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Bloom designs packaging for Britvic’s new Tango Mango

Brand-design agency Bloom has designed the packaging for Britvic’s new Tango Mango soft drink.

The packaging features lively mango imagery, silver accents and flowing lines, all handcrafted with chunky paint markers in bright mango hues.

Set against Tango’s signature black, the design stands out with its dynamic and bold aesthetic, incorporating confident marks and embracing imperfections.

Stu Witter, Bloom’s associate creative director, said: “We drew inspiration from various art forms, including graffiti and street culture, infusing cultural relevance into our graphics. Our design concept, which we call Tiger Style, draws from hip hop and street creativity, blending graffiti elements with the intricate detailing seen in custom car culture.

“We’ve also incorporated the vibrant colours of mango into the work, creating a pattern that’s not only eye-catching on pack but also adaptable to streetwear, merchandise and interior design.”

Dave Laidler, Britvic’s Carbonates Brand Director, said: “The Tango Mango design is hugely eye-catching and will appeal to our younger audience looking for excitement within fruit carbonates. We’re delighted with the results and can’t wait to see how our consumers react.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/bloom-designs-packaging-for-britvics-new-tango-mango

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Elopak invests for continued global growth

Carton giant Elopak is ramping up investments as it continues to grow in Europe and North America, along with partner plants across the world. Waqas Qureshi met the plant manager at its high-tech Netherlands facility.

Carton and machinery giant Elopak is investing heavily in its business as it looks to grow market share.

Seen as the world’s largest fresh liquid carton supplier, the company is realising the benefits of its technology investment in its Terneuzen, Netherlands facility which opened in 2023 – the company’s largest manufacturing plant globally.

The plant provides services such as repro design, platemaking, converting, sealing and packaging & logistics.

It has 440 employees, with five shift operations, producing cartons for fresh, hot fill, aseptic, and UHT products.
Prior to the new plant, the company had three warehouses with goods transported between sites. The new single facility has maintained the same level of output as the previous three sites, with volume also remaining the same.

Elopak is a full systems provider of carton packaging solutions. It develops and produces aseptic filling machines for ambient distribution and in co-operaton with Shikoku Kakoki filling machines for fresh/extended shelf life for chilled distribution.

Elopak also provides maintenance, spare parts, upgrades and retrofit services.

The company produces 16 different volume sizes – the smallest ¼ litre, largest is two-litre.

It offers 15 different opening features including easy opening.

Fully automated facility
Peter Lernout, plant manager, Terneuzen, said: “Until Nov 2022 we had three warehouses within 20km of the plant with total capacity of 300 million cartons, requiring 40+ truckloads per day internal transport for storage.

All warehouses were manual lifttruck storing. and picking. The new full automated highbay warehouse has a storage capacity up to 495 million cartons and direct connection with the converting plant.”

He said the new highbay, fully automated warehouse replaced the previously manual process of storing and loading pallets of blanks (folded cartons).

The new facility saves more than 40 truckloads per day, reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as improving efficiency.

The highbay warehouse can hold almost 200 million more cartons than the previous warehouses combined, offering over 24,000 pallet places across a 5,800m2 surface area.

The production lines at the site include six converting lines – producing various configurations and sizes.
Lernout said: “Volume remains the same – the efficiency is in the storage and handling – we went from 45 staff to 25 staff and made energy savings. We used to lose 24 hours with internal transport – not shuttling to external warehouses and automation vs manual lift trucks is a 3.2 ton CO2 saving / year.”

Elopak offers a wide portfolio of carton materials, board weights, strengths and coatings.

“Materials have evolved over the years – new types of board, less board, less weight, focus on less aluminium in the cartons is a big step. We still see opportunities to develop it more.”

For food products the carton has to be air tight and it is sensitive – some foods such as soups/sauces have started to move to cartons in recent years.

One of the main sectors the company works in is milk. Mik in cartons continues to be the norm in the continent. But in the UK it is still a small share of the milk market – and Elopak is hopeful it can capitalise on expected growth.

