Packaging Europe Issue 17.2

VOLUME 17.2 – 2022

STANDING WITH UKRAINE

INTELLIGENT PACKAGING • OMNICHANNEL • INKS AND DEINKING • SOFTWARE • FOOD WASTE

LISBON STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

13th-14th September 2022 Lisbon, Portugal

Take a lead and create positive change that drives sustainability in packaging.

For more information, visit: packagingeurope.com/lisbon-strategic-leadership-summit

Editor

Advertising Coordinator

Victoria Hattersley

Kayleigh Harvey

Journalists

Digital Analyst

Elisabeth Skoda Libby Munford

Syed Hassan

Digital Editor

Amber Dawson

Fin Slater

Junior Journalist Melina Spanoudi

Junior Editor Hannah Cole

VOLUME 17.2 – 2022

Operations Director Brand Director Tim Sykes

Sales Director Jesse Roberts

Production Manager

Senior Portfolio Sales Manager

Rob Czerwinski

Dominic Kurkowski

Digital Design & Production Assistant

Portfolio Sales Managers

Meg Garratt

Matt Byron & Guy Helliker

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Head of Marketing & Events Operations Audience Development Manager Kamila Miller

Simran Budesha

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

Editorial Victoria Hattersley Club Packagers of Ukraine The Ukrainian packaging industry responds to Russia’s invasion Engaging packaging for the omnichannel The shifting narrative of omnichannel Inks & Deinking Closing the loop with deinking Software How does software contribute to sustainable packaging?

Carbon reduction How to build more momentum for sustainable packaging ESG efforts Elif Wider View Designing for circularity Active and Intelligent Packaging Spotlight The latest intelligent packaging news On second thoughts... Extreme breakthroughs: Does he winner really take it all?

EDITORIAL |

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ince our last edition a lot has happened, not least Vladimir Putin’s ongoing assault on Ukraine which we at Packaging Europe have watched, along with everyone in our industry, with horror. We offer our sympathy and solidarity with the people of Ukraine – as well as more specifically our Ukrainian packaging colleagues, who are trying to keep their companies going while also being drawn into the defence of their country. We are coordinating with the Ukrainian Packagers Club to support member companies, whether they need to find the customers, suppliers, production partners or investors they need. Check out the Packaging Europe website to see details of how you can help, (complimentary) adverts for Ukrainian packaging companies and updates on the wider implications of the war for our industry. You can read our recent interview with the Ukrainian Packagers Club in this issue.

But I must also talk about the latest from Packaging Europe. Sustainability Awards submissions are now closed – with a new record of 377 entries – and we can look forward to learning the judges’ verdict on the exciting innovations and initiatives that have been put forward. Winners of the commercialized categories will be revealed at the Sustainable Packaging Summit strategic leadership event in Lisbon on 13-14 September.

Meanwhile, results of the expanded pre-commercialized section of the competition will be announced in Amsterdam on 14-15 November at our SPS Innovation Horizon conference. This event will be co-located with the AIPIA World Congress, which we are organizing thanks to our partnership with the Active and Intelligent Packaging Industry Association. Keep an eye on our website for updates on this in the coming weeks.

Victoria Hattersley Senior Writer

This issue of Packaging Europe also features a guest article from Robert Lilienfeld of sustainable packaging think tank SPRING, who talks to Dr Thomas Gröner of TG Pack Solutions about carbon reduction and the secrets behind successful sustainable packaging ESG. Meanwhile Libby Munford looks at how the ways in which brands interact with consumers has changed in light of the global pandemic – and the role packaging can play in a successful omnichannel strategy.

Elisabeth Skoda has been delving into the world of deinking so be sure to read her piece to find out about the technological innovations in this area. I myself have been speaking to representatives from Esko, Digimind and Ecoveritas about how software can contribute to a more sustainable value chain. Our regular ‘On Second Thoughts…’ article comes courtesy of iKNOW-WHO’s Sigvald Harryson, who tells us why, when it comes to progress in packaging innovation, the concept of ‘the winner takes it all’ no longer applies.

That’s all for now. We will of course keep you updated with the Sustainability Awards judging process and let you know as the shortlist has been chosen. In the meantime, we hope the coming months bring n more positive news.

Victoria Hattersley Victoria Hattersley vh@packagingeurope.com | @PackEuropeVicky

Packaging Europe | 3 |

THE UKRAINIAN PACKAGING INDUSTRY RESPONDS TO RUSSIA’S INVASION At a time of immense strife, how is the Ukrainian packaging industry dealing with its day-to-day activities, and what does the future hold for it? To find out, we spoke with Veronika Khalaydzhi, PhD, president of the Club Packagers of Ukraine, and Valery Krivoshey, PhD, editor-in-chief of the packaging magazine Upakovka.

PE: First things first – how are you and your colleagues? Could you let us

PE: Broadly speaking, how has the war in Ukraine affected the Ukrainian

know about your personal experience of the past few weeks?

packaging industry thus far?

Valeriy Krivoshey: Frankly, I believed that Russia would not wage such a large-scale war with Ukraine. Especially such a treacherous attack.

Although my personal and my family things were ready at home.

When we heard that Russia had attacked and the war had begun, our first question was: what should we do? We decided that it would be better if our association continued its work abroad. And on February 26, my family and I were already moving across the border with Moldova.

Then there was Romania, Hungary, Slovakia and on March 1 we arrived in Poland. Here we were met by friends from the Polish Packaging Association - Polska Izba Opakowan. Our old connections helped us. We immediately contacted WPO and EPIC, Club is a member of both, and started working. Today we keep in touch with Ukrainian companies and help them solve their problems.

Veronika Khalaydzhi: Today, it is difficult to assess such an effect.

Ukraine has the capacity to produce almost all modern packaging materials, various types of packaging and packaging equipment. But businesses located in cities where hostilities are taking place have been shut down, and some of them have been damaged or completely destroyed. This applies to the eastern, southern and northern regions (Odesa, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, Lugansk and Donetsk regions), as well as the region around Kyiv. There are productions of cardboard and corrugated cardboard, packaging made of these materials, packaging made of various polymers, glass and aluminium, production of packaging equipment. In other regions, companies are trying to work.

But there are not enough raw materials. Some had to reduce their capacity because their workers went to the army or the ranks of the territorial defense. Today, Ukrainian packagers need raw materials - cellulose, waste paper, polyolefin polymers (polyethylene and polypropylene) and PET.

Veronika Khalaydzhi: In our family, we were preparing for the Russian attack, but until the last moment we hoped that Russia would not do it. My mind does not want to accept that in the 21st century, citizens of the neighbouring country, who called Ukrainians a ‘brotherly people’, bombed maternity hospitals, homes, schools, kindergartens, captured and killed women, children and the elderly.

But now this is our reality. And we must be strong to defend our homeland, defend our independence and defeat the enemy. Currently, members of our team are both in Ukraine and abroad. We keep in touch and help as much as we can to bring our victory closer. | 4 | Packaging Europe

PE: Looking ahead, how do you expect the war to affect the industry into the future?

