Day: October 26, 2022

A significant percentage of Coca-Cola’s packaging is designed to be recyclable, while the company’s strategic goal is to collect the equivalent of every bottle and can it sells by 2030.

These initiatives unite millions of volunteers and organisations in South Africa and around the globe to tackle the world’s packaging problem and focus on establishing a sustainable and environmentally conscious planet.

Coca-Cola recognises that the country has a packaging problem and through its Jamii sustainability platform, Coca-Cola is tackling social and environmental issues relating to water, waste, and wealth on the continent.

“As Coca-Cola in South Africa, a central focus of our business is the sustainability of the environment and communities in which we operate,” says Babongile Mandela, public affairs, communications and sustainability director at Coca-Cola Africa

“We are on a journey to reduce, recycle and re-use the packaging we produce to create a circular economy where packaging produced does not end up in the environment, but forms part of a value chain where ‘waste’ can be recycled back into valuable materials used to produce more packaging, or, where this isn’t possible, into other materials like furniture or building materials,” explains Mandela.

#WorldWithoutWaste vision

As part of its Jamii waste pillar, Coca-Cola and its #WorldWithoutWaste vision focuses on three strategic pillars: design, collect and partner.

Investing in smart packaging designs is the first step toward a #WorldWithoutWaste.

Beverage packaging has value and life beyond its initial use and Coca-Cola believes that it should be collected and recycled into new packaging as part of a circular economy.

This means keeping materials in use, either as their original product through re-use or (when that can no longer be used) through recycling back to raw materials. This way, nothing becomes waste and the intrinsic value of products, and their materials are retained.

Better designed packaging

Coca-Cola in South Africa has made strides in packaging innovation. For example, the most popular Coca-Cola package, the 2L bottle, is now available in returnable/re-useable PET in selected geographies across South Africa.

The 1.5L returnable/re-useable PET bottle has been available in the Western Cape for 28 years. Instead of producing single-use bottles, these bottles go on a looped journey to be cleaned and refilled to start the next lifecycle until they are ultimately recycled to form another PET bottle.

Another stride toward conscientious packaging is that Sprite’s iconic green packaging has shifted toward clear branding to allow for greater recyclability.

During the sorting process, green and other coloured PET bottles are separated from clear materials to avoid discolouring the newly recycled PET materials.

By transforming these bottles into clear PET, they can be recycled with greater ease. In addition, our water brand, Bonaqua, is packaged in 100% recycled plastic, which is a first for the local market.

Coca-Cola’s other global packaging goals include ensuring that all the packaging it uses is recyclable by 2024, by 2030 to sell at least 25% of its beverages in reusable formats and to include 50% recycled content in its packaging.

The company will continue its journey in ensuring it collects the equivalent of every bottle and can it sells by 2030 and continue to collaborate with various partners and communities to collectively achieve a World Without Waste.

Source:

https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/178/231771.html

Retail giant Woolworths has launched two new lipstick ranges packaged in paper and bamboo tubes. The company says the range is specifically designed for South African women.

Zero waste

Since announcing its vision for zero packaging waste to landfill, Woolworths says they have been creating innovative packaging that is either reusable and/or recyclable.

The bamboo and paper tubes are recyclable and Forest Steward Council ® (FSC®) Mix certified which means that they are made from well-managed FSC-certified forest, recycled materials, and other controlled sources.

FSC® plays an active role in protecting the world’s forests and their certification is assurance that these wood and paper tubes are sourced responsibly and do not contribute to deforestation. (FSC® N002141).

New colour range

The two new WBeauty ranges offer customers two new colour ranges which have been designed for all South African women with a range of ten different Longwear nudes and Matt lip colours designed to complement all skin tones.

Source:

https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/178/231763.html

Along with a new graphics design, Uptime Energy bottles are squatter to fit into shrinking cooler spaces and to improve 12-pack stability.

Energy drinks are experiencing growth that’s nothing short of energetic. An Allied Market Research report released in March pegs the market’s growth at 8.2% annually to reach $108.4 billion from 2022 to 2030.

That means more sales, more brands, and more stockkeeping units. It follows that space at retail is growing ever tighter in what was already a highly competitive

It’s a survival of the fittest scenario, exacerbated by stores shrinking the height of shelves in coolers to create more shelves with more products crammed into the same overall space.

In response, Uptime Energy redesigned its aluminum bottles to better fit into a new and tighter retail reality while reaping secondary packaging benefits as well.  

Claimed as the first-to-market premium and better-for-you energy drinks, the brand unveiled the new bottles during the NACS Show 2022, an event for the convenience store (and fueling) market held in early October.

