The packaging consists of a flavourless biofilm, which is made from only a handful of readily-available ingredients including potato starch, glycerin and water. "I was able to do all the testing and manufacture in my kitchen as the process is very simple," explained Grounds. She was motivated by the many long days and nights she spent studying, which were fuelled by packets of instant ramen often containing "more plastic than noodle". Once it has been heat sealed, the film keeps the dry noodles from going stale. But as soon as it comes into contact with boiling water it dissolves in less than a minute. With herbs and flavourings embedded into the packaging the resulting liquid effectively acts as the sauce, while ingredients such as dried shrimp are stored loosely in the packs before being released into the broth. "The film ingredients are blended and heated until the mixture is at the right thickness. At this point, I add the spices and flavourings before pouring it into a mould to set for 24 hours." The resulting film is then wrapped around the dried noodle blocks, which are made into doughnut shapes to allow them to cook more evenly and fit more easily into a bowl. For hygiene purposes, the filled wrappers are stored in a wax-coated paper sleeve. (This may detract a bit from the greener credentials of the dissolvable plastic we think: AIPIA). Her dissolvable wrapper was conceived as an alternative to the mountain of single-use plastic, as well as its bioplastic substitutes, which she says often fall short of their promises. "While other bio-based alternatives to plastic claim to be compostable or biodegradable, from a consumer perspective, it's not always that simple," Grounds told Dezeen, a leading design magazine. "Many of the emerging bio-based films only break down in an industrial composter at 50?C, so they often end up in the wrong place without the consumer really knowing that they caused damage to the planet,” she said. "The issue is that the world is not only confronting a rapidly growing mountain of plastic but also an even greater mountain of apathy. That's why it was important to me to make the convenient choice the sustainable one. If the quick option for meals or snacks is eco-friendly, consumers can help the planet perhaps without even knowing." AIPIA says: Well it may not be anywhere near commercial level yet. But it is most certainly a Smart piece of packaging and we’d love to try it!

Jeera masala drink, Jeeru, from the house of Xotik Frujus, has got a brand new, refreshed look. The packaging and branding change of Jeeru, pioneers of the apple juice-based jeera masala drink category, reflects the drink’s fun, fizzy, spicy and eclectic nature.

The new packaging and branding exercise is an effective way to differentiate itself in the market, while at the same time present itself as a contemporary, youthful brand with the same tell-tale taste that everyone swears by. Designed by 82.5 Communications, the new-look bottle labels and cans are inspired by a kaleidoscopic design with jeera grains and apple playing a key role. To maintain a sense of familiarity, the old font has been carried forward into the new design.

While the new packaging is being rolled out across India, the brand is also revamping its distribution network and strengthening its national presence. With its new-look, modern Jeeru packaging is one among many steps the brand is taking to stay in the hearts of young India.

Rajeev Sehgal, Chairman, Xotik Frujus Pvt. Ltd, said, “Jeeru is our endeavour to give India a delicious Indian drink. True to its Indian essence Jeeru is one drink with diverse flavours. The new packaging is to portray this celebration of flavours and taste and make it distinct from competitors.”

Kapil Arora, CEO and Co-Chairman, 82.5 Communications, added, “Jeeru is a celebration of what a great Indian brand should be. As the brand was growing its geographical presence and appeal, there was a need to make its imagery more contemporary, without losing sight of its unique heritage and ingredient story. And that’s the progression we have tried to bring about in the all new, and just as refreshing, Jeeru.”

Mayur Varma, ECD and Creative Head, 82.5 Communications, said, “We wanted to capture Jeeru’s unique taste and its Indian essence in its packaging. The Jeeru Myriad, its unique kaleidoscopic pattern, represents the multiplicity of flavours and experiences packed in one drink. Just like India, Jeeru belongs to everyone.”

Twelve different designs of the UV Flexo printed clear PET lids have been produced, each one featuring a different recipe with the method revealed upon opening. Utilising the same innovative technology as Chadwicks’ unique coding concept, all the print is on the surface of the lids ensuring the printing ink does not come into contact with the product. Part of the print is covered by the design and is only revealed when the lid is peeled back. Holly Pink, product controller from The Collective says: “Multiple designs are printed and packed randomly which means that every time the consumer buys this product they have the chance to pick up a different recipe idea, allowing us to offer some added value and differentiate our brand.” John Chadwick, managing director, at Chadwicks, adds: “We are delighted to see our printing technology being used so successfully for The Collective brand. This is a cost effective and versatile print method as it enables brands to utilise both sides of the lid whether its for recipe ideas, vouchers, competitions or additional information.”

