VOLUME 14.

8 – 2019

LIFTING THE LID ON PLASTICS:

MOULDING A CIRCULAR FUTURE
TETHERED CAPS • THE MONOPOLYMER CHALLENGE • DOW • PEPSICO • 2020 PREVIEW
 VOLUME 14.8 – 2019
Content Team Head of Commercial
Tim Sykes, Elisabeth Skoda Operations
Libby Munford, Victoria Hattersley, Jesse Roberts
Fin Slater
Head of Sales
Head of Studio Kevin Gambrill
Gareth Harrey
Senior Sales Executive
Production Manager Dominic Kurkowski
Rob Czerwinski
Sales Executives
Advertising Coordinator Alain Rizk, Alex Cheung
Kayleigh Harvey
Senior Audience
Executive Assistant Development Executive

6 19
Amber Dawson Andrew Wood

IT Support Audience Development

Syed Hassan Executive
Dominy Jones

Packaging Europe Ltd

Part of the Rapid News Communications Group

35 45
9 Norwich Business Park, Whiting Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR4 6DJ, UK

Registered Office: Carlton House, Sandpiper Way,

Chester Business Park, Chester, CH4 9QE.
Company No: 10531302.
Registered in England. VAT Registration No. GB 265 4148 96
3 Editorial Libby Munford
Telephone: +44 (0)1603 885000 6 Dow sustainability Pillars of circularity
10 K 2019 Plastics snapshot
Editorial: editor@packagingeurope.com 12 2020 preview Anticipating key events
Studio: production@packagingeurope.com 19 Beverage closures Can tethered caps set plastic waste free?
Advertising: jr@packagingeurope.com, kg@packagingeurope.com 25 Sustainability Awards Collectively finding a solution to
the packaging waste issue
Website: packagingeurope.com 29 Omnichannel The changing world of brands
Facebook: facebook.com/PackagingEurope 33 Innovation spotlight Coffee brands making the switch
Twitter: twitter.com/PackagingEurope to renewable materials
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/packaging-europe 35 Personalisation The self-service experience
YouTube: youtube.com/PackagingEurope 39 Monomaterials challenge Addressing EU targets
45 Smart inks Be a chameleon
© Packaging Europe Ltd 2019 47 LabelExpo review Encompassing package printing
51 Smart conveying Transforming conveying technology
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form for any 57 Supply chain efficiency Connecting the dots
purpose, other than short sections for the purpose of review, without 63 Innovation spotlight New solvent for efficient printing
prior consent of the publisher. 64 On second thoughts... Remember what packaging is
hired to do
ISSN 2516-0133 (Print)
ISSN 02516-0141 (Online)
 EDITORIAL | Libby Munford
Editor

WE
are closing 2019 with a crescendo of arguably one of On that note, the 2019 Sustainability Awards and Sustainable Packag-
the most debated and contentious issues, pivotal in driv- ing Summit, hosted at FachPack, both met with unprecedented engage-
ing the direction of the packaging industry over the last ment. The competition winners selected by the independent jury provided
two years – plastics and the circular economy. a snapshot of the current sustainability preoccupations of our industry
Drawing on insights gathered from K 2019, FachPack, and key – which we can perhaps summarise as the pursuit of circularity without
focuses of the Sustainability Awards 2019, we aim to share with you compromising efficiency. The competition bore witness to widespread
the latest observations and objectives from the industry overall. Don’t advances in monomaterials and design for recycling in plastics, and win-
miss our in-depth interview with Dow’s Tony Kingsbury; an evaluation ners included inspiring projects to raise deliver better sorting of polymer
of the monopolymers challenge; and an innovation analysis – can teth- waste (HolyGrail) and stimulate collection and recycling in developing
ered caps for beverage closures provide an answer to a surmountable countries (Henkel’s Social Plastic collaboration). Meanwhile, Offmar
contributing factor to plastic waste? deservedly scooped a prize for a protective envelope, recyclable in the
Beyond this, we will also explore top drivers of the packaging paper stream, that was developed for the e-commerce market, which is
industry: the omnichannel experience and the challenges this brings to desperately in need of sustainable solutions, and Nestlé took the inaugu-
the industry, personalisation, supply chain efficiency, and the latest on ral Readers’ Award for its recyclable paper YES! wrapper. Check out our
smart conveying systems. website for more on these and the other winners, BOBST’s DigiColorInk
I’m also pleased to welcome the newest member of our expanding and Sulzer Mixpac’s collapsible adhesive cartridge.
editorial team, Fin Slater. Packaging Europe is going full-speed ahead We welcomed over 350 attendees to the awards ceremony and big
in all respects, expanding in depth and breadth to match the fast pace debate on contrasting visions of circularity, featuring Tom Szaky of TerraCy-
of the packaging industry. With a growing team and audience, we’ll be cle, Dana Mosora of CEFLEX, P&G’s Gian De Belder and PepsiCo’s Chris
navigating toward exciting new horizons next year. In fact, 2020 will be Daly, who in this edition shares his personal account of the Summit and his
a watershed year for Packaging Europe. We’re branching out with the experience as a member of the Sustainability Awards judging panel.
launch of our new magazine – Touchpoints – focusing on the consumer We’re gratified by the engagement and discussion that these platforms
experience of packaging. In addition, the Düsseldorf shows interpack and initiatives nurture – and we look forward to helping frame the discus-
and drupa (where we’ll be hosting content over two days) are circled as sions driving our progressive industry over the coming year.

Libby Munford
significant dates in our diary.
We’ll also welcome you next year to our expanded Sustainable Pack-
aging Summit. Taking place in Lisbon next October, the event won’t
be a conference, but a summit in the true sense of the word, uniting
attendees from across the value chain for discussions that move things
forward. Join the conversation, meet the thought leaders and the win- Libby Munford
ners of the 2020 Sustainability Awards in a luxurious environment and lw@packagingeurope.com
(for further enticement) a Pastel de Nata or two! @PackEuropeLibby

Packaging Europe | 3 |
 CONSTRUCTING PILLARS
FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Tim Sykes caught up with Tony Kingsbury, director of sustainability EMEA, Dow Packaging &
Specialist Plastics, at K 2019 to discuss how Dow defines the environmental challenges facing
packaging, and where it can insert itself to make a difference.

TS: Judging by your exhibit at K 2019, the circular economy appears to be TK: Absolutely, we’re agnostic. We follow the marketplace and provide
the central driver for innovation at Dow right now. To what extent is Dow’s solutions. If reusability works, we can help our customers make reusable
approach being driven top-down by the need to come up with solutions to packages. We don’t necessarily see that as a huge piece of the business
the industry’s broad 2025 commitments and goals, as opposed to looking moving forward, whereas we do see a huge focus on recycling.
to the hundreds of expert chemists in your organisation and saying, “let’s Our strategy emphasises design for recyclability, and offering all-polyethylene
see what our knowledge can do and how can it be leveraged?” solutions. We’re witnessing a lot of uptake from brand owners in the market-
place as they realise they need to produce recyclable packages if they’re also
TK: In the ‘old’ Dow approach, it may have been more top-down, but going to incorporate recycled content. And obviously there’s real pressure to
since the integration of DuPont, our new Packaging and Specialty Plastics do so. China has shut the door on receiving all recycled plastics. There’s a
business has emerged, which is more polymer driven, more bottom-up. recognition by the regulators and lawmakers in Europe that infrastructure has
It’s looking at what the solutions are required by the marketplace we’re to change, so recycled content discussions are evolving for the first time. Over
selling products into, as opposed to ‘here’s the big sustainable chemistry in the US, recycled content for non-food bottles has been in play for a long time.
goal’. Those headline aspirations are important but we’re seeing these Although new for the European market, we do see it spreading more rapidly
much more driven by the needs of the value chain. around the world. Businesses such as Unilever and P&G are releasing strategies
focused on using more recycled content. Our strategy aligns to that.
TS: The very concept of a circular economy is quite contested, with some However, aside from this, we are developing solutions based on chemi-
arguing (just as substantive progress is made in recyclability of plastic pack- cal recycling (the Fuenix partnership). We’re also partnering with UPM on
aging) that recycling as a model is inherently inferior to reuse. Brand owners renewable feedstocks, producing PE from naphtha derived from crude tall
are investing in concepts such as Loop, and also exploring bioplastic applica- oil. Having explored various options for bio-based plastics, we feel this is
tions. In terms of channelling your R&D capabilities, would you say that Dow the most bulletproof sustainable option, as it comes from wood waste, a by-
is agnostic in terms of these competing visions of the circular economy? product of pulp making, and originates from sustainably managed forests.

| 6 | Packaging Europe
“If the focus is only on recycling and circularity, then we’re not considering the carbon
consequences of the decisions we are making. I know we can solve the plastics waste
issue. However carbon footprint – I’m not as encouraged with our ability to overcome this.”

TS: I’d like to ask you about the wider task of constructing a circular witnessing a lot of infrastructure in that sphere and we expect acceleration
economy. Dow can directly impact design for recyclability but it won’t work of investment throughout Europe. The European Commission understands
unless you have a coherent economy in place for PCR and infrastructure. that and it’s also part of their initiative.
Can you give your perspective on how well the entire industry value chain There’s a lot of movement for bottle recycling taking place in Europe, but we
is working in Europe, and what are the roadblocks? also need to take more notice of other packaging that is collected right now,
but not commonly recycled. The solutions are there, but they need implement-
TK: Compared to 18 months ago I think we’re moving rapidly forwards. ing. Different countries are approaching the issue in different ways, and some
Everyone is figuring out that you can’t just point the finger at somebody brands are moving more aggressively to make changes.
else. It’s everyone’s responsibility.
Recycling involves a lot of infrastructure. Collection is in many ways the TS: Dow is a member of initiatives such as the Ellen MacArthur Founda-
easy part. But then what? The struggle lies in the sorting systems. We are tion, CEFLEX and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. How is the ecosystem
of value-chain collaborations addressing these challenges and how do you
see Dow’s role in them?

TK: Collaboration is critical. We can’t do this alone, especially when

tackling the big issues, but rather by working through the value chain,
which is driven in turn by the public. As we look at moving from a linear to
a circular model, we must also be engaged with stakeholders, NGOs, and
governments. I’d say it’s more pertinent in Europe than in North America
or Asia right now.
When we engage with any specific initiative, we see our role partly as
ensuring they are headed in the right direction – that they are not just
talking but are providing real solutions. And if they’re just talking, then we
minimise our input and focus on the ones that are providing real solutions.
We all agree that plastic waste in our environment and the oceans is
unacceptable and are particularly excited by The Alliance to End Plastic
Waste. It is a global effort focused on infrastructure, joining not just the
resin producers, but also the brand owners and waste management com-
panies. With a commitment of $1.5 billion over the next five years, it is an
alliance of over 40 global organisations actively participating.
Moreover, it’s not just collaboration from Europe and North America. It is
a global effort involving countries such as China, India, and South Africa. In
so many of these places, it’s not just about recycling, but waste manage-
ment. We must start working on the infrastructure issues where the middle
classes are emerging in these countries. There’s also a focus on innovation,
education and data-gathering. We will see a lot more creative projects being
announced over the coming months and years.
There is a unified agenda in the activities of The Alliance to End Plastic
Waste, but also separate creative activities across countries and compa-
Design for recyclability is a central pillar of Dow’s strategy. nies. Initially, there is a strong focus geographically on south east Asia, but
I think we need to start projects in Africa too.

Packaging Europe | 7 |
 Is non-recyclable packaging justified if it can
prevent food, and associated carbon, waste?