Valeriy Krivoshey: The war will definitely have an effect, and the impact depends on many factors. First, the duration of the war. We hope that our soldiers as soon as possible defend our Ukrainian land, because we will definitely win.

Secondly, there is the level of destruction at packaging plants, because the enemy is destroying everything, including enterprises. Before the war in Ukraine, per capita consumption of packaging was 80-85 kg per year.

This is 2-2.5 times less than the European average. But most of the food the population bought was in modern packaging.

For example, Ukraine produces 90,000-95,000 tonnes of PET beverage bottles, 700,000-750,000 tonnes of transport packaging from corrugated cardboard, and 900,000-950,000 tonnes of glass bottles and cans annually.

Ukraine produces heat-shrinkable and stretch films, thermoformed PP packaging, tin and aluminium cans and many other types of packaging. All these enterprises use modern technologies and equipment, both foreign and domestic, for the manufacture of packaging materials and packaging of various products.

And today, some of them are damaged or completely destroyed. After the war, all this must be checked, analysed, and an expert assessment made by each enterprise. We are currently developing a program that includes an analysis of the state of the packaging industry after the war.

Valeriy Krivoshey: First of all, on behalf of all Ukrainian packagers, we thank everyone who supported us in such difficult times. Thank you for your support, for your advice, for your concrete real help. Thank you to Packaging Europe for this interview, as well as for the opportunity to tell about Ukrainian companies on the magazine’s website.

We are currently preparing such information. We have already felt that we are not alone in our troubles. The Club Packagers of Ukraine is open to any cooperation with any association or company that wants to help n Ukrainian packaging companies. We are in touch.

PE: What do you make of the global packaging industry’s response to

Veronika Khalaydzhi and Valery Krivoshey

will give us the help we need. It will be necessary to create an international fund to help rebuild Ukraine’s packaging companies. We think that many companies will join this assistance, and national packaging associations will be the initiators of such a fund.

PE: Going forward, how can the packaging industry support its Ukrainian colleagues? Do you have a message you’d like to send to them?

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?

Veronika Khalaydzhi: We are in touch with colleagues from WPO, EPIC and national associations around the world. We are called and supported by colleagues from Poland, Netherlands, Great Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Germany, Finland, Romania, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, Lebanon, Croatia, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Chile, India, Brazil, Australia, Hungary, Indonesia.

EPIC has already adopted a resolution condemning Russia’s military action in Ukraine and supporting Ukrainian packagers. It has also pledged to support Ukrainian packaging companies and the Club Packagers in all its activities. The WPO is also currently preparing a resolution on its negative attitude towards Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.

We will need special help after winning the war, when we will rebuild our packaging industry. We hope that even then, packagers around the world Packaging Europe | 5 |

THE SHIFTING NARRATIVE OF OMNICHANNEL

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onsumers are increasingly expanding the way they interact and purchase a product – on-shelf and online. From clicks to bricks: prepandemic we saw a shift in movement of online retailers attempting to open bricks-and-mortar stores – Amazon.com Inc as a prime example. However, Amazon announced in March 2022 it plans to close all 68 of its brickand-mortar bookstores, pop-ups and shops carrying toys and home goods in the United States and United Kingdom, hinting at a failed experiment.

The news, which Reuters was first to report, marks a turning point for a company that began as an online bookseller. Amazon said it would focus more on its grocery markets and a department store concept going forward.

During the global pandemic we saw instead an upturn in online shopping – due to lockdowns etc. From a retail perspective, the most significant trend in 2020 was the surge in e-commerce, with Eurostat (the statistical office of the European Union) recording a rise of around one-third in online sales during the

| 8 | Packaging Europe

Libby Munford looks at how the ways in which brands interact with consumers has changed in light of the global pandemic – and the role packaging can play in a successful omnichannel strategy.

first lockdown, compared with the pre-crisis period. The pandemic saw not just a sharp rise in the volume of purchases, but also in the number of consumers – including people who had never shopped online before. Moreover, the benefits were not confined to online companies: brick-and-mortar retailers also ramped up their digital presence as a survival strategy.

As we emerge blinkingly into a (hopefully) post-pandemic world, where does that leave us regarding the manner we consume? How has Covid changed the narrative of the omnichannel trends? And how does packaging fit into the plot?

Moving markets Packaging Europe caught up with Dario Bassetti, Berlin Packaging CMO EMEA, the hybrid packaging supplier® of plastic, glass, metal containers, closures, and dispensing systems with over 100 global locations, to hear his perspective on how the pandemic has swayed the story:

Packaging Europe | 9 |

“The pandemic saw not just a sharp rise in the volume of purchases, but also in the number of consumers — including people who had never shopped online before.”

“An omnichannel approach to packaging is not just about selling products online and in-store, but instead creating an all-powerful bond between your brand and your customers.”

| 10 | Packaging Europe

“In general, based on our observation, the pandemic caused interesting shifts in different markets. In the fragrance/personal care industry, users used to focus on personal appearance in the past, while now we notice their more holistic approach to wellness. In particular, the pandemic restrictions emphasized the growth of home scents, which could be emotionally more rewarding than wearing a personal fragrance.

“If Eau de Parfum and Eau de Toilette were traditionally a way to express our personality to others, lockdowns and social distancing were decreasing this role. At the same time, home scents became a ritual of self-indulgence.

We keep seeing these changes and the new trends being born. We believe that the key to success is constant evolvement and adaptation of the processes in line with these new market requests.”

Dario Bassetti also sees market shifts in increased online sales and gives a particular insight into the home fragrances market. “The massive move from in-store to online shopping was one of the factors that contributed to the growth of home fragrances. Even though traditionally, customers are reluctant to experiment with new brands and scents without smelling the product, they have been more open to trying new fragrances if destined not for their skin but their home.

“In other words, a reed diffuser can represent brand values with the same strength as an Eau de Parfum or Eau de Toilette but to a wider and more universal consumer target. This change represents an opportunity for brands to engage more consumers, and it seems an exciting way to create a connection with them.”

So looking at this snapshot of home scents within the home fragrances market, we can summarize that there is currently a need to embrace change and diversify to keep up with shifting consumer demands.

What about sustainability?

Brands and businesses are now integrating sustainability into the very fabric of their operations – retailers are re-examining their supply chains and fulfilment strategies, especially now traditional consumer purchasing patterns have changed to omnichannel models, accelerated by the pandemic.

“At Aptar Beauty + Home we are ready to deliver our strategy by focusing on our enablers – sustainability, digitalization and transformation. Offering sustainable and e-commerce capable solutions is critical today. Packaging is

the first interaction a customer has with our clients’ products. How it arrives, how it is disposed of, and the overall customer experience is what our team is working on every day,” shares Marc Prieur, President, Aptar Beauty + Home.

For Aptar Beauty + Home, its e-commerce roadmap and omnichannel approach is anchored on three pillars: adapting the existing product range for specific requirements such as adding clips, increased robustness and retention force for e-commerce resilient solutions; integrating e-commerce features in the initial design of the packaging (leveraging locking and tamper evident features etc.); completely rethinking omnichannel to deliver superior technical design, optimize customer experience across all channels, minimize environmental impact and create packaging at the lowest delivered cost.

