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Coca-Cola’s Bruno Pietracci talks African optimism and new ways of working

Beverage giant The Coca-Cola Company is optimistic about the African continent’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and is building back better to grow its business in the region while adapting to evolving consumer behaviour and a changing corporate landscape.

“We’re very bullish about economic recovery. We’re bullish about Africa and South Africa, and fuelling that optimism with investments – not only to connect with consumers but with the trade and our manufacturing facilities – is critical for us,” said Bruno Pietracci, president of Africa for The Coca-Cola Company.

“In 2021 and 2022, we are already above the level of investment prior to the pandemic. We are really fuelling the engine so that we can accelerate growth in Africa,” he said.

Speaking during the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa’s (CGCSA) annual summit held this week, Brazilian-born Pietracci said that Coca-Cola strives to achieve a balance of global scale and local customisation. This means tailoring the Coca-Cola strategy to regional demands so that things like pack size, packaging design, price and refrigeration reflect cognisance of a particular country’s energy supply, consumer demographics and disposable income.

The Coca-Cola Company has been present in Africa for approximately 90 years, with 22 bottling partners and more than 120 factories currently dotted across the continent.

Pietracci also touched on the “tremendous transformation in consumer behaviour” driven by the pandemic, noting the accelerated adoption of digital platforms and the growing consumption of products in the home versus at venues. “We are stepping up our game in digital as well as in packaging and price to capture those opportunities,” he said.

Global refresh

As part of a refresh to the company’s operating model, for the first time the African business is plugged directly into the Atlanta headquarters, a move that Pietracci said allows Cola-Cola Africa the “freedom to be the masters of our own destiny”.

The pandemic proved to be a catalyst for change at Cola-Cola, as has been the case for many organisations. Notably, in 2020 the company announced that it would streamline its portfolio by retiring over 200 brands, including Coco-Cola’s first “diet soda” drink Tab, which enjoyed a small but loyal following in South Africa.

This streamlining process slashed the company’s global portfolio down from roughly 400 brands to just 150, enabling Coca-Cola “to nurture and double-down” on the brands that showed promising performance, Pietracci said.

Adapting the workplace

Pietracci, who is based in Johannesburg, also spoke to how the pandemic forced Cola-Cola to adapt to new ways of working.

“It’s challenged us to do things in a different way. I’m most proud of how we’ve learnt to make bolder decisions much faster,” he said, adding that decisions about changes in packaging and labelling, for example, which were once made over a few months are now being actioned in a week.

Coca-Cola Africa also needed to “embrace tech on a new level”, Pietracci said, when it shifted more than 500 office-based employees to remote work overnight. The company is now actively engaging with outside parties to reimagine what the workplace of the future looks like.

As many have discovered, work-from-home culture and the lack of work-life barriers that it can be associated with presents a new set of challenges. To address this, Pietracci said Coca-Cola introduced new processes and routines including the formation of a Wellbeing Council to promote a healthy organisational culture.

“One of our key priorities was protecting employees’ wellbeing … I don’t claim that we have it all worked out. The workload and the burnout of employees have been felt, but I believe we’re making good progress,” he said.

Community involvement

Pietracci touched on the need for Coca-Cola to support the communities in which it operates during times of distress, in particular small businesses, which derive a significant portion of their income from Coca-Cola products.

“I’m proud of the role we played in supporting the development of small business, not only during the pandemic but during riots in July … We developed specific programmes to reignite and strengthen our partnership with such a crucial part of our value chain,” he said.

The beverage company has supplied governments in Africa with supply chain capabilities to help level up their response to the pandemic, while bottling partners like Coca Cola Beverages Africa made changes to their production facilities to begin producing alcohol used for sanitiser.

“We have to step up our game and be part of the solutions for the communities across South Africa and the African continent so that we can grow with them,” Pietracci said.

