< Previous40 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN Packaging has long been the determining factor in the success of many brands, and this has changed little in recent years. Consumers may now be more conscious of what they desire, but science still shows that aesthetically pleasing packaging catches the eye. The trick now is in ensuring that once the customer’s attention is caught, they do not put down the product. But with companies beginning to perfect this art, businesses need to compete on different terms. The mysteries of packaging design are slowly being discovered. What works and what does not is becoming increasingly known, which means businesses need to seek USPs in other ways. Many are looking toward increased investment in machine systems to acquire this USP. This can be a daunting task at first glance. How can a process which is not only going to cost money, but also significant investment in machinery, make the product cost less? The answer is simple and complex at the same time; with good planning. Simply installing shrink-wrapping machinery or palletising processes will do little if there isn’t a bigger strategy behind it, as any within the industry might say. There has to be a view on everything that comes after the point, and what tangible benefit the packaging offers. This has led to major overhauls of the packaging process in many companies – and some find this a challenge. Investment costs for regulation and legislation will always be a difficult factor. These are necessities that cannot be avoided however, and as labelling is one of the fastest-changing sectors when it comes to changes in legislation, it is something that many are forced to quickly adapt to. The majority of labelling mistakes come down to human error. Indeed, its believed that a manual worker will make one mistake on average for every three hundred touches. However, as legislation surrounding labelling becomes increasingly stricter, and consumers are more concerned with product labels than ever before. Fortunately, automated solutions mean that product labelling errors arising during the manual processes can be eradicated both quickly and cost- effectively. Some of the most significant developments to the packaging industry aren’t whole machines, but rather sensors. Given the increased demands from the industry, which need BAG SEALING MACHINES RM Sealers remain a leading British manufacturer and supplier of high quality Bag Sealing Machines, also known as Rotary Band Sealers and Impulse Sealers. Call 01442 843387 to speak to a member of our team SEALERS © www.rmsealers.co.uk An evolving industry Changing attitudes and environmental pressures are having a transformative effect on the packaging industry. We explore how manufacturers are adapting and evolving. 40-49.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 11:37 Page 1Food & Drink International 41 www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN to correspond to changes in consumer taste and habits, as well as legislative changes, sensors need to be up to the task. Therefore, the very latest sensors and sensor systems need to be designed for complex, frequently changing tasks while also meeting ever more demanding brand protection, safety and documentation requirements. Working in conjuncture with sensors is the use of offline case marking. Implementing such a strategy greatly reduces the human error which in turn bolsters efficient practices and decreases the risk of damaged goods and loss. The ability to mark-up secondary packaging offline meets a growing need in today’s grocery market, where the emerging retail channels of discount, convenience and online will account for all the growth over the next ten years as conventional supermarkets decline. For many food operators, this shift is driving a rapid rise in the complexity of their logistics operations as demand grows for mixed cases and little-and-often deliveries to a wider range of locations. With this in mind, having a supply of boxes that are pre-marked with information about their contents and destination helps minimise the chance of human error as products reach the end of the packaging line. As ever, packaging remains a nuanced and challenging industry. Design Innovative technology is improving in-store performance as well through better print capability. High Quality Post Print has transformed corrugated packaging from protective transit packaging into multi-functional, BENCHTOP BAG SEALING MACHINE IMPULSE BAG SEALING MACHINE HORIZONTAL BAG SEALING MACHINE VERTICAL BAG SEALING MACHINE 43 Á © Shutterstock /Chaosamran_Studio 40-49.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 11:37 Page 2info@macpac.co.uk Tel: 0161 442 1642 www.macpac.co.uk THERMOFORMED PACKAGING SPECIALISTS We design, produce tooling and manufacture packaging all under one roof, at our AA grade BRC accredited factory. We use responsible manufacturing processes and raw materials with up to 100% recycled content as well as being 100% recyclable. UP TO 100% RECYCLED 100% RECYCLABLE Innovative, Economical & Responsible. UK MANUFACTURER 42 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net y raweaakw ts ne’agingacke PKit agingo packOn the g our to all of yect partner te is the perfangr g business with our complete tseaty trast Kit out your b at y takeaway pack p kaging range powered by employee share-ownership 02476 420 065 kitepackaging.co.uk 40-49.