Alongside developing packaging for the omnichannel, it is vital to ensure sustainability is sewn into the supply chain to satisfy consumers and optimise operations.

Every interaction counts Consumers have higher expectations than ever before. An omnichannel approach to packaging is not just about selling products online and in-store, but instead creating an all-powerful bond between your brand and your customers. Package design is proving to be an ever-more vital and relevant to a customer’s experience, and therefore, brand identity.

“Omnichannel will be the new normal.”

Results from the 2019 Mondi Dow study on premium pet foods offer valuable data and a research-based argument for advanced packaging design using an omnichannel approach. Easy to open and reclose features, font readability, and sustainability are of notable importance and positively influence consumer satisfaction. Consumer-centric packaging design plays a significant role in the premium pet food segment for both retail and online shoppers.

With an omnichannel approach to packaging design, it’s imperative to consider every interaction your customer has with your product from the moment they consider purchasing to post-consumption waste. Packaging needs to attract attention on both shelf and screens, offer protection during transport, make everyday usage convenient and mess-free, meet recycling needs, and last but not least, create value by making the customer feel special.

The new normal?

Back in April 2021, Packaging Europe spoke with Uwe Melichar, president of the European Brand & Packaging Design Association to understand his take on the role packaging can play in creating a successful omnichannel strategy.

He claimed, “Omnichannel will be the new normal. The boundaries between the different sales channels will blur and we’ll get used to a completely seamless shopping experience. There are many good examples that already exist.”

The pandemic has surely accelerated the blurred lines between online, on shelf and throughout the supply chain – and it’s imperative that packaging strives to address an ever-growing list of demands from all angles. n Dario Bassetti Packaging Europe | 11 |

CLOSING THE LOOP WITH DEINKING Elisabeth Skoda takes a closer look at technology developments and innovations in the area of deinking and explores the role these can play in closing the loop and creating a fully circular economy.

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nks make up a small portion of packaging percentage-wise, but play a big role in packaging functionality, informing consumers about the contents of the packaging and promoting the packaged product on the shelf. However, inks can become a challenge when it comes to packaging recyclability, as they need to be removed to obtain clean, pure recyclate that can be given a second life.

Here deinking comes into play. The technology of removing inks from packaging has been used in paper recycling for several decades. More recently, the focus has extended to plastics. Advances in ink and deinking technologies can play an important part in closing the loop and producing better quality recyclate that can be used again in packaging rather than being downcycled.

A closer look at deinking technology First of all, it’s important to define what we are talking about and clarify what deinking actually is, and Stefan Häp, Head of Technology and Innovation Brand Owner Collaboration at Siegwerk Druckfarben AG, tells us more.

“Deinking is a hot washing process, typically using a caustic aqueous solution with detergent. The printed packaging material that has been cut into smaller pieces is put in this washing solution and stirred. This removes the ink layers from the plastic material. The ink that is washed off builds small flakes, and the coarser plastic material can be easily separated with a sieve. This plastic material is taken out and rinsed, and, cleaned from any ink residue, can then be re-extruded to high-quality recyclate that can be used again in packaging. The smaller ink residue particles can be filtered off.”

He goes on to explain that this part of the mix needs to be disposed of.

The wash solution itself can be reconditioned for another wash step if it is clean enough. When there is a certain level of contamination, the wash solution also has to be disposed of.

“The target is that the wash water stays in a good shape, that the ink particles can be filtered off, and especially that the plastic material is recovered in a clean, clear state to be recycled and re-extruded.”

The right inks to facilitate deinking This process works well for surface printed packaging materials such as shrink sleeves or labels. However, the challenge remains, as Mr Häp points out, that the majority of flexible packaging material is not surface printed, but laminated.

“UV flexo inks and two-component or cross-linking coatings cannot be deinked well. On top of that, you have to make sure you don’t use pigments with a bleeding tendency. Some of the pigments typically used in food packaging applications are not always sufficiently resistant against alkaline conditions. They start to bleed and to discolour the wash water. To address that, Siegwerk offers deinking primers that can also make these highly resistant ink layers easier to wash off,” says Mr Häp.

Before deinking a laminated material, it has to be opened up. Siegwerk has found a solution to make its inks more easily deinkable.

“Under lab conditions, we were able to prove that proprietary Siegwerk technology can make laminate open up under typical hotwashing conditions, which means that the inks and adhesives can be washed off so that the plastic material can be recovered.”

In the context of this, it is important to make sure that deinking does not compromise any other packaging specifications.

“Bond strength levels have to be maintained so that no delamination occurs during the packaging process or while a pack is used. To ensure that, an additional layer, a so-called delamination primer, is inserted. As soon as the plastic material is placed in this hotwashing bath, the deinking primers dissolve and release all the inks and layers that can disturb the recycling process,” explains Mr Häp.

The challenges of developing a deinking line Flexible plastics are traditionally the hardest to recycle of all packaging materials. Reborn Group, a plastics recycler and converter, recently opened the first plastic film de-inking line in France, which it says will make it Packaging Europe | 13 |

| 14 | Packaging Europe

possible to recycle printed films in industrial quantity. The company has set itself ambitious targets in terms of waste volumes treated.

“Our B.Clear deinking process is a mechanical recycling process during which the plastic film’s ink printed surface (around 1-micron layer of inks) is removed in washing units – after grinding and before drying and pelletizing,” says Arthur Lepage, Director of Reborn France.

“This new line enables us to upcycle printed film by removing the inks and producing clear pellets out of printed film waste. It opens up a vast array of film applications.”

“This new line enables us to upcycle printed film by removing the inks and producing clear pellets out of printed film waste. It opens up a vast array of film applications using clear pellets whereas recycled pellets without deinking are black or strongly coloured, hence ending up in low-cost applications such as refuse bags. We target a pool of waste estimated at a minimum of 100,000t in Europe. Reborn will launch another line by Q1 2023 and a third one is planned in Q1 2025 across our four manufacturing sites in France.”

Scaling up to industrial volumes from pilots and lab tests needed a lot of investment and R&D work, as did addressing the challenge of special water treatments used to deink.

“We started the project ten years ago and tested many different deinking processes. We overcame the main challenges with our work at a start-up in Spain and our knowledge in mechanical film recycling. Besides the capabilities of the equipment, we invested more than €1 million in R&D to reach industrial status,” says Mr Lepage.

He sees no obstacles in deinking different types of inks available on the market, whether it’s solvent-based, water-based or digital inks, but also highlights the challenge of laminated films.

“We can deink any film with surface printed inks and all types of inks are removed during the process. We can’t currently deink coloured film extruded with inks and laminated films with inks in between the layers.

So the main hurdle now is to deink laminated films mostly found in food primary packaging. Our R&D efforts are now focused on deinking PET/PE or PE/PE structures with ink between the two layers.”

Collaboration across the value chain As is so often the case when it comes to sustainability issues in the packaging industry, bringing all the relevant stakeholders is important, but also challenging. Brand owners can play a big role to boost progress in deinking technologies, as Mr Häp points out.

