Asia - are designed and commissioned in North America and Europe – so large corporations based in the West hold both a responsibility for this waste, but also importantly have the power to eliminate it. Secondly – as the recent China waste ban recently exposed – European and North American countries actually export a lot of plastic waste to those very countries that have been identified as being where a lot of plastic is entering the ocean. So again we need to focus on cleaning up our own backyard rather than throwing responsibility for the problem to other countries.

TS LE

What about plastics made from biological feedstocks and compostable plastics?

There is increasing interest in replacing conventional fossil-based plastics with bioplastics derived partly or fully from biomass or that are biodegradable.

These, along with compostable plastics, are being promoted by some as the solution to the ocean crisis, but from an ecological perspective neither are a silver bullet.

Land use is a major concern surrounding bio-based plastics. It is predicted that as a result of the rise in global production capacity of bio-based plastics, All images © Greenpeace

around 1.4 million hectares of land for feedstock will be required by 2019, more than the size of Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark combined. Only five per cent of global production is expected to take place in Europe, with 81 per cent taking place in Asia, where related production impacts include land degradation and a loss of natural habitats, reduced water quality, increased levels of pollution and land conflicts. There simply isn’t enough land to produce enough bioplastic feedstock to replace our current use of petrochemical plastics, and getting anywhere close to this level would entail enormous environmental problems.

Also bio-based plastics can be recyclable or biodegradable with the right infrastructure in place, but are not necessarily so, and they can create real issues in collection and recycling processes – and so like conventional plastics can in reality end up in landfill or incinerators, and risk polluting the marine environment.

Finally, biodegradable plastics, which can, with the help of microorganisms, break down into natural elements (e.g. water, carbon dioxide) do not necessarily address the marine pollution challenge. They are typically only compostable under controlled industrial conditions, for which new infrastructure is required. Furthermore, the ocean environment is not conducive to plastic biodegradation and indeed no finished product has yet been approved as marine biodegradable.

TS

If we gaze over the horizon towards a far more sustainable society, would you hope to see a lot less packaging? What kinds of packaging materials and formats would we be using? What would be the broader implications of this world – e.g. much more localised supply chains without consumption of foods that can’t reach the consumer unspoiled without the help of packaging?

LE

Science and technology are wonderful things, and we certainly don’t discount the possibility that new materials and technologies which we can’t even imagine will come onto the market and solve some of the problems we are concerned about in ways we can’t anticipate. In fact, what we do expect is a period of intensive innovation in the packaging industry in response to the growing concerns over plastic waste, and we’re seeing the first signs of that now.

However, there aren’t any packaging technologies we have seen so far which would cause us to deviate from the environmentalist’s mantra - reduce, reuse, recycle. So we would hope for a world where marketers use pixels rather than paper or plastic to advertise their products, and packaging should be primarily about safe storage and transport, rather than catching the consumer’s eye. Once product designers accept that minimising resource use and pollution is central to their jobs, many improvements will follow logically.

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ROOT CAUSES

IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONS BASED ON ROOT CAUSES, NOT SYMPTOMS One of the global challenges we are facing today is the leakage of products, including plastic materials, into the environment, particularly our oceans. It is unacceptable that plastic litter is found in the environment because plastics do not belong in the ocean. In this sense, efforts are still to be made to end the leakage of plastics into the environment and as such, it is important to analyse the root causes of the problem rather than working on the symptoms – writes Patricia Vangheluwe, consumer & environmental affairs director, PlasticsEurope.

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he first attempt to estimate the amount of plastic reaching the ocean goes back to 1975 when the US National Academy of Sciences evaluated that 45,000 tonnes of plastic litter were thrown into the ocean from ships each year. Recent assumptions of the amount of plastic litter in the oceans vary significantly. For example, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimated that 38 million tonnes of plastic debris reach the ocean per year, which would represent 13 per cent of all plastics produced globally (288 million tonnes in 2012). A recent study by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) has estimated that 4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic waste entered the oceans in 2010.

The ongoing scientific debate shows that neither the amount of plastics litter that reaches the marine environment each year nor the question on how plastics litter interacts with and in the marine environment are clearly understood.

For instance, when we talk about microplastics (pieces of plastics litter which break down into fragments in the marine environment), researchers continue to learn and bring new data regarding the number of microplastics in the marine environment. Recent studies, such as the one from Eunomia or the one from Mepex, still show great differences in their results. With regards to potential risks to human health, scientific findings do not show a risk to human health.

Patricia Vangheluwe

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ROOT CAUSES Plastics save more energy and resources over a product lifecycle than are required to produce them

Studies like the one from the University of Plymouth in 2008, which used 1000 times higher concentrations of micro-plastics than those found in the environment, concluded that there is no risk on human health.

To allow evidence-based actions, we need to understand more about the potential effects of plastics and microplastics in the marine environment supported by the establishment of comparable, qualified processes and resulting data. In the meantime, we should stop plastic litter ending up in our oceans.

In this respect, we often hear stakeholders asking to ‘phase out single-use plastic packaging’ or even to ‘eliminate the use of plastic packaging’ altogether.

But will this measure stop plastics ending up in the marine environment? Should we not focus on finding solutions to address the root causes of marine litter?

According to UNEP, 80 per cent of all marine litter originates from land. This means that proper waste management systems are key to effectively tackling the problem at source, for instance, with practices that prevent plastics from entering the marine environment, educational programmes to increase awareness and change citizens’ behaviour as well as to support scientific research programmes on marine litter.

In order to tackle the root causes, one needs to look at those items found on beaches and in ocean. According to Ocean Conservancy (2014), from the ten top items found on beaches only 50 per cent of those are plastics. This is clearly not all ‘single-use plastic packaging’ and not one material alone. Most of the | 12 | Packaging Europe

plastic packaging that is only used once does not end up in the environment and they protect, save food and support a healthy, resource efficient lifestyle. A ban on plastic packaging will therefore not solve the marine litter problem. On the contrary, it could have a negative effect on the environment. A study carried out

by Trucost showed that the environmental impact of using plastics in consumer goods and packaging is nearly four times less than using alternative materials.

Plastics save far more energy and resources over a product lifecycle than are required to produce them. So, what will solve the problem? To answer this question, we need to identify the root causes to design sustainable solutions while stopping those items going into the environment.

Recently, we announced ‘Plastics 2030 – Voluntary Commitment’, a set of ambitious targets and initiatives representing the industry contribution to achieve a fully circular and resource efficient Europe. One of the key goals is to prevent plastic leakage into the environment. To do so, we will continue setting up educational projects across Member States to increase awareness on sustainable consumer behaviour, we will strengthen the industry programme to prevent pellet loss (Operation Clean Sweep®) by increasingly involve the entire value chain, including transport and logistics and we will also launch new research activities to complete knowledge gaps on the most common plastic items being littered in the marine environment, with a view to identifying suitable solutions and always keeping in mind the root causes.

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REGULATION

THE PLASTICS STRATEGY In January the European Commission unveiled its first European Plastics Strategy, which sets out to reduce single-use plastics, restrict microplastics and ensure that all polymeric packaging sold in the EU is recyclable by 2030.

A

mid a flurry of popularly driven single-bullet announcements on plastic waste and packaging, the EU’s new strategy is a typically deliberative and balanced approach, setting out to define how plastics fit the broader circular economy agenda.

The strategy aims to protect the environment from plastic pollution whilst fostering growth and innovation, turning a challenge into a positive agenda for the Future of Europe. There is a strong business case for transforming the way products are designed, produced, used, and recycled in the EU and by taking the lead in this transition, we will create new investment opportunities and jobs.

Under the new plans, all plastic packaging on the EU market will be recyclable by 2030, the consumption of single-use plastics will be reduced and the intentional use of microplastics will be restricted.

First vice-president Frans Timmermans, responsible for sustainable development, said: “If we don’t change the way we produce and use plastics, there will be more plastics than fish in our oceans by 2050. We must stop plastics getting into our water, our food, and even our bodies.

The only long-term solution is to reduce plastic waste by recycling and reusing more. This is a challenge that citizens, industry and governments must tackle together. With the EU Plastics Strategy we are also driving a new and more circular business model. We need to invest in innovative new technologies that keep our citizens and our environment safe whilst keeping our industry competitive.”

The new plastic strategy seeks to transform the way products are designed, produced, used, and recycled in the EU. Too often, according to the Commission, the way plastics are currently produced, used and discarded fail to capture the economic benefits of a more circular approach. It harms the environment.

The goal is to protect the environment whilst at the same time lay foundations to a new plastic economy, where the design and production fully respect reuse, repair and recycling needs and more sustainable materials are developed.

The Commission claims that Europe is best placed to lead this transition and the new approach will bring new opportunities for innovation, competitiveness and job creation. With the plastic strategy, the Commission has adopted a Monitoring Framework, composed of a set of ten key indicators which cover each phase of the cycle, which will measure progress towards the transition to a circular economy at EU and national level.

Under the new strategy, the European Union will: • Make recycling profitable for business: New rules on packaging will be developed to improve the recyclability of plastics used on the market and increase the demand for recycled plastic content. With more plastic being collected, improved and scaled up recycling facilities should be set up, alongside a better and standardised system for the separate collection and sorting of waste across the EU. This will save around a hundred euros per tonne collected. It will also deliver greater added value for a more competitive, resilient plastics industry.

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REGULATION

• Curb plastic waste: European legislation has already led to a significant reduction in plastic bag use in several Member States. The new plans will now turn to other single-use plastics and fishing gear, supporting national awareness campaigns and determining the scope of new EU-wide rules to be proposed in 2018 based on stakeholder consultation and evidence. The Commission will also take measures to restrict the use of microplastics in products, and fix labels for biodegradable and compostable plastics.

• Stop littering at sea: New rules on port reception facilities will tackle seabased marine litter, with measures to ensure that waste generated on ships or gathered at sea is not left behind but returned to land and adequately managed there. Also included are measures to reduce the administrative burden on ports, ships and competent authorities.

• Drive investment and innovation: The Commission will provide guidance for national authorities and European businesses on how to minimise plastic waste at source. Support for innovation will be scaled up, with an additional €100 million financing the development of smarter and more recyclable plastics materials, making recycling processes more efficient, and tracing and removing hazardous substances and contaminants from recycled plastics.

• Spur change across the world: As the European Union will work with partners from around the world to come up with global solutions and develop international standards.

Next Steps The new Directive on port reception facilities proposed will now go to the European Parliament and Council for adoption. Subject to Better Regulation requirements, the Commission will present the proposal on single| 16 | Packaging Europe

use plastics later in 2018. Stakeholders have until 12 February 2018 to contribute to the ongoing public consultation. The Commission will launch the work on the revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive and prepare guidelines on separate collection and sorting of waste to be issued in 2019.

Background Continuing in the spirit of the 2015 Circular Economy Package, the Plastics Strategy has been prepared by a core project team of First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, Vice-President Jyrki Katainen and Commissioners Karmenu Vella and Elżbieta Bieńkowska. Many other Commissioners were also involved in its preparation and helped identify the most effective tools covering a wide range of policy areas.

The initiatives adopted by the College take the form of: • A Communication on a European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy; • A Communication on the Interface between Chemicals, Products and Waste; • A Monitoring Framework on the Circular Economy; • A new Directive on Port Reception Facilities.

The new measures form a part of the broader Circular Economy Package launched in December 2015. The Plastics Strategy will also look make a tangible contribution to reaching the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement objectives on climate change.

The EU had previously taken steps by setting requirements for Member States to adopt measures to cut the consumption of plastic bags and to monitor and reduce marine litter. Going forward, there are also significant prospects for developing an innovative circular plastics industry worldwide.

FIRST MAJOR RETAILER GOES PLASTIC-FREE Iceland Foods has committed to becoming the first major retailer globally to eliminate plastic packaging from all of its own brand products. The UK’s leading frozen food specialist announced in January that it aims to complete this process by the end of 2023. Iceland’s head of packaging Ian Schofield spoke to Tim Sykes about the implications.