Source:

https://www.bizcommunity.africa/Article/410/162/221179.html

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News & Updates Sustainability

Plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables to be banned in France

The French Government has announced plans to ban fruit and vegetables from being sold in plastic packaging from January 1st, 2022, as part of its anti-waste law aimed at creating a circular economy with single-use plastic phased out by 2040.

The anti-waste law was voted into effect in early 2020, with the first stage being a ban on the sale of disposable tableware, including glasses, cups, and plates, and cotton swabs in batches. In 2021, the French government expanded this law by banning plastic straws, disposable cutlery, stirrers, lids for takeaway beverage cups, polystyrene boxes, and plastic confetti.

Representing the next step in France’s anti-waste law, plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables weighing less than 1.5 kg will be banned. This will come into effect on January 1st, 2022, but the Government says the law will be applied gradually up until June 30th, 2026, so manufacturers have time to alter packaging solutions. A tolerance period of six months for the disposal of packaging stocks will also be allowed, according to the French Government.

Some of the vegetables included in this law will be leeks, peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, cauliflower, and squash, among others. Meanwhile, apples, pears, bananas, oranges, kiwis, lemons, melons, pineapples, and mangoes are some of the fruits that will be targeted by the addition to the anti-waste law.

For salads, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, and chicory, the deadline for phasing out plastic packaging will be shorter, with the ban expected to be complete by December 31st, 2024. A shorter deadline of June 30th, 2023, will also apply to tomatoes, peaches, and nectarines.

The new law will have two exemptions: fruit and vegetable sold in lots of 1.5 kg or more, and fruit and vegetables at risk of deterioration if sold in bulk. Raspberries, strawberries, currants and blueberries, alongside ripe fruits picked at maturity, are included in the latter category. Products like lentils and soybeans will also be exempt.

The French Government says it expects a 1 billion reduction in packaging per year as a result of the ban. Currently, it estimates that 37% of fresh fruits and vegetables are packaged in plastic.

In a bid to encourage reuse, France’s anti-waste law urges consumers to bring reusable containers into retail stores to purchase items, as long as the container is clean and suitable for the products purchased.

As part of its Climate and Resilience Law, implemented in August 2021, the French Government is aiming for 20% of medium and large products to be sold in bulk by 2030, reducing or eliminating the need for plastic packaging. This complements the anti-waste law’s targets for 5% of packaging to be reused by 2023, and 10% by 2027.

Further changes to the anti-waste law are expected in 2022, including non-biodegradable plastic tea and herbal tea bags being removed from supermarket shelves in France. The country’s food service industry will also be impacted: the distribution of plastic games with meals will be banned in 2022 and, from 2023, restaurants will be required to replace disposable dishes with reusable ones for meals and drinks served on site.

Press publications and advertisements will also be shipped without plastic packaging from 2022, in accordance with France’s anti-waste law.

Governments in Europe are taking varied measures to address the challenge of plastic waste. Another initiative implemented by France is the HolyGrail 2.0 project, which may see the country have digitally watermarked products introduced to store shelves in the first half of 2022, if the current semi-industrial trial taking place in the City of Copenhagen is successful.  

Meanwhile, representatives from the plastics industry recently called on the European Union (EU) to set a recycled content target of 30% for plastics sold on the European market by 2030, although this has been criticised by some for not sharing responsibility across the value chain.FOOD

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/plastic-packaging-fruit-and-vegetables-banned-in-france/

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News & Updates Sustainability

‘Recyclable’ monomaterial retort pouch unveiled by Mondi

Mondi launches RetortPouch Recyclable, a monomaterial solution apparently featuring a high-barrier film alternative to aluminium that means the pouch is “fully recyclable”.

The company says its new high-barrier pouch can replace complex multi-layer and unrecyclable packaging for a range of food and wet pet food products.

It adds that this includes moist or semi-moist foods that are heat-treated in stream or hot water retort vessels to achieve commercial sterilisation for shelf stability, which requires retort packaging. The RetortPouch Recyclable solution apparently replaces the aluminium typically used to achieve these properties, replacing it with a high-barrier film that keeps temperatures high and maintains short processing times during the retort process.