TS: A year or two ago, we felt it was necessary to encourage our readers We are focused on delivering the circular economy without compromis-
to think of plastic waste in a more nuanced way – not to forget about ing the carbon impact, but I’m not convinced everybody is keeping that
resource efficiency the crucial role that plays in addressing the climate same attitude. Thank you for driving that point home – those are the two
crisis. As we get more design for recycling, better functionality from big issues of our time.
monomaterial alternatives and edge closer to realising a circular economy, But this is solvable. Society says we need to clean up the plastics in the
are we potentially approaching a point where we no longer have to view ocean, and I say: no, we need to stop the plastics entering the oceans in
this as a dilemma or a question of priorities? Can we start to think about the first place. ‘Cleaning up’ the oceans will create further carbon emis-
neutralising waste vs carbon as a dichotomy? sions, and plastic waste will keep on flowing in if that’s your approach.
Stopping it from entering is our role.
TK: No. Frankly, I’m disappointed in what’s happening. If the focus is only
on recycling and circularity, then we’re not considering the carbon conse-
quences of the decisions we are making. I disagree with the assumption
that if a solution is circular, it’s the best.
It could in fact be more harmful from a systems standpoint – consider for
example packaging meats with a very high embedded energy. If that goes to
waste because the package is under-engineered in order for it to be circular,
then the meat may go to waste because it doesn’t have the optimum shelf life.
I’m disappointed that those discussions aren’t happening enough. We
are so focused on circularity and recycled content, and I’m worried we are
not looking at the bigger picture.
I know we can solve the plastics waste issue. However carbon footprint
– I’m not as encouraged with our ability to overcome this. We can’t forget
these broader issues. This world is too often being driven by PR and social
media messages. If I try to talk about the benefits of plastics from a green- Dow is offering plastics made with renewable feedstocks.
house gas systems standpoint, eyes roll.

| 8 | Packaging Europe
K IS FOR PLASTICS
Düsseldorf’s giant K show is the world’s biggest
plastics event, and its three-yearly cycle serves as a
snapshot of how the industry is shifting. Tim Sykes
visited K 2019 to pick out some key packaging
trends and takeaways.

1. Big strides in recyclability

At K 2016 the design for recyclability conversation was very different.
Initiatives that in today’s light might be dismissed as ‘downcycling’ com-
manding a lot of attention. Monopolymer strategies were still largely being
discussed in theoretical tones. Fast forward three years and the range of
mono-PE and -PP flexible packaging already on the market is truly impres- BOBST boasted a selection of mono MDO PE, BOPE,
sive – with the properties of monomaterials extending all the time. BOPP and CPP stand-up pouches that were developed in
At this year’s K, solutions orientated toward enabling monomaterial pack- conjunction with a full spectrum of value chain partners.
aging were on display across countless stands, beginning with the very top of
the value chain. Dow is already offering a suite of high-performance PE-based
polymers that contribute properties and production efficiencies in mono films envisaged as a driver of more easily recyclable monomaterial packaging,
that are comparable to existing multi-material packaging structures. ELITE™ such as a 100% PP bottle + label + cap. Milliken’s additives will also be
resins, NUCREL™ copolymers, INNATE™ precision resins and AFFINITY™ utilised in the scaling up of PureCycle’s processing of virgin-like recycled
sealants are all well established in the marketplace. PP, using technology developed and licensed by P&G.
Meanwhile, Henkel introduced its new RE range of designed-for-
recycling adhesives and coatings that aim to both improve recyclability of 2. Value chain partnerships are delivering results
flexibles and facilitate use of PCR in new packaging. Solvent-free, the RE Collaboration has been a buzzword since well before the previous K but
range is highly suitable for recycling and bonding of recycled plastic films. the evidence points to the fact that our industry has mastered the art of
At the same time, they give excellent results at efficient machine speed, leveraging it. Messe Düsseldorf witnessed important updates from major
optimal ink compatibility for high-quality printing, high initial tack and room pre-competitive initiatives such as CEFLEX and Sustainability Awards-win-
temperature curing. The adhesives are also claimed to improve the quality ning HolyGrail, both of which will be familiar to Packaging Europe readers.
of recycling of materials in every step of the value chain. There were many other instances of exciting partnerships that are deliver-
K 2019 also saw the introduction of Milliken’s Millad® NX® 8000 ing prototypes, bringing solutions to market, and pushing the boundaries.
clarifier that reduces weight and adds transparency to polypropylene. In Dow, for instance, displayed 30 recyclable packaging prototypes that
addition to energy savings in the injection moulding process, the clarifier is were jointly developed with over 20 partners (from Kellogg’s to Kuhne Anla-

| 10 | Packaging Europe
genbau and Reckitt Benckiser to Reifenhäuser) via its Pack Studios network. plastic waste can reduce the temperatures and residence time required to
Meanwhile, Henkel flagged collaborations with ExxonMobil to develop a full break down the polymer chains into small molecules, making the process
PE laminated stand-up pouch with 30 per cent recycled SUP content (includ- faster and more energy efficient, while improving feedstock quality.
ing recycled adhesive) and another mono pouch with up to 35 per cent PCR Meanwhile, at K, Trinseo shared news of its groundbreaking polystyrene
resulting from work with Borealis. chemical recycling facility, due to be built in Europe to underpin a plan to
An intriguing project was announced between DOMO, Covestro and Cir- offer 30 per cent recycled content to customers for PS packaging in Europe
cularise to explore the potential to apply blockchain technology to the circular by 2025. In addition, Dow underlined its partnership with Netherlands-based
economy challenge. The founding idea is that achieving traceability and trans- Fuenix Ecogy to supply pyrolysis oil feedstock derived from plastic waste in
parency in the supply chain, enabled by blockchain, will enhance transparency. order to produce new polymers at Dow’s Terneuzen facilities.
The initiative intends to make it easier to choose traceable circular materials,
creating incentives and providing critical information for reversed logistics and 4. Bioplastics are coming
take-back of products and materials. This is an early-stage project, looking to If brand owners are vigorously pursuing recyclability and increased PCR
attract new partners, and certainly a story to watch. content, many are also hedging their bets by simultaneously investing in
renewables. Capacity in biopolymers is rising internationally, along with
3. Feedstock recycling tonnage in the packaging market.
While design for (mechanical) recycling looks set to pluck a lot of low- This trend was reflected at K, with Mitsubishi Chemical Europe intro-
hanging fruit in plastic packaging, there remain packaging applications ducing the first certified home compostable coffee capsules (by Golden
and substrates for which this may not be a viable or appropriate model. Compound), while FKuR promoted its Terralene® rPP compounds, which
Chemical (or feedstock) recycling represents a possible alternative, and combine bio-based and recycled credentials. Borealis discussed its coop-
a potential source of secondary raw materials that are suitable for food eration with Neste, which from the end of 2019 will see Borealis using
contact, and K 2019 reflected a significant step forward in both technol- Neste’s renewable propane as a feedstock for bio-based PP in which it will
ogy and capacity investments since the last edition. be possible to physically verify and measure renewable content.
LyondellBasell announced a new pilot facility at its Ferrara, Italy site to Meanwhile, Dow announced that its partnership with UPM Biofuels is
further the development of its proprietary molecular recycling technology resulting in commercialisation of bio-based PE based on UPM BioVerno
called MoReTec. This represents a step closer to potential commercial- renewable naphtha. The naphtha is produced from crude tall oil, a resi-
scale applications. In collaboration with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technol- due of paper pulp production, meaning no extra land is dedicated to the
ogy, LyondellBasell has shown that use of a catalyst in the pyrolysis of feedstock production.

“Collaboration has been a buzzword

since well before the previous K but
the evidence points to the fact that
our industry has mastered the art of
leveraging it.”

Packaging Europe | 11 |
2020 will be a big year for the
packaging industry, and a busy
one for Packaging Europe. We
suggest circling your calendars
to avoid missing four highlights
of the coming year.

GET OUT YOUR DIARIES!

interpack
The world’s biggest packaging fair returns in 2020 to provide a cross- headaches in e-commerce packaging and logistics? Who is unlocking new
section of the innovation entering the market across the value chain. It’s levels of value and efficiency through big data and smart machines? …and
also an opportunity to step back and take stock of the overall progress what will be the game-changing innovations that take us by surprise?
industry is making in rising to the big challenges.
We’ll be hoping to find answers to key questions, such as: How much far- Drop by for a packaging chat at our booth!
ther is there to go for the value chain to transition to a fully circular economy? Where? Messe Düsseldorf
Where are the break-out designs and technologies that are going to solve When? 7-13 May

Sustainable Packaging Summit

Leaders of the international packaging value chain, sustainability and
recycling will come together with regulators next October to share an
innovative platform for discussion of how to reduce the environmental
footprint of packaged goods.
Organised by Packaging Europe, the Sustainable Packaging Summit
aims to be a ‘Davos’ for packaging: a forum for the big ideas driving the
industry forward, but also a highly interactive event with fresh formats,
panels, break-out discussions and a private setting for networking, in
addition to high-profile keynotes. Defining objectives and mapping out
the challenges we must face as an industry in order to meet them, the
summit will also host the culmination of the 2020 Sustainability Awards
– revealing the world’s most significant new innovations in greener
packaging over a gala dinner.
The Sustainable Packaging Summit will be collaborating with key
stakeholders and thought leaders, including CEFLEX and the NVC PUMA.

Where? Pestana Palace, Lisbon

When? 15-16 October

| 12 | Packaging Europe
Packaging Europe | 13 |
| 16 | Packaging Europe
Touchpoints
Transforming consumer-brand engagements – a
new magazine from the Packaging Europe team.
On the backdrop of the digital media, e-commerce, and a proliferation
of the virtual and physical touchpoints between brands and shoppers,
there has never been a greater emphasis on the ability of packaging to
engage with consumers. Touchpoints magazine explores the oppor-
tunities for brands to harness technology and imagination to create
meaningful packaging experiences. It’s the marketeer’s and brand
manager’s indispensable guide to innovative ideas and technologies in
design, customisation, smart and interactive packaging, helping readers
understand how to forge connections with consumers through packag-
ing while navigating the online/offline retail trends on the horizon.

Where? Online and in print

When? Spring 2020

drupa
Scarcely a month after hosting interpack, the world’s greatest
packaging fair, Düsseldorf will welcome the world’s premier print
event. The packaging segment is becoming more and more central
for the challenging print market – meanwhile, packaging is looking
more and more often at the opportunities coming from innovation
in printing technology.
The special ‘touchpoint packaging’ focus at drupa there-
fore represents the intersection of two industries with a lot of
insights to swap. Packaging Europe will be a content partner
of touchpoint packaging, and will be hosting discussions and
keynotes over two days, delving into the experiential drivers of
packaging, from personalisation to unboxing to the nuances
of the omnichannel ecosystem that will impact on the print
strategies of tomorrow. Live content will be accompanied by
special collaborations, customisation projects and commentary,
spanning both the Packaging Europe and new Touchpoints
magazines and digital channels.

Where? Messe Düsseldorf

When? 16-26 June

Packaging Europe | 17 |
CAN TETHERED CAPS SET
PLASTIC WASTE FREE?
There are copious ways the packaging industry is innovating toward higher levels of recyclability, from
re-engineering materials to focusing on sorting and recycling technologies. But sometimes something
as seemingly innocuous as a simple change to design can help save a significant area of plastic waste.
Libby Munford explores the increasingly important concept of tethered closures for plastic bottle caps.

Aptar and NCC Richard Kirkman

A
mid widespread focus on plastic bottles themselves, detached bottle
caps pose different sustainability dilemmas. There remains a lack
of information available on how to recycle bottle caps and what the
strategies are from the brand owners down to information guidelines on a
consumer level.
With an inconsistent message, packaging companies are innovating and
taking the lead by designing tethered caps – eliminating the problem from
the brand owners and the consumers alike. EU Directive 2019/904 on
single-use plastics requires beverage bottles to have closures tethered to
the bottle for proper disposal, reducing the risk of plastic items dispersing
into the environment.