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he new year has seen a fierce media, political and popular focus on the topic of plastic packaging waste across Europe, but with particular intensity in the UK, as the powerful exposure of the ocean litter crisis in the BBC’s series Blue Planet 2 became something of a catalysing cultural event. In the first two weeks of the year alone we saw the launch of a new government sustainability strategy (which supports introduction of plastic-

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free aisles), plans for charges on single-use coffee cups, and market-leading retailer Tesco announced its support for developing a Deposit Return System (DRS) for plastic bottles.

At a time when packaging is dominating the headlines in mainstream news outlets, Iceland’s announcement is perhaps the most radical development yet.

Although operating in the frozen / chilled market narrows down the demands on

PLASTIC FREE

its packaging, head of packaging Ian Schofield acknowledges that elimination of plastics will be a complex task.

“Freezing is a great way of preserving food so there is less burden on the barrier properties of our packaging than for ambient and fresh foods,” he told Packaging Europe. “However, replacing plastics presents significant challenges in terms of functionality, particularly for microwavable and ovenable ready meals, where we will need to find an alternative to black plastic trays.

There is also the economic challenge of ensuring that the new packaging doesn’t cost more.”

In selecting alternative materials, Iceland will be returning to traditional packaging materials of glass, metal and, in particular, renewably sourced fibre-based substrates such as paper, paperboard and moulded pulp. The business insists it is looking at its environmental objectives holistically.

“This is a five-year programme and we don’t claim we have all the answers today,” Mr Schofield conceded. “The challenge is to find plant-based materials that don’t compromise shelf-life, increase food waste, etc. It’s important to get the right balance and of course we can’t get everything right on day one.

However, there are lots of innovations coming out in packaging materials and we’re confident these are challenges we can solve by 2023.”

Bioplastics is attracting the attention of Marks & Spencer as well as several global brands as one possible response to the waste problem. However, it is not currently part of Iceland’s five-year plan. “At the present moment we can’t be sure that the biodegradable plastics available can degrade fast enough to avoid entering the seas,” said Mr Schofield.

The environmental campaign group Greenpeace welcomed Iceland’s announcement: “Last month a long list of former heads of Britain’s biggest retail groups wrote a joint statement to explain that the only solution to plastic pollution was for retailers to reject plastic entirely in favour of more sustainable alternatives like recycled paper, steel, glass and aluminium,” said John Sauven, Greenpeace executive director. “Now Iceland has taken up that challenge with its bold pledge to go plastic free within five years. It’s now up to other retailers and food producers to respond to that challenge. The tidal wave of plastic pollution will only start to recede when they turn off the tap.”

Meanwhile, the British Plastics Federation expressed surprise at the move.

“Plastic packaging is used because it vastly reduces food waste and is resource efficient,” its statement read. “If Iceland implements these measures, there is a risk that the weight of the packaging, carbon emissions, food waste and the amount of energy to make that packaging will increase. Growing and transporting food consumes a lot more energy than that used to make the packaging protecting it. Iceland’s proposals target products that will have absolutely no impact on reducing marine litter, which in the UK typically comes from items littered outside our homes. Its environmental footprint will increase, not decrease.”

However, Iceland insists it is right to focus on packaging waste over other environmental metrics.

“I think it’s great that packaging is at the forefront of the agenda today,” Mr Schofield concluded. “With the equivalent of a truckload of plastic waste entering our marine environment every minute, everyone has an urgent part to play in reversing this trend.”

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RECYCLING FLEXIBLES

‘...MEANWHILE THE FLEXIBLES INDUSTRY IS QUIETLY WORKING ON SOLUTIONS’ As popular media focuses unprecedented attention on the issue of plastic waste, stakeholders across industry have continued working on the practical realisation of the EU’s strategy – and planet earth’s demand – for integration of polymers into the circular economy model. A major contribution to this effort is being made by CEFLEX. Project co-ordinator Graham Houlder spoke to Tim Sykes about the progress the initiative is making.

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EFLEX is a European collaboration led by a consortium of companies across the flexible packaging value chain. Launched in 2017, the project has quickly gathered momentum.

“We’ve witnessed meteoric growth since featuring at last year’s interpack and we’ve now signed up 53 stakeholders – and counting,” revealed Graham Houlder. “There is great enthusiasm from industry, and participation is balanced across the value chain.”

There is a positive proposition at the basis of the CEFLEX approach: plastics as used today are very often the most resource-efficient packaging material and format, offering the lowest environmental impact and best product protection

relative to the inputs – but they should nevertheless be assimilated into the circular economy through active steps to increase recycling.

As such, Mr Houlder welcomes the current focus on plastics. “Society’s interests have changed,” he remarked. “Although Europe is not one of the major contributors to marine litter, we still need to address the problem. The present attention on plastics can be a good thing if it drives engagement and a real willingness to find practical solutions.”

But is there a chance that a less than holistic approach to the role of plastics, such as pressure to eliminate them altogether, might spook end users and undermine the objectives of a project like CEFLEX? Mr Houlder remains Packaging Europe | 21 |

RECYCLING FLEXIBLES

Graham Houlder, Project co-ordinator

untroubled. “I don’t think it has changed the mood,” he said. “People in this industry have been in the game for a long time and know about the shifting nature of media attention. We have to continue to ask ourselves whether there are quantifiably better alternatives to flexibles. Whilst we aren’t aware of such alternatives, we do know that there are opportunities in both the design of flexible packaging and in the available end of life options to make flexibles more circular.”

CEFLEX aims to increase recycling of flexibles in the short term and in the longer term (which means by 2025) support the development of a collection, sorting and reprocessing infrastructure for post-consumer flexible packaging across Europe. A necessary precondition is to achieve widespread collection and effective sorting. Mono PE or PP films make up by far the largest proportion of market volumes; if collected and sorted, these substrates are easily recycled and represent the kind of low hanging fruit that will facilitate progress towards the project’s shorter-term goals.

“Beyond that, a reason why widespread recycling hasn’t happened before is that it isn’t easy,” Mr Houlder observed. Further gains require multifaceted action, featuring both market pushes and pulls. A necessary first step is studying the range of materials out there in the marketplace. CEFLEX has discovered that the flexible packaging market is made up of about 150 mono and multi-material combinations – rather fewer than anticipated, and these can be grouped together to simplify the picture further.

Another dimension of the task consists in more effectively identifying markets for secondary materials. “We want to shift the approach away from ‘I’ve got this material… who can I sell it to?’ towards a more strategic stance. We might ask, ‘Which end markets can we target with LDPE? What properties would they require with regards to odour and transparency? What volumes would they need to make it viable?’ Only then can we come up with specifications to take back to the sorting centres.”

Following this approach, CEFLEX will be gathering market intelligence that helps the waste management stakeholders develop a rigorous business case for collection of all flexible packaging. At the same time, it will be identifying | 22 | Packaging Europe

and communicating to industry best practice with regards to the design and recyclability of flexible packaging.

The task facing flexibles is undoubtedly complex. “In particular, raising collection rates to the levels required in various countries is going to be a real challenge, especially in view of the investments required,” said Mr Houlder.

“Once we’ve worked out the exact requirements, the task for CEFLEX will be to establish links with the municipalities and other collection decision makers.”

However, CEFLEX looks set to provide powerful resources to meet the challenge. The project’s empirical insights will help quantify the economic and environmental impact of flexible packaging with and without recycling and provide all stakeholders with tools to connect the links that can – WILL – eventually form a circle. The multi-faceted strategy certainly seems to work in theory, and pilot projects are planned to bridge principle and practice.

Mr Houlder concluded: “We’re aware that plastics are getting a lot of attention at the moment. Well, while the media storm is raging parts of the industry are quietly working on solutions.”

Antonino Furfari, Plastics Recyclers Europe

CHEMICAL RECYCLING 101 Breaking apart LEGO bricks, unbaking a cake back to its original ingredients… Recourse to metaphorical language is a sure sign that the world hasn’t fully assimilated a concept. It’s certainly true that chemical recycling is no more than a vague presence in the margins of public discourse about plastic waste. Three of the industry’s experts spoke about the potential of the technology to (self-confessed non-chemist) Tim Sykes.

1. What are the basic principles?

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hemical recycling is not a new concept in itself. However, it is right now the focus of intense innovation aiming to enable the recycling of mixed plastic waste streams. “There’s only so much you can do with mixed streams using mechanical recycling, because they’re hard to separate, in addition to the contamination issues,” according to Adrian Whyle, resource efficiency senior manager at PlasticsEurope. “Therefore, the potential to ‘unbake the cake’ and take it back to its original ingredients is a game-changing option. Hopefully the possibility of recovering feedstocks will in turn drive enhanced collection of plastic waste.”

“A substantial proportion of polymers can be mechanically recycled – roughly 30 per cent – but many products like multi-layer packaging are difficult to recycle in the traditional way,” explains professor Kevin Van Geem, director of the Centre for Sustainable Chemistry at Ghent University. “The classic recovery approach for these products has been energy conversion, that is to burn the unrecyclable materials to produce steam. However, this also generates a considerable amount of CO2, resulting in a high environmental impact.”

Chemical recycling represents a preferable approach. “I like to use the analogy of LEGO blocks: we strip down the material to its original chemical building | 24 | Packaging Europe

blocks,” professor Van Geem continues. “The key question is how far this process goes – do we go all the way to single blocks (monomers) or do we stop at longer combinations of blocks (intermediate stages)? The basic objective is to close the cycle. The fewer steps included in this cycle, the better and less capital intensive the process will be. Polystyrene can quite easily be reduced to monomers, whereas the story for polyethylene is more difficult, requiring intermediate steps. Meanwhile, with multilayer packaging you need to break the material down into its separate components which can be illustrated by combinations of the red, blue and yellow blocks in the LEGO analogy. This may involve catalytic upgrading and complex separations, which are quite energy intensive. The key is again to minimise as many steps as possible because they require capital and operating expenditures.”

2. What respective roles can chemical and mechanical recycling play?

There is broad consensus that the two approaches have a complementary relationship. “As the chemical recycling process itself involves a chemical reaction, specific waste input has to be used, which has very often been already

CHEMICAL RECYCLING cleaned by a mechanical process,” points out Antonino Furfari, managing director of Plastics Recyclers Europe. “Potentially, chemical recycling could be used for difficult to recycle streams where conventional mechanical recycling cannot provide an adequate solution.” This would increase the recycling rates if waste is properly managed and collected. He cautions that this potential should not be used as an excuse for disregarding better design for recycling and postponing the urgent need to recycle more today. “Nonetheless, chemical recycling could become a complement to mechanical recycling today for that market share of products that are not conventionally recyclable.”

“Today’s sorting technologies are incredible, able to distinguish between colours and polymer types,” professor Van Geem remarks. “However, there is a question at which point it is economical to stop. Another constraint is the energy required to transport waste. Logistics is a key criterion in viability and in recycling there is a debate around the merits of localised vs centralised systems. With chemical recycling there is the potential to operate on a smaller, more local scale – or even to carry out mobile recycling: move the recycling operation, rather than transporting the waste.”

3. What are the likely applications?

Chemical recycling is already in proof of concept stage in some applications, with numerous pilot projects currently in progress. One example is the CreaSolv® Process, developed by Fraunhofer IVV and being applied by Unilever to recover plastic from sachets in order to reuse material.

The process involves three main steps. First is dissolution of the target plastic using a selective solvent – while other components in the waste fraction remain undissolved. Next contaminants are separated from the recovered polymer solution. Finally comes precipitation of the target plastic from the purified polymer solution. Last year Unilever opened a pilot plant in Indonesia (a critical arena in the fight against waste, producing 64 million tonnes every year, with 1.3 million of these ending up in the ocean) to test the long-term commercial viability of the technology in the sachet application.

Speaking more generally, there is lots of scope for packaging-to-packaging applications. “In principle, going back to the basic chemical building blocks (polystyrene to styrene, polyethylene to ethylene, etc.) means recycled plastics can end up in applications similar to their original use,” comments professor Van Geem. “Moreover, one of the generic advantages of going back to the pure chemical building blocks is that it creates products with no contamination from their original usage. This means they are 100 per cent safe for food, which has been a difficult application area for mechanical recycling.”

ments. The waste management sector has a key role to play in reshaping the processes, as do local authorities.”

