Their research was published in the prestigious journal Advanced Materials IF:25.809 earlier this year: "A Self-Healing Nanofiber-Based Self-Responsive Time-Temperature Indicator for Securing a Cold-Supply Chain." This cold-chain safety sticker creates an image on it when exposed to room temperature (10 0C or higher). Room temperature exposure history and time throughout the cold chain delivery process are indicated but cannot be manually edited. When refrigerated or frozen foods are exposed to room temperature, usually bacteria begin to grow and reproduce. However, it is difficult to see visually as certain bacteria do not affect the taste and smell of foods and frozen foods have almost the same appearance even after melting and refreezing. The core technology of the cold-chain safety sticker is nanofibre film. The researchers attempted to attach a typical film on the back of this newly developed film. At low temperatures, the nanofibre film has a stable structure where thin threads intersect each other, making it opaque because the light is scattered. When exposed to room temperature for a period of time, this structure collapses. Specifically, the thin threads start to melt and become entangled with each other. This allows light to transmit through the film, making it appear transparent. Then the image produced on the typical film on the back becomes visible from the front, showing that the food may have spoiled. The researchers found a way to control the time that is required for the film to become transparent when exposed to room temperature, accounting for variations in spoilage times of different foods. So each sticker was designed to become transparent after a minimum of 30m and a maximum of 24 hours of exposure. This was achieved by controlling the composition and thickness of the nanofibres. Dr Dongyeop Oh from the KRICT said, "This sticker, once exposed to room temperature, cannot be restored to its original state, even if one attempts to refrigerate or freeze it again. Also, room-temperature exposure time cannot be manually adjusted. This means that there is virtually no room for any manipulation." “It does not require modularization, accurately measures localized or gradient heat and functions even after crushing, cutting, and when weight?loaded in a manner that existing TTIs cannot. It also contains no drainable chemicals and is attachable to various shapes because it operates through an intrinsic physical response,” he added. The cold-chain safety sticker can be widely used not only for food product applications but also for the cold-chain distribution of expensive medicine and medical supplies, they say. This is because the sticker is thin and flexible. It is estimated manufacturing cost is low at one cent per unit.

The major players are proposing a range of solutions to the market including new materials which aim to reduce the use of PET or replace it altogether. But are there recycling processes that can handle these materials? The answer to this question is rather complicated and, in some cases, unfortunately it is a negative one. These are potentially interesting solutions, which need to be monitored, and will certainly make a difference in the future, but what are the options currently available? Gentlebrand’s Packaging Tailors have focused on the latter by developing a solution that is quick to implement and accessible to all thanks to the low investment required.

The result is “Aroma”, a bottle made of 100% recycled clear PET, which is completely recyclable, designed by rethinking the manufacturing system, a sustainable and imaginative idea, a unique concept that meets both the demands of brands in terms of marketing and communication and the needs of the company in terms of production, investment and sustainability.

Aroma brings innovation in relation to its content such as the increasingly popular flavoured waters, but above all in relation to its composition, acting on the element that is most difficult to recycle: the label. Consumers perceive the bottle as a product made up of two parts: body and cap, which today, thanks to tethered technology, form a single element to be disposed of. The label, wrapped around the bottle, is rarely separated, inevitably contaminating the recycling streams due to the inks it contains, the glues used and sometimes the material it is made of, although in recent years traditional PVC has been replaced by more eco-friendly materials such as low-density plastics that facilitate the separation of elements in the recycling stream.

The solution provided by Gentlebrand is a label made of a special organic paper which contains the seeds of the aromatic plants making up the different flavours and which therefore, combined with the choice of inks of vegetable origin or inks for food use, makes it plantable, thus creating a further virtuous circle. Furthermore, the addition of the label on the neck of the bottle without the need for glue further reduces the use of waste materials in the plastic recycling stream. A simple idea that revolutionises the entire product system: thanks to its position and the different material component, the label is perceived by consumers as a separate element, facilitating proper disposal. A sustainable idea supporting manufacturers by guaranteeing the integrity of the product, as the label can be removed with a simple and intuitive gesture: pulling it off.

