Weekly Roundup: Greiner Packaging joins Alliance to End Plastic Waste, DSM launches plant-based resins

04 Dec 2020 --- In packaging news this week, Greiner Packaging joined the international Alliance to End Plastic Waste, pledging to invest in effective waste management and new technologies. Meanwhile, DSM launched plant-based resins for removable paper bottle labels. Also, X5 Retail Group, Russia’s largest food retailer, rolled out a label using visual freshness sensors to increase transparency and reduce food waste by tracking the temperature and storage conditions for food.

In brief: Environmental action
Greiner Packaging became an official member of the international Alliance to End Plastic Waste. Based in Singapore, the alliance has over 50 member companies, supporters and allies along the entire plastics value chain who aim to use a joint, proactive approach to tackle plastic waste – especially in cities around the globe. In joining the alliance, Greiner Packaging pledges to invest in effective waste management, further develop the related processes, and integrate them into recycling systems, new technologies, and projects. This approach will, in turn, make it possible to recover resources for a circular economy from plastic waste.

DSM, a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials, launched sustainable, plant-based Decovery resins for the packaging industry. Starting with the Decovery SP-6400XP, with others to follow, the announcement paves the way for packaging producers to reduce their carbon footprint, DSM says. New Decovery SP-6400XP is a low-NoAH alkali-soluble acrylic copolymer dispersion with high clarity and flexibility. It is particularly suited to adhesive applications, such as removable paper labels for bottles and domestic adhesives.M&S test and learn renewal store, UK.

X5 Retail Group, Russia’s largest food retailer with shares trading in London and Moscow, announced the first major tech rollout from its global startup scouting program featuring innovative technology from Israeli startup Evigence. The Green Dot label uses visual freshness sensors to increase transparency and reduce food waste by tracking the temperature and storage conditions for each food item and displaying its actual “use by” date, as opposed to the expiration date on the packaging. This is made possible by Evigence's unique technology – smart chemicals-based sensors that change color to show a product's freshness level in real time.

Braskem announced an important investment to expand its post-consumer resin (PCR) portfolio. In partnership with Valoren, a company specializing in developing and operating technologies for transforming solid waste, Braskem will invest R$67 million (US$13 million) in the construction of a recycling line with capacity to transform 250 million pieces of packaging into 14,000 tons of high-quality, PCR per year. The project, which will be installed in Indaiatuba, in the interior region of São Paulo state, is expected to start operations in the fourth quarter of 2021.

M&S Food’s new test and learn renewal store in Staines, Two Rivers Shopping Centre, UK, became the third to feature the retailer’s popular Fill Your Own concept, supporting customers to reduce and reuse with over 50 lines of refillable grocery essentials and frozen fruit. Customer demand for Fill Your Own has remained strong since it was first introduced to M&S Hedge End last December and Manchester in March this year, the UK supermarket says. The extensive grocery range spans pasta, rice, cereal and confectionery and customers in Staines can also shop refillable frozen fruit such as mango, pineapple and raspberriesSIG and Nestlé Brazil’s Nescau pack design..

In brief: Business and investment
Bobst announced two new Business Units designed to “shape the future of the packaging world.” The newly created Printing & Converting Business Unit (previously Sheet Fed and Web Fed) led by Stephan März will develop products and solutions. The Services & Performance Business Unit (former BU Services) led by Julien Laran, continues to provide services to maximize production up-time and to increase the overall performance of converters’ sites. The Internet of Things will enable converters to make fact-based decisions and optimize their entire production floor. BOBST Connect will take a more central role to support its clients, it indicates.

ProAmpac, a leader in flexible packaging, acquired Rosenbloom Groupe, Hymopack and Dyne-A-Pak, private businesses based in Canada that manufacture packaging products. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquired businesses are leading suppliers to North American retailers, grocery chains and quick service restaurants (QSR), as well as wholesale distribution companies, specializing in the manufacturing of paper bags, plastic bags and can liners, and foam packaging trays. With this acquisition, ProAmpac expands its manufacturing capabilities and broadens the product offering it provides to retail, grocery and QSR customers.

Sidel and Elettric80 started a strategic alliance to provide comprehensive services ranging from production to warehouse, distribution centre and logistics management for beverage and food, home and personal care producers. Both companies will act as a one-stop source, allowing producers to become more flexible, safe and sustainable with Smart Factory tailored solutions. Due to growing e-commerce markets, the need for automated warehouses and logistics management is becoming more important. Sidel and Elettric80 have paired up their know-how in state-of-the-art packaging and highly automated and integrated intralogistics solutions to help producers stay competitive and meet the demands of the market worldwide.Amcor and Colombia’s Nutrea/Frudelca’s Frupro protein juice pack design.

Schubert, a German manufacturer of packaging machines, collaborated with Winckler & Co.,a trade representative in Japan since 2020. At this year’s FOODtech in Makuhari, Japan, Winckler presented packaging technology from Schubert at its stand with the Flowpacker for the first time since the trade partnership. FOODtech is considered one of the largest B2B trade fairs for food processing and automation technology in the Asian region and took place from 25 to 27 November, 2020, both live on-site and virtually.

In brief: Product rollouts
Amcor developed a new hot-fill PET bottle for Colombia’s Nutrea/Frudelca’s breakthrough Frupro protein juice. The new beverage is the latest in a growing category that blends the benefits of natural juice with protein to appeal to health-conscious consumers. Frupro protein juice will be launched this month in Colombia. Nutrea/Frudelca is responding to a growing trend among consumers moving to healthy beverage options while also leveraging Amcor’s leadership in hot-fill beverage packaging.

In partnership with SIG, a leading systems and solutions provider for aseptic carton packaging, Nestlé Brazil brought its complete Nescau beverage range to the market in SIG’s combiblocMini carton packs, using SIG’s renewable and recyclable paper straw solution. This change helps to meet the sustainability goals of Nestlé, which has the vision that none of its packaging ends up improperly discarded in the environment, especially in seas, oceans or watercourses. Changing to SIG’s paper straw will eliminate up to 300 million plastic straws per year.

By Joshua Poole