Over the past year, figures from across the value chain have argued that the role played by the packaging industry in society has never been more important, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the realm of consumer protection.
CONSUMER PROTECTION IN THE COVID AGE
AS
consumer concern around personal health has grown due to the pandemic, the industry has adapted and innovated to meet changing expectations around exactly how a pack can help its user to stay safe. In this article, we’ll look into some of the key innovations and developments from this field.
Dispensing Hand sanitizer has now become a ubiquitous product in bags and on shop shelves across the world, and the task of dispensing it safely and efficiently has been taken up by our industry. INEOS, the world’s largest producer of high-purity synthetic ethanol, launched a new range of touchless sanitizer dispensers for the home and workplace in December. Features for this new product include touchless dispensing sanitizer, variable dosage settings, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and lights to indicate low battery life and low cartridge levels. Also, with human contact in mind, Lifestyle Packaging introduced Snappd – a unique single-use mechanism that dispenses a single dose of hand sanitizer gel when it is bent in half with one hand. The product currently has three different material formulations – compostable, bio-based using renewable sources, and recyclable. Meanwhile, industry stalwarts like Smurfit Kappa have been busy adapting existing designs to suit this new reality. Its Bag-in-Box range, which | 24 | Packaging Europe
had in the past been used to package and dispense boxed alcoholic beverages, has been extended so that it can now dispense sanitizer. The product is suitable both for end consumers and as a retail solution.
Labelling It comes as no surprise to learn that labelling companies have also been exceptionally busy at this time in the pursuit of keeping consumers safe. Torsten Scheermann, vice-president of global accounts at All4Labels, told us: “Generally, as disinfectants were selling out fast, labels were needed fast to supply the demand, and at the same time the raw material situation was extremely tough due to limited availability. “Since without labels, disinfectants cannot be sold due to regulations, the label industry contributed to supplying that very high demand. By prioritizing disinfectant manufacturers and through thorough planning by our supply chain management, we were able to provide short lead times.” Across the board, as with many packaging-related areas, Scheermann says that the demand for labels related to products used to fight the spread of COVID has increased significantly – this has been especially noticeable as All4Labels works with the key MNCs in the personal care business. Beyond capacity and demand considerations, one other issue currently facing the labelling and marking industries in the realm of consumer protection is counterfeiting. Since the start of the pandemic, EUROPOL and EUPIO
