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January 2022

Innovation Zone Snapshot – Scratch-and-sniff functionality gives beer brand point-of-difference

Read more ›

Innovation Zone

ThePackHub Innovation Zone Snapshot

Welcome to this week’s Innovation Zone snapshot from ThePackHub.
ThePackHub collates more than 1,000 new packaging innovations a year for our Innovation Zone platform. We now have 5,526 searchable initiatives listed. We have selected four new initiatives for you today.

More information on our Innovation Zone packaging database – https://www.thepackhub.com/the-innovation-zone/

Please forward to your friends and colleagues to stay up to date with the latest packaging innovation news.  They can click here to subscribe.

Book on our next packaging webinar

FREE one hour webinar. Catch up on the latest sustainable packaging innovation trends with this whistle-stop tour of the latest initiatives. We will cover many recent in-market and developmental examples to inspire you and keep you up to speed.

We will be joined by Mauro Cozzi – CEO and Co-founder of Emitwise – accounting for carbon in packaging innovation.

Hosted by Paul Jenkins, Managing Director and Barrington Pamplin, Technical Director of ThePackHub.

Book your free place here.

Just announced: Recyclable Packaging Innovations – Thursday 19th May – book your free place here. 

Let’s hear your views!

Moving to paper-based beverage collations.

A shift to various paper-based solutions for both the soft drinks and beer markets is happening. With the number of initiatives we’re tacking in our Innovation Zone platform, it looks like the whole market is pretty much migrating in this direction. With multi-million investments involved, the new packs are here to stay.

It’s likely that most consumers will see this as a good move.

What do you think?

Getting rid of unrecyclable plastic is a no-brainer right?
How do the new packs compare from a functional point of view? Better? Worse?
Should there be more focus on and communication of carbon footprint and LCA data?

Join the conversation here.

#1 Scratch-and-sniff functionality gives beer brand point-of-difference

Graphic Packaging International (GPI) are a leading international business in the design and manufacturing of packaging for commercial products and a regular in the pages of the Innovation Zone. The business has announced the introduction of a paperboard 12 pack for the Milton, Delaware-based Dogfish Head ale and lager brand. The new pack encourages consumers to scratch and sniff the packaging, to release samples of the scents of the products inside. The engaging scratch-and-sniff functionality gives consumers an interactive pack with an engaging point-of-difference. The paperboard pack is fully recyclable and is durable, meaning it can easily withstand travel and commercial distribution while keeping the products preserved and protected. The pack includes three each of Slightly Malty Lo-Cal IPA, 60 Minute IPA, 90 Minute IPA, and Blue Hen Pilsner to make up the 12 pack.

 

#2 Toothpaste pack has afterlife to make brushing more fun for kids

Packaging that turns heads at the point of sale as well as delivering a secondary use can be a great combination to create a competitive advantage. Tandy, the Brazilian kids toothpaste brand owned by US company Colgate-Palmolive, is attempting just that. The brand has launched new cardboard packaging in the shape of a pyramid, that can be turned into a kaliedoscope toy. The aim is to capture the interest of children and encourage them to brush their teeth using the product. It is not clear as to the recyclability of the two main components of the pack but it is likely that the cardboard element is recyclable once the toy has come to the end of its use.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#3 Paper-based bottle set for vodka launch

Scottish brewers BrewDog might be famous for their beer products but has announced the launch of a new vodka product made entirely from waste beer in 2022. The vodka, called Bad Beer Vodka is part of the company’s commitment to sustainability and will also be packaged in a paper-based bottle, which has a biodegradable coating on the inside, making it entirely recyclable or compostable. The company is still at the final stage of testing and concede that the shelf life of the paper-based bottle may be reduced compared to a glass equivalent but will still be long enough to make it very viable. The vodka will be made using beer that has been produced either out of specification or out of date. The waste beer will be fed through its cutting edge 20-metre high rectification column at extremely high temperatures to create pure vodka. BrewDog are already carbon negative due to its move away from fossil fuels, and removes twice as much carbon from the atmosphere as it emits through its operations, due to renewable energy usage, electrification of its fleet, and utilisation of its waste as bioproducts for production.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#4 One-handed dishwashing liquid dispensing allows for greater ease of use

Procter & Gamble (P&G) US has relaunched its best selling Dawn dishwashing liquid in a new distinctive pack design. The new Dawn EZ-Squeeze inverted bottle has no-flip cap, has a self-sealing valve giving a mess-free experience, and one-handed dispensing allowing greater ease of use for customers with disabilities or limited dexterity. The inverted bottle also means no more shaking, flipping, or banging to get out the last drop. The development of the new bottle apparently took more than five years, hundreds of designs, and thousands of hours of testing, making it one of P&G’s most researched and rigorously tested products in the company’s 50-year history within the dish soap category. Dawn EZ-Squeeze is now available at major retailers across the US in Platinum and Original formulas, and is priced at US $2.84 (£2.08).