“One of the chief requirements now is getting the incentives in place to realise the potential of chemical plastics recycling,” suggests Kevin Van Geem.

“The EU’s Plastics Strategy is a very positive step in this respect. Chemical recycling is economically viable, but there’s still a need to work out the right models that work locally in the context of a particular infrastructure. We can see some important developments happening in the course of the next five years, with investments in several plants announced by Indaver happening here in Belgium alone.”

This is not to suggest that further innovation is not needed. “While robust technologies are already available, it would make things much easier if we could improve the selectivity of the process,” says professor Van Geem. “In the terms of my analogy if we could select only the yellow bricks.”

“There is progress in relation to all the challenges,” concludes Mr Whyle.

“The evolution of technology is gathering pace, with much activity, ranging from early stage R&D to pilot projects. There’s particularly important work going into catalytic processes. Initiatives such as Project Beacon, involving Zero Waste Scotland and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, are worth keeping an eye on.

Moreover, we’re delighted with the Commission’s active role as recently outlined in the Plastics Strategy. This will support both basic research and the development of new systems and catalysts, as well as helping drive the required change and investment.”

4. What are the barriers?

A key roadblock to chemical recycling making a significant contribution to bringing plastics into the circular economy is absence of capacity. As Antonino Furfari notes, there has been much research over the past ten years, but more has to be done to build sustainable streams to support it, with only a handful of chemical recycling facilities currently in business.

“We’re probably some years away from feedstock recovery playing a major role,” predicts Adrian Whyle. “These things inevitably don’t happen overnight.

We need investment and infrastructural changes across multiple stakeholders to effect the necessary collection of waste. We need to work out how to introduce feedstock into cracking facilities. Crackers themselves involve huge invest-

Adrian Whyle, PlasticsEurope Packaging Europe | 25 |

| 26 | Packaging Europe

DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY

HOW SUSTAINABILITY COMPLEMENTS THE DESIGN PROCESS Sustainability has always been a key factor in plastic packaging design and new techniques are now ensuring it is even more at the heart of the process, explains Brian Lodge, RPC Design Manager.

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rom paint to motor oil, fabric conditioner to lawn feed, rigid plastic packaging has long been established as the most appropriate packaging solution for a huge variety of non-food markets. Everyone has benefitted from the consumer convenience, strength, light weight and functionality that a welldesigned pack can deliver. Nevertheless, recent press campaigns against the use of plastics has brought home to a wider audience an issue that the industry has been addressing for many years - that of designing and manufacturing packs that continue to deliver these many advantages without costing the earth.

Somewhat ironically, one of the many criticisms currently being directed at plastics – the myriad different polymers available – remains a critical reason why plastic is able to meet the differing packaging requirements of so many different products. More significantly, the wise use of available polymers remains the key to creating a sustainable and affordable (both in terms of cost and environmental impact) packaging system.

To achieve this, the starting point has to be the need for a wider understanding of the issues involved, and this can be realised in several ways. At RPC Design, for example, our recent activities have included a visit to a plastics recycling facility and attending a seminar at the House of Lords, as well as a longer term project being involved with the Ellen McArthur foundation to develop circular design tools for designers.

Certainly this is the future for packaging design, to which the traditional parameters of form, function and cost must now be added a pack’s ‘circularity’ as an equally important aspect. This is something that RPC has already begun to implement, modifying our design process to include self-developed tools and also adapting our use of software and facilities to ensure we are creating great packaging that meets all of these requirements.

Approaches to the three Rs – ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ – of the Circular Economy are very different. To ‘reduce’ we test our designs using FEA (finite

element analysis) software as well as things like mould-flow. This allows us to minimise the amount of material we use to create the strength needed to function properly.

Again, this is not a new concept. Packaging designers and manufacturers have long worked on lightweighting techniques, for commercial as well as environmental reasons. As long as four years ago, for example, RPC introduced the world’s first UN approved free-standing five-litre jerrycan for the transportation of hazardous products, weighing just 130g compared to more typical examples of around 200g. More recently, we redesigned a highly complex pack for the horticulture sector, reducing the number of components in the pack by over 50 per cent for an overall weight reduction of 40 per cent.

A unique grading system provides an easy visual guide to the sustainability credentials of new pack designs.

Packaging Europe | 27 |

DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Lightweighting delivers resource efficiency while ensuring packs remain fit-for-purpose.

The incorporation of PCR requires great technical skill to ensure pack performance and functionality are not compromised.

Both these examples highlight the crucial relationship between functionality and sustainability. A pack has above all to remain fit-for-purpose – if it cannot deliver on its primary purpose, any environmental benefits are worthless.

For this reason ‘reuse’ can be trickier for many industrial applications where the original contents of the container preclude this or the need for tamper-evident seals (essential for many products and often required by law) makes reuse difficult. However, there are plenty of examples of pots with pens in and jars containing screws or nails in both commercial and domestic life.

For many plastic pack designs, the main target remains to ‘recycle’ and here designers can have a very big impact by creating packaging that is fully recyclable and which can incorporate post-consumer recycled materials.

Using single material packs in PET, PP or HDPE is the first objective, and if this is difficult then making the components easily separable is important. Like lightweighting, the incorporation of PCR requires great technical skill to ensure pack performance and functionality are not compromised in any way, and there are many instances where this has been successfully achieved, such as paint containers with 25 per cent PCR, and oil bottles and tester pots which are 100 per cent PCR.

At RPC we have also developed two bespoke tools to help the design-forrecycling process. The first is our “Circular Economy Check Sheet” that poses questions for each step of the design process. This requires each designer to challenge the brief, the concepts generated and the final design with a set of questions that ensure we have explored every possibility for making the pack suitable for the CE. By far the most effective tool has been our recent introduction of a circular grading system that rates each design concept against the Recyclas recyclability scheme. We add to our presentations a pictogram similar to that for energy efficiency used on electric appliances or double glazed windows. Each design has an A to F rating and the coloured bar graph quickly shows the effect of design decisions on its recyclability. We also incorporate symbols to show if it is lightweighted, reusable or made from PCR materials.

Designing for the circular economy does not mean having to throw away all the benefits that well-designed plastic packaging already offers. By applying the right skill and knowledge and using the right tools, it is possible to create packs that fulfil consumer, filler, brand owner and recycler needs without compromise.

And that has to be the best way to achieve the more sustainable world that everyone is seeking.

| 28 | Packaging Europe

Packaging Europe | 29 |

EXPLORING THE NORWEGIAN MODEL Tracy Sutton, renowned consultant in circular economy packaging design and founder of Root, reports on her recent field trip to study Norway’s waste management systems.

Tracy Sutton

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an expert specialising in sustainable packaging design for over 15 years, I’ve been pleased to observe a significant shift throughout the packaging industry over the past 18 months. While a handful of smart brands have proudly prioritised sustainability at board level for a number of years, recent actions from consumers, campaigners and media have pushed sustainable packaging to the top of many brands’ agendas for 2018. In a very short space of time many raw material suppliers, converters, brands and retailers have been making a variety of commitments to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging – an overdue step that I can only praise.

The increased focus on plastic packaging, deposit return systems and the recyclability of packaging has been further strengthened by developments such as the European Commission’s Plastic Strategy and the UK government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. Such shifts prompted me to visit Norway as part of my ongoing research into packaging design and waste management around the globe. The Scandinavian country has a strong reputation for sustainability activi| 30 | Packaging Europe

Beverage can with 1 Kr deposit

ties and I wanted to get to the root of what was really happening to see what insights I could glean.

During my trip I visited Infinitum, the world’s most efficient deposit return system. I also spent time onsite with Syklus who collect and recycle Norway’s glass and metal packaging. Finally, I discussed the management of Norway and specifically Oslo’s waste with the Senior Director of Waste Management for the municipality.

First impressions On first impressions in key transport hubs such as the airport and train station there is nothing that really stands out to be markedly different from other European countries. Separate collection bins are highly visible and plentiful. It’s not until you spend time walking around the city, exploring supermarkets, department stores and hotels that you realise that there is not so much that separates the Norwegian approach to packaging design and waste management.

All images © Root Innovation

NORWEGIAN MODEL

Reverse vending machine in a Norwegian supermarket

Waste collection In Norway different municipalities have different-coloured bins for different types of waste. The majority of Oslo homes have collection for: • Papiravfall – Paper and Tetra Pak • Plastavfall – Plastic • Glass og metall – Glass and metal • Bioavfall or Matafall – Food and garden / green waste • Restavfall – for all other waste.

Exploring the city streets, I notice packaging litter in similar amounts to London. Coffee cups, flexible films and glass / plastic bottles are among the common items. Throughout Oslo, street collection for ‘on the go’ material is via standard litter bins - it’s only in selected places with high footfall where you’ll find specific segregation, such as the airport, train station and supermarket carparks.

I notice that, as in the UK, the labelling and placement of the bins is very inconsistent - graphic icons vary a lot between locations, so even I question which bin my packaging should go into. This contrasts greatly with countries like Belgium, where in Brussels they have pretty consistent design and placement of bins that correlates clearly to the municipal collection system.

In addition to household and street recycling there are localised bottle banks, clothes banks and bins for batteries and electrical items in select locations.

Many hotels also have specific segregation of materials. However, the consistent labelling of bins prevailed as, once again I questioned which segment of the bin my own packaging should go into.

Perplexed about where I might put a piece of packaging that has a deposit value, I headed to a supermarket where, as expected, things became clear. The key difference in the infrastructure in Norway is the addition of the highly successful deposit return scheme run by Infinitum, a private, not for profit organisation owned by retailers and producers.

Deposit return system Although returnable packaging has been part of Norwegian culture since 1902, refillable PET and glass packaging came to an end in 2014. Now, all packaging in the Norwegian market is single use. The system run by Infinitum has been live since 1996 following just under 10 years of discussion, development and All images © Root Innovation

testing. This system handles PET bottles for beverages (not food or household cleaning) a small amount of HDPE and aluminium cans.

Refunds can be made via one of 3500 reverse vending machines where 93 per cent of the total of packaging collected is via this channel. The remaining seven per cent is collected manually by one of 11,500 registered collection points. For products registered with Infinitum consumers get one Krone (approximately €0.10) back for a 330ml plastic bottle or can and 2.5 Kr (approximately €0.26) for a large two-litre plastic bottle. The refunds will soon increase to two and three Krone retrospectively with the total beverage cost expected to increase to reflect this.

Infinitum have a recycling rate of 97 per cent of all of the packaging that is registered through its system, which is very impressive indeed.

Policy and environmental tax Norwegian Producer Responsibility regulation states that as a producer of a product that requires packaging, you are responsible for covering the cost of recycling the packaging. On top of a basic tax for one-way packaging, producers must pay an environmental tax to cover the cost of the collection and recycling of their packaging. The tax reduces as the recycling rate increases and when the rate is over 95 per cent there is no tax to pay.

The economic model from Infinitum is deliberately set to offer a more economical option to paying the environmental tax and it helps brands meet their duties mapped out in the regulation.

Market for recyclate Since the DRS system is so effective, the amount of recyclate available vastly outweighs demand and, as with many recycling systems around the world, there is a real need to incentivise the uptake of these recycled substrates. A lot of material is currently exported to countries less able to generate sufficient recyclate themselves at an economical level.

Fifty per cent of the glass cullet created by the waste management organisation Syklus is shipped to Denmark or Germany to be used in new glass packaging production. This export of raw material has its own environmental footprint of course and so Syklus, too, echoes the need for stronger demand for recycled aluminium and glass. The difference is that the use of recycled cullet in the glass and metal industry is very established, therefore there is already some demand for such material.

Packaging Europe | 31 |

NORWEGIAN MODEL

There is definitely room for growth, according to Infinitum. They are striving to collect 100 per cent of the bottles and their ‘why target anything lower than 100 per cent?’ ethos is very refreshing. Imagine if we did collect 100 per cent of the packaging material we produced?

Poorly designed packaging During my visits to both Infinitum and Syklus it is clear that the vast majority of packaging is not designed for recycling. Contamination from closures, labels and decoration, especially in the luxury sector, causes real problems for recyclers with the vast majority of components ending up being landfilled or incinerated.

