Q How has the pandemic impacted the pharma packaging segment?

Sabic’s bio-based polypropylene (PP) resin, part of its TRUCIRCLE portfolio, will be used for producing the jars of B

• New AmSky™ blister system, the latest in Amcor’s recent innovation breakthroughs, has the potential to transform the sustainability of healthcare packaging
• Innovation eliminates PVC from blister packaging – enabling Amcor healthcare customers to improve the recyclability of their packaging
• Innovation will deliver the first child-resistant and senior-friendly (CRSF) recyclable solution for the most in-demand pharmaceutical packaging typ

Building on its recent track record of breakthrough innovations to deliver recyclable packaging, Amcor is today announcing customer trials of the world’s first recyclable* Polyethylene-based thermoform blister packaging. The new packaging is designed to meet the stringent requirements of highly specialized and regulated pharmaceutical packaging and creates a more sustainable alternative for the most in-demand healthcare packaging type. This innovation also benefits from up to 70% reduction in its carbon footprint, when compared to packaging alternatives on the market today.**
AmSky™ eliminates PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride) from the packaging by using a Polyethylene (PE) thermoform blister and lidding film. PVC can make packaging recycling more difficult or contaminate other materials if consumers attempt to recycle it. By removing PVC – whilst retaining all the benefits of pre-existing blister packaging – Amcor has created a new, recyclable solution that benefits the entire recycling process.

Amcor is currently working with several leading pharmaceutical companies to bring AmSky™ to market globally. The company expects AmSky™ to be available in the healthcare market by the second half of 2022.

Peter Konieczny, Amcor’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Amcor is deploying our unique innovation capabilities to solve the biggest and most significant issues in packaging today. With AmSky™ Amcor has signalled our commitment to breakthrough innovation in the healthcare space – this is why we remain the packaging partner of choice for our healthcare customers, generating close to $2bn in annual sales in this market. This new blister2 packaging solution will significantly enhance the ability of healthcare and pharmaceutical brands to put sustainability at the heart of their businesses.”

William Jackson, Amcor’s Chief Technology Officer for Flexibles, commented: “This exciting solution is a result of Amcor’s continued focus on advanced technology and growth, using the entire power of our global R&D network to bring recyclable solutions to our customers.”

Learn more about how Amcor is making its packaging more sustainable at www.amcor.com/sustainability

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* Recyclability independently verified by cyclos-HTP.

** Carbon footprint reduction based on an ASSET™ lifecycle assessment of a standard PVC blister with Aluminium foil lidding vs. Amcor AmSky PE blister and lidding film. The ASSET™ tool is certified by the Carbon Trust.

About Amcor

Amcor is a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home- and personal-care, and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products and the people who rely on them, differentiate brands, and improve supply chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures, and services. The company is focused on making packaging that is increasingly light-weighted, recyclable and reusable, and made using an increasing amount of recycled content. Around 47,000 Amcor people generate US$12.5 billion in sales from operations that span about 230 locations in 40-plus countries. NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC

Tokyo, Japan & Brussels, Belgium, April 21, 2021 – Asahi Photoproducts and Esko have showcased their breakthrough, fully automated flexo platemaking line CrystalCleanConnect at this year’s virtual.drupa event.

Asahi Photoproducts, a pioneer in flexographic photopolymer plate development, has collaborated with Esko, the global developer of integrated software and hardware solutions for the packaging and labels markets, on the innovative flexo platemaking solution. CrystalCleanConnect fully automates the entire flexo plate production, from imaging to plate cutting, reducing the number of steps in the flexo platemaking process from 12 to just one which equates to a reduction from 36 min operator plate making time to only 2,5 min.

“With CrystalCleanConnect we have brought together key hardware and software technologies from both organizations to deliver a number of breakthrough advantages from design to print,” said Pascal Thomas, Director of Flexo Business with Esko. “CrystalCleanConnect delivers a cleaner, more environmentally balanced operation that simplifies the flexo platemaking process, improves safety and boosts print quality consistency.”

According to Pascal, CrystalCleanConnect offers operational as well as environmental benefits to businesses. “With the removal of so many process steps, there’s an immediate 90% reduction in required operator time, which not only eliminates the potential for human error but also delivers immediate efficiency gains. Quality is assured through Asahi and Esko technologies working in complete harmony, and the combination of improved efficiency and quality delivers an average increase of 25% in press OEE.”

A holistic approach to connecting technologies

Dieter Niederstadt, Technical Marketing Manager for Asahi Photoproducts stated: “Flexo needs to simplify its processes while improving quality, consistency and profitability. In doing so, flexo can create new business opportunities and positively transform into a printing technology in balance with the environment”.

“This breakthrough innovation is different in many ways to other solutions on the market,” Dieter said. “It is not just an assembly of available plate making processes delivered inline, but rather a holistic approach to connecting technologies, up and downstream of the prepress value chain, using an intelligent automation hub as the backbone and heart of the solution. CCC is truly pushing boundaries to the current scope of plate automation delivering a mount-ready plate as well as being the first automated production solution without the need of VOC based washout solvents in the plate making process.”

Pascal Thomas added: “At Esko, we have long been dedicated to improving the platemaking experience, in terms of quality, productivity and connectivity. Together with Asahi Photoproducts, we are taking the flexo platemaking process to a brand-new level, enabling our customers to be even more competitive while also ensuring they can meet today’s demands for flexible and sustainable supply. With CrystalCleanConnect, our ultimate objective is to improve our customers’ overall business performance and profitability.”

Visit www.asahi-photoproducts.com/en/CCC and  www.esko.com for more information.

