Packaging World June 2022 by PMMIMediaGroup

REPACKAGING THE FUTURE. Sustainable. Automated. Connected.

JUN2022 packworld.com

Sit. Stay. Read About Milk-Bone’s Redesign. 26

Mars Eyes Advanced Recycling 30

Suntory & Coke Launch 100% BioBased Bottles 34

Economist: OEM Lead Times to Shorten 38

J.M. Smucker Digitizes Industrial Workforce

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New Packaging Products

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FEATURES 28 QuickFresh Automates Nutrition Label Printing This prepared meal delivery company improved flexibility and throughput with a full-color variable printer for cartonboard sleeves.

30 SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING Coca-Cola, Suntory Cross the 100% Plant Based-Bottle Finish Line After more than a decade of rigorous R&D work and significant investments with their respective partners, Coca-Cola and Suntory each unveil first-of-their-kind beverage bottle prototypes made from 100% bio-based PET, ready for commercial scale-up.

Packaging designers must walk a tightrope when redesigning for an iconic brand, having to avoid losing brand equity and familiarity. Milk-Bone successfully refreshed its cartons by layering tried and true brand marks and color patterns over all new, attentiongrabbing doggie imagery.

34 Economist: Improving Supply Chain, Easing Demand, Let Packaging Machine OEMs Catch Up ITR economists forecast a soft landing—not a recession—in coming months as consumers ease out of the pandemic and the revved-up stimulus-era economy fades. This will allow the supply chain to recalibrate and packaging machine OEMs to catch up on orders.

38 AUTOMATION Digital Transformation of the Industrial Workforce The tools that help Pretium Packaging, Covestro, and J.M. Smucker Company tap into and transfer tribal knowledge on the factory floor.

42 10 Temperature Monitor Qualification Considerations From the 2022 ISTA Forum TempPack: Panelists discussed the latest on temperature recording device (TRD) qualification, including dry ice and LCD screens, probes that disconnect, and what to consider before selecting a shipper integrated with a TRD.

46 Co-Packing for a Cause Nonprofit co-packer provides secondary packaging services and offers employment opportunities to adults with disabilities.

50 The Association for Contract Packagers & Manufacturers Membership Directory For in-depth searches on individual members’ capabilities, visit www.contractpackaging.org.

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DEPARTMENTS 8

packworld.com VIDEO

COLUMNS

7 24 25 26 52 56

Color Development for Absolute’s flavors Line

Lead Off The Legal Side The Big Picture Sustainable Packaging Shelf Impact! The Insider

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HALL OF FAME NOMINATION

NEWS/EVENTS

8 News 16 Quotables/By the Numbers 26

Hall of Fame Accepting Nominations Through July 1

INTERVIEW

18 First Person

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54 Technology

FREE DOWNLOAD

How to Get Started Packaging for Cannabis

ADVERTISING

20 Leaders in Packaging Product Directory 55 Advertiser Index

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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Aladin Alkhawam Director, Packaging Operations, Par Pharmaceutical

TAKE FIVE VIDEO

Jan Brücklmeier Technical Application Group Packaging Technology Expert, Nestlé

Craft Brewers Conference Report

M. Shawn French Director – Innovation & Packaging Engineering (Beverage), Danone North America Patrick Keenan R&D Packaging Engineer, General Mills/Annie’s Organic Snacks Mike Marcinkowski Global R&D Officer, GPA Global & Hub Folding Box Co. Paul Schaum Chief Operations Officer, Pretzels Inc.

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David Smith, PhD Principal, David S. Smith & Associates Brian Stepowany Packaging R&D, Senior Manager, B&G Foods, Inc. Jasmine Sutherland President, Texas Food Solutions; Vice President, Perfect Fit Meals

Connect with a Leaders in Packaging supplier and support packaging education!

Connect with us:

www.packworld.com/leaders

Packaging World® (ISSN # 1073-7367) is a registered trademark of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Packaging World® is published monthly by PMMI with its publishing office, PMMI Media Group, located at 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60611; 312.222.1010; Fax: 312.222.1310. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL, and additional mailing offices. Copyright 2022 by PMMI. All rights reserved. Materials in this publication must not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. Applications for a free subscription may be made online at www.packworld.com/subscribe. Paid subscription rates per year are $254 in the U.S., $363 Canada and Mexico by surface mail; $605 Europe and South America; $907 Far East, Australia, and other countries by air mail. Single copy price in U.S. is $20. To subscribe or manage your subscription to Packaging World, visit Packworld.com/subscribe. Free digital edition available to qualified individuals outside the United States. POSTMASTER; Send address changes to Packaging World®, 401 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60611. PRINTED IN USA by Quad. The opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of PMMI. Comments, questions and letters to the editor are welcome and can be sent to: editors@packworld.com. Mailing List: We make a portion of our mailing list available to reputable firms. If you would prefer that we don’t include your name, please write us at the Chicago, IL address.

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MFlex™

Pressure-Sensitive Label Applicator System

Engineered for Modularity and Flexibility

The MFlex is a completely modular and flexible labeling solution, with the primary purpose of applying pressuresensitive labels to a variety of packages and products. This includes labeling automation solutions for bottles, tapered items, non-round upright items, clamshells, trays, and more. SINGULAR HMI CONTROLS EVERYTHING

SOPHISTICATED MOTION CONTROL

Every MFlex system is controlled from a single color touch-screen HMI. Simple for operators to use, with comprehensive diagnostics for maintenance. Setup parameters are stored as recipes, ensuring fast and accurate product changeovers.

EPI’s intelligent motion control system ensures that every labeling head, axis of motion, and every device is always in perfect synchronization – guaranteeing smooth product handling and accurate labeling regardless of changes in speed or line conditions.

Label Application Configurations: Top Apply, Bottom Apply, Top and Bottom Apply, C-Wrap (3-panel: top, front, and bottom), Side Apply, Wrap (round/cylindrical items), Front/Back, Front/Back and Wrap

Ready to increase the uptime on your packaging line and improve throughput for your operations? Contact a representative at EPI@ProMachBuilt.com today.

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EDITORIAL Matt Reynolds Chief Editor Iris Zavala Managing Editor Anne Marie Mohan Senior Editor @PackagingTrends Jim Chrzan Vice President, Content and Brand Strategy Kim Overstreet Director, Emerging Brands Community Pat Reynolds, Sterling Anthony, Eric F. Greenberg, Ben Miyares Contributing Editors

PMMI MEDIA GROUP Joseph Angel President, Publisher David Newcorn Executive Vice President Sharon Taylor Director, Marketing Amber Miller Senior Marketing Manager Janet Fabiano Financial Services Manager Lloyd Ferguson Founding Partner

ART David Bacho Creative Director Packaging World • PMMI Media Group

AUDIENCE & DIGITAL Elizabeth Kachoris Senior Director, Digital and Data Jen Krepelka Director, Websites + UX/UI

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LEAD OFF

Need Operators?

Craft Brew at a Crossroads The pint glass is either half full or half empty for craft brewers—which it is depends entirely on how individual operations plan to navigate a doubly disruptive suite of consumer changes. One issue is the generational and demographic change among potential consumers that has been on craft brewers’ radar for years. The other is the more immediate, pandemic-related channel shift in the way people consume alcoholic beverages. The industry experienced 8% growth in 2021, but that was the inevitable bounce back after the shutdowns of 2020. And 2021 didn’t get fully back to pre-pandemic, 2019 levels. All of this is according to Bart Watson, Chief Economist for the Brewer’s Association. I heard from him at the annual Craft Brewers Conference held in Minneapolis in May. “You can look at what happened in the past year and have very different views depending on your size, business model, geography, and more,” Watson said at the conference. “Obviously, our top line number of 8 percent is a very positive growth number, but it’s cycling [at] a negative 10 percent given the huge channel shifts we saw in COVID away from draft, away from at-the-brewery sales, and so what we’re seeing is a rebound as much as true growth.” The big picture is that craft is a maturing industry, and while it’s still growing, the pace of growth is slowing. That means more U.S. breweries are fighting for pieces of the same national pie. And depending on the region, that pie might have maxed-out in size. Craft brew categories are subdivided by venue into taprooms, brew pubs, microbreweries, and mid-sized regional breweries. As stands to reason, in-person craft brew venues exhibited the biggest 2021 bounce-back: taprooms (+21%) and brew pubs (+19%). Those two categories are most dependent on foot traffic and butts in bar stools, so naturally they experienced the most growth in 2021. Packaged beer, which is not venue dependent, grew the least, but also suffered the least in recent months. Draft beer, though, is a red flag. “We’re going back to bars and restaurants as we did before, but we’re buying less draft beer. That’s a problem,” Watson warns. “Rebuilding this channel is going to be critical for craft brewers. Craft brewers have a 30% share in this channel, and this is going to be something those individual brewers are going to need to do account by account, keg by keg, and bring back that innovation, quality, and variety.” Watson cautioned that these numbers were the national averages, but there was a whole lot of local variation region by region. For instance, as the number of taprooms continues to grow, certain regions might be reaching carrying capacity. “We’ve been growing the pie of at-the-brewery sales in recent years, but we’ve also been growing the number of slices,” Watson said. “And at some point, we have to question whether that pie can grow as fast as the slices. This is really a local market question.” Meanwhile, the generational shift in preference from millennials and Gen Z includes a new challenger category outside of the traditional alcohol triumvirate of beer, wine, and spirits. This fourth category includes seltzers, spritzers, RTD (ready to drink) cocktails, low- or non-alcoholic cocktails, and even cannabis crossover varieties where they’re legal. Seltzers and RTD spirits cocktails aren’t beer, but in many consumers’ eyes, they look a lot like beer. They’re in cans or other similar packaging formats, they have similar alcohol volumes, and the price points are similar. This can spell loss of share, or opportunity for breweries. The key is that many of these challenger varieties can be produced, kegged, bottled, canned, and cartoned on the same (or similar) equipment to what brewers already have. No doubt it’s an opportunity, but it leads the most stalwart craft breweries to existential crisis. “To me, this invites a question: ‘what does craft want to be?’” Watson asks. “I’m never going to tell an entrepreneur what they should do with their business. That’s your choice. Some brewers are clearly going to move into these other beverage products, moving into the fourth category and trying to grow like the large brewers into wine, hard liquor, or other beverages. Others are going to try to stay in beer. I think we’re reaching a call-to-action moment for those who really want to grow the beer category.” PW

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NEWS

Cleaning Products Company Helps Remove 41K+ Pounds of Ocean Plastic Despite its playful name, household cleaning products company Defunkify is quite serious when it comes to “defunking” consumers’ laundry, carpets, kitchens, and bathrooms—basically anywhere in the home that’s funky—in the most effective and sustainable way possible. The Eugene, Ore.-based company was founded in 2019 to eliminate the gap between “green” products that don’t clean very well and hard-working brands that contain toxic chemicals. In the process, it sought to redefine what’s possible in terms of safety and sustainability. For its laundry detergents, stain and odor remover sprays, and allpurpose cleaner, Defunkify uses bio-based ingredients that the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Eddie Rosenberg, says offer “phenomenal cleaning properties.” He adds that the company’s “back-to-square-one approach” has allowed it to develop the most effective, safest products on the market. But Defunkify’s mission doesn’t end with its products; the environmental friendliness of its packaging is equally important. Explains Rosenberg, “Sustainable packaging and business operations have always been a core pillar in Defunkify’s DNA, and every decision we make is rooted in science and empathy to foster a better, cleaner future. Why? Because we don’t want future generations to live with more microplastic trash and toxins than fish and clean water. With that in mind, minimizing and eliminating plastic packaging has been a core priority since we launched our first liquid laundry detergents in 2020.” Currently Defunkify’s packaging for its liquid Eddie Rosenberg, laundry detergent products consists of highChief Sustainability density polyethylene bottles made with 25% Officer, Defunkify post-consumer recycled material. Spray products are packaged in PE bottles with 25% PCR content. For its powder formulas, the company uses recyclable paper cartons that are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified, with a compostable pouch inside made from material supplied by TIPA that is certified to be industrially compostable within 180 days. Says Rosenberg, “We also concentrate our formulas to work better with less and never use fillers, so we can use the smallest and lightest bottles and boxes.” In the near future, Rosenberg shares that the company will be unveiling a patent-pending packaging system that eliminates all plastic trash from the cleaning and personal care industries. In the meantime, to offset its plastic footprint, Defunkify has partnered with plastic action platform rePurpose Global to help fund the removal of plastic waste headed into marine ecosystems. For every product purchased, a percentage of the sales are directed to this effort. In 2021, Defunkify removed 41,571 pounds of plastic waste in West Java, Indonesia, that would otherwise have been burned, sent to landfills, or leaked into the ocean and waterways. Says Richard Geiger, CEO of Defunkify, “We are proud to have funded the recovery of over 41,000 pounds of plastic from nature, accounting for everything that directly touches the products we sell—every bottle, every cap, every spray nozzle, every bag, and even the tape—and we plan to

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in take this one step further in 2022.” The partnership with rePurpose also helps to empower marginalized workers to better tackle plastic pollution in their communities. According to the Defunkify, today’s informal waste workers earn less than $5 a day, work in precarious conditions, and face severe discrimination. The partnership creates an additional income stream by attaching value to low-value plastics, while supporting Waste4Change, a recycling social enterprise that holistically lifts up waste workers through occupational safety, health insurance, and skills training. As a result of Defunkify’s offset efforts, every one of its products is certified Plastic Neutral by rePurpose. “In other words, every bottle of Defunkify prevents another bottle of plastic waste from polluting our oceans and rivers,” says Rosenberg. This designation has also contributed to the company being named Carbon Neutral Certified for the last three years. —Anne Marie Mohan

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Hall of Fame Deadline Extended, Nominate Your Mentor Now leadership and have personally advanced the field of packaging. The prestigious Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame has A Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame commission evaluates extended its nomination deadline for the 2022 Inductee Class to nominations and chooses the coming year’s class. The commission Friday, July 1, 2022. This is your last chance to nominate someone is made up of a cross-section of industry professionals, including who made a difference in your packaging or processing career, or suppliers, journalists, and end users. someone who made a positive impact on the industry as a whole. Nominations are simple and quick. Just visit The Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame www.pmmi.org/hall-of-fame, and be prepared to recognizes career packaging and processing respond to how your nominee has done one or all of professionals for their significant contributions the following: to the industry and education. The honor, which • Advanced the science, technology and practice PMMI coordinates, has been awarded since 1971. of packaging or processing A new class was inducted during PACK EXPO • Expanded packaging or processing knowledge Connects, November 9-13, 2020, and future classes and understanding beyond the industry will be inducted every other year at PACK EXPO • Been a remarkable volunteer leader in the International. packaging and processing community The Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame After July 1, the commisison is the top honor a packaging will carefully weigh submissions or processing professional can and select the 2022 Packaging & receive in his or her career. Past Processing Hall of Fame Induction inductees are packaging leaders Class, to be announced at PACK who have dedicated themselves to EXPO International Oct. 20-23. the industry through expanding knowledge and volunteer Nomination form at: www.pmmi.org/hall-of-fame —Matt Reynolds

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Absolut Vodka Restages its Flavors Line in Bold Strokes

Watch a video on the color development for the new flavors packaging

Absolut Vodka is making a splash with new graphics for its portfolio of flavored vodkas. The launch follows fast on the heels of the unveiling in 2021 of a new bottle for its original vodka, a project that was four years in the making and the biggest design refresh since 1979 (see pwgo.to/7572). With its flavors line, Absolut has continued the focus on the brand’s heritage, provenance, and authenticity, established in chapter one of the restaging, while adding a dash of zest. Prior to the redesign, Absolut’s flavors portfolio underwent several design iterations as varieties were launched. Most recently, the line used two distinct designs: One featured a frosted bottle; the other a clear bottle with flavor-related graphics.

