Opinionated about packaging
THE RUNDOWN
2020’s key packaging trends for food & drink
Keeping packaging
FLEXIBLE
and sustainable
The Food & Beverage Edition January 2021 Brought to you by
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FEATURES
5.
Challenges and solutions to the plastic packaging tax
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Many happy returns - enabling reusable packaging systems
EDITOR’S LETTER
2020 was the year the world turned upside down as well as the packaging industry. We witnessed a sharp increase in demand for packaged goods in supermarkets, e-commerce boomed and in some cases production lines were turned from gin bottling to hand sanitiser filling almost overnight. It was a year of adapting, which has been a trend for packaging for many years. Many of us turned from face-to-face to digital communication, in light of this we decided to launch an online publication. We are delighted to welcome you to the first edition of Packaging In Focus, bringing you opinions on the biggest issues, latest trends and design inspiration as well as updates on specific areas of the market. This issue looks at the food and beverage sector covering the hot topics of refillable solutions, the plastic tax and flexible packaging, an update on contract packing and packaging machinery as well as a look at the world of design. There is something for everyone no matter what part of the packaging industry you come from!
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Keeping packaging flexible and sustainable
Outsourcing to the rescue in an unprecedented year
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2020: The year the worm turned
From automate to collaborate: What does the future hold for packaging machinery?
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Talent of the future: Packaging Innovations’ 30 Under 30
FOCUS ON
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Our next issue, coming in April, will delve into beauty and cosmetics packaging… keep an eye out for it! Charlotte Nickless, Editor, Packaging In Focus
TRENDS
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Mintel’s packaging year in review
The Rundown: 2020’s key packaging trends for food & drink
SPOTLIGHT ON DESIGN
26. 28.
Packaging design trends for 2021
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2020 A packaging
year in review By Benjamin Punchard, Global Packaging Insights Director, Mintel
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his year has seen COVID-19 drive a new appreciation for the protection and preservation that packaging can bring. In the UK, 63% of shoppers report that they prefer to buy products with packaging that will protect the contents from contamination. This renewed focus on hygiene and the role of packaging in keeping our products safe has seen brands look to reassure consumers with new structural packaging features. For example, in the Netherlands, Good Morning Crunchy Oat Biscuits are individually wrapped in tear-able wrappers to enable touch-free consumption. Looking to 2021, even if vaccines bring new confidence and a return to travel, consumers will remain concerned about touch and contamination. Consumers will continue to actively look for packaging formats that minimise contact with food and drink and make it easy to eat, serve or cook without unnecessary contact. Formats like pouches, bottles, wraps and sticks could be repurposed in that context.
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Consumers are currently rating hygiene over sustainability, but environmental concern still runs high. Packaging, consumerism and climate change are becoming inextricably linked, with a connection being drawn between man, nature and future pandemics. As a result, increased use of plastic to deliver hygiene benefits will have only short-term acceptance. Consumers are looking to reduce their environmental footprint without compromising convenience or cost. This is driving an acceptance that plastic will be part of the packaging mix, but in a more responsible form. Mintel’s Global New Product Database shows that claims of plastic-free packaging remain niche, whilst claims of recyclability are growing fast, particularly for plastic based packaging. Whilst recyclable is the dominant sustainable packaging claim, use of recycled material is gathering pace as consumers see recycled content as validation of their own recycling activities. For example, Biona Organic in the UK retail in a tray made from 57% recycled plastic. As a response to the stress of a difficult year, consumers will look for positive outcomes in 2021. As explored in Mintel’s Wellbeing trend driver, food and drink brands will look to support mental and emotional wellbeing. Mintel is already observing the growth in mental wellness foods, supported by packaging that can help create engaging moments of escape, peace and inspiration. As shoppers return to stores and look for affordable indulgences, those products that win will be the ones that can elicit a positive emotional response, with packaging that engages the senses through colour, texture and functional form. Mintel can help you understand consumers’ packaging preferences and where innovations are heading. For more information on how, please get in touch with us. Top left image: Good Morning Crunchy Oat Biscuits (Netherlands) are individually wrapped in tearable wrappers to enable touch-free consumption. Right image: Biona Organic Provencale Style Ballini (UK) retails in a package that is made from 57% recycled plastic. Source: Mintel Global New Product Database.
Challenges and solutions to the plastic packaging tax By Barry Turner, Director of Plastics and Flexible Packaging Group, British Plastics Federation
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he present design of the plastic packaging tax, although well intentioned, presents the plastic packaging supply chain with challenges. This is because it does not recognise the current supply, regulatory or technical constraints, nor the timescale to address these issues. Therefore, the result could be that some specifiers of packaging in applications where recycled content cannot be included will take measures to mitigate the increased cost. This will drive some to examine if less material can be used, move to structures that are less recyclable, as well as switch materials. Some of these alternative measures could result in greater environmental impacts and will not help drive the demand or use of increased recycled material in plastic packaging. Recently, a body of 13 scientists and environmental experts called on the media and others to ensure that the realities of plastic pollution are not www.packagingbirmingham.com
misrepresented. They also stated that action to reduce plastic pollution needed to be well informed and appropriate, and simply switching material use was not the right solution. Solutions would derive from design and ensuring markets and facilities existed to recycle all plastic waste. Currently in the UK, we lag behind the rest of Europe in this regard because we do not collect all plastics. As a result, we have under-invested in waste sorting and recycling infrastructure for plastics. However, the collection of bottles is widespread, and now over three quarters of councils collect pots, tubs and trays. Although only 28 councils collect plastic film and flexible packaging, representing only 5% of film and flexible plastic packaging that consumers consume. The reliance on mechanical recycling and requirements stated within food contact regulations has limited the development of the supply of recyclate for use within food contact applications. These regulations include the requirement that either 95% or 99% of the recyclate (depending on the polymer) must be derived from a food contact application in its first use. More information on the use of recycled materials in food contact applications can be found here. There are some developments in the marketplace that are expected to make some of the requirements easier to meet, such as the verification of first use, although their widescale adoption will take time. As a result, the main feedstock for food contact materials at this time is limited, which has restricted the market to use recyclate in this sector. At present
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most food-contact-safe recyclate is derived from PET and HPDE bottles (the latter in closed loop applications). Of course, collection of all plastics for recycling is only the beginning of the journey. UK waste management companies will need to invest to handle all plastic formats, as they have done in the rest of Europe to sort plastics effectively and efficiently. In addition, if recycled content is required in food contact applications then bearing in mind the types of polymer and film designs in use, chemical recycling (sometimes known as non-mechanical recycling) will be required. This is due to the thin structures, high ink coverage, barriers, additives, and the fact that more than one polymer can be used to enable the necessary barriers. Chemical recycling is still an emerging recycling technology, but with plants now having operated successfully for several years elsewhere in Europe, applications are now starting to hit the shelves.