About Asahi Photoproducts

Asahi Photoproducts was founded in 1971 and is a subsidiary of the Asahi Kasei Corporation. Asahi Photoproducts is a leading pioneer in the development of photopolymer flexo printing plates. By creating high quality flexographic solutions and through continued innovation, the company aims at driving print forward in harmony with the environment.

Follow Asahi Photoproducts at .

Visit www.asahi-photoproducts.com for more information.

About Esko

Esko, a Danaher company, is a global provider of integrated software and hardware solutions that digitize, automate and connect the go-to-market process of consumer goods. For CPG and Pharma brand owners, the Esko collaborative content creation platform for packaging, label, and marketing collateral equips marketing, branding, regulatory, and packaging teams to increase productivity, reduce costs, save time in their content processes, and consistently meet their deadlines for marketing and packaging projects. For packaging manufacturers, the Esko range of prepress, flexo platemaking and print inspection solutions connects people, processes and tools and brings consumer products to life with accuracy, quality, efficiency and speed.

Packaging for 9 out of 10 major brands is produced by Esko customers. Headquartered in Gent, Belgium, Esko operates worldwide with a unique focus on packaging and labels the consumer can trust.

For more information about flexographic products and solutions from Esko, visit www.esko.com

Developed by Smurfit Kappa with 100% recyclable materials, the main advantage of the packaging design is its flexibil

The investment will replace the complete press section of the PM2 paper machine with new state-of-the-art technology,

Ongoing tension in polymer markets worry European Flexible Packaging manufacturers

There has been tension in the polymer market for some time which is very concerning for the members of Flexible Packaging Europe (FPE). Deliveries of all relevant polymers to the industry continue to be unpredictable in terms of volumes and time of delivery and therefore jeopardize many production plans. Converters are seriously affected as they have difficulties to supply finished products to meet their customers’ order requirements. In particular, the food and beverage sectors rely on the safe supply of packaging materials to meet the continuous high demand of retailers and ultimately end-consumers.

The concentration of ‘force majeure’ declarations or ‘maintenance’ announcements by the leading polymer manufacturers in Europe created sudden and significant shortages along with unjustified price increases in the supply chain by the polymer manufacturers. The indications in recent weeks show that the situation will likely continue for some months, if not worsen further.

Guido Aufdemkamp, FPE’s Executive Director, commented on the ongoing situation: “The polymer industry should not take the end-consumer hostage during these difficult times of the coronavirus pandemic in which the entire population is so dependent on the safe and stable supply of food and hygienic products as well as medical and pharmaceutical goods. We call on the polymer industry to do their outmost cooperating with their customers to solve this unfortunate situation.”

In Europe almost half of the Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), excluding beverages, are packed with flexible packaging. Examples include all kinds of packaged foods, pet food, personal and household care products. Almost two thirds of the materials used for flexible packaging are plastics. The ongoing unstable supply combined with the pressure by legislators and consumers in terms of sustainability increases attempts for material substitution.

Further information: Patrick Altenstrasser, Manager Communications (altenstrasser@flexpack-europe.org)

Flexible Packaging Europe’s (FPE) members manufacture all types of flexible packaging. FPE comprises more than 80 small and medium sized companies as well as the major European producers of flexible packaging for all materials. These companies cover more than 85% of the European flexible packaging turnover. Also, six national flexible packaging associations are members of FPE ensuring consistency between national and European activities and lobbying. www.flexpack-europe.org

Highest quality customized rigid boxes produced in state-of-the-art factory feature vastly reduced shipping cost and time

Hongkong, China, April 22, 2021. SWEDBRAND Group, the packaging partner to some of the world’s most iconic brands, today announced the opening of its brand-new converting plant in Poland, Swedbrand Poland Sp z o.o., for premium customized rigid boxes for luxury products. Supported by a global production network of owned and partner-run facilities, the state-of-the-art Gdansk plant is operated by experienced staff and is able to deliver significantly reduced cost and time for intra-Europe delivery. The facility is managed by Bogdan Putko, who has 35 years of experience in the Polish packaging market, and is known and respected by many of the world’s most famous brands for his deep knowledge and expertise in all areas of packaging production.

“While we have excellent premium packaging capabilities in China and Viet Nam, we began looking for opportunities to initiate production in Europe as well about two years ago,” said Zaid Bunni, co-founder of the SWEDBRAND Group. “This seems prescient today in light of the disruptions brought on by the pandemic and the instability in Asian markets. We are especially pleased to have Bogdan join our team and bring his extensive knowledge of both packaging and the Polish printing/converting environment as we built out our new factory.”

Bunni points out that the Gdansk factory, which is a highly automated state-of-the-art converting operation for premium rigid boxes, brings a number of benefits to brands requirement rigid box production for use in Europe.

Plant manager Bogdan Putko adds, “We’ve seen dramatic increases in both time and cost for shipping from China to Europe. While manufacturing time and labor costs are somewhat higher in Poland, it can take four to five weeks just to secure a 40-foot container in China, and then five to seven weeks to ship it to Europe. In addition, just in the last few months, shipping cost has increased by a factor of four or five, from US$2,000 for a 40-foot container to as much as US$10,000. Our shipping cost per truckload from Poland to Germany, for example costs between €850 and €1,300 and can be accomplished in as little as three days.”

For brands, these reduced shipping costs mean a highly competitive overall cost for the premium rigid boxes that are important in projecting their brand image and increasing shelf appeal for their luxury products, while protecting often fragile contents. In addition, being able to get product to the shelves by up to a month earlier than previously possible results in a significant revenue opportunity for brands and retailers.

“We have just completed putting the finishing touches on our factory and are now entering full production phase,” Putko added. “We also offer brands a unique opportunity for a virtual factory tour in light of pandemic conditions that are still restricting travel. The virtual tour is designed to showcase all aspects of the factory and provide brands with the confidence that we can provide reliable and timely service. In addition, the Gdansk factory addresses the need of many of the world’s most well-known brands to diversify risk by moving all or some of their packaging converting from Asia to Europe.”