Mondi claims the monomaterial retort packaging is also fully recyclable, as part of Mondi’s goal of ensuring that all of its products are reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025, a key target of its MAP2030 commitments.

According to Mondi, it has spent over two years researching and testing the product to ensure that several application needs can be met.

Eveline Wagner-Hahn, managing director at Mondi Korneuburg, comments: “Sustainability is a top priority for Mondi and we are committed to make this innovation available for all our customers by using our customer-centric approach, EcoSolutions.

“Our fully recyclable solution helps to lower the product’s environmental footprint and customers can be confident that their products will be completely protected throughout manufacturing and transportation and meet their sustainability goals.

“This is another example of our award-winning expertise in creating sustainable food packaging and delivering circular-driven solutions that work for the customer, the end user and the environment.”

The new monomaterial pouch represents a further commitment from Mondi to innovative packaging solutions that combine its sustainable initiatives with customer needs. Earlier this month, Mondi developed a paper bag for the retail market in South Africa, which it says is tailored for the regional climate in order to maintain the integrity of products carried inside without tearing.

Meanwhile, a stand-up pouch developed by Mondi and Wener & Mertz was awarded Gold in all categories of the Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Storecard – the first flexible pack in the world to do so.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/recyclable-retort-pouch-unveiled-by-mondi/

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What does the future hold for advanced recyling?

by Hannah Cole

A recent report from RaboResearch suggests that the advanced recycling industry continues to expand, with a high volume of collaborations and projects being announced in 2021, and new players emerging in regions including East Asia. However, criticisms of advanced recycling are also mounting, impacting the outlook of some of the industry’s biggest companies

In March, RaboResearch reported that there could be 140 advanced recycling plants worldwide, with a total capacity of three to four million metric tonnes, by 2025. The group’s new report, released in September, draws on its earlier predictions for the advanced recycling industry and gives some idea of how this growth may be achieved.

RaboResearch identifies a number of advanced recycling projects that have been announced in the last six months, focused on testing or rolling out new technology, securing feedstock, and investing in infrastructure solutions. This includes intentions to build more than 70 additional plants.

Announcements from companies already involved in the industry include Brightmark’s plans to put US$680 million into a plastic-to-fuel plant to treat plastic waste and PureCycle Technologies’ proposed investment of US$440 million to build a cluster location in the USA. Notably, these investments are focused on North America, a key market for advanced recycling.

Another significant announcement is TRACKCYCLE, a blockchain-enabled traceability solution for hard-to-replace plastics, supported by CirculorTotal EnergiesRecycling Technologies, and Innovate UK. The TRACKCYCLE solution is aimed at ensuring compliance with manufacturing standards at every stage of the advanced recycling process. RaboResearch adds that this announcement addresses a criticism of the industry: lack of traceability in the value chain.

Showing interest from elsewhere in the value chain, oil companies are reportedly becoming key investors in advanced recycling. Shell announced the acquisition of a 21.5% equity share in the technology provider BlueAlp, a joint venture that will potentially involve conversion units being built in the Netherlands and Singapore. Meanwhile, BP has reached a memorandum of understanding with Brightmark to explore opportunities for plants in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

According to the report, packaging convertors and feedstock suppliers are the most active parties across the value chain in speeding up the rollout of advanced recycling. RaboResearch claims this interest has grown since its last report and is likely to continue expanding. Convertors and suppliers apparently gain valuable experience from partnerships with the advanced recycling industry, as well as strategic access to chemically recycled feedstock that enables companies to meet escalating recycled content targets.

Some of the major partnerships announced by convertors and suppliers include Sealed Air’s US$5 million investment in the Closed Loop Circular Plastics Fund and two supply agreements from Berry Global, which is seeking to secure chemically recycled PP.

