Innovation

The drive to minimise the use of plastics in packaging is a main topic for retailers and food producer. Solid plastic trays are commonly used for fresh vegetables and fruits, and even if trays made of renewable plastics have been introduced, recyclable fibre trays are requested. AR Packaging has therefore introduced a one-piece tray with a thin barrier coating. The tray is based on cartonboard made of fibres from certified sustainably managed sources and a fibre content of up to 95% makes it recyclable in the paper stream in most countries.

Greiner Packaging has successfully replaced yogurt multi-packs made from polystyrene (PS) with polypropylene (PP), and thanks to ‘Project Snap’ has recreated an important feature that has always been popular with consumers.

Cap-It is a clip with neck rings designed for multipack PET or recycled PET bottles. Made from renewable materials, the paperboard solution offers an alternative to traditional shrink film packaging, increasing overall pack recyclability to 100%.

Graphic Packaging’s latest release is said to use minimal paperboard and aims to support beverage brands’ plastic reduction goals.

As a keynote sponsor of the 2021 International Dairy Forum, Amcor will demonstrate how it’s reshaping dairy packaging by offering more sustainable solutions and innovative design and delivery, extending shelf life for customers.

In addition, Amcor will highlight the latest developments in sustainability and dairy packaging solutions during a webinar Feb. 16 at 1 p.m. EST. The webinar will be hosted by IDFA.

A new HDPE bottle developed in cooperation with Beiersdorf for its NIVEA brand is good for the environment in a number of ways. The innovative bottle with cap developed for a body lotion series requires around half the packaging material usually needed. This therefore reduces the cost of materials as well as the associated carbon emissions. Its thin-walled structure makes it lighter and means it is easier to squeeze, while nevertheless remaining stable and impact-resistant enough for transportation, for example.

Following the success of the PaperSeal tray, both the new PaperSeal Slice^® and PaperSeal Wedge offer brands and retailers a recyclable, barrier-lined, paperboard packaging alternative to plastic thermoformed trays for sliced meats and cheeses. Both PaperSeal Slice and Wedge offer enhanced branding capabilities with high-quality graphics that deliver on-shelf differentiation.

MOB’s reusable, interchangeable design is made from PET resin with at least 50% post-consumer recycled content. The brand says it is on a mission to hit 100% PCR for all of its packaging.

Element Packaging took the process a step further, introducing Element CarbonX, a material science innovation replacing Carbon Black. This is a new black infrared-visible pigment allowing the optical scanners used in sorting plastics during recycling to be recognized by the NIR (Near Infrared) detectors installed in waste sorting plants.