Bunni adds, “We also made the strategic decision to outsource the offset printing required for production of these outstanding rigid boxes since Poland features many very high-quality printers who have plenty of excess capacity. This helps better support the Polish printing industry while keeping our overhead as low as possible.”

For more information about the new SWEDBRAND state-of-the-art Gdansk factory for premium rigid boxes, visit https://bit.ly/3tCSFt2. To schedule a virtual factory tour, contact us.

About SWEDBRAND Premium Packaging
SWEDBRAND Premium Packaging is a division of the SWEDBRAND Group, which was founded in 2006 by Chris Magnusson and Zaid Bunni as a foreign invested company originating out of Hong Kong with offices and factories in Asia and Europe. As a proud packaging partner to some of the world’s most iconic brands, SWEDBRAND offers a full range of packaging products, from premium rigid boxes and handcrafted bags ideal for luxury products to convenient and sustainable reusable bags popular with leading retailers. The company also produces a complete range of food and drink solutions spanning everything from premium packaging concepts for spirits, wines, and confectionary through to branded containers for drinks and meals on the go. Its global network of packaging converting factories allows brands to take advantage of regional packaging production in order to meet the most demanding cost and delivery requirements and diversify risk across the supply chain.

Company’s Switzerland facilities are now fully powered by renewable electricity via hydroelectric power and an extensive new solar plant.

Thun, Switzerland – Hoffmann Neopac, a global provider of high-quality packaging for a broad array of industries and applications, has installed one of the largest solar power systems in Switzerland. The extensive green energy initiative, which costs more than 2 million Swiss Francs ($2.2 million), will make Hoffmann Neopac fully electricity sustainable at each of its two manufacturing sites in its home country.

Comprising a total of 12,000 square meters, the ambitious photovoltaic system will have the ability to generate as much as 2,616 kilowatts peak (kWp. For the company, this equals three-quarters of the electric power consumption at its Thun plant in Switzerland. As of this year, Hoffmann Neopac uses certified Swiss hydroelectric power to cover the remaining electrical power needs of both facilities in Switzerland.

According to Swissolar, the size of the solar power plant in Thun is among the top eight of its kind in the country. “The sweeping solar power initiative and our overall renewable electricity consumption brings Hoffmann Neopac a sizable step closer to its goal of total operational sustainability,” says Mark Aegler, CEO of Hoffmann Neopac. “It exemplifies our commitment to harness our power from renewable resources and, from there, manufacture our products from renewable, recyclable resources as well.”

Hoffmann Neopac AG has put a high priority to sustainably manufacturing its packaging solutions, as well as to push recyclability and recycled content for all the packaging products. For example, the company recently introduced a line of mono-material-barrier tube solutions, Polyfoil® MMB. The new offering was Europe’s first tube solution to achieve full technology approval from RecyClass™, and full recyclability grade A from SUEZ Circpack®.

A wide variety of EcoDesign solutions support the company’s commitment to sustainability-minded production breakthroughs. These includes high-density polyethylene (HDPE) caps; Recycled tubes with 64% PCR content; Lightweight plastic tubes with 30% weight reduction in the tube body; and bio-based tubes such as the novel PICEA wood-based tube. In the tin sector, the company has achieved full packaging steel circularity in collaboration with its steel supplier. The result has been the recent launch of RecyCan®, which is comprised of 100% PCR steel from German households.

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About Hoffmann Neopac

Hoffmann Neopac is a privately-owned company, headquartered in Thun, Switzerland. The group produces high-quality metal and plastic packaging in six locations: HOFFMANN tins in Thun and in Holland; Polyfoil® and plastic tubes with NEOPAC in Switzerland, Hungary and the US; and 3D Neopac in India. Its longstanding customers include pharmaceutical, cosmetics and consumer goods manufacturers in the European, North American and Asian markets.

Hoffmann Neopac employs around 1,250 employees and has a capacity of 1.3 billion tubes and 400 million tins. The company is dedicated to sustainability in both its manufacturing processes and corporate culture, including a dedicated eco-conscious packaging portfolio. For more information, visit www.hoffmann-neopac.com.  

Los Angeles, CA – 2021 is all about the color green. Across every industry, from fashion to beauty, sustainability has become a driving force and green is the color that represents a reconnection with nature, restoration of balance, and a healthy recovery in a post-COVID era.

For this year’s Earth Day, WWP Beauty is making its green commitment to make up with the Earth and create positive and purposeful impact through consistent, sustainable innovation and a renewed sustainable stock library that gives customers more solutions towards meeting their own sustainability goals. 

Michael Tognetti, Chairman of the WWP Beauty Sustainability Committee, says, “At WWP Beauty, we know that the path to sustainability looks different for every brand. For this reason we strive to create options for our customers that utilize eco-friendly materials and future-focused design strategies. All of our sustainable innovations are backed by data with validated sustainability claims generated using our Eco Analyzer Tool.”

Some of the company’s recent sustainable launches have included its ColorVue Lipstick which produces 85% fewer GHG emissions and uses 12% less plastic per piece compared to standard lipstick components, its Eco-Pac Tube which reduces GHG emissions by up to 93% and uses 19% less plastic per piece, and a Refillable Multi-Use Face and Body Stick.

To commemorate Earth Day, WWP Beauty is also launching two new sustainable stock packaging collections, the Cutsie Green Collection and the Mindful Collection.

