PakBec...Think Outside the Box

Global packaging industry expected to reach $820 billion by 2016

2012-01-30T22:43:00.001-04:00

The global packaging industry will swell to almost $820 billion by 2016 predicts Pira International in a new market forecast. Driven mainly by increasing demand for packaging in emerging and transitional economies, a 3% per annum growth rate will focus on board products and rigid plastics, with $40 billion and $33 billion in cumulative predicted growth respectively to 2016.

This growth is being driven by a number of broad trends such as growing urbanisation, investment in housing and construction, a burgeoning healthcare sector and the rapid development still evident in the emerging economies, including China, India, Brazil and some eastern European countries. An increase in personal disposable income in the developing regions fuels consumption across a broad range of products, with consequential growth in demand for the packaging of these goods. For instance, increased demand for white goods, like washing machines and dishwashers, driven also by growing time pressure on consumer lifestyles, leads not just to a growing demand for packaging for the machines themselves, but also for associated products such as the household care products needed to operate these machines, thus stimulating demand across a range of packaging media.

More specifically, robust growth in demand for rigid plastic packaging, especially in sectors like drinks, cosmetics, toiletries, and household and personal care products, is stimulating packaging consumption. Similarly, flexible plastic packaging materials are receiving a boost from sectors like perishable foods, healthcare, convenience foods and various industrial markets. Corrugated board consumption is being egged on by the processed food sector and a number of non-food applications including personal and household care, chemicals, electrical goods and others. At the same time, folding carton consumption is benefiting from the growth found in healthcare products, electrical goods, and frozen and chilled foods, among others.

According to the Pira, the US was the largest consumer for packaging in 2010 with a demand of $137 billion; China was close behind at $80 billion. China is anticipated to surpass the US by 2017, and India will enter the top ten packaging countries with its demand set to almost double in the next five years to $24 billion.

Technological developments in packaging are seeing an upswing in the consumption of bio-polymers in both rigid and flexible applications, improved value adding in products with functional and barrier coatings, as well as enhanced graphics, resource reduction by way of continuous lightweighting across all materials, and other developments.

Board products account for the biggest sector of the packaging market, totaling some $210 billion in 2010 and maintaining their leading position into 2016 when the sector will be worth $40 billion more at nearly $250 billion.

Pira research shows that food and healthcare packaging will continue to be the biggest end uses in global packaging, with the food and drinks industry growing by almost $43 billion combined to 2016. The study shows that health care packs will grow 4.5% each year to reach a total of $34 billion. Cosmetics packaging should grow 4.2% per year to reach $24 billion.

Source

Fully recyclable packaging – good green cred or unsustainable smokescreen?

2012-01-25T09:25:00.000-04:00

Recyclable products are key to a sustainable business model but companies must go further to be considered truly green. Frances Cook looks at whether packaging companies hide behind a 'fully recyclable' slogan and asks, what must be done to create a more sustainable product life cycle?

All look and no substance?

Consumers' perceptions can be created by all manner of factors, but one of the greatest influencers in packaging is the design - the way the product looks and feels.

"Printing a recyclable device or message is very prevalent in most first world countries now but there are subtle differences and there is sometimes a tendency to play this up with brands from S-MEs more than multinationals" said Andrew Streeter of Pack-Track, a Datamonitor packaging research service and packaging expert.

"People are beginning to using words like fully recyclable and probably stretching the point. It is not used as a smokescreen as such, but more as a marketing claim - it is opportunistic," he added.

"There is a trend of sustainability and greenness which some companies are taking advantage of. I hold the view that packaging in some regions is taking on a consumer perceived 'greenish' persona. Matt inks have enjoyed a renaissance, surface texturing, plastics can look very paper like and there are more board applications.

"They are trying to fulfil a consumer need, that recyclable, green element in the brand values. Perhaps there is a hidden or more covert approach to this development, it also conveys a quality dynamic in the brand."

Readmore…

Why haven’t bioplastics captured a larger market share?

2012-01-22T18:07:00.000-04:00

Market expectations for bioplastic usage were initially hyped as this wonderful technology that would replace traditional plastics in all applications. Some predictions say they will replace 20% of all plastics. Who were the proponents of these lofty predictions kidding? They certainly were not uttered by people with knowledge of market development realities or experience in the plastic industry. So why haven’t bioplastics captured a larger market share than their reported 1-2% of total plastic usage? There are four reasons:

Performance is not matched to brand owner or consumer expectations;
Time-line to market acceptance not realistic;
Bioplastic companies marketing efforts not given enough field support and
Difficulties selling to an uninformed customer base and an uninformed end-user base.

Consumers believe products are over-packaged

2012-01-20T23:31:00.000-04:00

Three-quarters of Americans believe many consumer products are over-packaged, according to a survey of lifestyle of health and sustainability (LOHAS) consumers conducted by the Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), Harleysville, Pa. Minimal packaging is most preferred among consumers, followed by recyclable packaging and use of environmentally friendly packaging materials.

“The ‘less is more’ trend continues to resonate with consumers,” said Steve French, managing partner of NMI, in a statement. “Marketers can maintain current and attract new consumers by using less packaging and ‘greener’ packaging materials. Specifically, ‘renewable’ and ‘plant-based’ materials are rated most environmentally friendly among consumers.”

The survey results reveal that consumers show an increasing adoption of new — and easily executed — behaviors that can save the planet, the institute said. NMI recommends that businesses promote the use of post-consumer recycled packaging as well as incorporate new environmentally sourced materials where applicable, but it cautions that companies should not choose packaging that will affect the expense of the product or the consumer’s experience with it.

Source

6 Myths and Facts about What’s Green Packaging

2012-01-10T23:59:00.000-04:00

1. Less packaging or no packaging makes smart eco sense. I get so annoyed when people say leave the packaging at the store or don't use any packaging at all. The truth is that products that we use or consume need packaging to protect, convey, keep sanitary and secure and even educate us about what's inside. Packaging is integral to our modern lives. When someone complains about excess packaging I ask them this simple question. You brushed your teeth today didn't you? I rest my case.

2. Compostable: means you can throw it out in the back yard and it will disintegrate. The truth is this is one of the most misunderstood packaging phrases and the industry doesn't do a good job explaining it either. Consider what happened with the Sun Chips compostable package. Consumers expected one thing and the reality was something else. In most cases compostable applies to a set of controlled conditions in a special facility for the packaging to degrade. The material itself sometimes has unique disposal issues because of limited composting facilities.

3. Packaging is 50%-60 % of the waste stream. I see this number bandied about and it’s untrue. Packaging accounts for around 30%-35%. These companies that claim they sell their products with zero contribution to the waste stream is a misnomer. They may not have the products in the store packaged but they certainly use packaging to get them there undamaged and ready for sale.

4. Recyclability is the only answer. Unfortunately although recycling packaging makes sense, in many cases the infrastructure isn't in place to make it a widespread practice. Consumers have to want to recycle too. In many cases it’s simply too much trouble to save and dispose of in a recycling facility. Another quandary, washing out containers to recycle (you are using energy and water so where's the eco win?)

5. Sustainable packaging will solve all our environmental problems. This is a lofty goal to aspire to; unfortunately the technology isn't quite there yet. Companies have significantly reduced the amount of packaging used. A good example is the "ultra detergents' that offer a concentrated product in a much smaller packaging container, reducing significantly the amount of packaging used an what goes into the waste stream.

6. All plastic packaging is bad. Not true. There are so many new compounds and formulations that have been introduced. Companies are seriously looking at ways to not only reduce the amount of plastic used but alternative methods for disposal and reuse. I might mention here too that in many cases the eco plastic alternatives use more energy to manufacture and have disposal issues of their own.

Source

Active Packaging: M&S to roll out 'life-extending' fruit packaging

2012-01-09T23:29:00.000-04:00

Next week M&S will become the first major retailer to roll out ground-breaking new packaging which it claims will extend the life of fruit stored in the fridge by up to two days, helping to cut domestic food waste.

The supermarket will add a small plaster-style strip at the bottom of punnets of strawberries, containing a patented mixture of clay and other minerals that absorb ethylene – the ripening hormone which causes fruit to ripen and then turn mouldy. The strip measures 8cm x 4.5cm and does not affect the recyclability of the packaging, and the retailer claims there is no extra cost to the consumer of the packaging. If successful, it will be added to all the supermarkets' berries.

Trials carried out in M&S stores showed a minimum wastage saving of 4% – during the peak strawberry season this would equate to 40,000 packs, or about 800,000 strawberries. M&S says it is committed to reducing waste as part of its Plan A programme to be the world's most sustainable retailer.