Consistency is key
As a first port of call, this investigation starts at the end of the value chain of
rigid plastic bottle caps, with insight from Richard Kirkman, chief technol-
ogy and innovation officer, Veolia (UK and Ireland), a leader in environmental

Packaging Europe | 19 |
 “If closures were to remain on
plastic bottles, they are much
more likely to be recycled.”

solutions, providing a comprehensive range of waste management services Remain united

designed to build the circular economy and preserve scarce raw materials. AptarGroup Inc. has partnered with Nippon Closures Co., Ltd to cross-license
With the Plastics Pact being set out to reduce the plastic pollution, and the technology for tethered beverage closures. Aptar and NCC say that they are
Waste and Resource Strategy aiming to increase recycling rates, the beverage working to continuously improve the consumer drinking experience, while also
closure business is aiming to follow suit. Richard Kirkman explains, “The SUP creating solutions for beverage closures that are better for the environment.
Directive clearly steered consumers towards reusable bottles. However, the Flip Lid by Aptar is a dispensing closure that is described as consumer
big driving force for innovation in beverage closures is from the New Plastic friendly and is designed to promote post use recycling as the closure remains
Economy Global Commitment. This strives for a circular economy for plastic.” united with the bottle throughout its lifecycle, making it more likely to be col-
lected and sent through the recycling stream with the container.
When designing beverage closures consistency is key NCC’s StrapBand solution is also a tethered solution available for today’s
Richard Kirkman recommends “that the closures be fixed on by design and be flat caps which provides a hinge functionality with a wide opening angle and a
made of the same material and colour. A trend here is towards fixing closures to click sound when tethered. The StrapBand solution can be applied to flat caps
the beverage container, for example, by using hinged closures. If not then advise and sports caps, for both still and carbonated beverages.
customers to leave on the caps, or design in that influence.” Flip Lid and StrapBand meet the requirements of the single-use plastics
(SUP) regulation in Europe, that introduced design requirements to connect
But why is it important that caps to bottles, thereby increasing the number of closures which are collected
caps remain tethered to the bottle? and recycled, and the AB 319 California proposal in the US, which intended
“We recycle bottles and closures in our MRFs. We also offer Deposit Return that plastic closures remain attached to containers.
Schemes for plastic bottles, their closures and drinks cans. At our MRFs we
find that when the bottle closures are separated from the bottles it’s much ACT now
harder to process as they can literally fall between the gaps. If closures were Meanwhile, UNITED CAPS and LyondellBasell displayed the results of an
to remain on plastic bottles when recycled, they are much more likely to be extensive collaborative effort at the recent K 2019.
recycled,” urges Richard Kirkman. Following the EU Commission’s 2018 proposal for requiring tethered
He continues, “Surrounding any plastic products there will often be issues closures for single-use plastics, UNITED CAPS spearheaded the Alliance
and challenges. Closures can be recycled and help towards a sustainable solu- for Closure Tethering (ACT) to bring together segment leaders in the
tion, however we all need to be educated on how to recycle. At Veolia we work packaging industry to conduct an impact assessment of various tethering
to educate clients and consumers – and ourselves! – on recycling correctly. solutions on existing neck finishes and to determine finishing changes that
“We believe the regulations on consistency being set out by the Waste and might be required.
Resource Strategy will help people to recycle their enclosures properly. Let’s Tethered closures present challenges for the industry which are more effec-
all remember this is about sustainable packaging not just plastic packaging; tively faced by value chain collaboration. According to Astrid Hofmann-Leist,
we need to reduce, reuse first then when we need a packaging we need to chief marketing and innovation officer at UNITED CAPS, the challenges are both
choose the right material and design it well!” financial and design-orientated. “Cost of the closures themselves and integra-

United Caps and LyondellBasell collaboration

| 20 | Packaging Europe
| 22 | Packaging Europe
tion into production lines were key considerations,” she told Packaging Europe. SIG announces the launch of the new combiMaxx closure, which the
“At the same time, it was crucial to provide solutions that are acceptable to company says will offer consumers a new level of convenience, while
consumers, and therefore to brand owners.” allowing existing customers to upgrade their packaging without a major
This understanding led to a collaboration between UNITED CAPS and investment or the need for new sleeves.
LyondellBasell (which developed new resin grades for the new directive, With a large pouring diameter of 25mm, combiMaxx offers an optimal product
featuring high stress cracking resistance and enhanced organoleptic prop- flow and perfect stream controllability. The large cap makes it easier and more
erties), engineering specialist Krones (ensuring compatibility with existing comfortable for consumers to open and reclose the pack in one easy step. A highly
lines) and brand owner Spa. Together, the partners worked on specifications visible, tamper-evident ring gives consumers the confidence that the package
for a range of concepts and tested these on consumers across Europe to has not already been opened. Fully resealable and leak-proof, combiMaxx
understand how they would be received. Successful prototypes included also ensures that opened packs can be stored safely in the fridge. The design of
a snap closure, a standard screw-on closure with different slitting, and a combiMaxx uses approximately 4.5 per cent less plastic than combiSwift.
screw-hinge-snap hybrid. “At SIG we’re committed to offering product innovation and differen-
The entire collaboration, rather remarkably, proceeded from conception tiation,” says Hanno Bertling, senior product manager Closures at SIG.
to multiple solutions ready for launch in ten months. “With our latest convenient combiMaxx closure, we can now offer our
“Collaborating to turn a problem into an opportunity turned out to be highly customers a cap that will help to increase brand loyalty among new and
effective, and thanks to the agility of this partnership and the learnings that have existing consumers. combiMaxx guarantees unbeatable pouring action,
come out of it, we have an opportunity to influence the new industry standards easy handling and spill-free horizontal and vertical storage.”
that are not yet finalised,” commented Astrid Hofmann-Leist. Since the base plate dimensions and sleeves remain unchanged, SIG has
made it simple for existing customers to switch from combiSwift to the new
Adapting design considerations combiMaxx closure – without requiring a major investment.
Closure design can also take in other considerations from a sustainable Additionally, combiMaxx can be combined with all of SIG’s existing mid-
point of view, such as by reducing the need for new bottle sleeves and and large-size carton formats, starting with combiblocSlimline, combibloc-
bottle dimensions (thus reducing material). Midi and combifitMidi. Colour options include white, red, blue and green,
with additional colours available upon request.
“The transition for our customers to use the new closure system is easy to
APTAR Flip Lid implement without any significant cost,” said Bertling. “We want to ensure the
food and beverage industry can adapt quickly to fast-paced consumer needs
to guarantee ongoing competitive advantage.”

Can securing caps secure our future?

With small but intelligent changes to the design of plastic bottle caps, the
packaging industry is highlighting how design is significant towards stream-
lining the overall journey of packaging throughout the value chain.
As well as providing convenience for the consumer, tethered bottle caps can
solve a waste problem, and help towards sustaining our planet. One small cap
at a time may make a mountainous change to our global waste problem.

“EU Directive 2019/904 on single-use

plastics requires beverage bottles to
have closures tethered to the bottle for
proper disposal.”

Packaging Europe | 23 |
COLLECTIVELY FINDING A SOLUTION
TO THE PACKAGING WASTE ISSUE
This year at FachPack the key unifying focus explored on company stands and across the programme of
seminars, lectures and events was of course (and rightly so) sustainability. In fact, the 2019 event adopted
a key theme for the first time this year of ‘environmentally friendly packaging’. Packaging Europe hosted
the Sustainability Awards 2019 at FachPack, and our coexisting Sustainable Packaging Summit zoned in
on contrasting approaches to a Circular Economy, with thought leaders such as TerraCycle’s Tom Szaky
drawing in the crowds. Chris Daly, VP supply chain, strategy, transformation and sustainability, PepsiCo
Europe and Sub Saharan Africa, explored what a circular future looks like from the PepsiCo perspective
and the challenges and opportunities around realising that future during his presentation. Here he dis-
cusses with us the importance of a holistic approach, and reflects on the experience of helping judge the
2019 Sustainability Awards.

IN
an efficient food system, packaging helps make safe, high-quality Earlier this month I had the encouraging experience of meeting many
products accessible to all, extending shelf life and helping to limit others who share this same mindset in my role as a judge of the Sustainabil-
food waste. But currently, less than 15 per cent of plastic packag- ity Awards 2019. The awards are the most prestigious international competi-
ing is recycled for future use. To put it simply, for packaging to have a tion for sustainability in packaging and turn the spotlight on innovations in
role in a more sustainable food system, we must move to a more circular the space that make a genuine difference – something that from a PepsiCo
future. In my role at PepsiCo, this is exactly what I strive to do each day. perspective we are exploring as part of our sustainable plastics vision.
I’m very fortunate to work for a company where the challenges in making The opportunity to see a broad range of sustainable packaging solutions
sustainability a reality are proactively embraced with a ‘can-do’ mindset. that are being developed across the industry indicated that there are many

Packaging Europe | 25 |
 “To put it simply, for packaging to
have a role in a more sustainable Chris Daly
food system, we must move to a
more circular future.”

scientific and commercial explorations taking place. I want to share some of

my key takeaways as a judge and share my perspective on how these innova-
tive approaches may advance packaging sustainability.

We need to take a holistic approach

From reviewing each entry, I could sense the same passion that my team
at PepsiCo share for finding a solution to the significant issue of packag-
ing sustainability. Each team was truly proud of their creations and held
an honest belief that their entry has the ability to make an impact. The
Awards are categorised into several areas to ensure a holistic view across
the packaging chain. sustainability challenge as a business opportunity, developing sustainable
The winning HolyGrail Project was a collaborative project, led by P&G solutions to build growth prospects for their business. This was exciting to
and of which we were also proud to be a part of. It addressed recycling see as ultimately sustainable solutions which are also financial success
inefficiencies in flexible materials by improving packaging design to enable stories will move the needle forward and are likely to have most impact.
the item to be correctly sorted in the recycling process. This invention is
particularly significant because recycling efficiency is the largest waste Equipment adaptation rather than
area in the plastics value chain. I predict that this remarkable project will full replacement will bring success
have a huge impact. When I was reading the entries, I was struck by the fact that many equipment
A focus on flexible materials was a common theme throughout the Awards. and material manufacturers really understood that solutions which required
It was encouraging to see progress in this area and impressive to see several companies to adapt rather than fully replace plant machinery and equipment
new solutions being proposed, which were appropriate for both dry goods and are more likely to succeed. Many of the entries focused on making it easier
non-food. At PepsiCo, we’re working to develop recyclable solutions for our to implement with existing equipment, just requiring some modular changes,
flexible snack packaging so this is an area that I’m very familiar with. This is and this in itself creates a world without equipment waste!
progress in the right direction and it gives me confidence that there is a solu-
tion for flexible plastics. The future is bright if we can
harness expertise collaboratively
Sustainability is an opportunity Finally, I want to reflect on the quality of the judging panel – it was a privilege
for material manufacturers to be able to collaborate with such a knowledgeable group of experts, each
In general, there appear to be two streams of thinking. On the one hand, with a real interest in sustainability. It reinforced to me that sustainable pack-
brand owners and some material manufacturers are developing new solu- aging is a nuanced and varied approach and it’s possible to see opportunities
tions in order to de-risk their existing business by developing more envi- and possibilities where others do not.
ronmentally friendly packaging. On the other hand, some are looking at the It was especially pleasing to see my fellow judges highlighting that if material
can be recycled, this does not necessarily mean it is recyclable. If the collection
and separation systems do not exist for that material in market, it is unlikely to
ever be processed. This is an issue that PepsiCo is very aware of as we work to
“I left the Awards filled with a our goal to design 100 per cent of our packaging to be recyclable, compostable
or biodegradable by 2025. We do not consider something to be recyclable in
renewed sense of confidence that a given market unless there are adequate collection systems in place to give a
high probability of the package actually being recycled.
there are many scientific and I left the Awards filled with a renewed sense of confidence that there
commercial explorations taking place are many scientific and commercial explorations taking place in the area
of sustainable packaging. I believe that a world where plastic need never
in the area of sustainable packaging.” become waste is not far off and through collaboration with the many experts
and other stakeholders we can work together to find and deliver the most
effective solutions at scale.

| 26 | Packaging Europe
PACKAGING IN AN
OMNICHANNEL WORLD
As we’ve discussed in Packaging Europe before, the concept of omnichannel is changing the way brands
relate to consumers. But how is the industry meeting the challenges this presents? Victoria Hattersley reports.

