Beyond The Headlines: UPM to offer whole life cycle CarbonNeutral labeling, Ardagh Glass Packaging builds NextGen furnace

01 Sep 2023 --- This week in industry news, UPM Raflatac announced it will allow its customers to offer their printed and converted labels as CarbonNeutral product certified and Ardagh Glass Packaging began finishing construction on its NextGen furnace. Meanwhile, Berry Global won a Gold award at the Environmental Packaging Awards.

In brief: Product developments
UPM Raflatac announced it is developing the scope of its CarbonNeutral certified labeling materials to cover a label’s entire lifecycle emissions. This allows its customers to offer their printed and converted labels as CarbonNeutral product certified. UPM Raflatac’s CarbonNeutral certified products include the linerless label range with solutions for all direct thermal linerless main end uses, including hospitality, e-commerce, logistics and grocery retail. The CarbonNeutral certified products also include pressure-sensitive labels in the lower-carbon range RAFNXT+ designed for various food, logistics and home care packaging labels.

Amcor will begin its North American launch of curbside-recyclable AmFiberT Performance Paper packaging.Amcor announced the North American launch of curbside-recyclable AmFiberT Performance Paper packaging, part of the company’s AmFiber portfolio. Prequalified by How2Recycle, performance paper meets the repulpability standards for curbside recycling, allowing brands to provide consumers with more sustainable end-of-life outcomes for packaging. Amcor stated consumers often seek paper-based packaging to deliver more environmentally sustainable end-of-life due to widespread curbside paper collection and recycling. And, on the shelf, paper-based solutions are said to meet consumers’ preferences for a natural look and feel.

Ahlstrom and The Paper People developed a line of fully fiber-based, recyclability-certified packaging designed to replace traditional fossil-based plastic and films for frozen food packaging. The paper frozen food package is available with the Paper Peoples’ Paperlock G technology, an FDA-approved direct food contact heat-seal material and grease barrier that keeps grease from migrating off such food products as fries, tater tots, onion rings and pizza rolls to the outside of the package. This packaging can be printed in up to ten colors using flexographic and digital printing and is available with a compostable zipper in standard and inno-lok style configurations.

SIG announced it will raise the proportion of fiber in its aseptic carton structure. The company will develop a full-barrier aluminum-free aseptic packaging structure with at least 90% fiber content by 2030, with an interim target of at least 85% by 2025. Increasing the Forest Stewardship Council-certified fiber content of its aseptic cartons and expanding its aluminum-free solutions are a part of SIG’s strategy of achieving higher recyclability of carton packs. 

Sappi, a manufacturer of flexible packaging papers with integrated barriers and heat-seal capability, and digital printing pioneer Xeikon joined for a developmental partnership. The partners worked on direct printing on paper-based materials and perfecting the recyclability of the resulting flexible packaging. With Xeikon’s latest dry toner innovation, TITON and the Xeikon TX500, the company set its sights on the paper-based flexible packaging market, which Sappi has been reporting for some time, is experiencing strong growth due to demand for resource-saving, recyclable and plastic-free alternatives from end-users as well as brand owners and converters.SIG will raise the proportion of fiber in its aseptic carton structure.

In brief: Business news
The NextGen furnace, currently under construction at the Ardagh Glass Packaging facility in Obernkirchen, Germany, neared completion. The furnace build, including all refractory brickwork, is done, and the installation of electrical and other ancillary services is now in the final stages. The hybrid NextGen furnace technology is designed to use 80% renewable electricity and 20% gas, significantly reducing CO2 emissions by 60% in the furnace and reducing the carbon footprint of glass packaging.

Roberts Mart invested £11 million (US$14 million) in facility upgrades. The flexible packaging manufacturer is set to invest over £7 million (US$8.9 million) in constructing a new single-story warehouse extension being added to its main site building in Leeds, UK. This will include an additional extension to the existing ink store. Roberts Mart will spend €4 million (US$4.3 million) on an Allstein Hydro ten color flexo printing press and a new Comexi Slitter machine that uses state-of-the-art laser technology.

Valmet is set to deliver critical technologies, automation and services to Naini Papers’ cooking and fiberline rebuild and new specialty paper machine PM 3 at their mill in Kashipur, India. The delivery will increase the mill’s capacity and support meeting the market demand for specialty coated paper. The delivery is scheduled for the first quarter of 2025. The order was included in Valmet’s orders received for the second quarter of 2023. The value of the order will not be disclosed, but a delivery of this size and scope is typically valued between €40 – €60 million (US$43.4 – US$65 million).

Deliveries of aluminum tubes and aluminum aerosol cans developed positively in the first half of 2023.To address the labor concerns of the packaging industry, Epson will showcase print and automation solutions that highlight color, flexibility and traceability at Pack Expo in Las Vegas, US, September 11-13. Epson offers a range of robotic and color label solutions engineered for speed and adaptability and designed to boost efficiency, reduce costs and elevate overall production processes. Epson will demo its print and apply labeling, RFID labeling applications, high-precision SCARA robot with parts-feeding and high-volume label printing on the tradeshow floor.

In brief: Awards and reports
The Heinz Snap Pot, manufactured by Berry Global, won a Gold award at the Environmental Packaging Awards. Kraft Heinz entered into the Ambient Food category. The concept was selected by judges based on Snap Pot’s successful switch to a version made with 39% recycled plastic. First launched in 2008, the Snap Pot has been redeveloped to reflect advances in post-consumer recycled content for food packaging and the drive by supermarkets and end users for more environmentally sustainable packaging. The award-winning concept was created in a partnership between Heinz, Tesco, Berry Global and recycling technology experts Plastic Energy and Sabic.

Despite the challenging economic situation in Germany, deliveries of aluminum tubes and aluminum aerosol cans developed positively in the first half of 2023, according to Aluminum Deutschland. In the case of aluminum tubes, continued strong demand from the pharmaceutical sector and stable development in the cosmetics and food sectors led to a year-on-year increase of 4.4%. Overall, deliveries of aluminum tubes to the German market amounted to approximately 424 million units. Regarding aluminum aerosol cans, the two most significant market segments, deodorants and hair care products, recorded significant growth compared to the same period of the previous year. This resulted in a 9.5% increase in shipments of aluminum aerosol cans, amounting to 309 million units.

By Sabine Waldeck