Hugh Mowat, M&S Agronomist, said: "This new technology is a win-win for our customers – not only will their strawberries taste better for longer, but we really hope it will help them to reduce their food waste as they no longer need to worry about eating their strawberries as soon as they buy them."

Read more…

Communication pour le développement durable: Emballage et suremballage

2012-01-09T08:57:00.000-04:00

Suite au succès de la première rencontre annuelle de son Université d'hiver, le Conseil de la comdd prépare déjà pour les 16 et 17 février 2012, Les 48 heures de la communication pour le développement durable sur le thème Communication et marketing responsables.

Le concept de l’université d’hiver: la grande rencontre annuelle des communicateurs propose un cadre de dialogue et d'innovation pour les professionnels de la communication en collaboration avec des experts en environnement et en développement durable.

Je serai sur le panel thématique: Communication visuelle responsable pour échanger sur l’emballage et le suremballage:

Au lieu de parler de zéro emballage, il serait plus adéquat de parler de Lutte contre le suremballage; un phénomène qui coûte cher au fabricant et suscite des réactions du client. L'emballage est un bien nécessaire plutôt qu'un mal. Il joue un rôle majeur dans la protection et la conservation des aliments en garantissant la sécurité alimentaire. Il constitue aussi un atout majeur dans la réduction des pertes de produits périssables.

Au plaisir de vous rencontrer et d’échanger avec vous!

Nine steps to environmentally friendly packaging

2012-01-08T13:33:00.000-04:00

Improving the sustainability (environmental friendliness) of packaging is a hot topic for packaging professionals. The packaging industry has seen sustainability progress from the latest buzzword to an everyday part of our vocabulary. Still, there is room for basic knowledge and guidance, especially for those companies lacking large packaging staffs or sustainability departments.

Nine steps to take when designing more environmentally friendly packaging :

1- Identify your company’s goals and initiatives. It is important to understand what environmental impacts your company is most concerned with and design with those in mind. For example, is your company concerned about the amount or types of plastic they use? If so, then that should be taken into consideration when designing new packages.

2- Identify the destination of the package. This knowledge helps the designer understand what end-of-life options (recycling, landfill, incineration) are available at the destination, which may affect how you design your package. In addition, knowing the destination allows you to account for fees associated with any environmental impacts pertaining to your package.

3- Identify applicable regulations. Regulations should supersede all other considerations in package design and, therefore, need to be considered early in the process. It is important to understand whether regulatory requirements are consistent for all destinations. If not, can the package be tailored to each destination, or should it be designed to meet regulations in all destinations?

4- Determine how a package will be shipped. In general, the most energy-efficient mode of shipping is preferable. However, the mode of shipping is often determined by business requirements (e.g., balancing cost challenges, reduced inventory/increased turnover, flexibility/customized features/delivery, suppliers’/customers’ locations, etc.) It is important to design packages consistent with the mode of shipping selected and, when possible, to choose the most energy efficient shipping option.

5- Identify internal requirements; marketing, regulatory affairs, and/or other applicable departments that should be considered. Internal requirements take into account whether the environmentally responsible package is economically viable, whether it enhances the product’s image and acceptability, and whether it protects the product from physical, biological, or chemical harm, among other considerations.

6- Identify and understand any applicable customer requirements. It is much more common for customers (mainly retailers) to have specific package design guidelines that must be followed. These guidelines often include packaging materials they will not accept, specific pallet requirements, etc. Your best source in your company for finding this information is your sales team or supply chain organization. In addition, often you can find information on a customer’s website.

7- Raw material selection. Product manufacturers face many tradeoffs when choosing between raw materials. Choices should be made with the complete life cycle of the package in mind.

8- Address the actual package design. If you followed steps one through seven, you should be armed with enough information to minimize the environmental impact of your package.

9- Communicate what your package hopes to accomplish, what has been done, and why it is important. Educating the consumer and the retailer is important to ensure that everyone’s understanding of environmentally responsible packaging is improved.

By following these nine steps, you will improve on the environmental impact of your packaging.

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10 tips for sustainable package design

2012-01-06T22:49:00.000-04:00

With the fundamentals of sustainable packaging in mind, following are some areas to consider when implementing changes to your packaging for improved environmental impact.

For nearly a decade, the biggest buzz in packaging has been the move toward sustainability, or “green” packaging. Driven by retailer requirements, public perception, economic pressures (petroleum, in particular), and government policies, sustainability impacts every aspect of a package—from the source of its raw materials to its end of life—and as such has proven to be an incredibly complex issue.

But over the years of debate and discovery, we have learned some core truths about the topic. First, there is no such thing today as a completely sustainable package. Instead, sustainability is a journey. The goal is to make incremental improvements over time in the sustainability of a package to reduce its overall environmental impact.

Second, in sustainability terms, packaging materials—including glass, plastic, paper, and aluminum—cannot be classified as good or bad. Each has its advantages and shortcomings, depending upon the product application and the goals and mission of the packager. Trade-offs are an inherent part of pursuing sustainability.

And last, packaging must be put into perspective by understanding its role in the full product supply chain. Packaging typically makes up less than 10% of the carbon footprint of a product; manufacturing and consumer use often comprise the largest proportion. While packaging’s footprint may be small, its importance cannot be understated. If the package fails in its primary functions—protecting the product through the supply chain, enticing consumers to purchase, and facilitating consumption—all the energy consumed in manufacturing the product is lost when the product is wasted.

Ten tips for sustainable packaging design With these fundamentals in mind, following are some areas to consider when implementing changes to your packaging for improved sustainability:

1. Take a life-cycle approach to package design.

2. Evaluate each component of your package.

3. Consider new alternatives for distribution packaging.

4. Look for opportunities to make your packaging reusable—where it makes sense.

5. Consider changes in your product.

6. Whenever possible, design for recyclability.

7. Employ packaging strategies that encourage product consumption.

8. Know where your packaging materials come from.

9. Evaluate your distribution system for space-saving opportunities.

10. Consider materials made from renewable feedstock.

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2012 Plastics Packaging Predictions

2012-01-03T23:03:00.000-04:00

Plastics Today Reveals 2012 Packaging Predictions

1. Lightweighting in primary packaging has run its course: Anyone who's handled a bottled water lately knows that brandowner and packaging suppliers' work to lighten their products has reached a tipping point. Any less material in today's water bottle, for instance, and the transformation from rigid to flexible package is complete. As a result, look for brandowners and retailers, at the vocal behest of their customers, to start targeting wasteful or unnecessary secondary and tertiary packaging, reexamining goods from the case, carton and pallet level, all of which could mean continued changes for the primary packaging component.

2. Plastics bags and bottles will remain embattled: In cash-strapped governments around the globe, where economic uncertainly and hyper-partisanship have paralyzed nearly all other legislating, bag bans or bag taxes seem to be the one piece of legislation that city councils, state houses, and national governments the world over can pass. Almost every day in 2011, my inbox received news of either a new bag ban or a status update one on currently being passed. Plastic bottles have been getting their own attention as well of late, with Grand Canyon National Park weighing a bottle ban for 2012. This will not stop in 2012, and will likely increase until the law of unintended consequences kciks in and consumers and legislators realize some of the shortfalls of paper and cloth bags.

3. Biobased PET takes the lead: Led by Coca-Cola and Pepsi, the bottling industry has effectively pushed biobased polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into the lead of the group of materials hoping to replace petroleum-based plastics in bottles. Biobased replacements for PET, including polylactic acid (PLA), ultimately couldn't unseat PET due to end-of-life concerns over recycling or processing difficulties, while attempts at upping recycled content in the bottles were undermined by the lack of an unreliable supply stream of post-consumer PET. Coke and Pepsi's work to create a 100% biobased PET will have broad ramifications for the burgeoning bioplastics market, with non-fossil fuel routes pursued for all those base resins that have established themselves within various markets, including packaging.

4. Recycled content will increase: Apart from the bottle push, recycled content, more than biobased materials, bill have an increasingly important impact on packaging, with brandowners proudly displaying to the public any recycled content in their packaging, and in the process solving two problems: resource reduction and end of life. The use of recycled content will be buoyed in 2012 by advancements in sorting/shredding/cleaning technology as well as increased collection.

5. Industry association/supplier efforts to address litter will increase: Industry trade associations, resin suppliers, and plastics packaging manufacturers have seen the enemy and it is litter. To that point, these groups, which already announced anti-litter campaigns in 2011, will continue to do so in 2012. Continued increases in fossil-fuels, and all their derivative products, including plastics, will drive home the fact that plastic packaging is not a throwaway material.