IN
our new omnichannel retail environment, the consumer is at the centre. creative designer, Equator Design. “Instead of focusing primarily on the
Whatever they want to buy, however they want to buy it – increasingly product they’re selling, brands and retailers are leveraging an increased
the brand owner is finding their role is to cater to this; to offer a single, understanding of the customers they are selling to.
streamlined experience whether it’s bricks & mortar or online shopping. It’s not “Of course, market research, focus groups and buying habit data have
a case of either/or anymore – the customer wants the best of both. And the informed product development and packaging design for years, but the dif-
packaging, of course, needs to keep pace with this. ference now is the level of investment being made in encouraging custom-
Today, brands are recognising that offering a consistent experience across ers to buy as a consequence of their customer experience across multiple
every retail channel is the key to building a strong connection with – and channels, not just their product preferences.”
understanding of – consumers. Previously, the only way to cater for the needs
of multiple channels was co-packing, which is not the most resource-efficient A coherent approach
approach. Omnichannel is a way of developing a single packaging solution for Given the new retail environment in which they are operating today, then,
both retail channels, and thus eliminating the entire co-packing stage. one of the key questions a brand now has to ask itself is: do we differenti-
Part of this comes down to data collection. “There has been an epiphany ate between bricks & mortar and online sales, creating specific packaging
in both retail and brand thinking over the past few years,” says Martin Orme, formats for each channel, or do we embrace a more uniform pack design

Packaging Europe | 29 |
that encompasses both online and offline? If so, how do packs offer the Digitally printed tracking codes are also increasingly making a differ-
same performance in-store, online and throughout the supply chain? ence when it comes to improving efficiency along the supply chain. This
There are a number of considerations when it comes to pack design, would enable consumers to use an app to track the exact location of their
including ensuring both in-store connectivity and connectivity customised parcel in real-time, choosing a point of delivery near their current location
to the e-commerce consumer; the ability to ship direct to the consumer or at short notice. But it’s not just about communicating with the consumer.
store, with no overbox required; adding easy-to-open tear tape strips for Smart packaging can also monitor perishable items to further reduce
retail display, and so on. wastage, and counterfeit goods can be separated from the genuine article.
Increased supply chain complexity is a major challenge to be faced, Sealed Air is another example of a brand embracing the twin challenge of
with new sales channels driving an increase in private delivery firms and reducing environmental impact while protecting the product across a single
extending the variety of delivery methods used. One widely-recognised channel. Its TempGuard solution is an insulated recyclable paper pad that has
issue is that often the packs used are too large, leaving a lot of empty been designed to protect temperature sensitive and perishable goods in transit
space which impacts sustainability and also has issues when it comes to for 24-48 hours in a complete curbside recyclable package. It is a customisable
product protection (itself, of course, an environmental issue; as we have box liner that can be optimised through thermal modelling to meet the needs of
pointed out many times, product damage is the least sustainable option). one- and two-day shipping requirements.
According to a survey conducted by Forbes Insight and DS Smith, on aver-
age, 24 per cent of every container sailing across our oceans is empty. This Growing pressure on operations
results in the equivalent of about 61 million TEU containers being shipped Then there is the increased pressure put on the back-end processes in
unnecessarily each year. Or roughly $46 billion in potential global savings. warehouses and distribution centres. More and more, as the trend towards
Packaging producers such as DS Smith are working to help customers personalised order fulfilment increases, we see demands for small, one-off
optimise their supply chains in various ways – to create a leaner, more efficient orders that can be delivered within the space of two days or sometimes even
model in line with the needs of an omnichannel strategy. Its ‘Made2Fit’ system less. To achieve this, touchpoints have to be kept to a minimum – the fewer
is designed to both lower order volumes and also prevent product movement, touchpoints, the less time it takes from production to delivery (and again, the
reducing damage and cutting the overall environmental footprint of a purchase. fewer chances for product damage).
Made2Fit includes an algorithm to calculate the dimensions of the product and This naturally puts a strain on fulfilment operations. We have therefore
help customers develop the best package to fit this. been seeing a shift from traditional conveyor-belt technologies to what DS

| 30 | Packaging Europe
Packaging Europe | 31 |
Smith describes as ‘automated beehive-like hubs… a well-oiled operation A recent example could be seen at the TFWA World Exhibition in September
relying on algorithms, barcodes and expertly trained human hands’. this year. Here, the company’s World Travel Retail arm launched an interactive
Increased complexity in the warehouse also has its consequences for campaign with a mobile game that could be accessed by delegates through
secondary packaging. Before, items would have to be re-packaged in the QR codes. The game required users to catch falling letters with a digital
warehouse but omnichannel has created more of an emphasis on bringing Toblerone bar. A personalised Toblerone bar, using the Toblerone sleeve printer
all the ‘last mile’ options together. As we know, Amazon – as a purely online which debuted at the show, could then be claimed at the company’s stand.
player – has been ahead of the game here with its insistence on the need for “With these online games, we would like delegates to experience what
‘frustration-free’ packaging that is easy to open, recyclable and comes without Next-Gen travellers can do throughout their trip; from mobile to store [Mon-
unnecessary additional materials while also protecting the product inside. delez stand, in this case] to collecting sweet rewards to take home,” com-
mented Mondelez WTR head of Customer Development Richard Houseago
The real and the virtual at the show. This omnichannel approach is integral to how we’re success-
But owing to the increased emphasis on the convenience of the online experi- fully tackling the channel’s key challenges. We hope these fun games will
ence, brands need to consider that if they truly want to profit from this approach inspire the industry.”
they have to think about how to improve the in-store experience too. “In the In future, there is likely to be more emphasis on the kind of symbi-
multi-channel era, retailers are not only competing with e-commerce providers otic relationship that can be achieved between in-store and online retail
but also with their own online presence,” says Martin Orme. through augmented reality. Online consumer interfaces can be used to
“Consequently, this customer-focused, experiential approach is as evident in encourage consumers into store by giving them a virtual in-store experi-
the retail environment as it is in the way products are packaged and personal- ence or special offer they can then experience ‘in the flesh’ in-store.
ised. Consumers increasingly need a reason to step in store because purchas- Conversely, such technology can be used in-store to allow customers to
ing online has become the easy alternative. As a result, store environments ‘try before they buy’.
have had to think strategically to consider the potential advantages of their There is still much for the industry to do to catch up with the demands of
high street presence and evolve the store and brand experience accordingly.” omnichannel, but with the benefits it offers – enabling brands to cut costs by
One strategy is for brand owners to blur the boundaries between what reducing the number of packaging formats they need to develop, and maintain-
is real and what is virtual. Mondelēz International is one company that has ing brand consistency across all channels, among many others – we can expect
been embracing this kind of approach, particularly with its Toblerone brand. to see more FMCG brands adopt this retail ethos in the coming years.

| 32 | Packaging Europe
BIO-BASED PACKAGING – COFFEE
BRANDS ARE MAKING THE SWITCH
TO RENEWABLE MATERIALS
Climate change is driving a movement toward more sustainable products, and coffee brands in particular
are tuned into the topic. Many coffee brands already bear the labels of organic, responsibly grown, or
Fairtrade. Now coffee makers are focusing their efforts beyond the coffee itself and finding new ways of
reducing emissions and managing resources throughout the supply chain.

C
urrently, climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the cracking operation into ethylene. In packaging, both types of PE behave
coffee industry. One of the ways coffee brands are tackling the crisis in the same way, and therefore both are recyclable, accepted in mono-PE
is by supporting communities of coffee growers around the world and streams, and in mixed polyolefin streams.
contributing to their on-going development.
Though successful in creating a more sustainable supply chain, these Responsibly-grown source materials
measures can only partially address emissions. Moving to a more sustain- If it’s important how coffee is grown, it’s important how its packaging is grown
able packaging alternative can contribute to completing the picture of carbon too. To ensure the source materials for the bio-based PE are responsibly
footprint reduction by phasing out depletable resources. grown, harvested and produced, Amcor collaborates closely with resin manu-
This can be achieved by replacing fossil-fuel derived plastic packaging facturers and insists on certifications such as Bonsucro and the International
with packaging made from renewable resources, such as sugar cane. Bio- Sustainability and Carbon Certification. Both certifications guarantee the imple-
based plastics are recyclable and provide the same technical properties and mentation of environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable production
product protection as traditional plastics, while lowering carbon emissions. and use of biomass across global supply chains.
Not only is this better for the planet, it matters to consumers, too. The use To better understand the full carbon footprint of their packaging and identify
of renewable materials can offer brands new opportunities to stand out on opportunities for environmental performance improvement, brands can use
store shelves. Moreover, it’s an easy change to make, and a number of coffee Amcor’s ASSET lifecycle assessment tool, which is certified by the Carbon Trust.
brands have now made this switch as a next step in their sustainability journey.
A simple switch with instant business benefits
The difference between bio-based and traditional PE For coffee brands it is crucial that the production and quality of the product
Unlike traditional polyethylene (PE), which is produced from fossil-fuels, bio- is preserved. Switching to bio-based materials has no impact on production
based PE is produced from renewable resources such as plants – typically, capacity and preserves product quality and freshness. The environmental
sugar cane. impact is immediate, allowing brands to make concrete sustainability state-
This means the source of the material can be grown again, whereas ments (% bio-content, % carbon footprint reduction).
traditional polymers are made from depletable fossil resources. Amcor supports its customers with fact-based packaging certifications,
Exactly like traditional PE, bio-based PE is fully recyclable. The differ- through third-parties such as Bonsucro and Carbon Trust. This helps brands
ence is in the way they’re produced. Bio-based PE is made from plants, communicate to consumers the steps they’ve taken to make packaging
fermented into ethanol and then transformed into ethylene – while tradi- more sustainable.
tional PE is made from naphtha oil, which is chemically transformed by a Learn more at: www.amcor.com/coffee

Packaging Europe | 33 |
 WHERE IS PERSONALISATION
LEADING US?
As consumers increasingly demand products and services tailored to their individual needs, it’s clear that the
personalisation trend isn’t going away and brand owners need to respond to this. For the packaging industry,
this means ever-more complex demands along the entire supply chain, as Victoria Hattersley reports.

W
e’re already in the era of mass customisation – you don’t have to per cent of millennials and Gen Z consumers are interested in brands that can
look far for examples of this over the past few years, whether it’s offer personalised products or services. Incidentally, the same study also found
Coca-Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign or Heinz’s ‘Get Well Soon’ that 25 per cent of consumers would be happy to share their data in return for
soup labels. a personalised experience, so not everyone shudders at the thought of their
What comes next – total personalisation – is a somewhat different prospect. personal information being used in this way.
While customisation refers more to the use of software to produce custom
output in large volumes, personalisation takes us to the next level by tailoring a Pushing forward the digital revolution
solution or service to the end user’s specific tastes and preferences. This comes We are already seeing some of the results of this ongoing drive towards
down partly to the use of customer data to understand an individual’s needs personalisation in solutions such as the 56,000 personalised KitKat packs
and desires – a chilling prospect for some consumers, perhaps, but not so for created by Nestle using technology from HP Indigo, or Mondelēz Interna-
marketers and brand owners. tional’s Milka greeting cards.
It’s something the industry has been moving towards for some time. Of course, consumers only see the end result – the bottle of drink with
According to a 2018 report by Packaging Innovations and ThePackHub, their name on the label, the personalised chocolate greeting card, the KitKat
66 per cent of packaging professionals stated that the personalisation of with their face on the wrapper. But from the industry’s point of view, the
packaging is something that they are implementing – or at least consider- most vital part of the question is the technology required to get us there. The
ing implementing – into their offering. This makes sense in our digital age, growth of digital printing is one facet of this, bringing as it does far greater
where building a two-way conversation – such as through social sharing possibilities for smaller, customised runs than was possible with more tradi-
– between the consumer and brand is key, and ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions tional printing technologies.
are often no longer enough for a company to stand out in the marketplace. So far, many companies may have been put off the prospects of personal-
Today, brands are also making increasing efforts to reach out to younger isation, perhaps owing in part to the cost implications and overall complexity.
generations. A 2018 study by Sparks & Honey suggested that more than 50 But technology is catching up. While conventional printing techniques, such
as offset, are still cheaper than digital – at least for bigger runs – this margin
is decreasing all the time. It’s not hard to envisage a time when digital printing
will be the more cost-effective option even for huge runs.

