RPC expects to see sales increase

RPC, the rigid plastics packaging group, expects sales in the second half of 2007/8 to be higher than the £316m in the same period last year.

In a trading update today (28 March), the group said it anticipated that operating profit would be little changed from last year because of continuing input cost pressures, particularly on polymers, and weakening UK demand.


The statement said: "Exceptional costs will be significantly higher than last year as the restructuring efforts have continued at a high level in the second half in order to provide a strengthened business going forward. Good progress continues to be made with the integration of the recently acquired businesses."


The group closed plants in Thornaby near Middlesbrough in October, and in Herefordshire in September.


Last year, RPC acquired Dutch injection-moulder Raytec in October and French blow-moulder Mob in November.


It said its finance charges would be higher than in the previous financial year because of higher borrowing, the weakness of sterling and increases in interest rates.


The group's share price fell 9.75p to 196.25p following the announcement.
Source: packagingnews

Print industry at risk of REACH breach

The print industry risks operating illegally and having its supply chain cut off if it fails to ensure that the chemicals it uses comply with new European Union legislation called REACH.

Richard Hawkins, chemical policy advisor at the Environment Agency (EA), told printweek.com: "Basically, printers need to ensure that the suppliers of the substances they use have taken REACH into account... If a printer imports a substance that is not regulated for use by REACH and is restricted in its use, then [legal] action could be taken."

The EA, which has the power to enforce against polluters, has been involved with REACH from its inception and worked with Defra(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) in negotiations regarding the legislation. REACH is a set of EU rules governing the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals, which came into force on 1 June last year. It replaces a number of European directives and regulations with a single system.

In order to comply, manufacturers have just eight months from now to register or pre-register the chemicals they produce. This includes stipulating the uses various chemicals are put to, such as ingredients in inks and cleaning agents. Failure to comply will lead to those substances being banned from industrial use.

"Printers have to be aware that they need to take this seriously," Hawkins added. "Especially the people that use dyes and inks; these are significant users of chemicals. They need to go back to their suppliers and ask if, as far as REACH is concerned, are these chemicals compliant?"



Low awareness, high risk
PricewaterhouseCoopers this month published a survey called Waking up to REACH, which found that two in five companies have limited awareness of the legislation. The firm surveyed 241 senior executives across six industries, including paper and packaging, and found that one in four executives feel that REACH will have no impact on their operations.

Simon Taylor, a consultant at PWC, told printweek.com: "Some sectors are, by and large, well prepared. But the survey also shows that others are a little behind.

"The printing industry is a relatively heavy user of chemicals in terms of the number of substances, because inks and printing agents are preparations using many different substances. If a chemical does not comply, then there is potentially a legal problem," Taylor added. "It's certainly a commercially risky situation."

However, the EA's Hawkins stresses that a certain degree of leniency will be necessary on the basis that this is new legislation. "As an authority, we take a reasonable, balanced approach," he said.

Despite a number of calls and emails and assurances to the contrary, industry body the BPIF did not or was not able to respond to printweek.com's questions regarding REACH.

The EU estimates that there are 30,000 substances on the European market manufactured in quantities of one tonne or more every year. The process of registering all of these at once would have been a huge task. So registration will take place over three phases spread over a period of 11 years.

However, substance manufacturers that do not pre-register their chemicals by the end of November this year, must fully register their substance on the 1 December or face breaching European law.

"The key thing is for downstream users such as printers to make sure their suppliers know the use that they put a particular chemical to," Taylor said. "The critical issue to downstream users is to have effective dialogue with their suppliers. It's about them feeling comfortable that they will comply."

Responsibility for implementing REACH in the UK is handled by the Health and Safety Executive and its website carries a section containing comprehensive information on the legislation (www.hse.gov.uk/reach).

PWC's Waking up to REACH is also available online (www.pwc.com/chemicals ).
Source: printweek

Bodoni Systems brings Fogra-certification to UK printers

Colour management consultancy Bodoni Systems has become the first company in the UK to qualify for certifying printers as Fogra compliant.

The Middlesex firm will audit workflow and colour management processes to the colour standard on prepress and press systems, for both sheetfed and web offset printers.

In addition, proofs and press sheets from the audit are sent to Fogra's headquarters in Munich for final evaluation.

UK printers can also be certified to ISO 12647-2 through Fogra's Print Offset Standard.

Bodoni Systems managing director Ian Reid said Fogra certification "is internationally recognised as the measure of print quality" while qualification as the sole Fogra certification consultancy "reaffirms our leading role in this dynamic sector".

He added: "Wider uptake of Fogra certification is inevitable as the best companies move to distinguish themselves and demonstrate their commitment to the highest standards in quality and service."

Fogra certification is available from £1,650. Printers interested in applying should visit www.fogra.de .
Source: printweek

Most alcohol packaging complies with Portman Code

More than 90% of drinks packaging is "manifestly compliant" with the Portman Group's code of practice on the naming, packaging and promotion of alcoholic drinks, an independent audit has revealed.

The Portman Group commissioned management consultancy PIPC to collect a random sample of 485 drinks and assess their packaging against the code.


PIPC raised concerns over a total of 32 brands, which are yet to be named.


The companies concerned have four months to either alter their packaging in response to these concerns or go before the Independent Complaints Panel, which has the power to withdraw a drink from sale if it does not comply with the code.


Portman Group chief executive David Poley said the audit had raised concerns about a number of drinks, including some well-known brands.


"Our Code Advisory Service will give confidential advice to these drinks' producers who may alter their packaging or opt for an Independent Complaints Panel decision," he said.


The code covers a drink's name and packaging, press releases, websites, sponsorship, sampling, branded merchandise, advertorials and other promotional material.


It prohibits the marketing of alcoholic drinks to under-18s; the alcohol content must be clear; alcoholic strength should not be dominant, and it must not encourage rapid or down-in-one drinking.


There must also be no association with illegal drugs, bravado, aggression or anti-social behaviour and any suggestion that the drink will lead to sexual success or popularity is banned.


The Portman Group will publish a complete audit trail of the brands involved; including the subsequent actions taken by those PIPC raised concerns over, later in the year.

More than 70 drinks have been found in breach of the code since it was established alongside the Independent Complaints Panel in 1996.

Source: packagingnews

Llanllyr launches water in a can

Llanllyr Water Company has this week launched its sparkling water in a 100% recyclable 330ml aluminium can.

The silver can will feature the same orange dot that is used on labels for the firm's 330ml and 75cl sparkling water bottles, which are sold to restaurants, bars and hotels.


Patrick Gee, sales and marketing director at the west Wales firm, said: "The two biggest issues in our industry today are recycling and the use of the earth's natural resources. Our water comes from an entirely sustainable source and now we have a package that is entirely recyclable to go with it."


He added that the firm had been asked many times for a "retail-friendly" pack for its natural spring water, but its "generations-old organic and environmental heritage" did not sit comfortably with the use of a plastic bottle.


The still version of Llanllyr Source will be available in a 330ml black can with the orange dot in early May.


Llanllyr Water has been bottling water since 1999.
Source: packagingnews

Carbon footprint plans criticised by senior packaging figure

A senior packaging industry source has warned that proposals to revisit data used to measure the carbon footprint of products after two years could be prohibitively expensive.

The suggestion is included in a consultation on the Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2050 standard, which is being developed by BSI British Standards with the Carbon Trust and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).


The consultation, which closes today (28 March), says results from the implementation of PAS 2050 "shall be valid for a period of two years, unless there is a material change in the lifecycle of the product whose GHG emissions are being assessed".


The source said he could "in some sense understand the logic" for the two-year timeframe because BSI would hope for major changes during this period. However, reassessment after such a short time would be a "huge expense".


The source also warned that emissions from manufacturing should not be calculated by assessing each individual production line, as this would penalise industry, rather than taking an average, as is proposed for the consumer use phase.


"Is this going to be at a micro or a macro level?" the source asked. "Micro would be unaffordable."


For consumer goods or services, PAS 2050, which is due to be published in June, will measure the complete product lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, including in the use phase by consumers.


