Child-resistant Burgopak to be tested

Burgopak is poised to test child-resistant and senior-friendly versions of its patented sliding case, the firm's global head of automation has revealed at Interpack.

Mark Symonds said the Burgopak, which has been adopted for products including pharmaceuticals and CDs, was easy to use but needed to become more secure to make it child-resistant for packing drugs.

"We are going for some very low-level testing in the next month," he said. "We hope this will reassure us we are going in the right direction and probably in the next three to four months we should be able to talk loudly and clearly about the solution and the rating we have achieved."

The packs will be tested to US child-resistance standards, because it is the largest market for child-resistant drugs, and against ISO levels.

Burgopak also hopes to test automated production of the Burgopak in the US, following the ongoing trials in the UK with Brecon Pharmaceuticals announced last November.

Bosch Packaging Technology's Sigpack Systems division developed a machine that automates the construction of Burgopak's case, which was previously produced by hand.

Brecon was selected for the trial because, as a contract packer, it can test different lengths of production runs on a variety of products from different customers.

"We recognised that the efficiency rating of the line was 20 million packs a year," said Symonds. "A number of companies were interested but only to do one million packs a year.

"The benefit of working with a contract packer is that we can work with customers that only want 100,000 a month. We are trying to replicate that strategy in the US and hope to select a contract packer in the next few months."

Source: packagingnews

Xaar to showcase record six presses at Drupa

Xaar, the Cambridge-based inkjet technology firm, has announced that at least six Xaar printhead-enabled presses will make worldwide debuts at Drupa – a company record.

The firm plans to showcase its 1001 printhead, designed for high-speed, single-pass and scanning applications.

The Beijing Founder Web Printer and the Meital 3000-10 wide format UV flatbed printer are two of the Xaar 1001-enabled products, which will be on display.

The Meital press can vary drop size from 6pl to 42pl and offers production speeds of up to 410 sqm per hour.

Other Xaar-enabled presses to be showcased at Drupa are the FFEI/Nilpeter Caslon label printer designed for UV single-pass web printing and the EFI Jetrion 4000.

Xennia will also be showcasing a number of machines, which incorporate the Xaar 1001 head into presses designed for manufacturing applications.

In addition, Xaar licensees present at the show include Konica Minolta, Seiko and Toshiba-Tec.

Xaar chief executive Ian Dinwoodie said: "With competition ever-increasing in the print world, it is essential you consider how best to add value to your printed output."

He added: "Inkjet is on the rise and more than ever inkjet is a mainstream technology that can be applied alongside traditional technologies or as a direct replacement for conventional print technologies."
Source: printweek

Speciality paper demand 'on the increase'

Growing demand for recycled paper will push the global market for speciality paper additives to $8.26bn (£4.16bn) by 2010, a report has forecasted.

The Specialty Paper Additives report, published by Global Industry Analysts, has found that although the trend to communicate more via electronic means is having a negative impact on the pulp and paper industry, the demand for speciality paper is on the increase.

This is set to have a knock-on-effect on the market for recycled fibres, driven in part, by environmental concerns, but also because it is cheaper than virgin fibre, the report claimed.

And because paper made from recycled fibre holds poorer strength, growth for specialty paper chemicals, such as wet and dry strength additives, sizes, retention and drainage control aids and de-inking specialties, is on the rise.

The report said that the shift from acidic to alkaline papermaking is a global trend. As well as steady growth in specialty paper additives, it forecasts a compound annual growth between 2011 and 2015 in the pitch/control agents market in Europe of 3.4%.

The report looked at US, Japan and Europe, and covers segments including binders, wet-strength additives, dry-strength additives, biocides and de-foamers.

More details can be found at the Global Industry Analysts website.
Source: printweek

From interpack: Bottle’s sidewall made of film

A 300-mL bottle made largely of flexible film was among the more intriguing packages and packaging technologies displayed on day one of interpack 2008 in Dusseldorf, Germany. Belgian sports drink marketer WCUP of Tessenderlo, Belgium, is the first to commercialize the unusual Aisacan container, which comes from Aisapack SA (www.aisacan.com) and, according to an Aisapack press release, is based on the Cyclero concept from Huhtamaki (www.huhtamaki.com)

In keeping with today’s drive for packaging that is more sustainable, this container is said to have a carbon footprint 50% smaller than the PET container that it replaces. Minimal material use, says Aisacan, translates to less processing energy and transportation costs.

At the end of the day, the container’s novelty may be a more compelling driver than whatever environmental benefits it may or may not have. Aisacan is a three-part container plus reclosable threaded cap. The three parts are:


A compression-molded bottom and shoulder
A three-layer lamination of polypropylene/20-micron foil/PP

Construction details

Here’s how the parts—including the liquid inside—come together.
Aisapack compression molds top and bottom. Huhtamaki-Germany does the three-layer lamination and also reverse prints the outside layer of PP on a gravure press. The three components are sent to Aisacan in Vouvry, Switzerland, for assembly. This resembles a tube-making process, where the body is cut from rollstock and formed into a tube before having top and bottom welded in place on a high-speed rotary system.

Finished containers are placed in bags and then in corrugated shippers and sent to a contract packager. That firm uses what Aisacan calls a “standard PET neck handling filling line” to fill bottles at 15,000 per hour.

Belgium’s WCUP performed a trial of the Aisacan in January of February of this year. Company CEO Anita Van Genechten was so impressed by consumer response she decided to completely replace PET. WCUP’s isotonic drink is sold in cycling shops, fitness clubs, and football clubs in much of western Europe.
Source: packworld

HP launches anti-counterfeit cartridge for pharmaceutical industry

HP has launched a product designed to add high quality printing to tablets and capsules, in a move to stop counterfeiting.

The HP Pharma Black CB935A Inkjet Print Cartridge is being targeted at the pharmaceutical industry as it has been specifically made for printing branding, dosage, and security information on individual capsules and tablets.

It comes in 20ml self-contained cartridges and can print at speeds of up to 500 feet per minute at 150dpi.

It can also produce high-quality 600dpi imaging for precise, uniform printing of variable data, barcodes and logos on a variety of dosage-form shapes.

In healthcare environments, the use of 1-D and 2-D barcodes on tables and capsules can provide an additional level of product security and customer safety when used in an overall programme of dosage monitoring and verification.

Pharma Black complements HP's existing thermal inkjet (TIJ) technologies for the coding and marking of pharmaceutical packaging. These technologies are complementary to the comprehensive HP Product Tracking and Authentication offerings for supply-chain management.

The new cartridge is one of the products being shown by HP Speciality Printing Systems at the Interpack 2008 exhibition in Düsseldorf.

Other products on show include solutions for primary package coding and marking on folding cartons and other substrates, and secondary package coding and marking for the pharmaceutical industry.

Kathy Tobin, vice-president and general manager of HP Specialty Printing Systems, said: "With more than 20 years of digital printing to HP's credit, our inkjet expertise enables us to break new ground in tablet and capsule imprinting.

"With this solution, HP sets a new standard by reducing costs, meeting expanding market needs and enabling solutions that exceed heightened security requirements."
Source: printweek

Xerox makes packaging play with Stora Enso

Xerox has made its first “strategic” move into packaging with the launch of the Stora Enso Gallop integrated digital printing and die-cutting line, powered by Xerox.

The Stora Enso Gallop is being demonstrated for the first time at Interpack this week.

The integrated system comprises a Xerox iGen3 digital printing press with a specially designed KAMA die-cutter capable of cutting sheets up to 580x400mm. It also includes a buffering stacker line so the press can keep printing when the die-cutter is offline.

The system is primarily targeted at the pharmaceutical packaging market.

