The straight and narrow road leads flexibles to an uncertain future and less sustainable packaging. The longer route expands the role of flexibles in preventing food waste.
The flexible packaging industry is once again at a critical crossroads. Insights gained from talking shop at ReFED and the Global Pouch Forum defined for me the critical nature of this crossroad.
One road — the straight and narrow road — leads to an uncertain future and less sustainable packaging. The other road — tough and complex — expands the role of flexible packaging in preventing food waste.https://3d8739aea79e63d6a7bb9b27fdbd45cd.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Taking these four “turns” can make this crucial road trip more manageable:
Turn 1: Stand for sustainability.
Measure how flexible packaging prevents food waste.
The immense environmental impact of food waste is best weighed alongside the impact that packaging has on the environment when it prevents food waste. This is true for all packaging.
Flexible packaging solutions that prevent food waste are numerous and within every food category — skin package chubs of ground meat, cereal bag liners, shrink-wrapped produce, MAP and barrier snack food bags, bag-in-box beverages, and lidding on tofu, and dairy products.
Flexible packaging often represents a reduction (the first R in the 3Rs) in packaging material used, and this is best determined with life cycle assessment (LCA) tools such as Piqet.
Turn 2: Guide brands.
Define “guardrails” for brands in achieving a more sustainable food system that links food waste prevention and more sustainable packaging
The food industry’s significant environmental impact can be lowered; and aligning with commitments to achieve a more sustainable food system is critical.
Brands are adopting packaging solutions to reduce food waste across categories vs. solely category-specific solutions. This allows consumers to gain familiarity with technology and packaging elements beyond similar graphics to serve as the connector for consumers. In addition, defining how these options are viable with flexible packaging eases the brand transition.
Demonstrating the impact of flexible packaging choices on preventing food waste will assist the flexible packaging industry
Turn 3: Invest in recycling systems and research.
Create and share a knowledge base of how to achieve success for speedy tech-transfer of solutions
An industry knowledge base depository is crucial for problem-solving in converting multilayer structures into alternate structures such as recycle-ready polyethylene (PE). A few closely held solutions are stagnating implementation. A problem-solving depository would reduce the conversion time and increase understanding of implications.
Store drop-off of recyclable flexible packaging is now possible at retailers like Wal-Mart, Target, and other retailers. Also, industry knowledge on the impact of conversion to PE store-drop-off brings the value of packaging centerstage that’s ready for sharing in terms of…
Product reformulations — to compensate for a lower barrier package, the addition of preservatives is used to maintain shelf life
Logistics — to allow for shorter shelf life, production run frequency, shorter production runs, and distribution dynamics are reassessed
Finance — to address higher material costs associated with the use of more PE due to a required thicker film
LCA — to determine the environmental implications of using more PE versus other materials
Research investments aligned with flexible packaging to prevent even more food waste require concerted funding. For example, the ability to print batteries onto flexible packaging promises to lower the cost of intelligent packaging to assist in communicating how much time remains to consume the product to retailers and consumers.
Turn 4: Direct legislation.
Legislate flexible packaging into our existing and emerging post-consumer handling systems.
The flexible packaging industry must stretch into the existing collection, sorting, and recycling systems. Since flexible film is not currently part of the current system, shifts are being made away from source-reduced flexible packaging. While this switch can allow food shelf life to be maintained, it will require more packaging consumption, which will increase the environmental impact of the food chain due to the changes.
Regional recycling and using post-consumer recycled (PCR)-content packaging lowers the cost and environmental impact of flexibles. The MBold-Charter Next Generation-MyPlas collaboration represents a critical push and pull needed to secure films for recycling and use the recyclate from the film on a regional basis. This collaboration includes a $9.2 million joint equity investment by General Mills, Schwan’s, Target, Ecolab, and film manufacturer Charter Next Generation in film recycler Myplas USA. Slated to be completed in Spring 2023, the Myplas USA 170,000 square foot recycling facility will be able to recycle 90 million pounds of low- and high-density polyethylene packaging and film.
Wisconsin-based Charter Next has an off-take agreement to purchase the bulk of Myplas’ resin in the initial years of operation. Similarly, focused efforts for recycling flexible packaging in urban centers are warranted.