Brand owners will be able to show compliance with the standard on their products' packaging.


The lifecycle will encompass raw material production, product manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal.


The aim of the standard is to provide consumers with a greater understanding of products' carbon footprint when they make purchasing decisions and use products.


Feedback from the consultation will be reviewed by the PAS Steering Group.
Source: packagingnews

Packaging Market Weekly Wrap: Rio Tinto Poised to Sell Packaging Business

Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto is preparing to sell its $5bn packaging business, to help defend itself against a fresh takeover bid from competitor BHP Billiton.

The company has appointed investment bank Morgan Stanley to kick start the sales process, according to UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph.

The investment bank is likely to advise breaking up the unit to make it easier for private equity buyers to carry out a deal, writes the newspaper.

ANIT-COUNTERFEIT FILM PRODUCTS TO LEAD FLEXIBLE PACKAGING MARKET

Chinese packaging-film company Shiner International says it expects the anti-counterfeit film products market to lead revenue growth this year, providing a catalyst for long-term expansion.

Shiner anticipates 12% growth in the overall worldwide flexible packaging market with the anti-counterfeit packaging predicted to increase due to demand from the high-end branded liquor, tobacco and entertainment markets, which are pushing to prevent counterfeiting and ensure product safety.

The company predicts 2008 profit will be $8m to $9m, or 31¢ to 35¢ a share, representing an increase of 76% to 98% from last year's $4.5m profit.

Shiner plans to expand its production capacity to 28,100t this year from 17,200t to meet higher sales targets.

SAINT-GOBAIN'S PACKAGING SECTOR EXPANDS GROWTH IN RUSSIA

Saint-Gobain's German packaging division Saint-Gobain Oberland AG, has signed an agreement to purchase a majority stake in Russian glassworks company ZAO Kamyshinsky Steklotarny Zawod.

Located in the Volgograd region, ZAO produces jars as well as clear glass bottles for the food and beverage industries.

Finalisation of the deal is subject to approval from the Russian authorities.

LINPAC ALLIBERT SHUTS RETURNABLE PACKAGING SITES

Linpac Allibert, the materials handling division of Linpac Group, is to close its plants in Walsall and Cheshire, halving the workforce at its UK plastics returnable packaging business.

The company, which plans to centralise its operations in Winsford, UK, will create around 100 new manufacturing and warehousing jobs.

All machines and tooling will be moved to Winsford, where the firm aims to create a 'centre of excellence' for its reusable packaging products, the company says.

The firm is due to release redundancy figures in April this year.

NEW CLUB PROMOTES PACKAGING INNOVATION

Mintel Research Consultancy is launching a packaging innovation club for businesses involved in the consumer goods packaging industry.

The Packaging Appreciation Club has been introduced by Mintel's research division in response to clients' requests for examples of innovative packaging which use new formats, designs or materials.

Club members can expect to be sent a selection of new products from around the world with original packaging designs which stand out from the crowd, says Mintel.

The club is open to any business of any size involved in the FMCG packaging industry.
Source: packaging-technology

Redlin Print takes first green steps with Screen PlateRite 6600S

Redlin Print has boosted its green credentials and more than doubled its plate output following the investment in a Screen PlateRite 6600S thermal platesetter.

The Chelmsford printer, which is currently working towards ISO 14001 acreditation, has taken on extra press capacity following the acquisition of four nearby print firms since 2004.

It is also expecting to be Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified in the summer, is using the new PlateRite to boost its plate output.

Redlin Print marketing manager Emma Cappello told printweek.com: "We've been raising awareness across the company about the importance of being more environmentally-friendly.

"The PlateRite will help us move into imaging processless plates in the near future," she said.

Redlin prepress manager Tim Hann said: "The PlateRite 6600S alone has increased our plate output to 30 plates per hour, yet, thanks to the SAL autoloader, we are able to comfortably reach our new plate-making target in order to maximise productivity on our litho presses."

The addition of the SAL autoloader has also allowed the firm to leave the system running into the night, producing a further 100 plates unmanned.

The litho and digital operation added two Heidelberg Speedmaster SM74 presses, a five- and a six-colour, after it bought over B2 litho firm Tarn Print in 2007.

The 70-staff firm operates from two sites, Chelmsford and Basildon, and has increased its hourly plate total from 12 to 30 with the new kit addition.
Source: printweek

BPF seeks meeting over Wrap wine report

The British Plastics Federation is seeking a meeting with the authors of Wrap's report on the carbon impact of bulk imports of wine packaged in glass and PET bottles because it finds some of the conclusions "difficult to believe".

Chief executive Peter Davis said the main issue was not with bulk imports, but the fact that the vast majority of imported wine – more than one million tones – was in green 75cl bottles from Europe.


The majority of glass wine bottles weighed 496g, compared with 54g for PET, he added.


"For a filled truckload of bottles, PET would give a saving of 28% in weight over glass, which is why I find Wrap's calculations difficult to accept," he said.


The study, carried out by sustainability consultancy Best Foot Forward for Wrap, concluded that lightweighting of bottles, irrespective of whether they were glass or PET, led to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.


In addition, the more recycled content used in the bottle, the greater the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, and therefore the greater benefit to the environment.


British Glass was "very encouraged" by the report findings and recycling manager Rebecca Cocking said they "may help dispel" some of the "unfavourable criticism" that glass packaging has received over its weight.


"All glass bottles have a significant amount of recycled content, on average over 60% in glass packaging sold in the UK, and therefore could easily meet the levels of recycling suggested in the study, so long as good quality cullet is obtained from the consumer waste stream," she said.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WRAP FINDINGS

The study looked at the carbon impact of 75cl glass and PET wine bottles in wine bulk imported from Australia.

It compared a 54g PET bottle with no recycled content with a 496g glass bottle with 81% recycled content and a lightweight 365g glass bottle with 81% recycled content.


The 496g glass bottle had the highest carbon dioxide emissions (523g), followed by the 365g glass bottle (453g).


The PET bottle came out marginally lower than the 365g glass bottle (446g), although the report found that the higher carbon dioxide emissions arising for PET from manufacture offset much of the savings obtained from its low weight.


The report also compared a 365g glass bottle with 92% recycled content and PET bottles with 50% and 100% recycled content and found that emissions reduced as the amount of recycled content increased.
Source: packagingnews

Epson launches Stylus Pro to drive signage premium markets

Epson is launching a large-format printer aimed at copy-shops, sign shops and printers who want to print high-quality posters for both indoor and outdoor applications.

The Stylus Pro GS6000, which will make its European market debut at FESPA Digital in early April before appearing in the the UK at Sign later in the month, is a 64in large-format printer with an eight-colour set of inks.

Epson claims that this gives it the widest colour range to date in a printer aimed at both indoor and outdoor applications; and that its ability to print at high resolution will enable copy and sign shops to move into more premium services, such as exhibition graphics, point-of-sale printing, marketing, photo applications and fine art reproduction.

Integral to the Stylus Pro GS6000's capabilities is Epson's newly developed UltraChrome GS eight-colour ink set, comprising cyan, magenta, yellow, black, light cyan, light magenta, orange and green. Available in 950ml cartridges, the colour palette is suitable for branded applications.

Epson said that the environmental credentials of the eco-solvent type ink set mean that it will not spread harmful volatile organic compounds and is the first major solvent ink set to be launched without the need for a hazard symbol.

The machine can attain printing resolutions of up to 1440 x 440dpi and has a smallest droplet sized of 3.7 picolitres. It prints at speeds of up to 25 square metres per hour using Epson's Variable-sized, Ink Droplet and MicroWeave half-toning technologies. It delivers fast-drying, scratch-resistant prints that are water and UV resistant for up to one-and-a-half years without lamination.

The standard machine comes with Giga-Ethernet and USB2.0, allowing high-speed connectivity. Options include support for heavy rolls of up to 30kg and an auto-take-up reel.