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 11:38 Page 3Food & Drink International 43 www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN © Shutterstock /Gumpanat Stoelzle spirits bottle wins German Packaging Award The premium liquor bottle 4X50 R.N.P. Superior Premium Rum, which is manufactured by Stoelzle, was honoured in the design & processing category at the German Packaging Award 2021. The Austrian For Fellows GmbH and their co-founder Hans Reisetbauer have spent almost a decade defining this rum. The jury agreed that both the glass bottle and outer carton box underline perfectly the product’s value and score points with the sustainability of the materials used. The outstanding design was contributed by renowned creative director Alex Wiederin. The basic bottle design was then refined by the design and development team from Stoelzle Flaconnage, the British production site of the Stoelzle Glass Group, and optimised for a perfect realisation in glass. The bottle is manufactured fully automatically by Stoelzle Flaconnage and impresses with its extra flint glass. For the outer packaging, a special recycled cardboard from Austrian paper manufacturer Flatz was chosen, made from FSCE certified paper waste. To find out more, visit www.stoelzle.com. colourful retail ready packs, without compromising product integrity. Liners and coatings are also being developed for corrugated material to provide even greater food freshness and, with the advent of modern corrugated processes, such as new flutings that offer up to twenty-three per cent storage space saving, it also offers more efficient logistics management through better use of pallets, resulting in fewer vehicles on the road. Digital technology has certainly provided more flexibility for packaging design, especially as legal requirements have required much more information is on packaging that was previously the case. Many companies have introduced QR codes on their products to allow customers to receive promotional material and much else, while it also has value when it comes to traceability. Combined with this, though, the challenge for products more than ever before is to stand out on the shelves – so the importance of a distinctive, high- quality package is emphasised. However, this distinctive nature has to go hand in hand with convenience in distribution and display. While creativity is all-important, products that require distributors to obtain new pallets, retailers to invest in new display units and consumers to rearrange their kitchen shelves are unlikely to prove particularly popular at any stage in the supply chain. Design should also be in the spotlight lately due to evidence from the British Brands Group, who cited a report by Which? that identified some 150 food products which marketed themselves by imitating the packaging of better known brands. Out of the 2,244 people surveyed, twenty per cent admitted to buying a copy by mistake instead of the © Oliver Helbig 44 Á 40-49.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 11:38 Page 444 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN AR Packaging launches Ecoflex® mono-material for thermoformed applications AR Packaging has launched Ecoflex®, 100% recyclable mono polyethylene film for thermoforming that provides a sustainable alternative to PA-based materials, whilst fully meeting OPRL guidelines. Designed primarily as a thermoforming base web, Ecoflex® is formulated with premium PE polymers, offering good puncture resistance, improved tear resistance and it can be used for MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) or vacuum. Offering excellent clarity and printability, the material is perfect for meat, dairy and bakery thermoformed applications and has good recyclability throughout Europe. “The launch of Ecoflex® provides retailers with their sustainable material of choice,” said Greg Mitchell, technical sales manager, AR Packaging Highbridge. “Instead of a reliance on PA/PE-material for their flexible thermoformed applications, Ecoflex® is a recyclable mono PE film that offers comparative mechanical and impact strength. In the UK, for example, the material can be recycled at front-of-store recycling facilities that allow consumers to return polyolefin-based flexible packaging.” To find out more, visit www.ar-packaging.com. brand they intended to purchase – highlighting the dangers inherent in a whimsical approach to packaging design. In the study, the key factor which led to the customer’s mistake was seen to be colour, so brands that rely on a distinctive colour scheme could be most at risk. Naturally, older customers also had a higher risk of buying a copy by mistake. While this approach to business may be seen as shameless to some, it is an evolutionary approach used by animals in the wild to avoid predators, often by mimicking the distinctive colours and markings of more dangerous (or poisonous) creatures. Here, the intent is different, but the methodology the same. To know that some of the largest brands in the food and drink industry write off twenty per cent of their market share in such a way is jarring, but there is much that could be done to protect from this, and all of it related to the design of packaging. Although many brands will have a well-known and core identity, it’s never too late to change packaging or update it. The more complicated the design, the harder it is to imitate, and it is important to keep in mind that copycat brands will usually have less funds available than the original. Distinctive shapes are an option for drinks and some packaged goods, especially if it’s a dramatic change that could either be copyrighted, or one that would be too expensive to mimic. For bottle goods, an unusual shape can be one such defence against mimicry. Sustainability Much of the sustainable packaging debate has been propelled by the war against plastics, which continues to 46 Á © Shutterstock /Nordroden 40-49.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 11:38 Page 5SOLUTIONS THAT ADAPT TO YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS. Visit us at PPMA, Stand #E50 28-30 September 2021 ©2021 WestRock Company. All rights reserved. We are much more than a packaging machinery manufacturer, we are a highly skilled team of specialists creating high-tech solutions to address your specifi c challenges. Whether you need a single solution, robotic solution or a complete integrated system, WestRock Automation provides a wide array of end-of-line automation and bespoke solutions. westrock.com/automation-uk Factory Packaging Automation & Robotics Warehouse Dispatch Service & Engineering 40-49.