Consequently, the Epic CTi-635 varnishing unit incorporated in the line comes with aqueous coating options, suitable for the pharmaceutical market, in addition to UV.

Stora Enso claimed the Gallop was the world's first integrated digital printing packaging line.

Xerox strategic partner manager Roger Chitty said the firms had chosen to target Europe first due to the need for short runs resulting from printing in different languages.

The Stora Enso Gallop will be available for ordering in Europe from May 2008, with the first lines likely to be installed by the fourth quarter of the year.

Xerox currently has 10 purely packaging-focused customers in Europe.

Source: packagingnews

Packaging Market Weekly Wrap - Packaging Corp Announce Q1 Results

Packaging Corp of America has reported a three percent increase in first quarter profit to US$32.1m, compared with US$31.2m for the same period last year.

Revenue rose three percent to US$577.5m from US$559.2m last year.

The company, which makes containerboard and corrugated packaging products, says results were strengthened by better pricing and volume.

However, that was slightly offset an increase in energy-related costs, recycled fibre, chemical and labour costs and bad debt.

AMCOR TO SELL PACKAGING PLANTS TO ACCENT EQUITY

Amcor has announced it is selling two flexibles packaging plants in Sweden and the UK to Swedish private equity group Accent Equity 2008.

The plants in Lund and Somerset produce unprinted films for the meat and fish segments, and have combined sales of €85m.

Amcor says the divestments are part of a restructuring of Amcor's flexibles operations in Western Europe.

GRAPHIC PACKAGING TO SHUT PLANTS

Graphic Packaging International will close its folding carton manufacturing operations at its facility in Ohio by the end of the third quarter.

The company will also cease production at its paper lamination plant in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

Graphic Packaging says the closures are part of its overall re-alignment and consolidation of operations to optimise its manufacturing footprint.

The firm will continue to operate its boxboard mill, also located at the Middletown site, to produce coated-recycled paperboard for the consumer packaging industry.

BASF UNVEILS ECOFLEX EXPANSION PLANS

BASF has announced plans for a significant expansion of its production plant for the biodegradable plastic Ecoflex in Germnay.

The expansion at the Ludwigshafen site will raise Ecoflex production capacity from 14,000t to 60,000t per year.

Production at the expanded plant will commence in the third quarter of 2010.

Ecoflex is a petrochemicals-based plastic which has the properties of conventional polyethylene but is fully biodegradable.

BASF's specialty polymers business unit head Michael Stumpp says the global market for biodegradable and bio-based plastics is growing at more than 20 percent per year.

"The new production capacity will substantially strengthen and consolidate our position," he says.
Source: packaging-technology

Heidelberg courts pharma giants with inkjet personalisation

Heidelberg is directly targeting brand owners such as Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKilne with a new inkjet print system for personalising, marking and decorating labels, blister packs and folding boxes.

In a major departure for the printing equipment group, it is not aiming the Linoprint technology at its traditional commercial print customer base and is instead focusing on the industrial market, where the Linoprint system could be integrated into packaging production and filling lines.

The company has already been in talks with the pharmaceutical giants and is also targeting the drop-on-demand technology at contract packers.

Linoprint is powered by Heidelberg's computer-to-plate technology but the firm will incorporate drop-on-demand inkjet heads from a variety of suppliers, including Xaar, Konica Minolta and Toshiba, to fit customers' requirements.

Linoprint is only available for single-colour printing but Heidelberg aims to introduce full-colour technology as soon as possible, and has been testing the system using Panasonic heads.

Linoprint has been under development for nine months and was officially launched to the packaging market at Interpack, although it will not be shown to Heidelberg's traditional commercial print customers at next month's Drupa show, also in Düsseldorf.

Linoprint can print in resolutions up to 720dpi at up to one metre per second, and field tests are scheduled for the final quarter of 2008. The system also includes the Linoflow workflow.

Linoprint head of sales Karl-Heinz Walther said the digital technology would enable customers to print personalised information and a different data matrix code on each cavity of a blister pack.

He said Linoprint's target market was "completely different" from Heidelberg's traditional focus. "It's an integration business, not printing machines," he said. "We will not handle this as a volume manufacturer."

As well as directly targeting contract packers and brand owners, Heidelberg also hopes to gain business by selling the technology through OEMs making packaging machinery such as filling lines.

Linoprint programme manager Wolfgang Boppel said it would also target designers and creatives.
Source: packagingnews

B&T staff redundant as contract dispute ends in closure

All 287 staff at Butler and Tanner (B&T) were made redundant on Saturday morning and the troubled book printer is due to be placed into receivership.

Staff were informed by a letter which arrived on Saturday that the company was closed with immediate effect, they had been made redundant and that an application to place the company into receivership would be made this week.

The news comes just days after Mike Dolan, chairman of B&T's owner Media & Print Investments (MPI), threatened to close the company if staff went on strike next Wednesday.

The strike was due to take place over a bitter dispute regarding proposed changes to working practices at the firm, which MPI bought in a pre-pack deal in August last year.

Unite, the union, said in a statement that workers were owed "thousands of pounds" in unpaid wages and deducted pension contributions.
In the statement, national officer Ann Field condemned the closure of the factory as a "despicable act".

She said: "Unite will be demanding recompense in full from the perpetrators of this despicable act, sacrificing people's jobs and livelihoods.

"Mike Dolan and former boss Andrew Hillman should be called to account for what they have done to the workers' jobs, their pensions and their community."

The closure came as a shock to workers, who, according to Unite, arrived at the factory today to find its gates locked shut.

PrintWeek was unable to contact Dolan on Saturday. However, he was quoted by the BBC as saying that shareholders in MPI had decided to pull funding in the firm because the union had not backed down over the planned strike.

He said: "Shareholders were unwilling to pour good money down what they consider to be a drain and they declined to make further funding available.

"Their [the union's] miscalculation has cost 300 people their jobs and sadly, 100 of those people were not even in the union.

"The union has shown utter contempt for its own members and B&T by unnecessarily publicising their strike threat in a crass attempt to exert pressure on the company.

"That was an act of wilful economic vandalism which frightened off too many of our customers, suppliers and financiers."

The decision to close the business is understood to have come on Friday afternoon following negotiations between the union and MPI and conducted with conciliation service ACAS. The union claimed that during those talks it received no notification that the company would be closed the following day.

A meeting of union members is planned for Tuesday.
Source: printweek

Recycled paper sector sees injury rates fall by a tenth

Injuries in the recycled paper industry fell by 11% in 2007, thanks to an emphasis on health and safety from members of the Confederation of Paper Industries' (CPI) Recovered Paper Sector.

Recovered paper sector manager at the CPI, Peter Seggie, told printweek.com the leading cause of injury was "slips and trips", which accounted for 45% of all reported injuries.

"You're dealing with material that's on the floor for at least some of the time," said Seggie. "Paper, especially magazine paper, tends to be quite slippery and you also can have hidden dangers, like books hiding under the paper, making it quite easy to turn an ankle."

The CPI Recovered Paper Sector members' overall injury rate for the full calendar year of 2007 was 1,832 per 100,000 employees, down 11% from 2006.

There was only one major injury reported in 2007. This represents a 78% reduction on the incidence rate of 2006.

The injury rate is significantly lower than publicly available figures on the general waste recycling industry.

Seggie said the CPI supported the industry through the provision of advice and resources but the improvements were driven by the sustained focus on safety by senior management at member companies.

"When we first started, the rates went up because of better reporting but now we've started to see a fall, and the aim is continuous improvement," he said.

CPI's Recovered Paper Sector provides a detailed programme on health and safety, working alongside the Health & Safety Executive and other sectors under the umbrella of the Paper and Board Industry Advisory Committee (PABIAC).