The flexible packaging industry must focus on eradicating chemicals of concern such as phthalates, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and perchlorate so that recycling and reuse are viable.
Leaning into these four “turns” and others on the road trip is essential to avoid crippling flexible packaging and inhibiting its ability to prevent food waste.
I hope to see you on the road.
Claire Sand has 30+ years of experience in industry and academia. She’s owner of Packaging Technology and Research and Gazelle Mobile Packaging and an Adjunct Professor, CalPoly, Michigan State University, and the University of Minnesota. You can reach her at www.packagingtechnologyandresearch.com or via email claire@packagingtechnologyandresearch.com.
Amcor has developed an environmentally friendly paper packaging material that protects food from oxygen and moisture — and runs well on with existing packaging lines.
Amcor is expanding packagers’ options for sustainable flexible materials with the launch of LifeSpan Performance Paper in Europe. The recyclable, high-barrier material was developed for food packaging and is the first offering in Amcor’s recently announced AmFiber product family.
“We anticipate a brand launch using LifeSpan Performance Paper for confectionery in the first half of 2022,” says Clifton O’Neal, Director, Media Relations at Amcor. “It will first be available for cold-seal flow-wrap applications, with further applications following close behind.”https://56da7aacabc777678d0b79efcdd249a0.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
LifeSpan Performance Paper was engineered to provide snack and confectionery packagers with a recyclable package that is grease-resistant and delivers high oxygen and moisture barrier, even in tropical climates. According to Amcor, the material offers a barrier level comparable to that of metallized oriented polypropylene (OPP).
The company is currently working on additional packaging applications for the material, including coffee, spices, and dried soups.
The material is compatible with food manufacturers’ packaging lines, as well. “Machine tests of LifeSpan Performance Paper for the snacks and confectionery market have shown that the material runs easily on producers’ existing lines and avoids common challenges with paper, such as tearing and slowing down the line speed,” O’Neal says.
As for sustainability, the new material has more than 80% paper-fiber content and contains no polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), making it recyclable in most European countries. The fiber used to make the paper is sourced from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified forests.
These features will be attractive to brand owners responding to consumers who are interested in more sustainable products and who are willing to pay more for them.
Amcor reports, without naming names, that leading fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands have successfully tested the new material.
Geographically, the AmFiber products are expected to roll out in the Americas and Asia-Pacific after the European launch.The AmFiber initiative is part of Amcor’s pledge to develop all its packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025.
Sustainability executive at Kraft Heinz shares project details about creating a paper bottle for the company’s iconic Heinz Tomato Ketchup.
Paper bottles have reached a new milepost on their journey to widespread acceptance. Kraft Heinz and Pulpex are collaborating on a recyclable, paper-based bottle for Heinz Tomato Ketchup — a first in the sauce category.
The companies are currently creating a prototype of the paper packaging, which will be made from 100% sustainably sourced wood pulp and recyclable in standard paper-waste streams. Before testing the package with consumers and ultimately commercializing it, the companies will conduct prototype testing to assess the performance of the packaging design.https://b04d78a1f202a08c5003ab6b46af138d.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Sustainability is driving Kraft Heinz’s interest in this recyclable package, which is made with natural materials from renewable sources and, if not properly recycled, degrades readily in the natural environment.
According to Pulpex’s data, the paper bottle’s carbon footprint is notably less than glass and plastic on a bottle-by-bottle basis — 90% less than glass and 30% less than polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
Patented technology from Pulpex, a collaboration between venture management company Pilot Lite Group and global beverage giant Diageo, enables production of customizable, single-mold paper bottles made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood pulp.
The pulp is pressurized in molds to form containers. Then the containers are cured in microwave ovens and sprayed internally with a proprietary food-grade coating that does not affect recyclability.
In this exclusive interview, Jonah Smith, global head of environmental, social, and governance at Kraft Heinz, answers questions from Packaging Digest about the project.
When do you expect to have the paper-bottle prototype finished and ready for testing?
