lightweighting

The launch marks a major step change in the packaging of cheese, which has moved from a mixed, triple-ply nylon laminate - one of the hardest to recycle materials - to a fully recyclable polyethylene (PE) monolaminate structure with built-in barrier properties.

Providing a direct replacement for current non-recyclable alternatives, the new MonoFlexBE format matches current shelf-life requirements, as well as maintaining packing line efficiencies. The film also delivers a significant plastic weight reduction of 680mg of plastic per bag to offer further carbon savings.

Stora Enso’s offering consists of Fibrease and Papira. Both foams come with versatile technical and sustainability properties, and customers can select a suitable foam based on their specific packaging requirements. The foams can be used for protecting fragile goods and are optimal for thermal packaging of temperature sensitive products.

Fibrease is commercially available now, while the pilot plant for producing Papira has started operations at the Fors site in Sweden, following the investment announced in August 2020.

French software company Dassault Systèmes has partnered with Ardagh Group and consulting firm EXXERGY to conduct virtual trials of lighter glass bottles.

The collaboration project will focus on research and development for an external coating to help reduce the weight of glass bottles and increase their strength.

The lightweight glass bottles will also remain fully recyclable.

This new design, based on the ARTIC side seal machine, ensure airtight packaging and a more visually pleasing end result, without any seals on the cutting side, easy to open and with more space for labelling. A newly developed product by ULMA, with lots of benefits for food safety and its appearance.

“This ultra-lightweight addition brings new opportunities closer in reach with our global sterile supply chain partners,” says Valerie Henderson, Medical Packaging Product Manager for Neenah.

The company  explained that move was designed to make its series easier for consumers to recycle, and follows in the wake of its wider environmental commitments, including a recently launched impact investment platform for eco-aware businesses.

The change means that the full Easter egg range, spanning Cadbury, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Cadbury Bournville, Fry’s, Green & Black’s, Maynard’s Bassets and OREO is plastic window free.

Pioneered by Kingsmoor’s R&D team, KPL Cirrus works by creating a unique pattern in the sidewalls of a thermoformed container. As the container is formed, a series of small pockets are created where material continually gets slightly ‘affixed’ during the thermoforming process.

According to the company, this in turn creates stronger sidewalls with less material, thereby creating a much lighter yet stronger pack.

“As expected, there has been considerable positive interest in KPL Cirrus from our customers,” says Kingsmoor Packaging’s managing director, James Hill.