Packaging Europe | 35 |
 Danny Mertens

While it’s true that digital printing can involve higher up-front costs, it does offered by Itarus Ltd, which provides an online template enabling brand
not require cylinders or plates, which means brands can be much more flexible owners to modify artwork without the need for third-party intervention; or
– essential when it comes to offering a targeted, bespoke packaging experi- Infigo, which through its cloud-based MegaEdit design module creates a
ence. Lower minimum order quantities also mean a decrease in inventories 3D preview of the personalised product for the customer.
and warehousing expenses. If done right, it can be worth a brand’s time to invest in this type of offer-
And it’s not just the printing – other processes will need to be increasingly ing: according to a 2019 study by SnackChat, ‘Understanding Online Gift-
digitised to improve efficiency and speed up turn-around if mass personalisa- ing’, 85 per cent of millennials are more likely to make an online purchase
tion is truly to become the norm. Digital cutting systems are a case in point. “As if it is personalised.
customers require personalised packaging, the individual production quantities Mondelēz International is just one example of a company that has tapped
are reduced, and therefore it is no longer cost-effective to cut product using into the possibilities of digital printing for online direct-to-consumer gifting
traditional cutting dies,” says Caroline Bell, sales & marketing manager, Elitron, a – and through this, elevating an everyday brand into something a bit more
producer of automatic cutting machines. special. With its above-mentioned Milka greeting cards, photos and messages
“It takes time to produce these dies and if you require many different dies can be added, which are then digitally printed on a blank sleeve. The personali-
it becomes costly, and these dies must be stored but may never actually be sation itself happens on the last mile, before the material is cut.
used again. Digital cutting is the answer. In just a couple of clicks new cut- “We find this kind of approach helps promoting the products especially
ting files can be imported onto the cutting system, and Elitron’s new Seeker on social media since people often share their personalised products,” says
System cameras automatically identify printed images, in order to associate Danny Mertens, corporate communications manager at Xeikon.
the cutting file to the material, for immediate cutting.” But he does add a note of caution when it comes to ‘self-service’ soft-
ware: “On the other side, brand owners also need to be careful since it can
‘Self-service’ experience go wrong when people start ‘playing around’ with the online software. When
Increasingly, brands are involving the consumers themselves in the pack- there’s no ‘check’ on the content it can get to a negative branding impact.”
aging creation – adding another element to the experience. This comes Take the example of Ferrero’s Nutella brand: a few years ago it announced
down to investing in more advanced web-to-print systems that can offer it would be letting its Australian customers write their own labels as part of its
a ‘self-service’ experience for the end user or brand owner – such as that ‘Make Me Yours’ publicity campaign. Some got a little too ‘creative’ and the

“66 per cent of packaging professionals

stated that the personalisation of
packaging is something that they are
implementing – or at least considering
implementing – into their offering.”

| 36 | Packaging Europe
results – which I will leave our readers to search out for themselves if they guess: stepping back from the packaging industry and taking a wider view for a
are so inclined – may not all have been precisely what the company had moment, some might say this shift in emphasis from machine to person is posi-
in mind. tive and healthy; there again, this general growing assumption that we should
be able to have precisely what we want under any circumstances can have its
Increasing demands on production pitfalls – as indeed recent political events have illustrated.
Personalisation also puts previously unheard-of demands on supply chains. In any case, it’s clear that when it comes to packaging and branding, we
For Raffaele Pace, vice-president Equipment Product Management & Digital are only at the start of the personalisation revolution. We can also look ahead
Solutions at Sidel, the increasing consumer interest in personalised solutions to more brands using QR codes and virtual reality to build that all-important
can be seen as one of the key drivers behind Industry 4.0. two-way connection. Finally, Danny Mertens asks the interesting question: who
“Today’s consumer is becoming more selective by demanding goods will take care of all this personalisation? “There’s a technology gap here. Will it
with greater individuality, variety and convenience, and at the right price,” he be a marketing agency or a packaging producer? Maybe it will open up a new
says. “At the same time, distribution is looking for more customised delivery market in the value chain.”
methods and increased responsiveness, largely driven by different purchasing
behaviours and new retail models. Therefore, manufacturers are being chal-
lenged to find and implement new ways to improve their line operations with
regards to efficiency, flexibility, versatility and speed, while at the same time
ensuring consistent quality, low costs, greater productivity and maintaining
competitiveness in a global market. These issues may be met by the success-
ful transition to Industry 4.0.”
Solutions such as Sidel’s Agility 4.0 program can help producers shift
from mass production to mass customisation via the use of smart solu-
tions (robotics, cobotics and machines with built-in intelligence), digital
connectivity and simulation tools.
The growing demand for product diversity and personalisation is also
exacerbated by the growth of new retail formats, one of which is of course
e-commerce. “For many manufacturers, the only way to meet those require-
ments – such as rainbow packs, promotional packaging or smaller cases –
quickly and at the right price is generally by a process of repacking finished
products,” says Mr Pace. “According to industry experts, this repacking
process can sometimes account for 30 to 50 per cent of total production
volume and is completely opposite to the principles behind lean manufactur-
ing and lower carbon footprints. Figures like this clearly show that flexibility
has reached its limit and that greater agility is required: order preparation
integrated into production lines seems inevitable.”
This also creates opportunities for those ready to take them up. “Producers
are currently not set up to handle these kinds of project,” says Xeikon’s Danny
Mertens. “It can create an opportunity in the value chain for new players to
enter into packaging production and implement or facilitate the automation
and logistical aspects of such personalisation campaigns.”

The age of the individual

Perhaps where we will really see the personalisation revolution take off is in “Today’s consumer is becoming more
the continued emergence of Industry 5.0, which essentially brings automation
full-circle by focusing not on machine interfaces but the necessary interaction selective by demanding goods with
between man and machine. The two go hand-in-hand, with their emphasis on greater individuality, variety and
establishing connections between people and wider systems.
Whereas in the past, ‘premium’ might have been solely about owning the convenience, and at the right price.”
‘right’ label, today it seems to be more about having something that is tailored
to the consumer. When it comes to what we buy, we seem to be in the age of
the individual, not the collective. Whether that’s a good thing or not is anybody’s

Packaging Europe | 37 |
THE MONO-MATERIALS
CHALLENGE

By 2030 all plastic packaging within the EU will need to be recyclable or reusable. But the devil of how this
goal can be achieved lies in the detail. In recent months, flexible packaging made from monomaterials has
emerged as one possible step towards that goal. Elisabeth Skoda unearths how companies are overcoming
the monomaterial challenge in order to achieve better recyclability from a material and machinery perspective.

F
lexible plastic packaging is a growing segment in the packaging industry. Design for recycling
Research from Smithers shows that total sales for flexible packaging A tool published on the Borealis collaboration platform EverMinds, the ‘10
worldwide will reach $228 billion in 2019 and are set to grow at an annual Codes of Conduct for Design for Recyclability’, presents a set of guidelines
average rate of 3.3 per cent, reaching $269 billion in 2024. Flexible packag- for polyolefin packaging design. Monomaterials play an important part in this.
ing manufacturers are keen to emphasise the benefits of stand-up pouches, Borealis and Borouge set out to develop novel polyolefins-based monoma-
sachets, films, bags, liners, or wraps compared to rigid packs, highlighting their terial solutions. Geert Van Ballaer, Borealis head of marketing consumer
potential to safeguards the quality and integrity of package contents while products, explains the reasons behind this.
also being lightweight, which can result in an overall lower carbon footprint “Most recycling centres are equipped for PE, PP, and PET. The use of
compared to rigid packaging alternatives such as glass and metal. monomaterials makes collection, sorting and recycling more efficient.
However, while rigid materials are primarily monomaterial-based, flexible Our new full PP laminate with high barrier properties is an alternative to
materials have traditionally been multi-material, consisting of several layers packs using aluminium foil as a barrier layer. This improves recyclability
of different types of plastics and often also including aluminium, which makes because as an inseparable barrier layer, aluminium foil is problematic in
recycling more difficult. the recycling process.”

Packaging Europe | 39 |
| 40 | Packaging Europe
 “The market is extremely responsive to
recent technical innovations that enable
“We basically reversed the idea of where and when the heat needs to be
the switch to OPP films or laminates, as applied during the spout sealing process,” explains Dr Peter Sandkuehler, global
application technology leader at Dow’s packaging and specialty plastics busi-
most customers are increasingly aware ness. “By transferring the heat from the pre-melted spout base directly to the
of the pending design guidelines that sealant layer of the film, we’ve solved two challenges at the same time: how to
easily seal spouts to monomaterial films, and how to prevent the hard spout ribs
have been developed by CEFLEX to be from cutting into the film.”
issued in 2020.” The new process is designed to easily seal spouts in more heat sensitive,
monomaterial structures made from all polypropylene or all polyethylene pack-
aging layers. Rather than traditionally applying the heat from outside the pouch
forming film to melt the seal layer and the spout, the latter is pre-melted at its
Following the launch of their Full PE Laminate in 2016, a new collabora- base before insertion into the pouch and sealing.
tion between Borealis and Borouge has generated a series of new and fully “The beauty of the process is its simplicity,” says Sarah De La Mare, busi-
recyclable monomaterial pouch solutions for both PE and PP-based materi- ness development officer at Menshen. “It is actually more logical to apply the
als, including pouch concepts made of PP with a full PP laminate with high heat from the inside rather than from the outside, whether you use monoma-
barrier properties, a full PE laminate described as having good machinability terials or not. We are currently working with several machine manufacturers to
and broad sealing range and a full PE laminate containing recycled material ensure that this technology can be integrated into new and existing spouted
that is fully recyclable into high quality recyclate in the closed-loop process. pouch making lines.”
“With the exception of the Full PE Laminate made using Ecoplast r-LDPE, Reversing the traditional sealing process helps reduce the excess heat
which contains both virgin and recyclate material, the new solutions are needed to be applied from the outside of the film to seal the inner, lower den-
composed of virgin material based on the Borstar® technology,” explains Mr sity film layers to a high-density spout base. At the same time, the packaging
Van Ballaer. structure is less dependent on a film’s thermal resistance and film cut-in is
avoided, resulting in what the company describes as good quality spout sealing
Spouted pouches and a pouch with shelf appeal.
Also addressing the challenge of making flexible materials more easily recycla-
ble, Dow and Menshen earlier this year announced their new Reverse Spout High barrier solution
Sealing Technology, which enables the production of spouted pouches made Packaging Europe Sustainability Awards finalist Jindal Films recently
of monomaterial films. launched a monomaterial high barrier solution made from PP in coopera-