This is true for every waste management site I’ve been to.

There is a real need for designers, brands and converters to change the way they design and manufacture packaging so that it’s material value can be retained in cycles. Whether it’s polymer, fibre, glass or metal packaging, heaped up in the ‘goods-in’ yard of most recyclers is a significant portion of material that will never see the light of day again. It will not be part of the Circular Economy we all seem so committed to work towards.

Throughout the waste management sector there are operation teams who aspire to run their site at optimum capacity but who lack a constant stream of material coming in. They also really want to drive ways to reduce contamination from poorly designed packaging that is reducing the market value of the material coming out of the factories.

Conclusions Norway has a very successful deposit return system that other countries could definitely learn from. The scheme, along with the Norwegian government’s environmental tax, is definitely a driver for high recycling rates for certain types of packaging. The design of much packaging is simple and uncomplicated, although there is room for much improvement to aid the work of the recycling industry and to play a part in helping increase market value of recycled material across the board.

On-the-go packaging Oslo city shares the challenge that most modern cities have to collect more ‘on the go’ packaging, specifically from streets and public spaces. This type of waste is typically more contaminated than household waste due to different street behaviours being exhibited and tourism amongst other factors.

Compostable and biodegradable packaging During my stay I saw no compostable packaging on the shelves. This is no surprise when I learn that less than one per cent of Norwegians regularly compost.

When you also consider the lack of heat and moisture in the local atmosphere this also makes sense because the certification and conditions that the testing is held under for compostable packaging is not necessarily applicable to the country that you’re selling the product in. | 32 | Packaging Europe

Fanta sold in vending machine with 1 Kr deposit payable All images © Root Innovation

IPACK-IMA ITALY AND EUROPE PREPARE FOR IPACK-IMA This year’s editions will mark a turning point for the forthcoming, co-located exhibitions IPACK-IMA and MEAT-TECH 2018, which take place on 29 May to 1 June in Milan and are set to be larger, more international in scope and packed with more innovative content than ever before.

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onths before the shows are due to begin, more than 90 per cent of the exhibition space has been assigned to leading Italian and international companies. The two events are growing in terms of both occupied space and number of exhibitors.

IPACK-IMA will extend over eight halls divided up according to exhibitor business communities or the specific types of products.

Halls 1 and 3 will be devoted to technologies, materials and accessories for the pasta, bakery, milling and confectionary industries. The presence of leading Italian and international companies confirms IPACK-IMA’s position as the most important exhibition in the world for this sector.

In the adjacent Halls 5-7, visitors will have a chance to discover the latest new products for food processing and packaging, with a special focus on fresh & convenience.

The offerings for non-food sectors, particularly cosmetics and industrial goods, will be located in Hall 4 along with the liquid filling segment, which will also be well represented in the halls devoted to food industry technologies.

Offerings will also include machinery, equipment and devices relevant to different product sectors. Technologies for labelling, coding & tracking will be located in Hall 14 while companies operating in the end-of-line stage will occupy Halls 6 and 10, complemented by the products showcased at Intralogistica Italia, the event devoted to internal logistics organised by Deutsche Messe and IPACK-IMA. Last but not least, a new satellite show focussed on innovative materials and premium packaging called IPACK-MAT will be making its debut at IPACK-IMA 2018 in Hall 14, where other thematic and display spaces will be available.

All halls will showcase specific materials for the various business communities. The leading companies in the field of technologies for automation and robotics will also be present at IPACK-IMA. Technologies, auxiliary equipment and ingredients for meat processing will be on display in Hall 2 at the East entrance of the exhibition centre. Now in its second edition, the exhibition is the most important European event for the meat industry and will see the participation of the leading companies in the sector.

Other transversal themes that will be explored through dedicated events and product offerings will include anti-counterfeiting and serialisation in the food, fashion and personal care sectors. Production specifications for “free from” food and sanitary design, own brands and private labels will also be amongst the offerings targeted at food and beverage industry companies.

Exhibition 2.0 B2B meetings will be organised as part of an innovative online matching platform called My Matching, which will allow for a high level of user profiling and will make suggestions for meetings.

Another tool that is already facilitating meetings between exhibitors and visitors is the smart catalogue. This innovative online catalogue combines the classic information provided in trade fair catalogues with the information published by companies on their web channels.

It also integrates seamlessly with promotional activities conducted through the two exhibitions’ official social channels.

International scope The Innovation Alliance is also expecting around 1000 selected buyers who have been invited to the five trade fairs with the support of the Italian Ministry for Economic Development and the Italian Trade Agency ITA. In particular, IPACK-IMA and MEAT-TECH will host buyers from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South America and the United States. The recently initiated pre-registration process is also seeing excellent results with an increase in the number of professionals applying for entrance tickets.

Visit: www.ipackima.com

Major themes The circular economy and sustainability will take centre stage in the space organised by Conai, while the products competing for the Packaging Oscar will be displayed in the area set up by the Italian Institute of Packaging.

Digitisation and themes relating to e-commerce will be discussed at a conference organised in collaboration with the Italian e-commerce consortium Netcomm. The appointment follows on from the successful event organised in late January. The exhibition companies will showcase solutions specially designed for sale through digital channels.

Packaging Europe | 33 |

EUROMAC’S FIFTY YEARS Euromac has crossed another milestone of their company’s history. In January 2018 the company celebrate half a century of manufacturing slitter rewinders, growing from a small family business to one of the renowned worldwide leaders.

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uromac is currently managed by the 2nd and 3rd generation owners and has remained 100% family owned. Vice-President Mr Massimo Miglietta explains: “Our late father Adelio Miglietta considered to manufacture rotogravure printers, but fierce local competition led him in 1968 to diversify and projected our first slitter rewinder”.

At the end of May 2018 Euromac will exhibit at the Ipack-Ima, Plast and Print4All, where Euromac will also open their factory doors. Next to promotions, deals and announcements which are being posted on their website (www.euromacslitters.com) and various specialised trade magazines and sites, Euromac will be notifying their customers and collaborators with personal invitations to join the various festivities.

Renovated and new facilities Euromac is investing in its manufacturing structure and facility. The company is building of a new production facility, next to their current facility in Villanova Monferrato (AL) in the North of Italy and is expanding their commercial

| 34 | Packaging Europe

department and development centre. The new facilities are scheduled to open by the 3rd quarter of 2018. With the expansion Euromac will also expand their solar photovoltaic panels and increase electricity production.

Global relaunch In addition to its headquarters in Villanova Monferrato and distributors that serve the different countries of the world, Euromac soon will launch a brand-new website with new features to serve clients. Euromac renewed their company logo and brand which for 2018 exclusively will feature the 50 years symbol.

Progress in 2018 Excellent results are booked as the production pipeline is nearly fully booked for the full year, with investments having boosted productivity by 35%.

Vittorio Miglietta, Maurizio Miglietta, Massimo Miglietta

END OF LIFE SCENARIOS

END OF LIFE AND THE NEED FOR REALITY-BASED DESIGN Arco Berkenbosch, Smurfit Kappa’s VP, Innovation and Development, speaks to Libby White and Tim Sykes about the need to factor in realistic end-of-life scenarios when designing packaging for sustainability.

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ACKAGING EUROPE: Across the industry it’s well known that packaging benefits the environment by preventing waste and optimising logistics in a resource-efficient manner. But across society there is understandable anxiety about packaging waste, in particular unrecycled waste. How do you view this tension between the positive and negative impacts of packaging?

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RCO BERKENBOSCH: This tension is a positive thing and it will always exist. The most sustainable packaging is something we can all dream of, but it isn’t a reality that is well defined or fully understood today. You have to find the best compromise between the environmental impact of the packaging, and the added value it can bring to the supply chain.

Packaging Europe | 35 |

One of the main challenges for packaging is found at its end of life. I strongly believe that from a packaging design point of view you must tackle the weak points. The added value packaging brings to the supply chain can’t be used as an excuse for the waste or litter packaging might create at end of life. The main problem is when there is an uncontrolled situation at end of life. Packaging designers and innovators must pick up this challenge to solve the problem.

PE AB

What concrete actions would this involve at the product development stage?

Focusing on the sustainability impact, in the development stage of the packaging we must multiply the intended end of life scenario with the chance that it will happen in practice. We have to factor in reality. If the packaging material is compostable, but we know that in general only five per cent of this material ends up in the correct end of life stream, then it is not a sustainable packaging in reality. The probability and significance of this is not considered enough. A sustainable package might still be waste if it ends up next to a highway or in the ocean and stays there for years.

Take the example of recyclability in the paper industry. If a paper-based packaging substrate is made of 85 per cent recyclable material, for example if it has a plastic coating, this in principle sounds good. However, if the other 15 per cent is unrecyclable, in practice the whole product cannot be recycled. Our challenge is to design products in a way that means entering an uncontrolled waste stream is not an option. | 36 | Packaging Europe

A beautiful example of this approach is with soda cans. Remember how in the past the ring pull used to separate from the can after opening? Now it remains connected to the can, which means there is no longer an option that it can be thrown away separately after opening a can, for instance next to a highway.

From an R&D point of view, we need to make packaging fool-proof, so that in actual usage the chance of it ending up in landfill is minimum. And if it ends up as litter, it should biodegrade quickly.

PE AB

Are there any examples of integrating these kinds of end of life scenarios into Smurfit Kappa’s R&D?

An example from Smurfit Kappa comes from our bag-in-box applications. As is well known, there are two types of materials involved in this packaging: the renewable box material and the plastic bag. The connection of these two materials is designed in such a way so they can be easily separated after use and disposed of into the correct waste streams. We combine the strength of the plastic bag for the quality of the wine with the strength of the box for transport and communication to the consumer. In this way we use the unique properties of both materials in an optimal way.

Looking at material combinations, recyclability is a key criterion. Smurfit Kappa’s MB12 is a great example. This is a board solution that provides a barrier to mineral oil migration into food products, but uniquely remains recyclable in the normal waste stream, with no adaptations needed. Traditionally, this has been achieved by a barrier layer which renders it unsuitable for the normal recycling

END OF LIFE SCENARIOS process. We add the functionality without creating any additional burden for the consumers in order to recycle. It remains fully recyclable.

In my opinion packaging developers often underestimate the brief. They look for a solution that requires changes in consumer behaviour but this takes time.

We say too lightly that we need to change the consumer behaviour but we as packaging leaders also need to take this on as a design challenge.

PE

There is of course particularly fierce attention on plastics at the moment, with media and public pressure to reduce or even eliminate their use in packaging. Smurfit Kappa sits in a more comfortable position since it can point to both renewable feedstocks and comparatively high recycling rates of paper-based packaging. What is your perspective on the current debate around plastics?

AB

The debate brings a problem to the forefront, which at the core is a clear problem for the entire packaging industry. Packaging in itself has no other reason for its existence than to protect, bundle and sell the product inside. When the product life of the packaging is far longer than the product it contains inside, therein lies the complication and problem. We need to consider whether the material will last for ten, twenty, or 100 years into the future, and whether its functionality is needed to exist for so long.

Who knows if we still need these materials in 100 years? Take the example of the Colosseum. It served its original purpose but was not needed to withstand time and remain so far into the future. One Colosseum is nice for the tourists but imagine if we had thousands of them!

Of course we have to educate consumers to improve recycling rates and waste handling.

We should aim to design packaging that has the same product life as the product it packages. This is the core of the challenge. It goes deeper than focusing on achieving recyclability or using renewable resources, as we still face the problem of uncontrolled waste streams. For example, paper-based packaging has an extremely high recycling rate of above 80%, but it can still enter uncontrolled waste streams.

So the question we should ask is: how can we develop packaging that causes limited harm to the planet in uncontrolled situations? Paper-based packaging has the clear advantage that it’s biodegradable in many circumstances, such as if it enters the ocean. However, I believe there is a clear role in our society for plastic packaging too, due to its necessary functionality. In many applications of plastic packaging, it is needed for its functional resistance against water, and to prevent liquid leakage. This is an unsolvable contradiction: you can’t have a package that protects against leakage of liquids and provides moisture resistance, but also dissolves in the ocean.