2021 has also seen the rise of East Asia-based companies becoming more active in the advanced recycling industry. The South Korean company SK Geo Centric has set the target of becoming the world’s largest urban oil field using plastic waste and, as part of its commitment to this goal, has made significant investments in Loop Industries, Brightmark, and PureCycle Technologies. Other companies emerging in this market include Mitsui and Kumho Petrochemical, both seeking to establish advanced recycling plants in the region.

While RaboResearch implies that these investments show increasing interest in developing advanced recycling into a large-scale and commercially viable industry, there are still many practical, financial, and economic challenges going forward.

This includes criticism from NGOs and media outlets, which have argued that the technology is still unproven, too costly and has a worse-than-advertised environmental impact, while planned investments have faced ongoing delays. Critics also claim that the technology is a greenwashing tool for companies to avoid other waste management solutions that have drawn more widespread negative attention.

Some of the biggest criticisms levied at the advanced recycling industry have come from Hindenburg Research. In one report, the research group lambasted PureCycle’s approach to funding, claiming it had not yet generated any revenue despite garnering large investments, and suggested that the company was seeking to scale up some of its advanced recycling technologies despite safety concerns being identified at the laboratory level.

In another report published in 2020, Hindenburg Research critiqued Loop Industries for similar issues with funding and revenue, and published comments from previous employees of the company that implied its technology for breaking down PET into its base chemicals to produce virgin-quality resin was “impossible”. As noted by RaboResearch, both reports resulted in significant fluctuations in the companies’ share prices – with PureCycle’s dropping by 40% on the day Hindenburgh Research’s report was published. PureCycle is also facing a class action lawsuit from investors – the results of which may have consequences for the entire industry – at the time of RaboResearch’s report.

However, even for some of the most criticised players in the industry, growth continues. As suggested by RaboResearch, the number of partnerships and investments announced in 2021 appears to show that collaboration will be key to continuing developments in the advanced recycling industry. Going forward, it is likely that companies will need to consolidate a more trustworthy image in order to attract further investments.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/what-does-the-future-hold-for-advanced-recyling/

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News & Updates Sustainability

Coca-Cola collaboration represents ‘significant milestone’ for commercial viability of plant-based plastic

The collaboration announced today between The Coca-Cola Company, Changchun Meihe Science & Technology, and UPM seeks to scale up and increase the efficiency of a technology that converts second-generation biomass into plant-based monoethylene glycol (bMEG) for packaging applications.

According to the group, the conversion process it intends to commercialise – which is co-owned and co-developed by Coca-Cola and Changchun Meihe – is more efficient than current technologies that produce bMEG. To achieve this, the technology reportedly takes a sugar source and removes the step of creating ethanol from the conversion process, providing more flexibility in feedstock choice.

The group adds that its technology is based on feedstock that cannot be used as a source of food, including hardwood taken from sawmill side-streams and forest thinnings, apparently from sustainably managed forests.

The collaboration is aimed at commercialising the production of renewable glycol and fossil fuel-free PET plastic, of which bMEG is a key component alongside terephthalic acid (PTA). First validated at demonstration scale in 2017, the technology is now set to be scaled up at a biorefinery currently under construction by UPM in Leuna, Germany.

According to the companies, this “first-of-its-kind” biorefinery will produce bMEG, as well as plant-based monopropylene glycol (bMPG) and lignin-based Renewable Functional Fillers (RFF), as part of a drive to increase the production of renewable raw materials that can, in turn, be integrated into existing material recovery and recycling streams. The companies add that the technology enables a reduced carbon footprint for products while still meeting performance requirements.

UPM’s biorefinery is planning to ramp up production in 2023 with an annual capacity of 220,000 tonnes.

Juuso Konttinen, vice president of biochemicals at UPM, comments: “Investing in the biorefinery in Leuna is a very exciting breakthrough for UPM on our way to becoming a credible player in the chemistry value chain.