Cutsie Green Collection – Sleek Sustainability 

The Cutsie Green Collection is made up of sleek, modernly designed cosmetic packaging options that include eyeshadow compacts, face and cheek compacts, a cushion compact, and a slimline lipstick and lip gloss package. Each component in the Cutsie Green Collection is made with PCR materials on the cover base and platform, and the slim designs of these compacts are 25-30% slimmer than a compact of a similar size. This not only reduces the use of virgin materials, but also creates a smaller carbon footprint during the development and shipment process.

Mindful Collection – Mindful Design Strategies

Future-focused design strategies such as mono-material composition and light-weighting offer different sustainability attributes. The Mindful Collection combines these strategies, creating products that have an impactful recyclability story, as well as use less plastic through light-weighting. This collection is made up of PCR compacts, a PCR, POM free airtight lipstick and lip crayon, PCR face stick, mono-material bio-PE (sugarcane) tubes that use up to 19% of plastic per piece, and a PCR powder jar with sifter. It is important to be mindful about which sustainable design strategies are being used because many consumers today are basing their purchasing decisions on the eco-friendly claims brands are making.

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About WWP Beauty

WWP Beauty is committed to developing future-focused, sustainable solutions for the global beauty industry through close collaboration, exceptional agility, and unparalleled scale. The company’s full-service offering of formula, packaging and accessories, paired with their in-house manufacturing capabilities allow them to stand out as the source for everything beauty. Through a worldwide team of beauty experts that span across North America, EMEA and APAC, WWP Beauty offers their customers global support at the local level. To learn more visit our website at www.wwpbeauty.com.

Certification affirms the company’s quality management systems meets ISO requirements

Auburn, AL, April 20, 2021 – Aptar CSP Technologies, a leader in material science and active packaging solutions (part of AptarGroup, Inc.), earned the International Organization for Standardization ISO 13485:2016 certification for both its U.S. and France-based plants. These internationally recognized standards set the requirements for a quality management system specific to the medical device industry.

An ISO 13485-approved site ensures consistent design, development, production, installation, and delivery of medical devices that are safe for their intended purpose. The ISO certifications come at a critical time as the company is currently preparing for commercialization of a new medical device using its proprietary 3-Phase Activ-Polymer™ platform technology.

In addition to this imminent medical device commercialization, the company’s patented Activ-Film™ technology is currently integrated into implantable medical devices to control the microclimate of the device, extending use life and improving performance. The technology can also be engineered as a critical component of the overall delivery system.

“With this ISO certification, we are well-positioned to serve our current and future medical device partners,” said Badre Hammond, VP Commercial Operations, Aptar CSP Technologies. “As we broaden our portfolio of offerings, we continue to invest in our quality systems and operational excellence to support continued growth.”

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About Aptar CSP Technologies
Aptar CSP Technologies is part of AptarGroup, Inc., a global leader in the design and manufacturing of a broad range of drug delivery, consumer product dispensing and active material science solutions. Aptar’s innovative solutions and services serve a variety of end markets including pharmaceutical, beauty, personal care, home, food and beverage. Using insights, proprietary design, engineering and science to create dispensing, dosing and protective packaging technologies for many of the world’s leading brands, Aptar in turn makes a meaningful difference in the lives, looks, health and homes of millions of patients and consumers around the world. Aptar is headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois and has 13,000 dedicated employees in 20 countries. For more information, visit www.aptar.com.

Aptar CSP Technologies is the go-to material science and active packaging expert that transforms ideas into market opportunities, accelerates and de-risks the product development process, and provides complete solutions that improve consumers’ and patients’ lives. A global material science company, CSP provides innovative, highly-engineered active packaging solutions to protect sensitive products. CSP is a responsive, flexible partner committed to offering customers a single, reliable source for custom product design, development, and manufacturing. CSP has a proven track record of pioneering technological solutions that ensure product protection and enhance its customers’ brand equity. For more information, visit www.csptechnologies.com.

Market trends. New products, design and technology. These topics will be explored on 27 April 2021 in a live web event organized by SACMI in collaboration with Aptar and McKinsey

Sustainability, safety, e-commerce. Three vital pillars of the post-COVID “next normal” in packaging that SACMI will explore together with packaging multinational Aptar.

Starting off with analysis by McKinsey&Company, the event will be live-streamed via the SACMI interactive platform on 27 April 2021 at 15:00 CEST (and repeated on 28 April at 09:00 CEST).

The webinar will also present cap and closure assembly solutions, developed by SACMI-Velomat to provide quality, flexibility and cost savings.

The latter part of the meeting will look at in-line and off-line computer vision systems. Developed by SACMI on the basis of its decades of experience and unique know-how, these systems re-focus on quality and safety, crucial factors in current market trends and consumption habits.

Throughout the meeting (which will be simultaneously translated into 5 languages, English, Chinese, Russian, French and Spanish) participants can ask the team questions and explore specific areas of interest in greater depth.

To obtain further info and sign up, just click here.

https://liveevents.sacmi.eventmaster.it/beyond-covid-the-next-normal-in-packaging-website-sacmi

In its capacity as a solution provider and technology integrator, Greiner Assistec draws on its extensive solutions expertise in the production of innovative, functional plastics. And its collaboration with German startup innoME, a pioneer in the sensor technology space, has now delivered an impressive result: the development of a smart petri dish.

• First proof of concept for thermoformed plastic parts with printed sensor systems
• Smart petri dish prototype
• Strategic partnership with innoME (accensors)

Kremsmünster, Austria, April 2021. Greiner Assistec is currently working with accensors, an innoME GmbH business unit specializing in film sensor technology, on a development project aimed at creating printed sensor systems. The first milestone came in the form of a proof of concept for an intelligent petri dish.