 

Packaging question of the week

Is Morrison’s move to replace ‘use by’ dates on most of its milk products to ‘best before’ a step in the right direction? Vote and comment on LinkedIn now. 

Last week, only 22% thought that the packaging industry was on track to meet its Plastic Pact goals. See votes and comments here.


January 2022

Innovation Zone Snapshot – Stainless steel tops range allows for bottle repurposing

Read more ›

Innovation Zone

ThePackHub Innovation Zone Snapshot

Welcome to this week’s Innovation Zone snapshot from ThePackHub.
ThePackHub collates more than 1,000 new packaging innovations a year for our Innovation Zone platform. We now have 5,502 searchable initiatives listed. We have selected four new initiatives for you today.

More information on our Innovation Zone packaging database – https://www.thepackhub.com/the-innovation-zone/

Please forward to your friends and colleagues to stay up to date with the latest packaging innovation news.  They can click here to subscribe.

Book on our next packaging webinar

FREE one hour webinar. Catch up on the latest sustainable packaging innovation trends with this whistle-stop tour of the latest initiatives. We will cover many recent in-market and developmental examples to inspire you and keep you up to speed.We will be joined by Mauro Cozzi – CEO and Co-founder of Emitwise – accounting for carbon in packaging innovation.

Hosted by Paul Jenkins, Managing Director and Barrington Pamplin, Technical Director of ThePackHub.

Book your free place here.

Let’s hear your views!

Switching from glass to plastic.

Coffee creamers brand Friesche Vlag brand announced late last year that they are moving all of their products currently in glass to recycled PET bottles. The change to recycled PET bottles is driven by data that confirms that the CO2 footprint of plastic bottles is much less than that of single-use glass.

Is this a good move?
Why is this not more common?

What do you think? Join the conversation here.

#1 Stainless steel tops range allows for bottle repurposing

True Fruits are a German Smoothie brand based in Bonn, that was founded in 2006. They sell their fruit smoothies and shots in glass bottles, and even though 83% of glass is recycled in Germany, the brand is offering customers the opportunity to upcycle their bottles with a number of different stainless steel tops. On their website, they offer a range of different tops available for customers to repurpose their empty bottles. The attachments available include a spice mill, sugar shaker, soap dispenser, drinking attachment, tea strainer, spreaders, as well as permanent tops. Prices for the attachments range from €10 to €17, with the average price being around €15. A funnel is also available for filling the bottles and is suitable for all three bottle sizes that True Fruits sell in 99ml, 250ml or 750ml.

 

#2 Liquid crystals create colour shift for anti-counterfeit applications

Idvac Ltd. is a technology company based in Manchester Science Park and has over 25 years of experience in vacuum and holographic technology. They have now moved their attention to the potential opportunities of Liquid Crystals (LCs) for packaging and security applications. LCs are molecules that have properties between those of conventional liquids and those of solid crystals. They can be aligned by an applied electric field or other methods which change their optical properties. The fact that LCs can change their optical properties, ie ‘Colour Shift’ effects, means they may have some useful applications for anti-counterfeiting applications. So far Idvac have been researching LC applications by printing on PET (polyethylene terephthalate) film, with colour shifts that can be transparent or semi-transparent, fast colour changes from red to green, and combining colour shift with other security features such as holographic patterns. LC colour shift film can also be laminated on Idvac vacuum metallised black coated films to achieve a Green/Deep Blue colour shift.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#3 Bio-based pot and lid for Finnish supplement brand

Forest Spa Finland is a supplier of Nordic adaptogen supplements, which are natural substances thought to help decrease symptoms of stress and fatigue. They have chosen a premium bio-based pot and lid from Finnish sustainable packaging material supplier Sulapac. The material is made into pots and lids by Kyoto-based industrial mould manufacturing company Nissha. The pack has a unique look and feel with large and visible wood chips, emphasising that it is made from natural and sustainably sourced materials. The materials used are derived from industrial side streams that use wood from certified forests. After use, the pots are considered attractive enough to be repurposed, or alternatively, they can be composted industrially to the EN 13432 standard, leaving behind no permanent microplastics within six months. Following a critically reviewed life-cycle analysis, Sulapac’s bio-based material has been found to have a footprint of 0.42 CO2eq/kg compared to 1.7 CO2eq/kg for PP (polypropylene).

