dimanche 30 janvier 2011

Papier-mache milk bottle arrives in UK supermarkets

A new environmentally-friendly milk bottle is set to go on sale in supermarkets throughout the UK.

The bottles, which comprises of an outer shell made from recycled paper and a thin plastic liner to store the milk, will be rolled out across all Asda stores after a successful pilot scheme.

The revolutionary outer shell of the green cartons, which look similar to a normal plastic milk bottle, can be recycles again or thrown away and will decompose in a matter of weeks.
An independent lifecycle analysis of the GreenBottle found it had a carbon footprint 48 per cent lower than that of a standard milk bottle.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs predicts that by 2020 half of all milk packaging will be made from recycled materials.



vendredi 28 janvier 2011

Metro adopte un emballage "écoresponsable"

Les magasins Metro viennent de lancer un nouvel emballage "écoresponsable" pour leurs pommes de terre de marque privée.

L’entreprise indique ainsi que cet emballage, fait de polyéthylène basse densité, est entièrement recyclable. "Développé dans le but de réduire les matières et ressources utilisées lors de la fabrication", le sac est notamment 35% moins lourd que l’ancienne version, et permet de réduire de 70% le nombre de camions nécessaires à son transport. L’entreprise indique également que le fait que le nouvel emballage soit maintenant produit au Québec plutôt qu’outre-mer diminue de 85% la distance parcourue, réduisant ainsi les émissions de gaz à effet de serre.

"Repenser nos emballages et trouver des solutions pour les rendre plus écologiques font partie de nos priorités en matière d’environnement", dit Marie-Claude Bacon, directrice des affaires corporatives, qui rappelle en outre que Metro avait été le premier distributeur alimentaire à offrir, en 2006, des sacs d’emplette réutilisables.
 
 
Commentaire: Pourquoi Metro n'a pas opté pour un sac de pommes de terre en papier recyclé?

mercredi 26 janvier 2011

Outer packaging of chicken 'covered in bacteria

Food standards officials discovered that 40 per cent of packets of chicken in a range of supermarkets, convenience stores and butchers were covered with bacteria on the outside.

Of 20 packets of chicken studied, eight had food poisoning bacteria on their wrapping while seven chickens were contaminated inside the packet. One tested positive for salmonella.

Shoppers are now being warned to wash their hands after handling chicken cartons to combat the risk of catching the campylobacter bug which can induce vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

Birmingham Food Safety officials found that there was no link between the chickens infected inside and outside the packaging. Both types of bacteria are dealt with by thorough cooking and hand washing.

The council's food safety team is believed to be the first to test packaging and it has reported its findings to the Government's Food Standards Agency (FSA) and major retail chains.
 

jeudi 20 janvier 2011

Labeling: Compostable and Biobased

BPI Guidelines for Labeling "Compostable" Products

BPI has published guidelines for manufacturers wishing to market their products as "Compostable in large scale facilities." The guidelines call for adherence to ASTM specifications and labeling in compliance with FTC Guides, inorder to aid consumer recognition of these items.


USDA launches new biobased product Label

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a voluntary product certification for biobased commercial and industrial products.

The “USDA Certified Biobased Product” label will designate products, other than food and feed, that derive a certain proportion of their materials from biological sources.

Product categories under the initiative include personal and institutional cleaning products, construction products, and lubricants and greases.


dimanche 16 janvier 2011

New Studies: Green Packaging and Bioplastics Demand

U.S. demand for green packaging to reach $41.7 billion in 2014

Demand for green packaging—defined here as packaging that comprises recycled content, or reusable or degradable packaging—is projected to increase 3.9% yearly to $41.7 billion in 2014, consuming 58 billion lb of material. That’s according to “Green Packaging,” a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc. The study adds that growth will outpace overall packaging demand but will remain relatively moderate due to the maturity of many products and the large existing presence of recycled-content packaging in paperboard and metal packaging. The fastest gains are anticipated for degradable packaging and plastic recycled-content packaging.