In a statement, Martin Johns, senior business manager pro-graphics at Epson UK, said: "The quality, flexibility, speed and reliability of the Stylus Pro GS6000 enables it to add real value to the highest-quality signage, exhibition graphics, point-of-sale, marketing and photo applications as well as making it ideal for fine-art reproduction."

The Stylus Pro GS6000 is priced from 29,995 euros (£23,559). It will appear at FESPA Digital in Geneva between 1 and 3 April and in the UK at Sign between 22 and 24 April.

Source: printweek

Julian Baust takes UK managing director role at Kodak Graphic Communications Group

Kodak has appointed Julian Baust as the new managing director of the UK arm of its Graphic Communications Group (GCG).

Baust, who takes on the role from 1 May, replaces Dave Wigfield, who was appointed leader of the GCG US and Canada region earlier in the year.

Baust has worked at Kodak for nearly 30 years, joining the company as a graduate trainee in 1979. Since 2005 he has headed up the UK Country Business for Kodak’s Consumer Digital Imaging and Film Products Groups.

In addition to his new role with the GCG, he retains his position as Chairman and Managing Director of Kodak Ltd, the holding company for all Kodak businesses in the UK.

Baust said: "The GCG operates in a dynamic and exciting business environment and I’m excited to have the opportunity to lead the UK operation in the next stage of its development."

GCG Europe Africa and Middle East Region (EAMER) vice president sales Gérard Cardinet said "his skills will be of great benefit to our UK customers and employees alike".

Source: printweek

Reclosable thermoform packaging

The angle of the top web serves a second purpose in preventing product from sliding downward when the package hangs vertically. Customers may also choose the point at which the top web “hinges” open and closed based on the size and shape of the product and the desired tension of the lid. Formed from semi-rigid top and bottom films, packages can also be gas flushed for MAP applications to extend shelf life. The interior bottom surface of the tray is formed with ridges to promote proper circulation of the inert gas around the product. Opening tabs can be formed with protrusions to facilitate easy opening, and the packages may also be custom-formed for easy stacking and shipping.

Source: packworld

Jourdans administrators fail to find buyer

Administrators at Jourdans are selling its assets after failing to find a buyer for the Exeter-based specialist packaging company, weeks after it stopped trading.

Jerry O'Sullivan of accountancy firm Bishop Fleming said a structured sale of the company's assets was underway to maximise return to creditors.


These assets are to be sold through an online auction, details of which can be found by visiting www.edwardsymmons.co.uk.


Jourdans had been operating with a skeleton staff of three people after it went into administration last month due to unexpected bad debts and the withdrawal of credit facilities by suppliers.


Jourdans was affected by a debt last year, and a number of suppliers had withdrawn credit facilities due to "an adverse insurance report".


The family-owned firm, which also has a small office in London, produced specialist packaging for markets such as music, cosmetics, wine and toiletries.


It employed 77 staff.


Jourdans Crediton, a separate entity that is based near Exeter and produces point of sale purchase displays, is not involved in the administration.
Source: packagingnews

Home-compostable logo 'available by autumn'

The long-awaited "home-compostable" on-pack logo for the UK could be available by autumn, according to The Composting Association.

Melvyn Chimes, director of business services at The Composting Association, said the organisation and other interested parties were still trying to identify a testing protocol for home-compostable packaging materials, but progress could be made once this had been agreed.


The Composting Association has been in talks on the issue for months with the Waste & Resources Action Programme (Wrap), members of the UK Compostable Packaging Group, which is administered by the National Non-Food Crops Centre, and European Bioplastics, the owner of the existing "compostable" seedling logo.


It has taken time to work through technical criteria, producer obligations for recovery of packaging waste, and potential collaboration with established packaging certification schemes in other European Union countries.


The EN 13432 compostable packaging standard has been under review because it is more suitable for industrial composting, since it requires biodegradation testing at a temperature of 58 degrees Celsius, within a tolerance of plus or minus 2 degrees Celsius.


Chimes said European Bioplastics had agreed "in principle" to the on-pack logo, but some of its members were concerned that the logo "might be discredited" if plastic compostable packaging such as polylatic acid (PLA) took a long time to degrade.


"Everyone wants packaging on which the new home-composting logo appears to do what it should," he said.


It is anticipated that the new logo for home compostable packaging and plastics would include the European Bioplastics seedling and other design elements to make it easy to distinguish from the existing logo.

Source: packagingnews

Harmsworth Printing to print new Warwickshire weekly

Harmsworth Printing has been chosen to print the Nuneaton Observer, a new free weekly newspaper launching on 2 April.

The Leicester site of the printer, part of £425m Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), is producing the title, which has a print run of more than 50,000 copies.

The new paper is a joint venture between Iliffe News and Media and Observer Standard Newspapers.

Harmsworth is printing the Nuneaton Observer four-colour on one of its Goss HT60 presses using 45gsm standard newsprint.

The 64pp newspaper will feature an advertising/editorial split expected at 25%/75%.

The Leicester arm of Harmsworth Printing produces 35 weekly titles including The Stage and also carries out work for Archant Newspapers.

Iliffe News and Media, which already publishes the Heartland Evening News in Nuneaton, will provide the majority of the editorial content and advertising sales.

Additional support will be provided by the nearby Observer Standard operation in Coventry.

Iliffe News and Media chief executive David Fordham said: "The opportunity of joining forces with Observer Standard Newspapers in Nuneaton is an exciting one."

Source: printweek

HSBC warns printers to sort funding as economy slows

In spite of consolidation through M&A and management buyout activity, the UK print industry is still suffering from over-supply and is increasingly uncompetitive in Europe, according to industry lender HSBC.

Simon France, who heads up the bank's printing division told printweek.com: "The print industry still faces a surplus of capacity in the UK, adding to the pressure on margins and increasing need for print businesses to differentiate themselves from each other."

The comments follow the bank's latest outlook for the British economy, which said that, although the UK had experienced 62 consecutive quarters of economic growth since the end of the last recession, "there is little doubt that the economy is now weakening".

France continued: "Increasing costs have also been an issue for UK printers. This includes those of paper, plates and electricity. In addition, the weakness of the pound against the euro has also resulted in increasing costs from European-based suppliers, including a number of the major press manufacturers.

"With the aforementioned pressures on the industry, it becomes even more important for printers to ensure the funding in its business is structured to ensure working capital and asset finance facilities are established with current and future needs in mind."

HSBC's overall economic outlook, which was authored by chief economist Dennis Turner, said: "Spending by consumers and the government, the primary drivers of activity, is under pressure for a variety of reasons and there is little sign of a surge in investment or exports to fill the gap."

HSBC's far from positive take on the economy is matched in tone by the findings of a survey into the UK's tax system, conducted by accountancy and consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. Last week the firm surveyed 104 executives from British business, only a quarter of whom said they expected business growth to continue. Another quarter said they expected business activity to stagnate. The majority (66%) of senior executives reckoned that the UK tax system is less competitive than it was five years ago.
Source: printweek

Intercontinental Recycling's new facility reaches capacity

Intercontinental Recycling's PET and HDPE facility in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, is up to full capacity after operational trials.

General manager Lee Clayton told Packaging News that the site was taking material from local authorities and waste management companies based from Arbroath to Kent.


The plant, which can process 30,000 tonnes of PET and HDPE plastic bottles a year, produces polyethylene pellets used in sheeting and blow moulding, and PET flakes used in sheeting and packaging.


Clayton said the "strongest demand" for the recycled product came from the UK, but Intercontinental also had customers in mainland Europe.
Source: packagingnews

Canadian packer debuts new PP jar system for fruit

Toronto, Canada-based private label packer of canned fruits and vegetables CanGro Foods Inc. has introduced an innovative polypropylene jar and closure system developed in cooperation with Graham Packaging Co. L.P. (www.grahampackaging.com) and Bapco Closures ( www.bapcoclosures.com). The clear, shrink film sleeve labels are supplied by Fort Dearborn Co. (www.fortdearborn.com).

One of the first applications is for CanGro Foods' Del Monte brand fruit in six varieties: sliced peaches, fruit salad, very cherry, sliced pears, pineapple chunks, and mandarin oranges.

