Day: February 28, 2024

The Brief: Getting to grips with seaweed in packaging

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Post date February 28, 2024
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In the latest edition of the Brief, we cover everything we know about seaweed-based packaging so far – how it works, where its sustainability claims come from, what designs are currently on the market, and the developments to look out for in the future.

This article is part of Packaging Europe’s membership tier – a brand-new series of briefings and in-depth reports on the most important packaging stories, plus recordings of all the industry-leading discussions from our 2023 Sustainable Packaging Summit. To become a member and access more content like this, click here.

What is seaweed packaging?

Seaweed grows naturally in both the sea and freshwater without requiring any additional substances to grow. When grown sustainably, it is expected to contribute towards the reduction of fossil-based plastics through the production of thermoplastic monomer PLA, to name one example; its vitamin, mineral, and fibre contents are also thought to make it compatible with edible packaging applications.

As they are a source of polysaccharides, seaweeds are anticipated to serve as a raw material or active agent – perhaps a better and more sustainable solution than their chemical alternatives. Due to their natural antioxidant properties, scientists say that polysaccharides can also minimise lipid oxidation and increase the shelf life and nutritional value of packaged food.

Three main types of seaweed exist – red, brown, and green. Scientifically speaking, these pigmentations fall under the respective categories of rhodophytes, ochrophytes, and chlorophytes. Red seaweeds contain sulphated galactans that are largely applied to biopolymers for food industrial applications – also containing gelling, emulsifying, and thickening properties that apparently make them useful in food and medical applications.

Meanwhile, polysaccharides derived from brown seaweed are thought to influence the properties of film packaging and join compounds like citric acid and enzymes in the production of active packaging – a process that, according to research, has the potential to be sustainable. When applied to packaging, they are said to increase hydrophilicity, or solubility in water, as well as enhance its mechanical properties such as tensile strength and elongation at break.

Various scientific studies have examined the specific qualities exhibited by seaweed-based packaging; a blend film made with chitosan and kappa-carrageenan apparently produces flexible packaging with a smooth finish, high tensile strength, and improved water resistance. In particular, the kappa-carrageenan cuts down the water vapour permeability, water solubility, and elongation at break. The addition of the organosulfur compound allyl isothiocyanate also improves the gas barrier and coating properties.

Specific types of seaweed, such as Himanthalia elongata – more commonly known as thongweed, sea thong, or sea spaghetti – inhibit the growth of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. This means that their cell walls respectively retain and do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method for bacterial differentiation, and because of this, the thongweed could be used as antimicrobial packaging.

But why seaweed?

Other sectors are already producing seaweed waste; for instance, the food industry adheres to strict quality standards that result in inedible seaweed falling by the wayside. If this re-enters the natural environment, it could have a detrimental effect on marine life.

This is because the rising demand for seaweed is stimulating its cultivation. According to Data Bridge Market Research, “the increasing shelf life of products in the absence of additional logistical support is a major factor driving growth in the global seaweed-based packaging market during the forecast period [2022-2029]”, as well as the increasing concern for sustainable packaging solutions, changing legislation and government policies, and “the establishment of a base for raw materials such as plant-based sources”.

The ability to process seaweed into various forms is anticipated to be another reason behind its market growth, yet Data Bridge Market Research warns that market progress has been slowed due to a temporary lull in production resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic – as well as the apparent superiority of plastic alternatives in terms of tensile strength. Nevertheless, the organisation anticipates that seaweed-based packaging will reach a market value of US$613.42 million by 2029, and DS Smith places the European figure at €9.4 billion by 2030.

Sustainability is also a driving factor. Material innovation company Kelpi explains that seaweed does not require arable land, fertilisers, or fresh water to grow, and is carbon-absorbent. In theory, this results in a renewable, sustainable, and carbon-negative process that deacidifies and deoxygenates the ocean, saves valuable resources, and provides a source of carbohydrates for the production of biomaterials.

“If we cultivated seaweed across just 9% of the world’s oceans, we could remove 53 billion tonnes of CO2 annually from the atmosphere,” claims Vincent Doumeizel in his book La Revolution des Algues. “That’s more carbon sequestered than is currently being emitted.”

An impact report by Notpla has suggested that its own seaweed-based packaging designs have saved 2.83 million single-use plastics from leaking into the environment; furthermore, that its products have displaced 4.4t of plastic in 2022, and that 19 tonnes of CO2 equivalent were avoided by sales of Notpla coating last year. It also conducted an LCA that claims a 70% impact reduction in comparison with traditional paper packaging; an 88% and 72% cut in CO2 equivalent compared to paper and a Heinz ketchup sachet, respectively; and an 88% difference in land impact compared to PLA lining.

Nor is widespread seaweed cultivation thought to take up much space. If Seaweed for Europe’s prediction that European seaweed farming will utilize anywhere between 2.8 million and 8.3 million tonnes of fresh seaweed across various sectors is correct, Notpla calculates that this would require a cultivation capacity of between 7,700 and 26,300 hectares – at maximum, this would fit into the Atlantic Ocean approximately 404,790 times.

That being said, FutureBridge and PKG Branding make similar observations about the price of seaweed packaging. Currently, it costs more than plastic due to the necessity of manual processing. An increase in price could serve as a disincentive for companies to make the transition – or, for smaller organisations with less expendable income, it could become a complete roadblock.

Undecided also attributes the expense to the fact that the scaling-up of seaweed materials is still in progress. In most cases, it remains at pilot scale. For many companies, the chance to switch will not be immediate, but as trials, prototypes, and technological developments continue to emerge, it is not unthinkable that possibilities will arise in the near future.

So, who should we look out for?

Data Bridge Market Research’s report points to such European organisations as Notpla, Tomorrow Machine SE, and Mantrose UK as major players in seaweed-based packaging.

