The special feature of the new RFID-Labels is a flexible electronics chip embedded in Schreiner MediPharm’s functional labels. Unlike conventional silicon chips, the chips from PragmatIC’s ConnectIC® family are extremely thin and flexible and can be embedded into a variety of substrates. This makes the solution particularly suitable for small containers with very small radius of curvatures such as vials and small syringes.

The use of label-integrated RFID technology enables secure identification, traceability and authentication of devices or pharmaceuticals according to the key-lock principle. “To date conventional RFID/NFC solutions have mainly been adopted in high-value use cases,” explained,” said Dr Thomas Schweizer, president of Schreiner MediPharm.

“Due to the cooperation with PragmatIC, we are now able to offer attractively priced, smart pharma labels for high-volume requirements and low-cost medicines. The labels are customized for application to the respective primary containers, packaging or devices to enhance ease of use and safety,” he added.

"Schreiner MediPharm’s label and industry expertise combined with our products is set to accelerate the deployment of RFID-based digital solutions in the healthcare sector,” commented Scott White, CEO of PragmatIC. “We are really pleased to see adoption of our technology by leading global suppliers and look forward to working closely with them to develop new uses for these products.”

EPIX creates sustainable materials and packaging technology for paper products

eCommerce Packaging:

Padded mailers and other packaging materials are evolving to streamline the size and use recycled materials. EPIX technology improves on traditional paper packaging. Instead of oversized containers and envelopes with packing materials, EPIX technology enhances paper mailers and delivers flexible, form fitting and recyclable packaging options.

When this sustainable packaging technology is applied and your eCommerce bounty reaches you in perfect condition, you don’t have to separate anything. Just drop the packaging into the recycle box; it’s that simple.

Food Service Products:

Disposable, on-the-go products are popular with consumers especially if they can be recycled. EPIX Technology enables recycling of many food service items – paper straws, food trays and paper cups. EPIX improves water resistance for paper straws and provides higher temperature resistance for double-walled paper cups for coffee and tea.

Consumers can enjoy their latté, a milkshake or a soda with disposable items and still be sustainable. Drink up and stay sustainable.

DS Smith, the leading sustainable packaging company, announced today an exclusive partnership with the company Touchguard to develop a new range of sustainable cardboard packaging to protect consumers against potentially harmful bacteria.

While there is no evidence of virus transfer from cardboard, Touchguard’s patented technology is effective against a number of bacteria and viruses, including envelope viruses, of which COVID-19 is a member. The coating can be applied at scale across a range of applications, providing an additional layer of protection for consumers and workers throughout the supply chain.

Recent surveys by DS Smith have found growing retail and consumer interest in products with hygienic packaging, especially amid the pandemic that has boosted e-commerce nationwide and increased demand for shipping boxes.

The product has not been tested on COVID-19 cultures at this stage, but on feline coronavirus, part of the same family of viruses as COVID-19 in which its outermost layer and spikes attach and replicate to host cells. Touchguard disrupts the envelope to prevent the virus from replicating, effectively mitigating the risk of person-to-person transfer.

It has a proven kill rate of 99.5% in under 15 minutes on bacteria types and envelope viruses and eliminates the risk of person-to-person transfer of infections, such as MRSA and E. coli.

“While it can never replace good hygiene best practices and procedures, this 100% recyclable technology has the potential to bring a real and proven additional layer of protection to our customers and their consumers as packaging moves through the supply chain. This partnership with Touchguard enables us to innovate while maintaining the sustainability of our products,” said Melanie Galloway, vice president of sales, marketing, and innovation for Packaging at DS Smith North America.

DS Smith is looking to use the technology across its operations in North America and Europe. As more shoppers flock online for their holiday shopping, this proven technology will further build consumers’ confidence around handling packaging in their homes.

“Our partnership with DS Smith provides us with an opportunity to bring our patented Touchguard technology to the market at scale through its sustainable packaging offer. With its manufacturing reach across Europe and the U.S. and an extensive e-commerce and fast-moving consumer goods customer base, we will be able to offer a range of solutions to support changing consumer habits,” said Julian Dugdale, the inventor and CEO of Touchguard, based in the UK.

The new range promises to support the sustainable packaging market with potential scope across a variety of areas, including e-commerce and food packaging, while still being 100% recyclable. The Touchguard coating and packaging will hold certification to AATCC100 (MOD), ISO18184:2019 (MOD) and complies with BfR36 recommendations for food-contact materials.

As part of its recently launched “Now and Next Sustainability Strategy,” DS Smith has committed to closing the loop through better design and by 2023, it will manufacture 100% reusable or recyclable packaging.

