Day: January 10, 2024

Aptar Closures has revealed its SimpliCycle line of fully recyclable flow control valves for condiments, sauces, and more – aiming to achieve mechanical recyclability while ensuring hygienic and precise product dispensing.

SimpliCycle valves are made from low-density thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), which causes them to float and separate from PET during the sorting process. At this point, the valves can be recycled in the polypropylene and polyethylene stream.

When combined with a compatible Aptar closure, the valves create a fully recyclable component to be applied to PET, PE, or PP containers, both rigid and flexible. Reportedly, they can dispense products with a range of viscosities – including fat- and acid-based products like mayonnaise and ketchup.

SimpliCycle’s dispensing is said to meet or exceed the performance of valves made from conventional, less recyclable resins. The range apparently offers high-quality flow control and a consistent flow rate to give consumers control over the amount of product they use, with a clean cut-off set to avoid drips, leaks, or spills. Its inverted storage compatibility is also designed to ensure that the entirety of a pack’s contents can be emptied before disposal.

The Association of Plastic Recyclers and RecyClass have both awarded SimpliCycle Critical Guidance Recognition. It has also received a World Food Innovation Award for “Best Corporate Social Responsibility/Sustainability Initiative,” and a coveted WorldStar Global Packaging award.

“As the emphasis on sustainability increases across the globe, many brands have faced the challenge of providing more recyclable packaging solutions without compromising performance, convenience and product safety,” said Raphael Grange, president of Global Marketing Development at Aptar Closures. “At Aptar Closures, we leverage multiple decades of consumer and market expertise to continuously help brands innovate, meet new market demands, and achieve bold environmental goals by becoming even more sustainable – all with packaging solutions that do not sacrifice the consumer experience.”

Back in 2022, a similar development came to light when Berry Global developed a 55mm closure for sauce bottles. It was reportedly over 20% lighter than its previous version while reportedly offering the same performance and consumer convenience.

More recently, Kraft Heinz’s mono-material dispensing closure, Balaton, was a finalist and winner in the commercialized Recyclable Packaging category of the Sustainability Awards 2022. The prize was awarded at the Sustainable Packaging Summit in Amsterdam last November.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/news/mechanically-recyclable-flow-control-valve-line-released-by-aptar-closures/10828.article

Bottle Up claims to provide the first fully reusable, pre-filled, plant-based water bottle sold in the UK and aims to become a renewable and recyclable alternative to single-use plastic bottles.

In the UK, it has been reported that over 7.7 billion single-use plastic water bottles are consumed each year. Over half the plastic waste that ends up in the Thames has been attributed to plastic water bottles.

Founded in Amsterdam in 2019, Bottle Up aims to combat the single-use plastic crisis across the globe. It operates in the city of Wolverhampton and turns sugar cane from Brazilian grasslands – a crop said to require almost no fertilizer or additional irrigation – into BPA-free, reusable water bottles.

These are pre-filled with spring water from Elmhurst in a bid to minimize their carbon impact. Since they are dishwasher-safe, they can be cleaned at home for continued reuse.

Bottle Up offers bottles in three different colours, designed to offer distinct ‘personality’ and maintain durability throughout its life cycle. Partnerships with chains such as Accor – owner of hotels Ibis, Mercure, Sofitel, and more – are envisioned to bring hospitality venues closer to adopting reuse.

The bottles are currently available to buy via Morrisons, Ocado, WH Smith, The Co-op, BP, Whole Foods, and Amazon. Bottle Up reports that it has sold its 50,000^th bottle with BP and is currently the top-selling brand on Amazon under the still water category.

The news comes after ALPLA and TÖNISSTEINER unveiled a reusable and recyclable PET bottle for mineral water last October. It is designed to reduce both weight and carbon consumption compared to single-use alternatives, and is apparently made entirely from post-consumer recycled material.

In a similar development, air up launched a new line of reusable bottles made from Eastman Tritan Renew – constituting 50% ISCC-certified recycled content sourced from a molecular recycling technology – towards the end of 2023.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/news/bottle-up-offers-plant-based-pre-filled-reusable-water-bottle/10830.article

Sainsbury’s is repackaging its own-brand mushrooms in cardboard punnets, which is set to remove enough plastics from its operations to match the weight of 43 full double-decker buses in London.