“We have made significant strides on our journey to use more sustainable packaging,” said David Tulauskas, Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of NWNA. “Bottles made with other bottles – like these – provide tangible proof that recycling works and the circular economy for plastics is achievable. By using recycled plastic, we are breathing new life into existing materials, reducing the need for new plastic and our carbon footprint, and supporting the 757,000 jobs in recycling and reuse activities in the U.S.” The packaging conversion for these three brands means that NWNA has now doubled the amount of rPET used since 2019 across its U.S. domestic portfolio to 16.5%. This step brings the company closer to achieving its goals of using 25% rPET across its U.S. domestic portfolio by 2021 and 50% rPET by 2025. By accelerating the use of rPET in its bottles, NWNA is leading the shift from virgin plastic to recycled plastic and helping to create an end-market for sustainable rPET. Using recycled plastic can help keep it out of landfills, waterways and oceans, and reduces greenhouse gases by 67% compared to using new plastic. “As we continue our brand-by-brand approach to convert our portfolio to recycled plastic packaging, we are building on the rich history of Ozarka, Deer Park and Zephyrhills and giving them new purpose,” said Yumiko Clevenger-Lee, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of NWNA. “By embedding sustainability into the foundation of our brands, we are able to deliver a superior product experience that also aligns with what our consumers want and what the planet needs.” To help consumers identify the new rPET bottles, all three brands will include a new message on the labels of the 20oz, 700mL, 1L and 1.5L bottles, stating they are both 100% recyclable and now are also made from 100% recycled plastic. To provide greater transparency about the source of the water, the labels will also include a QR code that allows people to scan and track the journey of the water they’re drinking, as well as the bottle. Ozarka will be launching a TV, digital and social media campaign this summer to inform Texans of the new rPET bottles. Understanding that bottles need to be recycled in order to create bottles with other bottles, Zephyrhills will be launching limited edition labels that encourage consumers to recycle through a bold message stating, ‘I’m Not Trash! I’m 100% Recyclable.’ This message will accompany the “100% recycled” message on the applicable bottle sizes. NWNA’s ability to expand its use of recycled plastic partially relies on existing bottles being recycled when empty. Unfortunately, right now, less than 30% of PET bottles are recycled and many recovered beverage containers are being down-cycled and used in non-food contact applications versus being made back into beverage containers. While giving a plastic beverage container another life in products such as carpets and textiles ensures one more use, it does not represent the highest and best use of food-grade recycled material. Recognizing these challenges in obtaining enough rPET to incorporate into more of our product packaging, NWNA will continue to work collectively with industry, NGOs, governments and consumers to address critical issues related to infrastructure, collection, policy, consumer education, and development of end-markets for recycled materials. “Our resolve to lead the industry in the use of recycled plastic in our packaging has never been stronger. Through collaborative relationships with stakeholders along the entire recycling value chain and long-term agreements with suppliers, we work to provide stability to our suppliers and reinforce our commitment to this market,” said Tulauskas. “This means that we often pay more for recycled plastic than we would if we purchased virgin plastic. This is an investment we prioritize for the business, given our responsibility as a producer of packaged goods and our commitment to sustainability as we work toward a waste-free future.” To help the underfunded and often outdated recycling infrastructure in the U.S., NWNA made a $6 million investment in the Closed Loop Infrastructure Fund to support projects that help increase recycling capabilities throughout the country. In 2019, Poland Spring collaborated with The Recycling Partnership to launch the first Instagram recycling hotline to help Americans understand what is recyclable in their communities. NWNA was also the first beverage company to add How2Recycle information on the labels of its major U.S. brands, reminding consumers to empty the bottle and replace the cap before recycling.

