Speaking on the launch of the report, Elopak’s Sustainability Director Marianne Groven stated, “To be sustainable in business is not only possible, it is highly necessary. Maintaining healthy growth without exploiting natural or human resources is essential.” Sustainability is at the heart of Elopak’s mission to provide consumers with a natural and convenient alternative to plastic bottles that fit within a low carbon circular economy. The company has previously recorded a number of key environmental milestones including the reduction of its emissions by 70 per cent between 2008 and 2018 and the attainment of carbon neutrality in 2016. In the introduction to the report CEO Thomas Körmendi sets out the context for Elopak’s ever-strengthening focus on sustainability stating, “2019 was a year of many global challenges. We saw teenagers on strike for climate change. We saw the Amazon on fire. We saw hurricanes and flooding, and terrorist attacks. We saw politicians struggling to agree on how to tackle the global challenges ahead. Lately we have also seen how the whole world can rapidly change and adjust to forces greater than ourselves.” “We recognize our part in the global struggle to preserve the planet for future generations,” Körmendi continues. “In 2019, Elopak strengthened the focus on sustainability, thoroughly embedding sustainability as part of our overall business strategy. A set of goals and strategic initiatives were anchored in the Board of Directors and several projects have been initiated in various business units. Elopak was one out of 87 companies, and the first packaging company, to lead the way towards a 1.5°C future at the UN Climate Action Summit,” he explains. As one of the first companies to have signed up to the Science Based Targets initiative commitment to keep the rise in global average temperature below 1.5°C, Elopak continues to push itself towards new sustainability goals. These include a 55 per cent reduction of internal GHG emissions by 2030, and a 16 per cent reduction in emissions across the value chain by 2030 from a 2017 baseline, as approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. Other targets include a 70 per cent recycling rate in the EU and Canada by 2025, a sustainability evaluation of key suppliers by 2022, and 100 per cent certified forestry in Elopak cartons. Innovation is set to play a key role in helping Elopak meet its ambitious targets going forward, with the company increasing R&D spending by 25 per cent between 2017 and 2019. Recent innovation efforts contributed to the launch of Elopak’s most environmentally friendly carton to date – the Pure-Pak® Imagine. Launched in 2020, the carton is a modern version of the company’s original Pure-Pak® carton, containing 46 per cent less plastic and designed with a new easy open feature. It has no plastic screw cap and is 100 per cent forest-based made with Natural Brown Board.

Purity Lite is the latest in sustainable packaging development that addresses the need for innovative design to address a circular plastic economy. It is comprised of 100% polyethylene, features a low profile design, and lighter part weight (22% weight reduction vs. 2” Purity R tube top). In addition to being sustainable, Purity Lite is e-commerce capable**, passing the rigorous ISTA 6-Amazon certification.

“Purity Lite is a key achievement in Aptar’s journey to have 100% of our products being recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025,” says Christophe Marie, Director, Product Sustainability “Reducing the weight of the product and having it fully recyclable is a major milestone on the road to a circular economy for plastic packaging.”

“Sustainability and e-commerce capable packaging solutions remain two key areas of focus for our organization. Our consumer-centric approach to innovation allows for Aptar to address both of these critical market demands from a responsibility and responsiveness perspective.” Laura Estebanez, President, Beauty + Home, North America

Purity Lite is available in 2” (50mm) snap on neck finish, .062”, .125”, .250” and .300” orifice sizes and is currently produced in North America.

Fully customizable
The pallet’s size is 1200X1000mm/48X40in, and it is available in a wide range of configurations to suit every customer’s specific logistic needs. The PG1090 is available in 3- or 5-skid configurations, with an open or closed deck.
It has a racking capacity of up to 750kg/1653lb without metal reinforcements. If required, the pallet’s racking capacity can be upgraded by adding metal bars. The metal bars can be added in two configurations: the “H” configuration for static loads, which provides a racking capacity of up to 1200kg/2646lb and ensures greater stability during the collection process; or reinforcement with 3 vertical metal bars which make the pallet suitable for dynamic loads of up to 2 tons/4410lb.

Much more than a packaging and shipping solution
In order to streamline the supply chain processes and save money, time and manpower, pallets can be equipped with technological add-ons to provide all the essential important information about the goods throughout the process. The pallets can be tracked in different ways: Adding a barcode label, embedding a QR code, or embedding an RFID sticker in a designated area on the pallet. Moreover, you have the option of adding a GPS/IoT tracking device, to ensure effective tracking on demand. All these features contribute to a better managed and more secure inventory, as part of efficient distribution processes.

