Packaging Europe Issue 14.4

VOLUME 14.4 – 2019

TESTING MULTIPLE ROADS TO CIRCULARITY: PEPSICO’S SUSTAINABILITY APPROACH

BREXIT • PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY • BOSCH & SIDEL INTERVIEWS • 3D PRINTING

Content Team Tim Sykes Elisabeth Skoda Libby White Victoria Hattersley

Head of Studio Gareth Harrey

Production Manager Paul Holden-Abbott

Advertising Coordinator Kayleigh Harvey

Executive Assistant Amber Dawson

Head of Commercial Operations

VOLUME 14.4 – 2019

Jesse Roberts

Head of Sales Kevin Gambrill

Senior Sales Executive Dominic Kurkowski

Sales Executive Alain Rizk

IT Support Syed Hassan

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Audience Development Executive Andrew Wood

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

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Editorial Elisabeth Skoda Pepsico Multiple pathways toward sustainability Brexit Standing up for pan-European cooperation Sidel Creating value from plastic waste Adhesives Often overlooked but crucial 3D Printing Beyond prototypes Aluminium Below the surface Anti-counterfeiting Taking on the challenge Innovation Spotlight Laetus UP: A new generation in inspection and traceability High-speed Production What’s driving R&D in machinery?

Production Data Connecting the dots Design for Recycling Exploring the potential Innovation Spotlight SP Group: Working towards a circular economy NanoPack Extending shelf life with nanotechnology Innovations in Pre-print Creating seamless workflows Innovation Spotlight Amcor evolves high-barrier packaging with new recyclable material On Second Thoughts... Digital market research tools can kill your brand’s opportunities

EDITORIAL |

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live in interesting times. Issues as wide ranging as climate change, packaging waste and even Brexit are set to shake up the way we consume, work and travel. Interesting times, whether they are a blessing or a curse, bring plentiful challenges with them.

In this issue, we shine a spotlight on just a few of the ways in which the packaging industry has risen to these challenges.

Chris Daly, PepsiCo’s VP for sustainability (and Sustainability Awards judge) shares PepsiCo’s multifaceted approach to sustainability in packaging – in a world where there are no easy answers, Chris advocates embracing imperfect solutions with potential, and working to iron out their flaws.

As an EU citizen who moved from Vienna to live in the UK 13 years ago, the Brexit vote and the often toxic debate that followed has had a big impact on me. But of course Brexit will also impact a wide range of industries.

In this magazine, I’ll be highlighting the importance of European cooperation across borders and explore the effects Brexit could have on the packaging industry, including the disruption of seamless supply chains and the labour market. As an example of European cooperation, we explore the EU Horizon 2020-funded Nanopack project, which aims to extend the shelf life of food thanks to nanotechnology.

In order to be sustainable, a pack should be fully recyclable at the end of its life, but how can this be achieved without sacrificing functionality? Victoria Hattersley explores design for recycling innovations and technologies for different materials. In the context of an increasingly challenging environment for plastics, Sidel shares its strategies for joining the dots and looking at packaging and equipment from a 360-degree perspective.

Efficient production is more important than ever to reduce costs and environmental impact, so we ask the question: How are major industry players addressing the issue? Bosch Packaging’s Christian Treitel speaks about the

Elisabeth Skoda Editor

intersections of flexibility, output, sustainability and connectivity driving R&D in packaging lines today. He highlights the importance of new ideas but also of checking what the actual use to customers would be before implementation. Furthermore, companies including Rockwell Automation, Esko and Tetra Pak share their thoughts on how to best to manage production data to achieve maximum efficiency, with a stark warning being issued: “Industry 4.0 is here – those companies that fail to embrace software and technology will be unable to compete in what is an ever more complex packaging and print industry.”

On top of all this, we shine a spotlight on 3D printing in packaging – which is still niche, but has resulted in a range of varied and sometimes surprising solutions. Other topics include aluminium in packaging, innovations in pre-print and anti-counterfeiting technologies. To finish off, Anthem Benelux’s Marcel Verhaaf has second thoughts on judging physical design using digital imagery in our regular column which aims to challenge established perceptions.

One final note: Packaging Europe’s Sustainability Awards aim to put a spotlight on companies within the packaging supply chain that work hard to minimise the environmental impact of packaging and optimise its potential to prevent food waste. Submissions have now closed, but watch this space for updates about the awards ceremony and the Sustainable Packaging Summit at Fachpack on September 25th!

Elisabeth Skoda Elisabeth Skoda es@packagingeurope.com @PackEuropeEli

Packaging Europe | 3 |

MULTIPLE PATHWAYS TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY According to the Forbes Global 2000, PepsiCo was the world’s third largest brand owner in the food and beverage market in 2018, underlining the fact that there can be very few companies capable of exerting a comparable gravitational pull around sustainability. PepsiCo’s VP for sustainability, Europe & Sub Saharan Africa (and also a member of the Sustainability Awards judging panel) Chris Daly spoke to Tim Sykes about the environmental challenges for packaged goods and the need for a multifaceted, long-term approach to meeting them.

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his role, Chris Daly has to deal with the fundamental questions of sustainability, and connect these up to concrete packaging strategy across a diverse brand portfolio. Of course, there is no more central and agonising sustainability dilemma for packaging today than plastic pollution vs climate change. Shifting away from plastics offers immediate-term alleviation of waste in the natural environment, but at the expense of a negative impact on carbon emissions. Let’s plunge into the deep end: how do we get out of this double bind?

“As we ensure that plastic becomes circular and we make the transition to renewable energy, hopefully in time this will cease to be a dilemma we have to face,” said Chris Daly. “However, today it is a genuine consideration and we have to face up to concrete choices presented by the available portfolio of solutions.

As I see it, climate change is a fundamental challenge which requires our immediate attention, so we can’t justify prolonging the increase in emissions.

At the same time, it’s very important that we address the circular economy, and in particular look at the economics of the recycling value chain. Moving away from plastic in certain applications is understandable as a short-term measure. However, if you look at the environmental implications of replacing plastic packaging with glass, for instance, you have to be cautious about unintended consequences. The longer-term solution is to have a full circularity in plastics – and we need to get there as quickly as possible.”

“The exploratory element is what makes working in sustainability so exciting: the opportunity to step into new ideas that are imperfect at the outset, and follow them through to turn them into really good solutions.”

Chris Daly

Packaging Europe | 5 |

The Drinkfinity brand explores ‘beyond the bottle’ models

As our readers are well aware, ‘circularity’ can be interpreted in manifold ways. PepsiCo has tended to take an inclusive approach to the wide portfolio of circular economy options. For instance, it is an active member of CEFLEX, and therefore a proponent of universal recycling, while also being a founding partner of the Loop reusable packaging concept.

“There are merits and disadvantages with each of the circular economy choices we face,” Chris remarked. “However, I think the problems will be eliminated over time, therefore we should be pursuing all of these areas in order to deliver longer-term solutions for a waste-free packaging system.

“Until recently, the industry hasn’t been doing an effective job at design for recycling. Thanks to greater focus on this, a lot of companies are starting to ensure that products are designed to be easily recycled in existing systems. My own company PepsiCo is among those that are stepping up.” As Chris sees it, recycling will become the mainstream option of the future – as long as the value chain can perfect the infrastructure around the recycling stream, to eliminate the inefficiency and wastage.

But alongside recycling, there is scope for a mixed ecosystem featuring other approaches. “Bioplastics could be a very interesting area, and flexible plastics is a clear area that could benefit,” Chris commented. “Given the difficulties inherent in recycling flexibles and the challenges around developing an economic stream for doing so, potentially there’s an opportunity to mix flexible bioplastics with food waste. We also need to bear in mind the need to move away from fossil fuel, so plant-based plastics are a significant area to consider – as long as we ensure we source them responsibly, with no impact on the food chain.” | 6 | Packaging Europe

Returnable packaging, as exemplified by the Loop initiative, is another approach offering distinct opportunities (consumer convenience, elimination of packaging waste) as well as associated challenges (controlling carbon footprint outside large urban areas). “There are reuse models that worked effectively in the past, and we now have a great opportunity to step back into them and make them work even better, thanks to the available technologies today,” said Chris. In joining Loop, PepsiCo has two key interests: monitoring consumers’ response to the model, while studying how it works and how it can be optimised to improve the LCA implications over time.

So for PepsiCo there’s no silver bullet, but rather a suite of promising, if imperfect, options that are there to be worked upon. “This exploratory element is what makes working in sustainability so exciting,” Chris revealed. “The opportunity to step into new ideas that are imperfect at the outset, and follow them through to turn them into really good solutions. Working from partial answers through to fully fledged solutions takes conviction and patience. In my experience, with any new option there’s some aspect that doesn’t look good, and you have to find a way to eliminate that disadvantage.”

“It’s refreshing to have these spaces where people come and share ideas in an unconstrained manner. The competitive aspect of what we do stays outside the room.”

The Walker’s crisps recycling pilot

Facing individual responsibilities, collaboratively “As one of the world’s leading food and beverage companies, we recognise that we at PepsiCo have a role to play in changing the way society makes, uses and disposes of packaging,” said Chris. “We try to further sustainability by influencing others in the space.” In part, this responsibility drives internal efforts to fit better into the value chain and make the value chain itself more effective. It also means working pre-competitively with PepsiCo’s peers, NGOs and governments.

The overriding mission is to construct a packaging value chain that fulfils the circular packaging model, where there is no waste and no inefficiency.

“My dream is to get to a place where we have an economically viable circular system in which everyone across the value chain can benefit from participation,” revealed Chris.

Reaching that ideal place will mean creating a lot of transparency and fixing the bottlenecks along the way. “This relies on a whole range of stakeholders, and can’t be solved unilaterally by PepsiCo, or for example by the waste management companies,” Chris acknowledged. “Harmonisation of recyclability standards across different markets would be very helpful in creating a circular economy. Similarly, clear guidelines on food grade recyclable plastic would make a big difference. If you simplify the rules, it also clarifies the investment choices that brand owners have to make.”

Collaboration, then, is key to achieving common standards and development of viable technologies and infrastructures around them. PepsiCo plays an active role in many of the multi-stakeholder initiatives, including the New Plastics Economy and CEFLEX. It is also involved in the NaturALL Bottle Alliance, which has set out to develop recyclable, 100 per cent plant-based PET bottles from biomass – the first bottles are expected be introduced around the end of 2020.

“It’s refreshing to have these spaces where people come and share ideas in an unconstrained manner,” Chris reflected. “The competitive aspect of what we do stays outside the room. This kind of open mindset is crucial. An outstanding example of this is Starbucks and MacDonald’s, two big competitors, working together to come up with a next generation coffee cup. Similarly, P&G found a way of processing polypropylene bottles through the recycling system – and then shared that knowledge with their competitors so they could do likewise.

Things like this epitomise the approach everyone needs to take.”

Three RE-s In 2016 PepsiCo published a new set of sustainability goals to 2025. For packaging the headline implications are threefold: reducing plastics used; 100 per cent recyclability or reuse by 2025, and rethinking business models. These priorities guide the company’s internal R&D activities, as well as its strategy around external packaging innovation investments and partnerships.

With regard to plastic reduction, activities include ongoing lightweighting of bottles and reducing the thickness of the film used in multipacks. In the snacks business PepsiCo has introduced compaction technology, in other words getting the same volume of potato crisps into a reduced pack size.

Meanwhile, PepsiCo’s circularity commitments have set a goal of 45 per cent rPET content in its beverage bottles across the EU by 2025 and 50 per cent by 2030. According to Chris, they are on track to meet these pretty bold targets, which will have a knock-on effect on the overall rPET economy. In addition, the company has been driving recyclability across its portfolio through adaptations to its packaging, such as changing adhesives to facilitate recycling and moving from shrink sleeves to labels. To date, approximately 85 per cent of PepsiCo’s Packaging Europe | 7 |

A reusable container developed for the Loop scheme

Reusable containers developed for the Loop scheme

food and beverage packaging by weight is recyclable. “We’ve a clear line of sight to get to goal but there are some areas where there aren’t feasible recyclable alternatives today and this is the focus of PepsiCo’s fundamental R&D work targeted at delivering 100 per cent recyclability,” said Chris.