Five Packaging Trends That Will Shape 2012

2012-01-02T12:13:00.001-04:00

After PackagingDiva, here is my list of 5 packaging trends to watch closely in 2012:

Functionality and sustainability: Finding the balance between under-packaging and over-packaging
Sustainable Packaging: Increased focus on recyclability and Increased demand for sustainability
Paper-based packaging : Keep the Molecule in Play
Stand-up pouches: Maximum Flexibility, Sustainability and Convenience
The development of Bioplastics: A viable eco-friendly solution?

Best wishes for a healthy, wealthy, sustainable and innovative New Year 2012!

1) Functionality and sustainability: Finding the balance between under-packaging and over-packaging

For decades, packaging was seen as nothing but waste, a nuisance to be avoided. However, packaging waste pales into insignificance compared with the losses caused by food waste. According to recent FAO study, One-third of food in developing countries is destroyed before it ever reaches the consumer.

Food packaging—could now move from being the villain to being the hero:

Packaging prevents food waste and saves resources
Packaging is part of the solution for an overall resource efficient economy
Packaging facilitates more sustainable lifestyles

You have to balance functionality with sustainability

2) Sustainable Packaging: Increased focus on recyclability and Increased demand for sustainability

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.

Major companies are beginning to take note and a few have stepped forward to lead the “sustainable packaging revolution”. They 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.

World demand for green packaging—including recycled-content, reusable, and degradable packaging is projected to rise 5.7% per year to $212 billion in 2015 (Freedonia, 2011).

Sustainable packaging: Win-Win-Win for the environment, for manufacturers and suppliers, and for consumers

3) Paper-based packaging : Keep the Molecule in Play

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, paper has been largely replaced by polymers (e.g. PE). Improving paper's barrier properties is seen as a crucial step in increasing its viability as a packaging material:

Wax is on the Wane: The future is clear – wax replacement packaging will become a necessity
With the push towards sustainability, repulpability and recyclability, water-based technologies are gaining acceptance.
Water-based coatings can be custom-formulated to meet the packaging requirements of a wide range of fresh and frozen products
Opportunities for retailers to sharply reduce their landfill costs, while boosting their recycling levels

Bright Future: Water-based technologies are gaining wider acceptance

4) Stand-up Pouches: Maximum 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.

Stand-up Pouches: Lightweight packaging solutions with optimal protection

5) The development of Bioplastics: A viable eco-friendly solution?

While bioplastics are being embraced, labeling confusion, skepticism on functional abilities and environmental claims continue to pose challenges and concerns:

Confusion in terminology: Biobased, Compostable, biodegradable, Oxo…? - Education is needed to clarify in the minds of consumers and clients, the environmental benefits of these new materials

End of life hurdles: the puzzle? - Consumers are confused when it comes to separating biodegradable, compostable and recyclable plastics. Information about how to best dispose of it, is necessary

Carbon footprint: bioplastics not necessarily greener than oil based relatives? - Skeptics about LCA studies: data may not be accurate or complete and system boundaries are not easily defined

Price: Current prices for bioplastics are significantly higher than the cost of PE - People are environmentally conscious when it’s convenient and affordable. Higher oil prices are lowering the gap in prices of bioplastics and conventional plastics

Weak barrier properties: MVTR, OTR, heat resistance, microwavable…? - Barrier and physical properties may limit applications - Blends and compounding

Value proposition: Promoting Biobased, Biodegradable or Compostable? - Is not yet clear in the minds of most consumers and clients

Finally, both the packaging industry and consumers need to work together to develop a unified set of standards that will end confusion and maintain transparency in the rapidly growing sustainability sector:

The distinctions are subtle but significant: not all bioplastics are created equal and there are a lot of misleading claims out there
Education: has to be a combined effort from resin makers, converters and the companies that will be selling these products to the consumer

The Gillette Fusion ProGlide Over-packaging // suremballage

2011-12-26T21:17:00.000-04:00

The Gillette Fusion ProGlide have too much packaging.

By the way, As part of its 2020 sustainability goals, in late September 2010, P&G announced plans to reduce packaging by 20%; to replace 25% of all petroleum-based materials with sustainably sourced renewable materials; and to eliminate entirely the use of PVC in packaging within the next few years.

Below video with comments in French

Le Bilan de 2011. Emballage papier : Fonctionnel, Pratique et Éco-responsable

2011-12-25T21:06:00.001-04:00

2011 est à nos portes, c’est l’heure du bilan!

Mes nouveaux engagements et mes nombreux déplacements m’ont laissé moins de temps pour bloguer. Je dois aussi partager ce temps consacré au web 2.0 avec les nouveaux médias sociaux, Twitter (ici) et le Groupe que j’ai crée sur LinkedIn : PAPER-BASED PACKAGING (ici).

Je vous présente mes meilleurs voeux pour 2012. Que cette nouvelle année soit emballante, innovante et éco-responsable!

I. Conférences et présentations : L’année 2010 fût très riche en conférences et présentations. Voici un condensé de mes diverses communications:

1) Papier Recyclé et Sécurité Alimentaire: Migration des huiles minérales. Cliquez ici pour télécharger cette conférence que j’ai donnée dans le cadre de la Conférence complètement flexo organisée par L’Institut des communications graphiques du Québec (ICGQ).

2) Recyclable coatings for paper foodservice packaging. You can download here this talk given last November 15th, 2011 in New York (NY, USA) at the Fall Resource Recovery Conference organised by the Global Green USA Coalition for Resource Recovery.

3) Emballage papier : flexible, pratique et éco-responsable. Cliquez ici pour télécharger cette conférence que j’ai donnée dans le cadre de la deuxième édition du colloque sur l’éco-responsabilité organisé par l’Institut des communications graphiques du Québec (ICGQ).

4) Bio-coated Paper-Based Flexible Packaging: Functionality and Sustainability. You can download here this talk given at the 2011 TAPPI PLACE Flexible Packaging Symposium, April 5, 2011 in Orlando, Florida USA.

5) Case Studies: Functional and Sustainable Paper-based Packaging. You can download here this talk given at the Pira International's fifth annual Sustainability in Packaging conference, February 22-24, 2011 in Orlando, Florida USA.

Par l’ailleurs, c’est déjà confirmé, en 2012, je serai au (Cliquez sur le titre pour accéder au programme complet):

1) TappiPlace Conference May 6-9, 2012, Seatle, Washington, USA. Packaging: Functional and Sustainable Coating. You can download here the Technical Program

2) Université d’hiver2012. Les 48 heures de la communication pour le développement durable. Les 16 et 17 février 2012 au SPA Eastman en Estrie au Québec. Emballage et suremballage : Au lieu de parler de zéro emballage, il serait plus adéquat de parler de Lutte contre le suremballage; un phénomène qui coûte cher au fabricant et suscite des réactions du client. L'emballage est un bien nécessaire plutôt qu'un mal. Il joue un rôle majeur dans la protection et la conservation des aliments en garantissant la sécurité alimentaire. Il constitue aussi un atout majeur dans la réduction des pertes de produits périssables. Vous pouvez consulter ici, le programme des deux journées.

II. CQVB : Biocomposites et emballages actifs. Cette année, j’ai eu la chance de réaliser deux mandats pour le Centre québécois de valorisation des biotechnologies (CQVB) :

1) Bioveille: Biocomposites dans l'industrie automobile. L’épuisement des gisements pétroliers, les variations imprévisibles du coût du baril de pétrole et la prise de conscience environnnementale de la nécessité de penser à des options de rechange aux ressources fossiles stimulent la recherche pour développer de nouveaux matériaux renouvelables. Dans ce contexte, les biocomposites s’avèrent être un filon particulièrement intéres¬sant. Obtenus par introduction de fibres naturelles dans une matrice de plastique biodégradable, pétrochimique ou recyclé, les biocomposites sont appelés à remplacer progressivement les matériaux composites issus de la pétrochimie.

2) Biotendance : Emballage alimentaire… de passif à actif : Ce numéro de BioTendance® offre un panorama des plus récentes applications des emballages actifs dans le secteur de l’emballage alimentaire. Les enjeux et les cadres réglementaires seront aussi évoqués. Ce numéro sera publié début 2012.

III. Articles de vulgarisation. Finalement, en 2011, j’ai été invité à rédiger/contribuer à quelques articles de vulgarisation:

1) Carton recyclé et sécurité alimentaire : une barrière fonctionnelle à la rescousse! Publié dans le Numéro de juin 2011, du journal interne de Cascades : Le Cascadeur. Cliquez Ici la version francaise & here for english version (Recycled Cardboard and Food Safety: A Functional Barrier to the Rescue!)

2) Un Design Emballant : des emballages écolos, beaux, pratiques et efficaces…L’article de Mathieu Gobeil publié dans le magazine Québec Science. Cliquez ici pour consulter l’article.