“The previous packaging design was part of our journey to begin unifying the range through white logotypes and an artistic interpretation of the different flavors,” explains Elin Furelid, Head of Product Portfolio & Innovation for Absolut. “However, at the time, the frosted style was designed to convey the freshness of our citrus range that only consisted of two flavors, Citron and Mandrin. When we launched Lime and Grapefruit a few years later, the conflicting designs became confusing for consumers as despite all of our flavors being made the same way, with natural flavors and without adding any sugar, they appeared as separate. Our ambition for the redesign is to harmonize the look and feel of the range to help consumers find and explore it more easily.” As Furelid explains, most of the design elements for the flavors range are based on those created recently for Absolut Vodka original, including the classic bottle shape, the silver cap, the embossing of “Country of Sweden” at the bottom, a new paper label on the front of the bottle, and a medallion bearing the image of company founder, L.O. Smith. In contrast to the previous flavors design, the new graphics focus heavily on the brand’s credentials. “Our heritage and the role that craft plays in the production of Absolut Vodka is shown more prominently on the bottle,” says Furelid. “This is signified with an update on the script and the inclusion of our founder’s name on the quality seal, our medallion. Our distillery, in the village of Åhus, takes pride of place on the center of the bottle alongside our One Source philosophy. We’re proud of our roots and people, so have included the address to our factory on our label and a more legible and human script so that we are showcasing the craftmanship and rigor that goes into making Absolut.” Unique to the flavors line is a large brushstroke of color on the back of the bottle that aligns with each flavor and helps consumers find, trial, and experiment with new flavors. “One of the most important things with this new design system is the combination of color and that they are true to the actual fruit,” says Furelid. With the refresh in packaging, Absolut also updated the flavor profiles and ABV levels for each variety to allow the natural flavors to come through in the final taste. The brand also introduced a new flavor, Absolut Passionfruit. Furelid adds that brushstroke of color is also a nod to Absolut’s strong history of creating limitededition bottles that use the packaging as a canvas for sharing big and bold ideas. “We have a long history of challenging the status quo and pushing boundaries—art and design plays a significant role in that,” she says. “We’re continually looking to reignite the bold and creative aspects in all our product offerings, from our first ever work with Andy Warhol in 1985 to the 550 artist partnerships that have taken place in the years since. The updated design and packaging of the flavors range is part of that continued ambition to develop Absolut’s unique design and taste, with curiosity, creativity, and collaboration at heart. This new design system helps to bring out the intensity and taste promise of the upgraded flavors in a better way than the previous design.” The new, harmonized flavor line has begun to ship to markets globally and will continue to roll out, depending on current stock inventories. —Anne Marie Mohan

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VFFS single tube and multi-lane models accommodate fill volumes from 1 ml to 3 gallons or 10 liters with free flowing to viscous products in pillow, 3 side seal, 4 side seal and square bottom bags. General has manufactured VFFS machines for packaging liquids in bags for over 50 years. All of General’s broad range of liquid fillers are designed and made in-house. General designs and builds applicators for caps, pumps, and other dispensing devices. For more information, please contact:

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NEWS

Fiber-Based Drink Lids Adopted in Swedish Foodservice Chain Every year, more than 300 billion plastic lids, equivalent to 1.5 million tons of plastic, are produced, and many of them end up as litter in the world’s oceans. A Swedish collaboration between foodservice brand MAX Burgers and its suppliers PulPac and Liplid is replacing the traditional plastic lid with what the trio says is a more sustainable fiber-based alternative. “As a restaurant we are part of the problem, but we want to be part of the solution. We want to be a role model for our industry. When we go public with how our meals affect the climate, our guests can help us to lower our joint impact,” says Richard Bergfors, President of MAX Hamburger, on the company’s website. MAX Burgers says it is the first quickservice restaurant chain to label and compensate for the food’s impact on the environment. As part of this ecologically minded stance, it will start to roll out the Liplid in all its restaurants in Sweden in 2022. “For us at MAX, this collaboration is a perfect solution. We work continuously to develop our business and our menu to reduce our climate footprint. And we always strive to improve the experience for our guests. We’ve analyzed the coffee lids on the market and focused in on Liplid as the best out there,” says Malin Laurén, Global Head of Purchasing at MAX. “This has been a fantastic project, where we have adapted Liplid’s brilliant product to our technology and will manufacture the first series of two million lids for Liplid. We look forward to seeing them go live at MAX Burgers”, adds Sanna Fager, Chief Commercial Officer at PulPac. PulPac says that its fiber forming technology made the unique lid from fiber possible, and adds that dry molded fiber offers benefits such as structural strength, undercuts, de-nesting, advanced geometries, and control of material thickness, making it possible to produce very thin fiber products. The dry process also saves water energy, VibFeedersAd.qxp_Layout 1 2/12/21 12:37 PMand Page 1 resulting in up to 80% lower

CO2 footprint compared to alternatives. Besides the technical and environmental advantages, PulPac says its technology offers highly competitive unit economics, which it says makes it possible to replace single-use plastics at global scale. “The world needs smart and functional alternatives to single-use plastics. Using PulPac’s innovative approach, we at Liplid produced a fully recyclable, plastic free and biodegradable cup lid with a new and unique design—bringing a new drinking experience to the market,” says Jesper Berthold, CEO at Liplid. The lid is placed inside the cup, rather than on it, to prevent leakage and improve the stability and drinking experience of on-the-go beverages. The design, using 25% less material, was a winner of one of the 2022 World Star Packaging Awards in the category of Packaging Materials and Components. —Matt Reynolds

Long Overhang, High Capacity

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Three Actions for CPOs to Navigate Packaging Shortages Supply instability and rising costs are prompting chief procurement officers (CPOs) to adopt new approaches to packaging material procurement. That’s according to Gartner, Inc., which covers the topic in its new publication, “Tactics for Navigating Packaging Shortages.” “Shortages of packaging materials such as pallets, plastics, corrugated, metal, and glass are wreaking havoc across supply chains, and it remains unclear when—or if—these constraints will subside,” says John Blake, senior director analyst with the Gartner Supply Chain practice. “Packaging procurement is highly complex, as it requires coordinating many different suppliers. To further complicate matters, there has been a lack of investment in technology that would allow for seamless collaboration across the supply chain.” To successfully navigate in this environment, Gartner says CPOs must adopt new tactics that drive greater resilience, manage the rising costs of packaging, and improve packaging sustainability. The three actions it recommends to reduce the impact of packaging supply constraints include the following: 1. Centralize packaging specifications: Packaging specifications are traditionally linked to a SKU or bill of materials (BOM). However, this practice prevents CPOs from being aware of all the packaging specifications across the organization. A better way is to centralize all specifications across the organization. This allows CPOs better visibility and enables improvements, such as harmonizing similar materials, establishing more sustainable alternatives, and fluidly switching suppliers in the event of a shortage. “Ultimately, procurement teams need to build a packaging supply ecosystem, but they must first obtain full transparency of packaging specifications across the enterprise. Currently, we still see very limited adoption of advanced SaaS [software as a service] applications that would enable such a step. This is a massive investment gap for CPOs to close,” Blake says. 2. Collaborate with suppliers: As packaging suppliers operate at maximum capacity—either from demand or due to availability of raw materials—they are now in a position to select which customers and orders they choose to fulfill. CPOs must establish a close collaboration with suppliers and make it easy for them to fulfill orders. Collaboration can take the form of agreeing on suitable material substitutions, alternative production facilities, incentives, or a streamlined supplier onboarding. “Suppliers with limited capacity will prioritize customers with the most favorable commercial conditions,” says Blake. “CPOs must align the interests of the suppliers with the internal requirements of manufacturing and R&D to chart the best path forward.” 3. Segment packaging: When CPOs have a holistic view of all packaging requirements in the organization, they can use packaging segmentation to break down silos and identify the possible opportunities and risks that each segment presents. For example, primary packaging is in direct contact with the product and must ensure quality over the product’s shelf life and might require additional certification by the supplier. However, primary packaging carries a unique set of needs that can result in longer lead times or increased upfront effort to qualify alternative materials or suppliers. On the other hand, transport of packaging such as pallets, crates, and stretch wrap is often standardized. A switch to reusable packaging could mitigate shortages. “Each level of packaging has its own set of risks that CPOs must factor into strategies to mitigate supply shortages. Segmenting packaging across the organization provides a better base for decision-making,” Blake concludes. —Anne Marie Mohan

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14 PW JUN2022

NEWS

On-pack Cannabis QR Codes Provide Product Transparency The COVID-19 pandemic, with its requirements for individuals to socially distance and keep safe and sanitized, changed much about consumers’ shopping behaviors and their interactions with consumer packaged goods brands. These changes extended to the cannabis market, as well, shares Jordan Plunkett, Marketing Director at Veritas Fine Cannabis. Inspired by restaurants’ use of QR codes in place of menus, Veritas began in 2020 to add QR codes to its cannabis packaging labels to put comprehensive product data at consumers’ fingertips. Veritas is a Denver, Colo.-based wholesale cannabis company that differentiates itself and its products by the overall passion and dedication that every member of the team puts into their work every day. That’s according to Veritas owner, Mike Leibowitz, who adds, “High-quality products come naturally when people enjoy coming to work and love what they do.” The brand centers around cannabis being the connection that brings people together. “Denver is a melting pot, as is Colorado in general, and we try our best to encapsulate this in everything we do, whether it’s a collaboration with craft artisans who call Colorado home, a dining experience with elevated dishes, or an interactive art experience unlike anything anyone has seen,” says Plunkett. “Cannabis is an experience, and we try our best to highlight that.”

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Packaging for Veritas’s range of cannabis products, which includes flower and pre-rolls in 100 strains that rotate regularly, comprises glass jars and black plastic tubes, respectively. Graphics for the packaging were done by Sarah Egener, Art Director at Veritas, who Plunkett says “managed to create the perfect brand voice in visual form.” He adds, “We like great weed and fun experiences with good people. Our label presents all the important information about an individual strain, such as type of experience—energizing versus relaxing, for example—general effects, genetic lineage and the top three terpenes, in an organized chart format that’s easily digestible for any consumer. We are a brand for the newcomer and the connoisseur, so it’s important that we highlight the details people actually would be focusing on while shopping for cannabis.” In 2020, as QR codes were revived, Veritas realized the opportunity to provide consumers with more comprehensive information on their products beyond what could fit on a label. “When the restaurant industry reintroduced QR codes to the general public we took notice,” shares Plunkett. “The technological advancements in smartphones and a more straightforward way to scan and use the codes was quickly adopted. “In our eyes, QR codes had been a dying thing pre-COVID because smartphone users previously had to download a third-party app to scan them instead of using the camera feature, and let’s

5/20/22 16:35

be honest, we live in a world where these additional steps can act as a deterrent. “We capitalized on this opportunity [new technology] to give consumers quick and easy access to verified information directly from the source. Veritas Fine Cannabis packaging QR codes lead back to a strain card on our website that provides even more detailed information not included on the label such as the full terpene and cannabinoid lab test results along with where else they can find that product, if it’s currently in the rotation. This has allowed our customers to become more educated on what they are smoking while allowing us to reach the customer directly by showing them where they can then find said product again.” Specifically, the QR code allows consumers to see the 21 most prevalent cannabis terpenes present in the product and data on nine different cannabinoids (e.g., THC, THC-A, CBD-A, CBN, etc.), highlighting the most prevalent ones in that strain, as well as a searchable list of retailers across the state currently carrying the strain.

Veritas developed the QR codes using an online code generator. Says Plunkett, the codes themselves are easily accessible and readily available, and if you know where to look, are free. “Payments for the software may be necessary if QR codes are being produced in mass quantities,” he explains, “but it’s mainly the time and labor that goes into the creation of them to make sure they are accurate for different SKUs.” The QR code software also enables Veritas to collect data from consumer scans, including the general regions where they are scanning, what’s being scanned, and when it’s being scanned, providing insight into what strains or products are popular in some areas, as opposed to others. While Plunkett says the QR codes are not the main attraction on the packaging label, they are a key component when it comes to consumers being able to get additional, accurate strain information. “Through our experiences, we’ve learned that transparency is key,” he shares, “and we want to always ensure our customers are getting nothing but the best every time.” —Anne Marie Mohan

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5/20/22 16:36

16 PW JUN2022

BY THE NUMBERS

The number of new recycling plants, with an average output of 18,000 tons/ yr, that are needed to meet California’s mandate for 25% food-grade PCR content in plastic beverage bottles by 2025

$127.6M The value of the yogurt that’s thrown away each year by U.K. shoppers, a problem retailer Co-op hopes to address by removing the use-by dates on its own-brand yogurt products

50%

The growth of the canned cocktail market between 2019 and 2021; the category is expected to reach between $3 billion and $4 billion in the coming years, according to industry tracker IWSR

The number of Evol single-serve frozen meals now Certified Carbon Neutral through the Carbonfree Product Certification Program, which means their products have net-zero CO2 emissions over their full life cycle— including packaging

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QUOTABLES

“From our standpoint, limited-edition releases allow the manufacturer to bring innovation to the category with unique packaging, styles, and flavor profiles. This is not only beneficial for the manufacturer, but the retailer as well. It gives the retailer a new and exciting product that can break frame during key periods of the year. It creates excitement and demand for the consumer, benefiting the manufacturer, retailer and, most importantly, the consumer all at once.” –Jason Folaron, brand manager for Labatt Brewing Co., in an article from Progressive Grocer, “The Unlimited Appeal of Limited-Edition Beverages”

“European countries have had EPR [extended producer responsibility] schemes for many years. I haven’t seen any evidence that they’ve meaningfully changed the amount of packaging used, or recycled. They’re just an attempt to recoup some money from packaging producers for the municipalities that badly need it to pay [materials recovery facilities] and recyclers.” –Julia Attwood, head of sustainable materials at BloombergNEF, in an article, “States Awash in Plastic Packaging Want Manufacturers to Pay Up,” from Bloomberg

“The CPG industry’s wages have outpaced the national average for months, but the industry still has 112,000 open jobs. Pay alone is not closing the gap fast enough. With a relatively low unemployment rate, we need to understand what will motivate workers who haven’t reentered the labor force to return and design around those needs.” –Tom Madrecki, vice president of supply chain and logistics for the Consumer Brands Association, in an article from Powder & Bulk Solids, “How CPG Manufacturers Are Countering Labor Shortages”

“As we continue to reduce the use of virgin plastic, new technologies such as chemical recycling can help drive up recycling rates and increase the availability of food grade recycled materials. The principles and Life Cycle Assessment work from The Consumer Goods Forum is key to ensuring this can happen in a safe and environmentally sound way.” –Colin Kerr, packaging director for Unilever, in a press release from The Consumer Goods Forum, “Consumer Goods Companies Announce Position on Chemical Recycling Technologies and Publish Life Cycle Assessment”

5/20/22 10:24

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5/18/22 11:00

18 PW JUN2022

FIRST PERSON

Emerging Brand Prioritizes Product Education on Package Annette Azan, the Founder and CEO of Nuudii System, has been an executive in the fashion business her entire career. More than 11 years ago, Azan got the opportunity to make a garment of her own. A couple of weeks before her wedding, she constructed a first-layer bra alternative to wear under her wedding dress, and the first Nuudii was created.

vending machine. The packaging was a critical part of the branding, though, because Nuudii will never be sold outside of a package or hanging on a hanger in a store. The packaging we have today took a year to develop because we couldn’t find anything that protected the product, that was sealed, and that allowed fine printing. We have printed photography and a size chart on the package. Because Nuudii is small, we needed to have the ability to fine print without losing quality.

Even though the Nuudii package is compact, you have detailed depictions of how it can be worn and an extensive size guide printed on the back. How important was it to have product education on the package? We had a lot of time to come to those conclusions of what should be on the packaging. We wanted to eliminate extra inserts in the package. Originally, we had an insert that showed you the ways of wearing it, but I wanted all this information on the outside of the package. What we are doing here with “boobwear” is different, and it’s a grab-andgo product. We knew including these graphics was essential for the customer and the understanding of what they were getting inside the package.