Features and advantages
The pallets come with optional safety rims of three different heights, one of which is tailored to fit plastic crates perfectly. In addition, we developed an efficient solution for a well-known “weakest link” for many of our customers: the problem of slipping goods. We provide two solutions that prevent slipping: Anti-slip strips placed along with the pallet, and the option of adding anti-slip rubbers to support goods and prevent them from slipping off the forklift.
The pallet can be cleaned easily and quickly and is hygienically safe without any risk of pest infiltration. Furthermore, the pallet is reusable and can withstand hundreds of work cycles. These strong and durable pallets have demonstrated a high cost/benefit ratio compared to alternative solutions currently available in the market.

Iftah Poran, VP R&D at Plasgad says: “The PG1090 is an innovative pallet which offers an optimal solution for logistics systems. It’s a strong and durable pallet, which will give our customers peace of mind and eliminate the need to deal with unnecessary work processes. Its huge advantage is the ability to make precise adjustments based on every customer’s specific needs, so we can say that we’ve developed a single solution that can meet a wide range of needs. In addition, 1090 is an excellent example of Plasgad’s values. We develop, manufacture, and sell reusable plastic packaging and shipping solutions since 1982. We are part of the circular economy, and seek to improve our environmental impact while helping our customers to reduce their own footprint.”

 Our upcoming webinar will discuss Food Packaging in Space and will go over: 
•    The need for advanced packaging design in space
•    Technology developments over the years
•    Types of different packaging in use
•    Differences between NASA’s and Russian packaging
•    Equipment used for packaging and storage as well as to aid preparation and consumption of meals in space
•    Packaging limitations
•    Scope of further research
 
Please join us to gather some interesting facts and learn more about food preservation for extended periods of time in microgravity. The link is https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7932958120640231437
 
We look forward to your participation!
Yours sincerely

Team Packaging Connections

Our efficient tracking and automation solutions save our clients time, money, and labor. Modern technology enables products to be shipped from all corners of the world with seamless management of the relevant information (such as their location throughout the process, their target country, and the date of delivery). It is now possible to automatically track the location and shipping status of every single pallet and crate and manage them effectively as if they were the only ones in the warehouse.
Tracking and automation solutions benefit everyone. End customers can independently follow every step of the shipping process. The products reach their destination intact and on time, and you can identify bottlenecks and failures in the logistics systems, which would help you improve your service and save costs.
To help you familiarize yourself with the different tracking options and choose the most suitable solution for your needs, we have compiled everything you need to know about the different tracking technologies and solutions which can be embedded in our packaging products.

Identification and tracking through radio frequency – this advanced solution enables you to identify and track crates and pallets automatically. How does it all happen? Each product is equipped with a unique chip, which is embedded on a sticker or planted in a designated area on the product. The chip stores all the information about the crate or the pallet: its contents, shipping dates, destination and other details. This information can be read by electronic devices with antennas. With these readers, relevant workers such as forklift operators and warehouse staff can easily obtain the shipping details of each product. For this solution to be effective, staff members at all stages of the shipping process will need to have the right equipment for reading the information and linking it to the organization’s databases.
Technologies that use radiofrequency:
RFID – embedding RFID technology in crates and pallets is a cheap way to control the logistic process. It gives businesses a strategic advantage by enabling them to track their stock along the chain of supply more efficiently and provides visibility and information on business processes in real-time.

NFC – Near Field Communication. This technology is based on the RFID technology and uses a device embedded in the crates/pallets, which sends radio waves to a passive electronic device for the purpose of identification, verification, and tracking. It’s an effective solution when there is no need to obtain information while the goods are in transit, but rather just from within a logistics center, where both devices are relatively close to each other.

Barcodes – embedding a barcode is a relatively cheap solution for managing information about products, including their location throughout the process, the destination country, and the time of delivery. Adding a barcode makes it possible to automatically track the location and shipping status of every single crate/pallet as if they were the only ones in the warehouse.
There are a number of ways to add a barcode to packaging and shipping solutions:
– Barcode sticker – a sticker can be added or replaced at any time and is fully resistant to processes of washing and disinfection and to UV rays 

 Imprinting a digital barcode – this involves inserting the barcode to a digital device. The information is printed on a ribbon, and a hot press transfers the barcode onto the product. This process gives you a wide choice of colors, and because printing is done digitally, we can change the artwork from one crate to the next, which is useful for adding crate numbering and for other purposes. The process of digital imprinting means that the barcode becomes part of the crate, and cannot be removed.
– Imprinting a multi-color barcode on the surface of the crate/pallet – a colored ribbon is placed between the product and the plate, and the plate is pressed to the desired area of the crate or pallet. The raised parts of the heated plate transfer the dye and imprint it onto the surface of the product. The result is a high-quality, eye-catching imprint on the surface of the product.

