Sustainability

Japan-based Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) is switching from plastic to paper to package its in-house manufactured photo-media, including ink ribbons and printing paper.

The change from petroleum-based plastic to biomass plant-based renewable resource paper is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions for the company by 69% – around 45 tons per annum.

DNP has also introduced an originally designed automated packaging machine for photo media production into the process, making it possible to achieve the same quality and lead time as when using plastic materials.

Aldi has announced a major packaging change to all of its beer and cider products.

In an attempt to improve its environmental commitments, the budget supermarket chain said it will remove all plastic packaging from its own-label four-pack beers and ciders. The company said the move will help reduce plastic waste.

In an era marked by faster machines, lower-quality papers, cost pressures, and sustainability goals, printers are encountering more challenges than ever before. Sun Chemical recognizes these challenges and, as a result, is introducing this revolutionary ink based on innovative binder technology providing a higher body and lower tack. The benefit of the new technology has been proven through rigorous long-term testing to deliver the highest levels of productivity, the lowest applied cost, and the best overall sustainability benefits.

Award-winning Australian beverage brand Mother of Pearl Vodka has revealed plans to acquire Australia’s inaugural paper bottle machine from Frugalpac. This move aims to aid wines and spirits brands across Australasia and Southeast Asia in reducing their bottle carbon footprint by 84%. Mother of Pearl Vodka, known for its IWSC award-winning grape-based vodka sold in Frugal Bottles, has penned a letter of intent with Frugalpac to procure their Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine.

Grupo Bimbo, the world's leading bakery company, has launched its 2023 annual report: "Behind our Actions." The document shows the progress of the business and the objectives of its Sustainability Strategy for 2030 and 2050. 

In recent years, the surge in restaurant take outs has brought about a significant increase in plastic waste from packaging materials such as bags, plastic boxes, and containers. This environmental concern has been amplified by celebrity nutritionist and lifestyle expert Luke Coutinho, who recently took to Instagram to urge food delivery giants Zomato and Swiggy to switch to biodegradable containers.

An estimated 650 million metal aerosols are used in the UK each year, with over 80% of these used in the home. Upcoming reforms to packaging recycling in the UK, including a deposit return scheme for drinks containers, Simpler Recycling in England and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), present an opportunity for the metal packaging sector to redouble their efforts to push metal recycling rates even higher than they are today (the aluminium packaging recycling rate for 2023 was 68%.)

Schwan Cosmetics has showcased its newly launched eco-friendly mechanical lip liner at the Cosmoprof Asia 2023 trade show in Hong Kong. The new product combines a maximum-performance formula and active care ingredients with sustainability and eco-conscious design.

Drop-shaped tip
Dubbed “Power Up Your Pout”, the new refillable mechanical lip liner features exchangeable cartridges filled in with a peptide and jojoba oil-infused formulation and a unique, drop-shaped tip for an easy application.

MEPs have adopted a new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) described as one of the most lobbied files to pass through the assembly in recent years. It has also been among the most contentious, and was nearly scotched during inter-governmental negotiations last month.

The new law – backed by 476 lawmakers drawn from across the mainstream parties, with 129 voting against and 24 abstaining – stipulates that the annual average of nearly 190kg of wrappers, boxes, bottles, cartons and cans discarded generated annually by every EU citizen should be cut by 5% to 2030.

Albano Schmidt, the president of Termotécnica, views this as a strategic evolution for the firm, which has been active in the packaging sector for over 60 years. "Termotécnica is a company providing packaging solutions that has always invested a lot in sustainability and innovation. We are attentive to the global movements to expand the use of materials from renewable sources and bet on a medium and long-term strategic plan to diversify our material matrix and provide complete solutions, anticipating the demands of our customers," he stated.