The 540-mL (19-oz), cylindrical, extrusion-blown, wide-mouth, high-clarity, PP jar weighs 42 grams empty without the lid. The straight-sided container's neck finish is not rolled or beaded, but rather described as conditioned and cut with a hot blade. The neck threads of the PP jar have been removed and incorporated into the unique, lightweight, 82-mm snap-on Bapco Twister closure system that includes a foil membrane induction-welded into position to create a secure, leak-proof vacuum seal.

Consumers simply peel off the foil membrane by using a convenient, built-in pull-ring. Remaining product can be resealed in the jar by snapping back on the plastic overcap.

Fast fill, easy access opening

The wide-mouth jar facilitates fast filling during the packaging operation, which is followed by pasteurization, and it provides easier product access for consumers.

The jar is claimed to be fully recyclable.

CanGro's director of R&D and quality Mark Hagar says that his company is particularly pleased with this convenience factor of the Graham/Bapco packaging system. "The large opening makes it simpler for the processor to fill the food product and for the consumer to portion it out," says Hagar.

Source: packworld

TNT to launch final mile service in ‘near future’

TNT Post, the mail distributor, is close to rolling out final-mile delivery and is understood to have trialled the service in Liverpool.

Print industry sources close to the company have told PrintWeek that trials have already taken place in the city. Other cities also being lined up are understood to include Manchester and London.

It is thought the trials are the first stage in TNT Post launching a nationwide delivery service to rival Royal Mail, a move that could lead to lower prices for mailing houses and DM printers.

Originally the service will concentrate on commercial addresses, but will grow to encompass residential too.

TNT declined to comment on any trial in Liverpool, but confirmed that it is planning to make an announcement on final-mile delivery soon.

A spokesman said: “As part of its growth strategy, TNT Post is currently looking at a number of potential locations in which it can develop an end-to-end solution and hopes to provide further information on some of these locations in the near future.
“The company intends to offer this service to local businesses as well as big national mailers.”

Jonathan DeCarteret, senior market analyst at postal consultant Post-Switch, said that the move “marks the first serious challenge to Royal Mail”.

He added: “If successfully rolled out, prices would almost certainly drop, performance levels are likely to increase, and mail would no longer be affected by industrial action and subjected to Royal Mail’s annual price hikes.”

Alex Walsh, head of postal affairs at the DMA, added: “If this is successful and leads to greater coverage, then it is a very exciting development. Any alternative to the Royal Mail will lead to greater development and choice.”

Source: printweek

Defra seeks to resolve 'broadly equivalent' issue

Exporters of metal packaging waste will be able to receive accreditation even if they do not know the identity of the overseas processor at the time, under government plans to resolve the "broadly equivalent" issue.

The proposal is the favoured option of three put forward in a consultation from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs on Tuesday (18 March).


The consultation comes after months of wrangling over the issue between metal industry associations and the government.


Until now, before they received accreditation, exporters had to provide documentary evidence that overseas reprocessors were operating under "broadly equivalent" conditions to those in the UK.


The cost of doing this deterred some from seeking accreditation, meaning that any metal waste that they had reprocessed did not go towards recycling targets.


Other factors were the costs to overseas reprocessors of producing suitable evidence relative to the low tonnages they handled from UK sources, and the use of traders and brokers who have been unwilling to provide details of their reprocessor clients to UK exporters for commercial reasons.


However, under the new proposals, exporters would in future receive accreditation provided they operated under broadly equivalent standards and certain conditions were met.


Packaging waste must have been segregated at source or processed to ensure it is exported within a shipment of similar material. In addition, the material must have a high economic value and recycling it must have a clear environmental benefit, and the exported material must meet the required quality.


Defra said this option would make it "more likely" that sufficient Packaging Recovery Notes or Packaging Export Recovery Notes were generated for producers and compliance schemes to meet their obligations.


The department's other options include keeping things are they are and setting up a database of accredited reprocessors.


If it does nothing, Defra said compliance costs for packaging producers with a steel obligation could rise by £51m a year and up to £5.6m for those with an aluminium obligation.


Alupro executive director Rick Hindley said it was "essential" that the proposals go through so that "true recycling figures" were put towards targets, especially as the high value of aluminium and steel ensures that it is being recycled.


"The consultation is also trying to streamline the flow of evidence to make it simpler," he added.


Hindley said he was also in favour of establishing a database of accredited reprocessors because "it makes a lot of sense and will ensure consistency".


Defra also proposed that metals trade associations write to the governments of the main importing countries to seek reassurance about the broadly equivalent status of the facilities that take scrap metals.


The department suggested that a proportion of PRN revenue could be diverted to Environment Agencies to fund inspection of overseas sites, or be used by exporters to employ an expert witness to ascertain which countries had the relevant regulatory schemes in place.


The proposals are contained in a consultation that will seek the views of packaging producers, compliance schemes, waste management companies and special interest groups. The consultation closes in six weeks' time on 29 April. Visit http://www.defra.gov.uk/

Source: packagingnews

Label printer-applicator

The Model 5300 twin-tamp printer-applicator is available with choice of print engines that offer 203- or 300-dpi label imprinting. Handling a range of label sizes, the print engines produce variable-sized text, bar codes and graphic images at print speeds up to 16 ips. To minimize downtime and reduce changeovers, the twin-tamp printer-applicator features a one-to-one relationship among its label supply, liner rewind and ribbon usage. Further flexibility is provided by standard connectivity to product handling systems and high-speed pneumatic components. The twin-tamp system also features a repositionable operator interface with optional 15-foot umbilical, the capability to incorporate a user-specific PLC, plus remote monitoring of the system’s operation via a web browser. The unit also meets international standards as prescribed by UL, CE, CSA and RoHS. The system operates with Weber’s print-apply software, which simplifies label formatting, editing and printing, in addition to providing RFID encoding capabilities.

Source: packworld

Jaycare's new owner closes two production sites

Cope Allman, the Portsmouth-based healthcare packaging group, plans to close two Jaycare production sites in Tyneside only weeks after it rescued the rigid plastics manufacturer from administration.

Jaycare currently has three production sites and one warehouse in the Tyneside area, which includes the headquarters at New York, North Tyneside.


Cope Allman Jaycare director of operations Peter Darlington said the company anticipates retaining around 80% of Jaycare's production output and the majority of jobs.


More than 200 jobs were put at risk when Newcastle-based Jaycare went into administration in January.


Management entered into consultation with the workforce this month with a view to avoiding reductions in the workforce and minimising the damage.


Cope Allman purchased rival, Jaycare from administrator KPMG on 3 March.


Cope Allman commercial manager Adam Dowse said the firm shared a number of customers with Jaycare and offered similar services, including injection blow moulding, extrusion blow moulding and secondary decorating.


The company's purchase of Jaycare was supported by the One NorthEast development agency, which advised management throughout the process.


Cope Allman reported a pre-tax profit of £190,449 for the year to 31 December 2006, compared with a £460,000 loss in the previous year, on sales down almost 10% to £11.8m.


Jaycare was acquired in 2004 by Phoenix Equity Partners, before it was bought out in April 2006 in a £4m refinancing backed by Allied Irish Bank and HBOS.


Jaycare reported an operating loss of £426,000 in the year to 1 April 2006, the last period for which accounts are available. Some £11.8m of its £17.8m turnover was generated in the UK with the balance from the rest of the world.
Source: packagingnews

Bezier buys Coutts Retail Communications to gain European beachhead

Point-of-sale group Bezier is to create a base in London and push into Europe with the acquisition of Coutts Retail Communications (CRC).

Bezier, which is owned by private equity house MidOcean Partners, has signed a definitive deal to buy the London-based firm and is expecting to complete the purchase this week.

The deal would push Wakefield-based Bezier's turnover up to around £130m. No other financial details have been released.

Chief executive Mark Shaw said that the acquisition would "offer further strength and depth to the Bezier group and give us unrivalled creative and production capability for retail marketing in the UK".

Shaw added that European expansion was a key reason for the purchase.