The third ‘Re-’ is rethinking how PepsiCo does business. This has involved exploring different models for consumption that involve less packaging. It was this curiosity that drove participation in the pioneering Loop reusable packaging concept. It is also reflected in the acquisition of the home-carbonation brand SodaStream at the end of 2018, as well as the separate development of the Drinkfinity pod-based brand.

“We want to gather as much feedback as possible from consumers from these activities as part of the learning process as we rethink the market space,” observed Chris. “Bringing SodaStream into our portfolio is very much an opportunity to explore these ideas more deeply than we did previously.”

Aside from market verticals, another key sustainability challenge is e-commerce. “The convenience advantages from a consumer standpoint are great,” Chris remarked. “However, e-commerce also generates lots of waste and that needs to be eliminated. There’s also a danger of higher greenhouse emissions. As part of my role, I have to look at that space and consider the product solutions we need to move to in order to build a more effective supply chain with less packaging waste. E-commerce is an idea that has taken off fast and other technology hasn’t quite caught up, but the speed of advancement today is fast.”

Certain concepts PepsiCo have invested in lend themselves to enhancing sustainable consumption via the direct-to-customer model. Subscription models combined with ‘beyond the bottle’ delivery – which potentially means shipping a lot less water – is one such model, and the whole market will watch the development of Drinkfinity closely. The big Loop experiment in reuse will also teach some important lessons.

Key challenges

The next big idea

Scanning the PepsiCo portfolio, the beverage business looks more straightforward in terms of meeting sustainability objectives. Chris notes the shortage in supply of rPET but the task faced is mainly of an operational nature, and he expects to work through it relatively speedily.

Flexible packaging in the snacks business is a greater challenge. There is the familiar problem that the low value of PCR doesn’t cover costs, in turn creating a barrier to investment in new systems. In addition, R&D is complicated by the fact that easily recyclable materials must maintain the food safety and quality of products. In keeping with PepsiCo’s ‘mixed landscape’ approach, in addition to pursuing design for recycling, the company has been working on biopolymer flexibles, via a decade-long partnership with Danimer Scientific. Meanwhile, its Walker’s brand has recently piloted (with TerraCycle) a recycling scheme for crisp packets in the UK via 8500 collection points. In three months the scheme has collected half a million packets for recycling – albeit destined for lower grade applications, rather than new packaging.

Chris Daly is a member of the stellar judging panel for the Sustainability Awards this year. As someone whose job is to map out the big picture of sustainability in packaging, what are his expectations?

“I’ve followed the Sustainability Awards for some time and I love them,” said Chris. “I’ve always liked the fact that the initiative encompasses a broad range of solutions, covering everything from machinery to finished packaging to the fundamental strategies. In terms of my judging responsibilities, I tend to look at this in the context of where we stand today and what we need to move forward.

So for me the key criteria in a winner would be firstly that it is relevant and impactful (so it should be scalable, and not a niche product), and secondly that it addresses and overcomes some of the value chain imperfections we see today.

Hopefully something that can lead to further initiatives going forward.”

Consistent with the PepsiCo’s pragmatic readiness to try out multiple, sometimes contrasting, pathways in search of a single destination, he is also keeping watch. “Another aspect for me is that the Sustainability Awards features a broad range of great ideas – and maybe there’s a submission out there that opens up my eyes to something I’d never thought about or imagined… There are lots of opportunities to investigate in this space. The perennial challenge is how to scale them up, but we like to get involved in projects and see how we can overcome the initial shortcomings.”

“E-commerce is an idea that has taken off fast, and technology hasn’t quite caught up.” | 8 | Packaging Europe

STANDING UP FOR PAN-EUROPEAN COOPERATION With the Brexit debate picking up momentum again after a period of relative calm over the Easter break, Packaging Europe’s Elisabeth Skoda reviews the supply chain, economic, environmental and personal reasons why this publication strongly advocates continued cooperation and integration between European countries.

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or the packaging industry, EU membership and with it membership of the Single Market has been crucial, ranging from smooth supply chains and the ability to participate in international research projects to labour access and sustainability.

Seamless supply chains Like many other industries, the packaging supply chain increasingly relies on just-in-time (JIT) production, which cuts costs by reducing stock held at any given time. Supply chains across Europe work seamlessly with minimal paperwork and admin cost. Any delays due to regulatory divergence and additional bureaucracy in the form of border checks put this model in jeopardy. These structures have grown over decades, and will be difficult to unravel, costing businesses time and money. According to government reports, 70 per cent of all food imported into the UK comes from the EU, with a threat of empty shelves in four days or fewer if supply is delayed or interrupted. In order to get food on the shelves, food and packaging have to work together seamlessly.

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Labour This leads to another significant challenge for the industry – migration. Freedom of movement has been another major contribution of the EU to the European manufacturing economy.

After Brexit EU citizens (especially seasonal workers) will face barriers to obtaining the right to work in the UK. Recruiting workers to pick and pack delicate fruit and vegetables or engineers to run packaging lines is likely to become more challenging. Optimists say that this could result in more development in the field of automation, but it is also likely to result in some businesses moving their operations to countries where access to temporary labour is easier.

Recruiting graduate level employees with specific expertise is also set to become more difficult following Brexit, and retaining EU staff could also be a challenge. On a personal note, as an EU citizen in the UK myself, after 13 years of living in the UK I have grown firm roots here, but the last three years of toxic debates and uncertainties have certainly taken their toll and have forced me to ask myself tough questions about where my home is and where my future lies.

What is often forgotten in the ongoing Brexit debate is that free movement works both ways. Just as much as giving EU citizens the right to work here, free movement has given British citizens easy access to living and working in 27 other EU countries – a right that they are set to lose, making it more challenging for British citizens to build international careers and businesses.

Shared interests The world faces grave environmental challenges, from climate change to packaging and food waste, and the key to solving these challenges lies in close collaboration and harmonisation of regulation across borders. Waste management infrastructure is fragmented, and addressing this fragmentation is a crucial step towards solving circular economy challenges. With packaged products being imported and exported, it is key that products meet the same standards across Europe so they can be efficiently recycled. Moreover, since the argument in favour of a hard Brexit or no-deal Brexit is that it gives the UK freedom to ‘make our own rules’ (an argument driven largely by the anti-regulation right wing of British politics), this will erode efficiency of, and quite possibly actively undermine, efforts to work together.

While the European Commission attracts some justifiable criticism for flaws and pockets of inconsistency in its regulatory frameworks, the EU undeniably acts to catalyse action, setting the conditions for a race to the top, where disengagement from the EU increases the danger of setting off a race to the bottom.

The EU also serves as a platform for innovation and education. There is a plethora of European research programmes impacting on the strategic needs of our industry, from new packaging materials and extending shelf life to boosting recycling efficiency. What will happen to access to these programmes and research funding remains up in the air – both in a deal and a no-deal scenario. Meanwhile, the Erasmus exchange programme has given millions of young people access to knowledge and unique insights into living abroad. I benefited hugely from participating in Erasmus and experiencing life in a different country first-hand. Sharing of knowledge and meeting of minds is another benefit that may be diminished when a country decides to distance itself from pan-European institutions.

Cooperating across borders Packaging Europe is based in the UK but has always had an international mindset, focus and readership. Our team members have enjoyed living in European countries, learning languages, and forging friendships and relationships. We have spent a lot of time traversing Europe, reporting on innovation. We like to think of our role as one of ‘making the connections’ in packaging technology – and often innovation relies on literal geographical connections. From Sweden to Italy, and Portugal to Poland, every day we encounter a spirit of cooperation where country borders don’t act as barriers. It would be a tragedy if the UK were to shut itself off from all this.

We are convinced that Brexit will have and already has had adverse effects on the packaging industry, and advocate at the very least for close alignment with the Single Market and Customs Union, free movement of people and goods. But whatever comes to pass in Westminster and Brussels over the coming days, weeks and months, Packaging Europe remains firmly committed to promoting international collaboration and leading a whole-European packaging conversation.

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CREATING VALUE FROM PLASTIC WASTE As a leader in solutions for PET packaging, among others, Sidel is well placed to give us a picture of how the industry is tackling the complex and often divisive sustainability issues the plastics industry is faced with. Victoria Hattersley spoke to Sidel sustainability officer Luc Desoutter to hear his take on these.

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ET meets the highest food standard regulations, has a high value and as a commodity is relatively cheap to produce. That being said, it’s no secret that the material has come under fire recently, and it’s perhaps not so difficult to understand why. We view images of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and we regularly hear frightening statistics such as ‘yearly plastic waste can circle the Earth four times’, or ‘plastic outnumbers sea life by six to one’.

But taking a more nuanced approach, at Packaging Europe we have argued it is not so much that plastics need to be banished, as that we urgently need as a society to find a more coordinated, sustainable way to deal with the waste cre-

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ated. Some believe the answer lies in more efficient recycling technologies and infrastructure, others lobby for the development of biodegradable plastics that can be rolled out on a wider scale. Initiatives in PET, such as EPBP (the European PET Bottle Platform) and activities by Petcore Europe, and efforts across the wider plastics ecosystem by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and CEFLEX are already taking steps to tackle the challenges.

How does Sidel view this tension? “What we’ve seen is a growing concern about the environment and the image of plastics has not been great,” says Mr Desoutter. “Of course we need to understand where the reality is, and I believe

we can’t lose sight of the great and unique recyclability of PET. Let’s not forget that it is also a very valuable material. To give an idea: a bale of PET is worth 300-600 euros per tonne. Not many materials have such a value.”

A real and growing pressure It would seem short-sighted to ignore such value when there are ways in which we can work to mitigate the problem. It’s an unavoidable truth that businesses must always have an eye to their bottom line, hence today’s emphasis on extracting even more value while moving towards a circular economy at the same time. The latter at least is something we can all agree is a Good Thing, wherever we sit in the value chain.

And there is a real and growing pressure both from within and outside the industry to increase the use of rPET. But the availability of recycled materials is as yet nowhere near what it would need to be for true circularity. Because of this, food grade recycled PET is more expensive than virgin PET, and this is of course another barrier to its take-up. Something has to give.

Mr Desoutter believes the tide may turn if, for example, EU leaders introduce new collection schemes similar to the German model. Several countries including Portugal and the UK have already indicated they will do this, although for the latter it remains to be seen whether the continuing uncertainty around Brexit negotiations will slow progress. Belgium is achieving good results with kerbside collection.

It’s also possible the goals set by the European Commission could help to speed things up – for instance, a 90 per cent collection target has been set for 2029, together with a target to incorporate 25 per cent recycled plastic in PET bottles by 2025. This figure is intended to reach 30 per cent in all plastic bottles as of 2030.

“The technologies are there” But there is still the above-mentioned battle with consumer perceptions of plastic. It has come to something when the almost entirely unsympathetic Thomas Gradgrind from Charles Dickens’ Hard Times – ‘fact, fact, fact’ – very nearly sounds like the voice of reason. Today, as the world moves further from an acceptance of provable facts, achieving some modicum of balance feels increasingly essential.

“If you look at glass or aluminium, the collection rate country by country is very similar to PET. We have a poor image and it’s not going to change overnight.

I think what we still have to do is prove the point about recyclability. Nobody doubts the recyclability of metal and glass, but people doubt it with PET. As an industry, we have to get up to 90 per cent collection rates.”

It’s also not the case that the technologies to recycle plastics are not readily available – they are, and what’s more, Mr Desoutter says it is already economically viable to carry out mechanical recycling on the scale needed.

“The technologies are there. Whenever there is a business opportunity the big players in the packaging industry will be ready to go in this direction. Whether it’s Danone, Nestlé, Pepsi or Coca-Cola, so many have already committed to reaching these goals.”

We’ve also been hearing a lot about the huge possibilities for chemical recycling. How likely is this to take off in the near future? “We have to look at this in a positive way. For sure, if you start from base materials such as Purified Terephtalic Acid (PTA) you will have different cost and energy impacts to deal with.”

But he also says this would come alongside a purer end result. “In the future, through mechanical recycling, we’ll be able to achieve seven to eight loops before reaching colour limitations. Final figures depend on recycling quality Packaging Europe | 13 |

parameters. Chemical recycling will further transcend these limits and give great results. It’s early days but I think we can be optimistic.”

An interesting side point worth mentioning is that as with any such process, chemical recycling comes with its own logistical considerations. “The perfect location and fit for chemical recycling is perhaps in the chemical plant that is manufacturing virgin PET. There, to reach profitability you usually need to have much higher production volumes than the ones handled by current mechanical recycling installations. Therefore, the collection logistics will be quite different.” While Mr Desoutter does not believe chemical recycling is likely to be in direct competition with mechanical any time soon, it could act as a “very good complement.”

