Weekly Roundup: Diageo ditches cardboard gift boxes, Elopak forms joint venture in India

29 Apr 2022 --- In packaging news this week, Diageo revealed it will phase out the use of 183 million cardboard gift boxes from its premium Scotch portfolio worldwide. Also, Elopak formed a joint venture in India to manufacture aseptic packs, and Smurfit Kappa unveiled a “cleverly engineered” packaging solution for detergent pods and capsules.

In brief: Goodbye to gift boxes
Diageo started a program to phase out the use of 183 million cardboard gift boxes from its premium Scotch portfolio worldwide. Brands will include Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky, Johnnie Walker Red Label Blended Scotch Whisky, Buchanan’s Blended Scotch Whisky and Bell’s Original Blended Scotch Whisky. Following the launch of the Johnnie Walker paper-based bottle, the world’s first 100% PET-free paper-based pulp bottle due to hit retail in 2023, Diageo’s is also developing packaging based on biomimicry and the use of carbon capture in bottle decorative designs.

In brief: Elopak’s joint venture
Elopak and GLS announced a joint venture in which the two companies will each have 50% ownership. The newly formed company, GLS Elopak (headquartered at Gurugram in Haryana, India), will leverage the respective expertise, assets and networks of Elopak and GLS to capitalize on the “significant consumer demand“ in India. The company was established to manufacture and process high-quality fresh and aseptic packaging solutions, which are designed to ensure that liquid food is safe and accessible to consumers across the globe. The company will cater to both fresh and aseptic segments with applications such as dairy, plant-based drinks, juice, water and liquor.
Elopak formed a joint venture in India to produce aseptic packs.

In brief: Fiber-based solutions
Smurfit Kappa unveiled a “cleverly engineered“ new packaging solution for detergent pods and capsules. The child-proof TopLock Box provides a safe, convenient and environmentally sustainable alternative to the traditional plastic box for laundry products. The patented TopLock Box features an ingenious opening mechanism, making it a very attractive solution for companies seeking an environmentally sustainable alternative for their certified child-proof packaging solutions. The TopLock Box is a 100% plastic-free solution made entirely from FSC-certified paper-based packaging, which is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable. It boasts significant environmental benefits and offers a 40% carbon footprint reduction in comparison to the traditional rigid plastic alternatives.

Ahlstrom-Munksjö reinforced its commitment to the PSA (Pressure Sensitive Adhesive) industry worldwide by launching its biggest-ever global range of environmentally sustainable release papers for silicone coating. The expanded and harmonized range contains three main product families and offers release papers based on renewable fibers, spreading from 41 g/m2 up to 215 g/m2. Products feature various technologies and finishes to match any release liner application, even the most demanding and specified one.

The TopLock Box is a 100% plastic-free solution made entirely from FSC-certified paper-based packaging.VPF unveiled a “completely new” adhesive material for tamper-evident labels. For the production of security material for label printing, the manufacturer now uses paper instead of film. With equally forgery-proof results: the checkerboard pattern known from security films is clearly visible after manipulation. Up to now, security labels for first-opening, tamper and tamper-evident protection have mainly been made of film materials. Now VPF has succeeded in developing an adhesive material that also meets the high demands of the market when using a paper face material.

PulPac and HSMG developed an innovative approach for water and oil barriers for PulPac’s Dry Molded Fiber technology. A thin, stretchable sheet of substrate applied with HSMG’s Protēan solution is layered onto the fiber mat as the article is formed. The heat and pressure of the forming process bond the HSMG carrier sheet to the product. The result is a strong, recyclable, biodegradable non-fossil alternative to single-use plastic that holds up to hot drinks.

In brief: Inks and films
Sihl introduced “the first inkjet film based on 90% PCR content.” The film offers identical benefits to its non-PCR counterpart and is ideally suited for “razor-sharp” product labels in print-on-demand. The 7054 PicoFilm CPr-50 gloss IHG1 product’s front side has a glossy coating for variable information printing with a water-based inkjet and is suitable for both dye and pigment inks.

Sun Chemical expanded its edible ink range with the launch of its FSR ink, which was developed to meet the specific needs of the food industry and verified for printing directly onto food, including baked goods. Created to offer “outstanding” color and sharpness while also complying with the highest levels of quality and safety regulations, the FSR ink range is based on synthetic colorants suitable for use for direct food printing using mid-viscosity range piezo printheads, such as the Ricoh GH2220 digital printhead.

VPF introduced a “completely new” adhesive material for tamper-evident labels.In brief: PET circular economy
Solvay and Carbios successfully demonstrated that multi-layer PET films coated with Diofan PVDC2 high-barrier polymer are fully compatible with enzymatic depolymerization – Carbios’ innovative recycling process. Results show that the PET is fully depolymerized, whereas the PVDC remains intact. Carbios is the first company to have developed enzymatic processes dedicated to the end-of-life of plastics and fibers. The collaboration builds upon the results of an earlier proof of concept by Solvay, which has confirmed that waste from packaging or other applications using bi-oriented PVDC multi-layer film can efficiently be recycled without compromising the outstanding barrier performance of the polymer.

In brief: Coffee packing
Rovema revealed it will showcase a BVC 260 specifically for packing coffee, namely ground coffee, coffee beans, agglomerated or freeze-dried coffee, which can be processed with gentle product handling and accurate weight, at the I-Pack IMA trade show in Milan, Italy (May 3-6). For coffee applications requiring a degassing valve, the machine is equipped with the new high-performance Rovema valve applicator for button valves. In combination with a mono-PP packaging material, the BVC 260 achieves an output rate of up to 70 bags per minute at a filling weight of 250 g.

In brief: Renewable energy
SIG extended its use of renewable energy within the beverage carton industry with the installation of its largest on-site solar array to date. More than 19,000 solar panels at its production plant in Wittenberg, Germany, will provide a total power capacity of up to 9.2 MWp and generate enough renewable electricity to avoid an estimated 2,500 tons of CO2-equivalent emissions per year. This future-oriented solar project is being implemented in partnership with communal energy supply provider Leipziger Stadtwerke as a long-term cooperation.

By Joshua Poole