As such, it is said to be the retailer’s largest undertaking to date when it comes to eliminating plastics – and is expected to make Sainsbury’s the first UK retailer to transition into cardboard for all its own-brand mushrooms. The move is thought to save over 775 tons of plastic, which is the equivalent of over 52 million pieces of plastic every year.

By transitioning into cardboard punnets, Sainsbury’s hopes to help its consumers reduce their plastic intake and recycle their packaging at home. Currently, its bySainsbury’s and SO Organic mushrooms are available in cardboard punnets, with its Taste the Difference lines to be incorporated by the end of January.

The change will apply to all thirteen own-brand lines by the end of the month, including its whole baby button, closed cup, organic, and chestnut mushrooms. Until then, Sainsbury’s highlights that the plastic film packaging can still be taken to its front-of-store flexible plastics recycling points to be recycled.

“As part of our Plan for Better commitments, we are trying to reduce plastic packaging across our own brand ranges,” said Claire Hughes, director of Product and Innovation. “We are delighted to introduce cardboard punnets for our own-brand mushrooms.

“Making a collective effort with suppliers to increasing recycled content and recyclability for all customers has helped achieve our biggest ever plastics removal so far. The initiative reflects our commitment towards a healthier and more sustainable future as we continue to look at ways to innovate our packaging and reduce and replace plastic where possible.”

The development comes after Sainsbury’s rolled out recyclable paper packaging across its own-brand toilet paper and kitchen towel range in the hopes of saving 55 million pieces of plastic annually.

On the other hand, the retailer’s decision to vacuum pack its beef mince range – an effort to save 450 tonnes of plastic every year – was widely criticized by consumers. The ‘awful’ new packaging was accused of being harder to recycle and impacting the quality of the meat inside the pack.

In other news, Panvita Group is adopting the DS Smith Easy Bowl corrugated cardboard tray in a bid to lower plastic consumption across the Ave meat product line by over 1.6 million pieces of packaging every year.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/news/cardboard-mushroom-punnets-revealed-by-sainsburys-in-plastic-reduction-effort/10832.article

A 90% paper tube developed for Pringles crisps is now available exclusively at Tesco stores and online, with around 48 million expected to be sold in the first year.

The new tube was unveiled last year. It is made of recycled paper and replaces the steel base of the previous design with a paper alternative – allowing consumers to dispose of the pack in their home recycling bins. It is also set to feature a recyclable plastic lid.

Kellanova, the owner of the Pringles brand, anticipates that a 90% paper tube will bring the company closer to its target of ensuring all its packaging is recyclable, reusable, and/or compostable by 2025. Tests conducted by the company’s packaging experts suggest that the new packaging maintains the old tube’s protective properties and keeps the crisps fresh for 15 months.

Starting this week, the tube will be available exclusively in Tesco locations and via its online store – as well as One Stop stores, which are part of the Tesco Group. It is anticipated that around 48 million Pringles tubes will be sold in Tesco in the first year alone.

Other supermarkets are set to sell the tube towards the end of 2024.

“We know people want to reduce their impact to the planet and it’s our responsibility to improve the recyclability of our packaging,” said Chris Silcock, UK managing director at Kellanova. “We’ve worked hard to develop and test a recyclable Pringles paper tube and we made significant investment in new technology to enable our factories to produce it.

“Not only is it widely recyclable but it keeps the chips fresh and tasty and protects them from breaking which helps to reduce food waste.”

Seàn Cairns, president of Global Rigid Paper and Closures (RPC) at Sonoco, helped the technical teams at Pringles design the new tube for recycling and underlines the growing awareness amongst consumers as to how their spending affects the environment – which is driving an uptake in sustainability-minded packaging.

“With this in mind, it’s important for businesses to stay ahead of the curve by exploring new packaging technologies and materials,” he says. “It was a pleasure working with Pringles and we look forward to seeing how the new paper-based tube is received by the market.

“We hope the success of this project inspires other companies and brands to convert to more sustainable packaging.”

Paul Sanderson, CEO of The Recycling Association, continued: “It has taken a great deal of research and development to achieve a fully paper-based tube with a paper end that also keeps the Pringles crisps as fresh as before. It is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when manufacturers decide they want to create packaging that is easy for the consumer to recycle, and I hope others follow Pringles’ example to help us all get closer to a circular economy.”

