Companies Can Reduce Carbon Emissions from Truck Shipments by 20% With Green Packaging Methods

Perkins Logistics L.L.C., an Indianapolis-based trucking company, is replacing corrugated boxes and shipping furniture with reusable wrappings and equipment. The company says by using the alternative packaging, it can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent.

An independent study showed that Perkins Logistics was able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent per pound shipped during a two-month test period, using specialized wrapping methods to ship some orders of products from Haworth Inc. in Bruce, Miss., to customers in 16 states.

This could translate into a reduction in emissions by 283 metric tons per year. That is equivalent to removing 52 passenger cars from the road for a year or emissions from heating 99 homes with natural gas, according to the study by Allegiant Global Services in Indianapolis. By using blankets, straps, bars, and plywood tiers, the company fits an average of about 65 percent more products into its trailers, reducing the number of loads needed and eliminating waste.

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Processors could gain from meat freshness indicator

A sensor that changes colour to indicate meat spoilage could prevent serious illness and food waste, say the US scientists involved in the project.

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Battelle scientists John R. Shaw and Donald Zehnder have been involved in a project for the past two years aimed at developing a ‘trap and detect’ tool for embedding in meat packaging to warn retailers and consumers of the presence of bacteria that cause food spoilage.

“We really wanted to come up with an idea whereby the consumer could look at the package and instantly know that the meat product was fresh or spoiled,” said John Shaw.

Zehnder told FoodProductionDaily.com that, following preliminary lab work, the team is at the stage of designing a prototype sensor and they have recently filed for a patent in relation to their chemical detector.

According to the two chemists, the project was prompted by what they felt was a lack of safeguards in the food supply chain following the spinach linked E. coli outbreak that killed three people and sickened more than 200 in September 2006.

They said their sensor could help reduce the risk of human illness or costly recalls.

Changing colour

Shaw said that their sensor, using technology based on colour metrics, changes from yellow to dark red when bacteria such as achromobacter and micrococcus have contaminated the meat.

He explained that the sensor is a synthetic molecule that binds with the material that the spoilage bacteria emit when they feed on the meat, and when the molecule and material bind the light they produce changes the colour of the sensor.

“The project is initially concentrating on the detection of spoilage bacteria as we have a good understanding of how they operate. However, we plan to fine tune the sensor so that it can also indicate the presence of pathogens such as listeria and E. coli 0157:H7,” said Shaw.

He said that the team is also evaluating how the sensor might be used in the detection of allergens in food products.

Best before

The chemists said that tests have demonstrated that the detector is 200 to 400 times more sensitive that the human nose and can help in reducing food wastage:

“As a result of its reliability for detecting spoilage bacteria, the sensor could eliminate the need for best before dates. Currently best before dates are set by manufacturers and are based on worst case assumptions. Most food is perfectly fine to eat days after its displayed best before date,” claims Shaw.

The two chemists would not be drawn on the composition of the detector, citing confidentiality, but did reveal that it was a non-toxic, non-caustic organic compound.

Commercial prospects

They said the sensor would not be undergoing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process for some time, but that they were hopeful the detector would be commercially available within a two-year timeframe.

“We have had a lot of interest already from meat producers and packaging suppliers in terms of setting up a partnership to get the sensor market ready,” said Zehnder.

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Soupes « GreenShoot »: Entre élégance, praticité et facilité d’emploi

Urban Foods, dont le siège est situé à Paris, a associé la facilité d’emploi et l’élégance à sa nouvelle gamme de soupes fraîches Greenshoot en choisissant le conditionnement innovant conçu par RPC Bebo Nederland et RPC Containers Halstead pour les soupes commercialisées à température ambiante.

Selon Urban Foods, Greenshoot Soups est la première gamme de soupes fraîches toutes prêtes lancées sous conditionnement individuel sur le marché français, et l`entreprise souhaitait un conditionnement qui allie la facilité d’emploi pour les consommateurs à une présentation élégante susceptible de produire un maximum d’impact en linéaire.

Conçu pour répondre aux besoins de la vie active d’aujourd’hui, le nouveau conditionnement de RPC est léger, facile à ouvrir et micro-ondable, et offre ainsi la plus grande facilité d’emploi pour le consommateur.

Le récipient est coextrudé et thermoformé en PP/EVOH/PP par RPC Bebo Nederland. La structure multicouche offre une excellente protection barrière afin d’assurer à la soupe, en association avec le processus de fabrication du produit, une durée de vie en linéaire comparable à celle atteinte avec les conditionnements classiques. Le gobelet arrondi est suffisamment résistant pour supporter les hautes températures de remplissage et il est compatible avec les porte-gobelets de voiture standard, afin que les soupes puissent être dégustées en voyage de façon sûre et pratique.