Smith: Since we are in the early stages of development, we cannot announce a launch date for the bottle quite yet. Developing a whole new packaging format is a long and complicated process; we need to ensure that the new product packaging is as safe and convenient as our other formats, and that the product retains its famous great taste, too.
Where and how will you test the prototype?
Smith: Tests are happening at various stages of development and deployment to validate the bottle’s performances and compatibility with the product and end of life.
Why explore paper packaging for condiments?
Smith: At Kraft Heinz, we aim to make 100% of our global packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable by 2025, and to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Partners like Pulpex are critical to achieving these goals as we explore new forms of sustainable packaging across Kraft Heinz.
How will the paper package be made compatible with acidic tomato-based ketchup? What will the barrier product-contact layer be?
Smith: Pulpex uses proprietary, food-grade coatings that are compatible with the product inside the bottle. All coatings are [free of] PET, high-density PE [polyethylene], and bisphenol-A (BPA).
What is the anticipated shelf life for ketchup in the paper package? How does that compare with the other packages currently in use, such as glass and plastic bottles and foil pouches?
Smith: Since we are early in the development process, we still have rounds of testing to confirm the results.
If the paper package is added to Kraft Heinz’s product mix, what facilities would run it on their packaging lines? What machinery changes do you anticipate, to accommodate that?
Smith: Confirming the implications to the packaging lines is part of the testing process that we are incorporating along with the prototype.
Will the ketchup be hot filled into the Pulpex bottle?
Smith: The ketchup can be cold filled into the Pulpex bottle.
How will this paper-bottle innovation help Kraft Heinz achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050?
Smith: Limiting the carbon footprint of our packaging and exploring more sustainable packaging formats is a key component to how we will reach our goal of net zero by 2050 and halve our emissions by 2030.
Is this the first food application for the Pulpex bottle?
Smith: Heinz is the first sauce brand to explore the feasibility of the Pulpex bottle.
What other Kraft Heinz products are you considering for the Pulpex bottle, besides ketchup?
Smith: We’re constantly exploring new sustainable packaging formats and are hopeful that we can apply this technology to other products in the future.
Replacing the aluminum barrier layer in aseptic cartons with fiber or other materials is expected to generate environmental benefits while keeping food protected.
Tetra Pak, in an effort to develop and commercialize more sustainable food packaging, is replacing aluminum in its aseptic cartons with materials that reduce carbon footprint and improve recyclability — all without jeopardizing food safety.
The company currently is testing two alternatives as a replacement for aluminum: (1) a fiber-based barrier layer; and (2) a polymer-based barrier. Consumer testing of the fiber-based barrier follows Tetra Pak’s successful 15-month commercial technology validation of the polymer-based version.https://4eb0ac3b2337edd0d1adfae69abde6d0.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Tetra Pak reports that it is investing €100 million (or about $107 million USD, at the current currency exchange rate) per year for the next five to 10 years in improving food-carton sustainability. The investment will help fund development of packages made with a simplified material structure and increased renewable content.
The aluminum layer in conventional aseptic cartons plays an essential food-protection role but is an impediment to sustainability. A typical 1-liter Tetra Pak carton package is 70% paperboard, 25% polyethylene, and 5% aluminum.
Tetra Pak’s “aim is to develop the world’s most sustainable food package, one that is fully made of responsibly sourced renewable materials, is fully recyclable, and is carbon-neutral. Replacing the aluminum layer is a development priority to realize this goal,” says Gilles Tisserand, VP, climate and biodiversity, at Tetra Pak.
“Aluminum is a fossil-based, non-renewable material requiring complex and energy-demanding processes. Despite being thinner than a human hair, the aluminum layer currently used in food [cartons] contributes to a third of the greenhouse gas emissions linked to our base materials,” Tisserand adds.
Recycling issues are another sustainability thorn for aluminum. Tisserand explains that recycling for Tetra Pak aseptic cartons’ aluminum layer “is lacking on a large scale, so both upstream and downstream action is needed to accelerate a progressive change.
“Upstream, replacing the aluminum foil with more compatible materials can significantly help. Downstream, cross-border collaboration and co-investment with recyclers and industry players are key for expansion at scale.”