Nuudii System offers grab-and-go “boobwear,” or a bra alternative, that gives women an option between wearing a bra and going braless. Nuudiis are hardware-free and made of 73% nylon and 27% spandex. Since the product is compact and only weighs 1.5 oz., it’s not sold or displayed in retail like typical bras. Instead, Nuudiis are sold packaged and sealed on retail shelves, online, and in special vending machines found in airports, spas, and other likely spaces. Given the product’s unique shape and retail goals, Annette Azan, Founder and CEO, realized the company needed to come up with a package that lent itself well to the places Nuudii wanted to sell into, all the while prioritizing sustainability and user experience.

Packaging World:

When you’re planning to sell a product in a retail setting like a vending machine, how do you create effective branding to make sure it stands out to customers without being handled and inspected like it would be on a retail shelf?

Annette Azan: The beauty of a vending machine is that you’ve got a digital advertising component, which can also be your educational component for the product. The product shows well on digital advertising, which is included on the outside or interface of the

When you created this product, was sustainable packaging something that was important to you? It took years from the inception concept that happened to development, but we did a test site before we went to Kickstarter, and from that moment, we had plant-based packaging, but it was really simple. Our bags were made from corn originally, but they were non-branded. We just launched a new package that’s made of sugar cane. It’s 100% recyclable and printed with non-toxic inks. There’s also a bonus to the production of it that for every one of these bags made by our supplier, they remove the equivalent weight and plastic from the oceans.

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5/25/22 5:27 PM

How are you communicating the sustainability of the package? On the back of the package itself, we note that it’s made of plants and is recyclable, but we’re also building out a page on our website to include more information about our product’s packaging and its recyclability. Do you feel that it is a brand’s responsibility to communicate the sustainability and recyclability aspects to consumers on the package? Yes, it is on us and also the type of recycling that needs to be done, right? This is a soft plastic, so you could recycle it at the grocery store. We have a lot of customers that come out and actually make it a point of asking those questions. Being an emerging brand that launched with sustainability in mind, what kind of advice do you have for small brands who want to come to market with a product that also comes sustainably packaged? It’s easier to start with sustainability from the beginning rather than try to pivot when you’re big. I think that’s a huge opportunity for a startup. Usually, we’re the pioneers. We’re the ones who are paving that road so that the bigger brands feel like they have to catch up.

You mentioned switching the packaging material from corn to sugarcane because you wanted a softer feel. How important is it to create an experience with product packaging? Even though Nuudii is not in the luxury category, the packaging is beautiful and soft to the touch because this is an intimate product. You want all the sensory things that come along with it to take place for consumers as the first CPG “boobwear” company. The color isn’t a stark white, it has milkiness to it, which again, from a sensory point of view, nothing is stark. Everything feels luscious. The whole packaging makes you feel like this is a little bit of a luxury to have. You say that Nuudii System is the first “boobwear” CPG, can you expand on what that means? When people think packaged goods, they think consumables. But that’s not the only packaged goods that we have. We knew from the start Nuudii would never sit on a hanger or anything because it’s completely formless. It has no street appeal, and it also molds to your natural shape so you don’t want a lot of people to try it on. Having Nuudii be a packaged good, it also allows a lot more stores to be able to carry boobwear like Sephora, airports, resorts, and college campuses. Easy access is really important for this product. —Natalie Craig

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Bagging, Pouching & Wrapping The following companies are leading suppliers of bag & pouch fill/seal (pre-made), flow wrapping, form/fill/seal - horizontal, form/fill/seal - vertical, and shrink wrapping equipment. To see all product categories, please visit Packworld.com/leaders. Bag & pouch fill/seal (pre-made)

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Flow wrapping

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Formost Fuji horizontal flow wrappers improve production performance and reduce operation expenses. Our hygienic flow wrappers are simple to operate and maintain. Formost Fuji offers free testing of new film and your products in our lab.

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’S

NG WO RL AGI D CK A

Future leaders IN PACKAGING SC

H O L A R S HIP

These market-leading companies participating in Packaging World’s 2022 Leaders in Packaging Program are named sponsors of PW’s Future Leaders in Packaging scholarship. This year’s recipient is Alexandria Technical & Community College, Mechatronics program. We appreciate the support of all participants on behalf of packaging education.

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Form/Fill/seal - horizontal

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Top-notch package quality and outstanding adaptability make Doboy flow wrappers from Syntegon the premier choice for packaging food and other goods. Choose from dependable entry-level wrappers to high-speed, super-hygienic, fully integrated systems.

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Let our Reiser Packaging Specialists show you how. Our Specialists will work with you to evaluate your product, your customer, and your goals and then assess your packaging machine options. Meet with Reiser to determine your best packaging solution.

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Rely on a century of sanitary packaging experience. Our next generation of VFFS baggers are versatile, smart and sanitary. All in a small footprint. And ready to serve you for the “next” 100 years.

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Built entirely with #304 Stainless Steel, this VFFS machine will comply with most cleaning and sanitizing agents. It has a superior hygienic design & rugged construction. Save time on cleaning & change over with a direct washdown system.

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The ERX-15 Case Erector is designed to automatically erect and seal the bottom of your cases at production rates up to 15 cases per minute, making the ERX-15 an ideal alternative to manual case forming.

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Bagging, Pouching & Wrapping Shrink wrapping

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Reaching speeds of up to 55 packages/min, with a compact design and rugged construction, the Damark Side Sealer is the ideal solution for reliable, efficient wrapping in almost any production environment.

Flexible Packaging The following companies are leading suppliers of flexible packaging. To see all product categories, please visit Packworld.com/leaders. Flexible packaging

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MATRIX Packaging provides flexible packaging equipment. Our machines are rugged, well-engineered, easy-to-use and are backed by a large service and parts team. Matrix tailors packaging systems for its customers on a global scale.

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5/19/22 4:04 PM

24 PW JUN2022

THE LEGAL SIDE

By Eric F. Greenberg, Attorney-at-law

Contracts etc. as all the terms of sale, pricing changes in the event of changed Today, I will try to convince you that circumstances, remedies for breach of an obligation, and so on. If it is complete, clear, written contracts are a complete, the judge will simply apply its provisions. good idea, even though there’s more to If the agreement is not clear or not complete, the judge will often contractual relationships than the contracts allow the parties to put in evidence above and beyond the language themselves. of the agreement that will help the judge interpret what the parties To illustrate that latter concept, I have a story. meant to agree to. They’ll look at documents and correspondence Back in law school, a professor of mine held a contest to judge from around the time the agreement was made, or hear testimony which student had the “worst” apartment lease. He meant “worst” from the folks involved, and the like. from the student tenant’s point of view, so he looked for the most That can complicate the resolution of a disagreement because restrictive rules, fewest expenses covered by the landlord, prohibitions often people have differing memories about what they thought they against pets, toughest conditions for getting your security deposit were agreeing to in the first place. One party says, “This whole deal back, stuff like that. was supposed to be the first of a series of orders,” but the written At the next class, the “winner” with the absolute worst lease was contract is only about one order and doesn’t say anything about future announced, and, unexpectedly, the professor asked the winner how ones. The other party acknowledges there was some discussion of they liked their landlord though the lease was so unfair to the tenant. future orders, but believes that was left for another day to work out. “I love my landlord,” I replied. (I like to brag about any contest I Or, a party says, “New Supplier Co. win, even this one.) I explained to the sold me Size 7 widgets that didn’t comply professor, “The lease prohibits pets but The bottom line here is that it’s with the ASTM performance standard. My I don’t want any so I don’t care, the important to make sure whenever other suppliers always make sure that landlord lives right nearby and comes over immediately when anything needs possible to enter a written contract Size 7 widgets met the ASTM performance standard, but New Supplier Co. didn’t so fixing, they are flexible about making that is clear and complete. they sold me something different than small changes in our agreement, and is what I ordered.” Meanwhile, the supplier just a generally nice person.” says they provided what the contract required. And that, the professor assured us, was the lesson. The written Ironically, a seemingly clear and complete contract is not by itself agreement is important, but so is the relationship between the parties. a guarantee against a lawsuit with your contracting counterpart. I Of course, many experienced packagers know this because recently heard a presentation for lawyers that said that among the they have a lot of contracts with suppliers, customers, contract contract terms that are sued over most commonly are the clause manufacturers, and service providers, and they have learned that providing for arbitration of disputes (you can have it in the agreement negotiation rather than litigation is usually the better part of valor. but still spend months in an actual court fighting over whether it Also, they know that most contracts contain provisions that simply applies), and indemnification clauses (in which one party promises to never come into play at all. cover the other one’s costs if certain problems arise—there’s lots of So, am I saying it’s not necessary to have clear, complete, written room to debate whether they kick in or not in specific situations). contracts when you do business? No I am not, absolutely no. A clear The bottom line here is that it’s important to make sure whenever and complete written agreement is best. possible to enter a written contract that is clear and complete. Why? I can think of at least two good reasons. First, what if, when (Remember, too, that state laws usually say that contracts don’t have a problem arises long after you entered the contract, that reasonable, to be written to be enforceable, except in some limited cases like flexible person on the other side of the agreement is gone—they contracts for sale of real property.) took another job, or retired—and now you’re dealing with a much Still, I know that in many packaging businesses, deals are made less friendly contracting partner? If that happens, you’ll be glad if you without such written agreements. And you might be surprised to hear made sure to incorporate strong protections for your company into that I am not going to tell you that’s always an unreasonable way to the written contract. do business, especially when you’re under time pressure. Second, what if your contract dispute ever gets to court? Here’s But I will tell you that it’s always a much riskier way to do business, how that’s likely to go: The judge, applying the traditional contract and, clearly, you can reduce the risk of squabbles, and make resolutions law concepts, will try to surmise what the parties intended to agree quicker, if you have a clear and complete written agreement. to, and give effect to that agreement. Just about the first thing a That way you can be prepared if your relationship with the other party judge will do is look at whether the contract you’re fighting over isn’t as copacetic as mine was with my landlord during law school. PW is complete—that is, it appears to address all relevant topics such Eric Greenberg can be reached at greenberg@efg-law.com. Or visit his firm’s website at www.ericfgreenbergpc.com. INFORMATIONAL ONLY, NOT LEGAL ADVICE.

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5/20/22 13:13

THE BIG PICTURE

By Sterling Anthony, CPP, Contributing Editor

Read Part One of Sterling Anthony’s Series on slack-fill lawsuits.

Reducing Risk for Slack-fill Packaging Lawsuits: Part Two no burden on the consumer to calculate and convert. Another Last month’s article concluded with this communication feature is graphics, useful for those products that lend distinction: a defense strategy is reactive. themselves to being depicted as, “actual size.” Text and graphics can Instead, a proactive approach—with its focus on lawsuit avoidance— explain and counter what might otherwise be regarded as misleading, should be a component of packaging management. non-functional slack-fill. That’s literally the case with packaging that Avoidance rests on compliance with federal regulations, which states something to the effect of, “Some settling of the contents might preempt state regulations if there is meaningful variance. The federal have occurred during distribution.” regulations are the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act (FDCA) and the All of the preceding discussion notwithstanding, slack-fill Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 (21CFR §100.100). The FCDA considerations should not be a stand alone component of packaging establishes misleading fill levels as misbranding. management. Yes, slack-fill considerations can prompt varying 21CFR §100.100 defines slack-fill as the difference between degrees of package redesign, but they also should be a factor in a container’s capacity and its contents. 21CFR §100.100 further new package design. With food and beverage, especially, packaging establishes misleading fill-levels as occurring when the container professionals are aware of regulations governing product-packaging doesn’t allow a view of the contents and contains non-functional interactions and the like. Because the increase in slack-fill lawsuits is slack-fill. 21CFR §100.100 deems slack-fill as non-functional if it does of recent vintage, however, they’re likely less not fall under any of six exemptions. If the slack-fill in question offers product Because the increase in slack- top-of-mind. That needs to change. management involves tradeprotection, is required by machinery, accounts fill lawsuits is of recent vintage, offsPackaging among the competing, sometimes for product settling, or performs a specific they’re likely less top-of-mind. conflicting interests of other disciplines. The task, it’s exempted. Also, if the slack-fill in the discipline most implicitly, if not explicitly container functions in product preparation, That needs to change. invoked in slack-fill lawsuits is marketing. presentation, or is reusable; or if the brand is Slack-fill lawsuits, in the main, allege that the packaging, as a unable to increase contents or reduce container size, it’s exemtped. marketing tool, is being used misleadingly, denying the consumer Evaluating a company’s exposure to slack-fill lawsuits can be the opportunity to make an informed decision. It follows, therefore, straightforward, much like a flowchart or a box-checking list. Does that packaging and marketing (along with legal) should collaborate in the packaging disallow a view of the contents? Is there slack-fill? Is crafting a proactive approach to slack-fill lawsuits. the slack-fill non-functional? When all answers are, “Yes,” a company Lacking an intent to mislead does not shield a company from needs to decide on a course of action. slack-fill lawsuits. An example is the oft-utilized promotion of offering One course of action is not to do anything at all. The risk of such a stated-percent bonus quantity. When the bonus quantity comes in a decision is product specific. For example, a company might regard the same size container as that of the traditional quantity, it might an established brand with a history of repeat purchases as prima facie give credence to an allegation that the difference between the two evidence that consumers are not being misled by alleged slack-fill. quantities equates to non-functional slack-fill. Affirmatively, however, a company can choose corrective measures. And while packaging and other disciplines are at it, they should Here, too, product-specific considerations should be considered. The broaden their concerns to include other company practices that might objective should be to achieve compliance and to cost-effectively be regarded as misleading, even if they are not illegal. One such practice minimize or eliminate legal exposure. is the de facto price increase [sometimes called “shrinkflation”] achieved What is the best way to allow a view of the contents, for example? by keeping the packaging the same size but reducing the contents. At Switching from an opaque container to a clear one, although press time, there’s talk of a possible recession (more on page 34). That’s seductively suggestive, might be costly and disruptive from an a scenario that makes overt price increases risky. Even if a de facto price operations standpoint. If the container is made of opaque plastic, increase doesn’t produce slack-fill large enough to trigger lawsuits, the a clear fill-strip might suffice. A paperboard carton might have its practice won’t go unnoticed by those who are vigilant about such matters deficiency corrected with a display window. Lastly, does a clear plastic beverage bottle, sporting a reasonable Whether misleadingly or not, packaging communicates through fill-height, have a place in a discussion about slack-fill lawsuits? Yes, its size. While size matters, another means of communication is text, given that the bottle has a convex bottom that reduces capacity while which can serve in lieu of dimensional changes. Text can be used giving the impression of fullness. Who’s to say, in these litigious times, to state such particulars as quantity, count, net weight, and serving that practice someday won’t be the subject of a lawsuit? PW size. It should be done prominently and unambiguously, imposing

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26 PW JUN2022

SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor

Mars Faces Challenges of Flex Pack-based Portfolio Like so many of its global CPG peers, Mars, Incorporated has been working for years toward greater sustainability in its packaging materials, resolving to make 100% of its packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025. But unlike many other companies, Mars faces a unique challenge in meeting these goals: Most of its packaging is made from flexible film—an excellent packaging choice for the food products it offers, but one that is not yet widely recyclable. In this Q&A, Allison Lin, Global Vice President of Packaging Sustainability at Mars, explains how the company is employing packaging innovations such as reusable packaging and advanced recycling, as well as collaborating with like-minded organizations to help drive the circular economy for packaging.

the many different forms of waste it meets. So while mechanical recycling systems are in place for some rigid plastic materials such as bottles, the recycling systems that can process our flexible packaging are severely underdeveloped and underfunded. Getting them up and running will take years. Also, infrastructure—including waste collection—differs from country to country, and even from state to state, making it difficult for some packaging to be recyclable at scale. We also face limitations on the types of recycled content we can use for food products due to food safety regulations in many countries.