“The decision to commercialize the bMEG technology from The Coca-Cola Company and Meihe was taken after extensive validation and we are excited about the prospect of widely marketing our products based on the agreement with The Coca-Cola Company announced today.”

Following the announcement that The Coca-Cola Company would be making its PlantBottle technology widely available, UPM will also be offering commercial quantities of the biochemicals produced at its Germany-based biorefinery to others in the industry – including Coca-Cola’s direct competitors.

Nancy Quan, chief technical and innovation officer at The Coca-Cola Company, adds: “The viability of this next-generation biomaterial is a significant technological breakthrough in our ongoing efforts to reduce our use of virgin oil-based plastics, by increasing our use of recycled and renewable alternatives. 

“It can not only help us achieve our commitments to carbon emission reduction but can also enable the entire industry to shift to a more circular economy.

“Through our agreement with UPM, we invite the wider industry to join us by utilizing the material once production has been ramped up at UPM Leuna.”

For The Coca-Cola Company, the collaboration with Changchun Meihe and UPM is part of its ongoing commitment to reach net zero carbon by 2040 in its Western Europe value chain, and by 2050 across all operations. By 2025, the company is also aiming to reduce the use of virgin plastic from crude oil-based sources by 3 million tonnes.

Meanwhile, the investment in UPM’s Leuna biorefinery is an “important step forward” for the company as it sets out to be a forerunner in the bioeconomy and to provide renewable biochemicals for a range of applications. Last year, UPM unveiled a new biocomposite material reportedly made from certified wood and cellulose fibres along with renewable PP polymers, which it claims can be used for food contact, personal care, and consumer goods applications.

https://packagingeurope.com/coca-cola-collaboration-milestone-plant-based-plastics/

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News & Updates Sustainability

New ‘compostable’ takeaway range from Seal Packaging to be launched in sandwich bars

Seal Packaging has announced what it claims is a home compostable and sustainable takeaway food packaging range, which will be distributed by Tri-Star Packaging while Birley Sandwiches in London will be the first location to use the product. 

Compostabowl, the new foodservice innovation from Seal Packaging, is made from bagasse, a plant-derived fibre material that the company says is “both abundant and renewable”. It adds that the material would otherwise go to waste if not used in the packaging.

According to Seal Packaging, the material used to make Compostabowl gives the product a natural look and feel that signals its “sustainability credentials” to consumers. The product is reportedly certified as fully home compostable.

In addition, the company says that the compact nested design of the packaging saves space in the kitchen and speeds up service. It is apparently suitable for all types of hot and cold food, including salads, noodles, and curries.

Seal Packaging also highlughts the importance of Compostabowl’s “snug-fitting” lid, which it claims ensures maximum presentation while providing a flat surface for vital allergen labelling from Gen-Label. The company says this will allow the packaging to align with Natasha’s law, which came into effect at the beginning of October and requires foods pre-packaged for direct sale to feature a full ingredient list with allergenic ingredients emphasised.

The lid is also reportedly made from 100% recycled PET (rPET) and is recyclable, which the company says further supports the sustainability of the Compostabowl product.

Kevin Curran, director of Seal Packaging, comments: “Compostabowl™ is the first of many new products to come out of the Seal Packaging stable, with two more planned before the end of the year.”

The first client to use Compostabowl in its restaurants will be the London-based sandwich bar, Birley Sandwiches. The foodservice chain says it is aiming to meet consumer demand for sustainable packaging, with Paul Salter, managing director Birley Sandwiches, saying that the new container “will keep us at the forefront of our industry”.

Compostabowl will be distributed in partnership with Tri-Star Packaging, which has previously worked on packaging solutions including the stackable Spartan pot range made from 85% premium high-clarity rPET and its food-to-go pot, JARR, also made from rPET and designed for personalisation

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/new-compostable-takeaway-range-from-seal-packaging/

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News & Updates

Pringles pack gets redesign and mascot makeover

Mr. P, the moustachioed mascot for Pringles, has enjoyed his first makeover in 20 years, to coincide with the 30-year anniversary of the famous snack brand’s UK launch.