In short, the challenge is not that PET cannot be recycled, or that the will to recycle it is not there – as we hear time and time again, it seems to come down to the development of the correct infrastructure in terms of collection, sorting and processing, and getting the public will behind such schemes.

“The main challenge is perception” One question we have briefly touched upon above is the quality of rPET: for some, there is still a question mark over whether it has the same strength, durability or barrier properties as virgin PET. I was interested to know how Sidel views this question. “rPET and virgin PET are technically identical, meaning they share the same mechanical resistance and barrier properties,” says Mr Desoutter. “The only impact is that if you re-use PET a number of times at a very high percentage you are going to get a slight yellowing. This is usually compensated by adding a small amount of blue tint, resulting in a grey shade, so for me the main limitation could be consumers’ perception. This goes back to our discussion about chemical recycling: I think chemical will overcome this barrier but even so this should not be a limiting factor today. The discolouration, when noticed, could represent a positive signal, as it is the proof that a bottle contains rPET.” He mentions the Japanese model as an example of how PET can be dealt with successfully. While less than 55 per cent of PET waste is collected in the world today, in Japan this figure equals 82.5 per cent. “Japan also has some of the highest quality PCR PET in the world and this is mainly down to the fact that they use only one colour – transparent PET – so there is very little contamination of the waste stream.” As of yet, we have not heard any indications that Europe will be adopting a similar principle, but it’s certainly compelling.

Considering the overall picture

Luc Desoutter | 14 | Packaging Europe

The above are just some of the considerations around PET packaging, but it falls on all members of the value chain to make their own contributions. How does a global player like Sidel approach the issue?

When it comes to packaging design, Sidel has made a big contribution to the lightweighting of PET packages – but this is no longer the only priority.

“More than 10 years ago,” says Mr Desoutter “we introduced the ‘No-Bottle’ concept, allowing a below 10g weight for a 500ml bottle, and now we are talking of weights below six grams for the same bottle size. Our capabilities would help us reduce the weight even further, however both for the value market and the mainstream/premium segments, lightweighting is not the right answer. This is why we are increasingly concentrating our innovation

efforts around the ‘RightWeighting’ approach, making sure that the package is fit for purpose.”

RightWeighting is about ensuring that the bottle is robust enough to withstand transportation and distribution challenges and deliver performance from production to the consumer. We must never forget that the main function of a package is to protect the product, which is a must if you want to enhance the brand experience.

“We look at packaging and equipment from a 360-degree perspective. Not only do we need to take into account primary, secondary and tertiary packaging but also their interaction with the equipment in the factory. Then we need to consider the impacts they create upstream and downstream in the value chain.

This is what we call ‘End to End’ approach, which ties closely with Life Cycle Analysis methodology.”

The question of lightweighting, he says, can also come down to the complexity of the supply chain. If you have a shorter chain, it is possible to reduce wall thickness further because there are fewer touchpoints where damage can occur. But the growth of e-commerce – in which supply chains are long and complex and there can be up to 20 or more touchpoints – means that we are seeing a real limit as to how far lightweighting alone can take us to meet today’s commercial realities.

“It’s true that we are currently developing solutions for carbonated soft drinks for example, whereby we can extend shelf life while reducing the container weight via our Actis™ system, a unique plasma coating solution. But even with this, there will of course be limitations at some point in time. That’s why we have to look urgently at increasing the use of rPET.”

“Do better every day” At Packaging Europe, we often talk about the need for ‘joining the dots’ along the different parts of the supply chain. And it’s widely recognised now that greater collaboration could be the key to tackling some of these wider challenges and ensure we get the best value from PET – both from an economic and an environmental perspective. As mentioned above, there are many organisations working to facilitate this, which provides us with cautious optimism for the future. Sidel alone is part of Petcore in Europe and NAPCOR in the US, but there are plenty of others.

And as we know, progress isn’t linear – there are fluctuations and set-backs. There is always more to be done – compromises to be made.

“We just try to do better every day,” says Mr Desoutter, “that is one of our mottoes.” And as mottoes go, it’s probably not a bad one for the industry as a whole.

ADHESIVES SNAPSHOT

They’re an often overlooked aspect of packaging. Miniscule in relative volume terms but crucial in ensuring the viability of a package, adhesives are often a central consideration in the key challenges that packaging is asked to solve.

Market Outlook

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ater-based adhesives occupy the largest share of the market, with roughly twice the share of solvent-based and hot-melt adhesives combined. Solvent-based adhesives are facing the prospect of a narrow decline in market share as manufacturers look to reduce volatile organic compound emissions. On the other hand, high-performance, polymer-based hot-melt adhesives look set for relatively strong growth, particularly in carton sealing applications.

The global packaging adhesives market is expected to reach USD 10.11 billion by 2025, according to a major study by Grand View Research. The study also found that: • The global packaging adhesives market is projected to progress at a CAGR of 4.5 per cent from 2017 to 2025.

• Flexible packaging was the largest application segment in 2016 and the trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. The segment is expected to register 5.0 per cent CAGR over the coming years.

• Growth will be driven by productivityenhancing areas of innovation, such as hot-melt technology, as well as generic increase in global demand for packaged goods.

but a vital one. It gives packaging its integrity and the structural ability to cope with its environment.

Packaging users need to be aware of the impact of picking the wrong adhesive or wrong settings on production line efficiency. For example, how fast

does the product set? This is a crucial question because it needs to match the speed of the line.

With adhesives there’s always a balance to strike between variables such as speed of setting and functionality in different temperature conditions.”

Incorporate into your OEE

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dhesives can form part of an Overall Equipment Effectiveness strategy,” according to Eric Coveney, head of strategic markets at Beardow & Adams. “An adhesive is a relatively small component in packaging structure

| 16 | Packaging Europe

Circularity challenges

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nnovation is being driven by the role adhesives can play in advancing circular economy goals. Of course, ‘circularity’ itself is multi-faceted and open to many interpretations, so it’s no surprise that there are many touchpoints with adhesives.

One issue is the need to separate substrates for recycling in different streams. Easily peelable sealants are increasingly familiar in tray/lid and cartonboard/film applications. Solutions such as Dow’s APPEEL and Bostik’s dual resin system are examples of adhesives that offer reliable separation.

Such technology can also offer the convenience of resealability, with the added sustainability benefit of prolonging freshness.

Meanwhile, bio-based adhesives are seen by some in the industry as something of a Holy Grail, offering ‘recycling friendly’ status for paper-based packaging applications. Jowat is one of the adhesive specialists that has emphasised this direction in its product portfolio.

Indeed, potential impurities and discolouration in recyclate deriving from adhesive residues are another big topic. One problematic area has been the PET bottle. 360º labels need to be separated from the bottles in the recycling process, usually by immersion in alkali. A troublesome issue has been that the part of the label touching the adhesive tends to get remain attached to the bottle, compromising

the all-important purity of the PCR. This has created demand for a new generation of alkali-soluble adhesives. The onus now is to make these alkali-soluble products more efficient. Beardow & Adams’s latest solutions, for instance, have raised the bar from 25 per cent dispersibility to almost 100 per cent, while reducing the temperature of the wash cycle from 70ºC or more down to 50ºC.

Lowering the temperature

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lot of R&D around adhesives has been dedicated to enabling applications at lower temperatures. This is an increasingly attractive proposition both in terms of energy (and associated environmental) savings and staff safety.

For instance, HB Fuller’s Advantra® series of hot-melt offer ‘extremely low temperatures’ (which translates to 130°C in the world of hotmelt), pushing the efficiencies on demanding, high-speed lines with rapid, strong bonding with minimal compression.

UV fluorescence

HB

Fuller has gained publicity by helping converters detect defects in production with its range of UV light fluorescing adhesives. Designed to perform with challenging packaging substrates, these adhesives solutions assist in fulfilling food safety requirements as well as produc-

tion line efficiencies. UV indicators work by fluorescing when exposed to a specific blue and yellow-green wavelength of UV light. This enables packaging makers using equipment with integrated sensors and camera detection mechanisms to track and adjust adhesive applications in real time.

Packaging Europe | 17 |

Is that bottle of water really vegan?

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nimal-derived products are still in surprisingly widespread usage in packaging adhesives. Beverage labels often using casein, which is derived from milk. Animal by-products can also appear, albeit in tiny amounts, in antiblocking agents. In most cases synthetic alterna-

tives have emerged. We can expect more market pressure to adopt these, as veganism is a trend that continues to grow. After all, what bottled water or natural personal care brand wants to scramble its public relations team against the discovery that their product isn’t 100 per cent vegan?

TERMINUS

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EU Horizon 2020-funded project, TERMINUS, addresses the challenge of unlocking recycling and reuse of flexible multi-layer and multi-compound packaging materials. Launched in January 2019 and running for 49 months, the project aims to develop a range of smart enzyme-containing polymers with triggered intrinsic self-biodegradation properties, acting as adhesives or tie layers in the design and manufacturing of multi-layer plastics for food and non-food applications. The technology will be applied to biodegradable PUR-based adhesives for adhesive lamination and extrusion coating lamination, and

Adhesive as Packaging Alternative

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arlsberg’s Snap Pack, launched last year, saw dots of glue replacing significant quantities of aggregating shrink wrap. The brand owner

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estimates that this will eventually save 1200 tonnes of plastic per year.

polymers and tie layers (PBS, PLA, PPC or PCL) in blown extrusion.

The project will rely upon a cross-disciplinary team of organisations. It will draw on expertise in enzymatic biodegradation of polymers, thermal protection of enzymes using organosilica and layered double hydroxide, cyclodextrins, UV and water triggered enzymatic activity and advanced polymer formulation, as well as multilayer plastic and recycling.

Participants include Covestro, Tetra Pak, Plastics Recyclers Europe, SIGMA Clermont, and numerous research institutions.

BEYOND PROTOTYPES: 3D PRINTING 3D printing has been a buzzword for many years, with exciting developments cropping up in many sectors, including medicine – where the first 3D printed heart recently made headlines – construction and automotive.

But what about the packaging industry? Elisabeth Skoda examines three very different 3D print applications in the industry, ranging from reverse engineering more durable parts for packaging machines, to creating more sustainable coffee cups and enabling creative uses for packaging waste.

Reverse engineering against wear and tear

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sweets producer in the Netherlands uses additive manufacturing to replace fast-wearing machine parts more efficiently. The Chocolate Factory in Rotterdam faced the problem that high-speed applications in the chocolate packaging process resulted in high wear on individual parts and was looking for solutions to make part replacement easier and faster. How could 3D printing reduce machine damage, downtime and material costs?

The Chocolate Factory packages a wide range of chocolate products. The company’s complex packaging machines rely on the smooth operation of a simple, yet crucial, hook-shaped metal part that lifts wrapped chocolate bars onto a conveyer belt. Due to varying product sizes, the machines require regular adjustments, posing two challenges. First, if the hook-shaped part is fed into the machine incorrectly, it jams and requires immediate replacement. Second, the constant need for human intervention and manoeuvring of metal parts results in damage to the machine.

In cooperation with Visual First, a 3D model specialist, the Chocolate Factory found a new solution that revolutionised the process. Since the machine was already older, there was no existing 3D model, so the project started with the digital production of the part through reverse engineering, i.e. the construction of a 3D model of an existing part. | 20 | Packaging Europe

“The new 3D model allowed us to make test prints on our Leapfrog 3D printer. The first two tests were performed with ColorFabb’s XT and HT materials, two strong, rugged plastics. They are very well suited for other applications, but for this machine the material flexibility was too high, and the strength needed to replace the metal was too low,” explains Visual First’s Carl van de Rijzen.

“We came into contact with 3D printing expert Stratasys by working with the DSV 3D Printing Exploration Lab to find a firmer material. They proposed their new Nylon 12CF material, a thermoplastic filled with carbon fibres. Stratasys sent us a print of the component, which they had produced at their site in Germany on the Stratasys Fortus 450mc 3D printer. The final 3D printed part was just right for The Chocolate Factory. The material feels incredibly hard and stiff, it was impossible to bend, and it passed a test with four pallets of chocolate bars without a hitch.”

“Stratasys sees a great future in 3D printed production parts and spare parts for industrial machinery in general and especially for packaging machines.”