How is Mars addressing these challenges related to recycling and recycled content for flexible film packaging? As part of our multi-billion dollar Sustainable in a Generation Plan, we are investing hundreds of millions to redesign more than 12,000 packaging types—such as product pouches, dry bags, etc., which represent Welcome, Allison. To get us started, can you tell about half our total packaging portfolio—to fit with the us what your core responsibilities as global vice recycling infrastructure that either exists today or is likely president of packaging sustainability at Mars entail? to exist in the near future, making it easier for consumers to reuse or recycle our packaging. We have launched over Allison Lin, Global Vice five reusable packaging pilots with plans for more, and In my role at Mars, I lead the global cross-segment President of Packaging are learning the best models to scale. strategy to improve the sustainability of Mars’s product Sustainability, Mars, Inc. Hundreds of Mars associates are already working to packaging. We’ve set an ambitious, science-based address packaging waste, and this team is growing. As a business, we target to design all of our products for a circular economy. This are embedding our packaging targets into how we measure success. includes eliminating unnecessary packaging, removing difficult-toOur top 300 executives now have remuneration linked to delivering recycle materials such as PVC [polyvinyl chloride], and using recycled against our packaging targets. content wherever possible. We’re also working in partnerships with Mars is also actively working to drive true systems change, governments, NGOs, suppliers, packaging developers, and even including the modernization of local waste management and competitors to drive the systems change necessary to make a circular recycling infrastructure. We are investing in recycled content and economy truly possible, including both necessary redesigns as well as signaling our intent to buy much more in order to drive new infrastructure improvements. investments in recycling technologies. And we’re calling for the improvement of these systems through legislation and industry What are some of the biggest challenges you face as a global collaboration. company in rethinking your packaging for greater sustainability? As our portfolio is primarily food products, and our primary form of packaging is food-grade flexible packaging, Mars faces specific On the topic of new recycling technologies, Packaging World packaging considerations. Food-grade flexible packaging is extremely recently reported on a collaboration between Mars, SABIC, and lightweight and provides excellent barrier properties that keep food Huhtamaki to create a flexible retort pouch made from chemically fresher longer, and it ultimately reduces carbon emissions generated recycled polypropylene for Mars Petfoods Sheba cat food (see by using more materials or by food waste—more than many other pwgo.to/7558). Can you talk a bit about this project and how the forms of packaging. But as of today, it’s also less widely recycled than use of chemically recycled polymers fits into Mars’s sustainable rigid packaging formats, due to an overwhelming lack of existing packaging strategy and goals? infrastructure that can sort and process it. Our partnership with SABIC and Huhtamaki kicked off in 2020 Global waste management systems differ dramatically, and the when we started to investigate where best to develop a flexible current systems for collecting, sorting, and recycling can’t yet handle packaging solution incorporating advanced recycled materials.

Packaging World:

Allison Lin:

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In last month’s issue of Packaging World, Allison Lin shared strategies for the advancement of women in the packaging industry. Visit pwgo.to/7578 for more. Do you think Mars’s goal of having 100% of your plastic packaging be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025 is achievable? We recognize we have a long way to go, but we’re committed to addressing the issue in an ambitious way. We have extensively mapped our packaging portfolio for redesign and are exploring new designs and innovations for over 12,000 packaging types. We are now investing heavily in deploying those innovations across our business in the coming years. We’re making progress so far: We’ve now eliminated 99% of PVC from packaging and are now using 400 metric tons of recycled content. However, we recognize more work needs to be done, which is why we have hundreds of Mars associates working hard to address packaging waste in our portfolio—and this team is only growing. That said, the most significant challenge for producers like Mars is the lack of existing infrastructure that can process our A new retort pouch for Mars Petfoods Sheba wet cat food uses food-safe PP made from PCR packaging. We know our goals are only achievable with some essential changes waste, processed by advanced recycling. to collection and recycling systems in communities where our products are sold. Where other solutions are Earlier you mentioned that Mars currently has five reusable not viable, advanced recycling is needed to process recycled content packaging pilots in market. Can you talk more about these projects? for flexible packaging that is also food-safe. Mars supports advanced Reuse models are an important component in driving toward a recycling solutions where materials are converted back into plastics, circular economy, and Mars has launched a number of pilots around not fuel, and where the science demonstrates these systems produce the world with more to come this year. One is a Ben’s Original bulk fewer emissions than current alternatives such as incineration or reuse pilot with French retailer Franprix, and we’ve run tests through virgin plastics. PW the Loop [reusable packaging platform] initiative across multiple brands in multiple markets. We’re also trialing reusable M&M jars in China. Across our pet nutrition portfolio, we’re partnering with retailers in the U.K. like ASDA to pilot in-store refill zones for a range of pet-food brands, including Whiskas and Pedigree. In 2021, as a test and learn, Royal Canin opened L’Atelier Felin, a cat-owner concept store in Paris where consumers were able to buy kibbles in bulk to avoid single-use plastic packaging. While we prioritize mechanically recycled materials, there is very limited availability of materials suitable for food-grade flexible packaging. Through extensive trials and a brand partnership with Sheba, we were able to launch a wet pet-food pouch to the European market containing foodsafe polypropylene made from PCR waste, processed by SABIC’s Trucircle solution and made into a film by Huhtamaki. This not only helps us on our journey to achieve 30% average recycled content in our plastic packaging and to reduce our use of virgin plastic by 25%, but it also proves that the inclusion of advanced recycled [AR] materials is possible, even with the most difficult of packaging processes involving high temperatures and pressures. Even more, they are an essential part of making food-grade packaging part of the circular economy and reducing GHGs. By working with partners like SABIC and Huhtamaki to develop these real solutions, we hope to stimulate demand for AR materials and encourage the investment needed to ensure these solutions become available at scale.

I understand that Mars supports Extended Producer Responsibility [EPR] legislation. What does Mars believe would be the most effective management of an EPR program? We support transparent and fair EPR schemes that help ensure the funding behind the recycling infrastructure necessary to create a circular economy. At Mars, we believe we have a responsibility to address the packaging waste issue and are willing to invest through EPR if the result is improved infrastructure. We strongly support transparency in these initiatives and believe fees collected must support improved collection and recycling technology, as well as consumer education for responsible packaging disposal.

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One of Mars’s reusable packaging pilots involved running tests with the Loop reusable packaging platform across multiple brands, including cat food.

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28 PW JUN2022

QuickFresh Automates Nutrition Label Printing This prepared meal delivery company improved flexibility and throughput with a full-color variable printer for cartonboard sleeves. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Precise variable data printing

Scalable equipment

By Natalie Craig, Contributor In less than one year, QuickFresh, a Utah-based food delivery service, has been able to grow and scale its business exponentially. When the company first opened in May 2021, it was delivering its freshly prepared meals locally. In November 2021, the company expanded its delivery area to the entire West Coast. Now, QuickFresh delivers ready-to-heat prepared meals to the lower 48 states. Still in its first year of business, the company’s meal packaging process is mostly handled manually. Once the food is manufactured, it’s placed in a tray, which is then sealed and wrapped with a paperboard sleeve that carries the meal’s nutrition information. But the process of getting the nutrition label and meal information onto the sleeves slowed throughput and created a bottleneck. QuickFresh had four operators printing off stickers that were hand-placed, one by one, front and back of each sleeved tray. A labor-intensive process isn’t ideal during a nationwide labor shortage. Not only was the process tedious, it was also prone to human error. Meanwhile, QuickFresh needed to be poised

A QuickFresh operator mans the Rotech RF1 feeder and integrated Markoprint integra PP108 printer.

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The Markoprint integra PP 108 can achieve speeds of up to 150 meters/min at a resolution of 360 dpi. The printer has a circulating ink system that removes air from the nozzles to ensure a clean print image. for even more rapid growth. Josh Rookstool, Director of Operations at QuickFresh, began to look for a solution to help the company scale and improve throughput and the quality of its product’s package and labels. “We needed a better solution that was scalable, saved us money, and helped to automate things where we could,” Rokstool says. “We posed the challenge of, ‘how can we get to a point where we can take these nice [paperboard] sleeves, wrap them around the meals, and have a printing process that can add all of the variable information?’” Rookstool says. When looking for an automated solution, Rookstool also needed to be mindful of flexibility. The menus being printed for the freshly prepared meals change every week, so the meal’s name, expiration date, and nutrition label would also change. “It was difficult for us to try and purchase pre-printed sleeves because we don’t know what the volumes will be,” Rookstool says. “And so, we really needed something that was flexible enough for us to print all of this variable information right on the sleeves.”

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QuickFresh turned to its long-time partner CRS Data Solutions, a marking, coding, and tracking equipment distributor, to help them identify the best solution for their needs. “QuickFresh was looking for a full-color type printer, which doesn’t really exist in the variable printing world,” says Brian Wagner, a territory sales representative at CRS Data Solutions. “So, we were looking for solutions to where they could create a carton that was semi-generic and then we could just add the different fields for the variable information that needed to be printed. We needed a high-res mark because they have the nutrition facts on there. And to get that smaller print, be able to read it, and fit it on the carton, we needed a high-resolution type of printer.” In August 2021, QuickFresh purchased a Markoprint integra PP108 printer and instantly saw improvements and increased efficiencies. The printer is ideal for nutrition labels because it can print fonts as small as 1 mm, as well as high-resolution graphics and logos, according to QuickFresh. “It can fly through our sleeves,” Rookstool says. “What took six people four hours to do, we can now do that with one person operating it and get through the same amount of work in less than an hour.” The Markoprint integra is integrated into a Rotech RF1 feeder where an operator loads sleeves into a magazine and ensures the right file is sent to the Markoprint printer. After sleeves run through the printer, they are compiled and then taken to a separate station where someone manually slides the tray of prepared food into the cartonboard sleeve. As QuickFresh grows, Rookstool plans to automate this process further. In addition to having a more streamlined process, the printer uses inks that are mineral oil-free (MOF), which is more eco-friendly than other inks on the market, according to Jeff Norton, business development manager, AT Information Products, a Markoprint distributer. The MOF oil ink is also ideal for printing on absorbent, porous surfaces in the food industry since it’s a safe, direct replacement for petroleum-based inks.

In February of this year, QuickFresh invested in a second Markoprint integra printer to keep up with growth. Within a matter of hours, QuickFresh was able to run 3,000 sleeves. “We feel pretty confident we can scale pretty well with our needs,” RookStool says. “We’re prepping for some pretty big partners that we’re working with, and we feel confident that our process is ready for that.” PW

PERFECT SOLUTIONS DO NOT STOP US FROM CONTINUING TO WORK ON OUR IDEAS.

REGISTER TODAY! Don’t miss PACK EXPO International 2022 to see the latest automated printing solutions for your packaging line. For more information, visit packexpointernational.com.

October 23-26, 2022 ■ Chicago, Illinois, USA

As a leading innovator, we have one prime characteristic: We are never satisﬁed. At KHS, we are thus always proud of what we have achieved – but we also immediately start to question it and think ahead. With the aim of constantly advancing and always improving – and of providing our customers with new, intelligent systems time and again. Which we then, of course, develop further. khs.com/products

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SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

Coca-Cola, Suntory Cross the 100% Plant Based-Bottle Finish Line After more than a decade of rigorous R&D work and significant investments with their respective partners, Coca-Cola and Suntory each unveil first-of-their-kind beverage bottle prototypes made from 100% bio-based PET, ready for commercial scale-up. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

‘Drop-in’ bioplastics

Bio-based PET

By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor Since 2009, when The Coca-Cola Company announced the launch of the first PET bottle made partially from plants, the race has been on among beverage brands to crack the code on developing a commercially viable, 100% bio-based PET bottle with the same functionality as a petroleum-based bottle. Earlier attempts by other drinks companies to use bioplastics, specifically corn-based polylactic acid, for beverage bottles had proven disappointing, as the material lacked stability and contaminated PET recycling streams. So, when Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle, made partially from a “drop-in” bioplastic having identical properties to virgin PET, including recyclability, came on the scene (see pwgo.to/7543), it was a game-changer. The first PlantBottle was 30% bio-based, using Braskem’s sugarcane ethanol; the other 70% used petroleum-based chemicals. At the time

Getting Started with Sustainable Packaging Looking for information on how to get started with sustainable packaging? This Packaging World primer provides an overview on what sustainable packaging is, what’s driving the push for more sustainable packaging, and how to reduce the environmental impact of packaging. Includes links to resources. Download this free PDF today at pwgo.to/7345.

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of the launch, Coca-Cola made it known that its vision was to continue innovating to achieve a bottle made with 100% plant-waste material while remaining completely recyclable. In 2011, PepsiCo announced it had developed a prototype “green PET bottle” (see pwgo.to/7544), which it said was the world’s first PET plastic bottle made entirely from bio-based raw materials, including switchgrass, pine bark, and corn husks. Its goal was to commercialize the packaging by 2012, but news of the initiative quickly faded. In 2018, PepsiCo joined The NaturALL Bottle Alliance, a research consortium formed one year earlier by Danone, Nestlé Waters, and bio-based materials development company Origin Materials to accelerate the development a bio-PET bottle. Since then, there has been no news from the alliance, although in early 2022, Origin announced plans to invest $750 million in a biomass manufacturing facility in Louisiana. In 2012, Japan-based Suntory Holdings Limited, whose more wellknown brands include Orangina, Schweppes, Ribena, and Lucozade, became the new challenger when it entered into a strategic partnership with bio-sourced chemicals company Anellotech to develop and commercialize a cost-competitive, 100% bio-based plastic beverage bottle. In 2013, it introduced its own partially plant-based PET bottle, 30% of which was derived from molasses. Now, more than a decade after the first PlantBottle hit retail shelves, and after years of research, pilots, prototypes, and investments, both Coca-Cola and Suntory have unveiled 100% plant-based PET bottle prototypes, each through different partnerships and technologies, ready for commercial scale-up.

Coca-Cola innovates and refines PET consists of two molecules: mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) and terephthalic acid (PTA), which respectively make up 30% and 70% of the polymer by weight. PTA is produced by the oxidization of an aromatic

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chemical called paraxylene. For both Coca-Cola and Suntory, the route to finding a bio-based replacement for MEG was a short one. The road to developing a cost-competitive, commercially viable plant-based replacement for PTA, which required the development of bio-based paraxylene (bPX), was much longer. Coca-Cola’s journey also involved several detours before the company found the best path to a bPET (biomass PET) bottle. In 2015, after its PlantBottle had been on the market for six years, Coca-Cola unveiled its first 100% bPET bottle prototype, produced at laboratory scale, at the World Expo in Milan. The bottle was made from two renewable feedstocks: sugarcane-based MEG from Braskem, and from Coca-Cola partner Virent, bPX made using sugar from corn. The prototype proved a fully bio-based PET bottle was possible, but it was not ready for commercialization. With its recently unveiled bPET bottle, Coca-Cola has moved from sugarcane, which is also used to produce bioethanol, to wood-based biochemicals to produce bio-based MEG (bMEG). Explains Dana Breed, Global R&D Director, Packaging and Sustainability for The Coca-Cola Company, “The inherent challenge with going through bioethanol is

by year-end 2022, with a total annual capacity of 220,000 metric tons. The bPX portion of the prototype is made using the same material Coca-Cola employed for its 2015 bottle: Virent’s BioFormPX. Coca-Cola’s relationship with Virent dates back to 2011, when the beverage giant announced multi-million dollar partnerships with three biotech firms, one being Virent, to accelerate the development of bio-based plastics. In 2014, Coca-Cola made an additional investment to support an expansion of Virent’s demonstration plant capability in order to help scale-up the separation and purification steps of the BioFormPX production process and produce larger quantities of the material. BioFormPX is produced through the company’s patented BioForming catalytic process, which converts aqueous carbohydrate solutions into mixtures of drop-in hydrocarbons. The process has been demonstrated with conventional sugars obtained from existing sugar sources such as corn and sugarcane, as well as a wide variety of cellulosic biomass sources. The bPX for the Coca-Cola prototype was produced at Virent’s facility in Madison, Wis., using sugar from corn that was then converted to plant-based terephthalic acid (bPTA).