The company is also exploring the non food market – such as mouthwash in cartons, laundry liquid, sauces and more.

Sustainable growth
Ole-Petter Trovaag, interim chief technology officer, said one recent innovation has been the development of renewable polymer layers for its Pure-Pak fresh cartons.

“This polymer is based on secondary feedstock, such as tall oil sourced from responsibly managed forests, resulting in a naturally renewable carton that has a smaller carbon footprint. Since the launch of these renewable cartons in 2014, Elopak has saved more than 12,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

“As part of our strategy for sustainability-led growth, we are expanding into new geographical markets, providing low-carbon, naturally sustainable cartons to more people around the world,” said Trovaag. “In recent years we have opened new production facilities in Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and India, and we are due to open our first US plant in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2025.”

Last November the company unveiled a new generation of filling machine, which it said extends the shelf life of fresh products to up to 60 days. In its 2022 sustainability report, Elopak documented that 30% of the fresh milk cartons it sold in Europe that year were fully renewable – up from 18% the previous year.

Trovaag added that geographic expansion, including new operations in MENA and India, as well as the upcoming plant in the USA, form a key pillar of its growth strategy – to bring ‘naturally sustainable, low-carbon cartons’ to more markets and customers.

“Operations in India, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco have gotten up to speed and smoothly integrated within the broader Elopak network. Our first US production plant in Little Rock, Arkansas is expected to come online in 2025, helping us to better serve both new and existing customers in the US.

“In Q3 2023 we announced our best ever financial results as a company, with revenues increased by 4% to €283.5m and organic growth up 5%. We expect to achieve a full year revenue of €1.1bn, well above our mid-term organic growth target of 2-3%.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/materials/cartonboard/elopak-invests-for-continued-global-growth

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Ultra-clean PE materials for flexible packaging revealed by Repsol

Repsol has expanded its ultra-clean polyethylene range – now featuring several grades of HDPE, low-density metallocene, and an EBA copolymer – and expects to provide customers with various options to replace multi-material flexibles while aligning with recyclability targets set out in upcoming EU legislation.

Apparently, the new range increases the stretch ratio of non-ultra-clean polyethylene grades by 40% – enhancing the performance of its final products and improving processability compared to alternatives currently on the market. The stretch ratio is said to enable the materials’ use in applications with maximum orientation and differentiated mechanical properties.

In turn, the solution anticipates the requirement that all packaging on the EU market must be recyclable by 2030, with Repsol aiming to help its customers fulfill that target.

With the recent development of MDO technology to produce mono-material packaging, its minimal installed capacity is still under development; Repsol describes it as a ‘novel solution with high potential to solve the sustainability challenges of flexible packaging’.

The company seeks to encourage its customers to design packaging for mechanical recycling in a bid to cut down on carbon footprint and increase efficiency.

“We are proud to launch one of the most comprehensive ranges to support customers in this initial phase and accompany them in the innovation process,” said Antonio Portela, Polyolefins director at Repsol. “Our new range is also available in its circular, bio, and bio-circular alternatives to further drive our customers’ sustainability commitments in circularity and decarbonization.”

Pablo Giner, Polyethylene director at Repsol, added: “With this launch, we offer our clients a global eco-design solution for flexible packaging based on our broad portfolio of polyolefins: HDPE, mLLDPE, and EBA.”

Repsol’s HDPE UltraClean 110, HDPE UltraClean 120, mLLDPE UltraClean 210, mLLDPE UltraClean 220, and EBA UltraClean 310 material grades are now commercially available.

The news follows the release of Repsol’s ISCC PLUS certified circular EVA copolymers late last year. Claimed to be the first of their kind on the market, the copolymers are intended to help establish a circular economy for polyolefins and cut down on Repsol’s own virgin raw material consumption.

In another development, LeadEdge Flexo has developed a new mounting material made of bio-based polyethylene and seeks to lower the reliance on synthetic virgin material in corrugated post-printing solutions.