Made of 100% recycled clear PET to be considered Highly Recyclable by positively impacting the bottle-to-bottle loop, Aroma also gives a nod in the direction of the most demanding brands in terms of marketing and communication: the large label on the neck of the bottle provides plenty of space for all the information required by law as well as the various marketing messages. The bottle itself can be fully customised with decorations or product descriptions, reaching another level of quality detail thanks to Supervent technology. Aroma is the sustainable bottle not only in relation to the environment, but also in relation to a company’s investment. Thanks to the collaboration with our partners (Competek and Sidel) and their innovative solutions, the options for customization are endless.

Innovative packaging, available for both still and sparkling products, a modern concept with a sophisticated look, the result of extensive research in terms of style and technology. A bottle made with consumer needs, brands and the environment in mind in pure Gentlebrand style.

Sustainable innovation
The new, sustainable packaging will be launched throughout Europe in late 2021 for their gluten-free sandwich buns, Schär Panini Rolls, producing the packaging with innovative material made from the advanced recycling of mixed post-consumer plastics.

“We aim to be in the vanguard of sustainability.
And as innovation lies at the core of our company, we worked to achieve this big step – offering more sustainable solutions and at the same time continue to provide great tasting and safe products,” says Dr. Schär CEO Philipp Schoeller. “Our partner Niederwieser with suppliers SABIC and DSM share similar sustainability commitments and are also working to increase the supply of recycled material. Together we can be among the first to close the loop.”

Working together towards a circular economy
The partnership between the two family-run businesses is based on the shared vision of a sustainable future and on striving towards a circular economy. Currently, the recycling of plastics in Europe is mainly carried out by means of mechanical processes, however the recyclate obtained is not suitable for use in food contact packaging due to migration, hygiene and performance issues. This is where advanced recycling comes in, which allows for post-consumer recyclables or composite materials to become recyclable. While the number of advanced recycled quantities available today is very limited and the process is somewhat more complex, the quality is comparable to that of virgin material and therefore suitable for sensitive food application. Although advanced recycling is still in the infant stages and is not yet readily available due to the lack of large-scale recycling facilities, the industry promises new opportunities in the coming future.

Dr. Schär will be a first-mover in the bread industry, launching the certified advanced recycling innovation for sensitive food application as produced and developed by Niederwieser and its extrusion subsidiary VF Verpackungen GmbH. All three partners, Niederwieser, SABIC and DSM, are certified by ISCC for using certified recycled plastic following a mass balance approach.

“We strive towards a circular economy by keeping material in the loop and using recycled material,” says Hannes Niederwieser, CEO Niederwieser Spa. “A long standing relationship connects the two companies.  . However, we do not want to be mere suppliers, but know that we can only grow and achieve our goals together, as partners. What unites us is a common mission: continuous and sustainable development while maintaining the highest quality of our products.”

Dr. Schär will be the first manufacturer in the gluten free bread industry, launching the certified advanced recycling innovation for sensitive food application.

The companies say that PET shelf-ready packaging, which is used in UK supermarkets to transport products, is usually downcycled into non-food applications. The new ‘tray to tray’ initiative will involve Faerch collecting secondary PET and using its advanced recycling process to make new primary food contact packaging, including pots, tubs, and trays.

Tesco adds that packaging for its own brand cut fruit, selected yoghurts, and meat will contain 30% rPET originating in Tesco stores. It will therefore require all Tesco own brands and branded suppliers to use food contact approved PET for shelf-ready packaging.

In addition, Tesco claims this initiative will provide a solution to the shortfall in recycled PET availability due to increasing demand for PET bottle flakes.

William Guest, sustainable packaging manager at Tesco, comments: “Wherever we can, we remove or reduce packaging but where it is needed we want to improve circularity to make our packaging as sustainable as possible.

“One way we can do that is by ensuring packaging that meets food contact requirements remains within the food packaging sector, being recycled back into food contact packaging.

“This collaboration with Faerch will ensure that each year 2,000 tonnes of PET is recycled to make new Tesco packaging that otherwise would have been downcycled into non-food applications.”

According to Matt Tollman, group strategic sales director at Faerch: “This is a perfect example of how collaboration between packaging manufacturers, retailers and their suppliers can deliver lasting change and material circularity.

“The ‘Tray 2 Tray by Faerch’ project demonstrates that PET packaging can be recovered and recycled at an industrial level and made back into food grade pots and trays.”