Coca-Cola produced a limited run of 900 bottles made from 100% bio-based materials, using two newly-developed technologies. that you are competing with fuel. We needed a next-generation MEG solution that addressed this challenge, but also one that could use second-generation feedstock like forestry waste or agricultural byproducts. Our goal for plant-based PET is to use surplus agricultural products to minimize the carbon footprint.” The technology behind the production of the bMEG was co-developed by Coca-Cola and Changchun Meihe Science & Technology and is based on feedstock that cannot be used as a food source—specifically hardwood taken from sawmill side streams and forest thinnings. According to Coca-Cola, “The technology takes a sugar source and removes the step of creating ethanol as part of the conversion process to produce plant-based MEG. This means the process is simpler than incumbent processes and provides flexibility in feedstock choice,” hence the hardwood feedstock. The technology was validated at demonstration scale in 2017. Currently, Finland-based paper producer UPM is building the world’s first biorefinery to produce wood-based biochemicals using this jointly developed technology. The biorefinery will utilize beechwood from regional forests, as well as residues from the sawing industry, to produce a range of biochemicals, including bMEG. The facility is expected to be operational

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According to Coca-Cola, Life-Cycle Analysis studies for the commercial production of Virent’s bPX indicate up to a 75% reduction in carbon emissions compared to petroleum-based paraxylene, with the potential to achieve net-zero or better reductions in the future. Alpek Polyester produced the bPET for the prototype bottles, which were manufactured and filled within The Coca-Cola System. Nine hundred bottles were produced in all. Said Nancy Quan, Chief Technical and Innovation Officer for The CocaCola Company, at the time of the launch, “We have been working with technology partners for many years to develop the right technologies to create a bottle with 100% plant-based content—aiming for the lowest possible carbon footprint—and it’s exciting that we have reached a point where these technologies exist and can be scaled by participants in the value chain.”

Suntory comes in a very close second In early December 2021, just six weeks after Coca-Cola’s announcement, Suntory revealed it had also successfully created a prototype bPET bottle, ready for commercial scale-up. The prototype was produced for the company’s Orangina brand in Europe as well as its Suntory Tennesui mineral water in Japan.

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The bottle is the result of Suntory’s 10-year strategic partnership with Anellotech, into which Suntory has invested $25 million. Anellotech’s proprietary Bio-TCat thermal catalytic biomass conversion technology produces BTX aromatic chemicals—benzene, toluene, and xylenes, including the paraxylene needed for PTA—from loblolly pine wood chips. Tsunehiko Yokoi, Senior General Manager Packaging Department for Suntory Holdings, shares why the company chose to partner with Anellotech: “We saw two key competitive advantages in Anellotech’s technology. First, it uses non-food feedstock such as wood chips, avoiding competition with the food supply chain. Second, compared to other technologies used by other companies, it includes a simple process of converting biomass to aromatics, such as paraxylene, in one step by using a single pyrolysis process and catalysts. The technology also has a competitive advantage in terms of cost-competitiveness, carbon emissions, and future potential.”

Suntory unveiled a bottle for its Orangina brand that uses 100% plant-based PET, produced in cooperation with Anellotech. According to Anellotech, an in-depth LCA conducted by Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc. of its Bio-TCat process revealed that the process has a CO2 emission-reduction potential of 70% or more when compared to petroleum-derived equivalents. The first successful production of bPX by Anellotech was at its Silsbee, Texas-based TCat-8 pilot plant in 2019. Along with its joint development partners, IFPEN and Axens, Anellotech processed the renewably sourced aromatics into high-purity bPX. At the time, the samples produced were found to meet all of the ASTM International specifications for downstream derivatives in conversion to PET. In late 2021, the TCat-8 pilot plant produced the bPX used for Suntory’s 100% plant-based prototype bottles. Suntory says the next step is to commercialize the bottle as soon as possible to meet its goal of using only 100% plant-based or recycled PET bottles globally by 2030. What’s needed to move the project forward is a production-scale plant. Explains Yokoi, “In order to commercialize this technology, we will need an external partner to build a commercialized plant, and this requires time for thorough consideration.” In the meantime, Suntory has an exclusive license through Anello-

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tech for a contracted period of time to use the bPX to make PET. “However, other companies will be able to use this for other applications, such as polyester and fiber,” Yokoi says.

Why bio-based bottles? When Coca-Cola first introduced the PlantBottle, sustainability in packaging was a different conversation, mostly focused on carbon emissions, climate change, and preserving limited natural resources. Back then, bioplastics were seen as a silver-bullet technology, the answer to decoupling packaging from petroleum. But times have changed, and so has the sustainability discussion. In the last several years, the focus has shifted dramatically to the damage plastic pollution has wrought on the environment, especially on the world’s waterways. This has prompted brands to make commitments around decreasing their use of single-use plastics or eliminating them entirely, particularly virgin plastics. Over the years, enthusiasm over bioplastics had waned, especially as questions emerged as to whether they actually were lower in GHGs and as the costs of virgin plastics stabilized. The slow adoption of the technology also meant a significant premium for those companies interested in using the materials for their packaging. But the news from Coca-Cola and Suntory that they are ready to pursue commercial scaleup of bPET bottles has brought the conversation full circle. As brands struggle to source the needed supply of recycled PET to meet their virgin plastic-reduction goals, bioplastics can provide a complementary path for them to meet their commitments. Says Suntory’s Yokoi, “From an environmental standpoint, our basic approach is to use as much rPET as possible, but since used PET bottles cannot be fully recovered due to reasons such as loss at the time of collecting and purifying back to food-grade level, we will always need to compensate that loss with an alternative sustainable material. Additionally, we recognize innovation in packaging technology is crucial to drive the industry towards a circular economy. Therefore, Suntory started the development of plant-based PET bottles as we believed that plant-based materials were the best alternative to rPET in moving away from using petro-based materials, and we plan to use plant-based PET for the remaining amount that cannot be covered by rPET. “Based on our Plastic Policy established in 2019, we aim to use only recycled or plant-derived materials for all PET bottles used globally by 2030 to achieve zero use of virgin petroleum-based materials.” In the case of Coca-Cola, its World Without Waste vision, which includes a goal of using 3 million fewer tons of virgin plastic from oilbased sources by 2025, depends on a range of strategies. Among them, it shares, are new recycling technologies, packaging improvements, and alternative business models such as refillable systems, as well as the development of new, renewable materials. In Europe and Japan, CocaCola, with its bottling partners, aims to eliminate the use of oil-based virgin PET from plastic bottles altogether by 2030, using only recycled or renewable materials. Says Quan of Coca-Cola’s strategy, “We are taking significant steps to reduce use of virgin, oil-based plastic, as we work toward a circular economy and in support of a shared ambition of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. We see plant-based plastics as playing a critical role in our overall PET mix in the future, supporting our objectives to reduce our carbon footprint, reduce our reliance on virgin fossil fuels, and boost collection of PET in support of a circular economy.” PW

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5/18/22 11:03

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Economist: Improving Supply Chain, Easing Demand, Let Packaging Machine OEMs Catch Up ITR economists forecast a soft landing—not a recession—in coming months as consumers ease out of the pandemic and the revved-up stimulus-era economy fades. This will allow the supply chain to recalibrate and packaging machine OEMs to catch up on orders. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Consumer spending forecast

Manufacturing equipment demand

By Matt Reynolds, Chief Editor Alan Beaulieu, PhD, President of ITR Economics, cut right to the chase in his April 2022 economic landscape talk at PMMI’s Executive Leadership Conference, so I’ll extend the same courtesy in reporting on it. “You don’t need to be nervous about a recession,” he said in his opening remarks. “We’re not going there. When we look at the likelihood of a recession, it’s very, very slim right now because of the positive things that I’m going to be showing you.” Well, that’s a relief. He’s quite aware that Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs disagree with him. And he allowed himself some wiggle room around the chance of escalation in Ukraine. Still, he stood by his prediction of no near-term recession, bolstered by a sterling track record of 95% or better forecast accuracy on a host of the 2021 figures ITR predicted, from GDP to production to private sector employment. But that’s not to say there’s not a bear market or two out there in the medium-term. Here are some details that should affect the entire packaging supply chain, from OEMs to CPGs to consumers.

we begin a recession that’s going to last to 2026, so there is a recession out there. Not like 2008-2009, nothing like that, and not like the COVID recession, which was short and steep. This is just going to be a normal recession. We’ve been through a lot of those, and we’re going to get a chance to go through another one. … In ’27, ’28, and ’29, we are on the way up again and life is good, so mostly this decade is good.”

Eight-year economic picture— Roaring ’20s With the short, steep COVID-19 recession mostly behind us, the economy is running hot now, due for a leveling off in 2023 that Beaulieu described as a “soft landing.” “Then the economy picks up speed in ’24. You’re going to like that, and you’re going to be busier in ’24, and then you’re going to find the economy slows again in ’25. The second half of ’25, we begin to go down. In late ’25,

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Beaulieu isn’t worried about a recession in the near-term. He expects a soft landing of easing demand into 2023, before a return to busy times.

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U.S. industrial machinery production has already peaked in the current cycle (blue line) and is forecast to continue to slow down. Meanwhile, unfulfilled orders (green line) lags production by about three months, meaning we’re at or near the peak of unmet equipment orders. As demand eases on the backside of these curves, Beaulieu expects lead times to shorten and OEMs to be able to catch up. Beaulieu likened the 2020s to the “roaring ’20s” of a century ago but was careful to note it’s a misconception the decade was all roses. It had its share of political and social strife, and even a few recessions, just as he expects us to see in rounding out this decade. “The thing that made them the roaring twenties was that the national wealth just really went up and a lot of people got really wealthy in the1920s,” he told the packaging equipment manufacturers in the room. “You’re going to do well. You’re the type of folks that are going to just enjoy this because of the industry that you’re in.”

Supply chain clears up, demand eases Using the U.S. Paperboard Container Production Index as model representative of the larger manufacturing segment, Beaulieu forecasted an overall slowdown in production. Eleven out of 12 leading indicators—housing being the outlier—predict deceleration in 2022 and 2023. This trend coincides with an easing of demand headed into and through 2023 that’s linked to supply chain recalibration. “What we’re going to be facing as we go forward is less demand. Not a decline in demand, but less of a rising trend of demand,” Beaulieu said. “Even as the supply chain clears up—and it will, the supply chain a year from now is going to be back to normal, an awful nightmare of the past—you’re going to find that the demand for your services, the demand for the machinery, the demand for what you do is not going to be as strong a year from now as it is today. The math tells us production’s going to continue to go down in the near term, but everything else that I’m looking at says it’s not going to go into a recession. We’re going to

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find that you’re still in demand, and that you’re needed.” Another reason for the slowing of demand and production is that our recent, super-charged, stimulus-based economic ascent is finally dissipating. “All the money coming out of Washington, that stopped,” he said. “The rate of rise … is going to slow down when that economic environment is going to slow down. It’s pretty straight forward.” A common way to illustrate the economic status of any industry is via four phases represented alphabetically as: A (expansion), B (peak), C (contraction), and D (trough). Currently, packaging-heavy industries like food and bev, food services, drinking, grocery stores, pharmacies, and drug stores, are between B and C, or peak and contraction, depending on the lens through which you view them. Using a wider viewed rate-of-change calculator (12/12, or one full year-over-year), those industries are still in B, “where everyone’s feeling good.” But narrowing the lens a bit (3/12, or 3-month average compared to the same 3 months the previous year), those industries fit better into C, or contraction. And beer, wine, and alcoholic beverages are in C, contraction, in both rate-of-change lenses. “That strong demand and pull will be easing, which gives you a chance, by the way, to catch up on unfilled orders and as product comes in the door,” Beaulieu said. “You’ll be able to put it together and be able to get it out the door, and you’re going to find yourself with your backlog slowing going down. And as new orders slowly ease in their rate of rise, your revenue is going to be fine and you’re going to catch up on your backlog and you’re going to find that they’re going to make your ’23 second half, especially, in very good shape.”

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Consumer spending resilience

“That’s, obviously, extremely low… That’s in part why Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, I think, have it wrong,” he said. “Because the American consumer is saying [of the Ukraine conflict], ‘Yeah, that’s horrible. Let’s keep spending.’ We’re just going to keep spending for as long as we can continue to keep spending. When you can’t see inflation of the last month robbing us of purchasing either—at least in a weekly year-over-year percent change—we’re just continuing to spend. As we continue to spend, then life is good. Thank a consumer on your way out.” Gas prices, which are linked to the Ukraine conflict, haven’t made American consumers flinch, either. One might assume high gas prices would take a big bite consumer spending, but ITR evidence shows otherwise. And historically (to 2000), when oil prices have shot up quickly, retail sales just continue to go along their merry way or go higher. Only the great recession of ’08 saw a bit of a consumer-spending dip. “Now, people will complain about it,” he said, “but the consumer can afford the higher gasoline prices. As Tough and reliable. Engineered to work hard so you don't have to. a percentage of our median income, it’s very affordable, and we can even go up higher. We think oil prices are going to go up higher if the war lasts, and they’ll be going up slightly as we go through the year. But we can afford it.” This extends to interest rates, too. Beaulieu fully expects interest rates to go up, and that might have a greater impact on people with variable rates on mortgages, and the housing market in general. But since only 9.3% of take-home pay is required to meet household debts, that’s low enough that the American consumer can absorb increases and keep right on spending. “[That 9.3% figure] can go up a long way before we’re in trouble,” he said. “The consumer is in a sound financial position.” As much as the Russia/Ukraine conflict, gas prices, and interest rates are in the news, an index of consumer spending from Johnson Redbook shows no impact on American economic attitudes since the Russian invasion. According to Beaulieu, that has to do with the relative amount of take-home pay it takes for Americans to make their household debt payments—only 9.3% nationally.

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Lead times for packaging machinery have been an unavoidable but real sore spot at the intersection between CPGs using the equipment and the OEMs building it. But look for those lead times to come back down to Earth, Beaulieu says, and OEMs may finally be able to take a breath. That’s because the U.S. Industrial Machinery Production Index, which includes packaging machinery, tracks quite nicely with the big picture trends of continued but slowing growth in the nearterm. Unfulfilled orders lag machinery production by three months or so, but the decelerating growth of the coming year will help with long lead times. The forecast demand for machinery looks to be peaking soon, or may be past its peak, giving OEMs a chance to catch up (see chart on previous page). “The fact that that blue line has reached the peak and starting to come down, and the fact that all the

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lead indicators show that the recent peak is starting to coming down, it says that your unfilled orders are about ready to reach a peak, and that rate of change is going to start to come down,” he said of the chart on page 35 (U.S. Industrial Machinery Production Index). “That means that the number of unfilled orders is going to slow in its rate of rise, eventually tip over, and then start coming down late this year into 2023. There is an end to this, and it’s already getting to be visible in the rates of change.” One specific area of interest for OEMs and CPGs alike, and one that’s highly fraught, is labor. It’s a double-edged sword like no other since the equipment OEMs make—automation—is essential for CPG and co-packers to navigate the low-labor environment. But OEMs need quality people on their own teams, they’re harder to come by, and competition to keep them is fierce. The ‘Great Resignation’ is expected to ease, per ITR, but the tight labor market is not. The April jobs report confirms what you know: it’s drum tight at an unchanged 3.6%, with 430,000 new jobs added. “Tight labor, it’s going to be with us for a long time,” Beaulieu said. “That works to your advantage, obviously, as you introduce automation, efficiencies, and a better way of doing things, but it’s also going to plague you as we go into the future because it’s not going to go away this decade. We simply are not having enough immigration into this country, and though our population’s growing, our economy is growing faster.”

time to adjust to the new normal. But it won’t be long until we’ll be back in overdrive. And when it does, expect a tight labor market and sticky-high prices. But thankfully, consumer spending should remain unperturbed by conflict, energy prices, or interest rates. Buckle up, according to Beaulieu and ITR, the “Roaring ’20s” are back. Visit www.itreconomics.com for methodologies, accuracy reporting, and more. PW

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Inflation, high prices prolonged due to conflict Like many in his economist cohort, Beaulieu had been betting on the inflationary pressures of an intentionally over-stimulated economy to soon abate, and for prices of raw materials to subside. But the situation in Ukraine has thrown a lifeline to high prices. “The war’s impact on our economy is that prices are going to stay sticky on the high side,” he said. “Normally, we would expect paperboard PPI to come down because the purchasing manager’s index is coming down. The most normal economic move going would be for that blue line to come down, for paperboard prices to come down, and before the war, I would have said the second half of this year, you’re going to see prices come down, but that’s not going to happen anymore because of the war. Copper will signal the same thing. What we’re going to find now is that prices, which are high, are going to stay hanging there. “That rate of rise, that really sharp rate of rise we all experienced, that’s over with, but none of this is going to come down. If you’re waiting for 2019 again, that’s not going to happen. It’s probably not going to happen at all this decade.” To review, the economy will be taking a breather in coming months, giving the packaging supply chain

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Digital Transformation of the Industrial Workforce The tools that help Pretium Packaging, Covestro, and J.M. Smucker Company tap into and transfer tribal knowledge on the factory floor. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Balance knowledge across shifts

Harmonize disparate platforms

By Stephanie Neil, Editor-in-Chief, OEM Magazine While the focus of industry’s digital transformation has largely been on industrial equipment, manufacturers are increasingly turning their attention to automating the flow of information to improve processes. Examining workflow issues at three companies—and how they addressed them—shows how the digital transformation is as much about improving people processes as it is about equipment operation. Pretium Packaging, a designer and manufacturer of packaging products for the food and beverage, personal care, and medical and consumer industries, has manufacturing facilities across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Many of these plants were acquired, and therefore, Pretium didn’t have a standardized way to share process improvement best practices. Similarly, Covestro, a manufacturer of high-tech polymer materials, needed a way to seamlessly implement new processes in each of its

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plant across the globe, even though many of these facilities use different systems to track variations. A key factor of the disconnect in getting new processes effectively implemented across all its plants was an inability to transfer updated information during shift changeovers. Meanwhile, J.M. Smucker Company was looking to improve its operations’ accuracy and efficiency by effectively combining data from multiple production systems. Though each of these examples differ, they all depict how companies are working to solve the same workforce issues. Between the Great Resignation brought on by the pandemic and an industrial skillset shortage, there is a need to equip people with tools that will drive operational efficiency and improve the employee experience. “Our customers are striving to improve capacity, productivity, and retention,” says Allen Hackman, general manager and global head of

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Lauren Dunford, co-founder and CEO of Guidewheel, agrees. “People have so much valuable information and knowledge and there is an important role [emerging] for getting information from their heads into a consistent and dependable system that can transition into a scalable system rather than ad hoc, one-off problem solving.”