“NACS was an excellent opportunity to debut our new packaging with national convenience-store chains and secure new partnerships for 2023,” Chris Spiegel, SVP Operations, informs Packaging Digest.

“We’ve always been proud of our unique aluminum bottle and the refreshing, sparkling liquid inside,” says Benjamin Kim, CEO. “Our latest packaging innovation allows for increased visibility and placement opportunities which supports our continued strong growth. Consumers love our delicious flavors and the productive energy we provide. Being able to increase availability and bring Uptime to all their favorite retail chains will greatly expand our loyal fan base. We are very excited to see our new shorter aluminum bottle launch with the 2023 resets!”

The innovative new bottle design remains resealable, but is shorter with a wider base. The extra width increases the bottle stability as well as that of the 12-count multipack. It also improves retail displays, while reducing shrinkage.Image courtesy of Uptime Energy, Packaging Digest

The resized aluminum bottles also sport a new graphics look.

The goal of the graphics design was two-fold, explains Spiegel. “Maintain consistency with our current package by keeping all key elements — colors, fonts, and layout — while introducing images representative of the flavor. Our delicious, refreshing flavors are a key attribute that our consumers comment on and love. 

“Also, by adding the fruit image, we hope to convey this to new consumers to entice them to try Uptime.”

The energy drinks are split into two distinct product lines identified by the main color theme: black for products sweetened with natural cane sugar and white for products formulated without sugar.

Spiegel tells us that the artwork was designed internally by the art department led by Chief Creative Officer, Carrie Kim.

Spiegel notes that the project required development time by both the bottle manufacturer to create it and for Uptime to work with its contract bottling network.

Initial feedback from distributors and chain partners has been great on both the bottle height, new graphics, and the fruit images on the bottle.

The new packaging will start shipping in January, he informs us.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/beverage-packaging/redesigned-packaging-energizes-bottles-look-and-shape

The iglide i6-BLUE laser sintering powder from igus is designed to be abrasion-resistant, self-lubricating, and food-safe, meeting FDA and EU 10/2011 regulations.

As with medical applications, the 3D printing materials that come in contact with food or food production must adhere to stringent standards. Food-safe 3D printing filaments include PLA, PP, co-polyester, PET, PET-G, HIPS, and nylon-6, as well as some brands of ABS, ASA, and PEI.

Motion plastics company, igus, has added to this list with laser sintering material for 3D printers. The powdered iglide i6-BLUE complies with FDA and EU 10/2011 regulations. It is also easy to detect due to its blue coloring. The new material increases the safety of machines and systems in the food and beverage industry. iglide i6-BLUE was designed to meet the strength and sliding properties of the iglide i6. The material was also designed to be suitable for printing worm gears, toothed gears, and snap-on connections in

High Design Flexibility

Food and beverage producers have long used 3D printers as an alternative to conventional technologies, such as turning and milling. Increasingly, design engineers are calling for printing materials that are blue. The color blue is easy to see and therefore increases food safety. If a 3D-printed component breaks, blue fragments in the product are easy to see and can be quickly identified with detectors.

The problem is that there are still very few blue printing materials on the market that are robust and food-compliant for the selective laser sintering manufacturing process. “To meet the high demand, we have now developed iglide i6-BLUE, a blue-colored printing powder compatible with all common laser sintering printers,” said Tom Krause, head of the igus Additive Manufacturing Business Unit. “The blue, high-performance plastic is easy to detect and is also food-compliant. Unlike conventionally manufactured laser-sintered components, iglide i6-BLUE complies with US Food and Drug Administration and EU 10/2011 regulations.”Image courtesy of igus

Abrasion Resistant

The material composition of iglide i6-BLUE is also designed to be tough and abrasion-resistant with improved sliding properties. This makes the material suitable for printing worm gears and toothed gears in 3D that are intended for machines in the food and beverage industry. The material is resistant to temperatures between -40°C and +80°C. “Tests in our in-house laboratory have also shown that 3D-printed gears made of iglide i6-BLUE have a much longer service life than milled wheels made of polyoxymethylene (POM) and are at least nine times as abrasion-resistant as PA12 (SLS),” said Krause.

Due to the high elongation at break, the laser sintering printing material is also suitable for the additive manufacturing of snap-on connections. In addition, iglide i6-BLUE increases the hygiene of machines for the food and beverage industry. Microscopic solid lubricants are integrated into the laser sintering material and released automatically during movement, allowing low-friction dry operation. This eliminates the need for lubricants, which attract dust and dirt and can become a contamination risk.