Increased efficiencies This solution achieves a 60 per cent saving on the part alone. Unlike a metal spare part, a 3D printed part does not damage the machine if it breaks. Machine downtime is also shorter, as the part is now delivered within a week, compared to a delivery time of one month for the conventional part. This lead time can be further reduced if a 3D printer is available on site.

“We plan to continue working with DSV and Stratasys to further optimise printing,” says a spokesperson for The Chocolate Factory. “We want to use even more 3D-printed parts, not only as spare parts, but also for tools for timeconsuming processes such as packaging custom products. The possibilities of this technology are enormous.”

“Stratasys sees a great future in 3D printed production parts and spare parts for industrial machinery in general and especially for packaging machines,” adds Nadav Sella, head of the company’s Emerging Solutions business unit.

“Those machines require relatively high customisations due to the large variety of products that are packaged. In many cases, the use of 3D printing can not only save time and cost in the manufacturing process of those machines but can also make them more efficient by reducing weight, simplifying design and increasing functionality.”

Custom moulds Coffee to go continues to enjoy increasing popularity, but it comes at a price.

Single-use cups that are carelessly thrown away instead of being recycled have become a very visible problem. Cup recycling schemes or reusable cups offer a solution, but consumer convenience (also known as laziness), often wins – consumers are not always willing to look for a suitable recycling bin, or to take their own cup with them, or simply forget about it.

Brooklyn-based design agency CRÈME has turned to 3D printing and pumpkins to find an unusual alternative to traditional coffee mugs, taking advantage of the unique properties of this particular vegetable. Pumpkins are fast-growing plants with a strong outer skin and fibrous flesh. When dried, they are hard enough to absorb liquids without softening.

Jun Aizaki, the director at CRÈME, was inspired by the Japanese practice of cultivating square watermelons to make them stackable and developed the biodegradable HyO cup – a coffee to go cup made from dried pumpkins. He then faced the challenge of how to shape a pumpkin so that you could drink coffee from it and for it to stand upright when it is put down.

The answer could be found with a 3D printer. Once the designers decided on the desired cup shape, they used a 3D printer to create a hollow shape into which the pumpkin could grow.

The 3D mould is custom printed and reusable. It allows us to create the exact shape and size we desire as well as maintain a standard uniformity. It features elements such as a lip on the flask as well as details on the cups to make them stackable, says Tania Kaufmann, business manager at CRÈME. Packaging Europe | 21 |

“Thanks to 3D printing, shapes can be designed so that the growth of these fruits can be brought into any shape – from cups to bottles to vases. When the fruits are large enough to fill the mould, they are simply cut to size. After use, they can then be thrown onto the compost heap. We experimented with several different prototypes and printed the first versions on our office 3D printer. We are currently working on scaling up and having the next round of moulds manufactured.”

The process is currently still time-consuming, but Jun Aizaki is convinced that accelerated drying and intensive cultivation can make the process much more efficient.

Creative use of packaging waste If packaging waste cannot be avoided, the question arises, what to do with it? In addition to the standard recycling programmes, there are also various initiatives to process difficult to recycle plastic packaging waste, for example into flower pots and park benches. Print Your City! is an ongoing research project that uses 3D printing to deliver something a bit more exciting than just a humble bench.

Rotterdam-based design studio The New Raw, which works towards closing material cycles and strengthening local production using an open and scale-less approach that is based on material research, digital design and fabrication, has started to work on the Print Your City! project to use plastic waste to produce 3D-printed street furniture. The first result was the XXX Bench, a creatively shaped, 3D-printed piece of furniture for the city of Amsterdam, created in 2016.

The project was continued in Thessaloniki in Greece. As part of the ‘Zero Waste Future Programme’ in collaboration with Coca-Cola, citizens can actively participate in the recycling process in a special laboratory, the Zero Waste Lab, and design street furniture directly on site.

“The Zero Waste Lab features its own in-house recycling plant that can process PP, PE and PET. Visitors have the opportunity to experience first-hand how recycling works.” | 22 | Packaging Europe

“The Zero Waste Lab features its own in-house recycling plant that can process PP, PE and PET. Visitors have the opportunity to experience first-hand how recycling works and thus gain a direct connection to the process,” explains Foteini Setaki, co-founder of The New Raw. The New Raw has developed the 3D printing process itself. “We use a KUKA robot arm connected to an extruder with a heated hose. We developed the connection ourselves to enable printing of more complex shapes tailored to our particular needs. We use different nozzle sizes (from 2 mm to 8 mm) to enable different applications,” says Ms Setaki.

The first prototypes for Thessaloniki were printed in the summer of 2018. The 3D printed street furniture boasts integrated additional functions. Each object can be equipped with a bicycle rack or a mini gym, a pot for a tree or even a dog bowl or a bookshelf.

Ms Setaki sees great potential for the project in other cities, too.

“It’s great to be able continue our project in Thessaloniki on a larger scale and see how our furniture works outdoors and responds to UV light, for example, and we hope to be able to roll out the project in other cities in the future.”

Packaging Europe | 23 |

BELOW THE SURFACE The reduction of carbon footprint is a huge challenge and goal across the packaging industry and different material types.

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strong magnifying lens has been focused on the sustainability of materi- moving from plastics into aluminium cans in some particular areas. “Across the als, plastics generally being placed at the epicentre of debate and blame. board, this is a niche observation, but certainly within the last six months we But what about aluminium? have seen an increase in enquiries. I think this is down to the strong message Rick Hindley, executive director, Alupro, an industry funded organisation behind the metal can and its recycling capabilities.” representing the UK’s aluminium packaging industry which leads the Every Can Ramon Arratia, sustainability director for Ball Beverage Packaging Europe Counts initiative, takes us back to the start of the process – Bauxite, which is (and partners of the Every Can Counts campaign) supports this trend, “We’ve one of the world’s primary sources of aluminium. noticed, in terms of consumer habits, a rise in demand for on-the-go consumpHe explains, “Bauxite is the most abundant element found in the earth’s crust. tion. As a result of this, there has been a significant rise in the use of plastic It is mined, and the mining area is typically restored back to its former natural packaging, specifically in the food industry. To address this, we’ve noticed a state. The material goes through a smelting process significant increase in brands making the switch to which uses a significant amount of electricity. But cans as their packaging format.” what many people don’t realise is that a significant Rick Hindley underlines that of course there is still “But what many people amount of aluminium produced in Europe uses a role for plastics and other materials: “In this debate don’t realise is that a hydro-electric power, a renewable energy source. our primary interest should be to defend the role of significant amount of Yes, it’s an energy-intensive process – but you reap packaging. Yes, a can has advantages, we would the benefits of that energy every time you recycle never criticise the use of plastics – but it does face aluminium produced in aluminium, which uses only five per cent of the challenges from a recycling point of view. Our sector Europe uses hydro-electric energy overall in comparison.” has invested heavily for many years into programmes power, a renewable There’s no doubt, according to Rick Hindley, that encouraging recycling of aluminium and has worked there has been a noticeable trend of packaging hard on putting the infrastructure in place.” energy source.” | 24 | Packaging Europe

With a recycling rate of 69 per cent, the can is the world’s most recycled beverage container, and can be recycled over and over with no loss of quality, irrespective of colour or design. Furthermore, the lower weight of cans helps to optimise space on shipments, reducing pollution, whilst their cubic efficiency also enables them to be easier to transport.

“In today’s climate, there really is no scope to release a product into the market that isn’t recyclable in some way or form.”

A collective approach Indeed, fostering the ideal that the industry and material sectors should take a unified approach towards sustainability and recycling, beverage carton companies have launched a new platform, EXTR:ACT, to drive the industry’s engagement in recycling across Europe. Heike Schiffler, president of EXTR:ACT and director circular economy, EMEA and Greater China, Tetra Pak tells us more about this platform and its significance for the aluminium sector.

“EXTR:ACT has been created to drive recycling of beverage cartons and similar packaging materials, including the non-paper components, such as polymers and aluminium,” Heike Schiffler outlines. “With this new platform beverage carton manufacturers and their suppliers take additional measures to enhance beverage carton recycling across Europe. The goal is to achieve a significantly increased collection and recycling rate by 2025 compared to 48 per cent in 2017 for beverage cartons.”

Beverage packaging is highly regulated by the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive which was amended last year. The revised Directive will promote higher collection and recycling rates and also – supported by the eco-modulation of environmental fees – higher recyclability rates for all packaging materials.

“As a consequence of this political direction, Member States on the one hand need to ensure that collection infrastructure is developed to collect all packaging,” Heike Schiffler explains. “The packaging industry on the other hand will intensify the work on developing functioning recycling value chains which include sufficient capacities for high quality material recycling of all components of packaging and which develop high-value end products. And so do we.”

Infrastructure needs to be developed or expanded in all Member States and investments need to be made over the next five to ten years to achieve much higher collection and recycling rates. Legislation is challenging the entire packaging industry. This requires all actors to think and act in new ways. “In this situation it makes perfect sense to explore synergies with other packaging materials. EXTR:ACT will therefore strive for alliances or cooperations with stakeholders pursuing a similar or comparable objective,” Heike Schiffler underlines.

Beverage cartons are today collected either in mixed paper, in lightweight packaging, e.g. together with PET bottles and metal cans, or together with paper cups. “There are several options and maybe even more than already mentioned which we will investigate deeper when new collection systems or an expansion of existing collection infrastructure will be discussed,” says Heike Schiffler. “With regards to recycling we will certainly look into opportunities to recycle beverage cartons together with other products made of similar materials.”

Social movement When looking at the challenges faced when it comes to recycling, there are several stakeholders that have a part to play along the supply chain journey.

Essentially, these challenges must be addressed by the brand, the provider of

Heike Schiffler

the packaging, policy makers and also waste management companies. Ramon Arratia supports the charge for a sustainable future.

“Led by consumers becoming more mindful of their environmental impact, we’re noticing more and more awareness in the packaging sector when it comes to waste and recyclability. Brands have started to communicate more about the carbon footprint of their products and the recyclability of the packaging itself, which shows no signs of slowing down. In today’s climate, there really is no scope to release a product into the market that isn’t recyclable in some way or form.”

Ramon Arratia concludes that retailers and brands are beginning to take certain risks. “For example, a few years ago the idea of water in cans would have been unthinkable, yet in today’s climate we’re seeing many water brands make the move and canned water has become a hot and trending topic.” The possibilities of where this journey will take us, driven by the sustainability trend, will certainly widen into new packaging concepts across the board in terms of materials and schools of thought.

Packaging Europe | 25 |

TAKING ON THE ANTI-COUNTERFEITING CHALLENGE Counterfeiting has moved on from small-scale operations to big business. Elisabeth Skoda shines a light on solutions aimed at luxury packaging, pharmaceuticals and fast-moving consumer goods ranging from holograms to printed on-pack and on-blister codes and RFID-powered flexible electronics.

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he global market for anti-counterfeiting, brand protection and security packaging will reach $3.09 billion in 2019, according to a report from Smithers Pira. Innovation and increased demand – especially in supply chain security applications – will see market growth at an annual rate of 4.4 per cent through to 2024; driving total value to $4.05 billion in that year. The | 26 | Packaging Europe

report identifies the globalisation of distribution, combined with rising concerns over counterfeit goods as factors that are boosting greater demand for anti-counterfeiting solutions. Furthermore, the digitalisation of logistics and e-commerce trade is also posing the challenge for manufacturers of physical security components of how to form a link to the online world.

The benefits of holograms Counterfeiters today often run major operations with entire factories featuring advanced technology facilities. Integrating different technologies into single security elements, such as holograms connecting with track-and-trace systems, integrating holograms directly onto the product without any additional materials/layers and sophisticated holograms with special visual effects can offer extra security, as Petr Franc, the divisional director for security at Prague-based company IQ Structures, points out.

He explains how holograms can help the industry to keep up with ever more sophisticated counterfeiters.

“Offering the possibility to emboss holograms directly onto a pack is ideal for luxury packaging. They can be embossed on all types of plastics as well as metals. We produce master holograms with a diffractive structure tailored for particular packaging materials. We also offer our clients the tools to enable them to replicate holograms using their own production technologies,” Mr Franc explains.

Managed nanostructures and microstructures on holograms offer features such as water resistance, heat stability and an irreversible change of colour if warehousing conditions are broken.