Packaging Europe | 41 |
 “From a machinery point of view, the
transition from composites to mono-
material films can be complex, most ple are usually wrapped using polypropylene (PP), which is often a sufficient
barrier. Depending on the packaging application, this can be either CPP (cast
importantly as monomaterials impose polypropylene) or OPP (oriented polypropylene).”
high demands on sealing technology.” From a machinery point of view, the transition from composites to
monomaterial films can be complex, as he explains, most importantly as
monomaterials impose high demands on the sealing technology, especially
in the high-output range.
tion with Mondi and Unilever. The new ‘PP-rich’ film barrier laminate can “Heat sealing is still the most used technology, due to its robustness and
run on high-speed horizontal pouch machinery to fill sensitive dehydrated good sealing results. The sealing window is much smaller for monomateri-
powder soups for Knorr. als, which means the parameters sealing time and temperature have to be
“The market is extremely responsive to our recent technical innovations aligned precisely to prevent damage to the heat-sensitive outer layer while
that enable the switch to OPP films or laminates, as most customers are ensuring the sealing integrity of the inner layer. With heat-resistant compos-
increasingly aware of the pending design guidelines that have been devel- ites this is unproblematic; but in the case of heat-sensitive monomaterials
oped by CEFLEX to be issued in 2020,” says Laurent Chantraine, business this can easily lead to defective seals and damaged products, resulting in
development manager, flexible packaging, Jindal Films Europe. lower production efficiency.”
He acknowledges that some more demanding end-use segments, such He points out that this must be addressed by optimally coordinating
as liquid packaging, have higher performance requirements, and more time the three sealing parameters of pressure, temperature and time to create
will be needed to find a suitable compromise, but is pleased with the results the perfect seam using monomaterial films at different film speeds and
of the cooperation. constant energy input.
“The switch to a PP-rich solution gives companies a good compromise “What’s more, these technical challenges have to be mastered for a range
in terms of product protection (barrier to humidity, aromas or gases), pro- of different monomaterials. This can only be achieved through the continuous
motion (matte or glossy, high stiffness, good aesthetics and haptics) and improvement of sealing technologies in order to adjust the fin and cross-seal-
performance (printing, lamination, packaging and filling operations).” ing tools to the new conditions. In addition, a change in stiffness and elasticity
of the material can influence the performance on the packaging machine, for
The machinery perspective example when film speeds vary during production.”
Torsten Sauer, project manager sustainability at Robert Bosch Packaging Bosch Packaging Technology has been testing a wide variety of packag-
Technology GmbH has also observed an increasing use of monomaterial ing materials with customers and cooperation partners at its technical centre
packaging due to the ongoing drive towards a circular economy, and with in Beringen, Switzerland with the goal to optimise its systems and sealing
it an emerging trend for films made from polymer monomaterials. technologies to meet the specific requirements of the different materials. The
“Conventional multi-layer composite films are difficult to recycle because overall aim is to achieve greater sustainability without compromising product
of the need to separate the different film layers. What’s more, many countries protection, seal integrity and packaging speed. Flow wraps have established
do not have the necessary recycling systems and processes in place to recy- themselves as popular packaging for a wide range of products.
cle complex laminates. In contrast, monomaterial films are fully recyclable as “With monomaterials, the biggest challenge is the sealing of the films
all layers are made of the same type of plastic, which makes sorting easier at high speeds. Here we are already achieving good results in tests on our
and leads to cleaner recycling streams. Bars, cookies and crackers for exam- horizontal flow wrapping machines,” concludes Mr Sauer.

| 42 | Packaging Europe
Packaging Europe | 43 |
| 44 | Packaging Europe
SMART INKS AND COATINGS
As the industry prepares for the ever-
excellent, annual AIPIA World Congress
exploring the high-tech world of active
and intelligent packaging, we take a
look at the opportunities brought by
smart materials.

“T
here are tremendous opportunities around micro printing, nano
ink and printing technologies, graphene, etc.,” says Eef De Fer-
rante (AIPIA director). “Applications include traceability, serialisa-
tion, condition monitoring, and thermochromic and photochromic inks
for promotions. Probably printed electronics is one of the highest profile
applications, as it has the ability to make affordability and scalability of
many intelligent tags a reality.”
Notable recent security applications include Asahi Kasei’s sub-micron A much less remote packaging application is DataLase’s photonic
printing process using cuprous oxide conductive inks which can produce printing, whereby a functional coating containing laser reactive pigment
a fully functional but unseen antenna. This transparent antenna could is applied as a patch, and then activated by laser systems for late stage
lead to the space efficient incorporation of RFID into packs – a particular customisation, even at point of fill or point of sale. Potential applications
advantage where there is limited scope for brand owners to reduce brand- include personalised messages on disposable coffee cups (which appear
ing ‘real estate’. Another notable technology is the use of quantum dots, blank until the laser magically prints the bespoke design).
i.e. chemically engineered nanoparticles. These can be used as an overt As well as the potential to transform security and consumer interaction,
or covert protection system and combined with other security technologies there’s a sustainability dimension to smart inks and coatings. For one thing,
such as synthetic DNA, phosphors, holograms, security ink and more for there’s a challenge for the printed electronics industry to maintain or improve
use on a wide variety of polymers, paper, metals and glass. conductivity while facilitating recyclability of materials. However, according to
A project to watch is the T+Sun collaboration (Sun Chemical and T+Ink) Eef De Ferrante, smart technologies can also play an active role in minimising
which is working with brand owners to create new functionalities powered by waste. “Active and intelligent packaging can really help to reduce food waste
electronic packaging. We’ll be looking for applications of T+Sun Touchcode, a and improve medical compliance – all of which can be far more impactful on
secure printed conductive ink signature embedded in packaging and labels that the planet than a piece of dropped litter,” he said.
a smartphone or other sensing device can detect through capacitive touch.

Chameleon inks
Another nascent technology may have applications from security to consumer
engagement is a new spray-on ink (developed by researchers at MIT’s Com-
puter Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory) that can change colours,
designs, and patterns when zapped with different wavelengths of light. Called
PhotoChromeleon, it was created by mixing cyan, magenta, and yellow
photochromic dyes together to produce a single solution that is invisible until
exposed to a very specific light array.
Each dye reacts to different wavelengths of light, so by using three
different light sources, the researchers were able to selectively activate
and deactivate the three different ink colours to produce specific shades,
complex patterns, and even high-resolution images.

Packaging Europe | 45 |
LABELEXPO EUROPE 2019 REFLECTS
DIVERSIFICATION OF INDUSTRY
Mirroring the fast paced and dynamic face of the packaging industry, Labelexpo Europe 2019 expanded
on its core focus of labels. Libby Munford delves into the highlights from the show – with additional
reporting from Rima Evans, who gathered the latest insights from leading exhibitors from the show floor.

L
abelexpo Europe celebrated its 40th anniversary in Brussels with the “Customers are no longer seeking advice on equipment or asking about a
largest, most international edition to date. Lisa Milburn, managing machine’s specification and how fast it is. Instead, they have an end product
director of Labelexpo Global Series, comments, “It is now rapidly moving in mind and are approaching us for solutions to produce what they need.
forwards into a show that encompasses not just labels but also package It’s customer driven innovation – they are coming up with ideas for different
printing. This was clear from the incredible array of flexible packaging innova- effects or techniques, which we develop with them by trying to find substrates,
tions and hybrid machinery on the show floor, giving label converters ever the right software and so on.”
more options to diversify their businesses.” That shift is partly down to certain labels needing to meet more rigid
The Flexible Packaging Arena proved to be a highlight, showcasing 11 standards or more complex functional specs (high durability, for example)
live demonstrations from leading companies such as Xeikon, with its CX500 but it’s also being spurred on by consumer trends.
(digital), and BOBST with M6 (UV Flexo) producing indirect food contact flex- Increasingly, brand owners are seeking to create labels with maximum
ible packaging to the latest GMP standards. shelf appeal, explains Gary Jenno, segment business manager at Xaar.
In addition, HP Indigo offered live demonstrations of digital pouch making “They are looking for the wow factor and for labels to add value by enhanc-
with the HP Indigo 20000 digital press, Pack Ready Lamination, and the Karlville ing the buying experience for customers. If the labels don’t help their products
pouch-making machine making its show debut on its stand. Other HP innova- sell or stand out in a display then businesses aren’t interested. So, a big trend
tions at the show included HP Indigo 8000 Digital Press, which ran in line with right now is digital embellishment.”
the ABG Fast Track die, and the HP Indigo 6900 Digital Press, which visitors One example that’s popular, adds Jenno, is a tactile or textured effect on
could see in action with an integrated Kurz DM-Jetliner finishing module. packaging and labels, achieved through printing high levels of UV varnish.
“However, this show demonstrates how people are finding different ways to
Maximum shelf appeal embellish whether that’s by adding metallics, or a new cold foil. And although
Customer driven innovation stood out as a major current theme, whereby this trend is big with high-end brands or sectors such as health and beauty,
brand owners are pushing for new solutions and technologies that fit their wine and beer, it will start to become more mainstream.
unique requirements or strengthen consumer engagement. “As the market continues to operate across both analogue and digital
Technology is being further advanced by an expansion of niche busi- printing, features such as these are certainly a selling point for the digital
nesses and segmentation of larger markets, each requiring a wider range side,” says Jenno.
of labelling and print options. In addition, as was widely predicted, the issue of
sustainability is also making its mark. Digital focus
“In the label space, there is certainly a diversification of technolo- Kim Beswick, general manager of Memjet’s benchtop and mini-press division,
gies and applications,” says Danny Mertens, corporate communications shares that the move to digital is steadily growing – due to its flexibility and
manager at Xeikon. efficiency, and by addressing the necessity for businesses to remain nimble.

Packaging Europe | 47 |
 According to Kim Beswick, “Inkjet technology is leading the transition to She also explains how software innovations are being implemented
digital. It’s partly driven by the increase of smaller manufacturers especially in to streamline processes and “make customers’ lives easier.” Flint Group
the food and beverage market, which is seeing a rise in the number of craft has launched a web-based colour management solution that removes
and local traders all of whom need right-sized print runs.” the guess work out of ink colour formulations and offers a high level of
E-commerce is also contributing to a demand for short print runs, on top of accuracy because it is tailored to the way customers print, working with
larger brands seeking to be more relevant to their customers through greater multiple print methods and substrates.
personalisation or customisation of product lines. This all requires greater flex- As markets are growing and product lines being expanded, the need to
ibility, being able to print on demand and so preventing waste and cutting out continuously reduce complexity but also maintain efficiency and perfor-
the need to store huge amounts of inventory, which also brings cost savings. mance is a challenge, adds Xeikon’s Danny Mertens. He indicates that the
“The move to inkjet – and our focus – is on delivering that speed, solution lies in automation.
capability and at affordable cost,” sums up Kim Beswick. “Dealing with variable data or multiple SKUs can increase the risk of errors.
Investing in automation can improve accuracy and can reduce logistical
Omnichannel complexity. We integrate with MIS tools in the market or work with partners to
Another key focus at the show was the importance of providing solutions provide automation at every step of the label production process. It is growing
applicable to the omnichannel experience. in importance because it ties in with the shift towards customers needing more
Piet Saegeman, content strategist at CHILI Publish, explains how the complete and innovative solutions.”
company’s flagship software CHILI Publisher can help with the creation of
omnichannel material for numerous markets. CHILI Publisher turns docu- Critical issues drive change
ment intelligence into a template, which means that people with little or Meanwhile, what is also accelerating change is the issue of sustainability.
no graphic training can build artwork, which reduces time to market. The For Taghleef Industries, which manufactures high performance films for
software can take data from external data sources. This can give a ‘single packaging and labels, it’s a critical area that has prompted a rethink in
source of truth’ and eliminate content errors from packaging. product design.
The company has recently overhauled its barcode generation engine. Chili “Consumers are very concerned about plastic pollution,” says Monica Battis-
Publish now has PDF417 barcodes and is fully GS1 compliant. In addition, the tella, key account manager at the company. “With China banning waste imports
company has DeviceN colour spaces which enables multi-colour in a single as well as action on plastics at EU level, businesses want to become more
object. Step and repeats based on data sources inside CHILI Publisher have sustainable by recycling or redesigning where possible and reducing waste
become a lot easier. So in summary, CHILI Publisher can simplify and automate and even the weight of packaging. It is a major driver of innovation for all
the way graphics are produced. stakeholders in this industry.”
She continues, “The packaging solutions we provide have to support our
Complete solutions customer needs in terms of offering something they can customise but also
Ramping up efficiency and cost effectiveness are concerns that are always be more environmentally friendly. Our focus is on the circular economy and
on the business agenda. ensuring everything we use goes back into a new product or is recycled.”
Kelly Kolliopoulos, global marketing director at Flint Group’s Narrow Web Taghleef Industries now has bio-based and biodegradable films for the
Division, says: “Technologies that reduce complexity, save on costs or meet labels community which have different end-of-life options including indus-
new application requirements are key. The advancement in UV LED technol- trial composting, or recycling.
ogy is very important because it can lead to energy cost savings and higher She summarises, “Sustainability will remain a key issue over the next
printing speeds, and thus press productivity. For some customers it’s leading few years. We have to provide solutions that are effective in meeting both
to 20 or 30 per cent faster printing speeds.” business needs and environmental ones.”