Digital power to the people

the manufacturing industry vertical at ServiceNow, a cloud-based digital workflow platform. “They are dealing with turnover and an aging workforce, and they have a lot of manual processes on the shop floor, which means that many procedures are baked into Excel.” Hackman says he hears three things from ServiceNow customers. First, they want to remove paper processes from the factory floor. Second, they want to build knowledge into those processes, especially as people need to manage multiple jobs. And third, they want to onboard new workers faster by capturing and transferring the knowledge from experienced workers and retirees.

For its part, Guidewheel’s FactoryOps platform delivers what it describes as intuitive, out-of-the box workflows. It starts with a sensor that clips around the power cord of any device on the plant floor—regardless of the control system or the age of the machine. That sensor can then pull information into the cloud in real time. “It’s like a Fitbit for the machine,” Dunford says, explaining that it measures the power draw to spot microstops and differences in changeover or process time. As an always-on source of truth, the system is constantly working in the background to alert the right teammates immediately if there is a problem. “It is the heartbeat of the machine that you can then layer critical information on,” she adds. That critical information—delivered in real time and in context— could include reasons for downtime, quality issues, actions taken on machine components, labor issues, etc. End users can customize the drop-down menu to their own downtime codes. And using the FactoryOps web interface, which has a mobile component, a plant manager could wake up in the morning and pull up the status of a line to see if a

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machine is down and adjust the production schedule accordingly. Pretium Packaging is using Guidewheel to replace that “gut feeling” its workers have used in the past to determine what caused machine downtime with actual data-driven information that provides easy-to-understand information and escalates alerts to the proper people based on the problem the machine is having. “Before Guidewheel we had to physically go to every machine to figure out why it was down and document it,” says Steve Hernandez, a maintenance manager at Pretium. “Now we are able to react in a more timely manner… and our lives at Pretium have changed as we are now able to get alerts on our phones and react whether we are at home or at work.” In addition, the team can use the Guidewheel charts to see operating trends and take ownership of the machines. “Our team is more engaged and are generally concerned as to why [machines] are down,” he says. Indeed, having the ability to manage incidents is an important part of empowering operators in a digital-first world. ServiceNow recently released its Manufacturing Connected Workforce platform which provides maps and visual guides of a facility’s systems and processes, standard operating procedures to help ensure efficiency and compliance, and the ability to capture institutional knowledge on how to deliver best practices. The ServiceNow platform covers four areas. The first is the standard work that happens every day, which is digitized into checklists of things that need to get done. If a worker doesn’t know how to complete the task on the checklist, they can click on an instructional video to gain knowledge of the procedure. The second piece is exception management, which gives operators the ability to record an incident that drove a specification. Third, if something is wrong, such as an out-of-place safety guard, a worker can trigger an alert that requests some action be taken. Finally, once tasks and workflows are recorded, users can plot trends that help determine why a failure on a machine happened at the time it did. “The ultimate goal is to improve productivity in the factory; an impediment [to this] has been a lack of knowledge,” says Hackman. “We have a system of action. There are [other systems] that store data, and we sit across the top to be the system of engagement that workers interact with… [to] drive action. We make sure the task gets to the right person, ensure it gets done, and then learn from it.”

Changing of the Guard At Covestro, which has nearly 17,000 employees, managing shift changeovers requires all key information about the state of the plant systems and processes be evaluated and passed on when the next shift arrives. This is often done with handwritten notes, phone calls, or Excel spreadsheets. The company was looking for a web-based tool that could interface with its SAP ERP (enterprise resources planning) system and was adaptable to varying circumstances at different facilities. What they found was Shiftconnector from eschbach, an interactive shift log developed for the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. According to eschbach, incidents at process plants are more likely to occur after shift handovers, often due to the lack of digitized documentation from the prior shift. Shiftconnector streamlines communication across a range of operational activities using e-signatures, cross-shift and crossdepartment task allocation, and the ability to document all shift operations in an auditable way.

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NEW DESIGN In September 2021, eschbach introduced Shiftconnector Go Mobile Rounds, an application that connects field workers with board operators for routine actions and compliance management. In a daily scenario using Shiftconnector Go Mobile Rounds, workers download a task list of specific actions and proceed to specified locations where signoffs on the itemized actions occur. A QR code confirms the position in which the worker is located. As the items on the task list are reviewed, if an anomaly is discovered, such as leakage or a pressure issue, the worker is able to record the adverse event (including photo documentation), which is immediately shared in the shift report via the Shiftconnector platform. The information is then delivered to those responsible for corrective action. Evaluation of the action is recorded to assure compliance. Via the Shiftconnector platform, this information is integrated with shift reporting to alleviate any misinformation or omissions during shift handovers, ensuring compliance, safety, and reliability. “It enhances the full workflow beginning with scheduling the inspection, tracking in the field, and finally evaluation,” says Andreas Eschbach, founder and CEO of eschbach. “With mobile capabilities, communication with central operations is enhanced and paper documentation is eliminated resulting in better management of day-to-day plant operations and simpler execution for all involved.”

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Uniting Silos of Information GE Digital set out to solve the problem of disparate data that was causing headaches for its customer, the J.M. Smucker Company, as it relates to identifying and implementing specification changes. As a result of these efforts, GE Digital has released Proficy Orchestration Hub, a set of software tools designed to unify manufacturing product information from disparate systems. According to the company, the software can transform and organize raw business-oriented information into production-ready formats and orchestrate application of the resulting information across factory floor systems.

48” Rotary Accumulation & Unscramble Table • 10 Business day delivery advantage • New streamlined design creating flexibility in floorspace usage For example, many manufacturers store quality data in one system, orders in an ERP system, and recipe-related information in a PLM (product lifecycle management) system. These systems are often not connected, therefore someone has to look at all three to assess the impact on the factory floor. Furthermore, supply chain issues can cause production to be out of sync with the latest manufacturing product data, which could result in lower quality or more waste in operations. Proficy Orchestration Hub records, analyzes, and updates manufacturing product data in the plant; it also stores deviations and variances to provide visibility into changes. “Basically, it is making sure that the shop floor is operating off the right specs for a workorder,” explains GE Digital’s Prasad Pai, senior product manager for Proficy Orchestration Hub. “And when I ask customers how often these changes happen, they say sometimes it happens every couple of months and sometimes it happens every three hours.” That’s why having easy access to the right information is important—especially when the workforce is changing as fast as the digitized data. PW

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10 Temperature Monitor Qualification Considerations From the 2022 ISTA Forum TempPack: Panelists discussed the latest on temperature recording device (TRD) qualification, including dry ice and LCD screens, probes that disconnect, and what to consider before selecting a shipper integrated with a TRD. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Temperature monitors

Cold chain

Reusable devices

By Keren Sookne, Director of Editorial Content, Healthcare Packaging Magazine A panel (see panelist list on page 45) gathered at the TempPack conference at the 2022 ISTA FORUM in San Diego to talk about the real-world challenges and best practices for monitor qualification in thermal packaging. Key takeaways included the following: 1. Dry ice packouts: Mark Maurice, Solutions Consultant, Sensitech, noted that some in the industry aren’t aware that LCD screens don’t necessarily operate at those ultra low temperatures, making it appear that the sensor has stopped functioning. Testing your sensors will offer confidence that the sensor is still monitoring correctly even if the screen is not, or help you discover that the temperature recording device (TRD) truly did stop mid-shipment. The sensor should continue working if it is designed for those conditions. Moderator Bryan Cardis, Sr. Advisor, Eli Lilly and Company, noted he has heard of scenarios where technicians discarded the TRD because the screen was bleeding, so it’s important to define how to handle Sensitech recently launched its TempTale® Ultra BLE, the newest wireless addition failure modes properly. Some data is likely recover- to its line of digital temperature monitoring solutions. able as long as the TRD is receivable. 4. Disconnecting probes: If a probe can easily be disconnected 2. Startup delay: There is often a duration of time that the data logfrom its electronics, ensure you align with your metrology group to conger takes to get down to or up to the desired temperature. Because of firm whether that’s acceptable, said Eric Silberstein, Principal, eBiotech how TRDs are designed, be aware of the response rate of that unit and Consulting, LLC. ensure there is a startup delay for logging. Document how long it takes From the audience, Network Partners’ Karen Greene explained that for the whole system—panels, gel packs, PCMs—to all equilibrate and standalone temperature data loggers are calibrated as a system, meancome to within your temperature range. Additionally, make sure your ing as either a single channel or multi-channel device, any swap out of SOP defines startup and when the shipment is considered “ended” to the temperature probe will invalidate the calibration status. The probe or keep quality from chasing down false alarms. probes must remain with the logger to maintain appropriate calibration 3. A note on scanning: Arif Rahman, Director of Technology, MaxQ status. As a best practices note, it is highly recommended that frequent Research LLC, explained that packaging for hospital blood products may quality/temperature performance checks are executed on the temperabe tagged with a chemical indicator. An issue can arise when the employture data logger to ensure temperature performance within the calibraee sets the package on the table to scan it before placing it in a secondtion tolerances. As a typical calibration period is a 12-month interval, it ary container: if the chemical indicator makes contact with the table as could be problematic to discover that the logger was found “out of tolerit’s set down, it can warm up and change color leading to a false alarm.

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ance” at the 12-month calibration interval as it can call your data into question during that interval. When did the logger fall out of tolerance? What impact does the “out of tolerance” condition have on your data? 5. Multi-use TRD recovery: Silberstein also cautioned about cases where a multi-use TRD (in essence a reusable device) cannot be located for its 1-year recalibration. People may stick a TRD in a desk drawer for six months, or it may not return from its original destination. Brian Wallin noted that this can lead to costly and frequent deviations for devices not found. Silberstein recalled an example where quality asked him to find a device, but it was likely located in Puerto Rico, far from the California facility it originated from.

9. PDF data transfer: Maurice said not all PDFs are the same— there are higher and lower levels of encryption. Some monitoring systems embed their data in PDFs that are fully open source which can be modified with Word. He recalled an investigation into a freight forwarder that falsified a document because of the high value of the shipments, but he also stressed that the vast majority of companies are trustworthy. “It goes

91 92

Read this mechanical testing Q&A on passive thermal coolers. 6. TRD ownership: If you’re implementing multiuse TRDs, you need to consider the full lifecycle of the devices: reverse logistics, upkeep, and purchasing. Silberstein noted that for many companies, it may be best to put ownership of TRDs on the transportation service provider. Because a third party has a wide network, it might be OK for them to let a device sit in another country for a while and wait to send several back after they’ve accumulated, but he doesn’t see the value for many biotech companies to handle the work of TRD upkeep and logistics. 7. Integrated TRDs: Some packaging suppliers integrate TRDs into their shippers, and there are pros and cons to be aware of. They offer convenience to end users as all-in-one systems, and they eliminate concerns over qualifying probe locations. But before implementing, consider protocols for battery replacement, data access for the end user, and if additional (supplier-specific) software will be necessary to read the data. If the vendor owns the process and data, will there be an extra step for issue resolution, where you as the end user have to work with their customer service department instead of your own quality group? Address gaps in inter-company communication. Carolyn Williamson highlighted that if the TRD battery dies, you’ll have to remove it. A battery has only so much shelf life, and you’ll need safety stock to deal with supply chain disruptions, which will require space at your facility. 8. Light sensors: Questions remained at the panel regarding qualification of light sensors designed to alert an end user if a shipper is opened. Williamson said she determined in at least one case that the sensor needed a certain level of light to register, so she didn’t feel confident that that feature could prove to a health authority that it wasn’t opened.

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to 21 CFR part 11. If you can modify a document with Word, then you have to do a risk assessment,” he said. Photo editing software may be able to make changes, so it’s important to ask yourself how you’re managing the process to stay compliant with 21 CFR part 11. He also cautioned that even email is being scrutinized as a non-validated process for data transfer. 10. Predictive models: More and more focus is being placed on the power of predictive models to try and intervene when an excursion appears likely. An audience member asked, “How do quality groups look at prediction? How do you validate a predictive model?” The panelists said this will take time. Over time, you’re collecting data and feeding it back in. You keep tweaking the process and analysis so that the model becomes more accurate and confidence levels increase, explained Maurice. Silberstein said bringing in a neutral third party may help for testing the 100 or 200 test cases that this effort will need over the course of a year, along with issuing papers on the topic and ensuring it’s being computer validated. Rahman agreed, “It’s a process. First, we have to come up with a lot of test cases. We want to do per-

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Watch this video from ISTA’s Forum on sustainability in transport packaging.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE The 2022 ISTA Forum TempPack panel included (left to right), Mark Maurice, Solutions Consultant, Sensitech; Eric Silberstein, Principal, eBiotech Consulting, LLC; Moderator Bryan Cardis, Sr. Advisor, Eli Lilly and Company; and Arif Rahman, Director of Technology, MaxQ Research, LLC.

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formance verification, continuous monitoring to know that it’s still matching the prediction.” Parting words: While various features beyond temperature can be measured (e.g. light, humidity, and shock), ask yourself if those sensors are necessary to your process. If they’re not useful to you, then consider whether you need to go through the work of qualifying them. PW

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And we’re with you for the long term, with total service and factory-built parts to keep your lines running at top performance. Today and tomorrow, we’re here to serve you.