“Our computer-generated holograms feature a sophisticated diffraction strategy that is virtually inimitable,” Mr Franc adds. “The holograms include unique visual effects and are self-destructive. Any attempt to manipulate them results in a disintegration into tiny pieces. Product data can be written on them and they can be integrated with track and trace systems.”

He foresees an extended role for holograms in the near future: “I expect the ability to customise security elements, including writing critical product data on holograms, facilitating simpler checks and thus enabling customers to check authenticity for themselves.”

Making online pharma safer Counterfeit products are receiving a boost due to the growth in online pharmacies.

“A lower price can be enough to fool many unassuming consumers to buy from unproved sources that look like legitimate businesses. A Dutch study cited by the International Journal of Clinical Practice found that of 370 seized Viagra samples, only 10 were genuine,” says Kajsa Dahlin, group innovation manager at A&R Carton.

In order to make medication safer, A&R Carton has developed technologies that work on the box and on the blister respectively.

Packaging Europe | 27 |

©PragmatIC

“Noise print, developed in partnership with anti-counterfeit specialist Cypheme, offers in-line direct-on-pack standard printing such as in gravure or offset. It is printed in analogue and data is added to connect that specific product in the cloud, turning it into a virtual code,” Ms Dahlin adds.

The code is photographed in-line and stored on a secure server. It can be photographed and confirmed anywhere in the supply chain if the camera system is in place. Once the pack is on the market, consumers themselves can snap a picture of the pack in-store and get direct authentication of the products.

“Due to the nature of the noise print material, the small fingerprint created on each box is a completely randomised microstructure. Replicating a noise print is virtually impossible due to the resolution and detail level of the marks and its anti-copy layer printed with a special ink outside the standard colour gamut,” Ms Dahlin adds.

Although it is not illegal to buy from grey market sources, consumers often find the experience less than satisfactory when products come without local language instruction manuals, the usual accessories, or the brand owners refuse to repair or replace an item when something goes wrong. Brands are expected to close down grey market channels, but the challenge is to find out where the supply chain has been disrupted.

Flexible electronic tags are a potential weapon against the grey market, as well as counterfeiting – using blockchain and cloud-based services to track goods from manufacture to the end consumer. However, the overheads of using standard solutions for lower price FMCG would be too high when adding the cost of implementing blockchain on top, as Rachel Baker, marketing manager at PragmatIC, points out.

“Counterfeiting nowadays is not limited to high value and luxury items; it covers the whole price range. Printing quality has improved so much, making it a lot easier to produce convincingly packed products at a low cost. For consumer Protecting individual blisters goods, where the price of the packaged goods is £10/10€ or less, it is not ecoIn certain geographical markets, a product is sometimes sold in individual nomically viable to support the high price of silicon-based electronics, creating a blisters, which makes security noise print lose its value. For those cases, a foil need for lower cost flexible electronics.” marker on the individual blister packs, like the one developed by AR PackagPragmatIC’s ConnectIC family of flexible RFID circuits, launched in February ing in cooperation with barcode specialist Digimarc, can work best, as Ms this year, brings cost-effective digital traceability and interactivity to everyday Dahlin points out. objects, as Gillian Ewers, PragmatIC’s marketing VP, claims.

“The foil marker is a solution especially suitable for cases when the product is “ConnectICs are designed on PragmatIC’s technology platform which delivers taken out of their secondary packs to be sold individually, as sometimes happens flexible integrated circuits that are thinner than a human hair. They are designed in some African and Asian countries. The foil markers can be placed directly on to be used with single layer antennas, which dramatically reduces total inlay each blister pack during standard printing, and offer a way for consumers to costs. They are flexible and robust, which enables them to withstand the rigours authenticate securely with their smartphones, as the foil markers are incredibly of consumer goods packaging and use. Large bond pad sizes allow for more hard to copy. If the marker is scanned or photographed, the metallic background relaxed placement and bonding tolerances. ConnectICs are compatible with both interferes with the reading and the reproduced marker will be unreadable.” conventional pick-and-place machines and higher throughput parallel assembly.

Fast read times ensure verification of the inlay can be Addressing the grey market performed at standard production line speeds and no “Counterfeiting nowadays challenge with flexible electronics customer encoding is required. In addition, they don’t While counterfeiting has long been a challenge require a battery, as they harvest energy from the is not limited to high for industry, in recent years, another problematic antenna. The absence of a battery does further help value and luxury items, subject has emerged – the grey market, featuring to save space,” she says. it covers the whole price products that are not counterfeit but are sold “Conventional solutions can leave a bump. An range. Printing quality has outside approved supply agreements. In general, undetectable solution can be better as you don’t the goods are bought in a low-price country, and necessarily want the entire supply chain to know improved so much, making then sold elsewhere, where they command a that there is a tracker in the product. If it is undetectit a lot easier to produce much higher price. There are also goods that are able, it enables auditing the entire supply chain convincingly packed meant for use in service outlets but then appear on and finding out where a potential problem lies,” supermarket shelves. concludes Ms Baker. products at a low cost.” | 28 | Packaging Europe

LAETUS UP: A NEW GENERATION IN INSPECTION AND TRACEABILITY With the Laetus Unified Platform (UP) 1.2, track & trace pioneer Laetus is launching a new version of its inspection and traceability platform.

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aetus UP is a comprehensive end-to-end solution that combines brand protection, anti-counterfeiting and quality inspection by utilising these capabilities:

Improved OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) Laetus UP helps increase efficiency throughout the supply chain. Long downtimes due to process changes, such as other forms of packaging, updated design or components in the production line, are a thing of the past. Using the newly developed solution editor, solutions can be quickly and easily adapted to current requirements.

Continuing compliance With Laetus UP production lines are well prepared for present compliance requirements and can easily be adjusted for new ones. Configuration specifications for new products and/or markets are automatically adapted with fast software mapping solutions. The outstanding feature of this platform is its ability to control any number of existing components such as cameras, printers, scanners and scales – regardless of the manufacturer.

Simplified data exchange This platform monitors all of the individual production lines from one office PC, using just a browser to access it. In case of necessary changes or additions in equipment or line configurations, these can also easily be done from your PC. In addition, the intuitive GUI with its clear, unambiguous structure allows for operators to be trained more quickly.

Sustains continuous production process To process products more quickly, Laetus UP allows for parallel processing lines that all efficiently draw from the same pool of tracking numbers. In case of multiple production sites in different time zones, global reports can be pulled in UTC time, easily providing an overview of a company’s entire production numbers.

All of this can be done on one single platform: Laetus UP. An overview of Laetus UP and its new features will be provided in a free webinar on May 23rd. Interested parties are invited to register at: https://bit.ly/2J2LG7W Packaging Europe | 29 |

Christian Treitel

SPEED OR FLEXIBILITY – WHAT’S DRIVING R&D IN MACHINERY? Christian Treitel has been at Bosch for some 25 years, and since 2017 as VP marketing & business strategy at Bosch Packaging Technology, responsible for overall strategy across both food and pharma verticals. Christian talked to Tim Sykes about the intersections of flexibility, output, sustainability and connectivity driving of R&D in packaging lines today.

Is the era of ever higher speed in packaging lines over?

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he whole industry is talking about complexity, increasing variety of SKUs, flexibility and small batches. All the hype is around that trend, but there is still significant demand for high-speed production (if not demand to push it still higher) across the food and pharma industries. | 30 | Packaging Europe

This is driven by different factors across food and pharma. If we look at the food market, our customers are experiencing strong cost pressures, and driving efficiency is one obvious way to address this by improving output on their existing lines. If you increase production from 600 to 800 units per minute you gain efficiency: more product from the same footprint and same number of operators.

Intelligent product feed

There’s also a consumer-driven dimension for food manufacturers. For various demographic reasons there is a trend across the market toward smaller packaging formats: bite-size chocolate bars, single portions, etc. Therefore for the same volume of product, food brands have to produce a larger number of packages. This also translates to a requirement for higher operating speeds.

Meanwhile in the pharma market, there is a growing demand for certain basic medication types, for instance paracetamol, at an affordable price. This is an especially big trend in emerging markets such as China, India and Latin America but also to an extent in developed markets. Meeting the requirement for affordability means mass-producing these generic medicines, which creates demand in the marketplace for high-output, high-speed machines, albeit offered at an affordable cost – not ‘Formula One’ equipment.

…But meanwhile much of the market is leaning in the opposite direction?

Yes, on the other hand, there are major contradictory trends. Think of the variety of breakfast cereals people eat today, compared to the past: supermarkets now dedicate metres of shelves to different muesli types in different pack sizes and combinations! E-commerce is offering consumers possibilities that push the market in the direction of individual choices.

In pharmaceuticals there’s the same trend toward smaller batches, driven by new phenomena like more customised treatments and doses, and medications for orphan diseases. Against this backdrop of proliferation of SKUs and individual batch sizes getting smaller, customers are asking for more flexibility.

As a large provider of technology, we want to provide the whole range from high-speed to medium and low. We like complex problems where we can bring

our knowledge to solve our customers’ problems. We also need to follow our customers when, for instance, they realise they need to move from 800 to 400 / minute but with very flexible changeover. Minimising changeover times is one way of making flexible production lines as efficient as possible.

What are the technological challenges that arise when increasing speed and throughput in packaging lines?

We are one of the companies that can master the challenges of working at very high speeds. Our flow-wrapping lines can handle 1500 bars a minute, and on the vertical packaging side we have duplex machines that can produce up to 360 bags. Achieving high speeds involves coping with a number of variables.

One of the most challenging aspects of high speed isn’t the packaging process itself, but ensuring a continuous product infeed. It’s crucial to maintain consistency, which presents complexities from product to product, especially when they are sticky or difficult to handle. You need to make sure you align the product properly. If there are high tolerances in the product – significant variation in size, etc. – the higher the speed, the more issues you encounter.

Another important consideration is the variety of hot seal and cold seal film materials that are used, all with different limitations. In this respect increasing speed involves conducting tests with customers and defining the right film materials. We also have collaborations with film producers and get early access to their new materials for testing.

Not only when it comes to packaging, but as a whole, sustainability is a complex topic which requires a plethora of expertise. We are convinced that a more sustainable future is a long-term commitment and journey, and we have to be in this together. This is why we seek out long-term partnerships along the Packaging Europe | 31 |

entire value chain. For instance, we work together with the packaging material provider BillerudKorsnäs to come up with new packaging solutions that are more sustainable but still optimised for production and functionality.

How does sustainability influence your R&D?

“With any new idea we need to frankly ask ourselves whether there is a real benefit to the customer. Ultimately, any interface or platform is only as valuable as the content they deliver.”

Sustainability is now one of the biggest drivers. One aspect of this is facilitating the transition to more easily recyclable packaging materials. For instance, we’ve introduced paper packaging for sugar and pasta on our vertical machines and are seeking to extend this to other applications. But when our customers change to a different material, they don’t want this to result in lower speeds. Therefore we have to work with them to help them make this transition without losing output. This is a big R&D focus for us at the moment.

Similarly, with downgauging or monomaterials in flexible packaging, sometimes new films can be more difficult to handle. We therefore work with our partners and customers to test films and work out how to optimise performance on our machines. There are some films where there are still issues to overcome.

In addition to facilitating migration to more sustainable materials, there are a number of more direct interventions on environmental impact. First of all, we are continuously working on energy consumption. Secondly, we look at ways to help customers to reduce their waste. For instance, we work to ensure all products in infeed are packaged properly in order to avoid product waste, while modern sealing technologies, such as ultrasonic, can reduce film wastage on lines. Perhaps the biggest lever we have is in process technologies where we have some energy reuse concepts already on the market. In sterilising tunnels for the pharmaceutical industry it’s necessary to heat up a vial to 320ºC and then cool it again. That’s a lot of energy to waste, and in recycling it we can have a big impact.

In what ways are you embracing the Industry 4.0 revolution?

Digitisation is another big topic for R&D, and we’re tackling this on different levels. The first of these is smart machines, where we’re looking at applying Industry 4.0 principles to improve machine output by incorporating additional sensors. We’re working on a number of these projects now.

We also have applications on the market which support operators by making information more easily available to them. After all, maximising output also depends on operating the machinery in an optimal manner. We also have applications to assist with maintenance, guiding the crews with a step by step approach, enabling customers to maximise up-time with the staff they have available.

Meanwhile, in the pharma vertical we have a starter kit that enables customers to connect their data across machines and lines for transparency.