One of the early adopters of chemical recycling was Unilever with its Magnum line. Also, the supermarket Tesco, was an early adopter and is now using chemically recycled material to package one of its cheese lines. Tesco in common with several other retailers, has resorted to offering consumers front of store collection points for film and flexibles. This offers consumers the opportunity to recycle plastic packaging that they cannot put out for recycling either kerbside or at household waste recycling centres. This lack of collection service of all plastic packaging at the kerbside can and should change with the introduction of extended producer responsibility. This will give the UK the opportunity to catch up with the rest of Europe. Some Councils are getting ahead of the curve, with one located in the West Midlands partnering with 8 other Councils to form a consortium. They are intending to build a super materials recycling facility (MRF) to produce high quality material for recycling using chemical recycling technology.
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The MRF is even configured to effectively sort from co-mingled streams and in many ways mirroring what is already happening in Europe, using the very latest in automated sorting. These MRFs can accept plastic film, alongside paper and other materials to automatically sort it to a high-quality standard.
So, the solutions and the journey can begin when we start collecting films and flexibles from the kerbside. In the interim the only other solution for the collections of films is in the front of store collection points. There is now an intention by all major retailers to offer this service, like that trialled by Tesco last year. For Councils who want to be early adopters, there are two models to follow. One, the example being set by West Midlands, or by working with recyclers as part of the EPPIC program to be launched by Ecosurety. As far as rigid plastic packaging is concerned, the journey can begin earlier as these containers are already collected. Therefore, to include recycled content will depend more on the availability of regulatory permission and having recycling facilities in place to provide food safe recyclate. In terms of government policy, the main issue is the timing of the tax. It should have followed the introduction of EPR and the roll out of collection systems for all plastics and not the other way around. All images: Packaging Innovations at the NEC, Birmingham, 2020
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Many happy returns
Enabling reusable packaging systems By Sarah Greenwood, Packaging Technology Expert/Leader , University of Sheffield
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ecycling has become the norm for addressing the problem with plastic waste, but recycling is challenging and enables and permits a throwaway culture. We need a step change in the way that we think about plastics - from cheap and disposable to a valuable commodity that needs to be retained and reused many times before it is recycled. The introduction of reusable packaging systems will enable this shift.
If we replaced just 20% of single-use plastic packaging in the UK grocery sector with reusable packaging, we could reduce the amount of single-use plastic entering the waste stream by 200,000 tonnes - that’s enough to fill 700 Olympic swimming pools!
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Additionally, reusable packaging reduces the need to recycle and remanufacture single-use packaging. Implemented appropriately, this could reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 60%. Replacing 20% of single-use packaging with reusable packaging is also a business opportunity worth $10 billion globally, and one study has shown that 62% of people in the UK think that reuse is more important than recycling, and 83% of people want to buy products in packaging that they can reuse. Despite all this promise, interest from brands and retailers, and reuse being a key element of the UK Plastics Pact targets for 2025, the uptake of reuse currently sits at less than 2%. Only a handful of packaging manufacturers are offering reusable options - overwhelmingly offers marketed as sustainable are still single-use, made from alternative materials that don’t necessarily perform as well as the plastic originals in terms of protecting the product (and hence the embedded carbon) they contain. The Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures at the University of Sheffield has just received £1m of funding to change all that. Funded through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Challenge (SSPP) from UKRI via NERC, and following on from our project Plastics: Redefining single-use we have put together a multidisciplinary team including language experts, behavioural scientists, physical scientists, engineers and life cycle assessment experts. Together with our project partners - Morrisons, Co-op, M&S, Nestlé, Berry Global, Touch, Unpackaged and OPRL, we aim to develop the means to enable the mainstream use of reusable packaging systems. Our focus will be on systems for food, which could include foodservice, ready meals, dairy products and home delivery systems, all under the title of Many Happy Returns: Enabling reusable packaging systems. Sarah Greenwood FIMMM APkgPrf is Packaging Technology Expert/Leader at the Grantham Centre of Sustainable Futures at the University of Sheffield. Together with Professor Thomas Webb and Professor Anthony J Ryan OBE, she is co-leading the UKRI funded project Many Happy Returns: Enabling reusable packaging systems. She also works as an independent consultant. See more here.
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Keeping packaging flexible and sustainable By Neel Madsen, Freelance Journalist and Copywriter
Flexible packaging is a growing market with a huge amount of R&D effort going into engineering solutions that are fit for purpose and meet sustainability targets.
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lexible packaging in its many forms is all around us. In the food and drinks sector, it serves a vital role in protecting the contents against contamination, keeping it safe during transport and prolonging the shelf life of the product, which in turn reduces waste. Printed packaging also serves as the link between the brand, the retailer and the end consumer by giving information and conveying messages. Shelf appeal, be it in-store or virtually, has become even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. With consumers limiting the number of trips to the supermarket or doing most of their shopping online, brands are looking at a vastly reduced opportunity to catch their attention. Furthermore, supply chains are being disrupted and brands can no longer safely rely on packaging manufactured abroad, so many more have turned to local UK suppliers. In terms of sustainability, the production of flexible packaging requires fewer resources compared to traditional packaging such as rigid plastics, metal or glass. It is also lighter and takes up much less space in transit, in storage and even when filled and on the shelf. These all result in fewer lorries on the road and less energy needed for warehousing. As well as environmental benefits, this also reduces the overall costs.