“Packaging is not deinkable by default, so brand owners have to consciously make that decision. The benefit for them is that they can get clean recyclate that they can reuse to make new packaging, which will be extra important in the context of rising EPR fees and plastic taxes and will help them to fulfil their sustainability goals.”

Another crucial question is how the recycling industry can deal with deinking, and relevant organizations should agree on corresponding process conditions for deinking.

“Currently I’m only aware of one set of deinking process conditions by the US-based APR (Association of Plastic Recyclers). They have a defined deinking process for polyester beverage bottle to bottle recycling. But for flexibles, no set deinking process has been defined so far. We need the associations to jump in to pick up the deinking topic and make it more binding to their members and recyclers.”

Furthermore, Mr Häp is keen to point out that sorters need to find a way to differentiate between deinkable and non-deinkable packaging.

“Projects such as Holy Grail can really help to make sure that only packs that are clearly defined as deinkable actually end up in the deinking stream.”

Packaging Europe | 15 |

“The brand owners have to turn the lever and make the decision to increase the recyclability of all packaging by implementing deinkable structures, and once the volume and demand are there, recyclers will respond and expand capacity.”

In the context of all of this, brand owners hold the key.

“The brand owners have to turn the lever and make the decision to increase the recyclability of all packaging by implementing deinkable structures, and once the volume and demand are there, recyclers will respond and expand capacity.”

Looking to the future Where does all this leave us, and what is the outlook for deinking playing an increasingly big role in plastic packaging recycling?

Regulatory pressure is set to increase, at least in Europe, and in turn, it will become mandatory for the packaging industry to make use of recycled materials to a higher extent. Then, using recyclate will also be the most economical way for brand owners to keep the packaging cost low.

“At that point, brand owners will start checking what kind of technology is available to offer high volumes of sufficiently clean recycled material,” says Mr Häp.

Despite innovations in different recycling technologies such as solvent or chemical recycling, where it will be interesting to see how they develop, he thinks that mechanical recycling, as the established process in the Western world for packaging material, is an important cornerstone.

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“Mechanical recycling already has a broad implementation level and is an economical way to recycle. It can benefit from deinking now as it makes the recyclate coming out of the mechanical recycling much more valuable for the industry. This allows stopping downcycling to the high extent we do today, as a lot of plastic material ends up in flowerpots, for example. Recycled materials can become packaging again. For me, this is real circularity, n and deinking can play a major role in this.”

Arthur Lepage

Stefan Häp

HOW DOES SOFTWARE CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING DESIGN? Victoria Hattersley speaks to experts from Esko, Digimind and Ecoveritas about the role software plays in the packaging value chain – and how it can contribute to a sustainable future.

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ometimes overlooked in wider conversations about packaging sustainability, software is a key part of the industry’s quest towards a circular supply chain.

The word ‘software’ of course covers an almost unimaginably broad spectrum – too much to cover in any one article. There are many varieties at the disposal of the packaging industry today, serving a range of purposes: some can improve workflow; some aid in more efficient, sustainable packaging design; some are tools for life-cycle analysis (LCA); others employ artificial intelligence (AI). I could go on.

Harnessing AI to tackle complexity

The disruptive potential of AI has yet to be recognized on a wide scale, adds Dr Eissing – the packaging industry and FMCG have been relatively late adopters of this technology. However, this may change: she points out that the German Federal Government has opened a call for projects with a total of 34M euros of funding to accelerate the adoption of AI in the packaging industry.

She also stresses that AI platforms such as Digimind really can make a difference when it comes to carbon reduction. For example, she tells us the company recently helped one of its customers, a large converter in the MENA region, to reduce the weight of a virgin PET packaging by 13.7%. “In terms of CO2 emission, this is equivalent to more than 24,000 metric tonnes of CO2 reduced per year.”

When it comes to the sustainability challenges faced by the industry, there are many areas in which AI software can – and is – making a difference.

‘Software on its own is limited’

The disruptive potential of AI has yet to be recognized on a wide scale.

“The number one challenge by far is the complexity of the transition,” says Dr Katharina Eissing, CEO of Digimind – a DeepTech startup that is building the ‘first AI platform focused on packaging’. “In every industry vertical we see the same challenges in terms of trade-offs between cost, environmental impact, and the security of the consumers. Today the traditional approach to designing packaging is not able to address this complexity. With our AI platform, we provide customers with a design tool integrated with lifecycle assessment and economic analysis in a few clicks. Data driven AI and physics driven AI provide a straightforward approach to solve these challenges.”

Workflow and packaging design solutions, such as those offered by integrated software and hardware solutions provider Esko, can increase efficiency right from conception. With Esko ArtiosCAD, for example, packaging designers can right-size or downsize carton packaging for any given product. By importing the CAD shape of the object to be packaged, the box design can be viewed in 3D and any issues can be addressed before the production stage – in many cases saving valuable time and resources.

Packaging Europe | 17 |

But each individual piece of software – however sophisticated – can only really help improve efficiency if it is part of a wider system. One very welcome development we have been seeing in recent years is far greater collaboration both internally and between brand owners and packaging suppliers along the supply chain.

“Software on its own is limited in its ability to contribute to sustainability. Improving the communication and process workflow between brands and suppliers is a key objective,” says Jan De Roeck, Director Industry Relations & Strategic Marketing at Esko. “In this scenario, cloud technology is only the enabler, not the goal itself. We develop personae-based experiences that aim at accelerating the go-to-market process of the brand owner, and these happen to run in the cloud today.

This increased collaboration is reliant on data-sharing across the supply chain. “It is the combination of data across the entire workflow, such as processing data, machine data, operator usage data, etc. not to mention data analytics software, that turns data into intelligence. It allows businesses to set a jump-off point and define realistic targets for emission reduction and waste removal, and then to monitor progress. The combination of data and software is the winning horse in the pack.”

Yet increased levels of data also mean there are fewer places to ‘hide’.

More and more we are seeing the onus on brand owners to be more transparent when it comes to sharing information on how they are working

to fulfil their sustainability pledges. New requirements for businesses have emerged – extended producer responsibility, for example – meaning more accountability and activity around packaging metric data. This has presented many companies with the challenge of establishing quality packaging data resources which can be accessed through a central mechanism.

Esko’s packaging management solution WebCenter enhances operations for brands and packaging manufacturers of every size, from ideation to delivery. “WebCenter acts as a central nervous system for the business, connecting individuals and processes to a central hub.

Depending on the unique setup of a packaging business, the cloudbased solution takes on a number of roles including asset management,

Software on its own is limited in its ability to contribute to sustainability.

Jan De Roeck, Director Industry Relations & Strategic Marketing at Esko

Packaging Europe | 19 |

Kathy Illingworth, Head of Sustainability Consulting at Ecoveritas

product life cycle management, handling approvals, online forms and briefing, and audit records and collaboration history.”

Another example of a comprehensive data-management solution is ecoview from data specialist Ecoveritas – a ‘comprehensive digital platform’ that the company says provides users with complete transparency and accessibility to their packaging data at a granular level, offering brands and retailers an in-depth breakdown of their packaging supply chain.