Packaging Europe | 48 |
TRANSFORMING Victoria Hattersley looks at two
of the leaders in smart track
technologies to find out how they

CONVEYING are enabling FMCG producers

to improve flexibility, cut costs
and handle the ever-increasing

TECHNOLOGY amounts of production data that

needs to be processed.

W
ith so much data to be analysed, consumer preferences for more manager Motion Control at Rockwell Automation. “That knowledge enables
highly personalised products and requirements for ever-faster turna- flexible processes which can reduce waste, improve quality, and can be
round times, the demands placed on production have never been harnessed to efficiently create new products or rapidly change to higher
higher. When it comes to conveying, smart track technologies are increasingly selling variants. The connected enterprise – the term we prefer in place of
replacing traditional mechanical conveyors as a way to address the key chal- ‘Industry 4.0’ – is a part of this because it means you have all the data in
lenges of today’s fast-paced industrial world. the controller available in one place.”
Using smart technologies, the traditional rotary-driven chains, belts and As many of our readers will be aware, Rockwell Automation has one of the
gears are replaced by software that can offer increasing options in terms industry’s broadest portfolios of Independent Cart Technology. Its range includes
of speed, flexibility, efficiency, safety and sustainability. the iTRAK closed-looped system and open-loop systems like MagneMover
LITE and QuickStick. All are modular and scalable linear motor technologies
Data handling and efficiency and enable the independent control of multiple moving assets on straights or
One of the key advantages of such technologies is data collection. “A curvilinear parts.
characteristic of smart conveying is better knowledge of the items being Rockwell Automation has four main product lines spanning payloads
conveyed (location, process step, quality),” says Ulrich Arlt, EMEA business from grams all the way up to thousands of kilograms. Over the past year,

Packaging Europe | 51 |
it has expanded the carrying capabilities of its MagneMover LITE from 2kg producing. If designed in the right way, it is not necessary to switch any
to 10kg. It has also improved the dynamic performance of iTRAK via a mechanical systems between jobs. Another benefit comes down to space-
new gateway controller, as well as releasing a machine builder library to, saving: with these new systems our clients can reduce the size of the
says Mr Arlt, ‘dramatically lower the engineering effort required to program machine because they don’t require so much distance between different
and commission new systems while creating a standard’. He tells us this stations to carry out the same process.”
should enable packaging producers to significantly improve the level of When it comes to providing the most efficient performance for clients, Rock-
flexibility they are able to offer. well Automation believes one of the highest priorities is to look at the variables
that affect the total cost of ownership. “Because we use linear motors, we are
Increased customisation able to offer direct cost savings because we are using direct drives. In old-style
Addressing the above-mentioned consumer demand for personalisation is machines you have a lot of motors that are turning something but not directly
also a common challenge that we can see across segments of the packag- related to the product. But in the case of the linear system, we are interacting
ing industry today – and smart conveyors are a key part of this. “At Rock- directly with the product and that reduces energy costs.”
well we talk about serving a ‘market size of one’ to give high throughput Looking ahead, next spring Rockwell will be introducing its new iTRAK
and flexibility – a major benefit of Rockwell Automation’s Independent Cart 5730. “We wanted to give customers the best fit for their application, and
Technology-based products,” says Mr Arlt. a lot of them are looking for a mover pitch of 50mm. (By ‘pitch’, we mean
“With our iTRACK and MagneMover LITE technologies the client has a the space between one product and the next.) Alongside others, this is one
pitchless system which enables them to rapidly change the parts they are of the demands we’re addressing with this new product.”
In addition, the company will also be launching a new motor controller,
the QuickStick High Thrust, which it expects to double cart speed to over
5m per second for very high payloads, up to 4500kg.

Meeting regulatory demands

For those who serve the food industry, there are also stringent regulatory
demands to be borne in mind when it comes to product handling. Industrial
PC provider Beckhoff Automation’s eXtended Transport System (XTS) can
help customers provide solutions to meet the numerous regulatory demands
imposed upon them. The company’s ‘New Automation Technology’ philosophy
represents universal and open control and automation solutions that are used
worldwide in a wide variety of different applications.
“Increasing productivity and safeguarding consumers’ health are the two
main challenges for food and beverage manufacturers,” says managing

Packaging Europe | 53 |
director Stephen Hayes. “On the one hand, plant managers are expected coming directly to us asking about how these technologies can benefit them,
to speed-up production and diversify their offerings, in order to keep up so if they’re not investing in this technology now they may find themselves in
with increasing demand from more informed consumers. On the other, they trouble in the future – even if the short-term benefits seem small.”
must comply with a sector that is among the most strictly-regulated when it But he does feel that things are slowly moving in the ‘right’ direction.
comes to hygiene standards.” “In the beginning, nobody was sure how to use this technology but now
The flexibility provided by the use of software rather than traditional customers are coming up with more and more ways to utilise it. Every year
mechanical conveying technology means that motion tasks can be carried we see more interest in replacing traditional mechanical systems. In the
out which might before have been difficult or even impossible. next 5-10 years we would like to see far more clients feeling comfortable
“The XTS system is based on a simple, yet ground-breaking concept. using this ICT technology. If this happens the product cost will fall and this
Or, in this case, two concepts: first, the possibility for every mover on the will hopefully speed up adoption even further.”
track to glide independently; plus the combination of rotary and linear ele-
ments to create a customisable track.
“In fact, Beckhoff’s XTS transport system combines the benefits of two
well-known drive principles, linear and rotary, into a single mechatronic
system. This has never been done before and allows manufacturers to
create the perfect geometry for their application, no matter how complex.”
There are no length restrictions for the entire path and the number of movers
can also be customised. In other words, according to Stephen Hayes, the
system is limited only by the available computing power of the industrial
PC. On this track, movers can be positioned in different parts of the belt and
travel independently; each with its own speed, acceleration and motion pattern.
Alternatively, movers can be combined into couples or clusters in order to create
hoops that travel together at an established speed.
In addition, he says the XTS can be operated in any installation position,
so it can be applied with maximum flexibility to match the specific needs
of the production line.

Building faster adoption

We’re also, of course, interested in the biggest challenges for this segment
moving forward. For Mr Arlt, this comes down to building more confidence
in these new technologies in order to encourage stronger adoption – par-
ticularly among OEMs, who he says may not always be thinking about the
long-term benefits of such systems.
“The OEMs can build more flexible and faster machines but they may still
be selling less right now. The biggest benefits of smart track technologies at
the moment are probably for the end user, because they get higher through-
put speed, flexibility, smaller footprint, more machines on the shop floor etc.
We have to explain to OEMs that more and more of their customers are

Packaging Europe | 55 |
CONNECTING THE DOTS:
SUPPLY CHAIN EFFICIENCY
Supply chains have become increasingly complex in recent years. Elisabeth Skoda questions how innovation
in packaging technology, digitalisation and industry 4.0 can support an efficient supply chain in the areas of
food, beverages and pharmaceuticals and explores the risk of political changes disrupting the flow of goods.

The e-commerce challenge “E-commerce unfortunately plays a critical role in the distribution of ille-
E-commerce has seen significant growth in recent years thanks to con- gal products. It is very difficult for consumers buying online to understand
sumer convenience. However, it carries the risk of product diversion and which is a legal online pharmacy, opening the door to access drugs without
counterfeiting, and unscrupulous suppliers can take advantage. prescription. It does not allow to track where products come from – it is a
“This has become such a concern that China has enacted legislation black box. There needs to be a multi-stakeholder approach between indus-
holding e-commerce sites jointly liable for selling counterfeit products by try, governments, authorities and organisations to tackle this challenge.”
third parties. Technology has been introduced there enabling consumers Labels play an increasingly important role in adding functionality to phar-
to check products themselves to reassure authenticity. The scale of the maceutical products, such as protection against UV light, glass breakage,
problem is growing so large globally that companies will likely need to migration or evaporation. Furthermore, conserving the product’s integrity
automate their detection of fake products, meaning digitalisation is poised and genuineness is a concern.
to become even more vital,” says Markem-Imaje’s Stephen Tagg, EMEA “Solutions to prove authenticity, enable identification and ensure integrity
sales, consulting and integration services & software. are essential and an integral part of a state-of-the-art functional label. This
He has also observed a trend towards more excise taxes where a duty includes analogue features as well as digital technologies such as RFID/
is applied to goods at the time of manufacture. NFC supporting connectivity solutions. An additional aspect is the growing
“Governments need to be able to ensure that the volumes declared cor- segmentation trend which requires an agile and responsive supply chain.
respond to actual volumes produced and to ensure that the products are Late-stage customisation of functional labels allows greater flexibility and
delivered where they should be with the right amount of tax paid as taxes supports highly variable packaging needs,” says Ms Lampka.
can vary even within the same country (e.g. Brazil & India).”
The wider availability of pharmaceutical products online has added to Integration
supply chain challenges, adds Nadine Lampka, product manager pharma- Markets are changing at high speed, creating the need for a more efficient
security at Schreiner MediPharm. manufacture of food. Food and beverage manufacturers are looking to gain

Packaging Europe | 57 |
greater control of their supply chains. Tetra Pak’s director of integration ser- “Digital technology has allowed businesses to increase their vigilance
vices, Mattias Johansson, advocate an integrated factory as part of a solution. over food safety, improve quality assurance and better analyse real-time
“Integrated factories help reduce food and beverage manufacturers’ water customer and factory data. Internally, it has also meant improved communi-
consumption, energy usage, packaging materials and product waste to sup- cations between employees and support teams, which has led to increased
port their sustainability agendas. With respect to our customers, integrated productivity and profitability and reduced costs,” Mr Johansson adds.
factories help increase reliability and mitigate human error. Having total control
of operations not only maximises the value of a customer’s production but also Traceability
reduces downtime and waste to cut operational costs.” Further emphasising the importance of digitalisation, traceability is a grow-
An example of Industry 4.0 in practice is Tetra Pak’s Connected Packag- ing expectation from governments and consumers. Provided sufficiently
ing Platform, which enables food and beverage manufactures to print unique robust data is available, digitalisation permits more accurate tracking of
digital codes on every package, turning each item into a digital tool that can ingredients, components and finished products. This can make recalls
be tracked and interacted with at every stage of its journey. Industry 4.0 more efficient as fewer products need to be withdrawn from the market-
technologies not only offer access to more data, but also to the digital solu- place as it is possible to identify the location of affected products quickly
tions needed to address bottlenecks or issues down the road. and easily.

“Today’s buyers expect

greater choice. The
greater the digitalisation
of the supply chain, the
better and more cost-
efficiently such needs
can be met.”