We should therefore look to minimise environmental impact in this dilemma by splitting the functionalities required, like in the bag-in-box example. All the strength is provided in the biodegradable box, and the inner bag provides moisture resistance.

We also have to work extremely hard on other factors such as the printing and gluing of the packaging to make sure it does not affect the biodegradability of the package. For example, at Smurfit Kappa we have made a lot of improvements together with the ink industry to make printing inks free more environmental friendly. We are also focusing critically on the glue used currently by the industry.

PE

How do you predict the packaging industry will evolve over the next five years in response to the present sustainability challenge? How do you see Smurfit Kappa’s role in this?

AB

In the longer term, hopefully the debate will evolve into a more balanced, practical, and scientific discussion, rather than an emotional one.

We have to keep focussing on the role of packaging in reducing climate change, improving water quality, etc. As Smurfit Kappa we have clearly defined visions and targets on that.

The packaging industry as a whole needs to rethink its goals in the supply chain and the pros and cons of different materials. The industry focuses at the moment on ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ but, on top of that, we also need to focus on how to prevent uncontrollable waste.

Let’s focus on a concrete example. At Smurfit Kappa, a focus in the next few years for us will be on the exciting new opportunities for the paper-based industry within the e-commerce channel. We have taken years to optimise supply chains in existing channels, the controllability of sustainable raw materials, and achieve FSC certification. Now there is a lot of scope for optimising packaging in this rapidly growing new channel. There are many factors to concentrate on, such as void fill, box sizes, waste handling, and material advances. I don’t think there are many who can truly claim today that their e-commerce packaging is fit for purpose. We have developed the scientific insights to achieve that.

Arco Berkenbosch

Packaging Europe | 37 |

OUTER BEAUTY ENCASES A SUSTAINABLE SOUL Craftmanship, sustainability, and flexibility are key drivers in the personal care industry - observes Libby White from ADF PCD in Paris, where hundreds of innovations were showcased by over 500 exhibitors to 7,224 attending professionals from 31 January to 01 February 2018.

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ackaging Europe takes a closer look at the stand-out solutions and the market trends driving innovation, discovering that a move towards sustainable thinking goes hand in hand with pushing aesthetic appeal and clever design. The development of innovative dispensing systems is also a clear focus to achieve the finest functionality for consumers, and technology on show at the event met a clear need for flexibility and speed.

Technology highlights market demands Hinterkopf was a major attraction at the show exhibiting its latest D240.2 digital printing machine providing higher precision, more intense colours and faster speed.

“Packaging presents the soul of its contents and we have the ability to make containers beautiful, an important aspect of the personal care market,” | 38 | Packaging Europe

Alexander Hinterkopf, managing director of Hinterkopf Gmbh comments. “We notice a widening variety of products on the personal care market, whereby the need for flexibility and speed is crucial. Personal care products are becoming more and more personalised and niche, for example geared towards older and younger generations and to address even times of day for use, from day to night.” These changing market demands need to be supported by speed and flexibility.

“Marketing organisations are seeking to create individual products in a very short time,” Mr Hinterkopf continues. As a consequence, run lengths are coming down in size. More important is a very short time to market. This is where digital printing comes into play.

Seasonal products, special or limited editions cost practically the same as a larger quantity. In theory, a consumer could order an individualised piece, without

PERSONAL CARE

significant impact on production cost. The printed image is consistent from the first to last piece of a run, and there is virtually no production waste. This further enhances the economics in manufacturing.

Large quantities can also be produced very easily with the D240.2. Due to integrated networking of machines, the decoration of larger quantity orders can be split between several machines. The multiple machines used for this type of networked production can even be situated at different locations. The print result remains the same from can to can – regardless where the machine is located.

“If the order quantity increases over night to a million cans, a single machine gets overwhelmed,” says Mr Hinterkopf.

Sustainability matters Metsä Board showcased its stand-out SkinCare 2.0 gift box design.

Created by Metsä’s packaging design team, the new SkinCare 2.0 gift box demonstrates a more environmentally friendly packaging design through the use of lighter weight paperboard materials and the elimination of the plastic wrap.

In addition, each box design offers a unique opening and reclosing experience combined with maximum runnability performance on automated packaging lines.

Christophe Baudry, sales director, EMEA brand owners, remarks: “Metsä has green blood running through its veins and our 100 per cent renewable and compostable box consists of purely pulp, no plastic, whilst providing the same high-quality aesthetic.”

The emphasis RPC Bramlage places on sustainable packaging solutions has been underlined by two accreditations. The company holds an Ecocert certification for its standard AirFree® packs, and a COTREP (Technical Committee for Plastic Packaging Recycling) certification that confirm the recyclability of its packaging.

Both RPC Bramlage’s Ecosolution pump in four parts and AirFree® bottle are made entirely from plastic and are 100 per cent recyclable. The external layer of the AirFree® bottle can be manufactured in recycled PE, while the internal pouch layer in contact with the formula uses virgin PE. The pouch contains EVOH, a barrier to oxygen that also blocks odour migration and guarantees the integrity of the formula.

Slidissime Quartz is the first ecological airless jar, combining airless pouch technology with a flexible Touch & Slide pump. Its materials are compliant with the Food Contact EC directive and are compatible with most formulae, ensuring the solution answers the needs of today’s cosmetic market.

Both certifications leverage RPC Bramlage’s sustainability philosophy – that of promoting the harmonious coexistence of business and the global environment.

“Nowadays, end-users are looking for environmentally-friendly solutions from personal care products and this is pushing brands to reduce preservatives,” explains Pascal Hennemann, RPC Bramlage’s R&D Manager. “This requires the development of innovative packaging that eliminates the need for these preservatives. At the same time, a truly sustainable solution must comprise more than careful material selection. Our eco approach also takes into account the entire product life cycle, including optimisation of energy consumption, weight reduction, and recycling of plastic waste.”

Greener materials Another clear trend to see on the show floor influenced by environmental thought was a move away from solvents, lacquers and varnishes and towards alternatives.

Tubex, a packaging specialist for aluminium aerosol cans, aluminium tubes, cartridges and plastic tubes showcased its use of water-based lacquer, which saves up to 40 per cent of solvents compared to standard, solvent based lacquers. It also highlighted its use of internal powder coating, a joint development of Tubex and suppliers of coatings. Advantages include no use of solvents, a reduced carbon footprint and best porosity results.

Tubex also brings to the market the shoulderless plastic tube. By applying a patented production process the cap is directly welded onto the tube sleeve and the production of the shoulder is omitted completely. Through this manufacturing process the material saving can be up to 40 per cent compared to standard plastic tubes.

Complementary dispensing Advances in solutions offered on the personal care market need to be reflected by the systems that dispense them. Aptar Beauty and Home, which designs and manufactures dispensing systems for cosmetics and perfumery offer a new alternative application method to suit the needs of the market. Star Drop offers simple and intuitive application to complement a foundation formula with an ultra-fluid texture that makes it difficult to apply. The application method boasts a new generation valve capable of releasing just the right amount of product for a tailor-made dose, guaranteeing controlled, hygienic and waste free application.

The ultra-fluid texture of this foundation formula makes it difficult to apply, hence the idea of an alternative application method christened Star drop, boasting a new-generation valve capable of releasing just the right amount of product for a tailor-made dose.

As personal care products advance and diversify, so innovative packaging is evolving and supporting the growing needs of the market.

Packaging Europe | 39 |

INNOVATION ARISES FROM SHARED PASSION FOR COMPOSTABLE PACKAGING Bio4pack and TIPA, already established partners in the Netherlands, were exactly what organic grains company, De Halm, was looking for. Together, they were able to develop a compostable packaging solution, and a long-term relationship, that has proven to be an overall success.

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seemed like fate, the partners recall. A moment of perfect timing where three companies, all engaged in the same endeavour of compostable packaging, were matched up by more than pure chance.

As partner of TIPA, Bio4pack compared other sustainable, flexible packaging companies, and found TIPA offered the seal ability and transparency, and overall performance that Meesters De Halm had been seeking for years. In fact, Rob van den Berg of De Halm said they, Bio4pack and De Halm, had been looking for the perfect compostable package for five years before discovering TIPA’s films.

Patrick Gerritsen of Bio4pack, and a sustainable packaging expert, lead the project with De Halm, and said it was more of a trial and error of sandwiching different materials before finding the right film that would perform perfectly. He emphasised that “persistence is the key to success. We did not succeed in the beginning, and attempted numerous times before achieving the right performance.”

TIPA’s films offered the specifications needed to make Bio4pack’s laminates transparent and durable, with the requested shelf-life. Rob highlighted: “the transparency and the machinability of the Bio4pack Laminate was particularly appealing – it was more transparent than starch-based films.” Besides the aesthetics of the package, which were also crucial, De Halm’s specifications had to meet certain criteria in order for their packaging to be compostable, and not recyclable. | 40 | Packaging Europe

The package itself consists of a-two film, fully compostable laminate that outcompetes comparable bioplastics on the market with superior transparency. The laminate has similar strength and transparency compared to regular polypropylene and polyethylene found in conventional plastic, but the package also features a carry weight of up to 750 grams due to excellent seal ability and hot tack.

TIPA, Bio4pack and De Halm share an understanding of the permanent implications non-recyclable, flexible plastic packaging has on the environment.

“While not all plastics are created equal, it is especially difficult for flexible plastic packaging,” said TIPA’s CEO and co-founder, Daphna Nissenbaum. “As awareness grows, we are more capable of discerning the severe recycling challenges associated with multilayer flexible plastic packaging without some prior separation process. Because laminate materials are usually sent straight to landfill or incinerated, they have limited value post usage.”

With mutual understanding, TIPA, Bio4pack and De Halm believe that small changes can make a greater impact on a larger scale. There is a lot of scope for improvement in terms of current infrastructure and awareness. Daphna quotes the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which has found that 14 per cent of plastic packaging goes straight to landfills, and another eight million tons are lost via leakage into the marine environment each year. She summarises: “Mankind should only use packaging that can integrate with nature - decompose and become a resource.”

ANUGA FOODTEC

ANUGA FOODTEC SETTING NEW RECORDS More than packaging: Anuga FoodTec, the leading international supplier fair for the food and beverage industry, opens its doors on 20-23 March 2018. Around 1700 exhibitors are expected in the halls of Köln Messe.

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nuga FoodTec will continue its success story. We are once again forecasting a 13 per cent increase in the number of exhibitors compared to the previous event. As such, as the only trade fair worldwide, Anuga FoodTec covers all aspects of the food production and will convince in the coming year even more than ever due to its enormous variety of offers and quality,” said Katharina C. Hamma, Koelnmesse’s COO. In line with the high demand on the exhibitor side, Anuga FoodTec is again increasing its exhibition space in 2018 up to 140,000 square metres and is being staged in Halls 4.2, 5.2, 6 to 9, 10.1 and for the first time additionally in Hall 10.2.

Anuga FoodTec is also expanding in international reach, with exhibitors from more than 50 countries presenting their new products in Cologne. In addition to the comprehensive product show, which encompasses large-surface live

presentations, a wide-ranging congress and event programme also awaits the trade visitors again. The overriding theme of Anuga FoodTec 2018 is Resource Efficiency.

With its exhibition segments Food Packaging, Safety and Analytics, Food Processing, Food Ingredients as well as Services & Solutions, Anuga FoodTec covers all aspects of food production. The exhibitors present solutions for all branches of the food industry, from the dairy and meat industries, from beverages to pasta, from fruit and vegetables to oils and fats. Anuga FoodTec offers both individual solutions as well as holistic, cross-process concepts across all production stages.

Traditionally, process technology is the most strongly represented section at the trade fair. Almost all of the market leaders from the industry will be present Packaging Europe | 41 |

ANUGA FOODTEC

across Halls 4.2, 6, 9, 10.1 and 10.2. In Halls 7, 8 and in parts of Hall 9, the focus is on the theme Food Packaging and thus also on packaging machines, packing materials, automation and control technology. In Hall 5.2 trade visitors can find all information on food safety and quality management. Here companies that focus on hygiene technology, analysis, laboratory and measuring devices will be presenting their new products.