Berry Global has also unveiled an upgraded version of its Omni Xtra polyethylene cling film for fresh food products, intended as a certified recyclable alternative to traditional PVC solutions.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/news/ultra-clean-pe-materials-for-flexible-packaging-revealed-by-repsol/10944

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Label-free Sprite and Sprite Zero bottles trialled by Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is temporarily removing the labels from its Sprite and Sprite Zero on-the-go bottles to trial label-free packaging in hopes of reducing plastic waste.

Although the existing labels are fully recyclable, according to Coca-Cola, designing them out is expected to cut down on the amount of packaging material used and negate the need to separate packaging components before recycling the bottle.

As such, single 500ml Sprite and Sprite Zero bottles will see their labels temporarily removed, with an embossed logo taking their place on the front of the pack. Product and nutritional information will be laser-engraved into the back of the bottle.

The bottles are already said to be made from 100% recycled PET. Green and transparent attached caps will differentiate between Sprite and Sprite Zero drinks, respectively.

Eight Tesco Express stores in Brighton and Hove, Bristol, London, and Manchester will stock the limited design between January and March 2024.

“We want to help create a future where plastic drink packaging will always have more than one life,” explained Dusan Stojankic, VP Franchise Operations, GB&I at Coca-Cola Great Britain. “Labels contain valuable information for consumers, but with the help of technology we can now trial other ways to share this information while reducing the amount of packaging we use.

“Going label-less might seem like a small step, but it is one of several ways we are exploring making recycling easier, minimizing waste, and minimizing the impact of our packaging on the environment.”

“The trial we are announcing today is a milestone for the industry,” continued Javier Meza, VP Marketing, Coca‑Cola Europe. “It’s the first time these two technologies have been used in a pilot globally, where a Coca‑Cola product will appear in a label-less, single-unit bottle sold in-store.

“Although the design change may sound simple, this is a big shift from a marketing perspective. This trial could contribute to longer-term changes to the way brands communicate with their consumers.”

James Bull, head of Packaging and Food Waste Strategy at Tesco, added: “We want to help our customers minimize the environmental impact of the products they buy, including removing plastic and packaging when possible. This trial of label-less packaging by Sprite is a great example of how brands are innovating to provide those solutions.”

“It’s clear that, as a society, we need to reduce, reuse and recycle more, and waste less,” concluded Allison Ogden-Newton, chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy. “Everyone, including businesses, needs to be part of the solution. We welcome this exciting and innovative trial.”

Coca-Cola has sought to reduce its packaging waste by redesigning its products; one of these efforts involved replacing green plastic Sprite bottles with clear alternatives to enhance their recyclability. The company has sought to lightweight and reduce unnecessary materials in the bottles themselves and any outer packaging, while its implementation of attached caps hopes to cut down on littering.

In other plastic reduction efforts, Coca-Cola has been facilitating transitions into 100% recycled plastic bottles, minus caps and labels, in the Philippines and Canada – both moves set to bring the company closer to its sustainability goals, including achieving 100% recyclability for its packaging by 2025 and implementing at least 50% recycled plastic in all its packaging by 2030.

Another label-free bottle came from Fourth Wave Wine and Denomination last year. It claimed to be the first wine bottle not to feature a label and sought to convey all necessary product information, including a scannable QR code, on a digital capsule on the bottle neck.

Source:

https://packagingeurope.com/news/label-free-sprite-and-sprite-zero-bottles-trialled-by-coca-cola/10928

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Conagra Brands and Dolly Parton Partner on New Food Line

Parton and the CPG company have already had a multiyear successful partnership.

By now, unless someone lives under a rock or on some remote island, everybody knows who Dolly Parton is. The singer, philanthropist, and entrepreneur just turned 78 last week and shows no signs of slowing down.

Parton is now partnering with Conagra Brands on a new line of food products that will include frozen, refrigerated, grocery, and snack items inspired by down-home comfort cuisine.  This comes after the continued success of her multiyear partnership with Duncan Hines.

