CTI has invented a new suite of colour-change technologies using solvent inks, including thermochromic (temperature-activated), photochromic (sunlight-activated), glow-in-the-dark and reveal technology (which reveals a message after product consumption). Previously, solvent-ink printers were forced to use water-based inks that slowed down manufacturing operations. The new solvent-specialty inks eliminate the operational hurdles of water-based inks. The company’s consumer research has found that the colour-change technology is an effective tool for brands to drive content on their social media platforms. When brands do a great job of creating ‘wow’ experiences on their packaging, consumers turn and share that story with their friends on social media, it discovered, resulting in increased sales as friends try the new technology and share their own experiences. “Consumers have their phone in their right hand and a Starbucks, Coke or Coors Light in their left hand,” explained Patrick Edson, former vice-president of consumer insights for Coors Brewing Company and, since 2012, the chief marketing officer for CTI. “In brand mapping exercises, we call this challenge ‘getting the right hand to talk to the left hand.’ If you can create an experience or start a story with your product in the consumer’s left hand they, in turn, will share that experience on their phone in the right hand. “Brands realize that the colour-change technology is more than just creating an experience on a cup, it’s a new form of content for digital marketing,” Edson added. Lyle Small, founder of CTI, continued, “Colour-change technology is now affordable for cup printers and they offer a tremendous innovation tool for them to help drive new margins for their customers in quick-serve restaurants and convenience stores.” For over a decade, brands such as Coors Light have used thermochromic inks to turn their mountains blue to deliver on the promise of Rocky Mountain Cold Refreshment. Coca-Cola ensured a cold promise for 7-Eleven consumers with its “Ice Cube” 16-oz. can. Cheetos used photochromic technology in Mexico for their “Where’s Chester?” promotion on chip bags. Oreo supported the 50th anniversary of the moon landing with Glow-in-the-Dark packaging. CTI can now offer in-house design services to help cup printers and brand owners develop concepts that can be quickly tested with consumers.

Dr. José María Lagarón, from The Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), YPACK project coordinator, said: “The ideal packaging involves lower carbon and water footprints, is biodegradable and/or compostable, makes use of wastes or by-products, is properly eco-designed, safe and has the right preservation properties to minimize food waste. YPACK is delivering on this vision.” Active packaging breakthrough The biopolymer PHBV was used to create very thin “bio-paper” from food industry by-products. Zinc oxide and oregano essential oil, two active ingredients, were incorporated into the bio-papers. These compounds have good antimicrobial activity against two bacteria that can cause food poisoning: Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli (E.coli). Researchers discovered an optimal ratio of the active ingredients that showed successful short-term (15 days) and medium-term (up to 48 days) anti-bacterial effects in ‘open’ and ‘closed’ systems. This means the formula could be used for food products where the packaging is opened and closed several times, for example to package ham slices or bread. The active components could be used in both trays and flow films as an active layer. These promising laboratory results show the potential of bio-based active packaging to increase the shelf life of fresh products like meat, fruits & vegetables and fresh pasta. However, due to regulatory restrictions within the EU, the final YPACK packaging will not, in the first instance, contain an active layer but will be made purely from biodegradable PHBV.

“Our goal is to set ourselves apart in the Sustainability arena by leveraging our integrated technology solution to deliver products with high levels of recycled content and drive the circular economy. We have achieved up to 100% recycled content inclusion levels for our customers in the Consumer Products Goods and Food & Beverage areas, and with this partnership will be the first company to introduce recycled content in the life science and biomedical space,” says Allison Lin, VP of Sustainability at Westfall-Technik. “We welcome the opportunity to help both CPG and Medical customers run high levels of recycled content for new and existing products.” Using a system that leverages low-cost front-end segregation and a waste analytics platform, Polycarbin is positioned to capture and repurpose valuable scientific plastics. Polycarbin’s services provide more cost-effective and environmentally responsible waste management solutions to research labs, biopharma, and clinical labs while closing the loop on the biomedical plastic life cycle. “Polycarbin is transforming resource management in the health sciences,” says James O’Brien, Co-CEO of Polycarbin. “We are incredibly proud to be partnering with an industry leader like Westfall Technik that has a track record of championing circular economy innovations. Utilizing our waste diversion platform, Polycarbin is helping our clients across biopharma, healthcare, and research to reduce the carbon footprint of innovation.” Westfall Technik is a global holding company which provides highly-productive plastics manufacturing solutions to the medical, consumer packaging and consumer goods industries. Westfall Technik’s competitive advantages include modern automated systems, correlative molding processes, and effective industry 4.0 concepts. Brand owners can expect high quality products at an excellent value, a fast response for decreased time-to-market, 100% inspection and traceability from pellet to pallet, supply chain security compliance, and reliability from a trustworthy team. Westfall Technik recently joined the Association of Plastic Recycler’s Demand Champions Program and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Commitment for a New Plastics Economy.