Bioplastics demand will grow, but not all bioplastics are created equal

According to the report, entitled "The Future of Bioplastics for Packaging to 2020: Global Market Forecasts" and available from Pira International, global demand for bioplastic packaging is forecast to reach 884,000 tonnes by 2020. This translates to a compound annual growth rate of 24.9% from 2010-15 slowing to a CAGR of 18.3% in the five years to 2020. According to the study, a new breed of bioplastics will be major drivers as packaging market demand gradually shifts from biodegradable and compostable polymers towards biopackaging based on renewable and sustainable materials.


jeudi 6 janvier 2011

Barquettes en carton couché : coûts, compostabilité et recyclabilité?

Suite à mon commentaire (ici) sur l’article : Du carton pour emballer la viande et les légumes ? J’ai reçu plusieurs emails et commentaires sur les coûts, la recyclabilité et la compostabilité des cartons traités.

Les barquettes en carton couché par une fine couche de polyéthylène ou encore par un couchage à base d’eau, me semblent une solution viable et respectueuse de l'environnement. Certes on ne peut pas égaler le prix du polystyrène, mais il y’a fort à parier que le polystyrène sera la prochaine cible des politiques. Après les sacs plastiques (voir ici) cela pourrait bien être bientôt le tour du polystyrène. Aux États-Unis plusieurs grandes métropoles les ont déjà bannis.

Oui le carton traité avec du couchage à base d'eau (latex) est 100% recyclable, 100% repulpable, 100% biodégradable

Le carton traité avec une fine couche de polyéthylène (moins de 8% du poids total) est 100% recyclable. De plus la majorité des centres de recyclage de papier sont équipés de vis (scavenger) capables de récupérer le film plastique.

En ce qui concerne la compostabilité, c'est un processus complexe (voir ici, Le casse-tête du compostage). On pourrait s'attendre à une désintégration très rapide lorsqu'il s'agit de papier. Lorsque le test est réalisé en unité pilote, il n'y a en général pas de problème, beaucoup de papiers et de cartons "passent ce test". Hélas, quand on réalise le même test en conditions réelles (et non en conditions pilote), c'est loin d'être le cas. Très souvent les papiers sont retrouvés quasiment intacts ce qui aboutit alors à la non adéquation avec la EN 13432 (norme européenne de compostabilité, similaire à l’ASTM-6400). Voir ici une discussion intéressante sur la désintégration du papier dans une pile de compost.
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Finalement, je pense que pour le papier, il faut privilégier la filière recyclage plutôt que le compostage. Même s’il est souillé par de la nourriture, il peut être recyclé.

mercredi 5 janvier 2011

Du carton pour emballer la viande et les légumes ?

Patrick Duquette du Quotidien Le Droit rapporte (ici) que le conseiller Alain Riel propose aux supermarchés de Gatineau d'utiliser du carton, au lieu d'emballer la viande et les légumes dans de polluants contenants de styromousse. Séduisante à première vue, l'idée ne convainc pas un boucher d'expérience consulté par Le Droit

Non l’idée n’est pas farfelue, malgré le scepticisme de certains sur le terrain.

Oui le retour au carton est envisageable non seulement pour les légumes mais aussi pour les viandes.

Les sceptiques pointent du doigt les faibles propriétés barrières du carton: «Contrairement au styromousse, le carton va s'imbiber de sang. Ça risque de produire de mauvaises odeurs, peut-être aussi des bactéries. Sans compter que le carton, ce n'est pas enveloppable»

En effet, le carton non traité ne présente pas une bonne barrière, mais en traitant la surface de ce carton, il est possible de lui procurer d’excellentes propriétés barrières: eau, humidité, graisses et huiles…

L’amélioration des propriétés barrières peut se faire en appliquant une fine couche de plastique (polyéthylène) ou encore appliquer un couchage à base d’eau (latex) qui permet d’imperméabiliser le carton.

Le carton couché aura ainsi les mêmes propriétés barrières que le plastique sans les inconvénients de ce dernier.