“We want to make it even easier for our customers to recycle, so we are excited to bring them a product they love in a more sustainable way,” added Claire Lorains, Tesco’s Group Sustainability and Quality director. “Across our own brand products, where we can’t remove packaging, we work to ensure it is recyclable, and actively encourage our branded suppliers to do the same.

“The new paper-based Pringles tube from Kellanova demonstrates the tangible environmental opportunities that exist across food packaging that work for customers and the planet. We hope to see other suppliers take similar steps to improve packaging across all the products we sell.” 

Other companies have also sought to transition into paper packaging for their crisps. Smurfit Kappa and PepsiCo implemented a cardboard box as outer packaging for its Walkers multi-packs at the beginning of last year, seeking to cut 250 tonnes of plastic from its supply chain annually.

The same brand also trialled paper-based outer packaging for two flavours of its Walkers Baked six-pack multipacks in hopes of phasing out plastics and achieving higher recycling rates.

More recently, Nissin Foods USA replaced the polystyrene cups for its Cup Noodles brand with a microwaveable paper alternative; it sought to provide a more convenient pack that lowers CO2 emissions and remove plastics from the product line.

Unilever’s Pot Noodle instant noodle brand has also trialled a new, FSC-certified paper pot in a bid to cut down on 4,000 tonnes of virgin plastic every year.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/news/paper-pringles-tube-now-available-exclusively-at-tesco/10837.article

Xampla, which produces plastic-free biodegradable packaging solutions using “100% natural”, chemically unaltered plant materials, made a landmark announcement towards the end of last year. It will now be working with 2M Group in a bid to scale up the production and distribution of its solutions. Stanley Mitchell, the company’s head of business development, tells us more.

It would be great if you could give us a brief overview of Xampla and the innovation it has created. How does it compare with conventional materials in terms of functionality and carbon emissions?

Xampla’s technology and materials are the product of more than 15 years of fundamental protein research at the University of Cambridge. This year, Xampla took a huge step in the scale-up and commercialisation of its products by launching Morro – its first consumer brand.

Morro is a high-performance, plant-based material that is 100% natural and biodegradable. Made from chemically unaltered plant materials, with no harmful chemical agents or crosslinking, Morro materials return back to nature after use, biodegrading completely in all different end of life scenarios.

The high-performance material provides excellent barrier properties, meaning it can replace conventional materials, such as single-use plastics. However, unlike plastic, it biodegrades at end-of-life – providing the experience consumers are used to, without the pollution.

The material is a drop-in solution for manufacturers and works on existing machinery and manufacturing processes, enabling brands to make a simple swap to a sustainable alternative.

It’s been a couple of years since we last spoke with Xampla. What’s changed in your industry space since the last time we spoke, and what has Xampla’s journey looked like in the intervening years?

Even within the last two years, much more regulation has come into place to phase out plastics across the world. The recent single-use plastic ban in the UK demonstrates the increasing appetite for plastic-free alternatives both amongst brands and regulators.

However, the marketplace for alternatives can be confusing to navigate, with an array of greenwashing claims.

As a result, we have seen increased interest in truly sustainable and simple-to-understand solutions. Morro materials are made just from plants, so will fully biodegrade wherever they end up. Consumers do not want to navigate complicated end-of-life processes, so this makes it a simple swap.

Part of that change is also about material availability, and Xampla has made incredible progress in the past 24 months. We have signed our first large-scale manufacturing agreement with UK based 2M Group of Companies to ramp up production to the kiloton scale. This is an incredible landmark not just for Xampla as a company, but for the broader biomaterials industry: showing that breakthrough new materials like Morro are accessible and commercial in scale.

One major change we’ve noticed is that a huge number of flexible materials made from non-traditional sources have been launched since then. What separates Xampla from the crowd?

We are a leading company engineering plant proteins and other natural polymers as a drop-in, high-performing next-generation material that can eliminate some of the most polluting forms of plastic.

Other plant-based replacements are based on plant polysaccharides (for example starches), which require chemical modification to match the high performance we can achieve with proteins. Made from plants, Morro requires no harmful chemical additives or crosslinking, meaning it can biodegradable completely at end-of-life.