In conclusion, we don’t go for one single Industry 4.0 solution but a bundle of applications to support customers across various topics.

With any new idea we need to frankly ask ourselves whether there is a real benefit to the customer. For instance, over recent years at trade shows you | 32 | Packaging Europe

see a lot of hype around AR headsets. We asked whether it was worth doing everything in virtual reality but it’s clear this would be pointless. There are benefits in specific applications, for instance in remote training sessions, but there’s no sense in showing the technology just for the sake of it. Ultimately, any interface or platform is only as valuable as the content they deliver. A search engine is no good without content to search. As an industry, our primary focus should be on solutions, not platforms.

How is innovation strategy structured at Bosch Packaging Technology?

Our approach has been to increasingly focus on industry-specific application know-how and solutions. We don’t aim to produce general-purpose equipment.

So we have created dedicated teams with specialist expertise for particular verticals such as frozen foods and confectionery. This enables us to develop specialised solutions to meet the particular requirements of particular product categories, for example hygienic design in frozen food. Our R&D teams are also organised to cater to and raise the bar for industry-specific verticals.

In parallel we are also scouting the market to understand broader demands.

For example, we are assessing the extent to which factories could be further automated. We have teams exploring the bigger picture of business development on the horizon: what does the factory of the future look like? Are we likely to see dark factories (personally, I don’t think they will come)? What can we do to optimise flow by eliminating more manual steps? In other industries you see automated vehicles moving around factories. We’re thinking about how we can integrate concepts like this into our business. But this is all at an early stage.

If you could magically resolve a particular technological bottleneck, what would it be?

From a technological standpoint, I don’t see any fundamental barriers to what we want to achieve. Of course, we’re always looking to enhance sealing and improve product distribution. Robotics is an area undergoing big advances.

As a good corporate citizen, I would like to see a breakthrough in sustainability. This would mean the industry as a whole overcoming certain technological challenges, and finding solutions that are not only more sustainable but also affordable for consumers, and would therefore spread in the marketplace quickly.

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CONNECTING THE DOTS

Managing production data, supported by fast-paced innovation, addresses the need to gain control of a more connected value chain and streamline fully integrated factories. Machine builders, software solution and technology providers are running at high speed towards the future of production. Libby White reports.

The driving force

the digital packaging sector.” It seems millennials are conducive to progress what is behind this thirst for knowledge? Mattias Johansson, from both sides of the coin – from inside the industry and their own pertinent director of integration services at Tetra Pak points to millennials, demands as consumers. the most connected generation yet, as the catalyst behind the In fact, there has been a huge leap within the last five years with regards to trend for a more connected value chain. the requirements of machine builders – from both end users and the supply “They are increasingly concerned about what chain that feeds into them, explains Mike Loughran, they are eating and where their food comes from,” chief technology officer, UK & Ireland, Rockwell he points out. “Consumers will benefit from high Automation. He points out that traditionally, a pro“Today’s Generation-I quality products that are fully traceable. Technology ducer of food or beverages (as an example) would and millennials simply will provide customers with fully integrated factories design their production line and then approach expect intuitive tools and – increasing reliability and mitigating errors.” various vendors to find the best solution. “Now software to complement From an insider’s perspective, Esko’s Jan De machines are essentially stand-alone, and there’s a Roeck looks towards millennials employed in requirement for those machines to be data-enabled their work. We really are the sector, and goes so far as to say, “Today’s to fit into the wider supply chain.” only at the beginning of Generation-I and millennials simply expect intuitive Speed to market is another very real factor the potential of the digital tools and software to complement their work. We relying more and more on data-enabled producreally are only at the beginning of the potential of tion. “Operations now need to be performed in near packaging sector.”

SO,

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Mattias Johansson, Tetra Pak

Matt Francklow, Creation

real-time. If you can understand your production line in this timescale, then you can predict and prescribe the performance and sustainability of your machinery,” Mike Loughran explains.

Data is power The advantages of investing into management systems for production data are complex – ultimately pointing towards streamlining operations across all sectors of the packaging and print industry and the supply chain.

In order to understand why holding data in the palm of your hands is so crucial, we asked Matt Francklow, managing director, Creation Reprographics Ltd, specialists in packaging artwork, reprographics and plate production, why they invested in a web-based management software, Esko WebCenter, and Esko Automation Engine, a modular prepress automation software solution.

“To completely digitalise the management of data from input of client specs to the business through to production and shipping. The number of incoming jobs for clients is increasing, with faster turnaround requirements. Brands are trying to keep up by producing new and different products to capture market share. This is great for business but means increasing complexity in trying to keep up with the number and variety of jobs required in ever shorter lead times.”

For companies like Creation, having automated processes and software to interpret data is the key to keeping costs down, driving efficiency and ensuring it maintains its reputation for service and quality.

Those companies that build smart, learning organisations that truly create integrated automation from incoming order through to shipping, with automated decision making and trend analyses, will be able to generate new and Packaging Europe | 35 |

innovative ways to differentiate their businesses in the future. Data may be the key to delivering long-term competitive advantage.

Jan De Roeck, marketing director, Industry Relations & Strategy, Esko, supports this view. “To manage operational efficiency, quality and costs means converters require dedicated and professional software tools to accurately collect and collate information to inform decision making in automated workflows. An important component of such software technology is the ability to connect different software tools with each other and reduce data duplication in the process.”

Visions of the future Tetra Pak has recently shared its vision of the factory of the future. Its key development areas made possible by new solutions to managing production data are the connected workforce and advanced analytics. Empowered with wearable technology, local Tetra Pak service engineers at customer sites are now able to connect directly with Tetra Pak specialists around the globe wherever they are, providing real-time, expert support to customers.

When it comes to advanced analytics, data from filling lines around the world is collected into a central database from where it can be accessed and analysed by a team of Tetra Pak’s global experts. The robust database means that advanced analysis can be used to predict issues and optimise machine performance.

Mattias Johansson explains, “Our solutions to managing production data have been enabled through our collaboration with partners. By connecting packaging lines to Microsoft Azure, Tetra Pak collects operational data to help predict informed maintenance timing. If repairs are needed, Tetra Pak service engineers use Microsoft HoloLens headsets to diagnose and fix machine issues, even in remote locations.”

In the factory of the future, machines will be able to communicate with each other as well as with the digital systems of the entire operation, automatically taking on tasks such as diagnosing problems, ordering and delivering parts, | 36 | Packaging Europe

and looking for an engineer who is most suitable for the service needed. The technology builds on previous measures to bring the benefits of digitisation to the food and beverage industry, such as the launch of Tetra Pak Plant Secure and condition monitoring.

Siemens has brought to the table its cloud-based, open IoT operating system: MindSphere. It connects products, plants, systems, and machines, enabling customers to harness the wealth of data generated by the Internet of Things with advanced analytics. MindSphere connects real things to the digital world and provides powerful industry applications and digital services to help drive business success.

In turn, the digital twin of performance is constantly fed with operational data from products or the production plant. This allows information like status data from machines and energy consumption data from manufacturing systems to be constantly monitored – making it possible to perform predictive maintenance to prevent downtime and optimise energy consumption. At the same time, data-driven knowledge about systems like MindSphere can be fed back into the entire value chain all the way to the product system. This generates a completely closed decision-making loop for a continuous optimisation process.

Beyond the data The future of packaging is digital, according to Mattias Johansson: “Driven by the trends behind Industry 4.0, and with code generation, digital printing and data management at its core, the connected packaging platform will also bring new benefits to food producers and retailers.” The packaging industry has surely adopted managing production data, and the full scale potential of a more connected supply chain and integrated factories remains to be seen once all the dots have been connected.

We are left with a stark warning from Esko’s Jan De Roeck, “Industry 4.0 is here – those companies that fail to embrace software and technology will be unable to compete in what is an ever more complex packaging and print industry.”

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WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ‘DESIGN FOR RECYCLING’?

In an ideal world, a package wouldn’t live any longer than the product it has been designed to protect.

That being the case, when the product has reached the consumer, it should automatically go for recycling or be composted. But as we know this is not necessarily the reality.

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major question is therefore how packaging can be designed to be fully compatible with existing waste streams. This involves a mixture of many different factors, among them: which materials are most appropriate for the purpose? Are adhesives necessary, as these can contaminate the waste stream? If combinations of materials are used, can they be easily separated?

What style of closure is used? If plastics are used, what colour are they, as this can impact their recyclability? And so on.

There is also the additional factor of the rapidly growing e-commerce market.

Not only does this require solutions that both protect the product through the

increasing number of touchpoints it has to go through while still considering recyclability; it also puts the responsibility for recycling more firmly on the end users – who are by no means always aware of the correct way to deal with packaging waste.

“Design for recycling means that when you design a package you don’t just consider functionality and cost, but think about where it will go after it’s used,” says Rob Opsomer, head of Systemic Initiatives at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. “How will your design affect the economics of the collection and recycling process?”

The plastics design challenge

recycled separately. Add to this the various adhesives and laminates that prohibit recycling, and it’s clear how complex the considerations are.

For the Ellen MacCarthur Foundation, design for recycling means considering the overall picture. Glass, paper and and metalmay be more widely recycled, but they are also more energy-intensive to produce. “If you only look at recyclability then you would say, ‘let’s go back to only using glass or metal’,” says head of Systemic Initiatives Rob Opsomer.

“We have always been very clear that because of the benefits of plastics, we need to find a way to make the system work as we cannot ignore the serious environmental damage the current system is creating.”

For sustainable design to be effective, there are calls for more joinedup thinking across the supply chain – something initiatives such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and others are actively promoting. “We are bringing together the global value chain, as well as local value chain.

All players in the chain – from material producers and manufacturers to FMCG brands, retailers, sorters, recyclers and governments – need to work on the same set of targets but also drive this across the value chain to ensure changes in design go in the same direction as changes in the production and recycling infrastructure.”

According to EU statistics, overall recycling rates are on the up. Latest figures show the recycling rate for paper and cardboard packaging has reached a record 85 per cent, while metallic and glass packaging were in second and third place, with recycling rates of 78.3 per cent and 74.1 per cent, respectively.

Plastic packaging rates were notably lower, at 42 per cent.

While these figures for plastics should be seen in context – they have almost doubled compared to the 24 per cent rate recorded in 2005 – they do highlight the need to increase rates of plastic recycling.

We know there are certain kinds of packs that cannot be recycled today in any meaningful way because of how they are designed. Some materials – PVC and polystyrene, for example – are so uncommon in the packaging stream that it is not worth separating and recycling them. Then there are combinations of materials: think crisp packets with metal and plastic layers that can’t be economically separated, or protective food packaging made from layers of different plastics. Small format packages – such as wrappers or tear-offs – can also fall through the gaps and be rejected at sorting.

Certain colours are also a challenge – carbon black pigments can’t be detected by sorters, and any plastics that are not clear or light blue need to be | 38 | Packaging Europe

The cartonboard perspective Those who lobby for cartonboard as the best packaging material from a sustainability perspective would highlight its recyclability and biodegradability.

But while cartonboard may have the highest recycling rates across Europe, this does not mean it is automatically the best solution. As ever, there is the question of the need to balance recyclability with resource efficiency, and cartonboard is not known for its preservative qualities. This is something the industry is aware of.

“Cartonboard can also deliver many more benefits being driven by new, digital technologies that benefit both the brand owner and the consumer,” says Tony Hitchin, general manager of Pro Carton. “For instance, greater food safety is achieved through the use of food-contact approved barriers and coatings and the use of low migration inks.”

This year Nestlé launched a new Nesquik powder pouch made from a coated paper that is recyclable in the paper stream. According to the company, the pouches have been extensively tested to ensure they keep the powder in perfect condition during transport and storage.

Innovative solutions Cartonboard modified atmosphere packaging – involving the removal of atmospheric gas from the packaging to be replaced with a mixture of gases adapted to prolong the stability of food products – is one technology that can help preserve food for longer while ensuring the same levels of recyclability.

Flexible plastics: Advancing mono-materials When it comes to flexibles, one of the key barriers to recycling is the use of multilayer packages which cannot be recycled because there is no machinery to separate them.

“It really is an innovation journey,” says Rob Opsomer of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. “Those multilayer laminates are there for a reason. They offer superior barrier performance and light weight, which are also vital considerations for product preservation. So how can the same properties be achieved from single material solutions?”