PABIAC is to launch a strategic programme in 2008, which will set targets for the entire paper industry to further reduce accidents and improve health and safety through to 2011. The Recovered Paper Sector will be actively involved in its implementation.

Source: printweek

Paton Brown buys new Buhrs kit following recent contract wins

Paton Brown has invested in an eight station BB300 Solo in a bid to provide additional capacity off the back of recent contract wins for C4 mailings.

The 55-staff firm provides a range of print, mailing and fulfilment. The latest Buhrs Solo joins a kit battery that can handle DL, C6, C5, C4 and 220x220mm sized envelopes.

The Manchester company, which was established in 1960, has recently secured two mailing contracts for businesses in the retail and training sectors, bolstering the firm's monthly output by around 850,000 items.

Paton Brown managing director Ian Cooper told printweek.com: "We've always found Buhrs kit robust as well as flexible."

Cooper said the firm is aiming for 25% growth in 2008, with plans to increase turnover to around £8-9m.

He added: "It is really important to have the potential to take on a range of jobs and adapt to different customer demands.

"We've found Buhrs very helpful and professional. And on the floor, our team enjoy working on the Buhrs systems because they're easy, fast and reliable."

The BB300 Solo can output up to 8,000 products an hour and can handle envelope sizes from C6/DL to B4.

Source: printweek

Green packaging still facing barriers to growth, report

Food companies wanting to swap plastic packaging for biomass polymer-based alternatives to stress their green credentials still face a number of barriers, according to a new report.

The study, published by UK-based market analysts API Plastics, was timed to coincide with the Interpack trade fair later this month.

Food processors are keen to show that they are responding to consumer demand for products and packaging that are more environmentally friendly, and many have come up with 'greener' alternatives to traditional plastics.

But Chris Noble, an analyst at API, said that the market for bioplastics remained small, not least because of a lack of facilities to ensure that the packaging can be recycled or composted properly.

"Less than one per cent of global polymers are currently classified as compostable bioplastics according to the European EN 13432 standard," he told FoodProductionDaily.com.

"This means that plastics have to completely biodegrade into harmless microscopic fragments within 90 days. However, the standard allows for this to take place within ideal composting conditions, such as industrial composting facilities where the materials are heated to high temperatures in order to accelerate the composting process."

"Obviously, these materials will take much longer to compost in a home composting environment, and critics argue there isn't a sufficiently well developed network of industrial composting facilities in, for example, the UK to justify investment in these materials," he added.

But some bioplastics have proven to be more successful with the general public, Noble said.

"PLA is the best established polymer and is made by Natureworks in the United States. The leading European manufacturer is Novamont, whose CEO Dr Catia Bestoli was awarded the title of European inventor of the year in 2007, and its innovative Mater-Bi polymer will home-compost," according to Noble, giving it a far better chance of a wide take-up.


"Novamont has entered a joint venture with 600 sunflower growers in the Terni district of Italy and is a company to watch out for," he said.

But composting limitations are not the whole story: another major issue that could potentially slow the expansion of food-based plastics is the current debate over food prices.

"The wider political issues are complex," said Noble. "Should arable land be used to grow crops for plastic, or should we concentrate on feeding the world?"

"Food prices are rising dramatically as investors see them as a safe bet in an unstable financial market. Oil prices are rising too, however, and while bioplastics are currently up to three times more expensive to manufacture, this is still young technology and will become increasingly competitive."

And he added that the waters had been further muddied by the increasing vilification of another 'green' alternative to petroleum-based products - biofuels.

"The anti-biofuel and biopolymer lobby is vocal and influential," he said, noting that UK biofuel targets had recently been reduced under pressure from critics arguing that the science was not yet available to prove their effectiveness.

As a result, the future of the biopolymer packaging market hangs in the balance, according to Noble. "In terms of growth, it's very difficult to predict. It's currently a niche area, and critics argue that the supermarket chains are simply exploiting the guilty environmental consciences of the middle class."

"However, these consumers are extremely powerful and growth could explode. The bottom line is it's all about oil and food."
Source: foodproductiondaily

RFID market value will reach £2.5bn in 2008

The value of the global RFID market will reach $4.93m (£2.5bn) in 2008, up 7% on 2007, according to a report by consultancy firm IDTechEx.

The report, RFID Forecasts, Players & Opportunities 2008-2018, attributed the increased use of RFID to large national schemes for national ID and transport.

It found that the tagging of pallets and cases, as demanded by retailers, would use around 325 million RFID labels in 2008.

In 2007, the consumer goods sector used seven million tags and the retail sector used 225 million tags.

The report found that 57% of the total market value this year would be spent on cards and associated infrastructure, with $2.26bn spent on all other forms of RFID.

Raghu Das, chief executive of IDTechEx and co-author of the report, said: "These are exciting times for the development, take-up and expansion of RFID and this is clearly illustrated within this report."

The report concluded that by 2018 the RFID market would be worth more than five times of the current market, driven by the lower cost of tags and installed infrastructure that would enable a higher volume of articles to be tagged.
Source: packagingnews

DuPont reports strong European market

DuPont, which supplies materials to the packaging sector, has reported an 8% increase in first-quarter sales to $1.7bn (£855m) because of continued strength in Asian and European markets.

The company said improved sales in its performance materials business were partially offset by higher cost of ingredients and costs associated with the manufacturing process.

DuPont reported a 46% increase in pre-tax operating income to $219m in the quarter.

DuPont has also announced the winners of its 20th Packaging Innovation Awards, which aim to recognise achievements that improve sustainability of packaging products and processes.

Among the winners were Kraft Salad Dressings, Marks & Spencer for its biodegradable Swiss chocolate assortment box, and EarthCycle for its organic kiwi package.

Innovia Films, Water Bag-in-Box, Jordans Organic Cereals and PlantLove Lipstick by Cargo Cosmetics also triumphed, as did the AirLessMotion Bag-in-Bottle System and UniPak Eco.
Source: packagingnews

Colour boosts Xerox sales despite costly litigation battle

Xerox has posted an 18% increase in sales for the first quarter of 2008 driven by an increase in colour printer sales but recorded a quarterly loss following a massive litigation charge.

According to the company, revenue from colour grew 13% and now represents 40% of Xerox's total revenue – up 3% from the first quarter of 2007. The results were boosted by a 5% growth in installs of production colour products within the DocuColor range.

Xerox now claims to have the largest share of the colour market in the industry, producing more than 40 billion pages last year. In the first quarter, the number of colour pages grew 32%, and now represents 14% of total pages – up 3% from the previous year.

Overall, the company recorded total revenues of €4.4bn (£2.2bn) for the quarter, up 13% from the same quarter in 2006. However, it posted a loss of $244m, compared to a profit of $233m in the previous year, following the out-of-court settlement of a lawsuit.

The lawsuit was relating to charges brought by investors following the US Securities and Exchange Commission ruling over inconsistencies in the company's accounts. Xerox denies any wrongdoing relating to the lawsuit.

Xerox's chief executive Anne Mulcahy said: "We're investing in sales, expanding our distribution and winning in the marketplace through technology and services offered at competitive prices. This quarter we saw our investments flow through to improved install activity – activity that fuels our profitable annuity stream."

Xerox will set out its stall to take a larger share of the digital colour market at this year's Drupa with the launch of its updated iGen3 with more advanced colour management systems (PrintWeek 10 April).

Mulcahy said: "With the industry's broadest portfolio of document technology, our growth initiatives are aimed at increasing distribution, bringing the quality of the Xerox brand to more businesses of any size."

The company was hit by the weakening dollar, recording net first quarter 2008 currency losses of $19 million, $16 million higher than first quarter 2007.