“I loved co-creating my Duncan Hines line with Conagra and I’m thrilled we’re going well beyond the baking aisle with new items across the store,” said Parton. “We’re looking to continue to inspire special moments in the kitchen, with some of my family’s favorite recipes, and I think people are really going to love them!” 

The new products will start rolling out in stores nationwide this month, with an expanded line-up of Duncan Hines’ mixes including Chocolate Cake Mix, Yellow Cake Mix, Cinnamon Crumb Cake Mix, Blueberry Muffin Mix, and Banana Nut Muffin Mix.

Additionally, the first single-branded Dolly Parton item, Buttermilk Pancake Mix, will start hitting shelves this winter and marks Dolly’s first foray into the breakfast category. More items are expected to launch later in 2024 including frozen items.

“We are beyond thrilled to build on the success of our partnership with one of the most beloved and respected women in the world,” added Lucy Brady, president of Grocery & Snacks at Conagra Brands. “With our expertise in food, we’ll help bring Dolly’s vision and favorite recipes to so many tables across America, with delicious new offerings across a wide range of eating occasions.”

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/food-packaging/conagra-brands-and-dolly-parton-partner-on-new-food-line

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Cheerios Special-Edition Packaging Gets Personal

Heart-shaped Cheerios are back in honor of American Heart Month and packed this year in special-edition generic name boxes such as Grandparents or Mamá. Or you can customize your own box.

At a Glance

  • Cheerios offers custom-printed cereal boxes for American Heart Month
  • Consumers can customize cereal boxes with any name for $20
  • Customized boxes feature names of loved ones, encouraging heart-health awareness

You may never see your face on Wheaties, but you can have your name on a Cheerios box.

That’s because the brand is bringing back its beloved Happy Heart Shapes in honor of American Heart Month with a fun new custom twist. To celebrate five years of Happy Heart Shapes and the role Cheerios can play in supporting Americans who desire a heart-healthy lifestyle, Cheerios is launching special-edition boxes featuring names of those who inspire you to make heart healthy choices.

In addition to special-edition boxes with names like Mom, Friend, Grandparents and Family in both English and Spanish available at retailers nationwide throughout February, consumers can also order personalized yellow boxes online featuring any name at Cheerios.com.

Customization will set you back $20. If you want it in an acrylic case as a keepsake, add another $20.

Shipping is free while supplies last.

The only limitation is that it be within 18 characters.Cheerios-Personalization-Group-800.png

General Mills

As the brand’s release explains, “when people see Grandma, Abuelo, Bestie, Dad, and the names of other loved ones on the cover of their box, they will be reminded to take care of their heart not only for themselves, but for those people who mean the most to them. The name boxes are a great way to remind people that, apart from the convenience and great taste, Cheerios are made with whole grain oats, which can help lower cholesterol as part of a heart healthy diet.”

“From being there to cheer on your kids’ activities to laughs across the breakfast table — these are the moments with loved ones that remind us why it’s worth saying, ‘Yes’ to taking care of our heart health,” says Kathy Dixon, Senior Brand Experience Manager for Cheerios. “This year, the special-edition Cheerios name boxes and Happy Heart Shapes are a simple reminder for people to take care of their heart so they can be there for all of life’s special moments.”

Special-edition boxes will be available at retailers nationwide in five flavors: Original yellow-box Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Chocolate, Strawberry Banana, and Apple Cinnamon.

Source:

https://www.packagingdigest.com/packaging-design/cheerios-special-edition-packaging-gets-personal

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Hinged Fiber Containers Transform Takeout Convenience

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-Pulp-Packaging-Green_Collection-Sauces-720.jpg

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

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Straight Forward Design works on new Clipper packs

Ecotone-owned tea company Clipper has unveiled revamped packaging for its ‘There’s tea, then there’s GOOD tea’ strapline.

Straight Forward Design was tasked with the new brand positioning, which was developed by creative agency Isobel.

The push aims to engage with conscious consumers, reflecting Clipper’s work to preserve and promote biodiversity through sustainable farming and working with tea-growing communities.