At Xampla, we also produce our materials with an agnostic approach. This means that we use a variety of waste stream-derived plant-based feedstocks and tailor them to specific applications, rather than focusing on a singular source.

What does Xampla’s new partnership with 2M mean for the company in real terms?

Our partnership with 2M Group of Companies is focused on industrialisation and process, and scaling up the manufacturing of Morro materials.

Xampla will continue to develop its plastic-free technology solutions, with 2M manufacturing Morro materials at scale from its manufacturing facility in Milton Keynes. This will enable 2M to leverage their network and expertise in chemical manufacturing and distribution and expand their offering into the packaging industry through the Morro Coating platform.

In addition, 2M are well connected to leading CPG brands in the personal care and HI&I industries that will provide an excellent launch pad to bring Morro materials directly into these segments of the market, helping brand owners eliminate unnecessary plastic from their supply chain.

This agreement is a real landmark for both companies and shows what can be done when established industry players and innovative startup companies work together to achieve change.

Your company, along with a number of other organisations within the “natural polymers” space, encouraged policymakers at INC-3 to recognize natural polymer materials as valuable assets in combating plastic pollution. Could you tell us a bit more about it? How would you reflect on INC-3 now that it had concluded?

As a member of the Natural Polymers Group, Xampla are advocating for the broader recognition of natural polymer materials as valuable assets in addressing plastic pollution.

Our focus is on encouraging policymakers to support the acceleration of industry development and incentivise the adoption of plastic-free substitutes as mainstream solutions, and expansion.

As a collective, our key proposals include the need for a clear definition for plastic and non-plastic substitutes, as well as an expanded criteria for circularity – both of which should acknowledge the end-of-life benefits of natural polymers. To achieve these goals, alongside the Natural Polymers Group, Xampla have called for ambitious policies and incentives aimed at reducing the use of plastics, where alternatives are viable. Our objective is to create a regulatory environment that fosters the production and use of natural polymer solutions derived from abundant renewable resources.

We are looking ahead to continued discussions at INC-4 in April to see whether any of these aspects will be addressed.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/features/whats-next-for-xamplas-plastic-free-100-natural-packaging-materials/10836.article

A healthier, low-glycemic formula candy bar wrapped in a mono-material polypropylene film that adheres to “Designed for Recycling” guidelines is healthier for the environment.

Improving the sustainability of flexible packaging films, pouches, and other formats in the packaged food category starts with a first step away from nonrecyclable multilayer barrier films.

That improvement often means a switch to a recyclable mono-material film, which Mars China has taken in announcing this month the launch of a dark chocolate cereal Snickers bar.

It is claimed to be a significant step towards sustainable packaging using a mono-material polypropylene (PP) that follows “Designed For Recycling” guidance and “can be easily recycled in designated channels”.

Available in select outlets, the new healthier-for-the-environment packaging matches the heathier-for-you, low-sugar, low-glycemic index snack.

The release points out that flexible packaging for food products typically consists of multiple layers of different materials to meet food safety and shelf-life requirements while being lightweight and flexible. However, the complex structure and materials make it challenging, if not unrealistic, to recycle.

In contrast, mono-material flexible packaging using single-polymer PP or polyethylene (PE) packaging is easier to recycle.

The “Flexible Plastics Reborn” project.

To address the challenges of flexible plastic packaging collection and recycling, Mars China partnered with the Green Recycled Plastic Supply Chain Joint Working Group (GRPG), China Plastic Recycling Association of China National Resources Recycling Association (CRPA), P&G, PepsiCo, and Dow to initiate the “Flexible Plastics Reborn” project.

This joint effort in China explores a sustainable flexible plastic packaging collection and closed-loop recycling system by addressing design, collection, and recycling challenges. The mono-material flexible packaging of the new Snicker’s dark chocolate cereal bar is specifically designed for the recycling requirements of the “Flexible Plastics Reborn” project.

After use, consumers can collect and drop mono-film packaging like this at designated collection points covered by the “Flexible Plastics Reborn” project.

Box sustainability and improved packaging quality.

The brand has taken a more holistic approach to the product’s sustainability by ensuring the candy bars’ secondary box packaging for multiple bars uses paper material certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) which supports sustainable forest management.

The brand owner also bolstered quality assurance for the new packaging by implementing more comprehensive validation and quality standards to ensure the Snickers packaging materials meet food safety requirements for product protection.