Source: printweek

Dynagram heads for Drupa to showcase barcode systems

Canadian print technology firm Dynagram is to display new barcode functionality at Drupa, with connectivity for post-press equipment between its DynaStrip version 5.2 and third-party post-press manufacturers.

DynaStrip 5.2 will now support different barcode standards for integration with post-press equipment.

Supported standards include 2/5 interleaved, used by WST Systemtechnik, as well as the Code128c and the 2/5 interleaved standards, read by Müller Martini AG Asir (Automatic Signature Image Recognition).

President and chief executive of Dynagram, François Guérard, said: ''By integrating with post-press barcodes systems, DynaStrip plays another important role for efficient and automated product quality control."

DynaStrip, inpO2 and INposition will be demonstrated at Dynagram's stand in the Canadian Pavilion, Hall 7, booth 7.0J, and in the JDF Experience Parc, Hall 9, booth E61, as well as in many partners' stands.

Drupa is held from 29 May to 11 June, in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Source: printweek

Fire stops St Regis paper machine

A fire has halted production on one of the four paper machines at the St Regis Paper Company's Kemsley Mill, part of DS Smith Group.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) sent more than 100 firefighters to tackle the blaze, which is believed to have been started by a mechanical failure on the PM4 paper machine.

Production on PM4 is expected to resume within "a few weeks".

A St Regis spokesman said the company had enough stock to meet customer demand in the short term and could call on the support of a network of mills if required.

Meanwhile, production was momentarily halted on the mill's PM3 paper machine, which is located next to PM4.

It is expected to resume production shortly following safety checks, while the mill's two other paper machines were unaffected.

Firefighters arrived at the Kemsley Mill in Sittingbourne just after 8pm on Sunday 20 April and had contained the fire by 11pm that night.

Steve Jeffries, KFRS's area manager, said fire crews limited the damage to the machine itself and saved three quarters of the roof.

None of the mill's 580 staff were hurt in the fire.

St Regis Paper Company is owned by DS Smith, which acquired M-Real's New Thames paper mill, located on the same Kemsley site, in February.

DS Smith announced that it would invest £37m in converting production at New Thames from uncoated fine paper to lightweight corrugated case material.

A DS Smith spokesman said the blaze had not impacted on New Thames and its scheduled reopening date of January 2009.
Source: packagingnews

Dos and don’ts on brand protection

Held at the Chicago Marriott Schaumburg April 8 and produced by Summit Publishing Co. with BPCouncil.com as a supporting association, this educational and networking conference was attended by more than 115 professionals.

Leading brand owners such as Intel Corp., HP, Liz Claiborne, Lexmark, Johnson & Johnson Medical Device and Diagnostics, and Purdue Pharmaceuticals shared their strategies for securing brand image and product integrity using the latest packaging materials and technologies.

David Howard, director product protection global brand integrity at Johnson & Johnson, spoke about how to implement a brand-protection program.


“The first step in any organization is to know thyself,” Howard advised. “Where are your products made? How do you distribute? Where do you market? Are you local? Regional? Global? Who touches your products?” Without detailed answers to such questions, solutions being considered or the ones already being implemented may be misguided, Howard told the Forum audience.


Focusing on the distribution channel, Howard emphasized that looking upstream is not enough. “Equally vulnerable is the downstream activity. Know your channel customers and discuss your findings with them. You need boots on the ground, so go talk with your channel partners.”


Central to the brand-protection strategy at J&J was the development of a risk assessment tool that helps operating companies—all 235 of them in 57 countries—get the information they need. Taking three years to develop, it determines in a scoring grid what the impact of counterfeiting is—irritation, sickness, death, etc. Perhaps most important of all, it’s demonstrably proactive.


“Having been through some counterfeit issues where rapid response was crucial, I can assure you it’s amazing how favorably the federal government views a proactive stance,” said Howard.


Other key points made by Howard included these:
• If you put a risk assessment tool in place and then do nothing upon determining that your products are at risk, you’re making a big mistake.
• If you aren’t carefully monitoring your returned goods, start to do so. It’s astonishing how many companies put returned products back on the shelf with little or no scrutiny or investigation.
• Take a hard look at information gained in your consumer complaint program. “We’ve received good information through our complaint program, information that should have alerted us to brand-protection indicators or issues. But we didn’t always pay close enough attention. Now we do.”
• If you’re putting brand protection features on your packs and you’re not checking them in the field, you can’t know if they’re being effective.
• Not every product requires the same approach when it comes to brand protection. Analyze each product on its own and tailor your solution to that product’s needs.
• Packaging plays a pivotal role in product protection. Sound package design and development will enhance brand-protection efforts. Likewise, poorly designed packaging may make it easier than ever for someone to compromise your brands.
• Deploy no brand-protection technology that you can’t update at a moment’s notice.
• There is no one best technology in the fight against counterfeiting, tampering, and diversion. Technologies continue to evolve.
• Take the time to really know what you need before you come anywhere near implementation of a brand-protection solution. Even if you’ve already started in on a program, it wouldn’t hurt to circle back and see how clearly you’ve defined your needs.

Source: packworld

Calon Wen sells milk-in-bag in Tesco

Calon Wen, the Welsh organic milk co-operative, is to start selling its milk in low-density polythene bags in 43 Tesco stores in Wales this week.

The eco paks, which use less the 75% packaging than conventional poly-bottles, are being produced by Glopak.

The Tesco move follows Waitrose's trial of the Calon Wen offering last year, while Asda announced in January that it was trialling the Greenbottle, which consists of a recycled cardboard bottle with a plastic liner.

Milk out of a bag was first tested by Sainsbury’s on a selected trial basis about seven years ago.

Calon Wen will highlight the eco pak in a 20-second animated advert to be screened on S4C and ITV Wales. The adverts feature a cartoon cow cow and bird, showing how easy eco paks are to use.
Source: packagingnews

Packaging Market Weekly Wrap: Amcor Sells Packaging Plants

Australian-based Amcor is to sell two European packaging plants to private equity firm Accent as part of an ongoing restructure of its European flexibles business.

The box and packaging giant will sell the plants in Lund, Sweden, and Somerset in the UK, for an undisclosed price.

The two plants produce mainly unprinted films for the meat and fish sector, with combined sales of about €85m.

According to AAP, about 900 jobs are to be cut, with more plant closures and asset sales to come over the next 12 months.

Earlier this month, Amcor invested €25m to build a new plant in Poland, including the relocation of its current flexibles plant in the same town.

CROWN HOLDINGS PROFITS RISE

US-based global packaging group Crown Holdings has reported a nine percent rise in net sales to US$1,863m, over US$1,713m in the first quarter of 2007, due to foreign currency translation and higher cost of raw materials.

First quarter gross profit rose 19.1 percent to US$256m over US$215m in the same quarter last year.

Crown's European beverage business reported net sales of US$348m in the first quarter, compared with US$281m in the same period last year.

Net sales in the its European specialty packaging division were US$105m, up from US$97m this time last year with profit remaining stable at US$1m.

Lower manufacturing costs, ongoing efficiency improvements and US$15m from foreign currency translation are the driving force behind the improvement, says the company.

PACKAGING SUPPLIERS WARNED TO CHECK REACH RULES

Packaging companies must ensure their suppliers are aware of the imminent pre-registration period for new European chemicals laws, or risk chemicals being taken off the market.

About 30,000 chemicals, such as acids, metals, solvents, surfactants and glues, must be pre-registered with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) from 1 June to 1 December 2008, to comply with the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals Legislation(Reach).

Reach requires all chemicals of one tonne or more that have been manufactured in or imported into the EU are registered with the ECHA.

