Weekly Roundup: GPI identifies growing consumer interest in glass packaging, Amcor partners with ExxonMobil

16 Dec 2022 --- This week in industry news, the Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) announced the results of a consumer poll demonstrating growing interest in glass sustainability. Meanwhile, Amcor announced a five-year deal with ExxonMobil to purchase certified-circular PE material, and Hoffmann Neopac launched a full metal version of its child-resistant high barrier-tins. 

In brief: Glass packaging news 
GPI released the results of a poll commissioned by the association to measure attitudes toward glass sustainability. The survey found that US consumers prefer glass packaging due to its environmental benefits and are inclined to shape their purchasing behavior accordingly. Ninety-two percent of respondents said they would feel positively toward a company that offered more glass packaging because of its lower environmental impact than other materials; 76% of respondents were familiar with the fact that glass is infinitely recyclable, versus less than a quarter (24%) who were hearing about it for the first time. More than half of respondents (58%) said knowing that glass was infinitely recyclable could make them change their purchasing behavior; 73% of respondents wished more companies offered their F&B products in glass packaging. 

In brief: Recycling tech 
Amcor announced a five-year deal with ExxonMobil to purchase certified-circular PE material in support of its target to achieve 30% recycled material across its portfolio by 2030. The volume of material will increase incrementally each year, and is expected to reach 100,000 metric tons annually at the end of the five-year period. Made possible by ExxonMobil’s Exxtend technology for advanced recycling, Amcor intends to leverage this material across its global portfolio, with a particular focus on the healthcare and food industries, which are required to meet stringent safety requirements for recycled plastic. The agreement expands upon Amcor’s initial purchase of certified-circular polyethylene material from ExxonMobil earlier this year. 

C&T is recycling all its ethylene vinyl acetate scrap.C&T Channel Matrix reduced its polyvinyl chloride (PVC) waste by 50%, transitioned to using exclusively recycled and fully recyclable packaging for all its products and has installed LED lights throughout its factory to reduce energy consumption. In addition, C&T is now fully recycling all the ethylene vinyl acetate scrap that it produces internally. EVA scrap is put back into its manufacturing process and reused. 

NVC advised the Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and Water Management to postpone a decision on the generally binding declaration of packaging collection and recycling levies in the Netherlands. In an official perspective on a Draft Decision by Minister Ms. Vivianne Heijnen MSc regarding the General Binding Declaration of future levies by the Dutch Packaging Waste Fund Foundation (Stichting Afvalfonds Verpakkingen), NVC argues that such a far-reaching Decision should not be taken in the short term indicated. The NVC Perspective suggests that the final decision should not be taken until July 1 2023, after the publication of the Minister’s fulfillment of the Circular Materials Plan to Parliament in February 2023. This would also allow for consultation with the House of Representatives, especially the chamber committee on infrastructure and environment, said NVC.

In brief: Launches and investments 
Hoffmann Neopac launched a full metal version of its child-resistant (CR) high-barrier tins. The completely recyclable, monomaterial CR tins are ideal for a wide variety of dry and semi-dry cannabis products, including edibles, CBD oils, creams, gummies and concentrates. Samples of the novel sustainable packaging solution were displayed at the Hoffman Neopac AG Booth at MJBizCon in Las Vegas, US, November 16-18. Hoffmann Neopac’s fully metal tins represent the “next generation” of the company’s existing CR tins with plastic inserts. 

KHS invested in a turnkey canning line from KHS. The integrated Innofill Can DVD filler that includes a Ferrum seamer is designed to process up to 33,000 330-milliliter containers an hour. For customers with a higher production capacity, the machine is available with an output of up to 135,000 cans per hour. 

The Smurfit Kappa Hyflexpower site. In brief: Renewable energy news 
The Hyflexpower consortium and Smurfit Kappa completed the first stage of the Hyflexpower project, an innovative research project on renewable energy. The project, located at the Smurfit Kappa Saillat paper mill in France, is “the first in the world” to introduce an integrated hydrogen gas turbine demonstrator. The highly innovative project involves collaboration across several industries, academic bodies and research institutes, including Engie Solutions, Siemens Energy, Centrax, Arttic, German Aerospace Center, and four European universities. The hydrogen pilot was successfully trialed last month with a mix of 30% hydrogen and 70% natural gas. The aim of the Hyflexpower project is to demonstrate that renewable energy can be converted to hydrogen and serve as a flexible means of storing energy which can then be used to power an industrial turbine. The project officially marks the implementation of the world’s very first industrial-scale power-to-X-to-power demonstrator with an advanced hydrogen turbine. In 2023, trials will continue to increase the hydrogen ratio up to 100%. 

In brief: Responses and Awards
Oceana responded to PepsiCo’s announcement to double its percentage of beverage servings sold through reusable models from 10% to 20% by 2030. The commitment states this increase in beverage servings will come from more SodaStream sales Oceana said PepsiCo needs to detail its planned increase for reusable packaging for each business, particularly in countries where the company and its bottlers already sell refillable bottles. Oceana also said PepsiCo needs to quantify how the sale of additional SodaStream machines, powders and concentrates reduces the company’s existing single-use plastic footprint. If the additional powders and concentrates sold are packaged in plastic sachets or other types of plastic that are difficult to recycle, it could mean replacing one plastic pollution problem with another.

The Spearhead Group announced the winners of the third annual Physical Brand Enhancement (PBE) Awards, a luxury packaging design challenge for university students. Inspired by Spearhead’s commitment to global sustainability and innovation, undergraduates at Istituto Europeo di Design in Turin, Italy, had two months to create a Value-Added Gift Pack. The 2022 PBE Awards design theme is “Less is More.” The brief challenged students to use the least amount of CrownBoard Prestige paper, generously donated by strategic material supplier Billerud. The first-place winners of the 2022 PBE Awards are: Morena DiMolfetta, Alessandra Pinto, and Massimo Piovano, with their project “Travel Bag.” The second-place winners were Paolo Bosetti, Francesco Falvio Noli, and Lorenzo Ravarino with their project “HUG.” 

By Natalie Schwertheim