The new initiative is part of Tesco’s strategy for reducing plastic waste, first launched in 2019, which involves removing packaging where possible, reducing packaging where it cannot be removed, increasing reuse, and recycling what is left after these options. The strategy has allegedly removed a billion pieces of plastic from Tesco’s UK business operations, and the supermarket chain is aiming to remove a further half a billion in 2021.

Previous initiatives announced by Tesco include a trial for recycling items such as laminated pet food pouches, sweet wrappers, and crisp packets returned to stores by consumers into chemical feedstock and plastic packaging for cheeses launched in 2020, which is made from recycled soft, flexible plastic packaging that can also be continuously recycled into safe, food-grade packaging. The ‘tray to tray’ and other initiatives also complement Tesco’s launch of Loop in September 2021, which allows customers to buy products in packaging that can be returned to stores for cleaning, refill and reuse.  

TricorBraun said the acquisition would allow it to strengthen its European presence

Founded in 1994, Vetroelite was formed in 1994 and is a provider of premium glass packaging solutions for the spirits, gourmet food, home fragrances, wine, and cosmetics industries.

It operates from multiple locations inEurope and North America, and has customers in 90 countries.

Court Carruthers, president and CEO, TricorBraun, said: “The Vetroelite team has established a strong reputation for high-quality, innovative packaging solutions, fueled by deep expertise and dedicated customer service.”

All Vetroelite team members, including CEO Daniele Feletto and the company’s leadership team, will remain with TricorBraun and continue to work out of the company’s existing locations.

Vetroelite will operate as Vetroelite, a TricorBraun company, upon closure of the acquisition.

LBO France acquired Vetroelite in 2017. The transaction is expected to close later this month.

Companies operating in emerging markets, low volume producers and pilot plants need such a system offering a compact and flexible low rate packing process, GEA said. Likewise, with their diverse portfolios, raw material producers need to be able to adapt their packaging solution in a versatile way.

With more than 100 possible variants, the GEA SmartFil M1 can be configured to suit almost any application from dry, fine powders through to coarse granular products. The new machine offers a nominal filling capacity of 120 bags per hour or three tons per hour at 25 kg product size. Depending on the product being packaged, the system features configurable product metering options, GEA said, including vertical auger and horizontal vibratory feeder. An optional deaeration probe may be added for improved consolidation of the product if required.

Customers can choose to pack into open-mouth bags, boxes or drums of varying sizes. Closing is configurable dependent on packaging type. Continuous heat sealing with glue reactivation or with sewing is available for open-mouth bags, whilst impulse sealing is offered for hermetic sealing of plastic packaging.

GEA said the built-in height-adjustable conveyor system makes packaging changes fast and simple, allowing the operator to work at an ergonomic height.

Small-scale dairy plants requiring a hygienic powder-filling solution in a compact form can select the GEA SmartFil M1 with auger feed, deaeration (option) and continuous heatsealer with integrated fold-over.

“When integrated with a downline bag handling system, this cost-effective semiautomatic solution provides high quality, accurate filling and closing of open-mouth, multi-wall bags. For aluminum foil bags, the sealing system can be changed to an impulse type sealer as required,”​ GEA said.

The company said the machine’s low height and accessible components make maintenance and cleaning operations easier, minimizing potential machine downtime and lost production.

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, has introduced its first recyclable functional barrier paper bag for salads in the Group LSDH’s Les Crudettes range. The sustainable packaging is a fully integrated solution – Mondi operates across the value chain from sustainably managed forests, to producing pulp and kraft paper, applying the coating and printing the final material.

The French salad brand has replaced its transparent glossy polypropylene (PP) packaging with Mondi’s recyclable functional barrier paper for a selection of its pre-washed, ready-to-eat salads. The new packaging is 95% paper with a functional barrier layer, meaning the salad remains fresh for up to 10 days - the same amount of time as with the previous plastic packaging. It is verified as recyclable in the waste paper stream in France by the Recycling Authority (Cerec).

The bags are flexoprinted, with lifelike depictions of the salad contents on the front, along with a QR Code, which informs consumers about the contents, quality, recycling and even refund policy, if they happen to purchase a bag where the contents are not as fresh as expected. 

Using its unique EcoSolutions approach, Mondi worked closely with LSDH, and its machine supplier Ilapak, to ensure that the new packaging is fit-for-purpose and can run on existing machines. The new solution is sustainable by design, and will support LSDH Group in meeting its sustainability goal of reducing the amount of plastic in its packaging.