Ten packaging machinery trends for 2012

2011-12-22T09:33:00.000-04:00

With the North American economy beginning to show some positive signs, there is a pent-up demand for new packaging, new products, new acquisitions, and new technologies to increase packaging line productivity. B&R Industrial Automation's packaging market development manager John Kowal--who is also a board member of both the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute and OMAC--predicts packaging machinery trends that will emerge from this environment.

1. Sterialization will gain ground

2. Condition monitoring will add value

3. Accelerating software convergence in packaging
4. Brazil will be on your radar

5. Retail ready…or not, here it comes

6. Safety first…and next
7. Plant seeds now to win big later
8. Advanced technologies for turnkey systems
9. Better interaction with operators on individual machines
10. NA and EU OEMs consolidate

Read full article

Five Global Packaging Trends than Could Change your Life

2011-12-20T23:47:00.001-04:00

Here are PackagingDiva 5 packaging trends that you cannot overlook for 2012.

1. Eyeballs Everywhere : Everyone will be watching what you do with your product packaging. Increasing scrutiny will come from US regulatory agencies such as the FDA, FTC, international agencies and watchdog groups such as the Copenhagen accord and of course consumers. They want to tell you to what you can or cannot say on your packaging, what materials it should be made of, how much material you can use and how you should dispose of it.

Packaging phrases to watch for:

§ Packaging Bans and Mandate

§ External Regulatory Agencies

§ WrapRage

§ Misleading Consumers

2. Private Label Prevails : CPG’s (consumer products) are under attack as consumer battle economic woes. It’s now not as much about the brand as it is about the value of what’s inside. If you have noticed many of the 1st tier brands are being moved to less attractive shelf space due to the advent of private label brands for most retailers.

Packaging phrases to watch for:

§ Private Label

§ Generic

§ Economical

§ Value Packaging

§ Branding

§ Marketing

§ Rebranding

3. Information Overload : Ever wonder about all those icons, symbols and slogans on your packaging? What they really mean? As companies struggle to craft winning messages they are creating their own symbols, slogans and icons many of which are meaningless. So no wonder the consumer is confused about the validity of these messages.

Packaging phrases to watch for:

§ Certification Symbols

§ Frustration-Free Certification

§ Self-certification

§ Greenwashing

§ Branding

§ Marketing

§ Advertising

4. Green Goes Mainstream : Packaging accounts for 30-35% of the waste stream and consumers are concerned what to do about it. They are demanding less packaging and that serves a secondary purpose or can be recycled or reused.

Packaging phrases to watch for:

§ Recyclable

§ Compostable

§ Sustainable

§ Biodegradable

§ Bioplastics

§ Bioresins

§ Greenwashing

§ Repurposed

§ Precycling

§ Eco-friendly

§ Extended Producer Responsibility

5. Your Packaging Does What and Where? Gone are the days of packages sitting prettily on the shelf. There is too much competition so companies are looking for unique ways to engage the consumer. Much of this revolves around interactive packaging and social media where consumers are engaged through secondary actions. Smart or intelligent packages that help you make an informed decision or at the very least point you in the right direction. The mobile consumer is the target of most of these packaging innovations.

Packaging phrases to watch for:

§ Augmented Reality

§ 2D Barcodes

§ Social Media

§ Facebook

§ Twitter

§ Smart Packaging

§ Intelligent Packaging

§ Nanotechnology

§ YouTube

§ Virtual Stores

§ Smartphones

Read full article…

A responsible supply chain is a delicate balancing act

2011-12-19T22:27:00.000-04:00

In a recent conversation with a large client, I was very encouraged to learn that the responsible supply chain is becoming an integral part of product and packaging strategy for them and also for their competitors. Setting corporate sustainability goals around products and packaging, adhering to national and regional regulations, holding suppliers accountable to become more environmentally and socially conscious, have made it into boardroom discussions and corporate strategy.

Businesses are finally looking at sustainability in product lifecycles as new regulations are being formulated or enforced around the world. Companies are also seeing growing consumer demand for green products. Responsible supply chains span every phase of a product’s lifecycle – design, manufacturing, packaging, transportation and disposal.

Below is a sample of questions businesses should ask of themselves to understand how to be more responsible:

Design: How do we reduce the use of material (dematerialize) and impact to the environment (decarbonize)? Or have early considerations been given to make the product conducive to remanufacturing or recycling after its end of life?
Manufacturing: What portion of the product is made out of renewable, recycled, or remanufactured material? How efficient are the manufacturing processes from material use, energy consumption, emission and waste generation viewpoints?
Packaging: While ensuring that the functional requirements of packaging are not compromised, what proportion of the total material is reused, recycled and renewable? Are there any banned non-recyclable material used in the packaging? What metrics are multi-brand retail customers such as Wal-Mart and Tesco using to rank and manage the sustainability performance of their suppliers are you prepared to adhere to such customer scorecards.
Transportation: Are you considering the impact that shipping has on the environment? Have you considered optimal vehicle design to improve fuel efficiency? What clean fuel sourcing strategy do you have in place or are considering? Have you enforced truck idling reduction policies or made investments in optimizing route planning?

Managing and maintaining an optimal harmony among what goes as input to the supply chain, what is made and how much goes as waste is critical to responsible supply chain and to good product stewardship. In my next blog I will write about life after the end of life of a product and how it can be a powerful solution to reducing waste and curtailing pollution.

Source

Protecting energy wood with a paper-based biomass cover saves time and money

2011-12-13T23:26:00.000-04:00

Sonoco will invest about $75 million to add a new biomass boiler to its plant in Hartsville, replacing two aging coal-fired boilers. The new boiler will be fueled primarily by woody biomass created by regional logging activity but can also run on natural gas. The boiler will produce about 16 MW of "green" energy that will be consumed by the manufacturing complex, as well as steam that is used in the papermaking process. The company will also upgrade a machine that produces corrugated paperboard, as well as emission-control technology on another boiler at the plant. (Source)

My comment:

Turning woody biomass from the forest into green energy seems to have a bright future. We are offering a biomass cover, a cover material made mainly of paper which shelters logging residue from rain, snow and freezing. Thanks to the cover, the energy content of the wood rises as the solids content increases. Experience has shown that the solids content of wood can be raised by as much as 10–15% by using the cover.

30 Brilliant Social Media Marketing Tips From 2011

2011-12-10T11:30:00.000-04:00

Via Hubspot Blog

With so many great social media marketing tips getting shared in the blogosphere, we wanted to pass along some of the best tips and ideas that came up in 2011. These are tips that, if you haven't benefitted from them yet, are evergreen enough that you can continue to leverage them well into 2012 to make your social media marketing rock.

1. Write blog content for your target audience, which is not necessarily yourself.

2. If you’re going to use social media for customer service, mirror your hours of operation on Twitter to the hours of operation you have for your support team.

3. Measure social media ROI by analyzing how it performs compared to more established channels or advertising methods.

4. Mobile check-in deals aren’t just for restaurants and bars.

5. How frequently you blog does count.

6. Hashtag-stuffing tweets doesn’t work.

7. If you follow more people than are following you, you could harm your Twitter account’s SEO potential.

8. Building an online community? Show your power users that you appreciate their contributions.

9. Blog about the problems your product or service solves – not about the product or service.

10. Think of marketing as storytelling, and think of your customers as the characters.

11. Depressing tweets, vague tweets, tweets about your weight loss – and of course, our favorite, the humblebrag - these are all messages that are better kept to yourself.

12. What does your social media strategy really need? It needs to answer simple questions.

13. Publishing a blog post on your company blog? Post several tweets of that post and track the success of different times and keywords for your followers.

14. Stop talking about yourself if you want more retweets.

15. The medium isn’t the message.

16. Choose to measure social media metrics that tell you how you’re doing based on why you’re doing social media in the first place.

17. Use geo-location Twitter searches to identify local prospects to connect with.

18. Use social media data to find your key influencers, outline your media plan, and develop your messaging.

19. Create a Facebook group to stay connected with those you meet at conferences months after the last panel.

20. Consider the timing of your social media posts – time of day, time of week, and time of year.

21. You don’t need the voice of influencers – you need your brand advocates.

22. Have a common name? Use checkusernames.com to test personal brand monikers that will work for your social media handles and domain.

23. Plan your editorial calendar for what ebooks can result from your blog posts.

24. If you’re going to tell people to “like” your company on Facebook, have something of value waiting there for them.

25. If your company makes a mistake on social media – think rogue tweets – step out and own up to the mistake.

26. Use social media contests as an opportunity to learn more about your customers.

27. Here are three universal content blueprints to include in your company’s blogs: offer a new opinion, create a killer list, or teach your customers how to do something.