Back in 2014, Tomorrow Machine collaborated withthe start-up Infarm to develop an indoor farming system called Microgarden. Serving as a miniature greenhouse that can be folded and unfolded at will, the solution claims to be made of reusable plastic and uses a seaweed-based, clear agar-agar gel as a growing medium from which plants can absorb moisture – apparently meaning that growers will never need to water their plants.

Around this time, Notpla was founded, with the brand solidifying itself in 2019. Currently, its 30% paperboard material takes unspecified by-products of other seaweed-based production and optimizes their paper properties, adding them to a blend of pulp. The entire process is said to be free of synthetic additives that can impact the product’s biodegradability, like sizing agents and stabilizers – the production process is reportedly completed without utilizing chemical processing, and by extension, the paperboard claims to biodegrade in home compost environments in the span of six weeks.

Notpla’s grease- and water-resistant packaging formats with a plastic-free barrier made of seaweed have been adopted by Just Eat’s webshops in the UK, Austria, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, and Ireland. The packaging was also distributed at the Women’s Euro final at Wembley Stadium; the Women’s Champions League Final in Turin; the Men’s Europa League final in Seville; and the Erste Bank Open ATP 500 tennis tournament in Vienna. Its Ooho edible bubble was also used by Lucozade Sport at its sporting events in 2018.

Since then, Notpla’s seaweed-based packaging has become the first material recognized as “plastic-free” by the Dutch Government in line with the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive.

FlexSea was nominated as a finalist in the pre-commercialized climate category of the Sustainability Awards 2022. Rather than producing its own materials in-house,it relies on red seaweed, which has apparently been cultivated at scale for over half a century – as opposed to brown seaweed, which is sourced from wildly harvested kelp or beached and partially decomposed sargassum – to produce a flexible bioplastic. Once again, the product claims to be home-compostable and biodegrade within eight to twelve weeks, even stating that it is natural enough to be edible.

In the same year, cleantech start-up Sway’s seaweed-based solution to replace petroleum plastics was selected as a finalist for a TOM FORD Plastic Innovation Prize – an award it would later go on to win alongside Notpla and Zerocircle. It describes its packaging as ‘rapidly compostable’ in both home and industrial environments, with the materials hoped to enrich the soil and counteract the environmental harm caused by conventional plastics.

Currently focusing on flexible, thin-film packaging, Sway applies its material to pouches, polybags, and product windows for food, clothing, and homecare products. It is certified at 100% biobased; colour, texture, and transparency customizable; and offers heat sealability and low permeability to air and oil.

As recently as 2023, Kelpi has received over £3 million in funding to contribute towards seaweed-based biomaterial coatings for recyclable and home-compostable food, drink, and cosmetic packaging.

So, too, is Go Do Good Studio commercializing a ‘plastic-free’ flexible material made from seaweed collected from India’s coastal regions. This solution also claims to biodegrade completely within eight weeks, offering an oil- and water-resistant, food-grade, and home-compostable material for the production of cling films, edible films, and transparent pouches.

Sourcing its seaweed from the Indian coast, the company aims to keep the supply chain short, support local fisher communities – a large portion of whom live below the poverty line – and tackle the 11 million tonnes of single-use plastic waste reportedly generated in the country every year.

Innovation is not limited to seaweed-dominant products, however. Seaweed cannot yet and does not intend to replace plastic in every single context, but serves as an alternative for certain applications, as in the internal coating of SUPA’s ‘plastic free’ eco-mate paper bottle. To prevent water damage, the coating consists of seaweed and natural plant latex, with biodegradable accelerators expected to drive its natural breakdown at end of life.

DS Smith previously trialled a production process for such natural materials as seaweed, following its research into how seaweed fibres can be implemented into paper and packaging products as an alternative fibre source to wood.

What comes next for seaweed packaging?

Seaweed is expected by Seaweed for Europe to result in a 5.4 million tonne reduction of CO2 and spare eutrophied European coastal waters from thousands of tonnes of nitrogen and phosphorus, protect coasts from erosion, and preserve biodiversity. The European seaweed industry could potentially generate around 150,000 jobs by 2030.

Adrien Vincent, programme director at Seaweed for Europe, stated: “It is important to distinguish harvesting of wild seaweed and seaweed farming. The former consists of harvesting seaweed from natural underwater forests and doing so in a way that allows for the resource to regrow naturally. Today, 99% of European seaweed production is harvested from the wild, but this part of the industry has been plateauing for the past decade.”

Therefore, he encourages the growth of seaweed ‘spores’ on underwater ropes and nets in a hatchery. He believes that this can be achieved on an even greater scale than is currently available – not only on coastlines but, as research and pilots are beginning to suggest, on large-scale seaweed farms offshore, possibly even integrating with windfarms. Industrial-scale biorefineries could contribute to an increased production of biopolymers, for example.

Oceanium is already on its way towards this vision with its ‘green and clean’ biorefinery technology. Sourcing seaweed from a network of farmers, its biorefining facility apparently takes advantage of the whole plant to produce nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals, protein and fibre, and seaweed-based materials for bio-packaging.

B’Zeos has a similar, reportedly ‘green’ process of cultivating seaweed, then compounding materials and manufacturing packaging that claims to be home-compostable, recyclable, and even edible. The company is currently working towards the production of flexible film and paper coating. Late last year, it received €1.2k in Eurostars funding from the Eureka Network to develop its SeaweedPack R&D project in collaboration with its partner Moses Productos.

FlexSea’s seaweed-based, 3D-printable pellet for use in the prototyping of home-compostable materials is currently in its pre-commercialized stages. Made from red seaweed polysaccharides and a small amount of bio-based additives, it aims to outperform its home-compostable competitor, PHA/B, with its low processing temperatures and less demanding production process in terms of land, water, and chemicals.

FlexSea claims that the pellet is compatible with 3D printing nozzles instead of filaments, a solution thought to lower cost and energy consumption and preserve the integrity of polymer chains by negating the need to reprocess the material into filament form. Tests are currently being carried out regarding food contact and food migration accreditation alongside the highest compostability and ecotoxicity standards, the company says.