There is a welcome move towards the design of packs produced from single polymers that can still offer the same protective properties while being easily recyclable. A good case in point is Dow, which has been working on an allpolyethylene stand-up pouch to be recycled with other polyethylene products.

There is also some promise in packs combining a cartonboard base and cellulose film lid – both of which could go into the same recycling stream. For example, last year Coveris announced it had developed a plastic-free sandwich and wrap pack which replaces the film liner component with a cellulose-derived substitute, combined with FSC/PEFC board. The substitution of OPP with cellulose means that both base and lid should theoretically be able to go into the same recycling waste stream.

Of course, there is more to be done. “We would like to see the separate collection of paper packaging where it is not already (along with other paper materials), as this is a prerequisite for efficient recycling,” says Mr Hitchin.

“Today, flexible packaging is often still made up of different materials to provide functionality and performance,” says Isabel Arroyo, principal scientist for Dow Packaging and Speciality Plastics, “but we are focused on creating film formulations made entirely out of polyethylene resins.

“For instance, some of the critical requirements for flexible packaging are stiffness, hermeticity and barriers. We have a tool box of solutions which can provide high stiffness and high gloss, based on ELITE™ and INNATE™ products. Our portfolio also includes barrier lamination adhesives based on ADCOTE™ technology, and compatibilisers like RETAIN™ to enhance recyclability of barrier films.”

‘Recycling ready’ Another company that has been moving in this direction is Mondi, with its BarrierPack Recyclable – a ‘recycling ready’ solution constructed using two layers of polyethylene film to provide a gas barrier that greatly extends the laminates breadth and potential applications.

As detailed in this edition of Packaging Europe, this year Amcor launched AmLite Ultra Recyclable, which is based on its breakthrough, high-barrier OPP platform. According to the company, the product achieves its recyclability by eliminating the PET layer that had itself replaced the aluminium in the original AmLite solution, launched in 2015. Instead, a fully polyolefin film replicates the barrier properties of Amlite thanks to a SiOx (silicon oxide) coating.

The above tells us that while we can’t do without plastics entirely – and there is no reason why we should if we develop a truly circular economy – their recyclability could be hugely improved by the latest generations of innovative barrier technologies.

Packaging Europe | 39 |

‘Bio-polymers are small-scale’

Why not use bio-based materials?

Given the difficulties associated with recycling some kinds of plastics, why are we not just designing packs using biodegradable or compostable plastics instead? Unfortunately, the solution is not as simple as this.

For one, a lot of plastics that are labelled ‘biodegradable’ will only break down in temperatures of 50°C or over, so they are not going to be exposed to enough heat or UV for this to occur.

Furthermore, many ‘compostable’ plastics – not to be confused with biodegradables – cannot break down in a household composter but must be sent to an industrial facility. This, then, depends on whether the infrastructure is in place to deal with such materials on the scale needed. Furthermore, as many degradable plastics contain additives to make them break down faster, they can release toxic substances when degrading.

Case study: Recyclable pump system The type of closure or dispensing system used is another consideration that may have to be factored into the packaging design stage. Of course, manufacturers and brand owners have to consider the demands of an aging population when it comes to ease of use, or factor in safety features to ensure children can’t access harmful products.

But complex plastic closures and dispensing systems are often constructed in such a way that makes them difficult – or impossible – to be recycled in existing waste streams.

Pump systems are a case in point. If consumers do not separate them from the bottles before placing them in the recycling bin, the recyclable bottle can be destroyed along with the pump. One attempt to tackle this challenge has come from UK-based Raepak, with its range of dispensing pumps that are 100 per cent recyclable along with the plastic bottle to which they are attached.

The project was initiated by retailer M&S, which says it is working to design all its packaging to be recyclable by 2020. According to Bernard Chase, Sector Specialist Plastics for WRAP, companies using Raepak’s dispenser for their packaging “would be entitled to mark the dispenser element of their product as ‘Widely Recycled’.”

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It’s an unavoidable fact that the recycling infrastructure isn’t yet developed enough to deal with the widespread use of biopolymers. “I made an engineering calculation not so long ago, when I was asked why we don’t design all plastic packages from bio-based marine degradable plastics,” says Tony Kingsbury, direction of sustainability for EMEA, Dow Packaging and Speciality Plastics.

“The belief was that if the plastic then ended up in the ocean, it would disappear. There is one family of resins called PHAs that meet this criterion, but we would have to build one world-scale 50 million lb/yr capacity plant every 28 days for the next seven years to get 10 per cent of the plastic packaging capacity in the US alone. Only one is being built right now.”

The point he is making is that biopolymers are small-scale and are likely to remain so for a very long time, whereas the plastic waste problems we are facing require immediate action. He believes we should focus on designing packs more efficiently using the larger polymers instead of “taking the slow and painful path of believing that biopolymers will save us.”

And while it is true, says Mr Kingsbury, that not all packages can be recyclable – pharmaceutical items such as blister packs are just one example – “the whole packaging value chain needs to stop using that as a crutch.

“To capture and recycle polyolefin packages that are not recycled mechanically, we are, as are others, exploring feedstock recycling as an alternative.

These processes rip the plastics apart and reconstruct them back into their original pieces which can then be built back into new plastics.”

SP GROUP: WORKING TOWARDS A CIRCULAR ECONOMY 2019 is set to be a key year for the launch of new, more sustainable material structures by plastic converters aiming to comply with the new European Strategy for Plastics – introduced to ensure all plastic packaging is 100 per cent recyclable by 2030.

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or SP Group, the major goals for 2019 are related to sustainability, such as:

• Creating mono-material structures.

• Developing biodegradable and compostable packaging.

• Reducing its carbon footprint.

The company has also been making improvements when it comes to some of its other key objectives, including downgauging and incorporating recovered material from the post-industrial recycling process.

New ways of recycling (RPET) In recent years the SP Group has introduced new techniques aimed at achieving greater sustainability. Its rPET (recycled PET) is a case in point, giving a high-quality post-consumption material a new use. The benefits of recycled PET include: • A significant reduction in carbon footprint, with 75 per cent fewer CO2 emissions than traditional polyester.

• A considerable reduction in plastic waste.

For a mono-material base and top film, SP GROUP recommends combining the rPET tray with the SOL EFFICIENT top film. This match results in a polyester-based mono-material packaging that is 100 per cent recyclable.

Since 2016, SP GROUP has been reducing the use of virgin material in its production of rigid laminates, by reusing the offcuts recycled by its clients. Currently, the company is also working to reduce virgin material in extrusion processes. This ensures it is 100 per cent responsible for its product and environmental impact.

SP GROUP is consolidating its commitment to the circular economy with projects in Spain, Portugal and France, and maintains its focus on research.

“We are committed to manufacturing recyclable mono-material structures to meet the demands of new consumers and the European Commission,” says a company spokesperson.

Big brands are fully aware of public concerns, and many of them have already announced measures to ensure none of their packaging ends up in landfill or discarded in the environment. They are committed to making their packaging 100 per cent recyclable or reusable to put an end to plastic waste.

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EXTENDING SHELF LIFE WITH NANOTECHNOLOGY Developing packaging for extending the shelf life and quality of fresh produce, bakery products and proteins is the core objective of the EU-funded NanoPack Project. The active packaging materials used in their packs are now being tested with a wide range of products and are showing some remarkable results during testing.

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anoPack is an EU-funded project with the aim of developing state-ofthe-art antimicrobial packaging solutions for perishable foods based on natural nanomaterials that will prevent food-borne illness outbreaks and reduce food waste caused by early spoilage. The Nanopack technology consists of the encapsulation of essential oils with a naturally-occurring antimicrobial activity into Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), which are subsequently mixed | 42 | Packaging Europe

with polymers to make packaging films. What makes Nanopack unique is that antimicrobial agents are released as a vapour from the packaging materials into the headspace, therefore they can sanitise both the product surface and the headspace.

The three-year project, funded by the EU Horizon 2020 scheme, now entering its third year, is set to demonstrate, validate and test food packaging products

with antimicrobial surfaces based upon natural materials, addressing scientific, technological, economic, safety and regulatory challenges to ensure that consumers eventually will be able to benefit from this novel packaging. An important feature is the goal of having a viable nanotechnology-based flexible film for commercialisation by the end of 2019.

Keeping cherries fresh for longer Fresh cherries, which were packed in NanoPack antimicrobial film in a recent trial, containing low concentrations of various natural essential oils, exhibited an increased shelf life of 40 per cent. The cherries were packed in bags made of NanoPack film and commercial film were stored at the same holding temperature for 14 days and then transferred to an ambient temperature for four days. The results have shown that NanoPack film extends the shelf life of cherries by two days. Only 33 per cent of the cherries packaged in commercial film were saleable, compared to the 73 per cent of NanoPack’s. This two-day increase in shelf life corresponds to an added value of 40 per cent increase in saleability.

For bread and baked products, the results were even more dramatic, doubling the shelf life of some baked goods, without any preservatives added, in comparison to those packed in conventional plastics packaging.

“We are experimenting with a wide range of products – fresh produce, breads and pastries, as well as dairy and meat proteins. This means we must identify the best combination and concentration of essential oils as well as the most appropriate packaging format for each,” said Elisa Valderrama García from the NanoPack scientific team.

Consumer acceptance Feedback from several consumer studies, undertaken as part of the project, shows acceptance of the idea of extending shelf-life and maintaining quality through slowing down microbial growth using nanotechnologies, but highlights that more work needs to be done to educate consumers and retail managers on some aspects of the technology.

NanoPack organised ten focus groups and conducted ten in-depth interviews with consumers and retail managers in China, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Ireland.

The findings revealed that, in the case of the NanoPack solution, consumers were not concerned with the ‘nanotechnology’ aspect. Interviewees expressed more concern over the inclusion of essential oils and the ‘active’ nature of this technology, with which they were not familiar. They expressed fear that food products would become ‘contaminated’ or ‘altered’ after the active component was released in the packaging atmosphere.

“The benefits of active packaging solutions are not always aligned in consumer minds,” said Polymeros Chrysochou, associate professor at the Aarhus University of Denmark, who co-conducted the research, which indicated that retailers’ main concern was that the new technologies should meet product safety criteria.

“For example, extending the shelf-life of a product and keeping its freshness seem to be a contradiction in consumers’ minds. Freshness is a rather vague promised benefit and people have different interpretations of it. They may perceive it in terms of the time passed from the production, where a shorter time equates to a fresher food product. This means that consumers do not see a product with an extended shelf life as being necessarily fresh, since a longer time has passed since production.”

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INNOVATIONS IN PRE-PRINT: CREATING SEAMLESS WORKFLOWS The world of pre-print has changed dramatically in the past decade. Today’s solutions can create a seamless workflow between packaging design, manufacturing and printing, as Victoria Hattersley discovered.

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hen it comes to pre-print software, many may not even know exactly what it is, or where it fits into the overall workflow from packaging design to manufacture. It’s not the most glamorous or widely-covered part of the chain – but it’s vital and it’s evolving all the time.

Pre-print or pre-press technology refers to all the processes that take place after a graphic designer has created a design file up to the printing stage. But the cut-off point between what constitutes pre-print technology and other processes is not quite as clear as it once was. Rather than thinking of it as a single function, we should perhaps be thinking of the journey from product design to printing as a seamless run of interlinking stages, enabling far greater efficiency and higher quality results than ever before.

“Pre-press software has really changed the game in delivering complete automation in taking orders from customers through to plate production and shipping,” says Steve Mulcahy, CEO of packaging origination specialists Contact Originators. “When software originally came to market it addressed different steps, speeding up tasks and removing errors, but it was still a disconnected process. Today, repeat work can be uploaded online and processed through our entire business to shipping in a completely automated

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fashion, driving lead times down, accuracy up and customer satisfaction to an all-time high.”

This improved efficiency also has its sustainability advantages. By automating the workflow and thus removing human error, downstream errors can be eradicated, which avoids wasted inks, substrates, energy and time.

“Combine this with sophisticated design tools like ArtPro+ or ArtiosCAD,” says Steve Mulcahy, “where we can design in 2D and 3D with hyper-realistic visualisations of the finished product, and you are avoiding having to make samples and mock-ups, which again avoids wasted resources.”