28. Leverage social search and boost your rankings for target keywords by offering content (ebooks, webinars, etc.) and having community members pay with a tweet.

29. Include social sharing and follow buttons on your site, your blog, and in your emails.

30. It seems obvious, but an often disregarded quality of great community and social media managers is great social skills.

Ikea switches from wooden to paper pallets

2011-12-08T22:14:00.001-04:00

Ikea, which uses 10 million pallets to ship goods from suppliers to its 287 stores in 26 countries, will ditch wood worldwide by January, cutting transport costs by 10 percent. The new corrugated cardboard design can support loads of 750 kilograms (1,650 pounds), the same as timber, Skjelmose says. At two inches high, the paper pallets are one-third the height of wooden ones, and they’re 90 percent lighter, at 5.5 pounds. The svelte profile means Ikea can cram more goods into each shipment. The pallets, assembled onsite by most of Ikea’s 1,200 global suppliers, will be used only once before being recycled.

Read more…

Bioplastics News : Growth, Demand and Innovation

2011-12-04T23:50:00.000-04:00

European Bioplastics report: The end of the oil age and rise of bioplastics

With 420 attendees, the 6th European Bioplastics conference in Berlin could rightly be termed a major success. This year, more than 80% of the participants came from Europe, 10% from Asia, and the better part of the remaining 10% from North and South America. Established players ranging from BASF, DSM, PolyOne, NatureWorks and Dow to Novamont, BioAmber and the World Wide Fund for Nature offered insights and information on new materials, environmental aspects and strategic market development.

Read more…

World demand for bioplastics to triple by 2015

Global demand for biodegradable and bio-based plastics will more than triple to more than 1 million metric tons in 2015, valued at $2.9 billion, according to a new market study.

Gains will be fueled by rising petroleum prices, consumer preferences for sustainable materials, improved performance of bioplastics, and the introduction of commodity plastics produced from bio-based sources.

Read more…

Researchers Make Biodegradable Plastic Bottles From Olive Skins

Soon you may be able to buy olive oil in bioplastic bottles made from a compound found in olive skins, thanks to the work of a Spanish researcher.

Jesús Zorrilla has found a way to extract PHAs (poly-hydroxy-alcanoates) from the residues of olive skins, which in turn can be used to make plastic containers that are non-toxic and 100 percent biodegradable

Read more…

Tackling food waste in Europe and how good packaging can play a role

2011-12-02T12:30:00.000-04:00

Corrugated of Course interviewed Andrew Parry from WRAP UK, Nina von Radowitz from Metro Group and Selina Juul from Stop Wasting Food Denmark at Combating Food Waste in the EU 2011. We asked them their thoughts on food waste in Europe and how packaging plays a role in battling the issue.

Wal-Mart Joins Amazon in Less-Wasteful Packing to Cool ‘Wrap Rage’

2011-11-30T00:21:00.000-04:00

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) are prodding more manufacturers to change their packaging to cut waste and alleviate “wrap rage,” the frustration felt when a product is difficult to open.

The nation’s largest online store and the world’s biggest retailer have been pushing vendors, including Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) and Bluetooth headset maker Plantronics Inc. (PLT), to eliminate excessive and cumbersome packing materials, such as hard plastic clamshell casings that enclose electronics and wire ties used to secure toys to cardboard backings.

Read more…

Paksense: XpressPDF temperature monitoring label

2011-11-22T23:01:00.000-04:00

XpressPDF™ Labels monitor time and temperature of perishable items such as food, vaccines, pharmaceuticals, biologics, and other perishable products during distribution and storage. About the size of a sugar packet, labels are flat and feature an integrated USB connection point which can be plugged directly into the USB port of a computer. Once connected, the label automatically generates a PDF data file containing complete time and temperature history including a graph and summary statistics. Simple to use and easy to interpret, XpressPDF Labels eliminate the need for reading devices and proprietary download software.

Download here the detailed product specifications.

Papier Recyclé et Sécurité Alimentaire: Migration des huiles minérales

2011-11-17T22:16:00.000-04:00

Vous trouvez Ci-dessous la présentation que j’ai donnée aujourd’hui dans le cadre de la grande Conférence Flexographie organisée par l’Institut des communications graphiques du Québec (ICGQ, 17 novembre 2011, Montréal).

Papier Recyclé et Sécurité Alimentaire: Migration des huiles minérales

J’ai essayé de mettre un peu de rationalité dans le débat pour couper court à tous les fantasmes et surtout au sensationnalisme journalistique; Rappeler les fonctions primaires de l’emballage et exposer les contraintes liées aux solutions qu’on pourrait éventuellement proposer pour limiter les risques.

Oui, il y a migration des huiles minérales vers les aliments; Oui, il pourrait avoir un risque sur la santé humaine; Oui, il existe des solutions, des plus radicales au plus coûteuses. Mais il faut rappeler que nous ingurgitons quotidiennement de nombreux composés potentiellement toxiques, et il n’est pas démontré que les emballages doivent être davantage incriminés que d’autres sources de contamination.

Si jamais le cadre réglementaire/législateur impose des nouvelles restrictions suite à des études toxicologiques poussées, on sait que les solutions existent, mais elles ont un prix. Un prix dont le consommateur devra s’acquitter.

Recyclable coatings for paper foodservice packaging

2011-11-15T22:13:00.000-04:00

You find enclosed my talk entitled: “Recyclable coatings for paper foodservice packaging” given at the Global Green USA Coalition for Resource Recovery, November 15th, 2011, New York, NY, USA.

Recyclable coatings for paper foodservice packaging

Papier Recyclé et Sécurité Alimentaire: Migration des huiles minérales

2011-11-13T22:27:00.001-04:00

L’Institut des communications graphiques du Québec (ICGQ) organise le jeudi 17 Novembre 2011, une Conférence complètement flexo : Grande conférence deFlexographie. Je donnerai une conférence intitulée: Papier Recyclé et Sécurité Alimentaire: Migration des huiles minérales.

Je vais essayer de mettre un peu de rationalité dans le débat pour couper court à tous les fantasmes et surtout au sensationnalisme journalistique; Rappeler les fonctions primaires de l’emballage et exposer les contraintes liées aux solutions qu’on pourrait éventuellement proposer pour limiter les risques.

Au plaisir de vous rencontrer à l’ICGQ

Special Packaging so as to raise Breat Cancer Awareness

2011-11-07T12:08:00.000-04:00

The Danish bread company Kohberg has launched an original and creative packaging so as to support the fight against breast cancer. The company will donate to Danish Cancer Society part of the revenue generated from the sales of their bread buns.

With this action, Kohberg has got attract our attention!.

Source

Coffee chains urged to improve takeaway cup recycling

2011-10-30T21:30:00.001-03:00

Consumer group says retailers' use of mixed materials recycling is confusing customers and leading to more landfill.

Coffee shops are failing to make it easy for customers to recycle the estimated 2.5bn takeaway cups thrown away each year in the UK, a consumer group warned on Tuesday.

The investigation by Which? found that consumers were confused by retailers' use of "mixed materials", which make recycling a headache, and urged providers to take more environmental responsibility.

More than half of the 2,471 people surveyed who buy takeaway drinks admitted that they dispose of their paper cups in the general waste bin, the research revealed.

While disposable cups are made predominantly of cardboard (about 95% by weight), they also contain about 5% polyethylene in the form of a thin coating inside the cup. David Powlson, an expert in paper recycling and principal at Poyry Management Consulting, said: "This is great for keeping your coffee warm and the cup from going soggy, but not so great when you come to realise that most UK paper mills are unable to process paper mixed with other materials."

Which? said that attempts by retailers to stem the tide of unrecycled cups varied enormously, and called on them to do more. It complained: "While all showed they try to address the recyclability of paper cups, we thought none of them go far enough."

Of the five major brands selling takeaway hot drinks in the UK, Starbucks said it is aiming to increase the number of drinks it serves in reusable cups, and also offers 25p off for customers bringing their own mug.

The bakery chain Greggs insists that disposal of cups once they have been taken out of its stores is the consumer's responsibility. Costa Coffee has slightly reduced the weight of the 140m cups it uses each year, and both Greggs and Costa point to their recycling logos as evidence of environmental responsibility.

But the investigation concludes: "Just putting a logo on the cup does not mean to say you will be able to recycle it once outside the shop … More clarity is needed for consumers on what mixed-material items can be recycled in which recycling bins or facilities. And ideally it should be made possible to recycle paper cups alongside cartons."

Which? has published a new interactive tool for consumers who are not sure about how to recycle a particular product.

Source

Reinventing paper packaging

2011-10-24T20:29:00.001-03:00

Paper is not only the largest global packaging sector but is also behind some of the most pioneering innovations today. Elisabeth Fischer profiles technologies such as paper-based RFID tags, moulded paper and barrier solutions against cardboard oil migration that are leading the way towards a sustainable packaging movement in the years to come.