One Week 3D Printing Service

Machine manufacturers who do not have their own 3D printers can use the igus 3D printing service without a minimum order quantity. They can submit a 3D model of their component. The laser sintering printer then produces it in layers from the new iglide i6-BLUE printing material – this works significantly faster than traditional manufacturing technologies, such as turning or milling. “For special components, prototypes, and series of up to 10,000 pieces, we can reduce delivery time from several weeks to seven days,” said Krause.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/3d-printing/3d-printing-material-designed-food-production

The packaging, which pairs a polyolefin blister film with barrier polypropylene lidding film, will be introduced at Pack Expo in Chicago.

What is being billed as the world’s first fully transparent recyclable mid-barrier blister pack will debut at Pack Expo in Chicago next week. TekniPlex Healthcare will showcase the packaging, which includes barrier protection against moisture, at booth W-13043 at the event, which runs from Oct. 23 to 26.

The packaging pairs a polyolefin blister film with barrier polypropylene (PP) lidding film. It is recyclable in geographies where the #5 (PP) recycling stream is available. This marks the first time a formed blister and lidding combination is certified as recyclable, according to TekniPlex Healthcare, which calls it a significant milestone in the evolving push to make healthcare packaging more

From a manufacturing standpoint, initial machinability analyses have been positive; large-scale tests are scheduled for the near future.

At the show, TekniPlex Healthcare also will premiere a fully recyclable polyester mono-material blister and lidding combination, suitable for products that do not require barrier protection.

“The ability to make transparent barrier blister packages recyclable is a crucial step toward healthcare material circularity, one in which technical challenges needed to be overcome with extensive research, trials, and dedication,” said Chris Qualters, TekniPlex Healthcare CEO. “We are exceptionally proud to be the first materials science company capable of meeting this longstanding market need, and we look forward to showcasing the new blister packages at Pack Expo.”

TekniPlex Healthcare is also launching a lower-weight reinforced coated paper for medical device protection at Pack Expo. The proprietary coating formulations and application technology result in rolls that can meet demanding performance and sterilization requirements. The reinforced coated papers are suitable for packaging syringes; IV tubing; catheters; airway filters; gauzes, sponges and bandages; and devices sterilized by EtO and radiation. The slimmed-down product has already received its first commercial order from a prominent manufacturer of swab sticks, announced TekniPlex Healthcare.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/pharmaceutical-packaging/tekniplex-healthcare-debuts-worlds-first-transparent-recyclable-mid-barrier

While holograms are more commonly used as security and anti-counterfeit measures on packaging, holographic effects can also offer enhanced visual impact for the product, particularly if the 3D imagery can be extended to include the entire surface of the pack in question and offers a ‘motion’ effect to make it really come ‘alive’.

AIPIA member, Printpack, a major manufacturer of flexible and specialty rigid packaging, has partnered with Fathom Optics to develop the first hologram-like 3D pouch on a wide web flexographic press.

Using standard ink and equipment, Fathom’s software creates next-level optically-varying features with the illusion of motion and depth, much like a hologram, they say.

Printpack has used Fathom’s software to create a holographic, jungle-themed pouch. The optical print effects make it appear as if the tiger is coming through the surrounding jungle leaves.

Designed to stand out on a crowded shelf, this premium package, with motion effects, gives consumers a truly mesmerizing and interactive experience.

The companies believe this visually arresting printing technique is perfect for everything from pet treats to holiday candy, giving a very unique boost to specialty promotions.

This is the first time Fathom’s technology has been used on a wide web press. The pouch made its debut at the Pack Expo International exhibition, held recently in Chicago.

Want to put yourself at the forefront of smart packaging innovation? Click here to get your tickets for the AIPIA World Congress, which takes place in Amsterdam on the 14th and 15th of November 2022.

This article was created in collaboration with AIPIA (the Active and Intelligent Packaging Industry Association). Packaging Europe and AIPIA are joining forces to bring news and commentary about the active and intelligent packaging landscape to a larger audience. To learn more about this partnership, click here.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/news/printpack-launches-flexible-pouch-with-hologram-like-features

TotalEnergies has launched RE:clic, a new range of low-carbon recycled polymers aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of end-use applications by improving their energy efficiency.

The portfolio is claimed to bebased on polymers from recycled material or bio-feedstock, with the company intending to provide customers with the means to achieve their sustainability goals without sacrificing the performance or processability of their current plastic packaging. The polymers are thought to be lighter, and therefore more energy efficient, than other alternatives.

The collection currently consists of three types of polymer, the first being the RE:use range. These are said to contain mechanically recycled plastic originating from post-consumer and post-consumer plastic waste.