‘An international driving force’ As the leading global trade fair, Anuga FoodTec is the most important driving force of the international food and beverage industry. The number of companies represented in Cologne is correspondingly high. According to the status in November, companies from 50 countries will be presenting their new products

| 42 | Packaging Europe

at Anuga FoodTec. At 56 per cent, the share of foreign exhibitors remains at a constantly high level. Meanwhile, visitors are expected from over 140 countries.

Congress programme With numerous, large-surface exhibitor presences, live presentations on running production lines and a large diversity of offers, Anuga FoodTec has an extremely practice-oriented alignment. The comprehensive event and congress programme including star-studded conferences, forums, guided tours and numerous special events will provide additional information and inspiration. The opening conference, explored on the following pages, addresses the central theme of Resource Efficiency.

Visit: www.anugafoodtec.com

FOCUSSING ON FOOD WASTE Resource efficiency is one of the key themes of Anuga FoodTec. As part of this, the problem of food waste is of central importance – and will be the subject of a specialised conference presented

by NVC’s Michaël Nieuwesteeg.

Matthias Schlüter, exhibition director, talks to Packaging Europe.

Anuga FoodTec has a wide scope in terms of the technologies and themes covered. How important is the issue of food waste to exhibitors and visitors, and how does it relate to the broader concerns of the event?

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specially against the background that over two billion people are overweight and over 800 million people suffer hunger on a daily basis.

Large amounts of food are still wasted - either along the supply chain through to the consumer or at home by the consumers themselves. It is equally important for both the exhibitors and visitors of Anuga FoodTec to provide solutions that provide assistance here for one of the top themes. In addition to the personal opinions that are unanimous on the theme of ‘throwing away food’, the theme namely also has an economic aspect for the participants of the trade fair. At the same time the reduction of food waste can also be implemented communicatively: It is a sales argument that can be passed on along the value chain, ultimately also to the consumer.

| 44 | Packaging Europe

ANUGA FOODTEC

Due to increased awareness in the food waste section, all of the players involved profit from showing their commitment here. Anuga FoodTec additionally picks up on the theme in its event programme. The conference ‘Fighting food waste together: how to open the potential of better packaging’, takes place at 10:00 a.m. on 22 March.

What will your role be in relation to the NVC’s Forum Resource Efficiency and zero waste dinner initiative?

The conference of the NVC is an excellent addition to the exhibits that deal with the theme food waste. For us such appearances are always a gain because they offer our visitors added value and at the same time also address the top themes of the industry beyond the exhibitor stands. It is an exchange: informative, sensitising, solution-oriented and inspiring. That NVC has chosen Anuga FoodTec as the venue for the conference underlines our position as the leading international supplier fair for the food and beverage industry. We hope together with the exhibitors and the accompanying conferences that we are able to set impulses and that this leads to less wastage of foodstuffs. A symbolic act here is also the ‘zero waste dinner’.

It shows us on a small scale how to do it! It is possible to consume food without wastage. And what works on this scale, has a better chance of working in bigger dimensions too.

What are your thoughts on how society and industry can achieve significant reductions in food waste?

Food waste is a complex issue that challenges not only all of us as end users, but especially the policymakers as well. At Anuga FoodTec we are looking at

two aspects of this issue. On the one hand, the exhibitors will present numerous solutions of how food loss within production can be reduced, e.g. as a dairy producer, how can I ensure that a ten-tonne shipment of raw milk ideally ends up in ten tonnes of finished product. In addition, packaging solutions are shown that extend the shelf life of food, whether through protective gases, better sealing technologies or HPP technologies. Of course the avoidance of food waste also plays an important role in the scope of the production and packing process.

Through Anuga FoodTec, I already have a strong association to this theme due to my job and have been able to co-experience the developments of the past years live. It is the right path to take and it is important to carry on working on optimising the solutions.

That is the packing and production side. Regarding what the theme means for the society: here I can only speak for myself personally. I am glad that the theme food waste has come under focus more and more over the past years. For instance I am becoming aware of it in my environment. The demands of the consumers have changed and this is a good thing. As far as food waste by the consumer is concerned, I clearly call upon everyone to make sure they throw as little away as possible. This starts with the amount of shopping: what do I really need, when do I need it - i.e. how long has it got to keep - and range through to ideas for ‘using left-overs’. According to my experiences there are only few foodstuffs which have gone past the sell-by date that cannot still be enjoyed. I personally try to throw as little away as possible and my family and I are very good at this. One should always keep in mind that there are millions of people who are starving. That is why I get very annoyed if a foodstuff really can’t be used anymore just because I didn’t plan things properly.

Packaging Europe | 45 |

At the moment across Europe there is a strong focus on the crisis of unrecycled packaging waste, and associated pressure to drastically cut use of plastic packaging. In response, many point out the important role plastic plays in preventing food waste. Do you have a view on how to tackle the tension between cutting plastic and cutting food waste?

As so often there is not a black and white view here, but instead lots of grey zones. Of course, it is about how packaging can be designed so that as little packing material is needed as possible. But I am not a fan of playing off the battle for more environmental protection against the battle against food wastage.

Thinner packaging, protective gases, UHP, organic plastics are just a few themes how both topics can be linked together. And if the consumers would shop more carefully both the amount of packing and food wastage could be reduced.

Speaking more generally about Anuga FoodTec, what are the other highlights and features of the show that you are most looking forward to?

First of all, we are looking forward to the fact that the fair starts soon: Anuga FoodTec opens its doors on 20 March 2018. We will then see whether we have satisfied the demands of the trade fair participants with our work over the last three years. But all the signs for a successful event are looking very positive: With around 1700 exhibitors from 50 countries we are expecting to set a new exhibitor record. We are opening an additional hall, namely Hall 10.2, and will thus cover 140,000 square metres of exhibition space, which is the equivalent to around 20 football pitches. The spectacular exhibitor presences, the production lines that are | 46 | Packaging Europe

set up and which can be marvelled at live throughout the duration of the trade fair, are my personal highlights. I am always impressed again and again by the diversity at Anuga FoodTec. Our visitors from all over the world can find everything they need for the production of food and beverages. From processing to packaging, safety & analytics, services & solutions and food ingredients. It is always great to see how Anuga FoodTec covers and unites all of this.

Matthias SchlĂźter

ANUGA FOODTEC

Packaging Europe | 47 |

FOOD WASTE:

AT THE CONVERGENCE OF TECHNOLOGY AND STRUCTURE Toine Timmermans is one of Europe’s leading authorities on food waste. He leads the Sustainable Food Chains program at Wageningen University & Research, in addition to multiple roles in international projects, including coordinator of the EU projects FUSIONS and REFRESH. Ahead of his appearance at the Forum Resource Efficiency at Anuga Foodtec, Toine shared his insights on the barriers, opportunities and role of packaging with Tim Sykes.

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came to the Sustainable Food Chains program some fifteen years ago. Coming from a background was in engineering, I’d found that while designing things is great, innovations need to be put in a broader supply chain context if they are going to succeed. That’s why I started to work on the wider sustainability focus.

In the early 2000s we at Wageningen were among the first to look at the topic of food waste. What we immediately found, from studying lots of projects and possible interventions, was that there were huge potential gains but hardly anyone was implementing the solutions. After a couple of years we concluded that we also needed to explore the barriers that were preventing companies from adopting interventions that could save them millions. That was when we began to look at the broader food waste issues in the context of the enabling environment, collaboration across the supply chain, the roles of stakeholders and policy, etc.

These efforts later expanded to the FUSIONS program – moving from the national to the EU level – and the ongoing REFRESH program, which focusses on innovation, behaviour and the role of packaging in the effort to drive transformational change in our food systems.

Opportunities In the present day I’d describe our work as mainly following an ecosystem approach: an emphasis on how the systems is governed, whether we’re looking at the private or public sector. For example, we’re looking at how legislation could be improved to enable a more sustainable food system. How can companies make better decisions if they are encouraged to look not just at short-term economic gains, but also at medium- to long-term societal and ecological gains? In fact, more and more companies and financial institutions are studying their wider impacts in addition to their financial performance. This is an exciting shift: these criteria are being taken seriously now and driving decision making in a way they were not in the past fifteen years. It generates new opportunities to make things happen, including in packaging innovation. | 48 | Packaging Europe

If we look at technology, one area of innovation that has potential for a big impact is the technology around big data, blockchain and transparent transaction models. There are intelligent packaging solutions that have been developed and not yet reached the marketplace, but which may emerge thanks to the growing interest in these types of technology. Part of the food waste problem comes from problems of over-supply. With better forecasting we can match supply to demand more accurately. Suppliers don’t always want to share all of their data with buyers and that lack of transparency can lead to waste. New supply chains with more readily available data leads to better forecasting.

Redefining norms If we consider the potential impact, one of the best examples is online retail.

The norm for a large retailer in Europe is a level of between 1.3 and 1.6 per cent of food waste. However, with these new business models, which have a more personalised understanding of demand, a new standard is set. These online retailers have more accurate forecasting and can sometimes even produce after the goods have been ordered. They have waste levels of up to one per cent lower.

That’s always important in food waste: once you have a new benchmark, the rest of the market has to follow. A retailer has a problem if it is losing one per cent of its profit compared to a competitor. The same holds true at the consumer level. It’s here in the home that by far the most food waste occurs – but nobody knows what the social norm is. When people are conscious of a norm, they are more open to adjusting their own behaviour. Right across the supply chain from an organisational level to consumers this is one key element of importance. It turns out that perceived norms have far more influence than factors such as money savings – which is why so many campaigns in the past had the wrong tone of voice and weren’t as effective they could have been.

ANUGA FOODTEC Global lessons This arena of digital, mobile-based transactions is likely to be driven by Asia – and probably in the future Africa. They are much more open to new technologies because they don’t have the lock-ins that we have. For instance, in China they don’t have the large-scale retail models we have in Europe. We’ll have a lot to learn from China.

On the other hand, we can apply the knowledge we have acquired through years of struggling with the same problems in Europe to identify solutions in places like Africa. For instance, we recently did a study looking at changing the supply chain for tomatoes in Nigeria, and the impact of replacing buckets with returnable crates. This simple step caused a dramatic reduction in food waste.

Of course, changing a whole supply chain isn’t such a simple thing. Meanwhile, in Kenya we’re working with a company eProd, giving 300,000 smallholder farmers access to simple, scalable mobile solutions to communicate with their supply chain about demand, quality, etc.

The commitment problem Despite the growing attention paid to sustainability impacts, lack of awareness and lack of commitment remain the biggest barriers to solving the problems. In 2017 the World Resources Institute, on behalf of the Champions 12.3 coalition, released a study whose results reinforced our own experience. Having studied interventions to reduce food waste across 1200 business sites around the world, it found a typical cost:benefit ratio of 1:14. Yet despite this fourteenfold return on investment (in addition to the positive ecological, societal, branding impacts) there are companies that still aren’t doing it.

There’s a proven model – set your target, measure your waste, take actions and measure again – which some of the leading companies are following. The crucial thing is to incentivise those companies that haven’t engaged yet because they haven’t thought about it or think it’s too complex.

This is perhaps part of our role at Wageningen, as we are independent of industry and can offer objective advice on strategies for cutting waste. There are lots of competing suppliers out there claiming to have the best packaging innovations but often companies don’t have the toolkits to assess their objectives in a broader structure and choose the right solutions.

ten Euros. They need to expect a big return to outweigh the risks and process changes that also come with investments in new packaging.

Overall of course investing a bit in more effective packaging has a positive effect on food waste. Our current work looking at certain types of value-added meat suggests it’s a no brainer to use vacuum or skin pack. The recommendation should be to implement it immediately on a wide scale and you’ll have nearly zero waste and better quality for the consumer. Nevertheless, there is a reluctance on the part of the industry to do it.

Here we should look at the role of marketing departments in specifying categories. Product designers are better placed to make judgements on environmental footprint but all too often it is the marketeer who has the final say.

So in my opinion the task isn’t just to give the designer better tools to calculate impacts: the marketeer needs to change as well.

