Beyond The Headlines: Mondi brings rice paper-packs to the UK, ProAmpac partners with Nestlé

29 Sep 2023 --- This week in industry news, Mondi partnered with rice supplier Veetee to launch paper-based packaging for dry rice in the UK. Meanwhile, ProAmpac announced its partnership with Nestlé, and Carbios reported its operating and financial results for the first half of 2023.

In brief: Launches
Mondi brought paper-packed dry rice to the UK “for the first time” by collaborating with rice supplier Veetee. Veetee’s new rice packaging has been created using Mondi’s FunctionalBarrier Paper, providing a “safe, secure and strong” alternative to the industry standard plastic packs. Veetee and Mondi are “the first” in the UK to launch a paper-based alternative for dry rice, customized in response to consumer demands for more sustainable packaging. The new packs were certified by On-Pack Recycling Label Simple as widely accepted for UK curbside recycling, facilitating end-user disposal and supporting a circular economy. Due to the high printability of Mondi’s FunctionalBarrier Paper, Veetee can communicate the disposal messages on-pack, and retailers can promote the brand and different products on-shelf.

Sidel's StarLITE R PET bottles.Sidel has launched StarLITE R – a 100% recycled (PET) bottle to help carbonated soft drink (CSD) packaging producers embrace material circularity. The company said its StarLITE family is evolving to address the challenges associated with working with recycled content. StarLITE R allows CSD producers to switch to rPET bottle production with ease and efficiency while reducing the impact on product quality or packaging integrity. 

Evertis launched its Ecopack 0 film with high-performance co-extruded PET film crafted from 100% PCR content. Approved by Anvisa for direct food contact applications, the Ecopack 0 film combines environmental sustainability with transparency and gloss properties, making it an “ideal” choice for a wide range of packaging needs. One of the standout features of Ecopack 0 is its versatility. The film is easy to thermoform, ensuring efficient packaging processes and can be recycled multiple times after use.

Eviosys debuted an ultra-light shallow metal over cap for tins branded Horizon at London Packaging Week 2023. The new metal lid is industry-leading, offering the dry food sector an infinitely recyclable packaging solution for the whole can, previously dominated by plastic. Horizon has the potential to make plastic over caps a relic of the past. 

Rebbl, the original organic and plant-powered functional beverage brand, unveiled its occasion-based packaging design. Available on shelves, the new design is featured across the brand’s award-winning beverage portfolio, spanning six daily occasions with over sixteen varieties, developed with the mantra of “Empower the People.” By connecting each drink with an occasion, the new packaging offers functional advantages and key ingredients, enabling customers to intuitively discern the best beverage that aligns with their preferences and desired experience.

In brief: PartnershipsFingerprinting for oneECG job run on a RS 6003 gravure printing press in Bobst Italia’s Packaging Center. 
ProAmpac announced its partnership with Nestlé after their joint recognition for the prestigious 2023 Digital Labels & Packaging Award. The annual Print Award, hosted by Digital Labels & Print Magazine (DLPM), recognizes the finest achievements in digital printing as applied to packaging. During the Awards Gala held on June 29 at the Kia Oval in London, DLPM announced that Nestlé Splash – KitKat, developed in collaboration with ProAmpac, emerged as a top contender in the Application Excellence – Primary Packaging category.

ProAmpac also invited Lunch! 2023 attendees to visit stand L450 to experience its full portfolio of food-to-go packaging capabilities, including their award-winning high barrier curbside recyclable ProActive RecycAll Freshpack sandwich wedge, which features a translucent paper-based window for product visibility. Lunch! 2023 took place September 27-28, 2023 at ExCeL London, UK. 

Danimer Scientific announced an expansion of its partnership with Chevron Phillips Chemical. The expanded collaboration will explore the development and commercialization of cast extrusion films, blown extrusion films, injection molded parts and rotational molded parts using Rinnovo polymers produced in a loop slurry reactor process. Rinnovo is a polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesized from lactones produced using Danimer’s proprietary Novo22 catalyst technology. It can be used in the production of biodegradable alternatives to traditional plastics.

Wipak Walsrode and Bobst set out to take its gravure printing division to a new level with Bobst’s one ECG technology. The benefits of Extended Color Gamut (ECG) printing were said to support Wipak’s sustainability commitment to reduce its carbon emissions to zero by 2025. With one ECG from Bobst, the company will be able to counter price pressure more effectively and enable brand owners and retailers to achieve shorter product launch times while maintaining high and consistent quality throughout the print run.

Mikart’s Flexpack NF-150 Horizontal Sachet-Packaging Machine.In brief: Financials and acquisitions
Carbios reported its operating and financial results for the first half of 2023. The financial statements were approved by Carbios’ board of directors. Operational expenses in the first half of 2023 stood at €13,289 (US$14,000) (H1 2022: €11,531,000/US$12,230,000). R&D expenses, net, totaled €5,719 (US$6,000) in the first half of 2023 (H1 2022: €5,540,000/US$5,870,000). The Group continued its research and development efforts in all its innovative themes, particularly in the bio recycling of PET plastic and fibers. The Group’s operating income (loss) shows a loss of €13.7 million (US$14.5 million) at June 30, 2023 (€11.5 million/US$12.2 million loss at June 30, 2022). Carbios was said to have a robust financial position, with net cash of €78 million (US$82.7 million) at June 30, 2023 (€101 million/US$107 million at December 31, 2022), before taking into account the capital increase successfully carried out in July 2023 for a gross amount of €141 million (US$149 million) (before deducting expenses from the issue premium). 

RecyClass approved Coim’s “Novacote NC 560 A + CA 101” laminating adhesive. The latest independent testing showed that the Coim’s laminating adhesive is compatible with Europe’s  flexible PE recycling stream. Evaluations were carried out following a simplified version of the RecyClass Recyclability Evaluation Protocol for PE films specifically developed for testing such packaging features.

Mikart, a contract development and manufacturing organization, specializing in various services from development project work to commercial manufacturing for solid and liquid oral dosage forms, announced its recent acquisition of the state-of-the-art Flexpack NF-150 Horizontal Sachet-Packaging Machine. This strategic investment marks a significant milestone in Mikart’s commitment to enhancing its production capabilities and delivering high-quality pharmaceutical products. The acquisition builds on Mikart’s packaging footprint, which includes blister packaging, pouch or foil strip packs, cartoning and tray packaging, unit dose cups and bottle filling.

Chuan Lih Fa Machinery Works, known as CLF’s advanced Two Platen Plastic Injection Molding Machine emerged as “the most” preferred choice for many different industrial applications, especially in the US. Out of its many features, the most advanced one is its ability to achieve a considerably faster clamping force build-up by shorter locking time and pressure-generation time. It has an edge over other Two Platen Plastic Injection Molding Machines because of its clamp-tonnage build-up time and faster lock-up capabilities. The injection molding machine is core manufacturing equipment for producing plastic parts for medicine, packaging, automobiles, electronics and home appliances.

By Natalie Schwertheim