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POUCH PERFECT
Many brands have successfully moved products into printed stand-up pouches, and this development is set to continue due to the many benefits of this particular type of flexible packaging. From a branding perspective, there is a much larger and clearly visible area available for decoration. The entire surface can be printed and will be standing up facing the consumer in-store, so there is ample scope to convey the brand message creating that all important shelf standout and impulse to buy allimportant ‘Moment of Truth’.
LIGHTWEIGHT REFILLS
Pouches are also increasingly used for refills. “From gin to screen wash, the refill pouch market will grow enormously due to the cumulative benefits of lightweight flexible packaging formats. Robust in transit, eliminating ‘fresh air’ shipping or disposal before or after filling, combined with more readily available recycling systems make a genuine argument for overall carbon reduction,” claims Managing Director of Shrink Pack Ltd, Alan Lewis, who specialises in packaging machinery solutions. A recent example of a brand choosing pouches as part of its sustainability strategy comes from P&G. The beauty division is using refill pouches in its quest to reduce plastics for the Head & Shoulders, Pantene, Herbal Essences and Aussie brands in Europe. The new system combines a reusable 100% aluminium bottle with recyclable refill pouches, made using 60% less plastic compared to standard bottles.
litho, and it is vastly cheaper than digital on longer runs but does require printing plates so there is less flexibility. Reduction of waste in the process – in materials, inks, energy and time – achieved by more automation on wide web flexo presses is making shorter runs more cost-effective and sustainable.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
DIGITAL TREND
Innovation in printing and converting technology is supporting growth. Digital printing inherently offers many advantages for brands, with much faster time to market than conventional methods, very low minimum orders and no plate costs. With digital, each single print can be different and changes to the design can be made instantly.
Short-run flexible packaging produced on narrow to medium web presses offers label printers an opportunity to diversify and add more strings to their bow. The profit margin on labels is decreasing and the competition is fierce with up towards 500 label printing companies registered in the UK, so there is a need to find new markets and develop profitable niches. From a customer perspective, ordering several types of packaging from one supplier streamlines their process and saves on time. Over the past couple of years, we have seen this result in the launch of new business units from the likes of Baker Labels with its new BakPac division and CS Pouches from CS Labels, while Hine Labels launched houp.com – all leveraging digital print to diversify, but there are also many printers producing flexible packaging on their narrow web flexo presses, albeit the runs are longer.
For small brands, digitally printed pouches offer an easier route to market with an end result that looks as professional as their much bigger competitors. One start-up brand taking advantage of digital print is Mamamade, which moved its vegan baby food from clear pouches with hand-applied labels into fully printed pouches. To achieve this leap, the team worked with ePac UK, whose business model is centred around HP Indigo digital technology. “Launching these new professional looking pouches has taken us to the next level,” says owner Sophie Baron. For big brands, digital offers increased agility and is often used for customisation and personalisation campaigns or for testing variant SKUs. The sustainability benefits of digital includes the elimination of redundant stock when the design changes or SKUs are discontinued, so there are no big warehouses to run as the packaging is produced almost on demand. It is important to note that flexo printing still retains the largest share of the market by far due to capacity, speed and low unit cost. Today’s flexo technology offers very high quality, good enough to rival offset
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All images: Packaging Innovations at the NEC, Birmingham (2020)
“Our clients are looking to achieve professional packaging without the commitment of ordering larger volumes, and they are looking for multiple applications from the same provider,” said MD of Hine Labels, Bill Hine, who is using inkjet printing technology from Screen to produce both labels and pouches.
GREENER SUBSTRATES
The recent backlash against plastic packaging has accelerated innovation in substrates with many new types being developed to meet the demand for sustainable flexible packaging solutions. The move away from very complex laminated structures promises better end of life for product packaging, while some paper-based substrates are being introduced. National Flexible has introduced a new range of OPE/ PE pouches, which are made from a single polymer that can be recycled at supermarket recycling
centres. These have been approved by all major retailers and were chosen by the Webbox cat food brand to replace pouches that were laminated with a metallised substrate, which is difficult to recycle. Meanwhile, start-up brand Nooro chose a compostable film from National Flexible for its range of CBD snack bars. Camvac is working with PlastoSac UK on a widely recyclable metallised barrier PE, for use in shelf-life applications where a gas barrier is required and where the products are sensitive to oxygen. Target sectors include snacks, particularly crisps, popcorn and nuts, and the coffee beverage market. Parkside Flexibles has recently expanded its Recoflex range, which can be widely recycled and is suitable for applications such as pouches and flow wraps. Making flexible packaging suitable for the current recycling infrastructure in the UK is key to the sector moving forward.
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As a direct result of ExtraPET being an all polyester structure, the potential of total recyclability, where post-consumer collection infrastructure exist, is possible. The transparent high barrier polyester laminate film is found in most UK supermarkets and has a growing presence globally, particularly in mainland Europe. Its versatility means the film is used for a wide range of processed meats, fresh meats, poultry, pastas, vegetable and bakery, where presentation and fresh appearance is critical. ExtraPET provides a variety of environmentally friendly solutions in peel and nonpeel, anti-fog and high barrier options. The recyclable lidding film has the capability to seal and peel from various tray structures including PET trays. A PET tray and ExtraPET film lid combination meets the ever-growing requirement of a complete mono-material packaging solution that is truly recyclable.
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The Rundown 2020’s key packaging trends for food & drink By Paul Jenkins, Managing Director, ThePackHub
Despite the COVID-19 turmoil, improving sustainability in food and beverage packaging continues to be of significant focus and is a major part of the packaging trends coming through the pipeline. Most brands, retailers and larger packaging suppliers are working to stretching targets as part of the UK Plastic Pact to achieve 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging by 2025. With just under four years to go, the pace of change is accelerating despite the disruptions mentioned above. Pending Plastic Tax obligations, which encourage plastic packaging use with at least 30% recycled content, is also having an impact on behaviour. As we enter 2021 for, hopefully, more favourable and optimistic trading conditions, what were the main packaging trends of 2020?