Moulé par injection en PP par RPC Halstead, l’élégant couvercle refermable comporte un bec facilitant la dégustation et un couvercle à orifice ; son design, qui complète parfaitement le gobelet, facilite l’empilage.

Le gobelet présente un large gainage et une forme attractive qui favorisent son impact en linéaire. Le gobelet et le couvercle sont disponibles dans un vaste choix de couleurs et de décorations, afin de favoriser la mise en valeur de la marque.

Le nouveau conditionnement présente un design audacieux, avec un gobelet et un couvercle noirs et un graphisme aux couleurs brillantes reprenant les ingrédients contenus dans chaque produit.

Le nouveau conditionnement de RPC présente une forme très attractive et il est aussi séduisant que pratique. Il peut aussi être transporté facilement lorsque son contenu est chaud – ce qui est idéal pour la vente à emporter.

En outre, la large zone de gainage permet de réaliser une étiquette très visible assurant une forte identité de marque à la nouvelle gamme et contribuant de façon significative à la réussite de ce lancement”.

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DSM invests in intelligent packaging

DSM Venturing, the corporate venturing unit of Royal DSM N.V., announces that it has made an equity investment in The Compliers Group International B.V. (TCG). The Netherlands-based company focuses on the development of smart pharmaceutical packaging solutions that contain microchips which enable the monitoring of a patient’s therapy compliance.

TCG’s smart packaging solutions can be applied in any existing standard medication blister and will record when a pill has been removed from the blister. This information can be read out wirelessly (e.g. with a mobile phone) and made available to caregivers and patients in day-to-day medication therapy or to pharmaceutical companies or research organizations in clinical studies.

The system will help both patients and volunteers taking part in clinical studies to take their pills at the right time. Caregivers and pharmaceutical companies will be able to better diagnose or judge the effectiveness of medication. This can help to substantially reduce healthcare costs.

First proof of concept of TCG’s “Objective therapy Compliance Measurement” (OtCM®) technology has been obtained. TCG also applies its technology in projects with Ministries of Health, health insurers and others, such as research organizations.

Tony de Vrught, Vice President DSM Specialty Packaging says: “ Intelligent packaging systems aimed at improving patient adherence could substantially contribute to decreasing overall healthcare costs in the future as they reduce the need for more costly interventions. I see this as a logical step forward in combining our knowledge of Life Sciences and Materials Sciences opening up interesting perspectives in innovative packaging applications. I look forward to working with TCG to develop innovative solutions for this market.”

Jos Geboers and Willem Kort, Founders and Managing Directors of TCG: “ This partnership with DSM will help us to refine our product and market development path. Our combined capabilities will accelerate the global implementation of our products, technologies and services as DSM has unique knowledge in both Life Sciences and Materials Sciences.”

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Packaging of the week: Compostable Salad Packaging

Via Sustainable Is Good

Major UK retailer Sainbury's is releasing its SO organic wild rocket salad in new biodegradable packaging. The packaging is made using Amcor NaturePlus compostable film.

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The new packaging is well designed with simple graphically pleasing graphic design highlighting the freshness of the product. Very well done.

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“Food packaging is very important to our customers and it influences their buying decisions, Amcor's NaturePlus compostable film helps us to meet our customers needs and our sustainability goals without compromising on shelf life and seal performance requirements,” Sainbury's packaging manager said.

Today, 90% of Sainbury's organic fresh produce is available in compostable, recycled or recyclable packaging.

Using compostable material for this type of packaging makes a lot of sense. Packaging for fresh products like this in the US is designed to be disposable and always ends up in the landfill. Since recycling rarely occurs with this type of packaging contamination isn't a concern. Biodegradable packaging just makes sense in this application.

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Québec : Certification des sacs compostables «Biobag» par la BNQ

Dans un communiqué diffusé le 23 septembre 2008 par Nova Envirocom, on apprend que les sacs compostables «BioBag» ont obtenu la certification du Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ).

Bien que ces sacs possédaient déjà des certifications mondiales, plusieurs entreprises et municipalités du Québec attendaient l’attestation BNQ pour procéder à de plus vastes campagnes de sensibilisation auprès des citoyens et consommateurs afin d’éviter toute confusion sur l’utilisation de produits inappropriés ou pouvant contaminer le compostage.

Les sacs «BioBag» sont fabriqués par Polar Gruppen Norvège, à partir de maïs exempt d’OGM et certifiés biologiques par Ceristar. Ils ont aussi reçu la certification européenne la plus importante qui soit : «OK Compost», la certification américaine ASTM-6400-99, ainsi que l’«Institute and the United States Council». De plus, la compagnie a reçu la norme de l'«International Biodegradable Products Institute» (BPI) nord-américaine, et l’accréditation de la EN-13432, norme la plus élevée mondialement pour ce genre de produits.