Recycling will be crucial to resolving the packaging waste problem. I don’t believe renewable materials alone can do the job. It’s great if we can develop more renewables, but if they can’t be recycled it won’t be viable and the ecological gains won’t be sufficient. We need to act quickly on recycling in Europe – particularly with China ceasing imports of our plastic waste.

All in all, we need to effect broader change across the sector. It won’t be easy but if we exert the right kind of pressure, set new norms, and follow the lead of pioneers in embracing technology, I think we can be hopeful of winning the food waste battle.

Toine Timmermans

The packaging problem Now more than ever packaging is popularly seen as a negative thing due to the environmental impact of waste. As we know, it is also a positive thing which can bring food waste solutions at the systems level.

At Wageningen we work on both the food waste and packaging waste problems, so we view the situation holistically. If you look at it rationally, the environmental footprint of the packaging is on average somewhere between one and ten per cent of the product. In the public’s mind it is the other way around.

However, it’s no good simply walking around repeating these facts. We need to respond to the concerns of consumers and follow a multi-stakeholder approach that responds to all the challenges. It’s clear we need to make packaging more circular, with design for recycling, focus on recycling rates, and working out how you can make new products out of packaging waste.

Again, we need to step back to assess the barriers and benefits – and bear in mind that no one will do anything if you offer businesses a proposition that if they invest one Euro, they’ll earn two. They will only listen if there is a return of Packaging Europe | 49 |

UNIVERSAL HIGH-PERFORMANCE PORTIONING SYSTEM FROM TVI With the GMS 1600 twincut, TVI will be presenting a universal high-performance portioning system at the MULTIVAC trade fair at Anuga FoodTec at stand (A 020, hall 9.1).

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he system is characterised by its maximum portion quality, yield and flexibility. The efficient solution guarantees the highest level of product quality at a high throughput in terms of cut, forming and distribution into compartments – and can be seamlessly integrated in a production and packaging line.

The GMS 1600 twincut is suitable for the portioning of both frozen and fresh meat into chunks or slices of varying thicknesses. The processing capability ranges from pork fillets to beef topside and from a one-millimetre thick carpaccio slice to a 300 mm thick sliced roast joint. In addition, meat with bones, such as pork chops or cutlets, can be easily separated into even slices. The maximum product length is 650 millimetres.

Thanks to the patented 3D forming system from TVI, the multifunc-tional portioning system offers the highest degree of flexibility and precision. Thanks to a multitude of standard modules and customer-specific programs, the GMS 1600 twincut can handle practically any portioning task. Short changeover times

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increase availability and thus productivity. The twin-track cutting channel ensures that maximum throughput is achieved, as does the capability for simultaneous re-loading during the portioning process. With low give-away the highly efficient machine divides, for example, roast beef into 200 gram por-tions, pork steak weighing 80 grams or goulash with a thickness of 30 millimetres to the exact weights required.

The GMS 1600 twincut, equipped with new control technology, can be automated and offers precise compartment and individual slice storage. The total length of this flexible meat processing system, including discharge conveyor for the separating out of meat trimmings and B-grade goods, is 5.2 metres.

The solution can be combined with, for example, a continuous freezer and an automated depositor module and connected to a high-performance MULTIVAC thermoforming packaging machine or traysealer.

Visit: www.multivac.com and www.tvi-gmbh.de

ANUGA FOODTEC

CLARANOR LAUNCHES DRY AND CHEMICAL FREE CAN STERILISATION SOLUTION Claranor has designed the first pulsed light sterilisation equipment dedicated to infant formula milk powder cans. The unit will be presented in preview at the Anuga Foodtec in March.

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laranor already offers reliable and sustainable pack sterilisation solutions for ultra-clean and ESL lines for dairy products: caps, cups and foils inline sterilisation using pulsed light technology. The infant milk powder is a brand-new market for Claranor.

The market of infant formula milks is framed by a very demanding quality system and it is expected that this level of requirement will continue to strengthen in order to meet increasingly sharp international specifications. To comply with the expectations of the producers, Claranor has designed a dry cooling system and has performed several microbiological trials in order to demonstrate the efficiency on a new range of micro-organisms: Cronobacter sakazakii, Bacillus cereus, Candida albicans, the reference germs of this market.

To achieve dry sterilisation, the cooling of the pulsed light sterilisation unit will be insured by an air instead of a closed water cooling system currently used.

The Claranor solution remains with a strong advantage: the heat is not released in the environment around the conveyor but eliminated outside the production room. The microbiological tests are performed by Claranor’s internal laboratory in Avignon and repeated by an external laboratory, the Fraunhofer Institute, to insure the neutrality of the results. They will be presented during the trade-fair.

The Claranor prototype presented during the show has been designed for the most common format on the infant milk powder market: can of 900g with a diameter of 127 mm on a single stranded conveyor, with a speed-line up to 300 strokes/mn. The can steriliser will be running on the booth thanks to the electronic bay giving the chance forvisitors to see the equipment in operation. The unit meets the standard of food safety: hygienic design (stainless steel 304) and cleanability.

On top of dry decontamination, the Claranor solution offers several advantages compared to the existing technologies: • High level of efficiency • No heating around the treatment zone • Compact equipment, easy to integrate on new or existing line (<1,5m) • Instant treatment (no pre-heating time) • Lower running costs • Sustainability (no hazardous waste management)

chemical free sterilisation in full compliance with the shelf life requirement on dairy and food products, smoothies, café latte, ketchup or fruit puree.

Claranor’s range of cap sterilisers is suitable for a wide range of size and shape of caps: flat cap 38 mm, cap with foil, sport cap, twist-off, spout, lid with spoon for infant formula … Claranor Essential®, a very compact and costattractive cap sterilisation solution, designed for low and medium speed lines (<15000 bph) Claranor standard cap, a solution dedicated to medium and high speed lines (up to 90 000 bph).

Today, over 300 Claranor packaging sterilisation units are integrated on industrial plants in the beverage and dairy industry all over the world. Thus, Claranor solutions can advantageously replace chemical sterilisation systems for benefits in terms of running costs, compacity, simplicity, for similar decontamination performances.

Claranor at Anuga Foodtec: 20-23 March: Hall 7.1 Booth C108. Claranor will also be present on Loehrke booth, its German distributor. Hall 5.2 AO71.

Visit: www.claranor.com

Claranor offers a full range of packaging sterilisation solutions dedicated to ESL for dairy and food markets. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see showcases of a one cup steriliser already sold to a major dairy in Vietnam to be installed on a Bosch - Osgood filling line, and two cap sterilisers offering Packaging Europe | 51 |

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ANUGA FOODTEC

THREE MAJOR LAUNCHES FROM CABINPLANT AT ANUGA

Cabinplant, a leading global provider of tailor-made processing solutions for the food industry, gears up for Anuga FoodTec 2018 with three major product launches: a ground-breaking, yet simple solution for monitoring performance and providing valuable data for optimisation of process lines, an Automatic Sausage Depositor that reduces manual labour dramatically, minimises giveaways, and offers quick product change-over, and a continuous Liquid Filler for accurate, high-speed filling of liquids with small particles into cans, glass jars etc. that doubles capacity without spillage.

Performance data made simple ‘Data is king’ and therefore many Cabinplant clients demand simple and easy monitoring of performance on their process lines. The new Integrated Report System collects data continuously from the whole process line or from parts of it.

The solution offers a ground-breaking level of flexibility as it collects Overall Equipment Efficiency data from Cabinplant-solutions as well as third-party products.

The Integrated Report System is a powerful management tool to optimise production flow and uncover bottle neck issues that otherwise can be notoriously hard to identify. Regarding weighing and packing, the new solution makes it considerably easier to accumulate reports for clients documenting for instance the weight of delivered packages.

Cabinplant launches the Automated Performance Information and Monitoringsolution as a simple and scalable platform, open source based, and fully compatible with the existing MES- and ERP-systems. Reporting is optional at either machine or process line level and all data is collected in a web-based database.

“It is a very simple solution that maps out where to increase the utilisation of the plant. It is easy to install, scalable and an economical choice. And it emphasises our focus on delivering comprehensive solutions and low TCO to our customers,” says Michael Falck Schmidt, Sales Director at Cabinplant.

He continues: “We see the solution as a strong, affordable alternative to extensive and costly software-systems. We have high expectations for the solution and have chosen to set up a section of the stand to demonstrate the system.”

From chaotic portion to trimmed pack Sausage packing has traditionally been carried out on highly labour-intensive machines, where operators ensure that sausages are arranged in orderly layers, ready for packaging. The Cabinplant Sausage Depositor takes over this role, quickly adapting to a wide variety of sausage and pack sizes.

The Sausage Depositor is applicable for sausages, cocktail sausages, meat balls or similar products. It has an efficient alignment and handling of sausages, and handles multiple layers of products and various formats. Thanks to the gentle and vibrating action that conveys and aligns the sausages, the product damage is close to zero compared to conventional conveyor systems with up to five per cent product damage.

In a unique combination with a multi-head weighing machine, the weighing of the sausages results in a significantly reduced give-away (the extra grams that manufacturers allow in each pack to ensure the actual weight is always above

the stated weight on the label). Furthermore the product change-over is fast and can be done in less than 15 minutes which reduces the downtime of the processing line significantly.

Faster liquid filling with no spillage The third product launch by Cabinplant at Anuga is the Continuous Liquid Filler that ensures precise pre- or final filling of liquids like tomato sauce, oil and brine, soups, or marinades into containers such as cans or glass jars.

CLF is a high-speed solution that doubles capacity and constitutes a flexible and economical alternative to, for example, a major investment in a rotating piston filling line.

Thanks to a special designed filling valve, the dosed liquid follows the opening of the container. It not only doubles the speed, but also avoids spillage. The capacity of the CLF is up to 300 glasses/min for a single processing line and it can handle liquids containing small particles. The final filling is very precise and facilitates on-the-fly adjustment of the dose to secure that the weight of each container is on target.

The change-over time is down one to two minutes when changing the size of the container. It only takes adjusting the filling height and selecting the recipe.

It is also a compact solution that is easy to apply to the filling line and to switch over to other lines in minutes.

“The Continuous Liquid Filler has great potential for clients looking to speed their production up and to decrease their TCO,” says Michael Schmidt Falck, and he concludes: “We look very much forward to present our new solutions alongside our wellknown products at Anuga FoodTec as it provides a unique opportunity to get invaluable feedback from existing and potential customers.”

Visit: www.cabinplant.com

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HIGH SPEED PRODUCTION

EFFICIENT ACCELERATION Products today are developed, manufactured and introduced to the market faster than ever before.

Elisabeth Skoda explores what lies behind the impressive acceleration in production speed in the diverse areas of case packers, VFFS machines, carton filling machines and metallised film.

Effective processes

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hayne De la Force, CMO at tna solutions highlights the importance of integrated systems to achieve faster production speeds.

“The speed at which the packaging system can operate is influenced by the speed of the other components in the line. A bagger may be able to pack bags at a rate of 150 bags per minute, but if the scale can only handle 80 weighs per minute, then the overall productivity will be significantly reduced. By specifying complete turnkey systems from a single source supplier with controls and integration capabilities, they can be sure that each component works in perfect synergy with the other.”

In addition, the more flexible the system, the less time is required to change production runs to accommodate different pack sizes or formats, resulting in minimum interruption to the production flow.

“For VFFS technology, for example, this means that there are no mechanical adjustments needed when changing product or film. Quick format changes and a wide variety of jaw size configurations enable full flexibility of bag size

and format, film type and application on a single packaging system. That way, manufacturers can respond to consumer trends quickly and efficiently,” Mr De La Force explains.

Integration and innovation The recently launched tna performance 5.0 offers a revolutionary new approach to high-speed production line performance. By combining expertise in equipment integration and innovation, tna was able to develop a new range of ultrahigh-speed solutions, comprising a new high performance vertical packaging system, high-speed multi-head scale and the world’s fastest case packer for flexible bags, as Mr De La Force points out.

“The first part of performance 5.0 was introduced at interpack last year, where we launched the tna ropac 5, our new ultra-high-speed case packer.