Overview Features

-Recyclable solution

-Amcor Barrier Coating tailored to customer's needs

-PE & PP film are special and tailored Amcor high performance grades

-Special print features and inks

-Delivered in reels or pre-made pouches/liddings

-Opaque or transparent material options

Customer benefits

-More Sustainable

- Up to 57% reduced carbon footprint *

- Robust Barrier

- Transparent film option with high barrier protection keeping or extending shelf-life

-Product Protection

- Allows metal detector use after sealing

-Versatility

- Option to standardise barrier and sealant across multiple product lines

-*Comparison based on laminate PET12 / PETmet12 / PE55 100% incineration OPP20 / OPP AmLite 20 / PE 55 100% Recycling - Cradle to grave comparison

End consumer benefits

-Sustainability

- Recyclable solution and carbon footprint reduction

-Product Appeal

- Brighter colours and optional windows

-Robust Barrier

- High barrier for full aroma and flavour

-Brand Positioning / Differentiation

- Opaque or transparent option for better product appeal

Materials

-PE

-PP

-OPP

Speaking at the inauguration, Mark Schneider, Nestlé CEO, said, "Our vision is a world in which none of our packaging ends up in landfill or as litter. To achieve this we introduce reusable packaging solutions and pioneer environmentally friendly packaging materials. Furthermore, we support the development of local recycling infrastructure and deposit schemes to help shape a waste-free world. The Nestlé Institute of Packaging Sciences enables us to create a strong pipeline of sustainable packaging solutions for Nestlé products across businesses and markets."

The Nestlé Institute of Packaging Sciences focuses on a number of science and technology areas, such as refillable or reusable packaging, simplified packaging materials, recycled packaging materials, high-performance barrier papers as well as bio-based, compostable and biodegradable materials.

Stefan Palzer, Nestlé CTO said, "Reducing plastic waste and mitigating climate change effects through cutting-edge technology and product design are a priority for us. Nestlé experts are co-developing and testing new environmentally friendly packaging materials and systems together with our development centers, suppliers, research institutions and start-ups. Located at our Nestlé Research facilities in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Institute also leverages our existing research capabilities in food safety, analytics and food science."

Commenting on the inauguration, Sander Defruyt, New Plastics Economy Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said: "Nestlé was one of the first companies to sign the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, setting concrete targets to eliminate plastic waste and pollution at the source. It is great to see the world’s largest consumer goods company now increasing its research focus and capacity to deliver on these ambitions."

Nestlé is already making progress towards its 2025 packaging commitments, and has launched novel packaging solutions. For example, Nestlé packaging experts and suppliers developed products in recyclable paper packaging such as the Nesquik All Natural cocoa powder and the YES! snack bars in under 12 months.

The Institute is part of the company’s fundamental research entity Nestlé Research in Switzerland, reaffirming Nestlé’s commitment to further strengthen the unique Swiss innovation ecosystem. Speaking at the official opening, Philippe Leuba, State Councilor of the Swiss Canton of Vaud, said: "This new institute will strengthen our Canton as a center of excellence when it comes to the food value chain and allow the development of innovative packaging solutions that respect the environment and sustainable development. Waste management, a global challenge, will now benefit from an innovation ecosystem in the Canton of Vaud made up of universities as well as research centers from major private sector players such as Nestlé."

As part of its ongoing sustainable journey to deliver recyclable flexible packaging solutions, Coveris’ new Duralite™ R shrink film provides a fully circular solution to meet both the environmental and legislative demands of the future.

Suitable for all secondary applications including multi-wrap cans and bottles, the new low-gauge, high-strength, high-clarity film is born out of Coveris’ market leading Duralite™ shrink brand which is used by all leading global brands in the beverage and grocery sector.

Containing up to 50% PCR (post-consumer recyclate) plus additional pre-consumer material top-up content, provided by Coveris’ own zero-waste circular manufacturing process at its extrusion facilities, the 100% recycled solution offsets the need for virgin materials whilst still maintaining the same robust performance, optical clarity and line efficiency. Available as printed and unprinted versions, the lightweight recycled, recyclable polyethylene (PE) packs also offer a significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to cardboard alternatives.

Currently extruded and printed across Coveris’ European site base, its Kufstein facility is Austria is also adding to the packs sustainable credentials by using 100% renewable and CO2-neutral energy sources to power its manufacturing processes.

Commenting on the new sustainable innovation, Martin Davis, President of Coveris’ Films business unit said “the development and launch of our new Duralite™ R film marks a major step forward in the development of sustainable plastics for a circular economy. Complementing our existing range of environmental films such as our recyclable PE for direct contact, the development of a fully recyclable, recycled secondary material that utilises our own waste stream and delivers a reduced carbon footprint supports both our own environmental goals and those of our customers, as well as meeting legislative targets on recycled content.”

The APASS program was designed by Amazon to help support vendors, sellers and manufacturers to secure certification of their products as Frustration Free Packaging (FFP), Ships-in-Own-Container (SIOC) or Prep-Free Packaging (PFP).