“At any point in time, users can view a high-level snapshot of their packaging products, enabling them to interrogate their data, see gaps and opportunities for improvement in their packaging operations, and benchmark progress to meet KPIs,” says Josh Remi, Commercial Manager at the company.

“Users can really drill down into everything from packaging by polymer type, volume of recycled content by supplier and recyclability of materials, to plastic packaging tonnage by department and information about on-pack recycling label (OPRL) certification.”

Josh Remi, Commercial Manager at Ecoveritas

In the future, Dr Eissing believes there is huge potential for packaging as a service business model, through which packaging designs will be created with AI based on customer requirements using AR and secured by leveraging blockchain on non-fungible token (NFT) platforms.

And as for Jan De Roek? “I’m not sure if this quote is formally attributed to an individual, but a couple of years ago I saw a mural on one of the Ghent university buildings which declared that ‘the next big thing will be a lot of small things’. I think this perfectly summarizes what’s on the horizon.

While Industry 4.0 is not at the end of its development, technologies like (big) data analytics and dashboarding, artificial intelligence, robotics and many more are starting to – or have already been – penetrating the graphic n arts and packaging industries.”

‘Today’s consumer is more demanding’ Software adoption across the packaging supply chain is also led in part by a changing consumer base. We all know that today’s consumer is more demanding when it comes to sustainability – less inclined to turn a blind eye to the provenance of the goods they are purchasing and more sensitive to greenwashing. Producers also need to take into account the newer generations of consumers – the ‘digital natives’, who expect more from the packaging experience.

“These will have different interactions with the packaging, and we expect them to be more informed given that technologies like RFID, IoT and 3D printing will become mainstream,” says Dr Eissing. “For the future consumers, we have been investing in R&D and preparing a complete digital offering for customized, reusable and traceable packaging that will be co-created with the customer.”

Finally, I was interested to know what my interviewees believe the next few years will bring in terms of software for packaging.

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Dr Thomas Gröner Director at TG Pack Solutions

HOW TO BUILD MORE MOMENTUM FOR SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING ESG EFFORTS In our latest article from Robert Lilienfeld, founder and executive director of sustainable packaging think tank SPRING, Robert catches up with Dr Thomas Gröner, director at TG Pack Solutions, to unpack the secret behind successful sustainable packaging ESG.

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ou have probably read at least one article recently regarding the failure of organizations to successfully integrate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance) criteria into their strategic decision-making processes. I believe there is a simple, but powerful reason for this situation: Lack of accountability regarding both the ability and inability to meet ESG goals.

An effective tool for translating rather esoteric philosophies into actionable goals is the use of metrics, especially ones that can be classified as Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs. I sat down (virtually, of course) with Dr Thomas Gröner, Director of TG Pack Solutions in Bonn, and one of SPRING’s subject matter experts in the area of plastic and paper films. I asked the questions, and he provided the answers.

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Dr Gröner, what are KPIs and how are they traditionally used within the overall packaging industry: in terms of materials suppliers, converters, CPGs, retailers et cetera?

Traditionally, company KPIs are related to financial and production targets. Financial targets include turnover, cash flow, EBIDTA, raw material cost, return on capital invested, and profits. Classic production targets are volume produced (in tons, square meter, pieces etc.), staffing, efficiency, waste, quality, and customer delivery performance.

For many years, companies have set up KPIs in the area of employee health and safety for factors like LTA (lost time accident rate), the number of recordable injuries, or the number of safety-related discussions held with employees. This was the first move into more ‘soft/indirect’ KPIs and sets the standard for which future KPIs relating to ESG can be designed and implemented.

If you wanted to use KPIs to improve your company’s sustainable packaging metrics, where would you start?

We need to look at the most burning problems related to sustainability. In general, these are the reduction of the CO2 footprint and the move toward creating a circular economy. We can develop meaningful KPIs in these areas which have an impact in the transformation process.

As a start, it makes sense to look at the ‘map’ where the company is located: Look at customer requirements, supplier and competitor activities, existing and upcoming legal requirements, and initiatives from NGOs and society. From there, you can define the focus areas for the development of KPIs.

How would you use your process to help identify, dimensionalize, and illustrate the need for reductions in greenhouse gas generation?

As said above, greenhouse gas generation, or reduction of CO2 footprint, is a top sustainability target across various sectors and across all regions.

The key question to answer is: Where can the company make the biggest impact? Is it Scope 1 (from use of energy sources for internal combustion) or Scope 2 (from supply of energy from external sources) emissions? Is it in transportation or raw materials?

Analyzing the status quo is the first step, and then it’s even more important to work out where significant reductions can be achieved within the company business model.

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Robert Lilienfeld Founder and Executive Director of Sustainable Packaging Think Tank SPRING

What are the specific KPIs you would put in place?

Typically, in the packaging industry we can implement a midterm KPI for CO2 footprint reduction, such as ‘Reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 CO2 emission by more than X% by end of 2025, compared to 2020’. On top, we should think of a target year for the company to become Net Zero. This is a long-term target for CO2 footprint reduction.

Secondly, we need to tackle the circular economy: How can the company contribute to making certain packaging materials circular? Here we can put in place a KPI for design for recycling: e.g. ‘by 2025, 95% of our products can be recycled in the final market’. This has to consider the design of the packaging material as well as the collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure in that final market.

In the area of circular economy, we need as well to increase the use of recycled materials. Here a meaningful KPI can be: ‘Increase the use of recycled materials from X % in 2020 to minimum Y % by end of 2025.’

These are just a few examples, it’s important that the KPIs are relevant for the company and that the company can make significant improvement steps starting now.

How would you promote these KPIs and motivate all members of an organization to participate?

Once you have set the targets, it is mandatory to follow the KPIs with a scorecard on a bi-annual or annual review scheme.

That means during bi-annual or annual business reviews the progress is tracked and discussed. Such scorecards should be available to the employees (company app, newsletter, intranet, notice boards etc.). It must be clear that if we are not on track we put in place actions, in the same way the company puts in place actions if financial or production KPIs are not on track.

If we have such a company approach on sustainability, it will empower the employees and make them proud to work for this company.

Here’s one more point to ponder: Scorecards are a good approach to helping people set packaging sustainability goals and strive to reach them.

But it would still be even more powerful if we could translate scorecards into financial benefits, thus tying environmental and social efforts to the third leg on the sustainability stool – economic benefits. After all, these are the n benefits of primary concern to most corporate stakeholders.

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DESIGNING FOR CIRCULARITY A FUNDAMENTAL RETHINK FOR A HEALTHIER LIFE WORLDWIDE

What does sustainable packaging design really mean and how can it be implemented across the industry? Victoria Hattersley spoke to Dr Betül Türel Erbay, Sustainability Director at Elif, to get one company’s perspective on the systemic changes that are needed.

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hen we last featured Elif in this series, we focused on the company’s motto of ‘Sustainable packaging for life’, with a particular emphasis on materials innovation. But circular packaging starts with design; that’s why, this year, we are going to focus on how packaging design can help the industry achieve the overall goal of circularity.