Capable of industry-leading speeds of up to 300 bags per minute, the new tna ropac 5 broke new grounds in engineering excellence and innovation by more than doubling the industry’s maximum case packing speeds. The second

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HIGH SPEED PRODUCTION

part of performance 5.0 will be equally as revolutionary and will be presented at Snaxpo in the US in March when we’ll be releasing the new tna robag 5, the latest generation of our flagship VFFS packaging system.”

Speed with flexibility Marco Marchetti, Tetra Pak’s director of Packaging Equipment, highlights the fact that growing consumption results in the need for increased speed of production if the same output capacity is to be maintained.

In order to achieve this, line flexibility is key. He highlights Tetra Pak’s Refit your Lines, Reshape your Future™ packages, which offer customers the opportunity to refit their lines quickly and easily to work with various Tetra Brik Aseptic cartons.

“The flexibility to be able to change from one pack shape and size to another quickly has become increasingly important in todays’ market and helps to speed up production.”

Mr Marchetti points out the innovative Tetra Pak® E3 platform, a series of filling machines that use eBeam, a technology that has been developed by Tetra Pak in collaboration with partner COMET. “The eBeam technology sterilises packaging material using electron beams and replaces the traditional hydrogen peroxide sterilisation process for packaging material while guaranteeing the same sterilisation performance.”

It offers higher production capacity with no increase in machine dimensions. The Tetra Pak® E3/Speed Hyper filling machine is able to reach 40,000 portion packs per hour, a more than 60 per cent improvement compared with the existing Tetra Pak® A3 platform, resulting in a saving of up to 20 per cent in operational costs.

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There’s no need to halt production in order to refill with packaging material or strips since both are replaced automatically. Automation ensures that splices between packaging material reels and strip applications are of consistent, repeatable quality. The servo driven jaw system adds flexibility and reduces waste.

Increased productivity “Productivity and production cost reduction are key elements to remain competitive in the commodity metallised film market which is extremely price sensitive,” says Juan Cano, sales director, Vacuum Metallizing and Coating, at Bobst Manchester.

The main market driver for innovations on high speed metallisation are the need to become more efficient in a production environment and to significantly increase output.

“This goes in line with the acceleration in the technology developed by film line manufacturers with wider and faster machines. The market also requires vacuum metallisers that can absorb that increase in the film production output with ever faster(1,200m/min) and wider (up to 5000mm) vacuum metallisers,” Mr Cano adds.

Bobst has developed its K5 EXPERT to be the fastest metalliser in the world at 1,200 m/min and at the same time reducing the production cycle to produce more rolls of metallised film per day. A robustly designed and engineered K5 EXPERT vacuum metalliser is fitted with innovations like the largest coating drum in the industry at 700mm and the most powerful and efficient evaporation source, the engine of the metalliser.

“In the K5 EXPERT, Bobst has reduced the production cycle to squeeze at least one more roll of metallised film per 24-hour day than conventional metallisers in the market,” concludes Mr Cano.

A POINT OF FRICTION – THE ARGUMENT FOR INDEPENDENT CART TECHNOLOGIES

By Rod Blair, business development manager, ICT Solutions.

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the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) gains ground in manufacturing all around the world, the case for new, improved motion solutions grows with it. The era of Industry 4.0 offers huge potential improvements in throughput and efficiency while reducing downtime, change-over times and wastage. In packaging, there’s a standout motion technology that offers manufacturers all of these advantages - and it comes in the form of magnetised movement of independent carts, so called independent cart technology (ICT).

Let’s take the example of a standard bottling line using a traditional “endless screw” method of grouping bottles (or other containers, for that matter). This method is, quite literally, a point of friction in the packaging process. As bottles can spend about 12 seconds in such a system, they are in contact with other bottles and the screw’s surfaces. The friction involved here can result in damage, such as scratches marks and dents, to labels or the bottles themselves. This causes an increase in the number of rejects and reduces productivity.

Rod Blair, ICT Solutions | 58 | Packaging Europe

CART TECHNOLOGY

Replace the endless screw with a similar sized independent cart technology and the movers need only be in contact with the bottle for 0.3 seconds – far less time to cause any damage. Moreover, the extremely precise independent movers can turn each bottle by 90 degrees, position it accurately, group the bottles and send them on to the next station in the packaging process such as the cardboard or film wrapping process.

There are further benefits to ICT that make it a shoo-in for the new era of packaging solutions supporting the IIoT. With the independent movers being programmable, and reprogrammable at the touch of a button, the same line can handle short runs of variously shaped bottles – including ones not usually suited to an endless screw solution. Short runs become more cost effective

as a result, and the flexibility required and possible in Industry 4.0 is available.

No changing heavy sets of screws, no cranes or tooling required and the flexibility to get creative with package shapes. No more point of friction in the packaging line slowing potentially rapid time-to-market goals that modern manufacturers seek.

No more friction either, in terms of maintenance. ICT that uses magnets does away with the rotary driven belts, chains and gears – and all of the grease and wear that comes with friction.

Intelligent conveyor systems are truly coming of age. Modular, flexible, linear, curvilinear, controllable, fast and efficient, they have a lower TCO and might well be the most important change in motion solutions of the IIoT.

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NPE PREVIEW

NPE2018 Track all of the emerging trends, technological innovations and new product introductions in the plastics industry at NPE2018: The Plastics Show and connect with leaders and visionaries at the forefront of the industry.

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ecognised as the world’s largest plastics trade show and conference, NPE2018 brings together all industry sectors, including vertical and peripheral markets, end markets, brand owners and recyclers. Held every three years, NPE attracts more than 65,000 plastics professionals and features industry-focussed education and leading suppliers of emerging technologies, equipment and materials for every phase of plastics processing, all in more than 1.1 million net square feet of exhibit space. NPE is produced by Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) and is the only international plastics event produced by the industry for the industry.

Building on its most successful show in 2015, held in Orlando, Florida, NPE2018 anticipates even greater participation from up and down the global plastics supply chain when it returns to Orlando in 2018.

As an industry tied to the performance of other vertical markets, the packaging industry fluctuates with the demand for packaging of products from consumer goods and appliances to medical devices — with food and beverage packaging accounting for 49 per cent of major market segmentation in 2016, pharmaceutical and medical for 9.5 per cent and household goods for 7.8 per cent.

Next-generation plastics will play a huge role in increased efficiency and a reduced cost of packaging machinery and processes - and NPE2018 covers all of these areas.

There will be eight targeted conferences offering visitors a specialist focus to suit their business, region and job role, including ANTEC, the 3D Printing Workshop, Bottle Zone Technical Forum, the new Plastics Leadership Summit, Carpet America Recovery Effort, Plastics Industry Insight—IHS Markit, the Re|focus Sustainability & Recycling Summit, as well as Latin American seminars presented in Spanish.

New Bottle Zone Highlights Growing Vertical Market The sold-out Bottle Zone will cover more than 65,000 net square feet on the exhibit floor. The new zone will provide a comprehensive look at the trends, technical knowledge, innovations and suppliers that serve this booming sector of the plastics industry.

With plastic bottles and jars representing approximately 75 per cent of all plastic containers by weight and expenditures on food-and-beverages increasing 5 per cent in the first quarter, growth in bottling manufacturing is taking hold in the U.S. and around the globe. Increased consumption makes the Bottle Zone the ideal place for manufacturers to strengthen their position in this $12.6 billion sector of the industry, as reported in the January 2017, IBISWorld Industry Report 32616, “Plastic Bottle Manufacturing in the US.” “We aim to highlight the plastic industry’s growing trends at NPE,” said PLASTICS’ President & CEO William R. Carteaux. “Given the increase in consumer demand for plastic bottles in the last year, the launch of the Bottle Zone will provide a platform for bottle manufacturers to take a deeper look at issues important to this segment, such as sustainability and safety, to ensure they are able to effectively meet consumer demands and give them a strong competitive advantage.”

The Bottle Zone, presented with supporting partners PETplanet, drinktec and the International Society of Beverage Technologists (ISBT), welcomes attendees to: • Explore the next generation of bottles and containers from 80+ manufacturers and suppliers: resins, colourants, additives, preforms, moulds, dryers, labelling, filling, capping, closure design, inspection equipment and recyclers.

• Learn about the latest innovations in the manufacturing of bottles and containers at the Bottle Zone Technical Forum’s specialised sessions.

Topics include: • Raw Materials, Additives, Barrier • Preform and Closure Manufacturing • Bottle Blow Moulding Technologies • Bottle Filling and Inspection Technologies • Downstream Packaging and Recycling Technologies • Connect with other plastics professionals in the Bottle Zone Biergarten, the place to do business with new and existing partners and socialise with colleagues, industry leaders and experts.

Visit: www.npe.org Packaging Europe | 61 |

Richard Askam

DIGITAL NOMAD WILL IT MAKE THE BOAT GO FASTER?

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en thousand metres up is a strange place to be and yet here I am, sitting on a BA 747 streaking across the sky on my way to the USA on this beautiful sunny evening. It’s Pancake Day today – the day before Lent when traditionally you cook up all the bad stuff in your cupboards and fridge and eat it all in a major sugar fest before giving something up for the next six weeks.

I have to say, I am a little disappointed that there don’t appear to be pancakes on the menu today on this Great British airline. So what am I giving up? Airline movies springs to mind – I’ve started four so far and finished just one – but on reflection I think what I’ll give up for Lent is doubt. It’s the modern day plague that walks just in front of you and slows you down. Doubt can be the reason why you never join the dots between the probable and the possible. Doubt is nobody’s friend – but change can be.

In this, my second regular column for Packaging Europe, I want to encourage everyone to have a look at the small marginal gains we can all make that can add up to make a significant difference. There is never a bad time to make positive changes, be they small or large, but make sure those changes are right for you, your staff and your clients. These changes may be in behaviour, in tone of voice and in how you present yourself to potential clients – rather than cost controls or workflow changes, but they may have a bigger impact on your profits. To borrow a sporting analogy from the Head Coach of a hugely successful Olympic Rowing Team: I am a big fan of making changes but will they make the boat go faster?

As an example, it’s over 20 years ago that I found myself in Australia visiting the parents of my then girlfriend and potential spouse. At that time a TV commercial was running on Channel Nine to advertise Australia’s Northern Territories as a tourist destination, and considering the area was basically a swamp, that was quite a stretch to promote! But something stuck with me from that time, and it wasn’t my girlfriend, but the strapline to the TV campaign: “If you never ever go then you’ll never ever know”. I have lived my business life by that maxim ever since.

Armed with that phrase in the back of my head and the positive psychology it provides, pretty much every business networking event I have attended or speech that I have given has been based on the premise that if you are not in

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the room, then you can’t meet the people. And of course you never ever know who those people might be or where they might lead you. I think it is safe to say that I would not have the network I have now if I had agreed with the little voice in my head saying, “Do we really need to go to this event?” And for those of you reading this thinking ‘I don’t have a voice in my head telling me things’, just so you know, that is the voice telling you that!

The transformation of successful business networks is littered with those people who were prepared to come together, work together and grow together. It was exactly the same when Interflora was founded in the USA over 100 years ago. A florist on the East Coast couldn’t deliver to the West Coast and a florist on the West Coast had the same issue – so harnessing their collaborative nature, they agreed to join forces and each florist delivered the orders of each other when they were addressed to each others respective geography. Far from harming their business by working in this way, it was the seed that created the largest network fulfilment flower business in the world.

How many of you have you considered working with complimentary partners to form a more powerful solution for potential clients? Personally, I think clients look at innovative suppliers in a much better light when there is a willingness on their part to bring additional strengths in to a venture to improve the proposition.

They start to see the value rather than just focusing on the cost. Governments all over the world work in coalition with their political rivals. I’m not saying that’s perfect by the way, but it does keep things moving forward.

We are pre-programmed to resist change and as a result we ride out a storm for longer than sense would normally allow. Be that a personal relationship, a work situation or a living situation. It’s a human condition to attach irrational fear to situations when we are not sure of the outcome – the fear of going to the dentist or doctor is often worse than the outcome and to worry twice is to double the pain – hence why we resist the change that is often needed.

But, in that glorious moment when you make the change, you can be released into a new way of working that seemed impossible just a short time earlier. And my advice when that moment approaches – keep going! Don’t stop!

Be relentless in your pursuit of the possible and you will never look back.