Greater flexibility and autonomy Aside from the clear benefits for service providers such as creative agencies, one real advantage of modern pre-press software is the greater flexibility and autonomy it can give to brand owners. Jen Nathan, Realisation Direction at design and branding agency Pearlfisher, highlights the example of the UK packaging solutions company Itarus Ltd, which has recently introduced an online template to allow users to modify their artwork without the need for third-party intervention.

Steve Mulcahy

Say a large haircare brand was launching a new line with several different scents. When using such a system, the brand or their design agency would create an artwork template online. Then, when modifying each separate product in the range, they could simply drag and drop different bits of collateral from the artwork. While it is already fairly common to use such template systems in the design world, as yet it’s a relatively untrodden path for those working within the packaging industry, and can open up all kinds of possibilities.

“Previously you had systems like BLUE which allowed clients to control aspects like data and approval, but there wasn’t this kind of ‘build-it’ mentality to give clients control and easy access to materials. It means, essentially, you’re almost removing the artworker from the process at this point and giving the control to the brand owner,” says Jen Nathan.

“The creative agency can, if needed, put in restrictions so that the design intent stays the same, but the client can modify the wording etc. This is great for promotions – you can add promo flashes, for example – and gives marketers a lot more access to make changes quickly when a campaign needs to be launched. Rather than having to go back to the designer to make a small change, it can be pushed straight down to the line for the printers for the next

run. Before, this process might have taken weeks or even months, but if you’re digitally printing you can turn it around in a single week if necessary.”

While this kind of template system has its limitations – it’s certainly not appropriate for more specialist, complex projects – for big roll-outs it can really enable brands to speed up the process from product development to launch. The Itarus approach is not something the majority of us will have heard about, and yet it could revolutionise the way that products are developed and marketed.

A more competitive marketplace Today’s softwares could also, perhaps, provide a greater advantage to SMEs and startups. In fact, according to Jen Nathan, there are ways in which these stand to benefit the most.

“Clients are much more demanding these days and they expect things to happen more quickly. The key thing is to understand what the brief is at the beginning and then look at how you can shorten the timeframes. In this context, it can actually be more of a challenge working with larger clients as they have a set supply chain and cannot always be flexible. They have also often invested in their own factory lines so they are reluctant to change the infrastructure.

Packaging Europe | 45 |

With a smaller client, you can suggest the right pre-press technology and most appropriate production lines to meet the demands of a specific project and ultimately get things turned around much more quickly for them.”

It also creates a much more competitive marketplace, with younger companies able to capitalise on the benefits as much as the more established players.

While today’s technologies may not be quite an industry ‘leveller’, “they are certainly enabling forward thinking players to step out and deliver a different and more sophisticated service to customers that will guarantee the death of those companies who remain stuck in the past,” says Steve Mulcahy. “Of course, this means that new entrants will enter, leapfrogging from a technology perspective, to deliver the flexibility, quality and service customers are seeking.”

Colour management software Matching the computer-generated colour codes with print colour codes is another vital stage of the pre-print process. Today this task can be particularly challenging; the omnichannel environments brands are now operating in can lead to increasingly complex projects involving a range of substrates from labels and primary packaging to outer cartons, cans and so on. You might, for example, have a situation where artwork is being developed in the US, plates being produced in the UK and various stages of printing also carried out on different continents. If all these are being printed on the same day, how do you ensure the print colour profile is correct?

“You can’t take the colour target to each place, in this situation,” explains Jen Nathan. “If you’re dealing with a custom mix, or printing on a coating surface followed by another substrate with a different, more absorbent finish, the colour is going to look different on both of these. We generally advise to have one colour target as standard, and then pass this on to the remainder.”

But today’s cloud-based colour management software does at least mean that brand colours on multiple substrates can be managed more easily than hitherto.

“A good example of where such software has enabled a step change in the market is our use of Hybrid’s Packz software, which enabled us to deliver a world first in fixed colour palette printing for corrugate,” says Steve Mulcahy. “This was a real breakthrough for the market, allowing corrugators to achieve what flexible packaging manufacturers have been doing for years; streamlining colours, inks and waste to drive costs down and deliver more control.”

The rise of digital printing As we touched upon above, the increasing sophistication of pre-press software goes hand-in-hand with the rise of digital printing; one exciting aspect | 46 | Packaging Europe

of this is the growing possibilities for substrates available to printers. One high-profile example, which we have covered previously in Packaging Europe, is Owens-Illinois’ solution for digitally printing on glass; through high build density, it can create bottles to “transform the way custom-made and personalised glass bottles are designed by sculpting glass into multi-dimensional artwork.” This was a genuine game-changer for the industry when it was launched last year.

“Of course there is still a tipping point where conventional printing is the most cost-effective option,” says Jen Nathan, “but the volume where this occurs is increasing all the time. The cut-off point was once about 5000 units but today it is much higher. One day there won’t be a tipping point anymore. And technologies such as foiling and debossing are still out of the range of digital capabilities – but how long before someone creates a digitally printed stamp?”

Ongoing innovations in digital print are high-profile and exciting, but we should never lose sight of the importance of the pre-press software behind them. The two complement each other – indeed, it could be said you can’t have one without the other.

Future drivers This is just a taste of what today’s pre-press technologies can offer the industry.

On the horizon, Jen Nathan thinks we can expect to see more opportunities for personalisation. “With software such as that offered by HP, for example, there are going to be so many options. You can create variable data blocks to produce limited edition runs using mail-merged lists. If you combine this with automated software, you could allow customers to design and create their own individualised packaging.”

Commercially, this has not quite taken off wide-scale – yet. But it is surely only a matter of time before we see more and more big brands take this kind of approach. “Getting the personal link is what really drives brands at the moment,” she adds, “so we can expect to see greater uptake now the technology is there to meet demand.

And there’s more: “We can also expect to see more robotics, virtual reality and augmented reality used in supporting printers, and more intuitive technology solutions developing to meet the growing skills gap we also see in the market,” adds Mr Mulcahy.

What is the key takeaway from all the above? It seems that, with faster technology and lines between each of the stages increasingly blurred, it may be more helpful to talk about complete workflow solutions rather than focus on pre-press. And all these advances are helping drive those trends we hear so much about – the need for customisation, for flexibility, for waste reduction and an enhanced brand experience.

AMCOR EVOLVES HIGH-BARRIER PACKAGING WITH NEW RECYCLABLE MATERIAL There is an urgent need to address packaging waste, a challenge that is widely acknowledged by the packaging industry, brands, and consumers. The desire is there, but the challenge has been finding solutions. A new material now makes recycling an option for previously hard-to-recycle high-barrier packaging.

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ackaging plays a vital role in protecting food and medicines and avoiding product waste, yet the packaging that provides the highest levels of protection is often the most difficult to recycle. Recognising this challenge, Amcor’s R&D team set to work. The result is a new solution for high-barrier packaging that is recyclable yet still preserves sensitive products.

In April 2019 the company launched AmLite Ultra Recyclable – the first laminate to use a breakthrough high-barrier polyolefin (OPP) film that replaces polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in flexible packaging. Amcor’s new recyclable, high-barrier flexible packaging supports brands to deliver excellent product shelf life, transparency to showcase the product inside, and is suitable for recycling in existing polyolefin recycling streams.

AmLite Ultra Recyclable demonstrates significant progress toward Amcor’s pledge to develop all packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025. Amcor is also collaborating with industry partners and organisations, including the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and CEFLEX, to eliminate plastic waste and pollution at source, by contributing their expertise toward widespread recycling through packaging design guidelines and infrastructure development.

Shrinking carbon footprints AmLite Ultra Recyclable is the latest addition to the already successful AmLite product range, born in 2015, with sustainability at its core. The original AmLite laminate already reduced the packaging’s carbon footprint using an ultra-thin transparent barrier coating to replace aluminium and metallised barrier layers.

Going metal-free meant the original AmLite could reduce a pack’s carbon footprint by up to 40 per cent.

With AmLite Ultra Recyclable, the carbon footprint can be reduced even further, by up to 64 per cent, when compared to an equivalent barrier pack using PET and an aluminium layer.

To overcome this, the new generation of AmLite has replaced the PET layers of the original AmLite packaging with its new breakthrough high-barrier OPP film, which provides high-barrier protection yet can also be recycled, where collection and polyolefin recycling streams exist. To test for recyclability in real conditions, it has been certified by the cyclos-HTP Institute, an independent testing lab for recyclability.

Recyclability for a wide range of products AmLite Ultra Recyclable is applicable across a variety of segments where high-barrier is needed, including coffee, snacks, dry pet food, baby nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and home and personal care. AmLite’s versatile laminate can also be provided in a variety of formats, including pillow pouches, stand-up and spouted pouches, lidding and stick packs.

Luca Zerbini, VP Marketing, Innovation, and Sustainability said, “This unique recyclable laminate helps our customers, some of the world’s largest FMCG manufacturers, to meet their sustainability goals. To meet our recyclability pledge, rather than devising individual solutions one by one, our strategy has been to create building blocks that can be used to convert entire product platforms. Our R&D team is conducting further tests with the new polyolefin film to develop future solutions for even more demanding recyclable applications, such as for retort processing.”

Ultra-high barrier with recyclability is born Until now, flexible packaging that delivers high barrier was difficult to recycle due to its mix of materials, often combining PET with barrier layers such as aluminium or metallisation, and polyolefins. This mix of materials, and therefore variety of melting points, inhibits the recycling process. The challenge was to find a suitable replacement for PET layers that could be recycled, whilst still maintaining the high-barrier protection for the products inside.

Amcor explored alternative materials such as polypropylene and polyethylene, but found that, on their own, they did not provide the properties to protect foods and pharmaceutical products from the effects of oxygen and moisture.

Packaging Europe | 47 |

Marcel Verhaaf

ON SECOND THOUGHTS...

DIGITAL MARKET RESEARCH TOOLS CAN KILL YOUR BRAND’S OPPORTUNITIES Marcel Verhaaf, creative director at Anthem Benelux, considers the risks of judging physical design using digital imagery.

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our first thought may be that I’m a dinosaur – a fossil of days gone by, unaware of the benefits afforded by online market research, e-packs and connected packaging. Rest assured, as well as a career spanning 30 years in the design industry working across multi-media touchpoints for global and local brands, I’m also an advocate of virtual packaging in all its forms. Bear with me and give a second thought to some of the potential pitfalls of using digital market research tools.

A digital image of a packaging design is of course only a representation of reality – fairly obvious. However, as an industry we seem to forget that when using digital imagery what we see isn’t exactly what we will get. The weight and importance we place on imitation versus the physical object is causing a host of problems when it comes to qualifying brand opportunities.

Judging a packaging design using only digital representations means we miss major aspects of the analogue design – aspects that inform the pack’s ability to win out on shelf. As a representation of a design, the best a digital image can do is give brand owners an indication of how the design might perform on shelf – digital market research is not a scientific fail-safe method of validation.

To provide a little context, at Anthem we use 25 different design tools to generate standout on shelf. Of those 25 tools, only 12 can be researched online in any meaningful way. Still not convinced? Let me give you two examples.

Firstly, let’s look at colour. The difference in colour range between an RGB light source as compared to the real world as seen by the human eye is vast. Low-end monitors have severe limitations when it comes to representing bright and highly saturated oranges or fluorescent colours, for

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example. Such colours have huge stand-out on shelf, but far less impact on screen.

Some time ago I was working with a brand on a packaging design in a dominant yellow colour. One of the brand’s main competitors had a pack design with a dominant orange colour. In the online shelf representation at research the yellow packs won out but once printed and introduced next to their competitors, the brand became lost on shelf.

Secondly, there’s a need to consider the absolute size of an image of a pack compared to the actual physical dimensions of the pack. If the pack is viewed on shelf in a digital image it will be viewed at a much smaller size – but size does matter.

This is especially important when working in the food category given the need to create appetite appeal through food photography in order to effectively entice consumers on the path to purchase. In addition to the correct styling, colours and lighting, it’s often the small details such as fine textures, crunchy edges or tiny drops of moisture that will make your mouth water and see you hurrying to the check-out. These small details are only effective if there’s enough size on pack to represent them with any impact – bigger images always provide a stronger pull. The important details of a design on a digital shelf shot are at risk of being lost entirely due to the small size of the images being tested.

While digital market research does indeed have a role to play in understanding the value of a design, it should not be used as a definitive guide; at best it’s an avenue to judge an imitation of reality. In order to confidently judge the effectiveness of a design, we must strive to also judge it in its true form.