Markem-Imaje Packaging Intelligence solutions

can facilitate data availability and accuracy. Packaging Europe | 59 |
| 60 | Packaging Europe
 Digitalisation can also help inhibit product diversion, where a product
meant for a specific market or channel is sold in a different one, thereby
eroding manufacturer margins, and identifying counterfeits.
“Accelerating the identification of such problems is particularly important in
an era of increasingly tight margins especially when perceived quality issues
can quickly go viral, potentially destroying brand reputation,” says Mr Tagg.
Additionally, growth in seasonal batches and personalised products,
along with expectations for fast delivery, are placing tougher requirements
on manufacturers and their supply chains, with demands for late-stage
customisation to drive top-line growth.
“Today’s buyers also expect greater choice. The greater the digitalisation
of the supply chain, the better and more cost-efficiently such needs can be
met,” he adds.
Last but not least, digitalisation allows more detailed access to production and Brexit or even a ‘hard Brexit’ could bring. We spoke with Mr Kersh when a
process data so companies can improve their overall supply chain efficiency. Halloween no-deal Brexit was still potentially on the cards, but his comments
“With the help of such data, manufacturers can spot bottlenecks and remain valid, as the spectre of a no-deal Brexit hasn’t yet been banished.
simulate changes before implementation, significantly reducing the risk of “The UK has a finely balanced supply chain that offers consumers immense
any change.” choice, freshness, and, most importantly, safety. The average British supermar-
ket stocks up to 50,000 items at any one time. But full shelves cannot be taken
Sustainability benefits for granted. For example, last year, a shortage of carbon dioxide had a knock-on
Being able to pinpoint where products are in the supply chain means they effect and disrupted the availability of certain foods. Imagine what lorries being
can be re-routed to reduce the carbon footprint. held up at the border for even a few hours could mean.”
“A large beverage manufacturer, for example, asked Markem-Imaje for a Even if Britain does not impose tariffs on imports, exporters may face
coding solution to help them better track individual pallets so they can more tariffs of up to 60 per cent, not just from EU member states, but also from
efficiently match orders with the nearest available stock,” says Mr Tagg. those countries that the EU currently has trade deals with.
Another way of reducing carbon footprint relates to targeted recalls. The EU’s Single Market allows frictionless trade across borders, some-
“By only withdrawing affected products, as opposed to the entire stock thing that the UK is arguably taking for granted: “Any hard Brexit will result
within a given production window, the transportation footprint is less. Addi- in more form filling for companies both in the UK and in the EU, costing
tionally, by scrapping less product, you waste fewer resources.” businesses time and money. The supply chain both for food and beverages
In terms of decreasing single-use plastics, Markem-Imaje has observed an and packaging materials is extremely complex, and products routinely cross
increase in manufacturers interested in providing a financial incentive for people the border several times during the manufacturing and packaging process.
to send used bottles back up the supply chain rather than discarding them. In addition, between 80 and 90 per cent of paper and board packaging raw
“Codes can be printed onto bottles so that manufacturers can identify materials are imported. In conclusion, if Brexit has to happen, the best out-
bottles returned to them and refund money accordingly before washing come to avoid major disruption would be close alignment to the EU Single
the codes off and refilling the bottles for resale.” Market as well as a transition period of at least three years.”

Supply chain disruption

We have heard about various methods to make supply chains more efficient,
but what happens if the smooth running of supply chains is threatened by politi-
cal developments? Martin Kersh, the executive director at the British Foodser-
vice Packaging Association, highlights the benefits of a smooth, well-functioning
supply chain and gives a stark warning about the disruption a potential no-deal

“Last year, a shortage of carbon dioxide

disrupted the availability of certain foods.
Imagine what lorries being held up at the
border for even a few hours could mean.”
Packaging Europe | 61 |
 HP
ON DEMAND

HP WEBINAR:
WEBINAR
UNLEASH YOUR UNFAIR
ADVANTAGE WITH DIGITAL
Reinvent your corrugated preprint business
with HP Digital Solutions

Digital printing is beginning to meet evolving consumer demands. Key learning objectives:
strongly impact packaging graphics, In this webinar we will share how • Understand the flexibility to meet
especially for corrugated packaging. to unleash the unfair advantage evolving demands from brands with
Brands and corrugated converters created by digital solutions. digital printing
alike are facing increasing pressure Focusing on ‘how and why’ from • Why digital corrugated packaging
for more resonating packaging with the perspective of value creation, brings more value
frequent artwork changes, shorter this seminar will allow senior • How digital can be implemented
run lengths, and faster turnaround management, sales, marketing and across the production floor
times. HP PageWide Industrial creatives to understand the benefits • How digital can be implemented
presses for corrugated preprint of implementing digital print into across the whole value chain
enable the flexibility needed to their business.

ON LISTEN NOW ON
DEMAND DEMAND
https://packagingeurope.com/unleash-your-unfair-advantage-with-digital/

SPEAKERS HOST

SIMON GOLDSACK, Worldwide Brand Innovation GUILLERMO FONT LIBBY MUNFORD

Manager – Corrugated Solutions Graphics Solutions Brand & Agencies Lead Editor
HP HP Packaging Europe

Create new business opportunities and gain new competitive Working across print, digital and live media, Packaging
advantages— while reducing turnaround time and waste. Europe is the leading intelligence resource for European
HP digital corrugated packaging solutions complement your packaging professionals. Our mission is to connect forward
analog capabilities, giving you greater flexibility to address thinkers across the value chain with the latest developments
short-runs, accelerate time to market, and simplify your in packaging technology and materials, making sense of
production process. With HP, you can turn dynamic market innovation in the context of the core business challenges
requirements into new growth opportunities for your business. packaging is required to meet.
OXEA PRESENTS NEW SOLVENT
FOR MORE EFFICIENT PRINTING
Propyls from Oxea, n propanol, n-propyl acetate or mixtures thereof, are a direct 1:1 substitute for conventional
ethanol and ethyl acetate blends (Ethyls). The economic advantages of Propyls in flexography and rotogravure
printing can be described as follows: consumption savings of 20 per cent in ink on average and 30 per cent in
solvents on average without any changes to the printing infrastructure, and on the technical side, better printing
quality, more efficient printing runs, higher printing speeds, and a more stable and sustainable printing process
overall can be achieved.

“V
ery often, printers are not aware that they can optimise and trouble- printing ink can distribute more homogeneously on the film during applica-
shoot their printing processes with little effort when they leave the tion due to the slightly slower drying process. This results in a higher ink
solvent out of the equation. For want of alternatives, in the past, density for the same amount of pigment. In this way, the printer achieves
their use of traditional solvents was rarely questioned, when in fact Propyls can the same print quality with significantly less pigment, which saves expen-
remedy many problems and contribute to higher process stability. We found sive base ink.
that the direct substitution of Ethyls with Propyls is very simple and technically Also, improved emptying and pick-up characteristics of both the engraving
straightforward,” says Dr Jens Klabunde, Technical Business Development cylinder and the anilox ensure optimum transfer of the printing ink onto the
Manager at Oxea. substrate. Thanks to the slower evaporation rate of Propyls, it is possible to
Technically, Propyls reduce the so-called plugging (drying out or clog- increase the speed of the printing presses in many cases without compromis-
ging) of the cells on the printing cylinder or aniloxes. As a medium evapo- ing print quality. Finally, Propyls demonstrate less foam formation tendency
rating solvent, Propyls evaporate more slowly than Ethyls but ensure that than Ethyls in flexography printing, especially when it comes to warm and
the ink dries reliably in the process. Therefore, with Propyls, fewer refills humid ambient weather conditions. These findings have been validated in a
of solvents are required to maintain the target viscosity during the printing study that was carried out at the Hochschule der Medien (HdM), Stuttgart,
process, which leads to a significant reduction of solvent consumption and Germany, in 2018. They concluded that Propyls surpass conventional solvents
generally lower emissions of harmful substances, so-called VOCs (volatile such as ethyl acetate and ethanol in gravure or flexography processes without
organic compounds). In a Propyls solvent system, the pigments of the the need for further adjustment.

| 63 | Packaging Europe
 ON SECOND THOUGHTS...
REMEMBERING THE JOB THAT
PACKAGING IS HIRED TO DO
Nina Goodrich is director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition and executive director of GreenBlue
– a nonprofit that provides science and resources to make business more sustainable. Nina has held
leadership positions in Sustainability and R&D with Alcan Packaging, Amcor, The Guelph Food Technology
Center and Magic Pantry Foods.

T
he rush to leave plastics behind has the potential to cause increased packaging made from polymers to work. They can significantly extend the
environmental impact. In the mad dash to replace plastics, it’s shelf life in combination with refrigeration of some foods like smoothies,
important that we remember the ‘job we are hiring packaging to do’. juices, salsas, avocadoes, shellfish and meats. We shouldn’t separate the
Plastic and microplastic pollution in the environment are unquestionably package from the product it is protecting. Instead, we need to put the lifecy-
bad, and we must increase our efforts to create collection infrastructure for cle of both package and product in context. Flexible packaging has a lower
all materials. Simply moving from one material to another without address- carbon footprint than rigid alternatives, so we have to invest in and develop
ing the collection, recovery and next markets will lead us to make trade-offs new technologies for collecting and reprocessing flexible polymers.
that can have higher environmental footprints and potentially more damage
and loss of shelf life. We often lose sight of the idea that climate change is What can we do?
the umbrella over our efforts to make packaging more sustainable. It is cru- Firstly, we can single use packaging in all materials. Secondly, we can
cial to balance carbon footprint and recycling. Before we make our choices, use reusable packaging systems. Thirdly, we can increase recycled con-
we must understand the tradeoffs so we are able to make those choices tent. Increasing the use of recycled content will lower the carbon footprint
consciously and not by accident. in plastics, aluminum, and steel. The more recycled content used, the lower
Let’s revisit the ‘job that packaging is hired to do’. Package develop- the carbon footprint of the package.
ment has been driven by consumer convenience and functionality, product Finally, we can embrace chemical recycling. Chemical recycling is not
protection, image, and cost. Sustainability is a relatively recent driver. The incineration. It is not one type of technology. Today it is a family of many
priority has not been focused on designing packaging for the environment. approaches to create chemical building blocks that can be reused to make
We are just beginning to define and build the frameworks for what ‘good’ new products. It is evolving rapidly and will continue to expand in scope
packaging looks like, and we have competing drivers for carbon footprint and and capability as our experience with these technologies grow. Mechanical
recyclability. We should strive for optimising both. We should also be striving recycling will always have a place, but as we get better at recycling, we will
for responsible sourcing and material health. It is also fair to say that our need chemical recycling especially for polyolefins and flexible packaging.
collection/sortation systems and package reprocessing capabilities have Let’s be careful not to define circularity with too narrow a lens. Recycled
not kept pace with packaging development. Our packaging mix of materials metals have a wide range of products where they can be used. Some are
and formats has exploded and our infrastructure has not kept up. This does on packaging and others are in construction and durable goods. The same
not mean we should go back to traditional formats. We need to continue to should be true for plastics. As we break polymers down into their chemical
create collection infrastructure for traditional and new packaging formats, building blocks, we need to expand the options for use. Our current end
and to incorporate design for sustainability thinking into package develop- markets are too limited to provide resilient options. Should it matter if a
ment. It will be important to communicate what future packaging will look polymer is recycled from carpets, clothing or packaging? Should it matter
like early to those involved in the collection and reprocessing of packaging. the type of product into which the polymer goes next? We have to think
We can’t expect them to guess what will be coming next. beyond recycling a biscuit tin to a biscuit tin and start thinking about how
For example, the rise of flexible film packaging has been driven by low we might create and sell chemical building blocks into a wide variety of
cost performance and by new processing technologies in the food industry. markets. We have to widen our lens and think beyond packaging.
Food waste, a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, has been Circularity needs a network of options. What is the
reduced by new processing technologies like high pressure processing and job that packaging can be hired to do in enabling
microwave assisted processing. These food processing technologies need a circular economy?

| 64 | Packaging Europe
15 - 16 OCTOBER 2020 In alignment with:

PESTANA PALACE, LISBON

TWO DAYS OF INDISPENSABLE DISCUSSION

IN THE EUROPEAN GREEN CAPITAL 2020
We’re bringing the value chain together for an interactive forum to examine new
opportunities and explore how we can connect the dots.

Join us for the Sustainable Packaging Summit, featuring the Sustainability Awards 2020.

thesustainabilityawards.com