Smart, printed sensor systems

In accensors, Greiner Assistec was able to bring a strong sensor technology partner on board. The aim of this strategic partnership is to offer future customers the option of buying thermoformed plastic parts with printed sensor systems, among other solutions. As part of the pilot project, an initial demo prototype has now been developed, taking the form of a smart petri dish. This involves printing two sensors on the film before putting it through a thermoforming process. And the resulting solution also allows for ongoing monitoring, with the initial prototype making it possible to check up on the pH value and the temperature of the medium in the dish using an accensors scanner and an app. The resulting data obtained via this process can be harnessed to gain new insights in the realm of research and development.

New generation of intelligent petri dishes

The advantages of the new technology are clear to see – specifically, in the manufacturing process. The intelligent sensor systems can be produced and printed onto the films at an affordable cost and in high volumes. During the thermoforming process, the film printed with the sensor technology is subsequently formed into a three-dimensional shape while retaining the sensors’ functionality, ensuring that the petri dishes can be monitored as effectively as possible. “The development of this smart petri dish has yielded a promising outcome and highlights one of many different possibilities for transforming plastic parts through the use of printed electronics. This makes the initial proof of concept an important step in establishing our new center of excellence for the development of smart plastics solutions in Kremsmünster, Austria,” explains Natascha Andraschek, technology manager at Greiner Assistec.

Eike Wilhelm Kottkamp, founder and CEO of innoME GmbH, likewise sees this project as extremely promising: “The collaboration with Greiner Assistec and implementation of thermoformed film sensors in 3D geometries are a key milestone on our roadmap. Together, we are pleased to be bringing this value proposition to market – and we are eagerly looking forward to the future. At the moment, we are holding preliminary discussions with parties interested in specific applications in the biotech, smart manufacturing, and agricultural sectors.”

Greiner Assistec will continue to work with strong partners such as innoME to deliver the smart petri dish and implement other approaches in the field of intelligent plastics solutions based on printed electronics.

Technology facts:

• Technology: Thermoforming of films with printed electronics
• Items printed: pH and temperature sensors
• Film material: PET

About Greiner Packaging & Greiner Assistec
Greiner Packaging is a leading European manufacturer of plastic packaging in the food and nonfood sectors. The company has enjoyed a reputation for outstanding solutions expertise in the fields of development, design, production, and decoration for 60 years. Greiner Packaging responds to the challenges of the market with two business units: Packaging and Assistec. While the Packaging unit focuses on innovative packaging solutions in the food and nonfood sectors, the Assistec unit is dedicated to producing custom-made technical parts and transit packaging solutions. Greiner Packaging employs a workforce of around 5,000 at more than 30 locations in 19 countries around the world. In 2019, the company generated annual sales revenues of €690 million (including joint ventures), which represents more than 40 percent of Greiner’s total sales

About innoME
accensors is a business unit of innoME GmbH, which was founded in 2015 as a spin-off from the Erwin Quarder Group. Its interdisciplinary team of engineers, chemists, physicists, and biologists develop and implement new sensor solutions at its locations in Munich and Espelkamp, Germany. accensors offers customized and customer-oriented film sensors that have enjoyed an enthusiastic reception from customers and end users alike, as well as providing valuable and sustainable knowledge through sensor data.

DUO is the first aerosol dispenser that produces two different spray rates from a single device.

Greiner Packaging is taking various steps to make its packaging solutions as sustainable as possible. One key approach is reducing material usage while maintaining or improving recyclability to save weight as well as cutting carbon emissions. The company is now unveiling a plastic cup for Greek yogurt that demonstrates the strong success of these efforts.

• Material reduced by 20 percent compared with current production methods
• Smaller carbon footprint thanks to reduction in materials
• Polypropylene (PP) for filling with warm or cold products
• IML decoration for optimal branding and premium look

Kremsmünster, Austria, April 2021. Austrian dairy company Ennstal Milch operates a filling plant for various flavors of Greek yogurt. Greiner Packaging has successfully developed an ideal packaging solution for the yogurt – a cup that features an appealing design while significantly reducing the use of plastic. The packaging manufacturer is now producing this solution as well, allowing it to respond to the market’s requirements and the trend toward lightweight packaging decorated with IML technology.

Reduced material usage: the approach for new packaging solutions

One aspect of Greiner Packaging’s sustainability strategy is reducing its material usage, a goal it has been pursuing for some time now. The company aims to produce packaging that exhibits the same functionality and improved recyclability compared with previous solutions in order to cut back on plastic from virgin materials as well as carbon emissions. This represents an essential, sustainable approach for the plastics experts – in addition to using recycled materials and renewable raw materials while increasing the recyclability of its packaging solutions to as much as 100 percent.

Sometimes, less is more

Greiner Packaging achieved a material savings of 20 percent for the new plastic cup for the Greek yogurt, having reduced the solution’s weight by making adjustments to technical conditions in production. And this reduction has absolutely no impact on the functionality of the cup or its suitability for logistics and filling line systems. Likewise, it is still just as easy to separate the empty cups and stack the sealed cups filled with yogurt. The polypropylene (PP) plastic used in the cups is designed to be suitable for filling with dairy products and other foods in a refrigerated environment or at room temperature. A concerted effort is already underway in Europe to build a collection and recycling infrastructure that is as comprehensive as possible, so the future prospects for recovering the material in optimal quantities are highly promising. Moreover, the carbon footprint incurred during transport is significantly reduced due to the decreased weight of the cup.

Almost endless design possibilities

The PP cup also offers numerous plus points in terms of its design. Thanks to the in-mold labeling technology – that is, the use of a label fused with the cup during the production process – the cup boasts a premium look and makes a particularly impressive statement on store shelves. IML allows for a tailored brand identity with the same high quality as photo printing, ideal for attracting the consumer’s attention at the POS. Double-sided or interactive labels can be used to take consumer interactions to the next level. A QR code or digital watermark, for example, can be integrated for competitions, promotions, or similar consumer engagement activities. Plus, a wide range of surface effects is available to enhance the product’s premium look, including soft touch, matte, ultra-glossy, metallic, transparent, or imitation paper finishes.