1.REFILLABLES AND REUSABLES KICK IN
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ell, what a year that was! The packaging industry has just experienced the most troubling ten months of our post-war lives. A global pandemic has created a tremendous amount of disruption, uncertainty and often opportunities for all involved. Some have thrived, others have faltered. COVID-19 has undoubtedly had an impact on every part of the packaging supply chain. Consumers changed their shopping behaviour as we experienced a speedy and steady migration to e-commerce channels. Panic-buying also became the order of the day resulting in a lack of product availability as well as a temporary reduction in range as supermarkets struggled to keep up with demand. The stock-piling has seemingly come to an end but the legacy of the pandemic might just be heightened hygiene fears. Something shoppers rarely gave a second thought to in 2019. www.packagingbirmingham.com
One area that has had a successful 2020 is the reusable and refillable packaging market. ThePackHub has tracked many new initiatives coming to market. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that it is still only around 2% of the volume but with aspirations to get to 25% by 2025, the sector is sure to continue to grow at pace. It is fair to say that TerraCycle’s Loop is trailblazing the refillable market with several introductions and launches last year as well as an ambitious expansion plan for 2021 and beyond. Most notable is the imminent launch of the Loop reusable programme to bricks and mortar store, rather than having to rely solely on online ordering, UK shoppers will be able to visit a Tesco store and drop off their empty packaging whilst shopping for new items in reusable packaging at a dedicated aisle. They will be able to drop off their reusable McDonald’s cup as well in Tesco outlets when that scheme launches in 2021.
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has committed to eliminating all virgin plastic from its Pepsi brand bottles sold in nine European Union markets by 2022. The move is projected to lower carbon emissions per bottle by approximately 40%. Mono-material developments are also high on the agenda. Mars Wrigley France has introduced a new sustainable solution for the French market, which sees its M&M’s Choco brand now presented in recyclable packaging.
3.INTELLIGENT PACKAGING IS MAKING STRIDES 2.THE MOVE AWAY FROM PLASTIC WILL NOT SLOW DOWN
Plastic reduction and elimination has been a strong theme for food and beverage packaging for more than three years now. The Blue Planet 2 programme, which aired in November 2017, helped to recalibrate our relationship with plastic. We have seen several prototype announcements in the beverage bottle market of paper-based alternatives to plastic. The product isn’t quite the finished article yet with challenges around non-recyclable plastic barriers but, with such capable big brands supporting the development, it is inevitable that they will get there. Bacardi has made the bold pledge to switch to a paper-based solution across the board when its solution is ready, replacing 80 million plastic bottles a year. For food packaging, plastic has been a really useful and inexpensive friend of the packaging industry by keeping costs down and helping to reduce food waste through extended shelf life. Switching out of plastic can be difficult for many food and beverage categories but the activities carry on at pace. Recycling initiatives will continue to gain traction. With the majority of brands and retailers working towards targets to improve the recyclability of their packaging, we are inevitably seeing many new initiatives come to market. There is still a disconnect between claiming to be ‘100% recyclable’ and actually being recycled by consumers. Recyclability is multifaceted. It is the introduction of recyclable solutions – either through the switching from other materials or making the material easier to recycle (through the introduction of single materials for example). It is also increasingly about the introduction of recycled content in packaging. For example, Pepsi
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www.packagingbirmingham.com
Although the environment is very much the primary focus for food and beverage brands, not all innovations are to do directly with sustainability. We are tracking more and more initiatives that help to reduce food waste through the use of smart and intelligent packaging. A good recent example is a timer device development from. The Packadore Collective that attaches magnetically to food packaging lids and attempts to use motion sensor technology and an LED lighting to help consumers reduce food waste. Many more are being developed for imminent pilot testing.
Despite the current trading restrictions, it is still very much business as usual with many new packaging initiatives coming through the pipeline. 2021 promises to be a busy year for everyone involved in the dynamic and ever-changing world of packaging innovation.
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upply chains worldwide have suffered severe shocks all year. Amidst major disruption from COVID-19 and Brexit, FMCGs and co-packers have had to make difficult changes to their businesses in order to adapt. Supply chain leaders have also had to re-imagine existing forecasting models, as spikes and swerves in consumer buying behaviour have fueled demand volatility. FMCGs especially have been challenged to respond by reassessing their SKU assortments, safety stock, distribution strategies, and innovation pipelines. They continue to develop and deliver new product offerings for a still rapidly evolving consumer landscape, but they must also revisit their portfolios for a far less predictable demand landscape. To stay nimble in this environment, FMCGs are relying more on dedicated co-packers who can provide reliable, responsive, and high-quality customer service. Within European supply chains, several forwardthinking contract packers have embraced digitalisation as a means of evolving their services to meet heightened demands for agility and quality control. One such co-packer is Blackburn-based Marsden Packaging, which specialises in primary and secondary packaging services for the food and pharmaceutical sectors, and has been using software built by Nulogy to power its operations in the UK for more than five years. Nulogy’s software replaced a combination of computerised and manual systems, and today allows Marsden to manage its production flow more efficiently while performing necessary quality checks quickly and digitally.
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“Nulogy’s software has proved invaluable in allowing our operation to remain flexible and able to manage any COVID-19 specific issues,” says Michael Briggs, Managing Director at Marsden Packaging. “From helping reduce downtime as customer production schedules constantly changed, to enabling us to track close-contact histories between employees, we have had the flexibility to react that would have been nearimpossible with our previous processes.” Lancashire-based SGL Co-Packing Ltd., part of the Keswick Enterprises Group, has been providing contract packing and manufacturing services to FMCG companies in the food and dry goods industry for more than 30 years. Under the purview of Chairman Gavin Withers, in 2016 SGL implemented Nulogy at its 78,000 square-foot facilities. “To execute successfully on our growth strategy for the business, it was clear that we had to modernise our systems,” Gavin explains. “Nulogy presented a
Sponsored Feature clear vision of the benefits available from digitalisation through its cloud-based solution, and we have seen tangible results in our operations, especially with our digitally-tracked lot traceability capabilities. After seeing success with Nulogy at SGL, earlier this year the decision was taken to bring Nulogy to APS Ltd., another well-established market leader in contract packing based in the North East of England. Prior to digitalising its operations, APS had been using a combination of manual processes and ERP systems— and recognised the need to improve traceability and visibility of materials and labour productivity across its operations. “While we had some concerns about migrating to a new software system ‘virtually’ during a pandemic, the team at Nulogy made the transition possible with continued support and guidance throughout,” Gavin comments.