Sway adds that further progress in the seaweed space depends on researchers answering remaining questions about the ecological benefits and implications surrounding its use. These should inform the development of seaweed farms and the introduction of ecologically driven regulation. Also, stakeholders across the value chain, from farmers and product innovators to conservation organizations and policymakers, should discuss, debate, and establish a shared vision for the sustainable development of a seaweed industry.

Undoubtedly, there is still more to come where seaweed is concerned. Although it is a relatively new development in the packaging space, this solution theoretically ticks several boxes on the revised Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive’s agenda and claims to meet the varying needs of manufacturers across the industry. As it scales up further and releases more thorough sustainability credentials, this is certainly a new material to watch out for.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/features/the-brief-getting-to-grips-with-seaweed-in-packaging

Sustainability

Breakthrough’ in polypropylene recycling could boost plastic packaging circularity

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Post date February 28, 2024
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A significant hurdle standing in the way of increasing the use of recycled plastics in food packaging is the risk of potential residues causing non-compliance with food safety standards. Professor Edward Kosior and Paul Marshall of Nextek and NEXTLOOPP claim to have found an innovative solution to this issue, which they outline in our latest comment article.

According to a report by Eunomia, focused on improving the circularity of plastic packaging, undertaken on behalf of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), the lack of common recyclate specifications or consensus in the European market is impeding progress in achieving circularity goals.

The report claims that despite several scientific and EU publications emphasising the need for high-quality recyclate, not to mention existing standards such as the EN standards, the definition of quality recyclates remains unclear, and a framework to implement such quality in the recycling process is lacking.

As a consequence, the European plastics industry is still unable to reach its recycling targets due to insufficient volumes of recycled plastic that fully meet the required quality for all key packaging applications.

If we drill down to one of the most prolific polymers in circulation for both food and non-food applications, Polypropylene (PP), there is no recycled PP authorised for use for direct food contact other than those originating from recycling schemes that must use material from a closed loop system.

This measure, which prevents the inadvertent inclusion of substances that might be introduced by consumers or the goods it contains, has limited recycled PP to secondary or tertiary food packaging articles such as crates, pallets, and totes.

End markets for PP include food packaging, sweet and snack wrappers, hinged caps, and microwave containers, in fact of the PP that is used for packaging, 70% is used for injection moulded pots, tubs & trays. Yet recycled post-consumer plastic from rigid packaging meets only 3% of the demand for PP.

It goes without saying that this is insufficient to meet future targets such as those proposed by PPWR that specify that by 2030 the European Union must include at least 10% recycled content for all packaging, increasing to 50% by 2040.

As such there is a pressing need to recycle post-consumer PP packaging into a suitable material for primary food contact packaging, and understand the sorting and decontamination requirements needed to achieve this.

Given that roughly 20% of the world’s virgin plastic production is PP, boosting the production of food-grade rPP makes both economic and environmental sense.

Mechanically recycling PP also means closing the loop on a valuable material that would be wasted if diverted to other end-of-life solutions with higher carbon footprints, such as waste-to-energy or chemical recycling.

Overcoming the contamination hurdle

Achieving high-quality recycled food-grade PP resin requires eliminating all contaminants from post-consumer waste that could be harmful to human health. It must also be proven that the recycled material does not change the food composition, taste, or odour in an unacceptable way.

Until recently, this was not possible, hence the reliance on virgin plastics for food packaging. Now we have powerful new technologies to not only sort post-consumer packaging, but also effectively eliminate potential residues in the recycled plastics which would cause non-compliance with food safety standards.

Restricting the feedstock to only accept post-consumer PP will ensure many potential contaminants are deliberately excluded. This is reflected in the European Food Safety Association (EFSA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements, stating that all of the feedstock for recycling come from food-grade resins that were previously used for food and that no non-food items are to be intentionally added.

As it stands, material recovery facilities (MRFs) and plastic recycling facilities (PRF) are only sorting materials by polymer type and colour. Sorting of food-grade materials from non-food-grade materials is only being performed by hand, and is an expensive, labour-intensive and time-consuming process.

Harnessing advanced sorting and decontamination frontiers

New technologies have been developed, however, to sort an extended range of categories by machine-based systems. These include the use of fluorescent markers, digital watermarks and artificial intelligence to sort by shape.

Nextek’s patented fluorescent tracking system, PolyPPrism is a simple but highly effective technology that makes use of luminescent materials applied to plastic packaging labels or sleeves. The labels contain markers with specific wavelengths that emit when illuminated under ultra-violet light at 365nm. This emission can be coupled with the spectroscopy response of the polymer to uniquely identify and eject the packaging item. This allows a wide range of products to be uniquely separated from a mixed stream of packaging items.

This step is followed by a unique, high-performing decontamination process that extracts volatile and semi-volatile compounds from the PP. This involves a two-step process, starting with decontaminating during a high-temperature extrusion stage under high vacuum for an extended residence time (minutes), followed by a second stage of decontamination through exposure to vacuum in the solid state for a much longer period (hours).

Using this technology NEXTLOOPP has conducted the EFSA and FDA challenge tests that require deliberate contamination of the plastic material to higher levels than that typically found in the post-consumer stream. These challenge tests demonstrate the removal of all types of contaminants that might come in contact with the post-consumer plastic packaging back to food-grade standards to ensure safety in food contact applications.

Characterising PP contamination levels in post-consumer packaging

This raises the important topic of characterising the residues in post-consumer packaging that have been sorted into mono-polymer fractions. This is done by analysing and testing multiple batches of food/non-food samples to see what molecules are present and if there are any areas of concern.

Until recently there has been very little data showing the misuse rate within PP feedstocks, yet this background level of post-consumer product residues is vital as it defines the molecules that will need to be removed by the decontamination process and the residual levels that could potentially migrate into food.

