Weekly Roundup: Indian pack leader launches paper tubes, Ardagh Glass secures deal with Californian wine giant

07 Aug 2020 --- In packaging news this week, Indian packaging giant Uflex launched a moisture-resistant paper-based tube pack that reduces plastic dependency by 50-70 percent across a range of oral care and cosmetic applications. Also, Ardagh Group, Glass – North America secured a supply agreement with Plata Wine Partners to manufacture all of its wine bottles. Meanwhile, London-based Internet of Things (IoT) agency SharpEnd equipped LYFT nicotine pouch brand with a Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology for its Swedish “Tap the Can” campaign. 

In brief: Pack launches
Uflex launched a paper-based tube pack as part of its FlexiTubes range. The solution employs moisture-resistant kraft paper inserted between layers of plastic in the body. The design achieves a 50-70 percent plastic reduction, depending on the application and tube diameters, the Indian packaging giant indicates. Moreover, the range provides “all the critical features required for a successful pack – aesthetics to create shelf appeal, barrier properties for protecting the contents and anti-counterfeit features for brand protection.” The product is available for barrier laminate and aluminum barrier laminate structures for oral care and cosmetics applications, such as gels, face wash and creams.

Taghleef Industries (Ti) introduced the reLIFE product portfolio as part of its initiative to pioneer solutions that support the move from a linear to a circular economy. Under the global BoPP film producer’s Dynamic Cycle approach, reLIFE results from Ti’s expertise and continuous partnership with other prominent industry players. reLIFE is an inter-segment portfolio of Recycled Polypropylene Solutions for a variety of applications that aims to bring new life to used materials and promote resource savings. The range consists of packaging and labeling solutions with either post-consumer recycled (chemically or mechanically recycled) content or reprocessed granules.TerraCycle formed a recycling partnership with Timeless Skin Care in the US.

In brief: Tech. advancements
London-based IoT agency SharpEnd equipped LYFT nicotine pouch brand with an NFC technology for it’s Swedish “Tap the Can” campaign. Encouraging consumers to “find their own summer beat,” the NFC enables the brand to engage with customers directly and deliver the brand story, rewards and personalized music mixes through smartphones. SharpEnd’s connected data and experience platform manage unique product identities to develop consumer profiles and track platform usage.

Siegwerk added virtual tools for customer interaction and engagement to its digital services. Since 2017, the company has strategically driven its own digital transformation continuously, evaluating new technologies to improve efficiency and strengthen its customer service further. The global provider of printing inks for packaging applications and labels plans to focus on virtual tools and services to enhance its customer engagement strategy. The company wants to add value to its customer relations, especially in times of limited business travel.

In brief: Business and partnerships
Ardagh Group, Glass – North America, a business unit of Ardagh Group and the largest domestic manufacturer of glass bottles for the US wine market, secured a supply agreement with Plata Wine Partners to manufacture all of its wine bottles. The agreement pairs the largest independent coastal grape grower in California with the largest domestic manufacturer of glass bottles for the US wine market. The 750 ml wine bottles for Plata Wine Partners leverage the brand's existing bottle design assets with a modern, premium look and feel.

Timeless Skin Care and TerraCycle partnered to create a US recycling program to further Timeless' environmental sustainability efforts. The California-based skincare company launched the Recycling Envelope program on August 3 across the country, where Timeless serves over 220,000 unique customers a year. While most of Timeless Skin Care's packaging is glass, this program represents the opportunity to recycle up to half a million containers that house some of Timeless Skin Care's most popular products. TerraCycle will collect and recycle the 2 Eye Serums, the Hydrating HA Sprays and the customer favorite, 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum. By volume, TerraCycle reportedly recycles over 97 percent of the waste that it collects.The Ardagh Glass-Plata Wine supply agreement pairs the largest independent coastal grape grower in California with the largest domestic manufacturer of glass bottles for the US wine market.

Western NIS Enterprise Fund reached an agreement to sell, alongside other shareholders, its stake in Moldova-based Glass Container Company and Glass Container Prim to Vetropack Austria Holding AG, a subsidiary of Vetropack Holding SA. Vetropack is a leading Swiss player in the European glass packaging industry with 2019 annual turnover of CHF 714.9 million (US$783 million), and subsidiaries in Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Ukraine and Italy. The Glass Container Companies have grown to become “the largest glass packaging manufacturing platform in Moldova,” with leading market positions across various food and beverage product categories in Moldova, Romania and the broader CEE space. The companies supply several leading European wine, beer, spirits, bottled water and packaged food producers.

Tri-Seal, a Tekni-Plex business, invested US$1 million in a new closure liner manufacturing facility in Greater Noida, India. The company’s latest investment in foil laminating, four-color rotogravure printing and inspection equipment will significantly reduce lead time for closure liners used in pharmaceutical, food, household/industrial chemical and cosmetic applications in India.

By Joshua Poole