Starting in late 2020, Tetra Pak began a commercial technology validation in Japan for a polymer-based barrier.
The findings from this completed validation have influenced Tetra Pak’s fiber-based barrier testing, on which the company is working closely with customers. Single-serve packages incorporating the fiber-based material are now on-shelf for the consumer testing, and a technology validation is planned for later in 2022.
In this Packaging Digest exclusive Q&A, Tisserand answers more questions about Tetra Pak’s work on replacing aluminum in aseptic containers, particularly development and testing of the new fiber-based barrier.
Why wasn’t there a fiber-based barrier before? What changed to make this possible?
Tisserand: Transformational and collaborative innovation is critical to accelerate the pace in this domain, because shifting from an aluminum layer to an alternative barrier has implications that impact the full system.
They span the packaging-material composition perspective of increased renewable content — paper — while delivering food safety and quality performance comparable to traditional aseptic cartons; the opening/closure perspective; and the sealing technology perspective. [Note: Packs with the fiber-based barrier are compatible with the plastic straws Tetra Pak currently uses; the company is also developing a paper straw that’s suitable for these packages.]
The aluminum layer in aseptic cartons has both a functionality reason — as it’s protecting food from oxygen and light, acting as a barrier — and a technical reason, because it is responsible for the sealing of the cartons in the filling machine. Therefore, it is critical to use the full product life cycle as the compass guiding our development, including, for instance, supplier collaborations and recycling assessment.
The pilot batch of single-serve packs featuring the fiber-based barrier that are currently on test represents a key marker in this exciting journey.
What more can you tell us about the structure of the fiber-based barrier?
Tisserand: The fiber-based barrier is composed of paper and barriers. Engineered combinations of paper and barriers secure the necessary barrier to light and oxygen, protecting the contents inside the package. This is one of the key roles of the aluminum barrier in our current ambient portfolio.
What more can you tell us about the 15-month commercial technology validation in Japan?
Tisserand: The commercial technology validation in Japan, involving several million packages, helped us to understand the value chain implications created by replacing the thin aluminum layer, which helps keep perishable food safe within aseptic cartons, with a polymer-based barrier.
Like every new development and packaging solution, the pack with the polymer-based barrier went through our rigorous commercial testing protocols. These include looking at different testing attributes when it comes to food safety, from packaging performance to technical testing, as well as overall user experience and recyclability.
What were the learnings from that project, and how did they affect development of the fiber-based barrier?
Tisserand: Beyond analyzing the performance of the polymer-based alternative barrier across the value chain — starting from the way the package is formed/filled/sealed — and to ensure no impacts from a food-safety perspective, the commercial technology validation in Japan allowed us to quantify the impact this shift generates in terms of carbon footprint reduction, while confirming adequate oxygen protection for vegetable juice and enabling increased recycling rates in a country where recyclers favor aluminum-free cartons.
The current consumer test of packs featuring the fiber-based barrier underscores our approach to design for recycling, where increasing the paper content is critical and also supports end-user expectations. Based on recent global research, approximately 40% of consumers confirmed they would be more motivated to sort for recycling if packages were made entirely from paperboard and had no plastic or aluminum. [Note: Tetra Pak conducted this research, a survey of 12,000 consumers worldwide, in summer 2021.]
The two alternative barriers we are piloting are part of our stepwise, collaborative approach in the gradual development and validation of completely new solutions. Our innovation road map includes a suite of alternative barriers, as this is essential to meet ever evolving industry and consumer needs across the globe.
What more can you tell us about the current fiber-based barrier commercial test? Specifically, what’s the product? Where, geographically, is it sold? Who’s the customer?
Tisserand: Our first pilot batch of single-serve packs will contain dairy-based products. With regard to geographical location and customer, this is confidential information that we cannot disclose at this stage.
How successful do you think the fiber-based barrier commercial test will be and why?
Tisserand: Early results suggest that the package with a fiber-based barrier will offer substantial CO2 reduction when compared with traditional aseptic cartons, together with comparable shelf life and food-protection properties.
In addition, cartons with higher paper content are more attractive for paper mills; thus, we believe this concept presents clear potential for realizing a low-carbon, circular economy for packaging.