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#4 Capsule dispenser doses one at a time

German pharmaceutical packaging manufacturer Packsys GmbH has been announced a World Star Packaging Winner 2022 by the World Packaging Organisation. Their Packsys Capsule Dispenser was designed especially for consumers with declined motor functions, as the lockable actuator can be pressed with little force to release the capsule into the dosing cap, one capsule at a time. This is done without the need for the capsule to be touched. The dispenser is manufactured from pharmaceutical compliant PP (polypropylene) combined with a steel spring and is reported to be both recyclable and refillable. The dispenser can also be equipped with a desiccant fitment for moisture-sensitive products. The force of one finger is sufficient to press the actuator, although it is large enough to be pressed using the whole hand, or even the forearm or elbow if necessary.

 

Packaging question of the week

Is the packaging industry on track to meet its Plastic Pact goals? Vote and comment on LinkedIn now. 

Last week, 66% were more optimistic for their business in the year ahead compared to this time last year. See votes and comments here.


January 2022

Innovation Zone Snapshot – Beauty company develops refillable toothpaste dispenser

Read more ›

Innovation Zone

ThePackHub Innovation Zone Snapshot

Welcome to this week’s Innovation Zone snapshot from ThePackHub.
ThePackHub collates more than 1,000 new packaging innovations a year for our Innovation Zone database. We now have 5,478 searchable initiatives listed. We have selected four new initiatives for you today.

More information on our Innovation Zone packaging database – https://www.thepackhub.com/the-innovation-zone/

Please forward to your friends and colleagues to stay up to date with the latest packaging innovation news.  They can click here to subscribe.

Book on our next packaging webinar

FREE one hour webinar. Catch up on the latest sustainable packaging innovation trends with this whistle-stop tour of the latest initiatives. We will cover many recent in-market and developmental examples to inspire you and keep you up to speed.Hosted by Paul Jenkins, Managing Director and Barrington Pamplin, Technical Director of ThePackHub.

Book your free place here.

#1 Beauty company develops refillable toothpaste dispenser

The Innovation Zone has documented several businesses switching to refillable and reusable packaging as a sustainable alternative to recyclable packs. Yet another example of a change of this kind is claimed to be a ‘world first’ from UK beauty product company Happier Beauty. The business has developed a refillable toothpaste dispenser, made from a combination of aluminium and recycled plastic, refilled by biodegradable refill capsules. The brand has previously developed fully recyclable aluminium toothpaste tubes, but now is moving to a refillable format. Consumers will be sent the refillable dispenser and subsequently the refill capsules as part of the subscription service offered by the company.

 

#2 Patented paper cushion technology makes for sustainable alternative to plastic

British packaging company HexcelPack have launched a fully biodegradable and curbside-recyclable protective barrier made from paper, under the brand name Hexcel’ope. Using the company’s patented slit paper technology to expand the PEFC-certified paper into a three dimensional rigid cushion, the protection offers a strong and sustainable alternative to plastic-based bubble envelopes, which are notoriously difficult to recycle. Many companies are working on paper-based solutions for this reason. This answer is most suitable for e-commerce, as it provides the necessary protection for the delivery and shipment of fragile products.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#3 Ergonomic PET jar is easier to handle

Shinoda Alimentos is one of Brazil’s largest producer of eggs and egg-based products. It has announced the development of a new packaging format for its Albu Protein food supplement line with FuturePack. The new pack is a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) jar, supplied by Moltec, which replaces the previous stand-up pouch format. The new pack is designed to appeal to its main target audiences, of people over 50 who consume albumin, and gym-goers. The unique shape of the new PET jar was designed to make it stand out on shelf and has ergonomic ribbing on the sidewalls that facilitate handling. It also has a wide mouth to enable the consumer to easily dispense the product with a spoon or scoop. The clear jar enables the consumer to see the product easily and is suitable for reuse. The stand-up pouch will still be available but as a refill pack.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#4 Nanofilm extends banana shelf life

In a joint venture, EMPA (Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology) and Lidl Switzerland have brought a protective fruit and vegetable coating to market. The all-natural coating has been extensively tested and in trials has been proved to extend the shelf life of bananas by more than a week. The nanofibre film coating is made by processing pomace into fibrillated cellulose. Pomace is the solid residue left over after extracting the juice from fruit, vegetables or plants. Traditionally, this leftover material was disposed of in biogas plants or directly on the field but it is hoped that it will be used to create protective coatings in the future. The nanofibre film protection is sprayed onto the product and, since it is harmless to consumers, the solution can be washed off before consumption. The aim is for the new technology to be used in all 150 Lidl stores throughout Switzerland following the successful main trial.