This led Nextek to undertake their own study into the contamination rate of PP feedstocks in the UK to establish a reference contamination level for PP using the techniques used by Franz and Welle. The key variation to the Franz and Welle methods is that a GC mass spectrometer (GC-MS) was used to analyse the headspace of PP flakes, allowing for the identification of substances that cause samples to be outliers.

This provided further information as to whether the substances observed are genotoxic, which is the critical criteria for EFSA safety evaluations, and potentially determine if the substance is likely to be derived from the mis-selection of a piece of non-food PP packaging, which is not necessarily a case of misuse.

Although PP has very similar properties to HDPE being olefinic, the article format of PP being mainly trays, pots and tubs and rarely in bottles, may reduce the chances of it being in a consumer-misuse scenario.

A large proportion of PET packaging is relatively durable, with a tight closure, making it a container of choice when used for the storage of hazardous materials.

Because HDPE packaging is in bottle form with a closure it may also be used in such a scenario.

The proportion of PP food containers in bottle form is expected to be relatively low in comparison to PET and HDPE, where the majority of PP food containers would be in the aforementioned pots, tubs, or trays, with limited closure capability.

Nextek conducted this in-depth study of PP using a 20-tonne batch of PP bales sourced from a UK-based materials recovery facility (MRF). The co-mingled kerbside collections were sorted into material types such as fibre, plastics, and metals, and plastics were further sorted into categories of PET, PE and PP.

The 20-tonne batch was first sorted using automatic optical sorters into separated colour fractions of natural (clear), white and coloured articles. Each colour fraction was then hand sorted into articles from food applications and articles from non-food applications. The output mass of each food application fraction was 5.2 tonnes of natural, 1.7 tonnes of white, and 3.5 tonnes of multi-coloured PP. The average mass of a PP article was measured to be approximately 40 g per article; therefore, each fraction represented 130,000, 42,500 and 87,500 individual items respectively, and 260,000 individual items collectively.

Compositional analyses were carried out on each of the food application fractions. The articles were granulated into flakes as batches followed by washing in a conventional caustic hotwash. Samples of washed and dried flake (approximately 2 kg per sample) were taken every 15 minutes throughout the processing of the batches.

A composite sample for each batch was made by combining the samples collected during processing. The flake size was such that there were approximately 50 individual flakes per 1 g, and approximately 12 – 13 flakes accounted for half the sample mass. It’s estimated to be approximately 25 significantly sized flakes per 1 g. Approximately 200 subsamples, each 1 g, per composite sample were placed into 20 mL headspace vials for GC-MS analysis, resulting in an approximate combined total of 700 samples used in the analytical study.

The 700 tests represent approximately 17,500 different PP items based on 25 significantly sized flakes per test, estimated to be a cross-sectional representation of 7% of the articles from the combination of batches of 260,000 articles.

Following their contamination study Nextek was able to characterise the contamination levels in PP and conclude that they are in the order of 10x less than what we expect in HDPE milk bottles and 100x less than expected in PET.

These results reinforce Nextek’s global multi-participant project, NEXTLOOPP, which is closing the loop on food-grade recycled PP. By deploying innovative technology to effectively sort post-consumer PP packaging, the project is now harnessing these study findings to fast-track the production of their unique INRT-grade of rPP and food-grade rPP.

Unlocking the full value of plastic materials will go a long way towards reducing global plastic pollution, not to mention reducing plastic’s carbon footprint. If we hone in on PP alone, recycling 63,000t of PP per year would save a minimum estimated 105,600t in CO2 emissions in the UK per annum.

We now have the technology and expertise at our fingertips to make a fundamental impact on improving plastic packaging’s circularity, and in so doing, reducing our CO2 footprint and our plastic pollution.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/comment/breakthrough-in-polypropylene-recycling-could-boost-plastic-packaging-circularity

News & Updates

Coca-Cola’s Plastic-Free Beverage Multipack

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Post date February 28, 2024
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The Coca-Cola LitePac Top Strap saves 200 tons of plastic annually while reducing energy consumption and production.

The beverage industry is on a mission to save resources and reduce plastics. This new sustainable packaging solution is made possible through the collaboration of Krones AG and Coca-Cola HBC. The LitePac Top Strap is made from a sturdy, tear-resistant, completely recyclable fiberboard material.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/beverage-packaging/coca-colas-plastic-free-beverage-multipack

News & Updates

Coca-Cola to Shutter Plant with Hundreds of Layoffs

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Post date February 28, 2024
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Operations will be moved to a third-party co-packer.

The Coca-Cola Co. plant in Dunedin, FL, will close in May, laying off nearly 200 employees, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) letter sent to the Florida Dept. of Commerce on Feb. 6, 2024.

The letter states that layoffs will start April 5, 2024 and end May 31, 2024. All positions and jobs at the facility will be eliminated, and approximately 198 employees will be affected, although it is possible that one or more employees will remain employed for a limited time (no more than 60 days) after the closure to assist with administrative tasks.

The letter also states that employees were notified of the closure 60 days in advance on Feb. 5.

In a statement to local news WFLA.com, a Coca-Cola spokesperson said all volume for the plant will be transferred to a local, third-party co-packer.

“As announced in early 2020, the Coca-Cola Company will close the Dunedin Plant in Dunedin, FL, and transfer all volume to a local third-party co-packer, Peace River Citrus,” the spokesperson said.

“While these decisions are never made lightly, we believe Peace River has the right capabilities to support production of our brands and will put us in the best position for sustainable long-term growth. The transition will be completed by July 2024.”

In the beverage company’s Q3 2023 Earnings Report on Feb. 13, 2024, it said the North American division gained value share in total nonalcoholic ready-to-drink beverages.

Also, the report shared unit case volume declined 1% for Q3, as growth in juice, value-added dairy and plant-based beverages and Trademark Coca‑Cola was more than offset by a decline in water, sports, coffee and tea.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/beverage-packaging/coca-cola-to-shutter-plant-with-hundreds-of-layoffs

News & Updates

Hinged Fiber Containers Transform Takeout Convenience

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Post date February 28, 2024
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New recyclable and compostable molded pulp packaging from Sabert Corp. elevates the overall takeout and delivery experience for consumers while reducing the environmental impact.