Paper-based packaging materials are behind some of the most ground-breaking developments in the industry today. Flexible packaging paper such as wraps, bags and pouches offer better barrier protection, higher tear and burst strength, exceptional print surfaces and are ideal for food and industrial packaging.

Also new packaging shapes and structures with paper as the main compound, such as moulded-fibre paper bottles and alternatives to plastic clamshells, are finding more and more users.

High-performance packaging such as active and smart papers with embedded chemicals and sensors, along with other anti-counterfeiting traits, are also opening up new opportunities in medical, pharmaceutical and healthcare packaging.

Paper and paper-based packaging is the largest sector in the worldwide market for packaging, accounting for more than 40% of the worldwide market, valued at $429bn in 2009 according to figures from Pike Research.

With the sustainable and green movement also breaking through in packaging, paper-based materials have shown increasing popularity among processors, retailers and end-customers.

Here, Packaging Gateway rounds up some of the most innovative and sustainable alternatives to synthetic or petroleum-based packaging existing today:

1- Moulded paper

2- Smart paper with RFID technology

3- The green bottle

4- Barrier solutions against mineral oil migration

5- Waterproof paper pallets

Read full article

Recyclable coatings for paper foodservice packaging

2011-10-19T21:20:00.000-03:00

I’m invited by Global Green USA Coalition for Resource Recovery to talk at their upcoming Fall Resource Recovery Conference scheduled for November 15^th, 2011 at Lighthouse International, New York, NY, USA.

My talk entitled: «Recyclable coatings for paper foodservice packaging" will be focused on the improvement of paper-based packaging barriers using functional and sustainable coatings.

Outline:

1. Packaging Trends: sustainability and convenience

2. Enhancing barrier properties of paper: Why Wax is on the Wane?

3. Extrusion coating:

Conventional resin (Polyethylene): recyclability and sustainability
Renewable and compostable resin (bioplastics): Challenges, Hurdles & Success Factors

4. Water-based coating: A bright future (Recyclable, Repulpable and compostable)

5. Take home…

For more information on other events of CoRR's Fall Resource Recovery Conference on November 14-15, 2011, including sessions on recyclable wholesale packaging and commercial food waste recovery please click here.

I look forward to seeing you in New York!

Flexible Packaging: US demand to exceed $18 billion in 2015

2011-10-12T23:42:00.000-03:00

Demand for converted flexible packaging in the US is expected to exceed $18 billion in 2015. Gains will reflect a rebound in the US economy and will be supported by cost, performance and source reduction advantages over most rigid packaging formats. Rising demand for convenience-oriented and other further processed food items, which often use more costly higher barrier packaging materials for extended shelf life, will also propel growth. Converted flexible packaging’s source reduction capabilities will be increasingly advantageous in light of initiatives by major retailers and packaged goods firms to evaluate the packaging used by their suppliers in terms of eco-friendliness and cost reduction.

Pouches to exhibit above average annual gains

Above-average gains for pouches will be driven by continued conversions to standup pouches and healthy gains for flat pouches in a number of markets. Demand will also benefit from the presence of convenience features (e.g., zippers,spouts) and the emergence of new applications and product types, such as flat-bottomed, side-gusseted pouches and hybrid pouch/folding carton products. In addition, stick pouches will experience rapid growth in single-portion packaging uses based on advantages of product differentiation and portability. Growth for bags will increase at a faster pace than in the 2005-2010 period based on an expected recovery in the US economy from the 2007-2009 recession.

However, gains will lag the overall converted flexible packaging average due to the maturity of many applications along with competition from pouches and rigid packaging. While demand for paper bags and sacks will be constrained by performance limitations relative to plastic bags and sacks, growing efforts by packaged goods firms to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability will lead to some degree of renewed interest in paper, which possesses such qualities as renewability, recyclability and compostability.

Demographic, eating trends to benefit food applications

Above-average growth in food applications will be driven by the need for more costly films for extended shelf life along with demographic trends such as increased numbers of single-person and empty nest households and households where all adults work. These trends will boost demand for food in smaller package sizes and more convenient foods designed to reduce food preparation time. Trends toward healthier eating and increased “on-the-run” eating will spurfood manufacturers to expand their offerings of products, especially snacks,baked goods and beverages, in singleserving packages. Such products require more packaging than standard packages of similar items. The fastest growing food packaging markets for converted flexible packaging will be beverage, meat and related products, and snack food uses. In nonfood applications, advances will be led by above-average gains in the pharmaceutical and medical product markets based on heightened barrier requirements, cost and convenience advantages, and adaptability to gowing unit-of-use requirements. Moreover,benefits including product visibility,pilferage protection and good barrier properties will support continued demand in a broad range of uses.

Source: ConvertedFlexible Packaging to 2015, Freedonia October 2011

Cisco's Packaging Diet: Just How Sustainable is It?

2011-10-11T23:29:00.000-03:00

Packaging is too often a manifestation of excess and waste. All that extra cushioning. All of those individually wrapped parts. Not to mention packaging that is not easily recycled. Product manuals and accessories that are often just thrown away.

Eighteen months ago, I reported on the packaging problem and encouraged vendors to go on a "packaging diet." My two-part series focused on best practices for packaging reduction. One of my case studies in the series, Cisco's promising pilot program, was highlighted in the Esty / Simmons sequel The Green To Gold Business Playbook.

But since, as with many diets, the easy part is often the early stages, I wanted to learn how Cisco was doing over the long-term. Glenn Nomi, Cisco's program manager of green technologies and Oleg Kolosov, manager of Cisco's packaging team, met with me and provided an update.

The top-line takeaway: The packaging diet is working. Cisco continues to expand its program to more products while refining its packaging practices. The program applies to both shipments to Cisco's customers as well as Cisco's internal shipments to its manufacturing partner sites.

Cisco's green packaging program uses three strategies:

Remove items that are not wanted from a shipment,
Reduce packaging, and
Replace with more environmentally friendly packaging

Read more…

Une Conférence complètement flexo: Papier recyclé et sécurité Alimentaire: une barrière fonctionnelle à la rescousse

2011-10-10T14:40:00.000-03:00

L’Institut des communications graphiques du Québec (ICGQ) organise le jeudi 17 Novembre 2011, une Conférence complètement flexo : Grande conférence de Flexographie. Cette conférence est destinée aux fabricants d’emballages, aux papetiers, aux imprimeurs, aux designers, ainsi qu’aux diverses associations et aux organismes et ministères provinciaux.

Lors de cette journée je donne une conférence intitulée: Papier recyclé et sécurité Alimentaire: une barrière fonctionnelle à la rescousse

Résumé :

Une récente étude suisse vient de révéler que le carton recyclé utilisé pour fabriquer les boîtes de céréales pouvait représenter un risque pour la santé des consommateurs. Nous présenterons les diverses barrières fonctionnelles proposées par Cascades afin de stopper/ralentir la migration de ces huiles minérales. Une telle barrière présente le double avantage de garantir la sécurité alimentaire et d’offrir un emballage éco-responsable.

Pour les détails et le programme complet, cliquez ici

Sustainable Packaging Innovation: Eco-Friendly Chinese Take-Out

2011-10-09T21:08:00.000-03:00

Via Packaging of the World

Focusing on sustainability, this packaging attempts to eliminate the need for a plastic bag. For multiple orders, hook carrying strings into the diecut design of the one on top of it. Holds up to three entrees.

Can PLA Take The Next Big Step?

2011-10-07T17:29:00.000-03:00

NatureWorks LLC and its Ingeo polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic have reached a tipping point, according to company president and CEO Marc Verbruggen, finally winning the over enough big brandowners, OEMs and retailers to take the next step in the development of the bioplastics market, although some large hurdles do remain. "We've been in business 15 years," Verbruggen said, "and we've probably spent 13 of those trying to get these." The "these" Verbruggen referred to was a list of Ingeo's biggest customers, all household names, which had their logos displayed on the presentation screen.

Verbruggen's discussion of where NatureWorks and the broader bioplastics market were, are and will be kicked off IntertechPira's 2011 Biopolymers Symposium (Sept. 27-29; Brown Palace Hotel, Denver). Verbruggen noted that some 5 billion products would be "biopackaged" by end of 2011, with names like Coke, Pepsi, and Danone on board.

"Our next fight, our next big battle, is not on resin, it's downstream," Verbruggen said, noting the disadvantage bioplastics often face against more established fossil-fuel based materials which have built up capacity and capabilities at every stop along the supply chain.