Another option: renewable materials

As part of its efforts to utilize more renewable materials, Greiner Packaging also offers its customers biocircular plastics on request, such as those made from agricultural production waste. Because Greiner Packaging is ISCC Plus certified (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification), the company’s customers can highlight this on their packaging solutions if their organizations are also certified as part of the value chain. In addition, customers can use sealing film made of polypropylene so that the cup, IML label, and sealing film are made of the same material. This represents a further step ahead in terms of recyclability.

“The new, lighter-weight IML cup for Greek yogurt is a great example of Greiner Packaging’s dedication to reducing material usage and the weight and carbon savings that come with it. The fact that we also make products from renewable materials on request, which in turn are 100 percent recyclable, is completely in line with our sustainable mindset and our mission to actively advance the transition to a circular economy,” says Philipp Maurer, key account and IML category manager at Greiner Packaging.

Packaging facts:

• Technology: Injection molding
• Decoration: IML
• Material: PP, including bio-circular on request

About Greiner Packaging

Greiner Packaging is a leading European manufacturer of plastic packaging in the food and nonfood sectors. The company has enjoyed a reputation for outstanding solutions expertise in the fields of development, design, production, and decoration for more than 60 years. Greiner Packaging responds to the challenges of the market with two business units: Packaging and Assistec. While the Packaging unit focuses on innovative packaging solutions, the Assistec unit is dedicated to producing custom-made technical parts. Greiner Packaging employs a workforce of around 5,000 at more than 30 locations in 19 countries around the world. In 2019, the company generated annual sales revenues of EUR 690 million (including joint ventures), which represents more than 40 percent of Greiner’s total sales.

Cremer’s WD Series counting & dispensing machines provide hygienic, efficient and 100% accurate solution for packaging frozen meatballs.

Towaco, New Jersey – Cremer, a leading supplier of product counting machines in the U.S. for a wide array of applications, recently assisted a major frozen food manufacturer in increasing its production capacity of frozen meatballs. The project, which also included improving ease of cleaning, centered around Cremer’s Washdown (WD) Series, a line of hygienic stainless steel counting machines designed for precise counting and dispensing of individual food products in a variety of applications where cleanliness is paramount.

The frozen food manufacturer needed a hygienic way to efficiently and accurately count its frozen meatballs, which come in one- and four-inch varieties, each with minor variances in per-item weight. But despite having a custom-built counting solution – a single machine with two lanes – the company was running only 60-70 pieces per minute. While functional, the system was incapable of handling the capacity the company needed. Additionally, gaps in the machine made it cumbersome to count the smaller one-inch meatball variety, as they frequently became stuck.

Another challenge was cleaning – especially necessary with frozen meat, where hygiene and preventing cross-contamination of different herbs and spices is crucial. The company’s older, manual machine contained many parts making for labor-intensive and time-consuming cleaning, and tool-dependent changeovers that led to longer-than-desired downtime.

The company turned to Cremer for an upgrade, and selected Cremer’s WD Series.

“Unlike most counting machines, which are limited in tolerance to pressurized water, the WD Series are specifically constructed to thrive in the harsh working environments typically encountered where washdown/wipedown procedures are necessary,” said Brian Pomponio, Business Development Manager of Cremer North America. “A Cremer counting machine is recognized for its limited number of moving parts, minimal contact surface and tool-free changeover which makes cleaning and maintenance a breeze.”

The WD Series’ stainless-steel frame and contact parts are corrosion-resistant and designed for low-pressure hose wash and sanitizing chemicals. The series also includes a separate parts trolley for convenient high-pressure sanitizing. All contact parts can be taken off and a duplicate set installed while the other is deep cleaned. This allows for strong flavorings in food varieties to remain entirely separate, segregation for vegan/non-vegan options, and allergy safety assurance.

Important for the company’s desire to increase capacity, Cremer’s WD Series counter is equipped with six lanes (with the option of up to 12), handling between 500 to 1,000 products per minute, depending on product size. The WD Series are scalable for varying production levels and compatible with all industrial packaging machines, minimizing the amount of ancillary equipment investments companies need to make.

Other features of the WD series include a product detection unit with 100 percent accuracy, hinged side panels for optimal cleanability and vibratory plates for product transport and separation. A timing hopper for discharging product counts is also built in, along with a vibratory sieve with collector tray.

The frozen food manufacturer has had its Cremer counting machine in operation for six months. In that time, the customer has seen a marked uptick in capacity, producing product ten times faster than before, while experiencing much less overall product overage. In fact, a new bagger was desired to keep up with the increase in production levels.

In addition, the customer’s washdown process has improved significantly with tool-free disassembly and quick changeovers ensuring a hygienic environment with less downtime.

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About Cremer

Since 1949, Cremer is the leading global supplier of counting machines and packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical, food, consumer goods and agricultural industries. As part of the Uhlmann Group, the Netherlands-based company is known worldwide for its dedicated focus on quality control.

Cremer’s highly technical and innovative machinery provides unsurpassed speed and precision, ensuring companies can count and package their products in a guaranteed accurate, fast, and profitable way. Cremer’s commitment to customized equipment solutions has led to a customer base ranging from small family-operated businesses to multinational corporations. For more information, visit www.cremer.com.

