May 2023
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The Trific project is a unique 48-hour travel kit for people who travel responsibly. It contains three dry products: hand soap, body soap and toothpaste that simply dissolve after use. Trific is a collaboration between four companies, three Swedish and the other German. By developing a bio-based concept, the collaboration has explored circular design, materials, dry-forming technology and end-of-line barrier solutions. The concept and system design partner is FutureLab & Partners. The wood-based raw material is supplied by Holmen Iggesund, and uses residues from the wood grown in forests to make climate-smart pulp and paperboard, the basis for the Trific packaging. Yangi used their dry-forming technology to turn the material into Trific, and German Optima Packaging Group who are evaluating different barrier options to fulfil different requirements. The end result is this circular packaging solution. The prototype was apparently developed within six months. See also: Swedish collaboration will focus on development of bio-based cosmetic packaging.
This concept looks to need more development work before any hope of a market commercialisation and would certainly be a unique and differentiated offering.
This has opportunities in the Health & Beauty sector.
May 2023
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Five students from the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart have developed edible packaging made from eggshells and other plant-based raw materials. Called Edggy, it was designed for ramen, and once empty the packaging can simply be dissolved in the hot water and can even be eaten as an additional protein boost. When it’s dry, the 4 x 2 centimetre bag looks like normal plastic, but just a little hot water is enough, and within seconds, nothing is left of it. Edggy took the students nine months to develop following research to find the correct formula. For this innovative idea, the five students received the prize at the EIT Food Reuse2Repack Challenge and prize money of EUR 1,200. The team acknowledge that the film can and needs to be improved, and they are considering taking it further via a startup. See also: Researchers investigate egg-based coating to extend shelf life of fruit and vegetables.
This is an interesting concept but needs much more development work to establish if it can ever be commercially viable.
This has opportunities for produce for Food products.
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Tokyo-based design agency Nendo has designed what they call the ‘foam-can’. In Japan, a head on beer is considered essential for making it taste better as it acts as a lid to prevent beer from coming into contact with the air, and keeps it from releasing aroma, flavour, and carbonation. The foam-can was designed with two pull tabs, where there is usually just one, of course. Slightly different distances between each pull tab and the lid change the degree of opening. When the can is opened by the first tab, the lid opens a little to create more foam. Once the glass is about half full of bubbles, stop pouring and wait for the bubbles to settle. Then open the second tab, which opens the lid to the fullest, and gently pour the rest under the foam. In this way, a glass with a liquid-foam ratio of 7:3, is produced, the so-called golden ratio.
There could be opportunities for this innovation for Beverage products..
April 2023
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A scientist from the William Marsh Rice University in Texas has won the National Science Foundation award to develop a sustainable, low-cost, egg-based coating to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. The scientist, who is an Assistant Research Professor in materials science and nanoengineering, said that the goal of the project was to develop an eco-friendly, biodegradable, protein-based nanocomposite coating that could be applied to the surface of a variety of shaped fruits and vegetables. It is hoped that the coating will extend shelf life by reducing spoilage, dehydration and microbial growth rates. The project hopes to address food preservation as well as waste management challenges that could help improve access to fresh produce in food deserts, ie, areas with poor access to healthy and affordable foods. See also: Bio-based spray-on coating triples fresh produce shelf life.
Extending the shelf life of fruit is an important development that could have significant implications for costs and supply options. The Innovation Zone has tracked several examples like this in recent times. This development is the first time we have reported on an egg-based coating that appears to be many tears away from commercialisation.
This has opportunities for produce for Food products.
March 2023
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As part of their doctoral thesis, a researcher at the University of Navarra defends the use of biodegradable “active” packaging, with antioxidant or antimicrobial substances, to improve food preservation and contribute to environmental care. The researcher maintains that incorporating these additives in the packaging, and not directly in the food, reduces deterioration of the product and the risks to the consumer. The researcher also says that biodegradable plastic containers that incorporate these nanoparticles degrade three times faster in sewage treatment plant wastewater than simple plastics, and considers that the result of the research “is very encouraging, since it would facilitate rapid disposal of all food packaging and would contribute to caring for the planet”. It is also thought that the materials developed could have other uses, such as in biomedical applications (bone prostheses and implantable devices, controlled release of drugs), water treatment and disinfection or elimination of air pollutants, among others.
This is an interesting long term development.
This has opportunities for a range of Food products.
