In order to find the optimal position for a marking, the circuit board must be positioned reliably. Cut-outs on the side edges and recesses , sometimes require repositioning of the stopper. "Flying Stopper", one of our hidden champions of the INSIGNUM laser marking systems 4000 and 6000, takes over this process automatically. The stopper can be individually adjusted in the Y-direction via the SIMPLEX surface and can therefore react flexibly to any product. The product changeover is accelerated and operator intervention is no longer necessary.
With an integrated turning station, the circuit board is stopped exactly in the middle by the flying stopper and retains the optimal marking position even after the rotation. This saves valuable cycle times.

Alexis Van Maercke, secretary-general of APEAL, said: “The four key areas of action will include a focus on optimising separate waste collection, establishing a scrap quality standard, the collection and sorting of steel closures, and designing for recyclability.

“As APEAL’s recycling report published in 2018 illustrates, separate collection is the best way of guaranteeing high-quality input into recycling operations. It was therefore encouraging to see this highlighted in the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) 2.0 report adopted by the European Parliament last 9th February.

“Establishing a scrap quality standard is equally important. Crucially, to maintain quality in the steel for packaging scrap value chain, quality control must start when the material is at the sorting facility. This can only be achieved by establishing a quality standard for packaging steel scrap.”

Whilst an average of 82.5% of all steel packaging is currently recycled across Europe, collection and sorting rates for steel closures in Europe are estimated to be below-average, with steel closures regularly put in the wrong waste bin (and often in the residual waste bin) by consumers.

Mr. Van Maercke continued: “Improving the recycling rate of steel closures will make a significant contribution in the drive towards zero steel packaging to landfill. But there is currently a lack of clear sorting instructions and low awareness among citizens. At the same time, ineffective sorting techniques in a number of facilities result in collected steel closures being lost and not recycled.”

APEAL also believes designing for recyclability will underpin the successful implementation of all these measures, helping to ensure that every product placed on the market, can be recycled as efficiently as possible.

“Ultimately, steel packaging is a valuable resource which cannot be wasted if we are to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal. APEAL will continue to work with its colleagues, the European Commission, European Parliament, Member States, and all stakeholders to realise a shared ambition of a truly circular economy.”

A new APEAL report designed to help stakeholders throughout the value chain work collaboratively to achieve the 2025 Vision, is set to be published in December 2021.

At the same time, APEAL will reveal a new recycling rate objective in line with the new EU calculation methodology. Applicable for data from 2020, this methodology moves the calculation point for all member states and all packaging materials, to the entrance of the recycling operation. This means that no impurities can be included and only materials that are really recycled can be included in the measurement process.

Mr Van Maercke added: “Indeed, APEAL will release the 2019 steel recycling rate in May this year.  But towards the end of the year, we aim to be the first material to release our figures with the new methodology.”  

Crest, Oral-B and Blend-a-med toothpaste brands will now come in HDPE tubes recognised as recyclable in existing bottle streams by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) in North America, and by RecyClass and Suze.circpack in Europe.

To earn the APR recognition, Albéa Group had to demonstrate that its tubes could be converted into quality post-consumer HDPE resin that could then be reused to make new plastics bottles.

RecyClass, an independent cross-industry European platform, certifies that the tube is compatible with HDPE recycling and that the whole packaging (with cap) does not have a negative impact on European HDPE container recycling.

The two companies aim to achieve 100 per cent recyclable or reusable packaging by 2025.

For Enval, the ultimate aim of the project is to see our first recycling plants in the United States. These plants will be capable of recycling previously unrecyclable plastic packaging using our unique proprietary pyrolysis technology for treating low-density packaging waste. As you may know, Enval’s process has dual objectives:  it transforms plastics into oil feedstock to produce new plastic, effectively closing the loop on packaging recycling and therefore it enables previously unrecyclable packaging to become valuable and environmentally responsible. Furthermore, it is the only technology in the world capable of recycling plastic aluminium laminates by splitting them into high-value oil and aluminium with a low-carbon footprint.

The first phase of the project will involve Enval assessing the current disposal solutions for materials used by Sonoco and Kraft Heinz during the production and use respectively of flexible plastic packaging. At the end of the first phase, we will produce, with input from the other partners, a feasibility study which will include potential locations for future recycling plants in a way in which the financial and environmental costs associated with transporting the packaging to the recycling plants is minimised. This approach is possible because the Enval technology was conceived in a modular way which ensures that economic viability of the process starts at a “small” scale.

Enval will then continue the project by building these plants, which could initially target the treatment of scrap generated by Sonoco and Kraft Heinz, but with the idea of incorporating post-consumer waste in the future. 

Dr Carlos Ludlow-Palafox, CEO of Enval, commented:

    “We’re thrilled to be working with two groups as important in the consumer packaged goods and packaging communities as Kraft Heinz and Sonoco. We’re convinced that it is only via these types of collaborations, which involve players at different stages of the supply chain, that new technologies such as ours can be deployed quicker. We must quickly establish new and better infrastructure to succeed in reducing plastic pollution and decreasing carbon emissions.”

Linda Roman, Head of Packaging Growth & Technology at Kraft Heinz, said:

    “We see a high-demand for recyclable packaging amongst our consumers, which matches our goal of offering more sustainable products. The company began a relationship with Enval in 2011 to help construct their first commercial-scale plant in the UK, andwe are excited to also explore opportunities to advance packaging recycling with Enval in the United States.”

Jeff Schuetz, Staff Vice President – Global Technology, Consumer Packaging at Sonoco, added:

    “While flexible packaging has a low environmental footprint, we recognize that innovation is needed in recycling technologies to improve its end-of-life options. Sonoco believes the combination of product and recycling innovation will provide a compelling solution and we are happy to partner with Enval on this exciting project.”

This new cleanroom enhances the current Class 6 operation with the ability to ultrasonically wash parts that are either purchased through our supply chain or supplied by customers as a component required for assembly or kitting.  In the past, it was a challenge to verify a purchased or supplied component was clean and to reduce risk and improve our capabilities, we purchased the necessary assets to perform this task internally.  Our customers can now take comfort in knowing their parts are fully validated and have gone through a validated cleaning process.  This further enhances our capabilities to offer USP 789 particulate control standards often seen in ophthalmic applications.

Earlier Event: March 18
Plas-Tech Adds New Capacity to Mold Manufacturing AGAIN
 

Marking cosmetic products takes place as per an international agreement which is referred to as the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients). The agreement applies to both ingredients and fragrances. Additionally, such products must have a use-by date, especially if their shelf life is not more than 30 months. Also, coding is used as an anti-counterfeit measure and to help with products’ traceability.

Key applications in the cosmetics industry

Cans (glass/metal)
Caps and closures
Cardboard packaging
Folding boxes
Flow wraps
Rigid plastic containers
Shrinkwrap and plastic film
Glass bottles and glass containers
Blister packs
Flexible packaging
Makeup Leibinger and makeup Linx – the best marking and coding solution providers

When it comes to choosing a company for marking and coding solutions for the cosmetics industry, there are a lot of options available out there. Makeup Leibinger marking solutions are widely considered up to the mark. In addition to this, you can also trust makeup Linx marking solutions for reliable coding and marking solutions.

Both companies specialise in offering highly reliable, and flexible enough printers to print on every kind of surface. Using their industrial printers, you can effortlessly print on a convex, concave, smooth, rough, or flat surface.