We have until recently been operating at peak volumes and the system is working well. As soon as things settle back a little, we will review what we have learnt so far about the system and then seek to exploit it further, with the support of Nulogy. Nulogy, which opened its first European office in Bristol in 2020, delivers software solutions for FMCG-focused contract packing and manufacturing providers and their brand customers. The pandemic has meant many of its customers have had to constantly adjust and evolve their operations, and so Nulogy moved quickly to maximise the functionality for users within its software suite, ensuring that its platform not only provides robust labour management, inventory and traceability controls, but also allows contract packers to better manage infection control protocols on the shop floor. “The contract packing industry has faced unprecedented challenges and uncertainties since the onset of COVID-19,” says Josephine Coombe, Nulogy’s Managing Director, Europe. “Our software is helping businesses to deal with this new period www.packagingbirmingham.com
of variability and manage potential operational constraints. “Companies such as Marsden Packaging, SGL, and APS are maximising the value of our software within their businesses, and we are exceptionally pleased to help them deliver the agile performance required to meet their customers’ operational and quality standards.” “Since its first day, Nulogy’s software has revolutionised the way we operate, providing total visibility to the flow of goods within our business,” Briggs says. “This has allowed us to react much more quickly to the recent changes in demand due to the pandemic, as well as continuing to deliver efficiencies across our production and QC processes.” More than ever, FMCG brands are pursuing faster cycles of product innovation to serve a diverse range of consumer demands, and are aiming to harness external co-packers as reliable partners in innovation. These brands, however, require resilience, agility, and collaboration from these partnerships—and delivering that level of service demands a robust digital backbone. For contract packers and manufacturers, digitalisation is a competitive differentiator that will help them seize market opportunities and stand out as suppliers of choice for FMCG brands. In addition to the operational benefits and efficiencies offered by digitalised co-packing operations, a fit for purpose platform such as Nulogy will help co-packers achieve their growth objectives, building agility and resilience in a market where volatility is the only constant. To learn more about Nulogy, email us at uk@nulogy.com or call us at +44 (0)1173 134432.
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Outsourcing to the rescue in an unprecedented year By Rodney Steel, Chief Executive, BCMPA
Rodney Steel, Chief Executive of the Association for Contract Manufacturing, Packing, Fulfilment & Logistics, reflects on how outsourcing has played a key role in supporting businesses during the pandemic
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here have been winners and losers in 2020, but the outsourcing industry has been absolutely essential to many manufacturers and brands owners who, without our members’ help, would have been in a precarious position. Adapting quickly to changing requirements A prime example of our members’ flexibility was the demand for sanitiser products, which rocketed to hundreds of millions of units virtually overnight. Additional filling machines were installed, existing bottling lines for shampoo and gin were adapted for hand sanitiser, and gift packing production was diverted to produce PPE kits. By their nature, outsourcing companies are used to being nimble, but the challenges of 2020 required them to be positively athletic, in order to respond quickly to changing market requirements and consumer demands.
E-COMMERCE FULFILMENT
One area in particular that experienced huge growth as a result of the pandemic was online sales and deliveries made direct to consumer (D2C). In fact, this increase in online shopping had already been identified as a significant trend for 2020, but the impact on demand caused by COVID-19 was vast. For many of our members, demand for certain products meant that they were experiencing the peaks of
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Christmas or Black Friday on an almost daily basis. While this undoubtedly generated major commercial opportunities for brand owners, it also brought with it the risk that they might not be able to cope with such large volume growth, which could in turn damage their reputation with their end customers. Outsourcing, therefore, provided a valuable solution to mitigate this risk.
DELIVERING THE ‘END-TO-END’ SERVICE
To satisfy this ever-growing requirement for companies to outsource their e-commerce fulfilment and logistics operations, many BCMPA members now provide a complete ‘end-to-end’ service covering everything from contract manufacturing and packing through to storage, pick, pack & despatch. Support is there right across the supply chain. As one brand owner put it, “If we are going to outsource at all, we would much prefer to outsource the complete project so that we can get on with focusing on other parts of our business.” Another strong trend in 2020 was the significant increase in enquiries from smaller brands and marketeers who had identified opportunities for new products and were reliant on using e-commerce and online channels to bring them straight to market. This growth was typified by the explosion in enquiries on the BCMPA website for White Label and Private Label goods. Once again the ‘one-stop-shop’ was a key attraction.
INCREASING DIGITALISATION
Another growing trend has been the move towards digitalisation, driven both by the need for increased efficiencies and the demand for greater visibility from customers, particularly in FMCG markets. While packing lines will continue to value pairs of human hands, 2021 will undoubtedly see the
development and use of technology including further automation, the tracking of products throughout the supply chain and the increasing use of cobots, which are now available from around eight thousand pounds. All of this will help to ensure that high order volumes can be handled and free-up employees to enable them to focus on added value tasks.
SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS
Alongside these technological developments, the requirement for businesses to be sustainable and minimise their impact on the environment will continue. From packaging to transportation efficiencies, sustainability is part of the decisionmaking process and is now an integral factor for FMCG brands when choosing an outsourcing partner. Our members across every sector have reported a marked increase in the number of clients looking for ‘more sustainable’ packaging. Whilst this is a popular buzzword, perceptions of sustainability often tend to ignore the fact that alternative packaging materials, whilst attractive at first glance, can come with massive carbon footprints. Those who demonise plastic need to be careful what they wish for. It is therefore important that outsourcing companies and their customers continue to work together to find solutions that work on both a sustainability and commercial level.