After an eye-catching transformation, the playful Mr. P will now sport a modern look, including bold new eyebrows and a fancy new red bow tie. Mr.P’s new look, designed by creative agency Jones Knowles Ritchie (JKR), has also seen him lose his hair.

The iconic cans have also been given a fresh new look. They will now feature new bright and bold packaging, highlighting Pringles’ range of flavours and of course, their famous stackable shape.

The original Mr. P was designed by Arch Drummond in New York in 1967 and the mascot has since become a global icon synonymous with fun times, and even once found himself guest-starring in an episode of The Simpsons.

Since Pringles launched, Mr. P has had six new looks to keep in tune with the times. Twenty years since his last redesign, the 2021 version of Mr. P is his boldest look yet.

After 30 years, Pringles’ popularity is still going strong, with an average of five cans of Pringles flying off shelves each second in the UK.

Pete Matthews, brand design director from Pringles, said: “Pringles has always had such an iconic look and feel, we wanted to refresh the design and Mr P without losing our strong visual identity. The intention with the new look is to simplify and modernise the design, giving the brand’s mascot a bold makeover and highlighting the stackability of the crisps across the range.’’

Consumers will soon be able to spot the new design cans and Mr. P’s glow up across stores nationwide from late September.

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/pringles-pack-gets-redesign-mascot-makeover

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News & Updates Sustainability

Naked’s The Big One rebrand to BIG EAT reduces plastic by 50%

Symington’s MD Kevin Butterworth talks about rebranding and repackaging Naked ‘The BIG One’ to ‘BIG EAT’, which resulted in an immediate plastic saving of over 50%.

Coupled with the advantage of the Greiner Packaging’s K3® cardboard-plastic packaging being perfectly recyclable, Naked is the first UK food brand to use the newly improved and more visible tear-tab to make the process of separating the cardboard wrap from the plastic cup as easy as possible.

Symington’s marketing director Kevin Butterworth explained why Naked’s ‘The BIG One’ became ‘BIG EAT’ and why Greiner Packaging’s K3 cardboard-plastic cup delivers on Symington’s journey to full recyclability.

Butterworth said: “Since 2015, Symington’s Naked brand has taken consumer’s taste buds on an adventure in an instant, with authentic Asian flavours. For the last three years, five of our noodle flavours and two of our rice flavours have also been available in a wider, larger format called ‘The BIG One’.

“The brand team identified the opportunity to review our packaging formats during our annual brand planning last year. We did some work to discover who was choosing the larger format, and the consumption occasions. The standard pot was hitting more of a snacking occasion and the large pack was popular for lunch or an evening meal.

“We wanted to know if consumers needed to have the physically bigger pot to justify the occasion and quickly reconciled that they didn’t. This led us to rebranding Naked’s ‘The BIG One’ to ‘BIG EAT’.”

Plastic reduction

Talking about the reduction of plastic when creating the new packaging, Butterworth said: “We discovered that there needed to be a demonstrable difference between the core range and the BIG EAT, but we also learned that consumers were massively favorable towards any format that reduced its plastic.

“Working closely with Greiner Packaging, we carried out a full review of the packaging options.

For the BIG EAT, we reduced the diameter from 116mm to 95mm, to match our core range. This resulted in an immediate plastic saving of over 50%. Coupled with the advantage of the K3 cardboard-plastic packaging being perfectly recyclable, the pack format change has made a significant contribution to our mission to reduce the impact our packaging has on the environment.

“By moving to the new taller cup for BIG EAT, we also slightly reduced the size of the cups for our core range to underline the value differentiation, but without reducing the portion size.

“Throughout the project, the Greiner Packaging team worked closely with us, identifying the most suitable packaging solutions, and pushed the boundaries to create the new pack size which was outside what its existing machinery could produce at that time.