He said: "[CRC's] creative hub in Soho would offer the Bezier group our long-awaited London base and in addition CRC's sites in France and Germany would offer a European presence which we feel is crucial for many of our customers who conduct pan-European campaigns."

Alan Wild, chairman of CRC, said: "We are very excited about the prospect of becoming part of the Bezier group. Our combined expertise and portfolio of services will be unparalleled in our sector and make us by far the biggest and most specialised group in Europe."

News of the acquisition comes amid a flurry of M&A activity in the large-format sector, most notably last week's purchase of Bradford-based Multigraphics by DS Smith, the packaging group.

Source: printweek

Hansa Heeman partners Sidel for new plant

Soft drinks group Hansa Heeman has extended a partnership with a long-term processing and packaging supplier in constructing a new bottling plant to meet its specific needs in the still and carbonated water segment.

Sidel says it has been cooperating with the Germany-based drink maker in developing production lines and other technical equipment for the factory, which will supply mineral water and other carbonated drinks, since production started back in Spring 2007.

The new plant is based at Bruchsal, 20 kms north of Karlsruhe. Hansa-Heeman acquired the facility in 2006 and Sidel provided a customised bottling solution, based on Hansa's requirements in a bid to improve space and make the most of available technical expertise.

The cooperation highlights the importance to processors of adopting new production lines that are specifically designed for their operations to step up efficiency.

Sidel says that originally Hansa intended to commission two high speed production lines but Sidel proposed a more efficient solution using three lines instead, within the same space.

"Sidel's configuration featured several advantages," a Hansa representative stated. "It offered greater production flexibility with far fewer changeovers and longer dedicated production runs. Furthermore, the TCO (total cost of ownership) calculation confirmed the profitability of three lines compared to two high efficiency lines."


The three lines were supplied with Eurotronica fillers, Rollquattro labellers, air conveyors, cap feeders, Flat Top air conveyor, palletisers and pallet-wrappers.

Three blow-moulding machines were also delivered which are situated in an adjacent building, according to Sidel. These bottles are then transferred to the filling area via a suspended air conveyor. The blow moulding machines are run in-house by plastics packaging company Alpla, a large beverage bottle manufacturer based in Hard, Austria.

Cap feeding is also done away from the filling zone, which according to the processing group is made possible due to the use of a Flat Top air conveyor.

The plant layout was designed to make the most of available space at the site, in order to make it possible for just one team per shift to run all three lines without the need for advanced technical expertise, according to Sidel.

The production process was engineered by Tetra Pak Processing.

Sidel, a division of Tetra Lavel, says it is providing Hansa with a two year maintenance programme to help guarantee maximum output.
Source: foodproductiondaily

Convenience still drives frozen food packaging

A study by the Freedonia Group, Inc. (www.freedoniagroup.com) forecasts that U.S. demand for frozen food packaging will increase through 2011, driven largely by greater demand for convenience foods.

The Frozen Food Packaging report predicts that the market will see growth rates of 4.1% per year, to reach a value of $6.4 billion in 2011. By 2016, the sector is projected to be worth $7.8 billion.

Gains will be fueled by further demand for convenience foods, say the report authors, since these tend to use more packaging relative to their volume. Certain demographic trends will facilitate this, such as rising numbers of households where all adults work.

The frozen foods sector will also be boosted by the prevalence of microwaves and advances in packing technology.

Other factors that will lead to frozen food packaging gains are product development, increased varieties of ethnic and organic frozen foods, and an increase in the number of portion-control sizes.

Foodservice and specialties

The foodservice industry, which relies heavily on frozen foods, is also expected to show growth. In a recent report, Foodservice Disposables, Freedonia noted that Americans have increased disposable personal income and are spending more on food eaten or prepared away from home.

Packaging demand for meat, poultry, and seafood is expected to post an annual growth from 2006 to 2011 of 4.9%, while frozen specialties, such as pizza and breakfast items, are projected to post a 4.4% growth. These are the largest applications for frozen food packaging, together accounting for nearly 60% of demand in 2006.

Efforts by producers to meet customers' convenience-food requirements will lead to increased diversity and create more packaging opportunities.

Fruits and veggies

Packaging frozen fruit and vegetables and baked goods will expand more slowly. Fruit and vegetables will see an annual growth of 2.5% until 2011 and baked goods 4%.

Fruit and vegetable applications are likely to lag the industry average because of maturity of the market and competition from fresh alternatives.

However, packaging innovations will lead to renewed interest in frozen vegetables, Freedonia expects, including self-venting films to facilitate steam cooking in pouches.

The 239-page report is available from Freedonia for $4,500.

Source: packworld

Sainsbury's starts compostable trays for meat

Sainsbury's yesterday (19 March) introduced compostable trays for all its So Organic whole chickens sold in Scotland.

The trays are made from sugar cane and can be thrown straight onto a domestic compost heap, where they will decompose in around eight weeks. However, Sainsbury's was unable to name the material the tray was made from and whether it was certified as home compostable.


Sainsbury's said it sold more than 7,000 organic chickens in Scotland every week and more than 100,000 Scots owned a compost bin. The supermarket hoped the initiative would save nine tonnes of waste a year from going to landfill.


The trays will be tested initially in Scotland with the aim for a roll-out across all stores in the UK. However, Sainsbury's told Packaging News there was no schedule in place for the roll-out.


Sainsbury's also said its aim to convert its ready meals to 100% compostable packaging by this month was on schedule.
Source: packagingnews

Tesco quizzes suppliers on packaging reduction

Tesco, the UK's largest retailer, has asked suppliers to provide detailed information about the packaging they use, Packaging News has learned.

Tesco's suppliers have received a data sheet, seen by Packaging News, which asks for information on recycled content and country of origin and applies to primary, secondary and tertiary packaging.


It also records the number of units of packaging that fit inside a case and the evolution of a pack's weight over the past three years.


Packaging Federation chief executive Dick Searle said Tesco was most likely "attempting to get background information" to monitor its progress towards achieving Courtauld Commitment targets.


However, he added: "The challenge for Tesco is to confine it to that and not to use the data for anything else."


A Tesco spokeswoman said she "could not comment on a specific form" but reiterated the supermarket's commitment to packaging reduction.


"As a business, Tesco is working with suppliers to collect data [on packaging], with a view to seeing how it can be reduced," she said.


Tesco's move comes after US retail giant Wal-Mart rolled out its packaging scorecard on almost 100,000 products on 1 February, following a year of trials (Packaging News, March 2008).


Wal-Mart's UK arm, Asda, has said it wants to introduce its own version in early 2009.

Source: packagingnews

4DM in turnover boost after Direct Link buy

Direct mail house 4DM has bolstered its turnover to £20m after acquiring marketing agency Direct Link for an undisclosed sum.

The buy-out, completed last Wednesday (12 March), will complement 4DM’s product range and provide an extra set of skills at the 290-staff firm.

4DM chairman and chief executive Charles Grant-Salmon said: “The 4DM business has made steady, manageable growth over recent years.

“This well-planned purchase not only further aids this growth, but also complements the services we offer.”

Direct Link’s founder and owner Keith White will join the Kettering-based operation on a full-time consultancy basis.

It will continue to operate independently, although all operations have been relocated from London to 4DM headquarters.

White said: “With 4DM’s high service levels and experience in enhancing client campaigns, this relationship will benefit Direct Link and 4DM clients alike.”

Robin Skinner, group sales and marketing director at 4DM, said: “An opportunity like this, which enables us to broaden our offering, is a huge positive.”

Skinner said the firm had a long-standing relationship with Direct Link and that the move would not come as a surprise.

He also hinted this was not the end of 4DM’s acquisition trail.
Source: printweek

Darling silent on income shifting as crackdown plans are shelved

Legislation intended to crack down on income shifting between spouses has been quietly shelved by the chancellor, who did not mention the delay in his speech.

In a move that will be welcomed by many small businesses, Alistair Darling cancelled the introduction of laws designed to stop small business owners splitting incomes and therefore reducing the tax burden.