Packaging sustainability hinges largely on the material used. What if highly sustainable foodservice containers were made more convenient by making them hinged?

That’s the reasoning behind a new line of molded pulp (aka fiber) hinged containers and portion cups for foodservice from Sabert Corp.

“As demand grows for sustainable food packaging, we engineered our pulp hinged containers and portion cups to provide the ideal blend of convenience and quality while also being better for the environment,” says Stephny Halstead, VP of marketing and new product development, Sabert. “Our long-standing commitment to sustainability ensures we continue to help reduce food waste and ensure food is delivered to consumers safely and sustainably.”

The containers are suitable for a variety of food including chicken wings, sandwiches, quesadillas, and more.

Sourced from renewable materials including wood fiber as seen in the video of the process above, the recyclable molded pulp products extend the supplier’s popular line of sustainable and compostable products with a design that better meets the needs of foodservice operators and customers. Benefits include…

Easy opening/closing hinged design for consumers and operators;
Strong, robust lock prevents leaks and spills during delivery;
Perforated lids tear away easily for table-ready dining on-the-go;
Durable construction ensures safe transport for takeout and delivery;
Resistance to moisture, oil, and grease for a mess-free dining experience;
Made with PFAS-free pulp and are commercially compostable.

Chris Howell, the company’s director of product management, tells Packaging Digest that “the initial line features six items including three-compartment options.”

SABERT CORP.

The pulp portion cups are designed to serve an assortment of dips and sauces including ketchup, salsa, or dressings. They offer benefits include…

Perfect accommodation for individual portions and small servings;
Availability in the three popular sizes;
Stackable and secure lid fit available in pulp or clear PET;
No-leak assurance to better keep dips and sauces securely contained.

The hinged pulp containers have been favorably received.

“Early customer feedback has been highly positive,” reports Howell. “We are hyper-focused on continuing to develop best-in-class sustainable solutions for our customers.”

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/food-packaging/hinged-fiber-containers-transform-takeout-convenience

News & Updates

Survey Says: Cannabis Users Will Pay More for Gifty Packaging

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Post date February 28, 2024
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New Valentine’s Day packaging for cannabis flower tests the research-backed idea that many consumers will pay more for high-end cannabis packaging.

At a Glance

House of Cultivar’s limited-edition package contains 1/8 oz of a new cannabis strain called Lobster Roll
Labels are printed with UV ink to create tactile effects on a holographic substrate
The results of recent cannabis-market research support the product’s premium pricing

Seattle-based cannabis grower House of Cultivar is releasing limited-edition, collectible flower packaging for Valentine’s Day this year under its Colors by Cultivar brand. The custom package, a colorless glass jar, holds 1/8 oz of the company’s new Lobster Roll cannabis strain.

The limited edition, a run of 250, will be distributed to cannabis dispensaries in the Pacific Northwest. The Valentine’s Day limited edition is the first in a series of exclusive product drops from House of Cultivar that will use short-run packaging designs to explore packaging concepts.

Leveraging consumer insights from recent cannabis-packaging research, the brand owner created premium-quality packaging for the Lobster Roll limited edition — and set the product’s price 18% to 28% higher than its other 1/8-oz flower products.

House of Cultivar collaborated with several partners to create the limited-edition packaging, specifically printer supplier Roland DGA, cannabis researcher Physis + Agency, and label printer GoldLeaf Print & Packaging.

Premium packaging components and labels.

The Lobster Roll packaging design and execution elevate the product vs. the jars and polyester pouches typically used to package 1/8-oz cannabis flower. The high-end package components are distinctive, with a taller-than-standard jar and a large, child-resistant closure that make the product stand out on crowded dispensary shelves.

House of Cultivar

But it’s the label, custom printed on a holographic substrate and featuring textured, dimensional effects, that particularly draws the eye. GoldLeaf prints the Lobster Roll labels using a Roland DG TrueVIS UV printer/cutter and specially formulated UV inks.

The Colors logo on the main Lobster Roll label features a wavy, 3D neon-tube shape, and the UV ink is printed in layers to create texture and visual depth. Thanks to the holographic substrate, the logo appears to ripple as the jar is turned. The substrate also creates an ever-changing rainbow effect that animates the logo’s bright colors.

The label has contoured edges, enabling consumers to see the flower inside the jar. A smaller holographic label on the closure, also with contoured edges, identifies the strain as Lobster Roll.

House of Cultivar uses its Washington-state regulatory compliance label as a tamper seal between the jar and lid.

Research backs up packaging, pricing choices.

The market intelligence behind Lobster Roll’s packaging design and pricing strategy came from a Physis + Agency survey of 1,009 cannabis-flower consumers in states where adult-use cannabis is legal. The survey was conducted December 2023.

The agency’s research report reveals that consumers are willing to pay up to 26% more for a 1/8-oz package of cannabis flower if it is “something special” — packed in premium packaging that is collectible, giftable, or memorable, for example. “Those already paying almost $80 per 1/8 of flower on average are willing to pay $15 more if there is a reason.”

In addition, 72.5% of respondents said they are likely to pay more for a jar of cannabis if the package is collectible or can be repurposed.

Apropos of holidays and gifting, 56.7% of all survey respondents, and 68.8% of millennials, said they would be likely to give cannabis as a gift if the product was in premium packaging.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/cannabis-packaging/survey-says-cannabis-users-will-pay-more-for-gifty-packaging

News & Updates

Budweiser Wisely Pivots Away from Beer Cans

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Post date February 28, 2024
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The bruised brand’s Super Bowl LVIII commercials bring in barrels and bottles, the Clydesdales, and a Labrador to sway core consumers.