Pre-registration allows companies to submit their complete registration dossiers in the pre-registration period by the deadlines of 2010, 2013 or 2018.
Source: packaging-technology

Two-thirds of print jobs at risk at Johnston Press Leeds site

The jobs of more than 40 employees at Johnston Press' Leeds Web operation are at risk after the company confirmed it was to shift production of the Yorkshire Evening Post to its £60m plant in Dinnington, South Yorkshire.

The move comes after Johnston Press decided to end day printing at the Leeds site, a step which is likely to cut the editions of the newspaper from five down to two.

Talks between the company and print workers union Amicus, and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), are ongoing.

National Union of Journalists Father-of-chapel, Peter Lazenby, told printweek.com: "With more than 40 press hall jobs likely to go, all Johnston Press has come out with are the usual jolly platitudes of job redeployment elsewhere."

Amicus Branch official Steve Hart said: "The job cuts will mean a drop from 66.5 positions down to 22.5. It's nearly a closure. Our members are hard-working and long-serving. We're doing all we can to reject the proposals."

Hart added: "They've been offered alternative employment but this is as far reaching from Sheffield to Northern Ireland. We've put our suggestions on the table and we await their response."

A statement from Johnston Press chief executive Tim Bowdler confirmed that following a review of print operations, the group was announcing the "proposed cessation" of day printing at its Leeds press hall.

In the statement, he added: "As a result, 44 jobs are at risk of redundancy. Consultation is under way with those directly affected and their representatives.

"The company will make every effort to minimise the impact of this proposal on affected staff through voluntary redundancy and, where possible, by redeployment to alternative positions in the group."

Printing of the Yorkshire Post and Financial Times, both broadsheet titles, is due to continue at Leeds Web.

Source: printweek

Packaging firms must check supplier awareness of Reach rules

Packaging companies should ensure their suppliers are aware of the imminent pre-registration period for strict European chemicals laws, or face materials being taken off the market.

Some 30,000 chemicals, such as acids, metals, solvents, surfactants and glues, must be pre-registered with European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) from 1 June to 1 December 2008, to comply with the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (Reach) legislation.


Reach requires that all chemicals of one tonne or more that have been manufactured in or imported into the EU are registered with the ECHA.


Pre-registration allows companies to submit their complete registration dossiers by the deadlines of 2010, 2013 or 2018 that apply to most chemicals currently on the market. Suppliers will also be able to share data on the chemicals they register.


But companies that do not pre-register a chemical cannot continue manufacturing or importing it after 1 December 2008 until they make a full registration with the ECHA.


By and large, packaging does not manufacture anything that would be directly covered by the legislation.


But there has been some concern over the impact on recycled materials, which can contain contaminants that might not have been covered by Reach, even if the virgin material is.


Two in five of 241 senior executives across six industries surveyed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for its Waking up to Reach report had limited awareness of the regulations and one in four executives felt the legislation would have no impact on their business.


Tim Jessel, commercial director of REACHReady, the subsidiary of the Chemical Industries Association that runs seminars and offers guidance on the Reach legislation, said: "Many firms are more than taking Reach on board and are taking it upon themselves to educate their supply chains.


"The Packaging Federation, for example, is also doing its bit to ensure companies are aware and ready to meet their obligations. The converse is also true and there are companies out there that wish it would all go away. Some are even convinced that it will, but they are mistaken."


British Plastics Federation (BPF) industrial issues executive Sarah Plant said "almost every" UK plastics business would be affected in some way by Reach.


But the advice on offer was "very generic" and was not specific on key areas such as the possible impact on the recycling industry.


Jessel said Reach could reduce product liability for the packaging, retail and consumer goods industries by providing more information about how to safely use the substances needed to make their products.


"Consumers will benefit by being reassured that the substances contained within the products they are buying have been tested for that use," he added. "They will also be able to find out for the first time on request if the products they have bought contain hazardous chemicals."
Source: packagingnews

Print industry out in force for London Marathon

Congratulations to all those who took part in this year's Flora London Marathon. As previously reported, the industry was well-represented at the event.

Managing director of Pinstripe Print Group, Nigel Lyon, completed the event in an impressive 3hrs 43mins.

Elsewhere, project consultant for Wyndeham's creative production agency Masterpiece, Mike Andrews, completed the race in 4hrs 46mins – 45 minutes faster than his previous personal best.

Donations can still be made by emailing Lyon at nigel.lyon@pinstripegroup.co.uk or by visiting Andrews' donation page at www.justgiving.com/mikesmilerflm08

If you also participated in this year's marathon, tell us your time by commenting below. You can also upload images of yourself crossing the finish line by clicking the "insert image" icon when you post a comment.
Source: printweek

Konica Minolta completes takeover of Ideal dealership

Konica Minolta Business Solutions has acquired Basildon-based dealership Ideal Reprographics Eastern.

The deal, completed on 4 April, means the manufacturer takes over the distributor, which has been an authorised Konica Minolta dealership for more than 20 years.

Presses in the Konica Minolta range include the 25ppm bizhub C253 colour copier and the black and white bizhub 250.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions head of marketing, John Howard, told printweek.com: "The acquisition is in-line with our growth strategy."

He added: "For the foreseeable future, Ideal will operate as a distributorship with the global power of Konica Minolta behind them."

Managing director of Konica Minolta Business Solutions, Yuji Kobayashi, said the acquisition will "facilitate and support the continued growth of Ideal, and at the same time contribute to Konica Minolta's drive towards its strategic market goals in the UK".
Source: printweek

Amendments to e-Privacy directive backed

The European Commission's proposed amendments to the e-Privacy directive, which clarify the position of RFID technology, have won support from the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS).

The proposed e-Privacy directive, which was adopted by the EC in November, aims to improve the protection of individuals' privacy and personal data in the electronic communications sector.


The EC's proposed amendments specify that "public electronic communication networks" include those supporting data collection and identifying devices, therefore clarifying that a number of RFID applications fall into the scope of the directive.

The amendments also state that applications that involve the collection of personal data must be subject to the e-Privacy Directive.


In it submission, EDPS said: "The proposed amendments strengthen the protection of individuals' privacy and personal data in the electronic communications sector and this is done with a light touch, without creating unjustified and unnecessary burdens upon organisations."


However, EDPS has called for further improvements to be made to the directive. It wants rules relating to security breach notification to be expanded to cover to providers of information services, such as banks, insurers and health services, that process personal data.


It also wants the directive to broaden its scope to cover private and mixed networks.

Source: packagingnews

UBM chief forecasts gloomy outlook for print media

Chief executive of United Business Media (UBM), David Levin, has painted a negative picture of the future of print in media, reflecting the "structural shift" away from printed media to online.

He said: "Aggregate marketing and advertising spend in B2B media is expected to be redistributed away from print and towards online media, events and data products.

"While industry forecasts for the US market predict that print revenues will grow at a compound annual rate of around 3% between 2006 and 2010, growth in the markets UBM businesses serve is likely to be lower."

Levin's comments come as UBM recorded a decline in print revenues from £275.6m to £220.5m.

However, he did offer some hope, arguing that print has a set of "unique characteristics" that make it preferable for certain demographics. For example, print products are particularly useful for those who do not work in a fixed location with access to a PC with a broadband connection, such as professionals in the building industry.

He added that in economies where broadband infrastructure is less well developed and computer technology is less pervasive, particularly in emerging economies such as India, print media remains an attractive growth market.

Levin's comments contrast with the views of Haymarket chairman Lord Heseltine who, speaking in PrintWeek last December, predicted a "long and fruitful future" for print.