With on-pack QR codes already well established, SIG is now taking its PAC.ENGAGE QR code technology to closures to further bridge the digital communication gap between brand and consumer. Recognized by smartphones in less than three seconds for quick and easy use, SIG’s ‘One Cap, One Code’ solution keeps consumers entertained, informed and rewarded, while also building consumer trust and loyalty. With more than 40% of the world’s population online and 70% with a smartphone, consumers are more connected than ever. Millennials expect brands to entertain them and the whole buying experience has become much more than just about the product. PAC.ENGAGE from SIG offers a variety of exciting communication options for companies looking to get closer to consumers and build target audiences. Hanno Bertling, Senior Product Manager Closures at SIG: “Hiding QR codes in closures offers a more personal touch and this new way of communicating with consumers offers unique and fun online marketing opportunities for our customers.” With a simple smartphone scan, the unique QR code hidden inside the closure can immediately launch dynamic and engaging content, from engaging competitions and questionnaires to loyalty programs and shopping offers. A quick link to the brand’s website and social media channels also generates more traffic flow to increase interaction and boost sales. Ayed Katrangi, Senior Product Manager Digital Marketing at SIG: “IoT and connected packaging innovations are opening up new and creative ways to track and interact and our PAC.ENGAGE solutions allow every product to act as a data-driven information and media source. Our exceptionally user-friendly coded closures will bring a new personal and emotional experience to consumers, allowing brands to build a close and engaging relationship with their audience.” SIG’s first customer to use the new PAC.ENGAGE ‘One Cap, One Code’ solution is Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co, one of China’s largest dairy producers. The early adopter will launch ‘Perfect Love’ fruit yoghurt and the QR code in the closure will direct consumers to a WeChat mini-program, full of fun content to keep consumers engaged and entertained. Working closely with SIG to launch the latest online marketing solution, Yili can now attract more offline consumers to buy online and build an enduring membership system. This valuable data capture will help to optimize the company’s long-term brand strategy.

According to Südpack, the solutions have been designed to be more recyclable, as well as significantly lower material consumption compared to standard packaging. The Flow Pack PurePP film claims it can achieve material savings of up to 60% compared to tray packaging, with a pack for 1kg of minced meat weighing 9.5g. Südpack also says its new film can be processed quickly and efficiently on all common flow wrapping machines even at high speeds due to its advanced sealing properties.

Both uncoated and coated paper can be used for producing bags with two glued or sewn sides plus a top overlap. When using film, the patented tight bag packaging ensures there is a minimum excess with only as much film being used as is needed. Timo Kollmann, sales director at Hugo Beck, said: “Whether dealing with the direct dispatch of individual goods, packing groups of products or meeting the complex requirements of returned goods packaging; the PB 800 E-Com hybrid solution ensures companies are perfectly equipped to meet the needs of e-commerce packaging.” Alongside the PB 800 E-Com, and for those who are looking to pack only with film, the new flexo 600 E-Com machine packs e-commerce goods to the highest standards, minimising film use and maximising results both with and without shrinking of the film bags. Designed to process products with a width of up to 600 mm and a height of 300 mm, a quick changeover adjusts between product batches or, as an option, the machine can automatically adapt to changes in a product’s length, height or width. Speed and flexibility are key to the design of both machines, with up to 1500 cycles per hour available. The PB 800 E-Com can handle paper gauges of 80 – 130 g/m² and both machines can handle film thicknesses of between 30-100 μm. Connectable to customer’s ERP or control systems both machines can also be easily integrated within a production line. Additional options include the ability to add an easy-opening perforation to the packaging as well as inserting a double-sided adhesive tape for resealing a bag for returns. An integrated scanner with a controller for product detection and creation of a shipping label can also be included on the line for additional capability. Timo Kollmann concluded: “The e-commerce sector demands a wide variety of packaging styles. This, alongside the need to wrap a wide range of products quickly, flexibly and sustainably, means that our new machines are ideal for delivering perfect packaging results at high speeds and across a choice of paper or packaging substrates.”