Elif’s recent acquisition by global food packaging giant Huhtamaki has further strengthened its focus on sustainability. As Selçuk Yarangűmelioğlu, CEO of Elif said at the time the acquisition was announced, the two companies’ strategies are aligned in several key ways.

“We are excited to join Huhtamaki, a company that shares our sustainability and growth vision. Elif has always been a dedicated partner for multinationals with a best-in-class asset base, service, and quality. Under new ownership, we will continue to deliver sustainable solutions to our customer base globally,

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enhance our focus on fast-growing emerging markets, realize synergies through scale and expand our capabilities. As a Huhtamaki company, we have now an even broader offering, which is part of the solution to future challenges.”

One of those main areas of alignment between the two companies is of course the emphasis on developing packaging that is designed for circularity. For Elif, this means a focus on four broad areas – resource efficiency & recycling, circular supply chain, product life extension and sharing data platforms – although inevitably, as we shall see, there will be crossovers between each. Nothing is simple or clear-cut in this industry.

‘BEYOND THE RAW MATERIAL’ Achieving circularity in packaging means far more than a consideration of the raw materials we put into it. There are so many other elements that have an

“We are excited to join Huhtamaki, a company that shares our sustainability and growth vision. Elif has always been a dedicated partner for multinationals with a best-in-class asset base, service, and quality.” impact, from closure systems to carry handles or the printing technologies we employ, to name just three.

“To redesign the packaging for sustainability we must consider beyond the raw material,” says Dr Betül Türel Erbay, who goes on to give an example of how this can work in a real-world setting. “In 2021, in close collaboration with Velcro Companies, an industry-leading global manufacturer of innovative fastening and closure solutions, we developed a recyclable PE pouch with a fully recyclable PE closure. We aim to anticipate trends and to understand as well the needs of the customers of our customers”.

Looking beyond the raw materials also comes down, as we have discussed many times, to keeping things as simple as possible – and that means an emphasis on mono-material solutions.

“Mono-materials are particularly crucial for the packaging industry,” says Dr Erbay. “Any reduction in packaging structure, or anything that makes the packaging easier to be recycled, creates huge benefits to our world. These structures eliminate the need for laminations, therefore no need for material separation in recycling processes, which makes it much easier to achieve recyclability.”

Elif is already making strides in this area. Fully recyclable polyolefinbased flexible packaging materials constitute 91% of its product portfolio – the remaining 9% it is starting to replace with mono-material solutions.

ElifProLite is a high barrier laminated packaging solution for the flexible packaging industry that Dr Erbay says is “fully recyclable thanks to its mono-material structure and homogeneous composites which are suitable for recycling through the available corresponding recycling streams.

“There is a big opportunity in mono-material packaging, where it can be used to promote recyclability while also educating the end-user to dispose of it when necessary. But the success of mono-materials will depend on the support and development of recycling systems from collections, sorting, to recycling.”

INKS AND DE-INKING Aside from mono-materials, the types of ink or printing technology used can also impact the recyclability of a package. An example of Elif’s innovation in this area is a recyclable monolayer PE pouch project using EB (electronbeam) printed recyclable packaging, developed in collaboration with Comexi, ESI, Exxon, Sun Chemical. The project uses solvent less printing technology for a recyclable mono-layer PE stand-up pouch.

“This project allows us to replace reverse print and lamination by surface print with in-line EV varnish. Therefore, we are able to reduce energy consumption

“Mono-materials are particularly crucial for the packaging industry, Any reduction in packaging structure, or anything that makes the packaging easier to be recycled, creates huge benefits to our world. These structures eliminate the need for laminations, therefore no need for material separation in recycling processes, which makes it much easier to achieve recyclability.”

Dr Betül Türel Erbay, Sustainability Director at Elif.

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and carbon emissions during the printing process, and thanks to the reduced layers of the packaging we use less material during production.”

When it comes to resource efficient solutions it is of course also important to focus on increasing the amount of PIR & PCR content or replacing fossil-based materials with biobased or renewable ones. But there are challenges here, too, when it comes to recyclability.

“The quality of recycled structures is often a challenge,” explains Dr Erbay. “Especially when it comes to recycling printed packaging materials.

During the recycling process, it is challenging to reach the standard that is required to create new packaging materials. “ We are hearing an increasing amount about the role de-inking technologies can play in ensuring the recyclability of a package, particularly when it comes to facilitating greater use of recyclates which is of course a vital part of the circular economy.

“Unappealing colours and/or bad odours are just some side effects of recycled materials recovered from printed packaging. However, by developing and demonstrating a technology that increases the recyclability of the packaging, we can remove contamination and recycle the printed material properly. This can be achieved by focusing on removing ink, which is an important step for a truly circular economy. De-inking processes allow us to increase the recyclate quality as well.

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MEETING EVOLVING DEMANDS We must also consider the ways in which changing expectations – both from Elif’s customers and from consumers – as well as more large-scale market forces will influence packaging strategies moving forward. These changes relate to both a growing awareness of the need for sustainability and an ever-greater emphasis on convenience and ease of use for a changing population.

“Price volatility and resource scarcity concerns will continue to drive demand for high-quality recycled materials, as well as stricter regulation and fiscal policy which impose costs on disposal and financial and non-financial incentives for recycling efforts,” says Dr Erbay. “Furthermore, trends are impacting packaging. We need to address these trends such as demographic changes and the growing use of e-commerce through convenient and eco-friendly packaging; e.g. easy-opening, re-sealable and tamper-proof solutions. We offer solutions to reduce food waste through smaller portions sizes and barriers solutions.”

To give just one recent example of how Elif works with its customers to meet these evolving demands, it recently developed, in collaboration with its multinational consumer goods clients, a new solution for the feminine care market: a 50% PCR-containing PEbag. The aim of this project was to produce the thinnest possible PE film (down to 30 microns) contain-

ing 50% PCR but without compromising the film performance, material quality, or visual appearance.

“The solution addresses today’s lifestyles through convenient and eco-cyclic packaging. A key objective was to save materials and ensure lower CO2 emissions, e.g. through a lighter weight solution.

This will also support the safer and proper disposal of the product at the end of the lifecycle.”

KEEPING THE MATERIAL IN THE LOOP It is clearly imperative that the industry moves away from a linear economy towards a circular one and this means rethinking not only the way packaging is designed but also the ways in which raw materials are reused at the end of the life cycle. To ensure resource efficiency, material must be kept in the loop as long as possible through a ‘cradle-to-cradle’ sourcing structure, while also extending the life of the product it contains. It’s a careful balancing act.

“The business model for resource efficiency is about reducing and minimizing the use of non-renewable resources,” says Dr Erbay. “Especially, it covers the production of material for recycling and reuse. The circular economy aims to keep the material in a closed loop for as long as possible.”

Here again, Elif’s solutions are geared towards advancing this agenda.

ElifHyPEr, for example, is a high-performance PE flexible packaging film.

According to the company, its improved barrier properties makeit an alternative for multi-layer laminated packaging and with a 2-fold increased moisture barrier for HDPE and LLDPE. Due to the machine-direction-oriented structure, it provides similar toughness to PET while providing 100%recyclability.