Source: printweek

Westaways introduces palm fibre trays

Devon sausage maker Westaways has introduced palm fibre trays across its entire range after sales rose by 60% in a test launch in the West Country.

Westaways director Charles Baughan said that after he came across one of the company's PET trays on a beach in Devon, he looked at the options available and decided that palm fibre had the best advantages to the consumer because it broke down quickly and was home compostable.


He worked with Nicholas Packaging in the West Midlands to develop the palm fibre tray, which is awaiting home-composting accreditation.


Palm fibre is a by-product of palm oil and is normally fed to cattle. Baughan said he hoped Westaways would phase out plastic from its packaging within 18 months.


Westaways launched the pack in March in approximately 200 independent convenience stores across the West Country, including Spar.


The company has now rolled the pack out to larger retailers, such as Tesco, Asda and Morrisons, and supplies about 1,000 stores in the West Country region.

Source: packagingnews

Tesco continues focus on plastic bag incentives

Tesco said today (15 April) that it was on track to save two billion carrier bags in the next financial year and continued to roll out front-of-pack GDA nutritional labelling.

Tesco said it would take the reduction of single-use plastic bags "to the next level" by focusing on "incentives" rather than penalties, and would also launch the first phase of its carbon label trial with the Carbon Trust in the coming weeks.

The UK's largest supermarket said it aimed to make efficiency savings of around £450m in the current year across the supply chain through improved shelf-ready packaging, increased vehicle utilisation and by introducing "more productive" working methods in depots and stores.

Tesco reported an 11.8% rise in pre-tax profits for 2007 to £2.85bn on group sales of £51.8bn, up 11%.

Sales in the UK increased by 6.7% to £37.9bn, with like-for-like sales excluding petrol rising by 3.5%. The supermarket now has 1,608 UK stores.

Tesco said it had contended with "unseasonal" summer weather, "more subdued" customer demand in some non-food product categories, and "recovering" competitors, but increased productivity and "good expense control" had enabled it to maintain "solid margins". UK trading profit rose 7.1% to £2.05m.

Tesco chief executive Terry Leahy said: "We begin the new financial year confidently – with a good start in the UK, excellent progress in our established international markets and promising early performance from our investments in future growth, particularly in the US, China and Turkey."

The supermarket will create 30,000 new jobs this year.
Source: packagingnews

Albany Bakeries to use biodegradable additive

Albany Bakeries is to add Symphony Environmental Technologies' oxo-biodegradable additive to its bread wrappers and reduce the amount of waste it sends to landfill.

The firm is a subsidiary of food producer Tiger Brands and owns 12 bakeries in South Africa that produce the Albany Superior, Olde Cape, D'light and Everyday brands.


Meghan Draddy, Tiger Brands' packaging development manager for grains, cereals, milling and baking, said the firm had become South Africa's first national food company to tackle the litter and plastic waste pollution resulting from its bakery operations.


Symphony said it had supplied the firm with enough additive to biodegrade up to 3,000 tonnes of plastic waste. The additives are recognisable by the d2w droplet logo on a product.


Plastic materials treated with the oxo-biodegradable additives undergo a two-step degradation, initially by an oxidative process that is promoted by the inclusion of the additives and subsequently by biodegradation.


Symphony chief executive Michael Laurier said: "In addition to bread bags, our oxo-biodegradable technology can make carrier bags, shrink-wrap packaging and plastic bottles self-destruct within a period of between six months and two years."

Source: packagingnews

Benson Box sets record for Bobst diecutting

Benson Box, the carton manufacturer, has set a plant record for diecutting sheets in a single shift, managing 141,000 during a 12-hour period.

The record was achieved during a job for a supermarket creating pizza boxes, using one of the five Bobst diecutters at Benson's Leicestershire plant, a Bobst SPrintera 106 PER. The machine averaged almost 12,000 sheets an hour to set the record.

The high speeds are achieved because of Power Register system and intelligent feed, which reduce stops in production by as much as 70%.

The operator of the Bobst SPrintera was able to use the machine's auto pallet transfer and non-stop systems to ensure that production was not interrupted by pallet changeovers.

Mark Kerridge, managing director of Benson Group, which includes Benson Box, said: "This is the most work a single diecutter has ever turned out in a shift at Bardon. However, these sorts of numbers are starting to become the norm there.

"In February, the plant ran a shift of 131,000 on the SPrintera, and in January there was one that was just a thousand sheets below that. It's now not unusual for this machine to turn out 100,000 plus sheets over a shift."
Source: printweek

Packaging Market Weekly Wrap - Court Rules Cadbury Australia Does Not Own The Colour Purple

The Australian branch of chocolate maker Cadbury Schweppes has lost a court bid to trademark the colour purple for use in chocolate packaging.

Cadbury says it could lose sales and its brand image could be compromised if competitor products are passed off as its flagship chocolate.

Darrell Lea Chocolate Shops was taken to Federal Court by Cadbury, which says the use of a particular shade of purple "amounted to the tort of passing off and also misleading and deceptive conduct".

Judge J Heerey says he does not believe Darrell Lee is using the colour to pass off its own products as those of Cadbury.

Cadbury Australia says it will appeal the decision.

"Cadbury Schweppes has deliberately established a connection between our shade of purple and Cadbury chocolate, and many consumers associate Cadbury purple with Cadbury chocolate," Managing Director Mark Callaghan says.

"We remain totally committed to protecting our brand identity and Cadbury will appeal this decision."

Cadbury has been struggling to register purple as a trade mark in Australia in the face of opposition from Darrell Lea since 1998.

ESSEL AND ESS DEE MOVE ON RIO TINTO

India's Essel Propack and Ess Dee Aluminium are jointly bidding for Rio Tinto's packaging unit.

According to the Economic Times, the firms are mounting a joint bid and may split the unit subsequently to merge with their own businesses.

Rio Tinto acquired the unit last year during its takeover of Alcan.

The unit, which makes specialty packaging for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and tobacco products, has annual revenues of about US$6bn.

FERRERO WIN COURT CASE

Italian confectioner Ferrero has won a court case against Chinese Montresor (Zhangjiagang) Food, a domestic imitator of its signature gold-wrapped Rocher chocolate.

According to the Financial Times, the Beijing Supreme Court fined Montresor CNY500,000 and ordered it to change its packaging.

Montresor, based near Shanghai, says it designed its packaging independently in 1990 and says it did not see a Ferrero Rocher before 1993.

Ferrero says it has been selling the chocolate in China since 1984.

CHESAPEAKE REPORT US$15.5M LOSS

US firm Chesapeake Corporation has reported a US$15.5m loss for the 2007 financial year, and says it is looking at ways to improve the profitability of its businesses and lower its debt.

In 2006, it reported a net loss of US$39.6m.

The group says it will consider possible closures, downsizing and consolidation or the sale of certain plants to cut costs.

Chesapeake operates in 50 locations in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia.
Source: packaging-technology

Goss ties with Ferag on gatherer-stitcher for Drupa

Goss and Ferag have launched a joint machine for the European finishing market, which is slated to be the start of a new relationship between the two companies.

The two companies, which work together in the US, where Goss is a Ferag distributor, have unveiled a Pacesetter+Ferag gatherer-stitcher.

Up to 40 hoppers can be fitted to the machine, which has been fitted with an SNT-30 trimming drum. It is capable of achieving 25,000cph.

The new line-up will be on show at Drupa as part of Ferag distributor WRH Marketing's range of equipment.