At a Glance

The beer can was conspicuous in its absence in the Anheuser-Busch InBev ads during the Big Game
Old School ad taps the positive emotion of the Clydesdale horses … and on-premise packaging
“He hates these cans!” The Jerk, 1979

A Budweiser commercial without a can of beer in sight? Yep. After last year’s debacle with a promotional can printed with transgender spokesperson Dylan Mulvaney’s face that cost the company billions in lost sales, brand owner Anheuser-Busch InBev shied away from cans for Super Bowl LVIII.

The brewer had two ads during the big game: one for Bud Light and one for Budweiser.

The Bud Light commercial briefly showed a refrigerator full of glass bottles of Bud Light before a genie appears to make beer-drinkers’ dreams come true.

To be honest, after the hullaballoo about the Dylan Mulvaney episode, I thought social media reactions would be mixed, if not brutal. What we got was … crickets. But the feed was flooded with football fans trying to win the Bud Light Giveaway and there were lots of cans pictured in the posts. Here are a couple examples:

Truth: People love animals, like dogs and Clydesdales.

For the Budweiser brand, Anheuser-Busch InBev went “Old School” for Super Bowl LVIII.

This 1-minute commercial tells the story of how a small-town American bar is running low of Budweiser, and a snowstorm threatens its regular delivery (by truck, I’m assuming). Thankfully, the Clydesdale horses are ready to step in, and the delivery team loads barrels of beer on a horse-drawn wagon. Tension runs high when visibility becomes so bad even the animals can’t see or sense the road. But, wait, up ahead … is that the dog from the bar? It is! Saved!

Kegs roll into the bar and a party ensues.

Who doesn’t love the Clydesdales and labradors? No one, it seems. (Or puppies! Isn’t video of the Puppy Bowl XX just the cutest? But I digress.) Fans gushed about the Budweiser ad on social media, with one saying the commercial was “The winner of the game!”

Overall, the Bud brands redeemed themselves, earning two of the three top beer ads spots from Super Bowl LVIII:

Will it drive sales though? According to a 2024 Super Bowl advertising study from behavioral research company Veylinx, Super Bowl commercials do boost consumer demand for the products advertised.

I do feel sorry for the ignored beer can, though. What’s a disgraced package gotta do to get out of the dog house with beer drinkers?

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/beer-wine-spirits/budweiser-wisely-pivots-away-from-beer-cans

News & Updates

Coffee’s Still Hot in America, Especially When It’s Cold

Post author By admin
Post date February 28, 2024
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Unpacking coffee trends reveals today’s types growing in popularity, preferred packaging materials, and trendy designs.

I’m surrounded by coffee snobs at work — me included. We silently judge those who come to our office and DON’T have a specific preference in their choice of coffee. There are no pods in our office, to be sure. But it’s not our fault. We live in a town that is deemed a “Coffee Destination”.

It’s a distinction of pride because my hometown of Lancaster, PA, has more than 70 coffee shops, including 9 that roast their own beans.

In this locally inspired report I’ll unpack general coffee trends, a nod to notable hometown heroes in my area, sustainability, and of course, packaging trends comprising today’s preferred choices in design and materials.

When viewed by the numbers, coffee is a booming business. The global coffee market is anticipated to reach $134.25 billion in 2024. We know that tea supersedes coffee in many parts of the world, but not here in the US. It was recently reported that 65% of adults drank coffee in the past day alone.

Factors such as the increasing out-of-home coffee consuming population, rapid urbanization, rising ecommerce sales, accelerating disposable income, increasing coffee preference, growing demand for specialty coffee, and rising green coffee consumption are driving the market.

However, growth of the industry will be challenged by weather uncertainties, retail consolidations, supply chain issues, and stringent regulations.

What types of coffee are rising to the top? Here are five.

ANEMIC181/ISTOCK VIA GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Five coffee types picking up in popularity.

1. Coffee Concentrates: Busy schedules demand fast and convenient options. Coffee concentrates, such as cold brew or espresso concentrate, allow for quick and high-quality coffee preparation without specialized equipment or lengthy brew times.

2. Cold Coffee: Cold coffee — like classic iced coffee, premium cold brew, and snap-chilled coffee — will dominate in 2024, catering to fast-paced, on-the-go lifestyles.

The rise in demand for cold coffee is also driven by climate change, with customers seeking chilled beverages year-round.

3. Cold Foam: Cold foam is now centerstage as a topping. It’s relatively low in calories and retains a creamy, meringue-like texture when added to cold drinks. Also, it can be infused with various flavors, including seasonal and plant-based options.

4. Protein Coffee: Protein coffee, or proffee, is gaining popularity as a satisfying breakfast alternative. Made with coffee and premade protein shakes or plant-based protein powders, this trend caters to customers who prefer a protein-packed start to their day.

5. Food-Topped Lattes: Coffee shops will serve lattes topped with food, drawing inspiration from beloved desserts. From freeze-dried strawberry shortcake pieces to apple crisp crumbles, these visually appealing lattes attract customers seeking indulgent treats.

Let’s get physical: Structural trends in coffee packaging.

Determining packaged coffee materials are a complex task due to product requirements for freshness and coffee’s vulnerability to outside environmental elements that pose a challenge for roasters. Also, there’s that first big packaging trend below: ecommerce and all the complexities it embodies.

Ecommerce-ready packaging on the rise: Roasters must consider that the packaging must withstand both postal and courier delivery. Additionally, the shape of the coffee bag may have to adapt to the size of letter boxes.

A return to paper packaging: With plastic being pushed out as a premier packaging choice, a return to paper packaging is underway. Both kraft paper and rice paper packaging have never been more in demand.

Originating from the German word kraft meaning strong, kraft paper is made of a minimum 80% sulfate wood pulp. It’s coarse and exceptionally strong, making it well suited for packaging. It’s sometimes made with a rough surface to prevent bags from sliding off pallets.

The global kraft paper industry exceeded $17 billion last year due to increased demand for sustainable and recyclable packaging materials.

Nowadays, environmental awareness isn’t a trend — it’s a requirement. Sustainable coffee bags, including recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable options are all available, with more options undoubtedly on the horizon this year.