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 11:38 Page 6• Plain / Printed Labels • Thermal Transfer Ribbons • Lasersheets • Fanfolded Labels • Barcode Labels Self adhesive labels and labelling Tel: 01482 506560 • Email: sales@datamarkuk.com • Website: www.datamarkuk.com 46 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN scale up as governments bring in more legislation to combat the 300 million tonnes of plastic waste generated annually, frequently made up of bottles, lids and wrappers, forcing action in the food and drink sector. In the EU, the Single-Use Plastics Ban and Circular Economy Action Plan are notable and incentivising use of recycled plastics, in March the UK recommitted to a tax on plastic packaging containing less than thirty per cent recycled content. From April 2022, manufacturers and importers will be charged £200 per tonne on packaging made of less than thirty per cent recycled plastic. This will increase the use of recycled plastic in packaging by forty per cent, which is equal to carbon savings of nearly 200,000 tonnes. A challenge for food firms looking to use packaging with recycled content however is making sure enough high-quality recycled plastic is available. Independently, brands are trying to minimise their plastic packaging use, and are delivering. Iceland for example has reached a twenty nine per cent reduction in its overall plastics packaging usage, two years after pledging to erase all plastics from its own label product packaging by the end of 2023. The reduction reflects a removal of 3,794 tonnes from its annual plastic usage, and this has been done without extra charges on consumers. Commitments from brands range widely, but many are now extending efforts past simply using recycled plastic. Plans are being produced that address all phases of packaging lifecycles, from sourcing to end of life. The food industry continues to look for sustainable replacements to single use plastics, high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene amongst other materials. While one hundred per cent recycled rPET material is being introduced, bio-based materials are a key focus area, such as corn starch, which has been used in cups, takeaway containers and in food box linings. Simultaneously, milk protein has been utilised to form water soluble, biodegradable thermoplastic pellets for chocolate, cereal bar, lids and sauce packaging, Chitin from discarded seafood has been used to create flexible, biodegradable and antimicrobial film to wrap products in, seaweed has been used to create 200 ml edible bubbles of liquid for marathons, and mushroom-based 48 Á © Shutterstock /Gumpanat 40-49.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 11:38 Page 7Moving food forward. One third of all food produced never gets consumed. One way we help reduce food loss and waste is through innovative processing and packaging solutions that can extend the shelf life of packaged food, enabling it to be transported and stored without the need for refrigeration or preservatives. The food can reach consumers in remote areas and be available to consume for a significantly longer period of time, helping cut down food waste and ensuring millions more people have access to food. This is just one of the ways we are playing our part in moving food forward. Join us at movingfoodforward.tetrapak.com What if food was never lost or wasted? 40-49.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 11:38 Page 848 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING MATERIALS AND DESIGN New additions to the Measom Freer collection Measom Freer’s range of Tube Bottles are ideal for a variety of markets, stocked in fully recyclable PVC and MDPE they come in Four new sizes with four different necks. There is a 21ml (6018V in PVC) & 100ml (6120 in natural MDPE) , 125ml (6213) and 250ml (6214) in PVC and MDPE. A new size, 750ml (6081), has also been added to the popular Metric range, stocked in recyclable clear PVC and is also available in PETG & colours to order. This range comes in 18 sizes ranging from 2.5ml to 1 Litre with a wide range of caps, closures and pumps available to suit. Whether you are looking for a standard screw cap, dropper caps for more precise dosing or a more functional gel or spray pump, they have a huge variety of recyclable closures available from stock. To find out more, visit www.measomfreer.co.uk. materials are being employed as polystyrene alternatives. Further plant- based plastics established on the market include those based on renewable wood pulp, corn, wheat, bamboo, sugarcane, and bagasse. © Shutterstock /Dr . V ictor W ong Compostable plastics are also of interest as sustainable packaging alternatives – with seventy-seven per cent of citizens believing these to be better for the environment than other types of packaging - and could be particularly useful for flexible packaging which contains food residue. However, they should be avoided where there is potential for them to contaminate conventional plastics recycling, and clear labelling on their disposal should be in place, for instance what can be composted at home and not. WRAP highlights the best potential uses for compostable packaging, pointing to fruit and vegetable stickers, tea bags, coffee pods and ready meal trays. Of course, it is not only plastic in packaging that negatively impacts the environment and sustainability of packaging, elements like the metal inside crisp packets and confectionary wrappers which needs to be torn off for plastic to be recycled is a problem. Working to address this, Oxford University researchers have created a film that can block gases and water vapours with a nano sheet made of non-toxic synthetic clays stabilised with amino acids. Other exciting developments in sustainable food packaging have seen banana plantation waste transformed into a biodegradable and recyclable packaging material. T: 0115 945 6065 E: admin@croftprinting.co.uk W: www.croftprinting.co.uk Label Printing Company - Quality - Competitive Prices - Design Service - Pre-printed Packaging Error Corrections (Correctapak) - Fast Delivery Self-adhesive labels for all types of applications 40-49.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 11:38 Page 921_0149 When are you planning to reduce the plastic content in your packaging? Delipac can The time is now. Delipac - the sustainable, food safe and plastic free packaging solution. Available now. STOP Kicking the Can! www.denmaur.com/delipac including micro plastics? Can it be completely and universally recycled? Can it completely bio-degrade? Can it compost completely - either at home or industrially? Can it still sell and deliver your products and be convenient? 40-49.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 11:38 Page 10Next >