WRH Marketing will also be showing off the JobFolio range including the JobStack 2075 compensating stacker, the JobFeed log feeding system and the JobStrap N tying machine for single or cross strapping.
Source: printweek

Bottle containment filler plays it safe

When packaging operations for Abilify, a drug to treat schizophrenia, and Coumadin, a blood thinner, were transferred to a different plant, Bristol-Myers Squibb decided to install a new bottle containment filling line. The goal was to improve fill accuracy and protect workers from the products’ dust. New Brunswick, NJ-based Bristol-Myers Squibb researched different fillers on the market and chose the Model 815 15-wheel bottle filler from Aylward Enterprises. This story describes Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Mt. Vernon, IN, facility's employment of a restricted access barrier system to protect workers from high-potency drugs.

“The machine features a product containment compartment that completely seals the product from the outside environment using slight negative pressure inside the product containment area,” explains Matt Neumann, Aylward’s VP sales and marketing. Aylward also supplied a containment system for delivery of bulk product into the hopper. The system allows operators to attach drums and plastic bags containing bulk product to a funnel system, which then transfers the tablets directly to the filler’s containment area. At no time do the operators come into contact with the product.

“We designed this system to eliminate the use of protective suits,” says Neumann. “It’s inconvenient and costly to suit up every time you get close to the equipment. And the respirators are also cumbersome.”

Once the product enters the filler, a vacuum system draws 1,100 cfm (cubic feet per minute) of air from the fill room into the filler, drawing tablets into the wheels and dedusting them, explains Ken Lang, engineering product manager, Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Tablets are inspected and counted as they pass by an electronic eye before falling into bottles. Dust is pulled away from the operators at all times, says Lang. The machine fills 100- to 1,000-count bottles supplied by Rexam in the following sizes: 95-cc square, 60-cc round, 100-cc oblong, 200-cc round, and 325-cc oblong. Machine speeds range from 130 to 160 bottles a minute for a 100-count bottle. If a tablet is damaged or a miscount occurs, the bottle enters a reject area.

Canister desiccants from Sud-Chemie are inserted into the bottles prior to entering the filler via conveyor. Once the bottles exit the filler, a Lakso cottoner from IMA Nova inserts cotton into the bottles, at which point they pass through a metal detector from Lock Inspection Systems .

Bottles are then capped with a capper from Fowler Products Co.. Rexam supplies the 33-mm, 38-mm, and 45-mm child-resistant caps. The caps are induction-sealed with a Kaps-All Automate induction sealer and retorqued with a Kaps-All retorquer. A labeler from Weiler Labeling Systems applies a single-ply, pressure-sensitive label and a patient outsert from CCL Label to each bottle. Finally, bottles are hand-packed into shipping cases from Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. and placed on a checkweigher from Mettler Toledo.

A breath of fresh air

Before the operator enters the fill room, pressurized anterooms extract dust particles and dirt from the fill room via an exhaust system. As the photo shows, the Model 815 filler’s vacuum system pulls air and dust upward through an exhaust duct (right).

“The pressurized anterooms serve as bubble airlocks,” explains Lang, “so there’s a 0.03- to 0.06-inch water column minimum differential across the door between the filling room and the anteroom.” An HVAC system provides 12 air changes per hour in the fill room through HEPA filters, and a dedicated dust collector collects dust from the bulk tablet loading system, filling machine, capper, and conveyor covers.

Bristol-Myers Squibb has been using the new filler for approximately six months, and during that time there have been no miscounts. “Accuracy has improved 100-percent,” says Lang. Changeovers have been reduced from 4 hours to 3.5 hours and productivity has increased. But most importantly, operators no longer need to wear personal protection.
Source: healthcare-packaging

Labeling/decorating solution

Uvaclear inks are “ecologically friendly” and ultraviolet curable in about a quarter of a second. The inks are initially being marketed to beer, beverage, wine and spirits packagers and the glass container suppliers who serve them. Compared to ACL (Applied Ceramic Labeling) and other organic inks, Uvaclear can improve productivity, as bottles can be immediately handled after screen printing. Additionally, the organic nature of the ink makes it suitable for recycling because it is burned off during the recycling process without contamination. Hartness has formed a new division, Hartness Inks, to further develop the inks and expand their markets.

Source: packworld

High acid drinks packaging devised for eco-improvements

A new range of resealable beverage cartons offers a more environmentally friendly method of packaging high acid ambient drinks like sport beverages and iced tea in a variety of sizes, according to its manufacturer.

Tetra Pak claims that its new Tetra Top high acid ambient distribution (HAAD) can be used globally for products with a maximum PH value of more than 4.2 and up to a 20 per cent juice content.

The group claims that the Tetra Top HAAD system offers the same functionality of a Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle with the environmental benefits of carton products.

The manufacturer claims that ambient still drinks consumption is currently about 100bn litres, with further larger growth opportunities expected in the segment.

Tetra Top product director Anders Gustafsson said that the launch would allow for a new means of packaging, transporting and storing HAAD beverages for up to six months without the need preservatives.

"The market is looking for differentiating, cost-efficient, environmentally friendly packages for ambient still drinks that satisfy the needs of at-home and on-the-go consumption," he stated. Tetra Top for HAAD fulfils these needs," he stated.

Green benefits

As part of the packaging's design, the manufacturer says that the product uses a minimum amount of raw materials, while maximising the paperboard within its base, which its says is a natural and renewable resource.

Using the example of its Tetra Top Katla S38 package, the company claims that the HAAD system can use as much as 62 per cent paperboard and 37 per cent plastic including the cap.


As well as material use, the company, citing a German industry (FKN) study, said that aseptic cartons create between 60 to 90 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents during production compared to the 115 to 190 grams required for PET bottles.

Tetra top

Tetra Pak's Tetra Top range makes use of a carton material sleeve, which is then sealed to a polyethylene capped top. The product has been designed, according to the manufacturer, in a square package with rounded corners to allow for easier pouring.

In using the product, Tetra Pak says that manufacturers can tailor carton materials, bottom formats and caps to their specific requirements, making the product suitable for juice or yoghurt drinks, ice tea and sports beverages.

Tetra Top HAAD had been designed in a number of sizes ranging between 200, 250, 330, 500 750 and 1000 ml packs, the manufacturer claims.

Packaging equipment

The manufacturer says that Tetra Top HAAD is produced by using an upgraded version of its flexible, two-line TT/3 filling machine that can make up to 9000 of the packages an hour.

By using the TT/3 equipment, Tetra Pak claims that processors can ensure improved sterilisation properties within the packaging.
Source: foodproductiondaily

Searle calls for national flexibility over waste targets

Packaging Federation chief Dick Searle has called for flexibility in the way individual countries implement household waste recycling targets approved by members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

In a debate on Tuesday (8 April) on the Waste Framework Directive, MEPs approved targets for local authorities to recycle 50% of household waste, and 70% of construction and demolition waste, by 2020.

However, Searle said he backed the UK government's view that the figures should be dictated by national circumstances.

The targets were pushed by Conservative MEP Caroline Jackson, the rapporteur responsible for leading the directive through the European Parliament.

She said targets at EU level would act as a "considerable incentive to countries whose recycling schemes are slow to develop".

Searle also said he was pleased to see MEPs vote for energy from waste plants to qualify as 'recovery' rather than 'disposal' operations if they meet new energy efficiency criteria set out in the directive.

Designation as a recovery operation means these plants could burn imported waste and supply power to communities.

"MEPs had been fairly strident in wanting to have a formula that would exclude most of what is currently classed as recovery," said Searle.

He said Jackson had been "very switched on" to the need for countries to become more self-sufficient in their energy production to secure supply.

Jackson will now start talks with the European Commission and Council of Ministers to secure an agreement for the directive at its second plenary reading, scheduled for June.
Source: packagingnews

B Smith Packaging regroups after fire

B Smith Packaging (BSP) in Worcester has moved its 15 staff into temporary offices and will shortly sign a 12-month lease on a new warehouse following last week's devastating fire.