Lisa MacPherson, national director of tax at PKF, said: “Had the draft legislation come into force next month as planned, many family businesses would have had to keep considerably more detailed records to prove they were not shifting business income between family members to save tax.”

She added that, should the legislation be introduced in a year, HMRC must set out hard and fast guidelines on exactly what records are needed to establish the market rate of return for each person involved in the business.

“The government needs to consider carefully the policy issues involved – they need to clarify when the ‘income shifting’ rules will be applied,” she added.

Source: packagingnews

Easyfairs doubles visitor numbers

Easyfairs has confirmed almost 4,000 visitors to last week's Packaging Innovations, Ecopack, Packtech and Contract Pack shows at the NEC, more than twice as many as in 2007.

Managing director Peter Heath said the show's popularity – 3,925 people attended the two-day event – highlighted the "pivotal role packaging plays in today's society".


Dean Brown, packaging development engineer for Home Retail Group, which owns Argos and Homebase, said the show was a "real breeding ground for new ideas".


Sarah Culcutt of fruit marketers Norman Collett described it as an "extremely valuable event" and "well worth the trip from our Kent base".


Easyfairs said that more than half of the 340 exhibitors had already signed up for next year.


However, one exhibitor warned the organisers needed to "move on a sound idea" to avoid becoming "just another packaging show, rather than innovations focused".

Another said his firm had a successful show, but suggested Easyfairs should set clearer physical boundaries between the different elements of the exhibition, such as Ecopack, to make it clearer for visitors.

Source: packagingnews

EskoArtwork acquires Gradual Software

EskoArtwork has completed its acquisition of professional publishing software developer Gradual Software.

Gradual Software, also based in Ghent, Belgium merges into EskoArtwork's Enfocus operations as a result of the buy, which was completed on 13 March.

As a result of the acquisition, Peter Camps, founder and chief executive of Gradual Software and founder of Enfocus Software, joins the EskoArtwork management team as the senior vice president of the Enfocus business unit.

Gradual Software will shed its name and operate under the Enfocus business unit, while its flagship title automation software, Switch, will be rebranded as Enfocus Switch.

Peter Camps told printweek.com: "I'm very excited to see my two babies coming together.

"We're hoping to take Enfocus to another level and EskoArtwork understand that this business unit is different from the rest of the company," Camps added.

He said: "I came to EskoArtwork with my vision for blending the two companies and we have a good team to take Enfocus forward."

Camps said that both EskoArtwork and Enfocus remain fully committed to the Crossroads community, founded by Gradual Software to bring together a complete ecosystem of software vendors offering products that can automate tasks in publishing workflows.

EskoArtwork president and chief executive Carsten Knudsen said the company buy builds "on the synergies between the Enfocus and Gradual Software activities" coupled with "the full support of EskoArtwork's drive and resources".

In addition, EskoArtwork has launched a design software plug-in called Dynamic Content, which allows publishers to link text content with any Adobe Illustrator artwork file.

EskoArtwork claims that the process of linking text to artwork is time-consuming often prone to error.

The company claims the plug-in "significantly reduces product-to-market tie and costs".

Source: printweek

Direct mailers count cost of mail strikes

The prospect of more Royal Mail strikes and continuing disruption to the postal service could lead marketers to switch from printed direct mail to other media, according to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).

But, Alex Walsh, the DMA's head of postal affairs, told printweek.com: "That issue only arises if there is further industrial action," adding that levels of direct mail have so far not suffered as a result of the strikes.

"What the strikes did do was bring the issue up to boardroom level and many [marketers] have brought forward some plans to test other forms of marketing [aside from direct mail]," he said.

The Royal Mail recently published its findings into the impact of the strikes. It found that industrial action resulted in only 78.4% of First Class letters reaching their destination the working day after they were posted, during the three months between early September and the beginning of December. This compared with a 93% success rate in the first quarter of 2007.

Last year's rolling strike action took place after union members rejected Royal Mail's proposals on pay, pensions and modernisation.

Earlier this month, the Communications Workers Union announced it was holding a consultative ballot with its members over the Royal Mail's plans to restructure its pensions scheme. A spokesman for the Royal Mail told printweek.com that the ballot's findings are due to be revealed towards the end of this month. It will be at this point that the union will decide whether or not to pursue further industrial action.
Source: printweek

Fujifilm to boost plate production with new £75m production line

Fujifilm is to expand the production of its Brillia HD CTP plates with the addition of a new 15bn yen (£75m) plate line at its manufacturing facility in Tilburg. Netherlands.

Construction at the 660,000sqm site will begin in October 2008 with plate manufacturing set to commence in January 2010.

The new plate line, the third for the facility, will enable Fujifilm to produce both processless and chemistry-free CTP plates such as Pro-T and Pro-V at its European facility.

Fujifilm Graphic Systems director Keith Dalton told printweek.com the new line "is a response to a growing demand for Fuji plates".

He added: "It's a considered investment, not a speculative one. The market for plates is growing and there is a big environmentally-friendly push helping to drive this."

Tilburg is one of Fujifilm’s five platemaking facilities worldwide and produces plates for markets including the UK, Europe and South Africa. Other sites include Japan, North America and two in China.
Source: printweek

DS Smith launches transit pack company

DS Smith Plastics has set up a new company, DS Smith Replen, to provide bespoke returnable transit packaging (RTP) in the North West European retail distribution market.

The company has been formed through a restructuring of DS Smith's Kayserberg Plastics operation, which it said had created a more focused management structure to serve European market developments in RTP.


Replen aims to help manufacturers and retailers streamline their supply chain operations and reduce transport and replenishment costs.


Replen said it would shortly announce details of its first new product, K-Roll, which it described as a pallet in the supply chain and a dolly in the store - an integrated one-piece product for the international grocery distribution industry.


Replen, headed by managing director Peter Maple, is based in a new facility in Gloucester.

Source: packagingnews

Express Solutions opens new packing facility

Express Solutions, the West Midlands contract packer, has invested more than £100,000 in a new facility and equipment.

The 1,500sqm facility is geared up to pack, label, store and distribute a broad range of items including toiletries, DVDs, CDs, computer games, healthcare products and magazines.


The facility houses a Shanklin F5 high-speed shrink-wrapping line, which is capable of processing nearly 4,000 CDs or DVDs per hour. It is also commissioning a BVM Compacta over-wrapper, which will also handle 4,000 units an hour.

Source: packagingnews

Sorveh plans Interpack launch for Xaar-based kit

Canada-based Sorveh Group is making its European product debut at trade show Interpack next month, when it unveils a range of coding, marking and egg-printing machines using Xaar-manufactured printheads.

The group has adapted some of the kit from its Middle East, Africa and Asia-targeted Metsa range to suit European and North and South American customers.

Newly formed Toronto-based sales and marketing firm MapleJet is responsible for promoting the new range of Sorveh products under the brand name ProDigit.

The kit includes the ProDigit EggsPrint, which features the Xaar 128 printhead. It can print eggs with logos and up to four lines of text using CE-approved food-grade pigment-based solvent inks at a rate of 22,000 eggs/hour.

Chris Coyne, MapleJet's vice president of sales and marketing, told printweek.com: "We have been targeting North America only so far with EggsPrint, but are using Interpack to introduce it to Europe.

He added that the machine, which is designed for use by egg farms and packing stations, has a competitive advantage over other products in the European and American markets.

"We think the machine is unique, as the only other high resolution egg printer we know of uses water-based ink though an HP head," he said. "This makes it high cost and the image not very durable."

The other two machines being unveiled at Interpack are the ProDigit 18, a high resolution drop-on-demand coding and marking printer which can print on porous and non-porous substrates. The machine uses the Xaar 128 printhead, which has an 18mm print width; and the ProDigit 70, which uses the Xaar 500 printhead and can print at a maximum width of 70mm on porous substrates.

Coyne said that MapleJet intended to become the US's market leader in the arena of coding and marking, adding that a key factor in achieving that goal is the quality of Xaar printheads , which can be used in dusty environments and require minimal maintenance.