The new pack had to fulfil a range of requirements, such as leaving no algae taste and smell of on the packaged food, and no colour leakage or quick softening of the pack. In addition, the algae should be reusable in their entirety, not just individual components. Over two years on, what results did the project yield? Researchers produced the first macro algae prototype, a sheet of ten by ten centimetres, which was recently tested by Nordsee customers in Bremerhaven and Bremen in Germany for its feel, smell, consistency, look and taste. Consumers were taken with the sustainable concept behind the idea. "I was pleasantly surprised at how thin and stable the algae material is," a customer said during the test. Food technologist Ramona Bosse from Hochschule Bremerhaven reports that customers also liked the taste and the look of the material. "Testers said that the green-blue coloured box tasted slightly salty, but not fishy. Many participants were surprised at the neutral taste and smell of the material." In a follow-up project to Mak-Pak, the prototype will be optimised for manufacture on an industrial scale. Nordsee expects to be able to offer the new packaging on a commercial basis in two to three years.

“This is an ideal collaboration to showcase how labels matter when it comes to sustainable packaging,” says Timo Kekki, Vice President, Films Business, UPM Raflatac. “Our innovative labeling material answers brand owners’ needs to replace traditional fossil-based virgin materials with renewable ones. The collaboration with Vellamo is an excellent example of how we are labeling a smarter future beyond fossils together with our partners.” Forest Film PP offers companies like Vellamo an efficient and impactful way to reach beyond their sustainability goals without compromising on product performance. It is made from 100 percent renewable wood-based raw materials in an ISCC certified value chain and has identical quality and performance as conventional fossil-based films. “Vellamo is one of Mother Nature’s perfect creations and we’re excited to share how we’ve taken great measures to ensure our unique taste, purity and sustainability for the health of our customers and planet by achieving a neutral carbon footprint across production, packaging and logistics,” says Petteri Ahonen, CEO, Ice Age Water Ltd. Vellamo adheres to strict natural mineral water standards to maintain its official seal of approval and high-quality status of being naturally pure, unique in taste, bottled at the source, and containing no environmental pollution or added minerals or sweeteners. The high-quality, sustainable label is an integral part of the Vellamo water brand and supports Vellamo’s CO2ZERO Sustainability Program which aims to reduce CO2 emissions during the product’s lifecycle to zero. The label also features UPM Raflatac’s RafMore, an innovative smart label solution that allows consumers to scan the label unique to every Vellamo bottle and access real-time product lifecycle and carbon footprint data. UPM Raflatac recently expanded its Forest Film product range with the industry’s first wood-based polyethylene label film for home and personal care labeling applications.

Wildcorn founded 2016 in Berlin, produces a range of 100% organic, healthy and flavourful snacks, including dry roasted popcorn as a healthy alternative to crisps. In 2017 the company launched its first sustainability program in partnership with Mellifera (the German head organisation for bee protection) to offset their use of agricultural resources by planting flower strips to rebuild/maintain ecosystems. The joint project to establish a new sustainable packaging standard began soon after the launch of Innovia’s Propafilm™ Strata high barrier film which quickly achieved the ‘Made for Recycling’ logo from Interseroh, an Independent German recycling and consulting company. Alasdair McEwen, Global Product Manager Packaging, Innovia Films explains “This certification proves the recyclability of our new Strata BOPP film. It has been designed to be a standalone mono filmic solution or, to be used in laminate constructions to be ‘recycle ready’, or recyclable in countries which have the infrastructure to recycle polypropylene.” Tobias Enge, Founder of Wildcorn explains “Our products are wholesome natural organic snacks, providing a heathier alternative to consumers. But as a consumer goods company we are responsible to look at the complete ecological impact of our product and packaging waste is one of the key challenges of our generation. Today’s emphasis on a ‘circular economy’ is very prominent so we decided to find a structure for our packaging that is fully recyclable while providing premium product protection. Ensuring that our consumers still experience the same high quality and taste they have come to expect. ” To make the Wildcorn pack, a lamination of Propafilm™ Strata and a white cavitated OPP was used. This construction was also tested by Interseroh and they confirmed that it was fully recyclable, awarding the pack the ‘Made for Recycling’ certification. Propafilm™ Strata provides a very effective barrier to aroma, mineral oils and oxygen even at high relative humidity levels ensuring increased shelf life and reduced food waste. It is glossy, is food contact compliant and chlorine free. The film is suitable for use in a range of markets, is printable and offers a wide seal and hot tack range.