Troisdorf, April 9, 2021
After a forced break due to Covid-19, Chinaplas 2021 marks a new start of the trade show season for Reifenhäuser. From April 13 to 16, the specialist in plastics extrusion will exhibit in Hall 10 / Booth G07 at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center. The company’s focus at the show will be on sustainable packaging solutions for a functioning circular economy. Ulrich Reifenhäuser, CSO of the Reifenhäuser Group, explains: “I am delighted to finally be able to resume in-person exchange with customers and partners - of course, in compliance with local hygiene regulations. Even if the ongoing travel restrictions mean that our Chinese colleagues from Reifenhäuser Plastics Machinery (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. are mainly in charge of the trade show appearance, it is a first step back to normality.”

Monomaterials and digital recycling solutions

Sustainable packaging solutions are the megatrend in the industry - and this is also the case at the largest plastics trade show in the Asian region. As a leading solution provider for Circular Economy products, Reifenhäuser promotes its production machines for monomaterial composites as well as other components. The problem with today's plastic packaging lies primarily in the material mix which cannot be separated in the recycling phase, or only with great difficulty. Therefore, no pure recyclates are obtainable from standard packaging, which explains why recyclability is low.

The solution: Customers produce monomaterial laminates (All-PE film) for flexible packaging on Reifenhäuser EVO Ultra Stretch blown film lines. The regular PET layer is replaced by stretched PE. With maximum stretching of
up to 1:10, the Ultra Stretch stretching unit gives PE film completely new mechanical properties. This is a simple replacement for PET and there is no need to adapt downstream processing steps. The unique and patented position of the stretching unit directly in the haul-off of the blown film line makes the process particularly stable and efficient. The film still warm from extrusion is stretched at the ideal time and without reheating. In addition, this simultaneously extends the natural annealing phase until the film is winded and gives the film the necessary time to adopt its new properties. The Ultra Stretch process is unique on the market and offers decisive advantages over film stretching that takes place conventionally between the haul-off and the winder. Visitors to the exhibition booth can experience the Ultra Stretch technology as an impressive 3D animation video and as part of a virtual 360° tour through the Reifenhäuser development center (Technology Center) projected on large event screens.

Reifenhäuser also presents a special highlight at the show: To be able to recycle fully recyclable plastic packaging at a high standard, special marking and data standards are required to identify packaging reliably when sorting waste streams and to make recycling properties transparent. Reifenhäuser is therefore promoting the R-Cycle tracing standard which is driven by a cross-company initiative. The standard can be networked as an open industry platform on all production and processing machines along the plastic packaging value chain and can store recycling relevant information automatically in a digital product passport. This information can then be retrieved in the waste sorting phase using digital watermarks in the printed image of the packaging.

Reifenhäuser will present this unique combination of fully recyclable monomaterials and digitalized recycling not only at its trade show booth, but also in a lecture at the "Plastics Recycling and Circular Economy Conference and Showcase 2021" that will take place at the Crowne Plaza Shenzhen Nanshan on April 12.

Biofilm for the Asian market

Another approach to sustainable packaging is biopolymers - plastics made from renewable raw materials. Reifenhäuser EVO Bio blown film lines are optimized specially to process biopolymers. They have a higher cooling capacity since biopolymers have a lower thermal conductivity. The range of applications is enormous and demand is growing on the Asian market. For example, milk bags popular in this country, or even mailing bags, can be easily produced using biopolymers. They have another advantage: After use, they are compostable. Customers can also process both bio-based and conventional raw materials flexibly on Reifenhäuser EVO Bio lines to respond rapidly to changing market requirements. To compensate for additional costs arising from the use of biopolymers, the line can be equipped with the optional EVO Ultra Flat Plus stretching unit which achieves savings of up to 40% in material resources. The stretching process makes the film stronger and stiffer, which means it can be made thinner with either identical or enhanced properties. In addition, stretching provides a better visual appearance.

Highly stable film through the use of water shock cooling

Besides sustainability, film performance naturally plays an important role - and here, Reifenhäuser offers a special technology highlight. With the EVO AquaCool series, customers produce highly robust and transparent film for particularly demanding applications, such as infusion bags for the medical sector. Instead of using air, the film tube is shock-cooled directly after extrusion by running water over the bubble. This creates the film’s special optical and mechanical properties. Subsequently, the water is removed from the film by vacuum. The vacuum calibration sets new market standards in terms of cooling capacity and film quality. With EVO AquaCool technology Reifenhäuser is one of the leading specialists in the medical sector.

Efficient flat film for safe food packaging

The coronavirus epidemic has revealed the vital importance of a safe and hygienic food supply for the ever-growing population of the world. Just as essential are methods to reduce food waste in the supply chain.
With high-performance MIREX barrier sheet systems, Reifenhäuser offers the film and packaging industry a safe and proven solution for the production of low-shrinkage and low-stress films with excellent thickness tolerances for optimized thermoforming performance. Mirex barrier systems clearly distinguish themselves from other common systems with their flexibility in combining layers and raw materials and the possibility of adjusting their distribution during ongoing production.
The patented REIcofeed Pro IE co-extrusion feedblock guarantees the best and most reliable single-layer thickness tolerances, which are critical for ensuring consistent barrier, seal and thermoforming film performance. In addition, it features a feedblock internal edge encapsulation device to reduce the use of barrier raw materials to the area of the film necessary for thermoforming. The additional edge encapsulation extruder usually required for this purpose, as well as the associated device on the flat die, can be eliminated. This saves space, energy and raw materials and increases the OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) of the extrusion line. The line has a broad range of applications, extending from standard packaging through to special "barrier thermoforming sheets" for coffee capsules.
On request, customers can obtain several product samples of the solutions exhibited on the trade show booth and receive competent advice from local Reifenhäuser experts who have many years of experience with the Asian market.