Interpack takes place between 24 and 30 April in Dusseldorf.

Source: printweek

Twinings reveals new-look packaging

Twinings Healthy Teas will appear in new packaging in supermarkets at the end of the month following a revamp by the Vibrandt design agency.

Windsor-based Vibrandt was briefed to promote the "all natural ingredients" of Twinings' Infusions, Green Tea and White Tea categories to health-conscious tea drinkers.


The agency worked with the brand owner to segment the teas into four main groupings of Moment of Calm, Fresh & Fruity, Revive & Revitalise, and Green Tea & White Tea, and reduce the range colour palette to six.


The photography, which now takes up 80% of the pack front, focuses on the natural ingredients, such as daisies for pure camomile, blackberries for blackberry & nettle, and root ginger and lemon for the revitalising lemon & ginger teabags.


The "all natural ingredients" are also endorsed by the addition of a new gold roundel on the front of the pack.


The packs of 20 teabags were printed litho with a matt varnish by Chesapeake in Bradford.
Source: packagingnews

Packaging Innovations Weekly Wrap - Avenira Oy Launches Multilayer Laminate

Finnish company Avenira Oy has launched a new premium segment multilayer material for box converting applications requiring quality printing and creative packaging solutions.

The new patented material is aimed at those customers who want to tailor their products and create a high-quality finished packaging solution at an economic cost.

Avenira's material – a multi-layer laminate - eliminates the need for pre-printing, cutting one step in the converting process while offering two-side high quality printing.

ENSO AND ELOPAK DEVELOP NEW BOARDS

Stora Enso and Elopak have developed a new board for liquid products, which they say offers a "more exclusive look" and extended shelf life.

The Natura Platina board uses a metallised bi-oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film on top of the board to achieve a "metallic look".

It also has an aluminium foil layer on the reverse to protect the contents against oxygen and humidity, making it suitable for products such as juices, yoghurt and wine.

BASF UNVEILS ULTRAFOAM MATERIAL

BASF has developed a copolymer acetal material (POM) which can be processed by extrusion blow-moulding, opening up "completely new possibilities" for the production of hollow objects and containers.

BASF says the translucent and colourable Ultrafoam E3120 BM material has a high melt stiffness that provides a high stretching capability due to thin-wall thicknesses, which is key to its ability to be blow-moulded.

Applications for the plastic include bottles for nail polish removers and other cosmetics, cans for solvents and paints, as well as pressurised containers such as spray cans.

WCUP TAKES UP AISACAN

Belgian sports drink manufacturer WCUP has become the first company to use the reclosable hybrid Aisacan, developed by Swiss packaging development firm Aisapack.

The Aisacan is comprised of a rigid bottom, top and pre-printed flexible laminate using state-of-the-art rotogravure technology by Huhtamaki, Germany.

The Aisacan will be rolled out in select Western European fitness clubs, cycling shops, specialist beverage shops and football clubs.
Source: packaging-technology

Rexam to close more US plastics plants

Rexam will close more of its plastics packaging plants in the US as it integrates the business it bought from Owens-Illinois (O-I) last June.

In an exclusive interview with Packaging News, Rexam chief executive Leslie Van de Walle said: "Obviously we have more [closures] coming because we do not need 30 plants in the US."


In December 2007, the company announced the closure of its plants in West Lafayette, Indiana, and Rossville, Georgia, which make medical diagnostic products and diagnostic healthcare packaging, respectively.


Van de Walle said that O-I Plastics brought economies of scale and growth potential to Rexam, particularly as it greatly increased the company's presence in the US.


The O-I Plastics business comprises 19 manufacturing sites, 14 of which are located in the US and Puerto Rico.


Van de Walle said he was pleased with the O-I Plastics acquisition, despite criticism from analysts at the time of purchase that Rexam paid too much for the company.


Rexam paid $1.86bn (£930m) in cash for O-I Plastics, and increased the worth of its plastics business from £700m to £1.1bn.


In 2004, O-I sold some of its healthcare business to Graham Packaging in the US, and Van de Walle said the business "didn't grow" over the subsequent two years.


"From the numbers, they [analysts] were seeing volume decline and margin decline, but we saw that the underlying business was doing better," he said.


Rexam partially funded the acquisition with proceeds from the sale of its glass business to Ardagh Glass, which it completed in June 2007.


Rexam's global plastics business employs approximately 16,000 people across 65 plants, serving the healthcare, closures and personal care markets.


The company's plastics division increased sales by 24% to £880m in the year to 31 December 2007.

Source: packagingnews

Bezier buys Coutts Retail Communications to gain European beachhead

Point-of-sale group Bezier is to create a base in London and push into Europe with the acquisition of Coutts Retail Communications (CRC).

Bezier, which is owned by private equity house MidOcean Partners, has signed a definitive deal to buy the London-based firm and is expecting to complete the purchase this week.

The deal would push Wakefield-based Bezier's turnover up to around £130m. No other financial details have been released.

Chief executive Mark Shaw said that the acquisition would "offer further strength and depth to the Bezier group and give us unrivalled creative and production capability for retail marketing in the UK".

Shaw added that European expansion was a key reason for the purchase.

He said: "[CRC's] creative hub in Soho would offer the Bezier group our long-awaited London base and in addition CRC's sites in France and Germany would offer a European presence which we feel is crucial for many of our customers who conduct pan-European campaigns."

Alan Wild, chairman of CRC, said: "We are very excited about the prospect of becoming part of the Bezier group. Our combined expertise and portfolio of services will be unparalleled in our sector and make us by far the biggest and most specialised group in Europe."

News of the acquisition comes amid a flurry of M&A activity in the large-format sector, most notably last week's purchase of Bradford-based Multigraphics by DS Smith, the packaging group.

Source: printweek

Packaging Law Forum to debut

Summit Publishing Company announces the launch of a day-long educational forum focused on food and beverage packaging laws and regulations. Produced by Summit’s flagship magazine, Packaging World, the Packaging Law Forum will take place on June 17, 2008 at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center.

Packaging Law Forum presenters include nationally recognized experts, including individuals from the Food and Drug Administration, Illinois Department of Public Health, and leading intellectual property attorneys. The seminar is designed specifically for management personnel, and will address a variety of topics of concern to brand owners, such as:

food security and the threat of bioterrorism;
food contact materials developments;
emergencies and recalls;
patents, trademarks, and intellectual property issues;
noteworthy European legal developments;
nanotechnology;
food safety;
and sustainability and related environmental issues.

Packaging World Publisher Joe Angel shares his enthusiasm about Packaging Law Forum. “We’re excited about this newest entry into Summit Publishing Company’s offering of face-to-face events. Eric Greenberg, Packaging World’s contributing legal editor, is a respected packaging law attorney. His expertise and breadth of relationships in the legal and regulatory community have enabled him to assemble a blue chip roster of speakers. This program is designed to educate upper level professionals at food and beverage packaging companies and packaging suppliers. Attendees will gain the knowledge they need to make better-informed decisions, as well as an increased awareness of issues which should be on their business agenda.”

Source: packworld

News International opens 'world's biggest printing plant' in Hertfordshire

News International has opened what it claims to be the biggest printing plant in the world in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, housing 12 Man Roland Colorman XXL presses.

The new £187m site is the group's third of three new facilities, following the opening of sites near Liverpool and in Scotland late last year.

The plant houses 12 16pp web-offset presses, which can each output up to 86,000 newspapers an hour, 50,000 more than the previous site in Wapping could produce.

The Broxbourne plant, which is the size of 23 football pitches, will operate the triple-width presses allow for the production of tabloid and broadsheet newsprint simultaneously.

News International has spent £650m on its move from Wapping, a site in Knowsley, near Liverpool and a Eurocentre facility near Glasgow, which prints Scottish editions of four News International titles, The Sun, The Times, News of the World and The Sunday Times.