BCMPA’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY
featuring the BCMPA’s Contract Pack & Fulfilment zone which included the Association’s Hospitality Lounge and around 20 exhibiting members. We look forward to the next event in June 2021. February also saw the launch of our new website which has attracted a significant increase in traffic and in particular the use of our comprehensive search facility and online enquiry form. It’s all witness to the fact that outsourcing across all our sectors is continuing to grow and our members will be there to provide the support that businesses will need in 2021.
For more information and news from the BCMPA, visit www.bcmpa.org.uk
2020 was our 20th Anniversary Year, which started on a very positive note just before lockdown with the Easyfairs Packaging Innovations show in Birmingham www.packagingbirmingham.com
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Packaging
design trends for 2021 By Adam Ryan, Head of Pentawards
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here is no doubt that 2020 will be a memorable year for all the wrong reasons. However, in these times of struggle and hardship, we have seen creativity and innovation soar in the world of packaging design. With the rise of e-commerce and digitalisation, this has been particularly clear across many categories and in particular in the food sector. Here are the trends I expect to see carry over into 2021, and beyond:
PACKAGING AS ART
This is a trend we are starting to see in many luxury products but that will certainly follow into midlevel products as well. With packaging becoming more precious and respected by the consumer, many designers and brands are being influenced and inspired and transferring this onto their packs. Take a look at this bottle of wine by Codice, for example, wrapped in a detailed oil painting to help invoke texture and depth. This box of chocolates by Cadesio is created with beautiful illustrations which, if they were prints, you would frame and put on your wall at home. Another example is Figlia, with its beautiful
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hand-crafted olive oil bottles created by a ceramic artist. You certainly wouldn’t throw them away.
PACKAGING WITH CHARACTERS AND PERSONALITY
One thing is for sure, if we could all go back to our childhood we would, it makes us feel nostalgic, playful and youthful. In the last few years there has been an influx of packaging featuring cartoon drawn characters, especially animals. Storytelling has always been a powerful way of connecting with consumers, using vibrant, interesting and intriguing characters that not only make you want to pick up a piece of packaging, but that make you want to learn more about the brand.
With the rise of connected packaging, I predict that more and more brands will use these characters and personalities to tell their stories and strengthen that connection with the consumer. Top & bottom left: CĂłdice, Estudio Maba. Top right: Cadesio, Cadesio SA & Figlia, Superunion. Middle right: Dong You Ji, Shenzhen Oracle Creative Design. Bottom right: ANI Dairy, Backbone Branding & Other Widows, Studio Kempen.
NEW CONSTRUCTIVE FORMS OF TRADITIONAL PACKAGING
Something which really stood out during this year’s Pentawards competition was seeing new forms of traditional packaging. I expect that over the next 12 months brands will consider more innovative forms to grab the attention of the consumer both instore and online. These new forms will strengthen their branding and storytelling of their product. I love the impact of seeing a unique piece of packaging and questioning whether or not it’s real.
INTERACTIVE PACKAGING DESIGN
Packaging which can turn into a game, not only for children but adults too is uber cool. As our packaging choices are evolving, brands are starting to be more creative than ever. Consumers are craving something different, wanting something they can share on social media, and brands are really taking this on board. Designers have a tough job because designing something which is not only beautiful but also interactive can be challenging. However, the rise of connected packaging with QR codes and augmented reality will also really help this trend. Here are a couple of examples of connected and non-connected packaging: By scanning the
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label for Mrgastan, which means “The Land of Fruit”, the illustrations come to life so that you can discover where the ingredients have come from.
PRODUCT NAME TAKES CENTRE STAGE
Minimalism has always played a role in packaging but certainly as consumers have more choices, simplicity will play a role in helping choose their preferred products. With this in mind, allowing the product name to take centre stage has allowed designers to be more playful with vivid colours and typography. There is no doubt what the names of the products below are getting all the attention:
Packaging will play a huge role for brands in 2021 and will be one of the most powerful assets they have to help connect to consumers. With the rise of digitalisation, there will be more businesses selling directly to the consumer; this means the packaging needs to deliver an experience when it arrives. Story telling will bean extremely important element to consider for packaging sold online and instore. The brands that have a real purpose are using ecommerce in an immersive way, that understand the consumer’s mindset and the shifting model of how packaging will be presented, will be the ones that succeed in the future.
Top left: Jonah’s, SGK Anthem. Left middle: Nongfu Wangtian, ShenZhen BOB design & Happy Ghost, Pavla Chuykina. Bottom left: Yinong, Shantou Datianchao Brand Planning & Brachia KIDS, Design Bureau Izvorka Juric. Top right: Mrgastan. Bottom right: Raw Halo, B&B studio & Ritz, Bulletproof & Yo&Go, Depot branding agency.
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2020 The year the
worm turned By Jane Bevis, Executive Chair, OPRL LTD
Of course, this isn’t a tap you can turn on at will. Those with the most impressive claims have an established pipeline of sustainability measures that they’ve continued to execute despite this year’s challenges. Packaging is no exception. Whether it’s carefully sourced virgin materials, increased recycled content, improved recyclability or switching to reusable/ refillable packs, brands wishing to retain their customer base are taking urgent action. Millennials regard this as a licence to trade. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation recently reported that recycled content of plastic packaging increased by 22% last year, but still stands at just 6.2% by weight across 126 reporting signatories. While two thirds of their plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable, that’s grown by just 1.3% year-on-year. And while over half of participating businesses have reuse pilots planned, there’s been hardly any shift in actual use of reusable plastic packaging, at less than 2% of all plastic packaging.
ON THE BRINK OF REAL CHANGE
As an avid webinar viewer and
sometime participant, this autumn’s discussions on whether sustainability is now mainstream have been fascinating. While Covid restrictions have tested supply chains, adding cost and complexity, they’ve also made all of us as consumers focus on what ‘sustainability’ means and our own responsibilities in consuming more responsibly. Consumerism has become a form of activism. FMCG brands, retailers and businesses more widely are competing hard to communicate their sustainability credentials. No one seems to be stepping back from previous commitments. Some have set more ambitious goals.