LPWA-based technology – (Low power wide area)
This technology enables tracking using low-energy sensors while monitoring environmental variables that are useful for you such as temperature, humidity, movement, etc. This system is implemented by embedding a smart, low-cost device with long battery life in the plastic surface of the product. The device sends you online alerts according to predefined criteria, which allows you to identify and solve problems in real-time. The information generated by the system enables you to identify bottlenecks and failures in the logistics system, which would help you improve your service and save costs.

A specific volume of SO2 gas, usually 0.2L, 1L or 2L is introduced into the test chamber, the chamber temperature is increased to a predetermined level and the relative humidity is maintained at condensation levels. After a set period, the chamber is vented and the temperature is allowed to decrease to ambient conditions.

Ascott’s Kesternich is fully automatic design and is controlled by a state of the art control system.

The Kesternich chamber is designed to meet various gas dosing test standards such as ASTM G87 or ISO3231, ISO11503 and many more.

The Kesternich chamber can also be used as a condensation humidity chamber.

Plastic wraps are giving way to wax paper wraps
After intensive collaboration with various suppliers and various tests in the factory, Anta Flu succeeded in packaging their throat lozenges in wax paper wraps. The wax paper wraps are made of material from FSC®-certified forests. The wax used is completely vegetable, made from corn and rapeseed and is palm oil and coconut oil free. The vegetable wax layer protects the paper against moisture, which is necessary to keep the throat lozenge good.

The wax paper wrappers are biodegradable. The vegetable wax does slow down the decomposition process, but if a wrapper unexpectedly ends up in nature, it will eventually decay, unlike the plastic wraps used so far.

Consumption outdoors
Anta Flu throat pastilles are often eaten outdoors and often taken loose in a trouser or jacket pocket. The previously used plastic wrapper was very thin and light. An important reason why it often accidentally fell to the ground when, for example, grabbing your keys or something else. Fortunately, this happens less quickly with the new heavier wax paper wrapper.

Sustainable alternatives
At Anta Flu, various areas are examined to see whether an environmentally friendly alternative is possible. For example, they switched from plastic tape on our outer cartons to paper tape. They are also switching to brown outer boxes without printing.

Harro Höfliger uses the potential of smart glasses in order to optimally support his customers even over long distances. For example, machine operators on site can wear such high-tech glasses, while a service specialist tracks the wearer's actions in real time from their location. 

An important area of ​​application is support with troubleshooting in production or during commissioning. "When looking for the causes of errors, smart glasses make work easier for both the machine operator and our service people," says Luise Räuchle, Product Manager Digital Solutions. “A specialist from Harro Höfliger is connected to the search live - and interacts as required, for example with information on important checkpoints or with the display of documents in the field of vision. We offer quick and professional help. " 

The principle also works the other way around: Customers can see from a distance when the Harro Höfliger experts wear smart glasses, for example during final acceptance. According to Luise Räuchle, this is not only a clear advantage in times of Corona: “There are no long travel times. At the same time, we offer the opportunity to at least feel like being there on site. "

Enter, blockchain. A distributed, digital ledger that can record every transaction ever made on multiple systems. It is a highly reliable technology for businesses looking to achieve end-to-end traceability and surveillance along their chain, on a global scale.

Already through blockchain, consumers are able to view information on the product inside the box – from the exact farm where fruit was grown to the weaver of a cotton bedsheet – via a QR code or barcode.

However, consumers are increasingly scrutinising the sustainability of the product’s packaging. As such, experts at DS Smith predict blockchain will also be used to demonstrate both the sustainability of the packaging and inform consumers of the best way to recycle it.

Alan Potts, Design and Innovations Director at DS Smith said, “It’s no longer enough to ensure the integrity of a product being purchased. Businesses will only succeed if they can deliver on customers’ expectations of the sustainability of the whole package – and that includes what’s on the outside. That’s why technologies like blockchain, which are capable of dealing with an incredibly complex supply chain, are so important for us to harness to achieve a true circular economy.”

Another emerging technology highlighted by the report is Artificial Intelligence (AI) which is continuing to push the boundaries. For example, DS Smith has worked with customers to create innovative algorithms that unlock space saving opportunities in e-commerce. Unpublished business cases illustrate 23% higher fill rate for a large FMCG player, up to 51% savings in packaging costs for a leading logistics company, and a 22% reduction of void fill for an electronics company.

However, to be implemented effectively, different stakeholders involved in the global supply chain will be expected to work together, allowing them to deliver a unique offering to customers and keep prices low.