"There are applications where we could give Ingeo away for free, and you're still going to pay a premium," Verbruggen said, explaining that his company and other market players now need economies of scale with converters and brandowners. "We want to be a high volume player, and we will be a high-volume player."

Remaining hurdles

Verbruggen said the top three issues for bioplastics in the near term are:

feedstock
economics
end of life

In response to the first two items, Verbruggen said that NatureWorks, which is seeing 25%/yr demand growth for Ingeo, will likely be doubling its capacity over the next five years after it already doubled production at its existing facility in Nebraska over 2008 and 2009.

In addition to new capacity, with already announced plans for a second plant to be built and running in Southeast Asia in 2015, the company is looking to transition its feedstock sources. That region was chosen for the new plant over Europe and South America, which rely on sugar beats and sugar cane, respectively, for the ethanol used to make Ingeo, for its access to sugar cane and cassava.

Today for feedstock, Verbruggen said Ingeo utilizes dextrose from corn starch, but soon it will source dextrose from cane and cassava. The future will be dextrose from biomass in the form of agricultural residue like corn stover, switch grass, and rice straw. Verbruggen said NatureWorks' hope is that future plants beyond the pending Asian site are based on cellulosic feedstocks, but for that to happen, the industry will need to see significant investments in biofuel refineries.

Biofuels will fuel bioplastics growth

Just as fossil-fuel based plastics grew in market size and influence with the scale that came out of large refineries built up for gasoline production, bioplastics will need to piggy back on the growing biofuel market, particularly as it shifts to non-food sources for fuel. Verbruggen noted that currently, if oil is at $80-$90/bbl and corn is at $5-$6/bushel, PLA roughly achieves parity with its fossil-fuel based counterparts.

"We always talk about food vs. fuel, but we never talk about food vs. plastics," Verbruggen said, noting that the industry's silence while corn-based ethanol became a target when food prices rose in recent years was a "huge mistake". As it stands, fuel ethanol uses up anywhere from 25-40% of available feed corn, while Ingeo consumes .11%. Just based on annual gains in crop yield, Verbruggen said NatureWorks could build 20 plants in Nebraska and not see the impact that fuel ethanol has. If it were to replace every pound of polystyrene in North America, it would need 15 plants and would still only use 1.65% of today's sugar production.

End-of-life solution to end-of-life problem

Of the three issues facing bioplastics, Verbruggen said end of life is "probably the most frustrating." Bioplastics originally started as an end-of-life solution, but are now seen as a problem, with recyclers and composters alike largely shunning the materials. Verbruggen said that NatureWorks is "agnostic" as to what means are chosen to deal with its material once its service is done, but he noted that feedstock recovery is appealing, since little energy is needed to polymerize and hydrolyze lactides back into PLA. "Long term, we expect a significant portion of our PLA to come from reclaim," Verbruggen said.

Source

Thierry Varlet: «Il n'y a pas que les emballages»

2011-10-06T12:49:00.000-03:00

Thierry Varlet gère Breiz Pack, un réseau d'industriels bretons de l'emballage. Il prend acte des études pointant les risques de dangerosité du bisphénol A.

Pourquoi les emballages alimentaires contiennent-ils du bisphénol A, des phtalates et autres huiles minérales?

Le bisphénol A est présent dans de nombreux plastiques alimentaires. Tout comme les phtalates. Ces substances augmentent la souplesse et la fluidité d'un matériau qui serait sinon plus cassant. Les huiles minérales, elles, sont intégrées aux encres utilisées en impression sur les emballages. On sait aujourd'hui que ces huiles traversent les plastiques alimentaires et que la plupart des cartons issus du recyclage en contiennent. De même, on sait que le bisphénolA et les phtalates migrent du plastique aux aliments. Mais il ne faut pas prendre les industriels pour des irresponsables. Ces différentes substances sont utilisées dans les emballages en respect de la réglementation en vigueur actuellement.

Justement, ça pourrait changer. Qu'y a-t-il de nouveau dans le rapport de l'Anses(*) publié la semaine dernière?

Ce qui est nouveau, c'est que l'Anses affirme aujourd'hui la dangerosité du bisphénol A chez les femmes enceintes et les enfants avant trois ans et à la puberté. Le bisphénol A est un perturbateur hormonal qui peut notamment provoquer des cancers et modifier le développement des foetus. Jusqu'à présent, on faisait un lien entre la quantité et la nocivité. Donc, on utilisait de très faibles doses. Désormais, on sait grâce aux études de l'Inra (Institut national de la recherche agronomique) que, même à faible dose, il y a des risques et que la période de la vie pendant laquelle on ingère la substance a beaucoup d'importance.

Quelles conséquences aurait une interdiction du bisphénol Apour les fabricants d'emballages?

Il semble que certains industriels de la pétrochimie aient déjà des produits de substitution. En tout cas, je remarque que l'industrie de l'emballage est le seul secteur où on va chercher ce genre de détail. Car les substances remises en cause, vous en avez dans les meubles, les sacs, les textiles, les lunettes, les téléphones portables, etc. Et dans la plupart des jouets que l'on importe massivement de Chine.

Peut-on imaginer demain un emballage respectueux de l'homme et de l'environnement?

D'ici à cinq, dix ou quinze ans, on aura avancé vers des composants issus de ressources renouvelables dont l'impact sera minimisé au maximum. On devrait être en capacité de fabriquer localement avec des ressources locales, comme les fibres végétales, des emballages pour des produits qui seront vendus localement dans des sortes de «circuits courts». On trouvera un bon compromis entre le tout pétrole et le tout bio. On n'aura pas besoin que la durée de vie des aliments soit de quinze jours. Les performances demandées seront moindres.

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Steve jobs: Master of Innovation

2011-10-05T23:59:00.000-03:00

I share with you my selection of 3 Inspiring Steve Jobs Quotes.

"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."

"Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations. "

"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they've had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people."

RIP Steve Jobs! He was a true visionary! He changed the world by following his vision and staying true!

ZIPBOX®: Innovative Resealable Carton to Maximize Shelf-Impact

2011-10-03T22:34:00.000-03:00

Zipbox®, a joint venture between Zip-Pak and T.H.E.M., announces that Plantation® brand natural "raw" sugar will be the first product to go to market in the new Zipbox® resealable carton format.

Zipbox is a poly-coated paperboard carton incorporating an attached flexible film header containing a ZIP-PAK® Press-to-Close™ solution. Zipbox is designed to facilitate direct-filling of products without the need for an inner liner. By removing the liner, the package can hold up to 40 percent more product, maximizing the product-to-package ratio and cube utilization to reduce transportation costs.

Introducing ZipBox from Zip Box on Vimeo.

Migration et emballage: Les encres alimentaires en question

2011-09-27T20:33:00.001-03:00

L'association de consommateurs UFC-Que Choisir "exige la mise en place" d’une réglementation pour protéger la santé des consommateurs, après avoir constaté la migration dans des aliments de dérivés pétroliers présents dans les encres et les cartons d'emballage.

Alertée par les analyses de nos confrères allemands et suisses, l’UFC-Que Choisir a réalisé un test sur 20 produits alimentaires vendus en France (pâtes alimentaires, riz, couscous, chapelure, sucre en poudre) afin de vérifier si les substances chimiques présentes dans les encres et emballages en carton étaient susceptibles de se retrouver dans les aliments qu’ils contiennent", explique aujourd'hui l'association dans un communiqué.

Il en résulte que "les dérivés pétroliers, présents dans les encres d’emballage et le carton, se retrouvent dans les aliments !", déplore UFC-Que Choisir. Parmi les 20 produits testés, 14 contiennent "à des niveaux préoccupants, des huiles minérales provenant des encres des emballages en carton", détaille le communiqué, tandis que "pour deux produits, les doses relevées en huiles minérales saturées dépassent considérablement la dose limite internationale".

Lire la suite…

A lire : Carton recyclé et sécurité alimentaire : une barrièrefonctionnelle à la rescousse!

Bisphénol A: le remplacer là où c'est possible, et sans tarder

2011-09-27T10:22:00.000-03:00

Il est urgent d'agir : l'Agence de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation (Anses) juge nécessaire de remplacer "sans tarder" le bisphénol A (BPA), dont la toxicité est avérée pour l'animal et suspectée pour l'homme, en priorité dans les matériaux au contact des aliments.

L'Agence a procédé à une analyse exhaustive de la littérature scientifique et des expertises sur le BPA, un produit associant phénol et acétone, décrié depuis plusieurs années et utilisé pour la fabrication de très nombreux plastiques.

On le trouve, selon l'Anses, dans "près d'une soixantaine de secteurs d'activité" : conditionnements d'aliments et boissons, jouets et articles de puériculture, tickets de caisse des supermarchés et matériel médical. Sa consommation est "en augmentation régulière".