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There have been setbacks. MRF operations were affected by Coronavirus measures, although recycling collections were largely maintained in the UK. On the other hand, the switch to homeworking and home consumption has bypassed dysfunctional onthe-go recycling infrastructure. New plastics recycling capacity is opening in the UK. Clearer guidance on what is recyclable from the UK Plastics Pact, CPI fibre-based packaging guidelines and OPRL’s 2019 Recycling Labelling Rules and PREP tool all support better design decisions. New reuse services are emerging, as are inter-brand collaborations over collections systems for packaging not handled by local authorities presently. The CMA’s investigation into green claims will keep us all honest and services like OPRL’s Certified As Recyclable provide validation. It’s not before time. With many sustainability targets due by 2025, implementation has to accelerate. The end of the beginning is in sight.
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How Touch put the consumer at the heart of HäagenDazs Loop journey By Nicki Sherlock, Business Development, Touch Design
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ow do you enhance one of the world’s best-loved premium ice-cream brands? Simple – by making it better for the environment, as well as improving the consumer experience. But how? Häagen-Dazs came to us when they wanted to be part of Loop in the US – TerraCycle’s circular shopping platform. This new way of shopping and distribution meant there were technical challenges we had to overcome – requiring a container that would keep the product frozen in transit, clean easily, be reusable at least 100 times, and be recyclable at the end of its life. But that’s not where we started our design journey. Responding to the opportunity allowed us to do what we do best at Touch – using insight to deliver a truly consumer-centric experience. Our lightbulb moment came when we discovered 40% of US consumers like to eat Häagen-Dazs in bed, straight out of the iconic tub. But sharp corners meant they couldn’t get every last, yummy mouthful out. And the thin carton meant cold hands, and a product that melted as you were eating it, impacting the taste.
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So, we started here. We looked at material choices that would insulate the ice-cream in transit, plus keep your hands warm while eating it. We looked at form that would allow for easy filling on the line, efficient transportation, but that would also improve ‘scoopability’ – giving consumers smooth, rounded edges to run their spoon around. And we explored function that would allow the product to be cleaned, transported and re-used multiple times as well as keeping the ice-cream’s signature texture and taste from first to last spoonful. And the end-result was worth the effort. A stainlesssteel, double insulated container that ticked all the technical requirements, utilised Nestle’s existing assets to minimise capex, and retained HäagenDazs’ premium aesthetic through the clever use of a beautiful outer and customisable lids to denote variant. All of this plus smooth corners, warm hands and a slow melt for prolonged pleasure.
And consumers responded wildly (or should we say warmly?). The pack received over 2 billion social media hits, and became the no. 1 selling product on the US Loop store. We’re now an agency of record for Loop, so if you’re thinking about joining the platform, or just want insight-led, transformative design for your brand, get in touch.
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From automate to collaborate
What does the future hold for food and beverage packaging machinery? By Andy Knaggs, Freelance journalist and copywriter
“Automation is becoming more and more critical,” says Dunn. “Our customers, at quote stage, are asking for so much more from our machines. Instead of two or three machines doing specific jobs, they want one machine that does the lot, perhaps with some robotics. With social distancing, they want fewer and fewer people running the line. We are a bespoke builder, and we will set it up to meet those needs.” Lewis Robinson, System Sales Manager at Audion Elektro, which sells automatic shrink, tray sealing and band sealing systems into food and other sectors, is also seeing this acceleration in interest in automation, although it is, to a degree, dependent upon the size and nature of the packaging producer’s business. He told Packaging in Focus: “With bigger companies, the first thing they say is that they are looking to automate. We are taking a lot more calls from companies saying they are looking to remove humans from the production process. Companies are at different stages though, and it’s key to understand where they are in their journey.”
FLEXIBLE APPROACHES
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either automation nor robotics are new to the packaging machinery sector, but they are becoming increasingly commonplace. Recent events such as COVID-19 have given added impetus to their market penetration, writes Andy Knaggs. In the normal order of things, packaging manufacturers would always be on the lookout for ways to operate their production lines faster, more efficiently and more cost effectively. Many of them would view automation of aspects of production to be an attractive prospect, and many have already taken steps in that direction.
COVID-19’s impact globally can scarcely be overstated, but for food and beverage producers it has made 2020 a very interesting year. There has not been a lessening in demand for food, but with evolving consumer habits during lockdown, the pandemic has compelled food and beverage producers to find new, flexible approaches to product offerings. In turn, this is feeding into the requirement for automated machines that, as Graeme Dunn mentioned, are versatile enough to switch between different product formats. “It’s very important for the machines to be adaptable,” continues Lewis Robinson. “Customers are saying, this is what I need it for now, but can it also do this?”
Times of late have been anything but normal though, and the twin enforcers of Brexit and COVID-19 have further stimulated those impulses that lead inexorably to automation. Packagers in the food & beverage sectors have responded in kind, according to Graeme Dunn, Managing Director of Mount Packaging, which supplies a range of tailored packaging and liquid filling machines as well as robotics to the industry. www.packagingbirmingham.com
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Typically packaging manufacturers are looking to be “faster, cheaper, with less operators, with new materials and product launches, and increased accuracy and better product presentation”, says Barry Cox, Sales Director at FischbeinSaxon, a leading player in bag sealing. “It’s about factory optimisation and automation – customers want to move faster and more cost-effectively,” he adds. Increasingly this involves moving into robotics also, where Fischbein-Saxon has a global affiliation with Yasakawa. Robots are starting to be used for picking and packing, all the way through to palletising, said Cox, with systems capable of picking and packing volumes of bags per minute faster than any operator could achieve, more accurately, without needing lunch or a comfort break, and, indeed, without passing on a virus.