“A key objective is that our packaging solutions extend the product lifecycle and ensure afterwards a safe and proper disposal of the product,” says Dr Erbay. “As a flexible packaging converter, we are aware of our responsibility and take necessary action. We support a circular economy by keeping the products in the economy as long as possible.”

DATA SHARING For Elif, the final part of the circularity equation is ensuring we utilize data in the most efficient way possible. We have often heard of the need for greater knowledge-sharing and collaboration along the supply chain if we are to reduce the amount of waste we are producing. A key part of this comes down to datasharing platforms.

“A sharing platform is a circular business model that encourages industry stakeholders to collaborate with each other by renting or using a product together,” explains Dr Erbay. “The main idea is to optimally increase the utility and value of a product, thereby reducing the number of waste left in the landfill.”

To give an example of such a platform, Elif is a member of The Turkish Materials Marketplace platform, managed by BCSD Turkey with funding support from the EBRD. This is an online platform through which one organization’s waste and/or by-product becomes another organization’s raw material via material exchanges.

A ‘FUNDAMENTAL RETHINK’ From all of the above, it’s very clear that while material choice is important for circular design there is far more to the equation than that: for a brand owner to achieve this they may need to entirely rethink the way they operate

both internally and in relation to the wider supply chain. As ever, it’s worth reiterating that no member of the value chain can operate in a vacuum if we are to ‘join the dots’ from a sustainability perspective.

All of this will compel companies to adopt more responsible practices in future to meet stringent environmental targets and ever-greater consumer awareness of packaging waste.

“We should consider the extended producer responsibility (EPR) right from the start of production,” says DrErbay.“For this, we should think circular, redesign the existing products, and act with a sense of environmental responsibility.

“We especially need to rethink the packaging, product, and business model. To unlock the full opportunity, it’s necessary to move beyond a focus on incremental packaging improvements to fundamentally rethink n how products and services can best be presented to a user.”

Get more information on Elif at elif.com Packaging Europe | 29 |

ACTIVE AND INTELLIGENT PACKAGING SPOTLIGHT

In the first of our ongoing news round-ups in collaboration with our partners AIPIA, we bring you the latest from the world of intelligent packaging.

AVERY DENNISON LAUNCHES COMPACT NFC INLAYS FOR RETAIL PACKAGING

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very Dennison has announced the introduction of ultra-small form factor versions of two of its popular NFC products, AD Circus Mini NTAG213 and AD Microblock ICODE SLIX, with the aim of anticipating demand for ever-smaller tagging options in the retail, packaging, pharmaceutical, and beauty sectors.

The round format AD Circus Mini NTAG213 measures 16mm (0.63 in) in diameter and is designed for customer experience applications, while AD Microblock ICODE SLIX, with dimensions of 8 x 8mm (0.31 x 0.31in), is primarily designed for authentication and brand protection use cases.

“NFC allows consumers to interact with brands in a way that goes beyond the point of sale, and to provide useful information about a product: what it is made of, how to use and how to recycle it. By being able to access this information with just a tap of a phone, it supports a more conscious approach to consumer goods production and consumption,” says Max Winograd, vice-president of atma.io and connected products at Avery Dennison Smartrac.

Winograd continues: “Intelligent packaging for consumer products continues to demand smaller inlay designs that are seamlessly embedded into packaging and devices. Product designers want finished goods which drive digital interactions, and this objective is accomplished with these smaller yet powerful inlays.”

AD Circus Mini NTAG213 is available in wet and dry formats, and AD Microblock ICODE SLIX is available in wet format.

NEW ‘ON PACK’ SECURITY QR CODE IMPROVES AUTHENTICATION OF DISPOSABLE VAPES

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eek Bar, a Chinese supplier of vaping products, has launched a range of new packaging to help combat counterfeit and non-compliant items. The new packaging places greater emphasis on an ‘on-pack’ security code. Retailers can check the authenticity of products by verifying the security code online.

The new security feature is a 14-digit serial number incorporated in a QR code, updating an earlier system based on a 12-number code hidden behind a scratch-off panel. The packs also now include a hologram and include a new top-integrated seal, which will allow consumers to open the

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Geek Bar using a tear brace. The company has also replaced the certification and environmental protection information to emphasise the recyclable nature of the product.

In addition, it has published a list of approved UK distributors and has worked with the authorities in China to close 12 counterfeit factories in recent months. Over 100,000 vapes, destined for the UK market, have been seized.

Retailers and distributors can also report suspected counterfeit and non-compliant products at legal@geekbar.com and the company is incentivising retailers to report counterfeits or products that do not comply with UK regulations.

It is also suggesting distributors and retailers look out for low-quality printing, always indicative of a fake product. Another sign is if the hologram includes lettering or images of poor quality and if, by shining a light on it, the lettering or images appear diagonally in relation to the light source, rather than in line with it.

Allen Yang, CEO at Geek Bar, said: “As a leading brand of disposable vapes in the UK, it is very important to us that we are putting measures in place to ensure non-compliant and counterfeit vapes do not harm our customers. ”We hope that our new packaging will make it easier for people to check the veracity of the products and alert us to any unregulated sales.

“Our message to distributors and retailers who allow this to happen is that it has to stop now.”

ZAPPAR AR HELPS WINE BRAND TELL ITS GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL STORY

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ustralian winemaker Accolade Wines has unveiled ‘Banrock Station’, an augmented reality (AR) experience that takes users around the world to check out some of the company’s 130+ environmental projects.

Also, they can plant their own virtual tree in support of Banrock’s commitment to planting 100,000 native trees and shrubs every year.

Powered by Zappar’s WebAR technology, the experience works in any modern smartphone’s browser, with no app download required. Users can explore the Banrock Station vineyard as an interactive, topographical map and zoom in to take a closer look at the wetland creatures including the vulnerable Regent Parrot, Pelicans, Spoonbills as well as Kangaroos.

The AR experience allows consumers to check out videos of the local walking trails and see how Accolade’s ecological work has resulted in the

area being designated of international significance. They can then explore a 3D globe to see the scale of the company’s environmental work, with beams of light signifying the individual project locations.

Next, users can plant an AR tree in their living room and nurture it to full growth while learning about the environmental/carbon benefits of planting real trees and Accolade’s global tree planting initiative. The experience also features links to more information on the range of Banrock Station wines and the 4,700acre vineyard on the banks of the ‘Mighty Murray’, Australia’s largest river.

Zoe Knight, global brand manager at Accolade Wines, commented: “These environmental projects form an important part of our DNA, and AR was the perfect way to bring this to life in front of thousands of consumers across the world.”

WORLD’S BIGGEST RAINBOW WITH AR AS SKITTLES SUPPORTS PRIDE

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ars Wrigley has launched limited-edition Skittles Pride Packs in Australia, donating its rainbow to support LGBTQIA+ communities. It features a QR code taking consumers to a special Augmented Reality (AR) experience.