To bring to life Clipper’s brand positioning, the push features playful hand-drawn illustrations of insects, flowers and birds, with a bright, natural colour palette.

Hayley Murgett, European head of category – hot drinks, Ecotone, said: “At Clipper, sustainability is at our core – but it hasn’t always been easy to communicate all the good we do to consumers in a clear way.

“With our new 360 global campaign, we’ve developed a simple, yet distinctive idea, that heroes Clipper as the ‘Good’ tea, enabling consumers to make a difference just by picking up a pack.

“We want to persuade more consumers to question their tea choices, as not all tea is fair or natural, as well as reconnect them to nature. Once people re-engage with nature, the more they see the benefits and want to do more to protect it.

“Harnessing our new strategy, the Straight Forward Design team have elevated the initial thinking to a bigger idea, allowing us to seamlessly communicate complex issues with a beautiful, informative campaign, all while maintaining our signature light-hearted and approachable tone.”

Mike Foster, founder and creative director, Straight Forward Design, added: “This new work really demonstrates how Clipper are working to help people and nature thrive. The tea aisle is transformed into a veritable forest of flora and fauna through our vibrant new packaging designs, further brought to life via impactful social, digital, and out-of-home communications.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/straight-forward-design-works-on-new-clipper-packs

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Lewis Moberly creates new designs for Little Freddie

Brand design agency Lewis Moberly has worked on designs for organic baby food brand Little Freddie as it launches fully recyclable packaging.

Lewis Moberly was briefed to deliver a new design system for Little Freddie across the UK market linking through to the brand’s digital expression.

Pack hierarchy also needed to be strengthened to aid navigation whilst being mindful of future NPD.

Existing packaging design hadn’t reflected the quality and superior taste of the ingredients as well as the brand’s premium positioning that made it so distinct from its competitors.

The new design builds on strong existing brand assets – the distinctive ‘squiggle’ works across all packs.

Range differentiation is delivered through fun illustration, messaging, and range imagery including a new serving spoon.

Taste appeal is achieved through fresh ingredient visuals ‘heroed’ front and centre of pack with ‘pops’ of colour.

The brand’s ‘off pack brand world’ has been introduced giving the range a premium, ‘foodie’ air but with a playful edge ensuring it doesn’t lose its reassuring feel.

Emily Fox, creative director at Lewis Moberly, said: “Unlike other brands in the baby food category Little Freddie talks to parents before their children. We’ve therefore introduced a more sophisticated colour palette reflecting the flavour of the products as well as acting as a navigational tool. We’ve very much kept the essence of the Little Freddie brand but delivered an everyday premium feel with more taste appeal and a smile in the mind.”

Joe Budge, marketing manager, Little Freddie added: “It has been a pleasure to work with Lewis Moberly to bring in more personality and warmth to our packaging while strengthening the range navigation. They have done a fantastic job to retain the brand assets that have brought us success so far, our white pack and distinctive squiggle. Exceptional ingredients remain at the core of our brand and the new design reflects this in a more succinct way with the quality of our food shining through. This helps us to appeal to discerning parents allowing them to feel good about the choice they’ve made for their children. The new design also has room to flex as our range grows.”

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/lewis-moberly-creates-new-designs-for-little-freddie

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Limited-edition launch of Tomintoul single malt scotch whisky

Tomintoul Single Malt Scotch Whisky has recently launched a limited-release of a rare 50-year-old single cask, double wood matured Vintage expression.

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By Waqas Qureshi 24 January 2024

Limited-edition launch of Tomintoul single malt scotch whisky

Tomintoul Single Malt Scotch Whisky has recently launched a limited-release of a rare 50-year-old single cask, double wood matured Vintage expression.

Tomintoul-Vintage-1973.jpg

The beautiful bottles vary in shape and have an elegant look, along with the casing.

With only 281 bottles available, the limited release of the Tomintoul Vintage 1973 Cask No. 261 is now available to collectors globally.

Source:

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/design/new-packs/limited-edition-launch-of-tomintoul-single-malt-scotch-whisky