L'Agence a publié mardi deux rapports préliminaires, l'un sur les effets sanitaires du bisphénol A, l'autre sur ses usages.

Lire la suite...

Éco-conception : Fonctionnalité VS environnement

2011-09-19T23:11:00.000-03:00

Éco Entreprises Québec (ÉEQ) vient de lancer le Code volontairepour l'optimisation des contenants, emballages et imprimés, destiné aux entreprises assujetties au régime de compensation de la collecte sélective. D’après ÉEQ, la marche à suivre : trois champs d'intervention et sept stratégies proposées:

Basé sur le cycle de vie d'un produit emballé, le Code volontaire constitue une approche cadre. Axés sur les principes de réduction à la source, d'éco-conception et de recyclabilité, ces champs d'intervention chapeautent sept stratégies pour guider les entreprises dans le déploiement de leurs démarches d'optimisation : penser cycle de vie, adopter des critères d'approvisionnement responsable, améliorer le ratio emballage/produit, concevoir pour le transport, améliorer le scénario d'usage, améliorer la recyclabilité et communiquer.

Deux commentaires :

Un pléonasme: « axés sur les principes de réduction à la source, d'éco-conception et de recyclabilité ».

L’éco-conception des emballages intègre les aspects environnementaux, économiques et sociaux à chacune des étapes de la vie du couple contenu-contenant. C’est une démarche novatrice et préventive qui vise à minimiser l’impact de ces derniers sur l’environnement tout au long de leur cycle de vie. Il s’agit essentiellement de privilégier la réduction à la source, d’encourager la réutilisation et le recyclage et de promouvoir la mise au point de matériaux renouvelables. Cette méthodologie promet une approche multicritères (examinant tous les impacts environnementaux), multi-étape (considérant toutes les phases du cycle de vie) et multi-acteur (sollicitant tous les acteurs de l’entreprise et du marché).

Une confusion : J’avoue ne pas comprendre ce qu’on veut dire par « Améliorer le scénario d'usage » et comment on peut l’améliorer?

L’éco-conception présente, certes des vertus incontestables. Cette démarche est fréquemment profitable pour l'entreprise. Elle contribue à augmenter ses profits soit par une augmentation des ventes, soit par une réduction des coûts de production. Cependant, l’éco-conception ne doit pas faire oublier les fonctionnalités et attentes de tout emballage : Conservation, protection transport et…Praticité. Par praticité, on entend la facilité d’ouverture et le confort d’utilisation.

Mineral oil migration creates new concern for packaging

2011-09-12T22:37:00.000-03:00

Findings from a series of recent Official Food Control Authority Laboratory reports coming out of Switzerland have raised concerns over mineral oil migration occurring in packaging made with recycled content. The reports focused on technical grade oils that are largely linked to inks used in newspapers entering the recycling stream. This research builds on previous studies suggesting that technical grade mineral oils pose health concerns and are found to accummulate in the liver, lymph nodes and heart valves when ingested. There are additional concerns about aromatic mineral oils being carcinogenic, though their toxicology data remains uncertain.

Mineral oils, which are by-products of crude oil refinement, have a number of packaging applications including inks, adhesives, plasticizers and protective coatings. They may also be found in some recycled fibers used in paperboard packaging.

The Swiss reports documented instances where mineral oils leached from packaging materials made of recycled content, specifically grades containing newsprint, into food. As one example of how mineral oils can contaminate recycled fibers, mineral oils are present in petroleum-based inks as the vehicle that carries the pigments. The inks are applied to a surface such as newsprint, where the oils absorb, attach to pigments or attach to fibers. The newspaper is then purchased, read and discarded into the recycling stream. Some mineral oils will be removed in the recycling process. However, most of the oils absorbed into the fibers are likely to remain present in the reclaimed fibers. The recycled fiber may then be used in paperboard, a common material for food packaging, where migration can occur.

As advocates for increasing recycling rates and using recycled content, how do we address this issue?

First, there is still uncertainty about direct and indirect contamination sources. Direct contamination is common in baking, when mineral oils are used for applications like conditioning pans, knives and cutting boards. Agricultural practices also have direct applications for removing grain dust or fruit and vegetable coatings. Regulations are in place to ensure that these applications meet food-grade specifications, but this cannot be ruled out as a potential contamination source.

Indirect contamination occurs through mechanisms like migration. At this time, a knee-jerk reaction to limit applications or look to alternatives could do more harm than good. The uncertainties around contaminant sources and health impacts should, however, be grounds for further research.

As far as immediate actions to mitigate mineral oil exposure, current steps to reduce exposure include using functional bags or barriers made of PP, PET or aluminum layers. Additionally, some manufacturers are reducing the amount of recycled content they are using or shifting toward higher-grade recycled fiber. Petroleum-based ink alternatives are also being considered, though all of these options could add costs that cut into profit margins.

On a broader level, this brings up the issue of transparency. There is an underlying need for greater transparency about the use of chemicals throughout all stages of production. This is not something specific to mineral oils or packaging, but it is applicable across all industry sectors and supply chains.

There is a need for better communication of product inputs and the impacts of these intended applications. Such information could lead to proactive solutions in the future and avoid recalls while reducing a company's exposure to risk and supply chains. Policy development should also be included in this discussion. Europe appears to be at the forefront of regulation and policy development while the rest of us continue to play catch up. Furthermore, universal policies could help to mitigate frustration and confusion among industry members and help ensure product safety.

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Yogurt Packaging: Yo'play Blox

2011-09-11T23:40:00.000-03:00

Via Creative Inspiration

Yo'play Blox is a simple (yogurt) packaging that doubles as a modular construction toy. Children are educated to 'collect and reuse' instead of 'waste'. The pots fit together in different ways to create hollow, light weight, 3D shapes and figures. Various labels allow for a wide variety of play themes and educational games.

A Global Language for Packaging and Sustainability

2011-09-08T11:46:00.000-03:00

New global guidelines on packaging sustainability will help companies reduce their carbon footprint while boosting efficiency and spur more effective communication between players throughout the supply chain, said Unilever’s Nigel Bagley.

The director of industry relations for the multinational giant delivered his assessment as the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) released its Global Protocol on Packaging Sustainability (GPPS).

The guide was designed by a broad group of retailers and brand owners, in conjunction with packaging suppliers and manufacturers. The steering group included representatives from industry leaders such as Nestle, Unilever, Walmart, Tesco, Kraft and Proctor & Gamble.

Common language

The comprehensive document, targeted at the packaging and consumer goods industries, aims to provide a “common language” to help them cut the environmental footprint of their packing, said the CGF, a global industry alliance made up of over 650 leading companies from the packaging, retail and consumer good sectors.

The body added that the agreed definitions and metrics set out in the protocol would make it easier for businesses to tackle a range of commercial questions about packaging sustainability - either in-house or between their partners in the value chain.

The 74-page guide sets out a framework to outline and assess the relative sustainability of packaging, said the CGF.

It outlines a choice of indicators to take into account for making business decisions. These include life-cycle phases, the level at which an indicator could be used and at what part in the business. The report also examines the use of life-cycle assessments in product development, availability of data, types of packaging, as well as economic, social and environmental metrics.

Benefits to industry

Unilever’s Bagley said the protocol introduced harmony and simplicity to a hugely complicated issue that would allow companies to focus more keenly on improving operational efficiencies.

“This is a really significant project because a common language means it’s easier to communicate with our trading partners,” he added. “And less time spent having to agree definitions and filling in such things as sustainability scorecards, means we can focus on bringing benefits to the value chain.”

The standardised terminology and metrics also made it easy to operate in multiple languages and avoid duplication of effort, said the industry relations chief.

“The common language avoids duplication of effort in trying to make sure the definitions with use with French retailers are identical to those with German ones,” said Bagley giving just one example. “We avoid repetition and increase simplification and harmonisation. This improves efficiency and allows us to focus on other things.”

While the CGF is developing a number of other projects on sustainability, packaging was seen as the vital starting point, he said.

“Packaging is spearheading the movement towards a number of other carbon strategies,” Bagley added. “Packaging is something we could put our arms around and now we are working on other partnership projects.”

The European Organization for Packaging and the Environment (Europen) welcomed the publication of the protocol.

"As the European organization representing the major players in the packaging value chain on packaging and environment issues, Europen welcomes the releaseof the Protocol and will encourage all our members to embrace it and use it in their efforts to achieve their business sustainability goals," said the industry body's managing director Julian Carroll. "Optimal packaging solutions, developed with the aid of the Protocol, can make a substantial contribution to more sustainable consumer products."

To read a full copy of the Global Protocol on Packaging Sustainability click Here

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