Nonwoven experts at Chinaplas

The ongoing high demand for nonwovens for protective face masks and medical protective clothing has resulted in an enormous increase in inquiries for nonwoven lines. Through its Reicofil business unit, Reifenhäuser is the global market leader for meltblown production lines - the high-performance filter material that effectively stops even the tiniest bacteria and viruses. That is why this year, in addition to film experts, nonwoven experts will also be in attendance at Chinaplas to field questions from the unabated high level of customer interest.

About the Reifenhäuser Group
With its highly specialized business units, the Reifenhäuser Group is the leading supplier of innovative technologies and components for plastics extrusion. Founded in 1911, the company supplies high-tech solutions all over the world. With its technologies and the know-how of its 1,600 employees, the Reifenhäuser Group has the world's largest competence network for plastics technology. CEO of the group is Bernd Reifenhäuser.

Driving the circular economy, hubergroup Print Solutions now offers a complete Cradle to Cradle Material Health Gold certified portfolio for commercial and packaging offset printing. For this purpose, the international printing ink specialist formulated a new ink range which is based on the low-migration MGA NATURA series and, therefore, suitable especially for printing food packaging. Moreover, the Cradle to Cradle Product Innovations Institute certified a number of water-based coatings of the ACRYLAC series with Gold status. As hubergroup produces a large proportion of the raw materials in its own Chemicals Division, the company can ensure sustainable action along the value chain in addition to that. 

Sustainability incorporated

In 2017, hubergroup was the first international ink manufacturer to receive a Cradle to Cradle certificate in the sheetfed offset sector and thus significantly advanced sustainability in the industry. Since then, the company has continuously improved the environmental performance of its products. While hubergroup’s commercial series ALPHA viva has already carried the Gold status since 2018, the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovations Institute now also certified a variant of the ink series MGA NATURA and various water-based coatings of the ACRYLAC series with the gold level of its Material Health Certifications. Thereby, the institute confirms that the inks and coatings do not contain any substances which pose a high risk to humans or the environment (i.e. none x-assessed or unknown chemicals).
Josef Sutter, Product Manager Sheetfed/UV Europe at hubergroup, says: “The sustainability of printed products has been in the focus of our research activities for a long time. We want to offer our customers environmentally friendly products and thereby help to make their products ready for the circular economy. Consequently, it was important for us to provide them with a complete portfolio certified Cradle to Cradle Gold for both commercial and packaging offset printing.”

Defining own environmental standards 

In addition to that, hubergroup ensures its customers high environmental standards throughout the value chain. This is possible as the majority of raw materials originates in the company’s own Chemicals Division. Josef Sutter elaborates: “We know that we bear a great responsibility as printing ink manufacturer and want to live up to it. Taking a holistic view of sustainability, it is important to us that we meet high standards throughout the value chain – beginning with the raw material production.”
 

Diabetes patients depending on lifelong insulin treatment have to administer the vital medication to themselves using insulin pumps, syringes or pens. Ypsomed offers UnoPen™, a disposable pen with variable dose setting, for this and other multidose therapies. Schreiner MediPharm has developed an NFC-Label for this injection aid that serves as a communication interface between the injector and the SmartPilot™—an electronic pen add-on. The resulting smart device interactively supports patients in using the pen and helps them adhere to their therapy plans.

Schreiner MediPharm designed the label with an integrated NFC chip precisely for the combination of the UnoPen™ and the SmartPilot™. With the NFC-Label, the drug can automatically be identified, authenticated and checked in terms of its expiration date. Due to the smart device, the time and date of the injection as well as the delivered dose are tracked and transmitted to the patient’s related smartphone app via Bluetooth. Patients are interactively guided through the injection process, assisted in correctly using the pen in real time or informed about inconsistencies—for instance, in the event of deviations from the therapy plan or accidental attempts to inject themselves twice. Also integrated is a temperature monitoring feature that issues a warning in case the pen was exposed to critical temperatures while being used or stored. Sensor technology installed in the SmartPilot™ that digitally connects the UnoPen™ enables this function. It is activated by simply attaching the smart device to the pen without covering the cap, the dose scaling mechanism and the button that triggers the injection. The device remains on the pen throughout the injection process.  

Schreiner MediPharm and Ypsomed were development partners already in the SmartPilot™ application project for the YpsoMate® autoinjector: “We selected Schreiner MediPharm as cooperation partner again to offer pharma customers an optimal combination of connected device and smart NFC-Label,” says Andreas Schneider, Innovation & Business Development Director at Ypsomed. The narrow radius of the pen and the small tolerances of the attached device posed particular challenges this time. Another key objective was automated processing, because the label-integrated NFC chip has to reliably function from production through to use by the patient. Schreiner MediPharm utilizes a special design ensuring end-to-end functionality.

About Schreiner MediPharm

Schreiner MediPharm, a business unit of Schreiner Group GmbH & Co. KG based in Oberschleissheim near Munich, is a leading developer and manufacturer of innovative, multifunctional specialty labels and marking solutions with value-added benefits for the healthcare industry. Thanks to its strong solutions expertise and specialized know-how Schreiner MediPharm is a highly capable development partner and reliable quality supplier to leading pharmaceutical and medical device technology companies worldwide.

About Ypsomed

Ypsomed headquartered in Burgdorf (Switzerland) is a leading developer and manufacturer of injection and infusion systems for self-medication and a specialist in diabetes care. The company is a partner of pharmaceutical and biotech companies for pens, autoinjectors and pump systems for the delivery of liquid medications. Ypsomed has around 1,700 employees worldwide.

 

For more information, please contact:

Andrea Richter, Product Communications
Phone +49 89 31584-5674, andrea.richter[at]schreiner-group.com

Schreiner MediPharm,
a business unit of
Schreiner Group GmbH & Co. KG
Bruckmannring 22
85764 Oberschleissheim
Germany
Fax +49 89 31584-5422