However, the fiber-barrier remains in its testing phase, with further technology validation scheduled later this year to assess its technical maturity, collect learnings, and improve moving forward. All in a controlled fashion.
Work will continue into 2023 and beyond, the goal being to bring future generations of alternative barriers in the coming years.
What will the fiber-based barrier’s technology validation entail?
Tisserand: The commercial technology validation differs from the consumer test in terms of loops of production — there are more — to test various aspects of the new technology.
Please quantify the fiber-based barrier pack’s shelf life and food-protection properties.
Tisserand: For certain product categories, such as dairy products, the shelf life and food-protection properties offered by the fiber-based barrier are comparable to aseptic carton packages that make use of aluminum. However, this needs to be assessed on a case-by-case basis, based on the product itself, the distribution conditions, and customer assessment rating. [Note: The customer assessment rating is a system to judge the product performance in a specific package.]
As part of our innovation road map, we plan to extend the product-categories coverage offered by our fiber-based barrier; however, this aspect will become clearer when collecting learnings from the technology validation of the first generation of this solution.
How will the fiber-based barrier concept enable a low-carbon circular economy for packaging?
Tisserand: While awareness of the importance of circularity has vastly increased in recent years, many still fail to grasp how this is closely intertwined with climate emergency. The simple fact is that we need to tackle them together, and only by seeing circular economy models through a climate lens will we decarbonize materials fast enough to protect our planet.
It’s clear that circularity — a model in which manufacturers design out waste, reuse and recycle materials, and regenerate natural systems to reduce impact on the environment — is essential and will be even more so in the future.
However, we think this approach needs to go further: It must also account for the carbon impact of manufacturing and, particularly, raw materials. When considering the carbon footprint of packaging materials, with global demand for raw materials expected to double by 2060, the sourcing and processing of these materials will account for nearly one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. [Note: According to the report, the raw materials expected to see huge demand spike include biomass, fossil fuels, metals, and non-metallic minerals (construction materials). Only some of these materials are used in packaging.]
Our goal is to use as much renewable and recycled material as possible in our packaging, as this is essential to our low-carbon, circular economy approach.
We believe future pack developments will be increasingly driven by renewability and recyclability, to ensure the decarbonization and circularity of materials and address the need for sustainable food packaging. At Tetra Pak, already today, we are accelerating the shift from high-carbon, fossil-based materials to low carbon, renewable ones.
We believe future pack developments will be increasingly driven by renewability and recyclability, to ensure the decarbonization and circularity of materials and address the need for sustainable food packaging.
We believe that future packs’ composition will favor higher recycling value, with less complexity, reduced plastic content, and increased paper share. Against this backdrop, we are accelerating action in two areas.
The first focuses on design for recycling, aiming for a simplified material structure and increased paper-based content. In short, a package that has circularity and recycling “built in” — along with anti-littering measures.
The second area focuses on the new life of materials used in our packages, after the content is consumed. Here, innovation is critical, especially to expand recycling capacity and value of the recovered polymer and aluminum mix, polyAI. We are working with a growing number of recyclers and other key actors to develop viable and sustainable business solutions.
When do you think Tetra Pak will be able to offer an aseptic package that is fully renewable, fully recyclable, and carbon-neutral?
Tisserand: We are making substantial headway in our development journey together with our partners, the goal being to launch a fully renewable aseptic package by 2023.
Tetra Pak has stated that it’s collaborating with customers, start-ups, universities, and tech companies. What more can you tell us about your partners on the fiber-based barrier project?
Tisserand: Further details cannot be shared for confidentiality reasons
Scientists at Rutgers University, New Jersey, have developed a starch-based, degradable biopolymer coating with naturally occurring antimicrobial ingredients, which can reportedly be sprayed onto food to protect against contamination, spoilage, and transportation damage.
Conducted in collaboration with scientists at Harvard University and funded by the Harvard-Nanyang Technological University/Singapore Sustainable Nanotechnology Initiative, the Rutgers research on the bio-based, antimicrobial packaging technology was published in Nature Food this month.