Since 1940, a tradition of innovation, quality & service 811 Live Oak St., Tarpon Springs, FL 34689 727-937-5144 - Fax: 727-938-1239

800-237-5975

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Co-Packing for a Cause Nonprofit co-packer provides secondary packaging services and offers employment opportunities to adults with disabilities. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Automated workflow

Synchronized processes

Workforce waiting list

By Natalie Craig, Contributor BCI Packaging, a pillar of Boone Center, Inc. (BCI), is a nonprofit co-packer with a social mission to employ adults with disabilities. Based in St. Peters, Mo., this contract packager offers shrink wrap, shrink sleeve, steam tunnel, pouch sealing, poly bagging, display assembly, kitting, quality inspection, rework and sorting, and ink jetting for a variety of markets. As labor struggles for co-packers and co-manufacturers are at an all-time high, BCI has a waiting list of talent as adults with disabilities choose to join its workforce. Simultaneously, BCI is also developing and churning out skilled workers that go on to work in other packaging facilities and businesses near BCI’s Midwest locations. All the while, BCI maintains a high-quality rating and reputation.

BCI Packaging headquarters

Humanitarianism is in the DNA BCI Packaging was founded in 1959 by Jane Crider and Margaret Holmes with the goal of providing meaningful employment to adults with disabilities. The company started making candles in its St. Charles location. In 1990, the company entered the co-packing industry. “What the company quickly found out is many adults with disabilities are amazing at repetitive tasks,” says Jaclyn Noroño-Rodriguez, MBA, CPSP, the former director of sales for BCI Packaging. “When you

BCI Packaging is a member of The Contract Packaging Association (CPA) and uses its membership to gain insight on industry drivers and business issues, as well as to network with peers and potential partners. “I’ve formed really great partnerships with other co-packers that are helping us learn how we can become better in certain areas,” says Noroño-Rodriguez. “I feel that I know way more about the industry, thanks to the CPA.” For more information on becoming a CPA member, visit: www.contractpackaging.org

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match up individual skills and abilities to the work at hand, it’s amazing what our employees can accomplish. Success begets success, and to see it in action is just amazing.” As BCI became one of the top employers in Missouri to assist adults with disabilities, it created new pillars to help further the company’s mission and the success of its programs. The company launched a competitive employment program in 2009, which serves as a matchmaking service for employers and adults with disabilities. And in 2019, BCI opened its Skills Center which offers vocational training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “We talk a lot about our employment continuum because we have adults with disabilities that may or may not be ready for the competitive environment,” says Noroño-Rodriguez. “Maybe it doesn’t work out, and that’s okay. They can apply to work on the packaging side in our facility. Maybe later on, they choose to attend the Skills Center. We continue to coach them in order to grow new skills. The whole purpose is to continue to support adults with disabilities, no matter where they are in life.” Today, BCI handles its main production in its St. Peters facility, which includes 100,000 sq. ft. of production, warehouse, and office space. The

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CPA Success Blooms at Events, Scholarships Open for Applicants The Contract Packaging Association kicked off the year with a rebranded annual event: ENGAGE – The Contract Packaging and Manufacturing Experience in Clearwater, Fla. and it set a record for number of registrations, attendees, and overall event participation. Following the annual event, the CPA attended Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif., where it displayed two full towers of CPA member material and capabilities. With a great booth location, over 150 leads were generated. CPA will also attend Natural Products Expo East this September 21-24, in Philadelphia. After Natural Products Expo West, the CPA attended PMMI’s PACK EXPO East with a location in the Workforce Development & Partner Pavilion. With four full towers of CPA member displays the booth traffic was incredible, and the conversations were constant. More than 200 leads were collected, and CPA looks forward to PACK EXPO International later this year in Chicago, October 23-26. Most recently, the CPA launched a new Scholarship Program. The CPA says it is committed to supporting the advancement of students who are pursuing a degree in packaging or a packaging-related field. The organization also helps individuals who are looking to improve their professional background and/or increase their skill set in the packaging world.

co-packer also has a 23,000-sq.-ft. production facility in neighboring town Moscow Mills, as well as a 40,000-sq.-ft. warehouse space in St. Charles. The company also leverages several local partner workshops. BCI has a 99.92% quality rating that it maintains by using QT9’s Quality Management Software for automated workflow and synchronized processes and Nulogy’s PackManager to assist in managing the production floor and warehouse. But its workforce also plays a big role in the company’s success.

Leveraging an untapped workforce BCI’s integrated workforce is made up of employees with and without disabilities. “Where we’re really struggling on the labor force is with the skilled labor, such as forklift drivers, that allows us to support our operations,” says Noroño-Rodriguez. But on the other end, BCI has a backlog of adults with disabilities that want to work at their facility. As an employment matchmaker and vocational skills trainer, it is BCI’s mission to place adults with disabilities at other businesses once they have shown an interest and gained the experience and skills necessary to succeed. And while many companies are struggling with employee turnover due to the Great Resignation, turnover at BCI is ultimately a sign that the company is doing something right. “We have to remember our North Star,” says Noroño-Rodriguez. “Yes, we want to make sure that we continue to grow, but we also must make

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The CPA says it proudly offers the following scholarships: Contract Packaging Association Collegiate Scholarship Collegiate Scholarships are open to students sponsored by a CPA member in good standing with the Association within the United States and Canada (via a supporting letter providing applicant relationship). These three scholarships for $1000 each provide additional support to students as they navigate their packaging careers. Contract Packaging Association Professional-Certification/ Workplace-Grant Scholarship Certification Scholarships are open to employees and family members of employees whose sponsor is a current member of the CPA in good standing. These scholarships provide additional support to industry professionals looking to enhance their skillsets. Scholarships will be awarded throughout the year once proof of registration for a certificate program or class is provided to the CPA and reviewed by the scholarship judges. Scholarship applications must be approved by the judges PRIOR to taking the course. Course(s) fees cannot exceed $2,000. Connect with CPA at Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia, PA in September, PACK EXPO International in Chicago, IL in October, and a PLMA Reception in Rosemont, Il. in November. —Melissa Griffen

sure that we continue to serve a need. We have clients and need to hit numbers, just like any other business.” On top of its high-quality rating, BCI retains its customers, as more than 80% of BCI’s business are return clients.

Flexibility is key In a typical assembly line in BCI’s facility, there are line workers with and without disabilities. There are also line leads and production supervisors that are overseeing one or multiple lines. A production manager and her assistant double-check setups and skill levels across the board. Employment support specialists will help develop skills for adults with disabilities while quality auditors check each line at least eight times a day to make sure that the company is meeting product specs and that quality is up to par. Over the past couple of years, BCI Packaging has been seeing a lot of demand for shrink wrapping of anything from household products to pet food. Today, the demands are changing to include more OEM and pharma business. Just like every contract packager and manufacturer, BCI has to remain adaptable and flexible as its jobs change frequently and largely depend on consumer demands and industry trends. “The flexibility in how we’ve been able to pivot and help every one of our packaging partners make sure they get the product that they need when they need it is huge,” says Noroño-Rodriguez. “We are able to provide full visibility through the entire process, thanks to Nulogy, and that makes us pretty unique in the industry.”

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BCI Packaging Headquarters: St. Louis, MO Employees: 350 Annual revenue: $16.7 million Main industries served: Manufacturing Types of products handled: CPG, household goods, pet food, pharmaceutical, dental, and medical. Packaging services offered: shrink wrap/shrink sleeve, steam tunnel, pouch sealing/fin sealing, poly bagging, display assembly, kitting, quality inspection, rework and sorting, and ink jetting. Certifications provided: FDA registered for foods and medical devices, USDA registered for shipping into Canada, Safe Quality Food (SQF) compliant, Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) compliant, and ISO 9001:2008 compliant.

BCI finds the balance between priotitizing the people and optimizing through automation.

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GED

A recent project Noroño-Rodriguez and her team say they are most proud of required quick problem solving and adaptivity. One of BCI’s customers had aerosol and liquid products that they were rebranding. They hired BCI to remove a wraparound label and apply a new label. “Simple,” says Noroño-Rodriguez. “Well, when we got the product, we learned that the label was not as easily removable. We tried it for a few days, trying to figure out what we could do better. We didn’t think it was going to be that difficult.” BCI worked with a label provider and the client to come up with an over label, instead of having to remove the old label and apply a new one. After applying the over label, BCI ran trials and deemed the new solution to be better. The process took three weeks, but it paid off. “The customer was even happier with the fact that we were proactive about trying out different strategies to fix the problem in-house before we contacted them,” says Noroño-Rodriguez. “They’ve actually awarded us another SKU for repeat production.”

“We’re meeting our social mission to continue to employ adults with disabilities, but we’re also making sure that we serve the customer demand,” says Noroño-Rodriguez. “Much like that, we’ve implemented other machines with that same thought in mind, to make sure that we continue to create opportunities for adults with disabilities to continue to be employed.” PW

WE ALREADY WAITED YOUR

Prioritizing people and propelling innovation BCI always needs to optimize as it did with that past project, but it also needs to prioritize its people by giving them hands-on experience on the line. So how do they automate when necessary while also providing more opportunities to handle the product and packaging? During another project, the company was handling a 114-count jar fill by hand with five people on the line. Line people were manually filling, weighing, and heat sealing the jars, achieving five completed pallets per day. However, the customer requested more output. So, not only did BCI automate parts of the line to increase output up to 25 pallets a day, but they also made it so that they could employ 15 adults with disabilities on that line.

LEAD TIMES PROCESSING EQUIPMENT IN

48 HOURS PACKAGING EQUIPMENT IN

7 DAYS COMPLETE LINES IN

6 WEEKS BCI is one of the top employers in Missouri to hire and train adults with disabilities.

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Membership Directory For in-depth searches on individual members’ capabilities, visit www.contractpackaging.org 360 CO-PACK CORPORATION WWW.360COPACK.COM 6 Degrees Collective www.6degreescollective.com A1 Creative Packaging www.a1creativepackaging.com Aaron Thomas Company, Inc. - Corporate www.packaging.com Accel Inc www.accel-inc.com Alchemy Nutra, LLC www.alchemynutra.com Aljan Packaging www.aljanpackaging.com APAK Packaging LLC www.apak-pkg.com Apex Display Group www.Apexpop.com Apollo Health and Beauty Care www.apollocorp.com Asiapack Ltd www.asiapack.com Assemblers Inc. www.assemblers.com Assemblies Unlimited, Inc. - Corporate www.assemblies.com Associated Packaging, Inc. www.associatedpackagingpro.com Assured Edge Solutions www.aes-roc.com BCI Packaging www.bcipackaging.com Bev-Hub www.bev-hub.com Big Easy Blends www.bigeasyblends.com Birchwood Contract Manufacturing www.birchwoodcontract.com Blue Chip Group www.bcgcopacking.com Bluegrass Packaging Industries, Inc. www.bluegrasspackaging.com Bolke-Miller Company www.bolkemiller.com Bonded Pac LLC www.bondedpac.com

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Cactus Juice Bottling www.cactusjuicebottling.com CCB Packaging www.ccbpackaging.com Challenge Unlimited, Inc www.advancedoutsourcesolutions.com Chippewa Packaging www.chippewapackaging.com CHL Packaging www.chlpackaging.com Concept Laboratories www.conceptlabs.org Coregistics - Corporate www.coregistics.com CREDMADE www.credmade.com Crest Foods Co., Inc. www.crestfoods.com CRI, Inc. www.crind.org Crystal Packaging Inc. www.crystalpackaging.com CTI Packaging & Fulfillment www.ctipack.com Culinary Focus & The Spice Guild www.culinary-focus.com Cup Pac Packaging, Inc. www.cuppac.com CWS Contract Packaging www.cwspackaging.com DAMRON Packaging & Logistics Group www.damronplg.com DeEnterprises www.deenterprises.com Desiccare, Inc. www.desiccare.com Do-It Corporation www.do-it.com DOLCE AMORE www.dolceamoreny.com Dominion Liquid Technologies www.dltdelivers.com Econo-Pak www.econo-pak.com EMCO Chemical Packaging www.emcochempack.com

Emerald 66 Enterprises LLC www.emerald-66.com Exact Packaging Inc. - Corporate www.exactpack.com FasPac Packaging, LP www.faspacllc.com First Choice Packaging Solutions www.firstchoicepackaging.com FoxconnTechnology Group www.foxconn.com Fresh Food Factor - Creative Concepts & Packaging www.freshfoodfactor.org/co-packing Full Sail Brewing www.fullsailbrewing.com Georgia Packing www.gulfstatescs.com GH Guenther Huettlin Manufacturing Inc. www.ghmanufacturing.com Gilchrist & Soames www.contractmanufacturing.gilchristsoames.com Goodwill Integrated Solutions www.goodwilldetroit.org/about/goodwillautomotive GreenSeed Contract Packaging www.greenseedcp.com Hatch Companies www.hatchrichmond.com/packaging Healthy Food Ingredients www.hfifamily.com Henry Broch & Co www.hbroch.com Herbco International, Inc. www.herbcointl.com Herkimer Industries www.archerkimer.org Higley Industries www.higleyinc.com Honeyville www.honeyville.com Hood Container Corporation www.hoodcontainer.com IBR Packaging LLC www.ibrpackaging.com Industrial Packaging www.industrialpackaging.com

5/20/22 10:25

Influance Manufacturing www.influancehaircare.com Integrated Re-Pack & Logistics www.integratedrepack.com JBM Packaging www.jbmpackaging.com Keller Logistics Group www.kellerlogistics.com Kleen Concepts www.kleen-concepts.com Komplete Packaging Service www.kpak.com KO-Pack Inc. www.kopack.us Kristy K Organics www.kristykorganics.com Landaal Packaging Systems www.landaal.com LB Processors, LLC www.privatelabelcopacking.com Liquipak Corporation www.liquipak.com Manna Foods, LLC www.mannafoods.us Maple Mountain Co-Packers www.gommcp.com Marquis XT www.marquisxt.com Matt Pak Inc. www.mattpak.com Maverick Packaging, Inc. www.maverickpackaginginc.com Mid-Continent Packaging, Inc. www.midcontinentpkg.com Minimus Products LLC www.minimusproducts.biz Miracle CS Industries www.miraclecsindustries.com Mother Trail, LLC www.mothertrail.com MSI Express www.msiexpress.com MSL Copack + Ecomm www.msl-indy.com MSW Packaging www.mswpackaging.com Multi-Pack Solutions www.multipacksolutions.com Namar Foods www.namar.com Nature’s Distribution www.naturesdistribution.com NBC Packaging www.nbcpackaging.com New Caney Beverage www.ncbeverage.com NOVA Enterprise www.novaenterpriseservice.com Novalent Limited www.novalent.com

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NP Food Service Sales, LLC www.npfss.com PAC Contract Services www.pac.com Pack’n Fresh, LLC www.packnfresh.com Packaging Group Corp www.packaginggroupcorp.com PacMoore Process Technologies www.pacmoore.com Paket Corporation www.paketcorp.com Pak Technologies, Inc. www.paktech.com PCI, Inc. www.pcistl.com Peoria Production Solutions www.peoriapros.com Performance Packaging of Nevada, LLC www.pplv.co Pristex Solutions www.pristex.com Protech Nutra, Inc. www.protechnutra.com Pure and Gentle Inc. www.pureandgentlesoap.com Quality Packaging / Pro Pac www.qualpac.com Quality Packaging Specialists International www.qpsiusa.com REO Processing Inc. www.reoprocessing.com RGA Enterprises, Inc. www.rgaenterprises.com RRP Packaging www.rrp-mfg.com Ruspak Contract Packaging Services www.ruspak.com Select Brands, LLC www.select-brands.net Sigma Services Corporation www.sigmasvs.com SMT Packaging LLC www.smtpackaging.com Solvera Labs LLC www.solveralabs.com SourceAmerica www.sourceamerica.org South Atlantic Packaging www.southatlanticpackaging.com Southeast Packaging www.sepimports.com Spec Enterprise www.specenterprise.com Sterling Contract Packaging, Inc. www.sterlingcpi.com Steuart Contract Packaging www.fillingservices.com Sweetener Solutions www.sweetenersolutions.com

The Lab, LLC www.thelabmn.com The Lion Brewery www.lionbrewery.com/contractbrewing The Platinum Packaging Group www.platinumpkggroup.com The Raymond Hadley Corp. www.raymondhadley.com The Shippers Group www.shipperswarehouse.com TransChemical Inc. www.transchemical.com Trividia Manufacturing Solutions www.trividiams.com TRM Services www.trmserv.com Troystar Food Packaging www.tsfoodpackaging.com TurboPack, LLC www.turbopackllc.com U.S. Packaging LLC www.uspackagingllc.com US Natural Group www.usnaturalgroup.com Valk Industries, Inc. www.valkindustries.com Valley Food Systems www.valleyfoods.com VARC, Inc. www.varcinc.com Volk Paxit, LLC www.volkboxes.com Waco Bottling www.wacobottling.com Wannemacher Total Logistics www.wanntl.com WePackItAll www.wepackitall.com We Pack Logistics, LP www.wepack.com Western Innovations Inc. www.westerninnovationsinc.com Wixon www.wixon.com World Contract Packaging www.worldcontractpack.com www.mahani.us www.mahani.us Xela Pack www.xelapack.com Xpress360 Inc. www.xpress-360.com Yellow Emperor www.yellowemperor.com ZoRoCo Packaging Inc www.ZoRoCoPackaging.com

5/20/22 10:25

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By Anne Marie Mohan, Senior Editor

Milk-Bone Rebrand Affirms, ‘Life’s More Fun with a Dog’ Pure doggie joy—that’s the emotion that comes through on new packaging for The J.M. Smucker Company’s Milk-Bone dog biscuit brand. The smile that crosses the consumer’s face upon spotting the new branding on the store shelf is the result of a partnership between the J.M. Smucker team and brand strategy and design agency CBX that involved work on research and insights, brand architecture, design strategy, identity design, package design, and a photo shoot with 80 dogs.