Meanwhile, the RE:build polymers claim to be produced through chemical recycling, tracked throughout the process via ISCC PLUS certification. Due to the nature of this process, which is believed to produce recycled plastic of virgin quality, TotalEnergies is marketing these polymers for high-end and contact-sensitive applications.about:blank

The third range, the RE:newable polymers, are reportedly derived from bio-based products. Like the RE:build range, they are certified under ISCC PLUS, and are intended to reduce customers’ carbon footprints while maintaining virgin-like qualities.

“This announcement marks yet another step forward in TotalEnergies’ development of a circular economy for plastics and is fully aligned with the Company’s ambition”, said Nathalie Brunelle, vice president of Polymers at TotalEnergies. “The products associated with these new ranges are concrete solutions to help us reach our ambition of commercializing 30% circular polymers by 2030.”

INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe recently revealedthat Recycl-IN, its range of recycled polymer grades, would be used by Coveris for a new stretch-hood packaging film containing a minimum of 30% recycled material.

Meanwhile, Borealis is aiming for circularity by designing a commercial-scale advanced recycling plant to convert polyolefin-based post-consumer waste into high-performance polymers.

Earlier this year, Nextek CEO Ed Kosior spoke to us about the importance of mono-polymer designs in fully optimising their circular potential, especially in widely used yet less recycled flexible films.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/news/totalenergies-announces-low-carbon-recycled-polymer-range-intended-to-improve-energy-efficiency-of-plastics

BOL Foods has switched to new bespoke glass bottles from Beatson Clark for its range of Power Shakes.

The shakes have been on the market for 18 months and consumer research was used to help guide Beatson Clark and Touch Design.

Jessica Vara, brand and portfolio leader at BOL Foods said: “The original glass bottle had limitations, but our consumers love the use of glass. Not only does it feel premium, but the product is also perceived to be fresh and high quality. The narrower neck has improved the consumer drinking experience and space for a larger label that wraps around the bottle has given us more room for messaging.

“Another reason we have chosen glass it that we see a huge number of BOL consumers re-using our packaging.”

Lynn Sidebottom, sales and marketing director at Beatson Clark, added: “Because we specialise in tailored runs, we can be agile and provide a highly flexible service to our customers. Our in-house design team is more than happy to work with design agencies to make sure we create a bespoke bottle that fulfils all the customer’s criteria.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-bespoke-bottles-from-beatson-clark-for-bol-foods

The Smurfit Kappa Beacon division has worked with pet technology company Pet Mate on new e-commerce packaging.

The brand wanted Amazon Certified packs for dog and cat automatic feeding products that were being imported from China fully packaged. Faced with escalating production costs and shipping prices, Pet Mate wanted to switch to a packaging supplier closer to home.

Smurfit Kappa Beacon created one-colour flexo print onto a brown material and the team were able to recreate the high quality of the Chinese packs in a more cost-effective manner.

The International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) testing that was required for each new pack was a new challenge for the Beacon team. It worked closely with the new Smurfit Kappa ISTA lab in Northampton to provide an ISTA 6 test for this project.

In a statement, Smurfit Kappa Beacon said: “The result was printed die-cut e-commerce boxes which worked to increase brand awareness, reduce product damage, and create a memorable unboxing experience. With the help of the ISTA testing lab in Northampton, the Beacon team had the expertise required to certify their packaging for Amazon.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/smurfit-kappa-beacon-behind-e-commerce-packs-for-pet-mate-

Beatson Clark has created a 250ml bottle for the launch of Aupale Grapefruit Seltzer

The bottle is based on the Canadian spirit brand’s 750ml vodka bottle for Aupale Vodka. Brand owner, the HC Spirits Inc, wanted to create a smaller version of the bottle to launch its new Aupale Grapefruit Seltzer and got in touch with Beatson Clark through its distributor TricorBraun.

Mathieu Caron, president of The HC Spirits Inc, said: “We have a particular bottle for our vodka which can be tricky to make, so we needed a partner that we would feel comfortable moving forward with.

“The new 250ml bottle is a bespoke design, a miniature version of our 750ml non-carbonated Aupale Vodka bottle. It’s a similar design and it can withstand pressure so it’s suitable for our carbonated Grapefruit Seltzer.

“We’re very happy with the design and outcome of the bottle. We were looking to create a premium package for a premium recipe and the response from the market has been overwhelmingly positive and therefore we’re extremely happy.”

Jan-Willem Ridt, export manager at Beatson Clark, said: “We were delighted to work with The HC Spirits Inc and Tricorbraun on this opportunity. The project is a perfect example of how are increasingly working with niche spirit brands and it is great for a spirits company to be using our standard flint glass which contains over 30% recycled content, which comes from our own on-site recycling plant.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/beatson-clark-creates-new-bottle-for-aupale-grapefruit-seltzer