A lire ici l’exemple de Seattle suite au bannissement du styromousse.

mardi 4 janvier 2011

Shrink packaging: Less is less…Contents Slim Down But Cost the Same

Consumer Reports' latest investigation, featured in the February issue and online at http://www.ConsumerReports.org, found that more and more producers are downsizing their commodities but not the prices you are charged for them. From toothpaste to tuna fish, hot dogs to hand soap, companies have been shaving ounces and inches from packages for years. Companies often hide their handiwork when they shrink their packages - indenting the bottom of containers, making plastic wraps thinner, or whipping air into ice cream are a few subtle ways companies downsize their products.

Many examples of downsized products are reported here

You can find here all the post related to «Shrink Packaging»






dimanche 2 janvier 2011

5 Packaging Trends to Follow In 2011

Here is my list of 5 packaging trends to watch closely in 2011:
  1. Paper-based Packaging: A Bright future with Water-based coatings
  2. Bioplastic concerns and challenges: value proposition?
  3. Less is more: Thinning, Lightening and generally Reducing
  4. Stand-up pouches: Flexibility, Sustainability and Convenience
  5. Sleeve: Aesthetic, Functional and Tamper-evident
1. Paper-based packaging: A Bright future with Water-based coatings

Paper-based Packaging provides versatile and responsible packaging solutions for product manufacturers, retailers, and consumers. Paper has an excellent image as packaging material (renewable and biodegradable). However due to missing performance characteristics and barrier properties (e.g. fat resistance) paper has been largely replaced by polymers (e.g. PE)

The missing performance and barrier properties of paper can be compensated water-based coatings.

With the push towards sustainability, repulpability and recyclability, water-based technologies are gaining acceptance. The packaging will combine the best aspects of two materials: environmentally friendly paperboard and good barrier properties of water-based coatings.
  • Functional barrier: Water-based coatings can be custom-formulated to meet the packaging requirements of a wide range of fresh and frozen products
  • Sustainable barrier: Can be recycled, repulped and composted 
  • Market drivers: Increased focus on recyclability and Increased demand for sustainability
2. Bioplastic concerns and challenges: value proposition?

While bioplastics are being embraced, labelling confusion, scepticism on functional abilities and environmental claims continue to pose challenges and concerns:
  • Confusion in terminology: Compostable, biodegradable, Oxo-degradable…?
  • End of life hurdles: the puzzle?
  • Carbon footPrint: Plant-based plastics not necessarily greener that oil based relatives?
  • Compostability: home or industrial?
  • PLA production: GMO?
  • Big hurdle: price?
  • Value proposition: Promoting renewable, biodegradable or compostable?
  • Renewability and sustainability of bioplastics are questioned
3. Less is more: Thinning, Lightening and generally Reducing

Concerns about sustainability and environmental friendliness will continue to impact all areas of the packaging industry. Consumers are increasingly interested in their personal impact on the environment and are demanding more from manufacturers. Manufacturers are looking for ways to reduce, down-gauge, lightweight their packaging.

Companies will benefit from these efforts, thanks to material savings and increased demand from green consumers.

4. Stand-up pouches: Flexibility, Sustainability and Convenience

The trend toward stand-up pouches packaging has been mainly driven by companies looking for ways to increase shelf appeal and differentiate their products from the competition and add consumer convenience. Stand-up pouches can be used as an additional marketing tool for brand owners looking to boost sales. From an environmental point of view, pouches are more sustainable than traditional packaging formats (cans, boxes or rigid plastic container). They utilize much less material, improve the product to package ratio and eliminate over packaging and waste. Depending upon the application, pouches can weigh up to 95% less than rigid containers and take up less than 10% of the space typically used by rigid containers. In addition, pouches require much less landfill space than other containers.

5. Sleeve: Aesthetic, Functional and Tamper-evident

Shrink sleeves provide many aesthetic and functional labeling and packaging advantages. Shrink sleeves provide high quality, 360 degree head-to-toe graphics on a series of complex packaging shapes and container geometries. The result maximizes on-shelf impact and appeal and contributes to differentiation in the marketplace. Shrink sleeves also offer tamper-evident capabilities by protecting lids and tops. Shrink sleeves can also reduce inventory by eliminating the need to stock printed containers, and add shelf-life to the product through UV protection. Shrink Sleeves are easily removed in the recycling process resulting in less environmental impact.