Born in New York City 1908, Milk-Bone has been the category leader in dog treats for much of its 100-plus-year history, begging the question, why rebrand? “I think two reasons,” says Ryan Thomas, VP of Marketing, Pet Division, The J.M. Smucker Company. “One, Milk-Bone is a healthy brand. And a healthy business is one that is constantly looking back at itself and seeing what it can do better. As a brand team, as good brand stewards over the past two years, we had stared at the brand and said, we can do better on our packaging. Our brand deserves to be in the 21st century, to be blunt. “The other driving force was that our country had changed. We knew that many millennial and Gen Z households were having their first fur babies to start their families. There was just a cultural shift in dog parents in general, and what those dog parents are expecting, and how they ‘treat’ that moment with their pet.” As with most iconic brands, the challenge was to retain enough of the existing brand elements to ensure consumers still recognized the brand on-shelf, while providing a fresh, modern feel. “The biggest concern is we are a 113-year-old brand, and we have a household penetration that is the highest in the category—our awareness is really high,” says Thomas. “So, people know Milk-Bone, they know

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the box, our loyalty rates are some of the highest in the category. We also know from research that consumers shop by the image of the dog that’s on the front of our package. Disrupting the neurological habitual pathways that have been created is dangerous. If it takes them more than a quarter of a second more than it did last time to shop and find their favorite treat, that’s a problem. I think that was what kept me up at night.” CBX began its work on the rebrand in January 2020, guided by research from J.M. Smucker. Shares Chris Cook, Creative Director for CBX, “We learned that the dog imagery [on the existing packaging] was key to delivering on the anticipation of the treat and helped to communicate joy and happiness. Even more so, we found that the classic wagging tongue of the dogs helped further communicate taste and anticipation. We also learned how willing current Milk-Bone consumers were to embrace change, which was crucial for our success. We needed to retain the essence of the Milk-Bone brand while enhancing consumers’ engagement with the package.” CBX worked with Milk-Bone to establish the key pillars to better organize the brand’s portfolio of 25+ SKUs and conducted work sessions to strategically align to equities across the brand architecture pillars and bring them to life. “We created a visual and verbal toolkit designed around the concept of ‘Life’s More Fun with a Dog,’ and used that foundation to overhaul the packaging system with a fresh, updated feel,” explains CBX Client Director Katherine Spahr.

Free Download: Pet Packaging Sustainability Two consumer trends that stemmed from the pandemic have been increased scrutiny on packaging’s sustainability, and a lot more time spent with—thus money spent on—pets. What kinds of packaging sustainability trends are affecting the pet food market? Find out in this report. Visit pwgo.to/7375 for the free download from Packaging World and PMMI Media Group. PW

5/20/22 13:15

BEFORE

AFTER

These toolkits comprised distinct typography, color systems, photo styling, and copy approaches. Shares Cook, it was important for CBX to keep the iconic bone-shaped Milk-Bone brand mark and legacy red color of the packaging, which together create strong brand recognition and approachability. Dog imagery, designed to mimic the exciting moment a dog looks up at you for a treat, was evolved to become a larger, even more important element of the packaging that engages the consumer at-shelf and helps them shop their dog size. However, capturing that dog imagery was no walk in the park. The 80-dog photo shoot, overseen by Cook and CBX Design Manager Brendon Reilly, required them to have a few tricks up their sleeve, as well as lots of patience. “A lot more goes into selecting the dogs than one would think,” shares Reilly. “The first task was narrowing it down to match the breeds on the current packaging, creating a smooth transition for consumers. Next came the casting, where we went through countless casting sheets to look for dogs that were not only adorable, but looked like they photograph well. Dogs that have a naturally expressive face give the humans a much easier job.” Each SKU required the team to get a specific shot. Since it was the first time for many dogs on a photo shoot, the team had to help the dogs get used to the flashes. Strategies used to calm the “models” and keep them focused included treats and dog and cat toys. Says Reilly, “Some dogs gave a hundred great shots, and other dogs gave just one, but all it takes is just one.” Reflecting on the rebrand, Thomas says, “We know consumers shop with emotion, and the pet category is driven by love and adoration for our pets. We brought that emotion of the dog to life front and center, in their eyes and in their smile, which is very compelling and memorable. It was not just the photography itself, but the placement, positioning, size, color—everything working together. We selected specific packaging formats and the matte overlay to really make the photography pop off the package. We made sure to showcase the actual size of the Milk-Bone treat, making it look very realistic on-pack. Those three things were an opportunity for us to amplify the strong brand assets and icons we had, and push into where the zeitgeist is today in terms of how consumers perceive brands, make purchases, and develop loyalty to a brand.” The new package design for Milk-Bone’s biscuits, treats, chews, and supplements launched in summer/fall 2020, and is continuing to roll out on shelves nationwide. PW

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Time to rethink end of line palletizing Introducing the RI20 palletizer, combining productivity, flexibility, and simplicity. 1. The RI20 control system focuses on usability and intuitiveness. The operator is in full control of the palletizer – for straightforward, easy installation and configuration. 2. A non-bolted installation allows for mobility, meeting the growing demand for flexibility in production. 3. Thanks to an advanced safety system and two pallet positions, the operator can exchange a full pallet without stopping the palletizing process. Setting the standard for end-of-line robotics. Email us at info.us@flexlink.com or visit us at flexlink.com to find out more about the RI20.

5/25/22 16:49

Visit the link below each item for more info.

54 PW JUN2022

TECHNOLOGY

Recyclable Mono-material PE-based Film ProAmpac introduces ProActive Recyclable® R-2000S mono-material PE-based film designed for microwave vegetable steaming. It can run on high-speed f/f/s equipment and is prequalified for store drop-off recycling.

ProAmpac pwgo.to/7564

Vision System

Cartoners for Pharma, Personal Care Applications IWK Packaging Systems introduces the VI 5 (shown) intermittent- and VC 5 continuous-motion vertical cartoners designed for packaging a variety of pharma or personal care containers.

Cognex launches the In-Sight 2800 series vision system designed to put the power of a full-featured vision system into an easy-to-use package that gets applications running in minutes.

IWK Packaging Systems pwgo.to/7447

Cognex pwgo.to/7562

Moisture Barrier Paper Cortec’s EcoShield® barrier paper is made with a water-based barrier coating that creates a fully recyclable replacement for polycoated and wax papers.

Cortec Corp. pwgo.to/7549

Air Cushioning Film

Pouch Machine for Medical Products Shawpak’s 4SS 4-side-seal pouch machine is designed to pack medical products up to 5 mm thick, at rates to 4,000/hr and can also produce three-side seals for manual packaging lines.

Shawpak pwgo.to/7485

Pregis introduces the Renew™ Zero 100% recycled-content, carbon-neutral air cushioning film designed for use with its AirSpeed® systems across Europe.

Pregis pwgo.to/7517

Recyclable Protective Mailer HexcelPack introduces the Hexcel’ope™ mailer, a paperbased alternative to traditional plastic bubble mailers used for e-commerce. It is curbside recyclable and fully biodegradable.

HexcelPack pwgo.to/7516

Technology_AdIndex_0622.indd 54

Automated Canister Wipe Packaging Machine Shemesh’s Xpander+ canister wipe packing machine is fully automated, featuring hands-free operation at a throughput of up to 35 packs/min.

Shemesh Automation pwgo.to/7486

5/20/22 15:57

AD INDEX Search Packworld.com for additional information on any of the advertisers listed or visit their website directly ADVERTISER WEBSITE

PAGE

A-B-C Packaging Machine Corp. www.abcpackaging.com

Modular Liquid Filler

Allied Technology LLC www.allied-technology.com

Syntegon’s LFS filling machine has a modular concept that allows for individual configurations to meet the needs of dairy and food manufacturers and is designed to fill liquid, viscous, and pump-required products into preformed containers.

BCI Packaging www.bcipackaging.com

BluePrint Automation www.blueprintautomation.com

Domino Amjet Inc. www.domino-na.com

Eriez Magnetics www.eriez.com

FlexLink Systems, Inc www.flexlink.com/en/home

Frain Industries www.fraingroup.com

General Packaging Equipment www.generalpackaging.com

GRA Services International www.graservices.com

Heat and Control, Inc. www.heatandcontrol.com

IAI America Inc. www.intelligentactuator.com

Syntegon Technology pwgo.to/7448

Un-packing Machine Polypack introduces the Unwrapper unpacking machine designed to remove shrink film from corrugated trays.

Polypack, Inc. pwgo.to/7571

ID Technology www.idtechnology.com

Intralox www.intralox.com

James Alexander Corp. www.james-alexander.com

KHS AG www.khs.com

Klöckner Pentaplast, Food Packaging www.kpfilms.com

IFC

Label-Aire, Inc. www.label-aire.com

36, 37

mk North America, Inc www.mknorthamerica.com

Messe Essen www.messe-essen.de

Modular Conveyor Express www.modularconveyor.com

Nercon Conveyor Systems www.nerconconveyors.com

Decentralized I/O

PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies www.pmmi.org

Festo’s CPX-AP-I decentralized I/O reduces wiring and shortens pneumatic tube runs, resulting in easier and faster installation of components and a clean, streamlined-looking packaging line.

Roberts PolyPro www.robertspolypro.com

Serpa Packaging Solutions www.serpapackaging.com

Festo pwgo.to/7566

ThyssenKrupp Rasselstein Gmbh www.thyssenkrupp-steel.com

Triangle Package Machinery Company www.trianglepackage.com

17, 29, 33, IBC

Recyclable Mailers

U.S. Tsubaki, Inc. www.ustsubaki.com

Tishwish’s sustainable mailers are made from a corn-based biopolymer, are 100% compostable, and are fully customizable.

Van der Graaf www.vandergraaf.com

OBC

WestRock www.westrock.com/aps

OFC

Tishwish pwgo.to/7450

Technology_AdIndex_0622.indd 55

Connect with a Leaders in Packaging supplier and support packaging education!

www.packworld.com/leaders

5/25/22 16:51

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THE INSIDER

By Ben Miyares | Packaging Sherpa

Market Challenges Trigger Creative Responses These are tough times. Pandemic lockdowns, rising costs, wild fires, wars, regulatory restrictions, supply chain bottlenecks, changing customer preferences and other market challenges are slowing manufacturing operations. But if those challenges are slowing production, they often can have the opposite effect on packaging development, forcing packagers off their beaten supply paths in the search for alternative solutions. Packagers and their development partners are always pushing to work around whatever challenges the market presents. A cursory scan of recent new product and packaging advances reveals that a hierarchy of environmental preferability is at play: paper, metal and glass often out ranking plastics in the search for lighter, stronger, more sustainable packaging formats and more streamlined operations. • Replacement of plastic packaging, particularly singleuse formats, on environmental grounds, is trending. So too are sustainability ventures shaping glass, metal, and paper packaging to do more with less. Gone in the name of sustainability are shrink multipacks for steel cans of Bumble Bee tuna from Bumble Bee Seafood Co. Likewise, plastic wrappers for Smarties candies and paper/poly foil wrappers for Maggi bouillon cubes are among changes for environmental motives made by Nestlé. Polyethylene bottles of bubble solution from American Bubble Co. have been replaced by aluminum bottles. Bumble Bee is switching to paperboard wraparound cartons wrapped snugly around the cans by a Meridian wraparound case packer from R.A. Jones, a Coesia Company, to replace the industry-standard film for Bumble Bee’s 4-, 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-count can multipacks. “This is significant because it will eliminate an estimated 23 million pieces of plastic waste annually,” says Dr. Leslie Hushka, senior vice president of Global Corporate Responsibility for Bumble Bee and, she adds, “it also moves our company to 98% readily recyclable packaging within our total product line.” Paperboard for Bumble Bee’s cartons, made from 100% recycled material, with at least 35% post-consumer recycled content, is Forest Stewardship Council certified. • New Jersey enacted a problematic law mandating recycled content for packaging (pwgo.to/7575). The measure mandates escalating (to 50%) levels of post-consumer recycled content in packaging made or sold in N.J., including rigid plastic containers, glass containers, paper, plastic carryout bags, and plastic trash bags. The law also bans sale of polystyrene loose fill packaging, but exempts rigid plastic containers for drugs, dietary supplements, medical devices,

and cosmetics. “We need to use less virgin plastic and this recycled content bill will set a national standard that will move us toward using more recycled content—and not virgin plastic—for plastic containers,” comments Doug O’Malley, Director of Environment New Jersey. • A clean, easy, inexpensive PET recycling process breaks down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into component parts using zirconium-based, nano-sized metal-organic framework (MOF) catalyst. Researchers at Northwestern University’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences refined a process (pwgo.to/7576) to eliminate expensive, energy-intensive production/separation of xylenes. Another NU research team is focused on free radical polymerization to encapsulate synthetic PETase enzyme to “help engineers develop solutions for removing microplastics from rivers and oceans.” • Paper, the oldest and arguably most sustainable packaging material, is not a good barrier to oil or moisture transmission. The cubic angularity of conventional paper containers (boxes, cartons) is a fine carrier for graphics, but without some shield to block moisture and oxygen migration through their walls, most don’t offer much in the way of barrier protection. Not surprisingly, investigators are trying to expand the notion of cartons from angular blocks for oxygen-insensitive dry products to include molded vessels for harder-to-hold oxygen-sensitive liquids, such as fruit juices, carbonated drinks, and wine. • U.S. demand for aluminum beverage cans rose 20% between 2018 and 2021, hitting 133 billion cans last year. Responding to surge, Novelis Inc. built a 600,000 metric ton a-year aluminum rolling plant near Mobile, Ala. Bevcan makers will take 2⁄3 of the new plant’s output. Two factors are behind demand growth: lingering pandemic-induced rise in at-home vs. bar/restaurant drinking, and concerns about plastic bottle waste. • Twelve years after the 2010 launch of a peel-open thermoformed cup for two-way dispensing of Heinz ketchup, called Dip & Squeeze, Kraft Heinz is reimagining the packaging idea as Dip & Crunch: a single-serve offering of hamburger dipping sauce with a side of potato chip crumbles. The sauce is held in an opaque barrier cup and the chip bits in a clear PET cup sealed with poly-coated foil that is nested head-to-head in the recessed rim of the sauce cup. The cups are held together with band of shrink wrap perforated to release and facilitate opening of the cups. To be sure, many of these fledgling packaging proposals will find it tough transitioning from inventive sketch to operational blueprint. But then again, some of them surely will. PW

Ben Miyares, Packaging Sherpa, is a packaging market and technology analyst and is president of The Packaging Management Institute, Inc. He can be reached at bmiyares@packmgmt.org.

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