The Sun is already being printed at the Broxbourne plant. The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph will begin printing from there later this year.
Source: printweek

The full metal packet

Aluminium and tinplate represent just over 15% of all applications within the £10bn domestic packaging market: a combined total of 800,000 tonnes per year, produced by 15 UK manufacturers supplemented by a growing level of imports from mainland Europe and lower cost-base economies.

Along with that other old stalwart, glass, metal has ceded ground to rigid plastics and flexible film, which collectively now account for £3.2bn of annual UK packaging sales.

In the new, greener world order, however, some of that imbalance might soon be reversed, hopes Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA) director Nick Mullen.

“The environmental message that we’ve been trying to get across is beginning to be heard. Metal is a sustainable material: recycled and infinitely recyclable; economic and highly affordable; safe and trustworthy; and the whole supply chain process is well understood,” he says.

Mullen has been particularly encouraged by the planned evolution of the Courtauld Commitment to formulate packaging reduction targets on a more holistic basis, rather than purely focusing on lightweighting: a criterion by which metal is clearly disadvantaged. “The point we’ve been making to Wrap is that there’s a big difference between something that arguably can be recyclable and something that is recycled,” he says.

Overseas competition
However, there is a significant difference between recycling rates for steel and aluminium: in 2006 around 57% of steel packaging was recycled, while the rate for aluminium was only 32%. Analysts consider one of the greatest barriers to increased recycling of aluminium packaging to be the fact that aluminium is most widely used for beverage cans, which are often consumed on the go – where no recycling facilities exist. In contrast, steel is used for food and therefore the cans are emptied in
the home.

“In any case, lightweighting the primary packaging will often result in increasing the volume of secondary packaging as an unintended consequence. Metal is well placed within the overall environmental debate to gain market share. We think we’ve got an enormously strong story; what we don’t have is the enormously deep pockets to get that story out,” says Mullen.

Or, it has to be said, the people on the ground. It’s highly probable that the number of UK metal packaging manufacturers will contract, and in the meantime there’s stiff competition via imports from China and closer to home with which to contend.

The one UK product sector where metal does hold considerable sway is in beer and soft drinks for the off-trade, accounting for around 8.2 billion cans filled and sold per annum. That makes us the largest beverage-can market in Europe, where the volume of food and beverage can applications has grown by 57% over the past 20 years, while incurring a 20% reduction in the use of virgin material.

With its strong links to Coca-Cola, Rexam has a one-third share in the UK – evenly matched by Crown (through S&N) and Ball Packaging (through InBev and Coors). Certain to attract interest at Interpack will be Rexam’s new Fusion drawn wall ironed aluminium ‘can bottle’, now running along a pilot line at the company’s Milton Keynes R&D centre.

Incorporating custom-engineered necking technology developed by Rexam’s Italian partner Frattini, bottles can vary in capacity, shoulder shape, neck length and closing options to suit individual requirements. UK & Ireland sales director Gary Aslam says: “Fusion is the most exciting development to have come through during my 17 years at Rexam. It’s the first commercially feasible version of a ‘can bottle’, made with our usual process – so it’ll incur no new engineering costs – and one-sixth of the weight of a standard 33cl glass bottle with a re-sealable closure. We’re very close now to commercialisation, and I’m quite sure we’ll have a production line running next year.”

Aslam is less confident about the UK prospects, at least, for the 250ml slim can for wine, notably adopted by South African brand Eve and currently in search of European markets. “There’s a lot of interest, and there’s certainly a gap in the market with regard to slim cans, but there’s not the capacity within UK filling groups to accommodate changes for low-volume new products. To get this off the ground there needs to be a strong brand partner involved to fund the investment.”

Easy-open technology
Of the ‘big three’, Rexam will have Interpack pretty much its own way. Ball Packaging has opted not to participate, and Crown will occupy a small presence via the MPMA stand. Nevertheless, the recently introduced Easylift next generation of the established Eole easy-open can end technology will be part of Crown’s overall display. Adopted by Nestlé Purina Petcare Europe to trial the new ends on its 400g packs of cat and dog food, it’s a development that the can-making sector hopes could arrest the slide of petfood products into rigid plastic pouches – estimated by Mullen to represent an overall market of around 1.5 billion cans per year.

Compatible with existing canning line equipment, Crown is also targeting Easylift at a wide range of food applications including ready meals, fruit and vegetables, fish and dairy products, and is expected to go into full production across Europe later this year

Metal showcase
Also on the MPMA stand will be Roberts Metal Packaging and the Norwich-based Impress Paints & Coatings division, both showcasing new developments.

Having invested more than £750,000 in relocating to a new 3,000m2 facility in Thamesmead in January last year, Roberts aims to boost its current £4.6m annual turnover through an extension to its Softline aluminium packaging range into larger-format 200ml and 250ml sizes, currently available in sizes from 15-100ml. “Having previously tailored our offer to match an existing enquiry, as a stock range Softline has been a very successful change of step, and already represents over 10% of total sales, of which 50% goes to export,” says managing director Chris Saunders.

Impress (Norwich) produces 80 million cans per year for the paint and coatings market, and key account manager Matt Sykes says it is “just weeks away from launching a new easy-open facility with enhanced lid retention”. The new lidding technology was outsourced to the company’s Czech Republic and Dutch facilities, and will reduce material use by 500 tonnes of tinplate per year.

The easy-open closure picked up last year’s MPMA ‘Best in Metal’ sustainability gold award, and very much underlines Impress’s conviction that environmental issues are likely to strengthen metal packaging’s market profile and adoption. The company is currently working on a major sustainability improvement project with an undisclosed existing paint customer, says Sykes. “When your major customers ask you to explain your carbon footprint, you have to be ready with the answer. The process can be complex and time consuming, but it also provides a real insight into how your business ticks and allows you to evaluate and fundamentally change the way it operates, in both an economic and ethical ways.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANYTHING YOU CAN DO...
Metal packaging manufacturers were outraged last year when The New Covent Garden Food Co supported the introduction of a new soup range by calling on its customers to ‘ban the can’. Following pressure exerted by the MPMA, the slogan was subsequently withdrawn. Adding insult to injury last December, however, was Sainsbury’s adoption of Tetra Recart as the new lighter-weight packaging format for its own-label chopped tomatoes.

According to Tetra Pak UK & Ireland marketing manager Claire Robins, the switch was entirely consistent with many of the packaging material reduction criteria to which retailers are fully committed: “Tetra Pak cartons have long been used for liquid foods such as yoghurt and pasta sauce. Tetra Recart’s introduction provides more choice for retortable packaging, but this does not mean the can has had its day. Choice is essential for consumers, and there’s room on the shelves for both cans and Tetra Recart alike.

“We’re excited to be able to bring innovation to UK supermarket shelves. The package is lighter (only 18g) and its rectangular shape also reduces carbon impact, as it is highly efficient during transportation, storage and in distribution, using 33% less space than existing formats that are commonly used. Shelf life for tomatoes is around two years.”

In the same way that Robins is careful to acknowledge that the metal can still has a role to play, MPMA director Nick Mullen is equally punctilious in recognising that, just like any substrate, metal has to slug it out in a competitive commercial climate. Battle-lines, however, might be drawn on the definition of what constitutes an adverse carbon footprint impact.

“The Courtauld Commitment has hitherto been very much focused on light-weighting as the means of reducing volumes, and that doesn’t much help if you’re a can-maker,” says Mullen.

“Tetra picking up Sainsbury’s own-brand tomatoes is symptomatic of the everyday cut and thrust of modern business, so you more or less have to shrug your shoulders and get on with it. That’s OK until you get to the point where they say that the reason for the switch is that the Tetra solution is 50% lighter than the can. That only answers a tiny part of the question. OK, they’ve installed returnable skips in 65% of local authority tips, but who’s using them? Genuine and practical recycling is just as important a contributor to lessening overall carbon footprint.”

Whether or not Tetra’s gain represents the end of tinned tomatoes as a supermarket staple remains to be seen. In the meantime, Sainsbury’s decision has enabled the MPMA to convince Wrap of the need to incorporate the services of a metal packaging sector specialist in structuring the next stage of the Courtauld Commitment.

Source: packagingnews