HUMAN CONSEQUENCES
It’s impossible to discuss these things, however, without considering the human consequences of increased automation and robotics wherever they might be deployed. Operators are naturally going to feel threatened by these moves. Company directors have their eyes on the benefits that increased throughput and fewer errors might deliver to the business. People are entitled to make their own minds up about such issues; they have existed for centuries, probably pre-dating the 19th century Luddites, who took to vandalising new machinery that threatened their jobs. Richard Little of Jenton Group, another food packaging automation supplier, points out that the implementation of automation and robotics does not always mean that people will directly be replaced. “I always think there are three phases of automation,” Little explains “Stage 1 is when a machine simply does what a person does. Sometimes it can do things a lot cheaper. Stage 2 is when a machine does things better or faster than a person can. In packaging, we sell JentonAriana seal testers that can test 16 packs for leaks simultaneously. This would, in theory, replace eight people, except that they would never
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have justified eight people in the first place, and so it enables 100% testing instead of random testing. Stage 3 is when machines “do things that people could never have been able to do”, he says, citing a vision system that can, at 150 packs per minute, read pack information, compare it with database, compare it with other parameters, collate all the information and compare that with a standard, before deciding whether to reject the pack or let it pass through.
Automation of one function can also lead to automation of another. For example, if no people are involved in packing boxes at the end of the line, then vision systems have to check much more, to ensure that errors are caught quickly. In conclusion, it is already possible for human operators and automated and robotic technology to work together in close co-operation, and the trend towards greater automation in food and beverage packaging could be seen as a relentless path towards “lights-out” automation – a packaging chain that is free of human intervention. Market pressures – which in the case of COVID-19 might have been hard to foresee in their sheer impact – are very often making the business case even clearer. Packaging operators must undertake their own journeys to reach that decision.
A VIEW FROM THE ROBOTICS FIELD: VIKASO
The use of robotics in packaging is nothing new, but it is changing and growing, according to Vaibhav Boricha, director at Aylesbury-based robotics specialists VIKASO. Robots have developed to the stage where they can be deployed in the same workspace as humans in a range of industrial settings. Meet the so-called Cobots: collaborative robots that are equipped with force and Article continues on page 34.
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VIKASO works with its customers, including those in packaging, to develop solutions around the basic Cobot technology. Boricha likens this to an iPhone: without its apps, the device is of little use. He sees two main applications that provide the biggest opportunities in food & beverage: box erection, filling and sealing; and palletising. “Those are very good use-cases for robots,” he continued. “It’s still very early days, but there has been a huge increase in awareness of this technology in the industry. COVID and Brexit are prompting food and beverage companies to take on automation in their operations.”
torque sensors to detect collisions with any part of the robotic arm. These sensors also gather data that can be used to improve automation performance. “Collaborative robots, or Cobots, are much easier to programme, configure and run cost-effectively, and their implementation time is much shorter,” Boricha told Packaging in Focus. “Cobots have a robot arm that is lightweight, that’s built with safety sensors so they can work alongside operators without safety guarding, and are designed as force-sensitive, so they can feel or sense if they are picking up the object properly.”
He predicts “lights-out” full automation of the entire packaging production line in the future, and the increasing intelligence of collaborative robots within this process will become more and more significant: “The future is very much technology- and datadriven,” Boricha said “and towards the latter half of this revolution it will be data driving automation, rather than people driving automation.” VIKASO exhibited at Packaging Innovations & Empack Birmingham for the first time in 2020 and had this to say “we had an excellent show, meeting a big client at the event. This was a company looking for a sheet sorting solution that we created for them. The technology can be applied to any converting house whether commercial or packaging (and applied to food)”.
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Revealing the hottest packaging talent of 2021 Congratulations to the very best young talent working in the world of packaging! The Packaging Innovations’ 30 under 30 competition showcases the rising stars of the packaging industry, recognising both those with the greatest potential to become industry leaders in the future and those who have achieved greatness already.
Egle Ancyginate Production Planner Alexir Partnership
Shoshannah Ascione Marketing Manager Mondi Group
Chloe Attwood General Manager New Vision Packaging Limited
Jack Bairstow Kenneth Barr Key Account Manager Business PFF Packaging Group Development Cullen
Nathan Bayley Packaging Technologist Bright Blue Foods (BBF) Ltd
Alex Bell Regional Director Innerworkings Luxury Packaging
Chris Bullimore Sales Executive Macpac Ltd
Gaelle Cavalie Laboratory Analyst Biome Bioplastics
Jacob Cook Brand Manager Alexir Partnership
Julia Cortyton Artworker and 3D Controller Good Humans
Amelia Dales Packaging Technologist Commercial Director Garcon Wines
Fulya Ertas Regional Procurement Manager, Mondi Corrugates Solutions
Jamie Gray Business Development Executive
Claudia Gwinnutt CEO Circla
Filip Harding Packaging Development Manager, HAVI
Joe Horton Commercial Manager Berry M&H
Ben Jacobsen Lead Graphic Designer Mint Velvet
Emma Kirkbride Senior Packaging Technologist Quorn
Jennifer Kleiboer Polymer Chemist Biome Bioplastics
Matteo Mariani Founder & Designer MAIS Project
Justine Rexer Packaging Product Manager HP Inc
Kaitlyn Schneider Manager of Innovations Tata Harper Skincare
Kaushal Shah CEO envoPAP
Lee Steptoe Factory Assistant Manager Alexir Partnership
Marta Suslow Packaging Specialist Concept Design
Hang Thanh Project Manager Botta Packaging
Sophie Thomas Emma Urquhart Sales and Marketing Account Manager Co-ordinator Lil Packaging Complete Co-packing Services
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To find out more about the winners visit the website here.
James Welch Packaging Designer ghd
Packaging Innovations & Luxury Packaging London
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“A fantastic opportunity to network with people involved in the packaging industry. Many exhibitors like us were showcasing some amazing forms of innovative, eye catching, high quality products, which for the visitors to the show must have caused sensory overload! I believe for us at least Packaging Innovations is the go-to show for the year.” David Bristow, New Business Development Manager, Leading Edge Labels & Packaging Ltd
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OPPORTUNITIES Elevate your brand
Our packaging events are unquestionably the leading hub for buyers to source packaging from across the supply chain, meaning that over the past 12 years of running shows we’ve built up an unrivalled database of key decision-makers within the packaging industry. Utilising our digital reach can elevate your products and solutions, enabling you to get in front of the who’s who in packaging.
Talk to the team today Joe Riddett, Head of Sales joe.riddett@easyfairs.com +44 (0)20 3196 4354