Launched last year, ReSource aims to help accelerate large-scale plastic commitments by organizations. By 2030, Resource has a target to prevent at least 50 million metric tons of plastic waste from entering nature. ReSource welcomed Amcor to the organization alongside Colgate-Palmolive and Kimberly-Clark.

“Amcor is leading the way on packaging innovation, but new products and technologies alone won’t be enough to meet our sustainability ambitions and to solve the global waste issue. Keeping waste out of the environment will require not only the right package design but also efficient collection and waste management along with active consumer participation,” said Amcor CEO Ron Delia.

“Global challenges are best addressed together, and we are proud to work with Resource: Plastic and the world’s largest brands to better protect the environment,” Mr. Delia said.

Amcor is dedicating unprecedented resources to solving the issue of more sustainable design and is bringing innovative products to market.

Additionally, the company collaborates with industry partners, governments, and non-governmental organizations to improve collection, recycling, and recovery of plastic packaging and develop new approaches to advance a circular economy and better protect the environment.

Amcor has global partnerships with Ocean Conservancy and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative, where experts led the development of a global design-for-recyclability standard for high-barrier flexible packaging.

Amcor is making progress towards its commitment to develop all its packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025, significantly increase use of recycled materials, and drive greater recycling of packaging around the world.

It is with great pleasure that Smilesys announces to have won the German Packaging Award in the field of ‘’Functionality and Convenience’’ with the new Smile 2Lite Drop&Taste. This award, organized by the German Packaging Institute (DVI), is one of the most important in Europe and has been promoting for 56 years the most creative and valid innovations for industrial packaging. Smilesys, with Drop&Taste, launches an eco-friendly packaging solution for mozzarella which was never seen on the market, allowing a substancial reduction of food waste and improving consumer experience.

INEOS and PLASTIC ENERGY have today announced a collaboration on the construction of a new plant to convert waste plastic into the raw material to make new plastic. Production of the new facility would be targeted for the end of 2023. Advanced recycling technology converts waste plastic back to its basic molecules. The resulting material is then used in INEOS crackers to replace traditional raw materials derived from oil. First trials of product from PLASTIC ENERGY’s current advanced recycling process have been completed.

New applications on the way At CES 2020, we unveiled Perso’s capabilities for skincare. However, the 3-in-1 device will also be able to create custom formulas for lipstick and foundation — which will be launched at a later date.“L’Oréal is one of the most trusted names in beauty, and with Perso, we are putting personalized technology directly into the hands of our consumers,” said Guive Balooch, Head of our Technology Incubator. “Perso uses AI to optimize the formulas and actually gets smarter as you use it.” How Perso works Perso creates personalized skincare formulas in four steps: Providing a personal skin analysis: Our customer will launch the Perso mobile app and take a photo with their smartphone camera. Thanks to the ModiFace technology we have acquired in 2018, their overall skin condition—including deep wrinkles, fine lines, the appearance of dark spots, and pore visibility – will be analyzed with the help of AI. Analyzing the Environment: Using Breezometer geo-location data, Perso takes into account the local environmental conditions that can influence the state of our customer’s skin. These might include weather, temperature, pollen, UV index, and humidity. Adapting to personal preferences: The next step is to enter personal skincare concerns into the Perso app, including fine lines, dark spots, pigmentation, pore size, radiance, and dullness. To customize the unique formula of moisturizer, serum, and under-eye cream even further, the preferred texture and hydration-level can also be added. Making a custom formulation and dispensing: All of this data helps to create a personalized blend of high-performance skincare, dispensed in a perfectly portioned, single dose at the top of the device for easy, clean application. The technology adjusts for morning and evening application, and the device features a detachable mirrored top so that our customers have the option of taking a single or larger dose with them on-the-go. Perso’s hardware features a patented motor system located at the top of the device which moves and compresses the formula from the cartridges at the base of the machine in an upward motion to the dispensing tray above. Looking ahead to new features Perso's future makeup offerings will be able to incorporate real-time trend information as well as color-matching technology. So, our customers would be able to design a lipstick shade to match their outfit or to opt for a color that is trending on social media at that moment. In the meantime, our focus will be on the launch of Perso in partnership with one of our leading skincare brands in 2021.