The Pride Packs have been announced alongside a partnership with LGBTQIA+ non-forprofit organisation Minus18, the first Australian

partnership of its kind. Together, the brands aim to provide education and support to LGBTQIA+ communities in regional and rural parts of the country, where resources are limited.

Featuring colourless packaging on the outside, Skittles aims to shift focus from its iconic rainbow to the rainbow-coloured pride flag. The Pride Packs feature a QR code unveiling an AR ‘World’s Biggest Rainbow’, that opens resources and information directly from Minus18, along with driving donations for continuous support of the Australian LGBTQIA+ community.

As part of the partnership, Skittles will match community donations up to $30,000, to support the work Minus18 does in regional and rural Australia. Drew Davis, Portfolio Director of Skittles Australia, highlights that the brand continues its long-standing support of Pride and is committed to supporting LGBTQIA+ communities globally.

“We first launched our Skittles Pride Packs in London in 2016 and they have since been part of critical LGBTQIA+ awareness, education, and donation-driving projects year on year.

“This year, we’re incredibly proud to be partnering with Minus18 in Australia. Minus18 are pioneers in providing education and creating positive strides for Pride in regional and rural communities, who are sadly under-resourced and unrepresented. As a member of the PRIDE community who grew up in rural NSW myself, it makes me incredibly proud that we’re able to bring this important campaign to Australia.

“We hope the World’s Biggest AR Rainbow helps Minus18 increase their visibility across critical areas and affect change for the LGBQTIA+ community.” Skittles Pride packs started rolling out across major retailers nationally from 9 February 2022.

PATENTED HOLOGRAM TO VALIDATE PHARMACEUTICAL BLISTER PACKS

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US-based hologram developer, Holographyx, has been granted USA and European patents for its Holo-Blister product, for the development of an ‘innovative and cost-effective’ method to apply holograms to the back of pharmaceutical blister packs.

The aim of Holo-Blister is to reduce counterfeiting in this highly susceptible market. A major advantage is that the holograms can be applied by conventional heat-seal blister packaging equipment, according to the company.

Holo-Blister holograms have been designed so they will only be visible behind each pill/capsule cavity on the back of each blister pack, while continuing to allow the printing of dosage and marketing information on the area surrounding the cavity.

The platform provides consumers with the ability to visually validate the authenticity of their purchases instantly with the use of custom holograms that, prior to the development of Holo-Blister, would be extremely difficult to manufacture and apply, claims the company.

The size of the worldwide market for counterfeit pharmaceuticals has been estimated at as much as $200 billion annually. Although anti-counterfeiting measures, such as track and trace, can be used to distinguish legitimate pharmaceutical products from counterfeits, these systems require consumers to go online to validate their pharmaceutical purchases.

Holographyx has been working with the Hazen Paper Company in cooperation with pharmaceutical packaging machinery company Uhlmann Packaging on the development, testing, and introduction of Holo-Blister. n Packaging Europe | 31 |

ON SECOND THOUGHTS...

EXTREME BREAKTHROUGHS: DOES THE WINNER REALLY TAKE IT ALL? Dr Sigvald Harryson, Professor of Disruptive Innovation and Founder of iKNOW-WHO, tells us why, when it comes to progress in packaging innovation, the concept of ‘the winner takes it all’ no longer applies.

UP

until the 1980s, most large packaging companies focused on solving innovation challenges through internal resources, in isolation. But today, the internal approach simply doesn’t cut it when it comes to solving the significant challenges we are facing in packaging. It will no longer be acceptable to combine bio-based and biodegradable packaging materials with coatings of aluminum, or liners of fossil fuel derived plastics to protect food and beverages, because such packaging material combinations can neither be recycled, nor biodegrade in composting systems.

Fortunately, incremental innovation in isolation, with one company gaining full ownership of internally created results, is being replaced by radical innovation in co-creation with open IP sharing among all deserving partners behind the breakthroughs. Interestingly, it is the largest companies in the world that are first in daring to open up their R&D to the vast world of universities and other co-creation partners who team up to jointly solve the packaging challenges. We, of course, can also confirm that some packaging companies do work with universities, but their model of collaboration is onedirectional and exclusive. By contrast, we see how the largest companies in the world establish co-creation models that are bi-directional and inclusive for all universities – not exclusively limited to the top 25 universities. In our experience, universities on the top 25 list are more interested in Nobel prizes than in solving real challenges. Moreover, most of these universities are unwilling to share IP from co-created breakthroughs. In our experience, the remaining 99.9% of the world’s universities represent far more co-creation and IP sharing potential than the one percentile of universities that most companies keep in focus for collaboration.

What does this actually mean?

A one-directional university collaboration is when a company asks one university team to solve one specific challenge. The company shares nothing on past internal experience from failures in solving the challenge. The university selected is typically in the global top 25 league, so all companies actually work with the same few universities, which naturally become fat cats. No other university is involved in the collaboration, so the method is limited to a ‘we pay, you deliver’ collaboration

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and does not embrace a ‘we are all in this together’ co-creation model.

Therefore, results represent incremental innovation in isolation.

So, what is a concrete example of co-creation of extreme breakthroughs?

The largest FMCG company in its category teams up with nine university teams from the whole world, including Latin America, Asia and eastern Europe. None of these universities are on the top 25 ranking list of fat cats. By contrast, all nine teams are hungry tigers. Two companies are added as co-creation partners – one with more than 50,000 employees and one with less than 50 employees. These 11 teams co-create new packaging materials that are continually prototyped and tested with full sharing of all results among all co-creation partners to accelerate learning and progress. Company executives confirm that results are accomplished at least 10 times faster through co-creation than when waiting for the conventional packaging industry to solve a sustainability-related challenge.

Some players in the conventional packaging industry still enjoy so much profit from unsustainable packaging that incremental innovation in isolation remains their choice – to the detriment of our planet.

Instead of reaching out to the world of co-creation, some conventional companies pursue internal development of new materials – whilst there is a whole world outside with the profession of material development. Porsche may make the best cars in the world, but they certainly do not invest time developing new rubber materials for tires. Instead, they work more with universities than any other car manufacturer in the world (for more information see Harryson & Lorange, Bringing the College Inside, Harvard Business Review, December 2005).

The winner takes it all concept may have been cool in 1980, but it is uncool in today’s reality of global warming and growing mountains of packaging waste – driving people from their homes in places like Bantar Gebang, and building ‘great’ Pacific garbage patches that squeeze out the fish we would need to survive on our planet.

We all need to move on from the winner takes it all to the winners make it all. By moving from exclusive one-directional collaboration with a top 25 university, to inclusive multi-directional cocreation with the entire universe of universities, we all n become winners.

FOOD PACKAGING AND SUSTAINABILITY: STRATEGY AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES If you’d like to play a role in bettering the future through sustainability in packaging, don’t wait any longer join us now!

For more information, visit: packagingeurope.com/anuga-foodtec

27 April 2022 Anuga FoodTec, Cologne, Germany

LISBON STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

13th-14th September 2022 Lisbon, Portugal

Mobilizing the leaders of innovation and collaboration

For more information, visit: packagingeurope.com/lisbon-strategic-leadership-summit