It’s one of several avenues global brand owner Mars is pursuing to avoid metallized multilayer flexible substrates; in May 2023 it was revealed that Mars Wrigley UK was piloting recyclable paper wraps for Mars Bars.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/food-packaging/recyclable-mono-material-snickers-bar-packaging-debuts

A striking contrast between the new can’s small size and a basketball legend’s generous proportions sparks laughs.

Pepsi has joined forces with basketball star Shaquille O’Neal on the launch campaign for Pepsi Mini cans, giving big props to the little package.

A commercial for the 7.5-oz cans, starring Shaq, began running on national television sports broadcasts in November 2023. Titled “I Wish,” the commercial continues in the tradition of Shaq’s Pepsi commercials from the 1990s.

Pepsi Mini cans are available in 6- and 10- packs in numerous Pepsi flavors, including Original, Zero Sugar, Wild Cherry, Diet, and Real Sugar. Original and Wild Cherry Pepsi are also available in a Mini can 30-pack.

The new commercial positions Pepsi Mini cans as the ideal accompaniment for snacks and meals, contrasting Shaq’s height with the can’s small size.

Shaq and Skee-Lo with the new Pepsi Mini cans. PEPSICO

The ad features a parody of Skee-Lo’s 1995 hip-hop song “I Wish I Was a Little Bit Taller,” replacing “taller” with “smaller.” In the earlier commercial, Shaq plays his size for laughs, squeezing into an airline seat with minimal leg room, lying in a too-short bed, and getting fitted for a “big and tall” suit.

Skee-Lo sings the parody theme song and also plays a cameo role in the ad. The Pepsi Mini campaign marks the first time Pepsi and Shaq have teamed up on a commercial in more than 20 years.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/packaging-design/pepsi-s-new-mini-cans-get-an-assist-from-shaq

Asda has rebranded its pet food lines – Hero for dogs, Tiger for cats – with a fun and vibrant new design by Stormbrands.

The brief was to to refresh and modernise Asda’s pet brand offerings in the face of increasing competition.

Stormbrands discovered a shift in consumer mindset from pet ‘ownership’ to pet ‘parenthood’, leading to a higher level of care for animals, which are now seen as family members.

The agency’s creative approach aims to dramatize this unspoken connection.

Stormbrands mentioned that the softer brand colors reflect the existing design but have been updated to attract a younger audience of pet owners.

The rebrand aims to alter customers’ views of a private-label pet-food line, showing that Asda’s products are equally credible and nutritious as branded options.

As well as finalising the design for all lines across the range, the agency created packaging and brand guidelines to steer its future, plus point-of-sale activation and comms stimulus.

Zoe Phillipson, Stormbrands’ creative director, said: “We wanted to make sure this work delivers against what we’re famous for: energising brands to move mindsets, markets and culture.

“We’re excited to see how the new range can change current consumer shopping habits and perceptions of own-label offerings by capturing ‘swing shoppers’ and creating a destination brand for Asda.”

Justine Jackson-Hickling, Head of Own Brand Design at Asda, said: “Stormbrands’ response to reposition and redesign our much-loved Tiger and Hero pet brands was spot on from the very beginning. The clarity of thinking and clear rationale they demonstrated throughout their work was invaluable, particularly given the complexity of the category and range. Their bold and brave thinking really pushed us to see the true potential of these much-loved brands. They have defined a strong, modern and relatable identity for Tiger and Hero that allows us to continue to build strength across our portfolio of own brands.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/stormbrands-redesigns-asdas-own-label-pet-food

Harpic is introducing a new ‘self-adhering’ toilet block that eliminates the need for plastic cage packaging.

The soap stickers are coated in a biodegradable polyvinyl alcohol wrap (PVOH).

The packaging design emphasizes the product’s main benefits and the scents of the stickers (initially available in marine, citrus, and pine), with visual cues highlighting its promise of freshness and convenience, as well as the shape of the sticker.

Ally Cane, brand experience lead for Harpic at parent-brand Reckitt, said: “This type of launch needs to be rooted in consistency of messages and visuals. There needs to be a red thread running through such new innovations that takes account of 360-degree touchpoints but also connects with the DNA of the master brand.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/harpic-cuts-plastic-with-launch-of-self-sticking-toilet-blocks