Looking for sustainable packaging options or ideas for foods and beverages? Good news! A lot has been happening in this area lately—from the introduction of a recyclable aluminum cup designed to replace disposable plastic to a blueprint from Dasani on how to improve its eco footprint.
Each month, we review what topics are resonating with our global packaging community. Often a pattern will emerge, as it did when we looked back at this year’s early fall lineup. Our top reads all focused on foods and beverages, with a healthy side dish of sustainability.
Based on page views, here are the five best-read articles from September 2019 on PackagingDigest.com:
5. Beverage brands bank on rPET for packaging sustainability
In an exclusive interview, Joe Franses, vp, sustainability for Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), discloses details about the company’s landmark program in packaging sustainability. Starting in early 2020, the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler will sell Honest teas, Glacéau Smartwater and Chaudfontaine bottled water brands in bottles made from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). This change will eliminate the need for 9,000 tonnes/9,920 tons of virgin plastic yearly across Western Europe.
Franses says, “By the end of 2020 every Honest, Glacéau Smartwater or Chaudfontaine bottle will be sold in 100% rPET bottles.”
NEXT: An oldie but a goodie…if you worry about BPA
4. Most food cans no longer use BPA in their linings
This article from February 2018 makes it on another “top articles of the month” list for 2019—for the eighth time this year!—proving that interest in health and safety continues. Do you know what chemicals of concern might migrate from your packaging material into your product? You should.
NEXT: A packaging machinery revolution!
3. 10 new machines answer food packaging demands
In a preview of what attendees could see at Pack Expo Las Vegas 2019 (Sept. 23-25; Las Vegas), we filtered through pre-show press announcements to present these 10 new systems that tout hygienic designs, robotics and improved inspection for the food industry. Even though the show is over, you don’t have to miss learning about these automation standouts.
1. JDD Rotary Pouch Machine from Triangle Package Machinery
2. Peregrine robotic cartoning system from JLS
3. Revolution flow wrapper with Robotic Loading System from Campbell Wrapper
4. Halopack trays produced on the SKR machine from Proseal
5. lightline Flowpacker from Schubert
6. New Contura S600 leak detection technology from Inficon
7. P300 portion pack machine from IMA/Hassia
8. 4Sight automatic print inspection solution from AutoCoding / SICK
9. New SmartPacker TwinTube vertical packaging machine from GEA
10. Eagle Pack 240 HC X-ray machine from Eagle Product Inspection
NEXT: 5 ways Dasani is improving packaging sustainability
2. Dasani’s next 5 steps to greater packaging sustainability
This article moved up from the #5 best-read article in August to #2 in September.
In an exclusive interview with Sneha Shah, group director, packaging innovation, Coca-Cola North America, we learn about how leading water brand Dansani will help the company reach its goal of packaging containing 50% recycled material by 2030 as part of a circular economy initiative.
1. Meet the HybridBottle—the next generation of the PlantBottle—which is made of up to 50% plant-based renewable (PlantBottle) and recycled PET (rPET) with the balance virgin PET. Previously, the material mix was 30% renewable and 70% virgin PET.
2. Aluminum cans enter the packaging mix in three ways with the introduction of new 12- and 16-ounce aluminum cans and new 16-ounce aluminum bottles.
3. Dasani embraces weight loss, gram by gram. It will continue to lightweight packages across its package portfolio. Part of that effort involves expanding the use of Plasmax coating technology, which provides excellent shelf life and allows designers to reduce overall bottle weight.
4. Dasani is adding How2Recycle labels to all packages, starting this fall, to help educate and encourage consumers to recycle the packages after use.
5. The brand started to deploy 100 Dasani PureFill water dispensers across the country beginning in fall 2019. Featuring a smaller footprint than the successful Coca-Cola Freestyle platform, this version of PureFill is a compact countertop unit that reduces the amount of prepackaged bottled water, while making it more convenient for consumers to enjoy the brand.
NEXT: A recyclable cup that keeps beverages cool
1. Ball Corp. presents the plastic-replacing aluminum cup
Because of the nearly frantic need to distance themselves from plastic packaging, brand owners are desperately seeking alternatives. So, when we served up this new offering, it caused a feeding frenzy.
On August 27, Ball Corp. revealed a number of pilot projects with major entertainment venues and concessionaires in the U.S. to replace plastic drinking cups with 20-oz aluminum cups that are lightweight, durable and cool to the touch—offering consumers an enhanced beverage drinking experience on top of the ability to recycle the metal vessel more easily than a plastic cup.
Our readers aren’t the only ones showing high interest in this development. Ball’s research shows that 67% of U.S. consumers say they will visit a venue more often if they use aluminum cups instead of plastic cups.
Perhaps “Play ball!” will hold a different meaning at the park next year.
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MinnPack 2019 (Oct. 23-24; Minneapolis) is where serious packaging professionals find technologies, education and connections needed to thrive in today’s advanced manufacturing community. See solutions in labeling, food packaging, package design and beyond. Attend free expert-led sessions at multiple theaters around the expo.
https://www.packagingdigest.com/sustainable-packaging/autumn-flaunts-food-and-beverage-packaging-developments-2019-10-18
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