The researchers explain that the starch-based biopolymer forms a stringy material that can be spun from a heating device that resembles a hairdryer and shrink-wrapped over foods of various shapes and sizes, ranging from avocados to a sirloin steak. The biopolymer is produced by a process called focus rotary jet spinning, as described by the research paper.
According to the researchers, the bio-based coating can be laced with naturally occurring antimicrobial ingredients such as thyme oil, citric acid, and nisin. The coating is reportedly strong enough to protect against bruising while also inhibiting pathogenic microorganisms such as E. coli and listeria.
The researchers add that they can programme these ‘smart materials’ to act as sensors, activating and destroying bacterial strains on food, which can potentially reduce the transmission of food-borne illnesses and lower the risk of spoilage. For example, the research cites a quantitative assessment apparently showing that the coating extended the shelf life of avocados by 50%.
In addition, the coating can be rinsed off with water and degrades in soil within three days, according to the study. The researchers consider the biopolymer coating to be a scalable, cost-effective solution for both protecting human health and reducing the use of fossil-based plastic food packaging.
Philip Demokritou, director of the Nanoscience and Advanced Materials Research Center, and the Henry Rutgers Chair in Nanoscience and Environmental Bioengineering at the Rutgers School of Public Health and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, comments: “We knew we needed to get rid of the petroleum-based food packaging that is out there and replace it with something more sustainable, biodegradable and nontoxic.
“And we asked ourselves at the same time, ‘Can we design food packaging with a functionality to extend shelf life and reduce food waste while enhancing food safety?’
“What we have come up with is a scalable technology, which enables us to turn biopolymers, which can be derived as part of a circular economy from food waste, into smart fibres that can wrap food directly. This is part of new generation, ‘smart’ and ‘green’ food packaging.”
Research on antimicrobial food packaging films appears to be expanding globally. Earlier this year, a team of scientists fromNanyang Technological University, Singapore and Harvard University developed waterproof packaging made from a type of corn protein, zein, along with starch, other naturally derived biopolymers, and antimicrobial compounds. The packaging reportedly kills harmful microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, while extending the shelf life of fresh fruit by two to three days.
UPM Speciality Papers has unveiled UPM Solide Lucent, a recyclable speciality kraft paper that the company says can be used as a coating base or for single-packs, bags, and wraps, with higher basis weights offered for a range of properties and applications.
According to UPM, UPM Solide Lucent is a kraft paper that is repulpable and designed to be recycled in existing fibre recycling streams. The company claims that the kraft paper is made from virgin cellulose fibres from responsibly grown forests, with FSC and PEFC certification available, and has a fibre content of over 95%.
This apparently leaves room for additional coatings while allowing the final packaging product to be recyclable in current fibre recycling streams. The company notes that UPM Solide Lucent is also compostable in accordance with the EN13432 standard.
UPM adds that Solide Lucent offers high strength, density, and folding properties that help to ensure the mechanical integrity and barrier performance of the packaging during converting and throughout the value chain. The company says the kraft paper also offers “excellent” print results with both flexo and rotogravure printing.
In addition to UPM Solide Lucent’s existing basis weights (45 g/m² and 62 g/m²), UPM says that it has added three new, higher basis weights: 72, 78, and 90 g/m². Lower basis weights have the flexibility for smaller pack sizes and higher basis weights offer rigidity and sturdiness where needed, according to the company.
Tommi Heinonen, head of sales at UPM Specialty Papers, explains: “We are always listening to our customers’ wishes, and there has been a strong demand for higher basis weights of UPM Solide Lucent.
“Brand owners choose materials with the functional properties, economics and consumer behaviour in mind. Basis weight requirements depend on end uses, functional needs, and market messages.
“Thanks to its outstanding sustainability credentials, this paper is a safe and smart choice for converters and brand owners looking to co-create new products with us.
“The target is also to reduce value chain recycling fees in the long run.”
Mika Uusikartano, senior manager of product portfolio management at UPM Specialty Papers, concludes: “Together with customers and partners, we can develop truly sustainable medium and high barrier packaging solutions, matching customer needs in a wide range of food and non-food applications.”