Managing director Andrew Smith, who was on a skiing holiday when the blaze started, said the firm had lost around a week's business as a result of the fire on 2 April.


"We're a long-established family firm set up by my father in the 1960s. We grew rapidly in the 1990s and were just entering a new phase with some nice paper cups business brewing, which thankfully hasn't been scuppered by the fire," he said.


BSP's turnover stands at £4m. It is expected to increase to around £6m over the next six months as a result of new business.


Smith said the firm had lost around £900,000 worth of stock, including carrier bags made from plastic, paper and material and plastic cups. The destroyed warehouse had space for 2,500 pallets.


"The forensic scientists on site said they thought the electric motors on the mobile racking caught fire to cause the blaze. We have put in a £2m-£3m insurance claim," he added.


BSP has around 1,000 'live' customers, with 150 affected by the fire.


The company built the warehouse on Stanier Road, Warndon, in 1995. Smith said the firm would build its own warehouse again in the future.


Around 100 firefighters from Worcester, Droitwich, Malvern, Evesham and Pershore tackled the blaze. The 12 staff on site were rapidly evacuated and no-one was injured.

Picture courtesy of Worcester News.

Source: packagingnews

Konica Minolta to buy office imaging business from Danka

Danka Business Systems has unveiled a plan to sell its office imaging business to Konica Minolta in a deal worth in the region of $240m (£122m).

The company, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, said it had signed a definitive agreement for the sale to Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA and that it expected the deal to be completed by 30 June.

It is subject to US and UK regulatory approval and still needs the go-ahead from Danka's shareholders.

Following the deal, Danka, which last year posted a loss of $13m, will delist from the stock market and go into voluntary liquidation.

Danka said that the Danka Office Imaging Company (DOIC) would maintain its current offices after the deal and that it would begin to add Konica Minolta equipment to the product mix starting in the middle of 2008.

Jun Haraguchi, president and CEO of Konica Minolta, said: "Konica Minolta's acquisition of DOIC will further enhance our leadership in the colour and high volume production print markets while complementing our overall growth strategy with our independent dealers and branch network.

"We're excited about the prospects that this strategic acquisition will create, and believe the combined strength of the new organisation will be beneficial to our customers, the DOIC customer base and the DOIC employee family."

Konica Minolta will pay $240m in cash, although this figure could go up or down by $10m depending on net worth adjustments.

Source: printweek

BRC to press on with new recycling logo

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has vowed to press on with its common packaging recycling logo, saying it has the broad support of local authorities and consumers.

The label, which is out for consultation with government, local authorities and manufacturers, is designed to display whether packaging is widely recycled, locally recycled or not recycled by local authorities.


BRC environment policy executive Edward Cook said the organisation was drafting a response to the consultation, which would include "some revisions", such as the thresholds being amended "slightly" for the three categories.


He suggested that the plastics recycling data provided by Wrap for calculating the thresholds should be carried out more frequently to take into account developments in the recycling infrastructure.


Cook said the response had been mainly positive, and would be sent out "shortly", although some issues were raised by Julian Carroll, chief executive of the European Organisation for Packaging and the Environment (Europen), to which BRC had already responded.


Europen felt the use of recycling labels on packaging was "not the best means" of helping consumers recycle more, would risk disrupting the EU internal market supply and confuse consumers.


The organisation suggested a system modelled on that used in several other EU countries, where recycling information is communicated by local authorities and collection schemes. It also pointed out that it was not mandatory in EU law to identify packaging materials on packs.


Cook said the scheme had been developed after research had revealed that consumers felt frustrated by the current information.

"We felt the new scheme would provide them with the information they required in a way they could understand," he said.


"Some of the feedback to the consultation suggests that consumers find the information helpful and it allows them to recycle more."


Cook added that communication was key and local authorities were as crucial in this as retailers.


Asda was the first supermarket to use the logo on some of its own-brand products last December.


"We are talking to the Food & Drink Federation to see how we can encourage brand owners to incorporate the logo on their packs to provide a consistent message to customers," said Cook.

Source: packagingnews

HH Associates seals £10m point-of-sale contract

Print management firm HH Associates has tied up a £10m deal to supply point-of-sale (PoS) material to one of the world’s biggest petrol firms.

Although the name of the client has not yet been revealed, HH has said that the deal will cover more than 7,000 retail sites across Europe and North America.

Key elements of the contract will be running artwork requirements through HH's eStudio software and keeping an up-to-the-minute database of exactly what PoS material is where.

The eStudio product will automatically produce artwork files using more than 100 templates in eight languages, and is linked to a digital asset management system which enables online soft proofing.

HH has claimed that the system will allow the client to cut a traditional campaign lifecycle of around a month down to just three days.

Tony Massey, group sales and marketing director at HH, said: "The contract is exciting as it covers users in the US and Canada as well as all major markets in Europe and the Nordics.

"It is a project which enables HH to add value immediately from improving the efficiency of the artwork creation process to the final fulfilment at each retail site.

"As a result, it gives global marketers a window into the progress of campaign execution in all their markets around the world."
Source: printweek

Total Print! Expo gets in gear for 2008 show

Total Print! Expo, formerly known as Digital Print World (DPW), will be launching under the theme of 'Solutions for the short run print market' at this year's show.

The event, which is being held on 14 to 16 October at Earls Court 2, is being hailed as the new event for the graphic arts market and will build on the success of DPW as an exhibition for printing solutions.

As well as more than 100 leading suppliers, Total Print! Expo will feature an education programme with a Print Buyers' forum, Hosted Buyers programme, workshops, master classes and industry debates. It has received the backing of PrintIT, BAPC and BPIF.

IIR exhibitions event director Richard Gayle claimed the show would lead the way in a "complete shift of focus" for printing solutions.

He said: "The exhibition is a natural evolution of DPW and will run the gamut from design to mailroom with every step in between. The spotlight will be on the production of added-value creative solutions and end products and the role technology plays in the process."

BPIF said it was pleased to be giving its support to the exhibition. Corporate affairs director Andrew Brown added: "We are delighted that the show will continue to promote digital print while at the same time is extending its remit to encompass the full range of print solutions."

Exhibitors at last year's show included Autobond, BPIF, Canon (UK), EskoArtwork, Graphic Arts Equipment, Kodak, OKI, PrintIT!, Roland DG and Xerox.
Source: printweek

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Source: packworld

Councils to face mandatory household waste targets

Local authorities could face mandatory targets to recycle household waste, including packaging, after members of the European Parliament's environment committee voted in favour of the measure yesterday (8 April).

Committee members approved amendments to the Waste Framework Directive that would force councils to recycle 50% of household waste by weight, and 70% of construction and demolition waste by weight, by 2020.


The amendments were tabled by Conservative MEP Caroline Jackson, the rapporteur responsible for leading the directive through the European Parliament.


She said this was the first time that European legislators had set such targets, which reflected the environment committee's concern that "recycling must accompany incineration in order to process waste diverted from landfill".


"Recycling represents a sustainable way of dealing with waste and many countries need to put more effort in to developing recycling schemes," she said. "EU targets will be a considerable incentive to countries whose recycling schemes are slow to develop."


Committee members approved a measure to force European Union member states to stabilise their waste production by 2012 to an amount no higher than they produce this year.


They also voted for energy from waste plants to qualify as 'recovery' rather than 'disposal' operations if they meet new energy efficiency criteria set out in the directive.


Designation as a recovery operation means these plants could burn imported waste and supply power to communities.


Jackson will now start talks with the European Commission and Council of Ministers to secure an agreement for the directive at its second plenary reading, scheduled for June.
Source: packagingnews