Les «BioBag» sont utilisés dans plus de 3000 villes à travers l’Europe, la Scandinavie, les îles Britanniques, le Japon, la Taiwan, l’Australie, l’Inde, le Bangladesh, le Canada et les États-Unis.

Emballages et normes

NatureWorks: Bioplastics offer a more sustainable future

NatureWorks, the US-based producer of plastics made from plants, has welcomed the publication of its letter to The Guardian responding to an article attacking the use of biopolymers in packaging.

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However, the article entitled "'Sustainable' bio-plastic can damage the environment" appeared in the newspaper five months ago, and the firm said it was "a pity" the letter had taken so long to appear.

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In the letter, NatureWorks chief executive Marc Verbruggen said bioplastics were "still on a journey to full sustainability" but the firm believed that they were the "greenest alternative" to conventional oil-based plastics.

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According to Verbruggen, studies have found that making polylactic acid (PLA) generates less than half the greenhouse gas emissions of making oil-based plastics.

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New innovations in the manufacturing process mean PLA will soon produce 75% lower emissions than petro-chemicals.

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PLA is also "infinitely recyclable", whereas oil-based products are "downcycled" into products of diminishing value, he said.

Eamonn Tighe, NatureWorks' business development manager for the UK, said the company "was on to it quite quickly" and had been in discussion "for some time" on how best to respond.

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"We put together a position paper within 10 days of the article appearing, which we made available to customers and brand owners," said Tighe. "We never shied away from discussion about the points raised."

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He added that there had been no fall off in business as a result of the article.

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"In fact, we're very optimistic and enthusiastic about the future. The big news is that we're investing in bringing our Nebraska plant up to its capacity of 140,000 tonnes by early 2009 and we're thinking about our next plant," he said.

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NatureWorks' business is spread 40% in the US, 30% in Asia Pacific and 30% in Europe.

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Tighe declined to say where the new plant would be located.

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"Interest in bioplastics – both for food packaging and fibres – is at an all-time high," he said.

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He added that NatureWorks had resin supplies now and would have "lots in 2009".

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"We will also manage our pricing to a reasonable level in 2009 – we're not as dependant on oil as other raw material producers."

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(eO)®: à la "track" de la fraîcheur

(eO) est une étiquette adhésive intelligente faisant partie des solutions de type indicateur temps-température (ITT) de CRYOLOG. Elle permet de communiquer de façon dynamique et innovante sur la fraîcheur des produits.

L’étiquette se colore lorsque qu'un produit n'est plus consommable. La réaction, qui utilise une technologie brevetée faisant intervenir la microbiologie pour simuler de façon précise la fraîcheur de l'aliment, a lieu soit lorsque la DLC est dépassée, soit lorsque le produit a subi un cumul de ruptures de la chaîne du froid. Si la fleur est verte, le produit est frais, si elle est rouge, le produit ne l'est plus.
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Les étiquettes (eO)® sont paramétrées par CRYOLOG en fonction des caractéristiques des produits à tracer (composition microbiologique, durée de vie, températures de conservation, circuit logistique...).

Ci-dessous, un reportage très pédagogique sur l’étiquette fraicheur (eO)®:

Amazon.com Over-Packaging!

L’un des sites les plus connus d’e-business a de sérieux problèmes de suremballage.

La tendance est à la réduction à la source, mais on dirait qu’Amazon.com ne l’a pas encore compris et ce malgré les nombreuse critiques dont il fait l’objet (ici, ici et là).

Voici quelques exemples d’excès de zèle en matière d’emballage :

Packaging of the week: Innovative and Sustainable Sandwich Packaging

Via SuperMarket

In another milestone in its Good business journey, Woolworths is switching from plastic to cardboard packaging for its ‘to go’ range of sandwiches. The cardboard used in the new pack is certified as coming from a sustainable and well-managed forest. And while the transparent window may look like it’s made from plastic, it’s actually made from corn, another renewable resource.

Woolworths’ new sandwich packs carry the stamp of approval of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an internationally recognised body backed by a large number of leading conservation groups including WWF-SA. As Head of Foods, Julian Novak, explains, “Plastic made from oil is a non-renewable resource. Our new packaging is based on renewable and sustainable resources. The cardboard is certified as coming from well-managed forests, which means we’re supporting responsible forest management. We are particularly proud of this packaging because it is the first time that certified sustainable cardboard is being used in South African food packaging.”

Novak assures customers that the introduction of the new packaging has had no impact on Woolworths sandwich prices.

The innovation doesn’t stop with the materials; the cleverly designed box ‘unzips’ into a handy, self-contained and disposal tray.

The packaging is colour-coded, too, with orange circles identifying sandwiches made with chicken, red circles for pork, blue for fish, yellow for egg, brown for beef and green for vegetarian options.

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