Last year, UPM Speciality Papers expanded its selection of recyclable packaging papers with the launch of a new two-sided coated barrier paper, UPM Asendo Pro, which apparently offers advanced grease resistance, moisture resistance, and a mineral oil barrier to help protect dry, greasy, or frozen food products.
Glen Scotia has revamped its full packaging range, introducing a new bottle design for its standard and premium ranges.
The new look incorporates bolder shades of gold, deep aqua and emerald green on the primary and secondary packaging, depicting the colours of Campbeltown’s seafaring roots and leafy coastlines.
Colin Matthews, chief executive of The Loch Lomond Group, Glen Scotia’s parent company, said: “Glen Scotia has forever held a special place in Scotland’s west coast, but in recent years, thanks to the commitment of our team and significant investment in our distillery, the brand has grown exponentially.
“The Glen Scotia distillery is at the forefront of Campbeltown’s renaissance – showcasing the town’s rich whisky heritage, guiding the way for others to follow, and now putting the town and Glen Scotia back to the very centre of attention on the world’s whisky map. It has been made possible by our team’s knowledge, dedication, craftsmanship and determination, and we are very excited to take this stunning new packaging to the world.
“We are the only distillery in the world to have achieved both the highest accolade at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and be crowned Scottish Distillery of the Year, an incredibly proud achievement for us all and even more special that it was all accomplished within the same 12 months. It is a feat only possible for the very best, but we continue to show our enthusiasm and ambition for Glen Scotia and Campbeltown to grow further with the release of this beautiful new packaging.
“We continue to be determined to share Glen Scotia’s thought-provoking heritage and mark its place as one of Scotland’s most impressive and creative whisky distilleries. The whisky industry can be a crowded place, but we are confident this latest move to further enhance the brand will positively spotlight Glen Scotia Whisky for years to come.”
The Label Makers have collaborated with cocktail mixologists White Label Cocktails to produce labels for the Marksologist range by M&S.
The process of creating the labels, from concept to final print, took several months. The Label Makers were involved at the very beginning of the artwork concept stage, liaising very closely with brand identity and packaging design specialists Sand Creative to agree print methods, embellishments and materials that would work well with the designs.
The Label Makers worked in tandem with SGK and M&S. The labels were flexo printed, to include hot foil, emboss, deboss and tactile inline-embellishments. The end result saw each label having its own distinguished look and feel through a use of different uncoated and textured materials.
“We were delighted to be asked to work with M&S and partners on the new Marksologist range of products. Each design really utilises the extensive inline-embellishments that our MPS flexo presses have to offer. It was a joy to be involved in the whole process from artwork concept stage through to label application,” said The Label Makers’ Ben Robinson.
Founder and owner of White Label Cocktails, James Trevillion, added: “We initially connected with The Label Makers at Packaging Innovations at the NEC in 2020 – they really stood head and shoulders above the competition at that show. For this job, Ben and the team oozed professionalism and knowledge, and that filled me with confidence that the product would not only be first rate, they would be delivered on time and well supported.
“The labels look outstanding. With a premium liquid, it is imperative that the quality is communicated to the customer clearly, and the Marksologist labels do that with ease.”
Evian is celebrating Wimbledon’s ‘100-years of Centre Court’ with the launch of a limited-edition heritage label exclusively at this year’s event, inspired by a 1922 Evian packaging design.
The mineral water giant will commemorate its own heritage (first discovered in 1789) as well as Centre Court’s centenary through the launch of a limited-edition heritage label at this year’s event.
The reimaged label was inspired by a 1922 bottle design from the iconic brand and will be available to players at The Championships and in evian’s VIP Suite, featuring on evian’s popular 75cl bottles which are made from 100% recycled plastic*.
As part of Evian’s ongoing sustainability commitments and ambition to become a circular brand by 2025, Evian’s VIP guests will be encouraged to dress in a more eco-conscious way at The Championships, by honouring the brand’s ‘Summer Smart and Eco-Conscious’ dress code.
Following on from Evian’s partnership with environmental charity HUBBUB at last year’s event that saw recycling rates increase by 53% in Wimbledon Town Centre and Village, The water giant will launch a recycling reward scheme with Reward4Waste within the Grounds and in the Wimbledon Town Centre for the first time.