FRES-CO SYTEMS

Fres-co System USA’s NextPak flexible coffee packaging is the first ultra-high-barrier package approved for store drop-off recycling.

A strong focus on anti-counterfeit packaging: Consumers are increasingly passionate about where their specialty coffee originates, and whether their purchases benefit its producers. Sustainability in its broadest definition is a major factor in coffee. The industry needs to rally behind sustainability initiatives that promote ethically produced coffee to support the livelihoods of the 25 million coffee growers across the globe.

Eliminating best-by dates: Food waste is a global concern, with experts estimating it tallies a whopping $17 trillion in loss per year. As a result, roasters are moving away from best-by dates for coffee to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Because it is more shelf-stable than other perishable items, with only the taste degrading over time, roasters are using roasted dates and quick-response codes as a better solution to communicate key product attributes including when the coffee was roasted.

Now onto design. What visual elements are coffee companies using to catch your eye and your dollars?

Ways coffee roasters persuade your purchase.

This year, we’ve seen packaging design trends that collaborate bold colors, eye-popping images, minimalist designs, and retro-feeling fonts across most categories. Coffee is no exception. Here are examples for three types.

1. Bold Fonts/Shapes: Using typography as the centerpiece is still hot. A burst of color, pattern, and things that don’t quite go together but somehow work. Dark Matter Coffee is a Chicago-based roaster with a huge attitude and cult-like following. As stated in Bon Appetit, Dark Matter started designing edgy, colorful artwork because “coffee packaging can be boring.” They commission local Chicago artists to create their packaging artwork, and release a limited-edition coffee variety monthly featuring that art such as the example below. The company has adapted this same approach with the décor of their brick-and-mortar locations, including a pop-up store at Chicago’s United Center.

It goes without saying that Starbucks has used minimal packaging design for quite some time, but more recently the company has branched out to more creative designs, too.

STARBUCKS COFFEE CO.

2. Minimalism: This trend is seen across all types of products from perfume to dairy, to sweets and snacks, and coffee, too. Minimalist packaging design is a great way to communicate better with consumers at retail. It stands out on the shelf and proclaims with simplicity “this is quality.”

3. 60s meets the 90s: This is simply a way of saying “everything once old is new again…and again. From Nirvana-inspired fonts to designs that look straight out of Haight-Ashbury, the rock and roll ethos of boldness with ideology is back in a big way. A big shout out to my local favorite roasters: Square One Roasters. Their packaging is whimsical, lighthearted, and airy feeling, with wispy illustrations of birds on each package.

SQUARE ONE ROASTERS

4. Everything is a QR code away: It’s all about connectivity. Quick response codes allow brands to invite consumers into their world, whether it’s how to use a product to its best effect, or to explore social media channels. QR codes deliver packaging from long-form messaging because the code takes consumers to video content or animation in new ways. Also, QR codes allow coffee companies the freedom to not have to explain key product details on the packaging, allowing for more leeway in design.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/food-packaging/coffee-s-still-hot-in-america-especially-when-it-s-cold

News & Updates

Food Packaging Faceoff: Paperboard Versus rPET Plastic

Post author By admin
Post date February 28, 2024
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Metsa Board and a Finnish vegetable cooperative commissioned a study to compare cherry tomato packages made of paperboard to one made of recycled PET plastic.

At a Glance

Sustainable paperboard is revolutionizing food packaging freshness and safety
Consumers prefer paperboard as a responsible, eco-friendly choice
Paperboard packaging lowers the environmental impact versus plastic

The journey of produce from farm to table is a complex one, with packaging playing a crucial role in ensuring that fruits, vegetables, and other food items arrive in optimal condition. There has been a recent and significant shift to paperboard packaging in the food industry. This change is driven by a multitude of factors including produce preservation, food safety, environmental concerns, and consumer behavior.

One of the primary considerations for produce packaging is maintaining its freshness.

Different produce items have varied sensitivity to factors like humidity loss and oxidation. For instance, berries and mushrooms lose moisture faster than apples or oranges. Packaging materials are required to have suitable barrier properties to preserve the freshness of the produce and protect it from mechanical stresses during transportation, thus preventing food waste.

Regulatory diversity complicates food safety in global supply chains.

When it comes to direct contact with food, packaging must adhere to stringent safety measures. This includes using materials that do not transfer harmful substances or odors to the food. Compliance with international safety standards through rigorous testing is essential. The global landscape of food packaging regulations is complex, with different regions having varying standards. In Europe and the US, for instance, there are strict limits on substances like Optical Brightening Agents (OBAs) and Bisphenol-A, ensuring high safety standards. This diversity in regulations highlights the complexity of ensuring food safety in global supply chains.

The shift from plastic to paperboard packaging is driven by environmental concerns. Paperboard, derived from renewable resources, contrasts with plastic, predominantly produced from fossil fuels. This shift aligns with global efforts to minimize environmental impact and reduce dependency on non-renewable resources. Paperboard also boasts a high recyclability rate, contributing to circular economy principles.

Paperboard’s advantages go beyond sustainability.

However, paperboard’s advantages are not limited to environmental benefits. Various surface treatments also provide necessary barrier properties against moisture and oxygen. Innovations in water-based barrier coatings and biodegradable linings are enhancing paperboard’s functionality.

Paperboard graphics and printing have also evolved to combine visual appeal with environmental responsibility. Modern printing technologies allow for high-quality, vibrant graphics without compromising the recyclability of paperboard. This makes it a preferred choice for brands aiming to balance aesthetic appeal with environmental consciousness.

METSA BOARD

The choice between fresh and recycled fiber in paperboard is influenced by safety and environmental considerations. Fresh fiber, used for direct food contact, offers higher purity and traceability, free from contaminants often found in recycled fibers. Both have critical roles to play in keeping the circular system going, but recycled fiber is less suitable for direct food contact, and, while it can be used for non-food packaging applications, in a lifecycle analysis its carbon footprint is still higher than fresh fiber.