“Online consumer packaged goods (CPG) sales continue to climb, yet many brands have not modified packaging designed for brick-and-mortar stores to withstand the rigors and multiple touchpoints of ecommerce distribution,” said Becky Donner, senior vice president, Marketing, Design & Engineering at TricorBraun. “As our customers’ one-stop-shop for award-winning packaging solutions, we are proud to add the APASS certification to our robust ecommerce packaging offerings.”

Ecommerce Packaging Expertise: TricorBraun’s expansive global supplier network offers a breadth of packaging options. From rigid plastics to liners and flexible pouches, TricorBraun can help CPG manufacturers identify or custom design an ecommerce solution to avoid non-compliance fees, reduce damages, create efficiencies and delight the consumer. The company leverages its deep technical expertise to create packaging solutions developed to pass ISTA-6 testing protocols.

“An ecommerce packaging strategy is more important than ever before,” said Donner. “In addition to protecting and preserving the product, we help brand owners deliver a positive consumer experience, leading to repeat purchases and ultimately, brand loyalty.”

About TricorBraun: TricorBraun is a global packaging leader, providing innovative solutions across a wide array of customer end markets in plastic and glass containers, closures, dispensers, tubes and flexibles. TricorBraun operates from 50 locations throughout North America and around the world. Our award-winning Design & Engineering Center provides forward-thinking design, driven by consumer insight, market understanding and creative solutions. Other services include global sourcing, manufacturing oversight and global supply chain programs.

Given oxygen’s key role is important in food spoilage, most foods are packaged under modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) to extend their shelf-life. The major problem is the lack of a simple and inexpensive oxygen indicator to guarantee the integrity of the food. There are commercial solutions, but these are expensive and difficult to manage, understand and embed in packaging.

The quest for an oxygen indicator suitable for contact with food, as well as detect the impenetrability of packaging, has sparked great interest in the packaging and food sector.

AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, has launched the SafetySenseO2 project to develop a printed oxygen sensor with the capacity to detect the presence of oxygen inside packaging through a colorimetric change that is visible to the human eye.

The use of this technology will make it possible to detect in-line defects in MAP in a non-destructive and economical way, as well as during transportation and storage. In addition, the oxygen sensor will provide the consumer with information about the quality and safety of the food at all times, thus reducing the risk of food poisoning.

This solution will involve a significant improvement in the packaging process with respect to other solutions on the market, since SafetySenseO2 will be embedded in the structure of the packaging. This new mechanism is expected to achieve greater acceptance since it removes the need to include indicator tablets.

The project is funded by the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI) as part of its financial aid programme to encourage companies to transfer and exploit RDI results from research centres.

Traditionally, companies have protected their shipping products with multiple boxes, which requires significant material use and cost. However, this innovation uses tailored configurations of corrugated cardboard, boxes and trays to cut down on material use while maintaining protection during shipping and enhancing the consumer experience. The resulting design helps reduce material complexity and waste, cuts end-to-end costs by 20% to 40%, improves fulfillment center picking and packing productivity by 200%, reduces damage and leakage rates during shipping by 70% and eliminates 30% to 60% of paperboard in the packaging.

As a growing number of customers are utilizing smart packaging and connected products featuring NFC technology, Tapwow says the company and Avery Dennison sought to create a kit that would allow users to employ NFC tags in their own environment, as well as assign meaningful content. With a few clicks in the DIRX2 platform, a customer can create a working demonstration or proof-of-concept, including tap analytics that can be accessed from any smartphone.

The kit was designed for customers in pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, healthcare, wine and spirits, and more. Tapwow reports that the technology can enable customer engagement, brand protection, traceability, and reuse and recycling. The tags, built on NXP's NTAG and ICODE chips, offer functionalities and security levels to meet customers' specific needs, it says.

"It is an exciting time for touchless connectivity throughout the world," said Michael Sher, Tapwow's CEO. "We worked with Avery Dennison Smartrac to get NFC tags in the hands of the end user to see what was possible and how easy the technology is to use. With recent surges in touchless connectivity and payments, more brands have been looking at how to take advantage of NFC technology to create a 'hand to brand' connection with their customers. This kit gives them the tags and the software to get started."

"At Avery Dennison, we have vast experience in the design, development, production and implementation of NFC tags globally across many industries," added Amir Khoshniyati, the head of Avery Dennison Smartrac's NFC business. "Based on our NFC Forum certifications around both quality and performance, our NFC Tags are reliable and positioned to globally scale to enterprise volumes at a moment's notice. This tag kit allows us to showcase our unique and highly demanded NFC products, which feature NXP ICs in a format that makes the technology accessible and easy to configure with the Tapwow software."