“Many factors contributed to this successful project. We were clear why consumers were choosing the larger pack and for which occasion, and rationalizing the format to match the in-store footprint of our standard product line delivered improved operational efficiency. There is also a significant advantage from the plastic saving and recyclability of Greiner Packaging’s K3. Symington’s is on a journey to full recyclability, so we are currently investigating a range of options to also make the lid recyclable.

UK first for new tear-tab

“The Greiner Packaging K3 pack is perfectly recyclable, as the consumer can easily separate the cardboard wrap from the plastic cup. Naked has been the first food brand in the UK to use Greiner Packaging’s newly improved and more visible tear-tab to make the process as easy as possible. We use the reverse of the wrap not just to show the fill-level, but also to engage Naked fans with more about our brand, and how they can be part of our sustainability journey.

“For Symington’s, consumer research is ongoing, with taste-tracking the top priority. But we also discover more about appeal, relevance, modernity, and other factors. We have learned that our consumers are much more aware about recyclability, so being able to involve them with a strong message about reducing plastic and ensuring the pack is genuinely recyclable is all part of delivering our longer-term CSR commitments particularly around environmental sustainability.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/nakeds-big-one-rebrand-big-eat-reduces-plastic

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News & Updates

Robot Food rebrands Urban Eat in grab and go push

Robot Food has revamped the branding of food-to-go range Urban Eat, aiming to “implode” the sector with bold new designs that “push the limits and shatter the preconceptions of what ‘grab and go’ can be”.

While Robot Food was keen to look at how the brand design could look on new products coming to the Urban Eat range, the brief was also to ensure a focus on existing flavours.

“The ambition was to become this really exciting, innovative brand,” said Robot Food creative strategist Natalie Redford. “But in the short term, they still have to big up a cheese sandwich—sometimes it’s the only thing that hits the spot.”

The main design challenge was to harness vibrant colours, intricate pattern designs and illustrative elements but without alienating anyone, “colourful and crazy but tasty and approachable,” said senior designer Chris Shuttleworth.

The huge range of illustrative styles are central to the Urban Eat brand, used on-pack to heighten the sense of excitement and dynamism of the range and create a rich brand world.

The high-energy, playful but functional illustrations nod to elements from across art history—as well as the sandwich aisle.

Ali Johns, head of brand development at Urban Eat owner Samworth Brothers, said: “This new chapter and identity will allow us to build brand awareness, grow into new listings, and inspire consumers looking for unique and exciting lunchtime offerings.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/robot-food-rebrands-urban-eat-grab-go-push

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News & Updates Sustainability

Iceland continues to reduce plastic footprint with series of plastic pack cuts

Iceland has launched a series of new packaging trials that will see the supermarket heavily reduce its plastic across nine products.

The nine products will see either plastic-free of heavily reduced packaging replace the current packaging, resulting in a reduction of plastic of 36.6 tonnes.

Frozen vegetables and herbs including garlic, coriander, ginger and chilli will now be packaged in cartons. Iceland’s Soured Cream & Chive Dip and Sweet Chilli Houmous are now packaged in paperboard pots and the supermarket’s frozen 25pk Chicken Dippers and Chicken Popsters are packaged in first to market innovative paper laminate bags.

Iceland’s frozen Easy Peel Wild Red Shrimp will be completely free from plastic with a coated paper bag replacing the old packaging, a truly ground breaking innovation for frozen food.

The new packaging will be trialled in 115 Iceland stores across Cheshire, North Wales and the West Midlands.

Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland, said: “While we are very proud of the progress we have made so far, our journey to becoming plastic free would be much easier if Government set more aggressive, mandatory plastic reduction targets as a framework for business to operate within. Once again, we would also call upon our fellow retailers to make more ambitious commitments to reducing their plastic footprint so we can find solutions that reduce the need to rely on plastic packaging together.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/materials/rigid-plastics/