 

Packaging question of the week

Are you more optimistic for your business in the year ahead compared to this time last year? Vote and comment on LinkedIn now. 

Last week, 87% think there will be more innovation in the packaging industry in 2022 compared to last year. See votes and comments here.


January 2022

Innovation Zone Snapshot – Nestle to supply brands for Argentinian packaging-free chain

Read more ›

Innovation Zone

ThePackHub Innovation Zone Snapshot

Welcome to this week’s Innovation Zone snapshot from ThePackHub.
ThePackHub collates more than 1,000 new packaging innovations a year for our Innovation Zone database. We now have 5,454 searchable initiatives listed. We have selected four new initiatives for you today.

More information on our Innovation Zone packaging database – https://www.thepackhub.com/the-innovation-zone/

Please forward to your friends and colleagues to stay up to date with the latest packaging innovation news.  They can click here to subscribe.

Book on our next packaging webinar

FREE one hour webinar. Catch up on the latest sustainable packaging innovation trends with this whistle-stop tour of the latest initiatives. We will cover many recent in-market and developmental examples to inspire you and keep you up to speed.Hosted by Paul Jenkins, Managing Director and Barrington Pamplin, Technical Director of ThePackHub.

Book your free place here.

#1 Nestle to supply brands for Argentinian packaging-free chain

Cero Market, which makes the claim of being the first packaging-free supermarket chain in Argentina, has entered into a partnership with Nestlé to supply three of its biggest brands without packaging. Nestlé will supply its Maggi puree, Nescafé instant coffee and Nesquik cocoa powder to Cero Market, whose slogan is  ‘Zero containers, zero waste and zero minimum quantities’. Selling items by weight, the customer takes exactly the amount they need, promoting zero waste. The initiative helps Nestlé in their sustainability goals. They are aiming for their packaging to be 100% recyclable or reusable by 2025, thus ensuring that none of their packaging ends up in landfill. Cero Market currently has twelve stores, selling, among other items, hygiene products, cleaning, infusions, seeds, legumes, flours, jams and sweets.

 

#2 Fragrance closure made from rPET

Texen is a leading French supplier of product solutions for the luxury & beauty markets. Luxury beauty and fragrance brand Chanel were looking for a more environmentally-friendly option for their jar closures. Texen were able to offer an rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), made from recycled PET bottles. The cap contains a black dye that was specifically developed to make it detectable in optical recycling streams, aiding recycling of the component and allowing better management throughout its life cycle. The new cap was developed using Texen’s polycondensation technology, and gives the same mechanical and sensory properties as the previous cap. Texen claim to be able to produce the raw material and manufacture a finished component in less than twenty minutes. The new cap will be used on Chanel’s Le Lift and Hydra Beauty skincare lines.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#3 Biodegradable corn-based material helps increase food shelf life

A newly developed packaging material could help reduce the amount of spoiled food that gets discarded by making produce last longer. The biodegradable development is being overseen by scientists from Harvard University and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) of Singapore. The material is made via an electrospinning process. Its fibres consist of a zein corn protein combined with starch, cellulose and some other naturally-derived polymers. The zein is acquired from corn gluten, a waste by-product from ethanol production. The fibres are ingrained with antibacterial compounds such as thyme, citric acid and acetic acid. The compounds stay within the fibres when the film is wrapped around food. If enzymes are produced by bacteria, the compounds are released that then kill the bacteria and any fungi that may be present. In tests, strawberries wrapped in the new film stayed mould-free for seven days compared to four days for fruit kept in conventional fruit baskets.  The material is still some way from any market commercialisation.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#4 Supermarket trial of refillable draught beer concept commences

Last orders, please! Following a successful trial of refillable packaging, last year at Asda’s sustainability store pilot in Leeds, UK, the British supermarket chain has collaborated with the Craft on Draft brand to launch a new draught beer concept within one of their Milton Keynes stores. The scheme will see 12 different beers on the menu, poured into one or two litre containers by Asda shop assistants, which can then be bought and taken home to then be reused by consumers. If the trial proves successful in terms of both sustainability and profitability objectives, Asda plans to extend the idea to several more stores across the UK, and also incorporate other alcoholic beverages into the scheme including cocktails and stouts.

 

Packaging question of the week

Will there be more innovation in the packaging industry in 2022 compared to last year? Vote and comment on LinkedIn now. 

Last time, In terms of sustainability, 69% believe that the packaging industry is pulling in the same direction more now than in 2020. See votes and comments here.


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