The scheme will incentivise attendees to recycle their water bottles through a QR code that will be found on recycling bins across the Grounds. By scanning the QR code and then the barcode on their Evian drink, attendees will enter for a chance to win Finals tickets to The Championships 2023. With deposit return schemes for drinks containers on the horizon for the UK & Ireland, Evian’s reward scheme will provide insight into the impact return schemes can have, and the role digital technology can play in making a scheme as convenient and engaging for consumers as possible.
Evian and Wimbledon are also launching their first-ever podcast series, ‘Wimbledon: Between the Lines’, celebrating 100 Years of Centre Court, featuring BBC Radio 1 presenters and tennis enthusiasts Matt Edmondson and Mollie King co-host the podcast, where they’ll explore not only tennis but a range of lifestyle topics including the quirks and traditions that make Wimbledon so iconic and special.
Dillon McEvoy, head of marketing at Evian, said: “As a longstanding partner of The Championships, we’re excited to be celebrating 100 years of Centre Court with the launch of our exclusive heritage label bottle for players.”
“Marking the centenary, we take the opportunity to recognise the progress Evian have made and the need to continue to innovate for a more sustainable future. We’ve continued to make strides with our sustainability commitments. We’ve launched ‘Bottles made from bottles’, will be trialling a digital recycling reward scheme at the tournament, and have reached carbon neutrality as a global brand and in our VIP Suite at Wimbledon. We’re proud of these steps and will challenge ourselves to do continue to do more on our sustainability journey.”
Gus Henderson, commercial director at the All England Club, said: “This is a special year for Wimbledon and we’re delighted that Evian is joining with us to celebrate the centenary of Centre Court in its current home. This milestone gives us the opportunity to remember some of the event’s most iconic moments and unique traditions, but also look forward to what the next 100 years might bring. With this in mind, one of our key commitments is to become Environment Positive by 2030 and we look forward to working alongside partners like Evian who are equally committed to a more sustainable future.”
In a deal with Wonder, Heinz makes hot dog history by creating equal packs of 10 wieners and 10 buns, for a limited time.
It just wasn’t fair.
For generations, hot dog fans lamented that wieners have come in packs of 10 and dogs in packs of 8. Heinz ketchup and Wonder partnered to broker a deal to create buns in packs of 10, ending this mismatch once and for, at least, a limited time.https://535ec142e708a5865ae6e8a97c0bdde3.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
In time for National Hot Dog Month (July), Heinz and Wonder unveil 10-packs of buns at select grocers in Ontario. Available starting June 23, this resolution comes on the heels of the Heinz Hot Dog Pact that launched last National Hot Dog Month, urging bun and wiener companies to take action. One year and more than 33,000 signatures later, hot dog fans’ pleas were finally heard.
“Heinz has brought hot dogs and buns together for more than a century, so we felt like it was our duty as the world’s most iconic ketchup to rally our passionate fans and champion change for the age-old issue of unequal buns and wieners packs,” says Nina Patel, Head of North American Brand Communications, Kraft Heinz Co. “Today marks a monumental day for hot dog fans and we’re thrilled to announce that Heinz has done it. We brokered a partnership with Wonder to finally create buns in packs of 10.”
The new, limited-edition 10-packs of buns from Wonder can be found at Ontario locations of No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, Your Independent Grocer, Dollarama, Valu-mart and Fortinos.Image courtesy of Kraft Heinz Co.
“Wonder has been delighting Canadians since 1927. When Heinz created the Heinz Hot Dog Pact, the sheer volume of public response was too big to ignore,” says Kelly Backer, Head of Brand & Category development, Wonderbrands. “With many of our fans speaking up about this issue, we saw this as an opportunity for Wonder to partner with our friends at Heinz and finally give hot dog fans what they’ve longed for.”
But the battle is not over. Heinz is calling on all of North America to advocate for equal numbers of buns and wieners. Hot dog lovers can sign the petition at https://heinzhotdogpact.com/ and join the movement, bringing equal packs of buns and hot dogs to their region