March 2023
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A team of researchers from institutions in Finland, The Netherlands, and Germany have identified a fungus as a potential biodegradable alternative to plastic. According to the scientists, the tinder fungus (Fomes fomentarius) has some surprising properties. They have discovered properties that could provide a natural, biodegradable alternative to certain plastics and other materials in the future. The wood-eating fungus has historically been used to catch a spark for fires, though it has also been incorporated into clothing and used for medicine. The researchers looked at the structural and chemical composition of the fruiting body of F. fomentarius, using samples collected in Finland. Parts of the fungus were as strong as plywood, pine, or leather, the team reports – while also being more lightweight than those materials. The results could offer a source of inspiration for producing multifunctional materials with superior properties for diverse medical, industrial and packaging applications in the future.
This is yet another fungi-related development tracked in the Innovation Zone that might one day have packaging applications.
This innovation has opportunities for products across sectors.
December 2022
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Belgian packaging manufacturer Van Genechten Packaging has developed a packaging concept aimed at the perfume and cosmetics market. It can replace the plastic film that has been the industry standard until now but still offers protection against counterfeiting and is tamper evident. The labels display visible security elements to convey to the customer the product’s value and how the manufacturer protects it from counterfeiting. By breaking the seal, the buyer or recipient can be sure that the product was not opened after it was sealed at the production site. Together with a security printing company, VGP first developed the concept and then the product range that was able to turn the formulated claim into reality. The label solutions available can look either simple or elaborate while simplifying the process, as the time-consuming and energy-intensive run through a shrink tunnel is no longer necessary. See also Tamper-evident label for drug vials reveals warning message.
There is no information to confirm that the environmental impact of a small label is smaller than the plastic film it replaces.
This has the potential for a variety of products in the Pharmaceutical sector. The Consumer Goods and Health & Beauty sectors could also benefit from this concept.
November 2022
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A collaboration between several companies has resulted in what they say is a recyclable, high barrier, mono-material stand-up pouch. TotalEnergies, Windmöller & Hölscher, and Mitsubishi Chemical Group say that they have completed a successful proof of concept for their High Barrier Stand-Up Pouch, said to be fully recyclable and applicable to contact-sensitive food packaging. It is said to be manufactured with an MDO-PE (machine direction oriented polyethylene) film – a combination of TotalEnergies’ Supertough, Lumicene high-density PE, and Mitsubishi Chemical Group’s Soarnol – and a sealing film, and laminated together by Dettmer Verpackungen. Machine manufacturer B&B then formed the material into a stand-up pouch, it is claimed. The pouch is intended to replace multi-material, metallised structures, with the new design claiming to be made of 98% polyethylene and less than 2% of the EVOH necessary for barrier properties. See also Collaboration develops recyclable wide-format PE pet food bag.
There is a lot of activity switching to mono-material pouches that achieve good barriers and this is another suitable example. Collaboration has been key in making things happen.
This has applications for Food brands.
November 2022
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French sporting goods retailer Decathlon have developed an energy gel contained within an edible outer coating. The innovation, known as the ‘Gel Pod’ is made from an edible layer made from algae and plant material. The pod is said to have two advantages over current energy gel packs – the first being that there is no packaging to dispose of, and second, the runner does not have to slow down or stop when consuming the gel. The development of the Gel Pod is part of Decathlon’s ambitions to remove plastic containers from all places where sports are practiced, especially in mountain environments. The Gel Pod has already been awarded the innovation prize in ecodesign at the Reveal Innovation 2022, although presently there is no indication of when it will be on sale to the public.
This is one of several edible pod solutions coming to our attention of the Innovation Zone. It is not clear at this who is behind this initiative although it is likely to be Notpla.
This could have applications for products in the Food sector.
October 2022
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Earlier this year, the Grenoble Institute of Engineering and Management (INP) in France, launched the Cellulose Valley Industrial Excellence Chair, in order to offer the industrial sector high-performance and recyclable cellulose packaging in the paper industry. The programme, which will last for four years, will work on proof of concepts and propose solutions expected by society in these areas. The work will be supported by eight companies that have a vested interest in the promotion of cellulose, including Ahlstrom, DS Smith, Guillin Emballage, Aptar, Decathlon, Marie, Chanel, and Citeo. The idea is to work on primary and secondary packaging, for food, cosmetics or other sectors with often common issues, such as those relating to barrier properties for liquid formulas, closure constraints or decorations. The first projects included work on Gruyère and chocolate packaging, on wedging elements, new types of corrugated cardboard, and on high-performance moulded cellulose. See also Researcher creates wood-based alternative to single-use plastic.
This initiative is at the concept stage and many potential years from commercialisation and is one of many cellulose-based initiatives tracked in the Innovation Zone.
This innovation has applications primarily for Food and Health & Beauty sector products.