While paperboard solutions are typically heavier than plastic, they can be delivered flat, reducing transportation space, and potentially offsetting the weight disadvantage.

Kraft liner is particularly useful for producing corrugated boxes, which is ideal for larger, heavier produce. Corrugated boxes may also need internal or surface barrier treatments to protect the produce from the environment. The recyclability of paperboard is a significant aspect of its sustainability because it fits well within the existing recycling infrastructure, unlike materials with lower recycling rates.

Paperboard vs. plastic: A tomatoes-to-tomatoes comparison.

There are notable market examples where paperboard packaging has been successfully implemented. For instance, Metsa Board, together with Narpes Grönsaker, a Finnish vegetable cooperative, commissioned a study in 2019 to compare cherry tomato packages made of paperboard with a package made of rPET plastic. The study looked at consumer perceptions, food waste aspects and climate impact. The package made of paperboard included a transparent window, as consumers expect to be able to see produce before making any purchase decisions.

The study revealed that:

• Consumers regard paperboard as a more responsible choice than plastic packaging: 67% preferred the paperboard carton with a window. Paperboard packaging is perceived as convenient, innovative, aesthetic, and responsible.

• Shelf-life testing of cherry tomatoes in various packages carried out by The Natural Resources Institute of Finland (Luke) revealed no major differences in shelf life: paperboard packaging preserved tomatoes at least as well, or even better, than rPET. The best results were obtained with a dispersion barrier paperboard.

• The climate impact (CO2 equivalent) of the production of cherry tomatoes and their consumer packages revealed that the climate effect of the rPET plastic box was six times higher than that of the paperboard carton.

Consumer behavior plays a crucial role in the success of paperboard packaging. Consumers generally view paperboard as a more responsible choice due to its recyclability.

However, the effectiveness of recycling depends on consumer participation in waste sorting and access to waste recycling systems.

Therefore, paperboard is a viable, sustainable option for food packaging that addresses produce preservation, food safety, environmental impact, and consumer preferences. Its success, however, hinges on continued innovation in material science, responsible consumer behavior, and harmonization of global food safety standards.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/food-packaging/food-packaging-faceoff-paperboard-versus-rpet-plastic

News & Updates Sustainability

Compostable Tray Nudges EPS From the Meat Case

Post author By admin
Post date February 28, 2024
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SEE’s new compostable tray performs as well as standard protein trays on food processing equipment and in distribution.

t a Glance

SEE’s new compostable meat tray offers an alternative to EPS and PET meat packaging
The tray runs at high speeds on existing overwrapping equipment
Tray is BPI-certified as industrially compostable, with DIN home-composting certification expected soon

SEE, formerly Sealed Air, has developed a bio-based, industrially compostable meat tray to replace expanded polystyrene (EPS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays on existing overwrappers with no changes to the equipment.

The food-contact-grade tray was introduced at the recent International Product and Processing Expo, held January 30 to February 1, 2024, in Atlanta.

The new Cryovac compostable overwrap tray is made from a resin that’s USDA-certified as having 54% bio-based content chemically derived from responsibly sourced wood cellulose.

In addition to cellulose, the tray material contains 45% recycled content from mixed waste. This waste, which includes a variety of difficult-to-recycle plastics, is broken down into molecules to form acetic acid, which is then combined with wood pulp to create resin pellets.

SEE developed the compostable tray as a more environmentally friendly alternative to EPS and PET case-ready meat trays. The bio-based resin contains no per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) or perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

Compostable tray: in-plant pluses and products.

“SEE’s compostable tray has been proven to maintain the same operational efficiencies on food processing lines as traditional trays. The tray is engineered for high speeds, including denesting, machine handling, and boxing operations,” says Tiffani Burt, executive director of sustainability, graphics, and smart packaging, at SEE.

Packaging applications for the new tray include fresh poultry, beef, pork, lamb, veal, seafood, smoked and processed meats, and alternative proteins.

SEE reports that the lightweight biopolymer tray’s performance and stability are comparable to that of conventional trays. Extensive testing throughout the food value chain showed the compostable tray performs well, without leaking, cracking, or breaking, in demanding manufacturing and distribution environments and at extreme temperatures.

“A leading brand owner initially collaborated with SEE to test the compostable tray on existing food production lines and is now using the tray to package some products for retailers,” Burt says. “We continue to test the tray with leading processors.”

SEE

Tray’s compostable certifications.

BPI has certified the new tray — sans overwrap, pad, and label/sticker — as compostable, which means it can be broken down via biological treatment at large-scale, commercial composting facilities.

Home-compostable status is on the horizon, as well. “The home-composability certification process for SEE’s compostable tray is underway now. We expect to receive DIN [Deutsches Institut für Normun] certification” in summer 2024, Burt says.

Additionally, TÜV Austria has certified the tray’s resin as soil- and marine-biodegradable; microorganisms existing in nature can break down the material with no microplastic left behind.

SEE

Overwrap and retail considerations, options.

SEE currently offers the compostable tray in a 9-in. x 7-in. format (also known as 3P), “which is one of the largest-volume trays in the industry. Additional tray sizes will be available later this year,” Burt says.

The filled tray is finished with a heat-sealed overwrap film and is compatible with commonly used overwrap films, including Cryovac side-end-seal (SES) film, barrier display film (BDF), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film.

Shelf-life for proteins packed in the biopolymer tray is comparable to that of products packed in either EPS or amorphous PET (aPET) trays, SEE reports.

The bottom of the tray is embossed with language stating that it is industrially compostable. In addition, “retailers may choose to apply for the How2Compost label to be placed on the overwrap film or use other language stating the tray is compostable. Brands are also able to make labeling choices based on their needs,” Burt says.

“Ultimately, messaging on the overwrap film will depend on the sustainability needs/goals of the processor, brand owner, or retailer,” she adds.

Source

https://www.packagingdigest.com/sustainability/compostable-tray-nudges-eps-from-the-meat-case