Weekly Roundup: Müller Milk & Ingredients slashes virgin plastic use, Toppan begins using AR glasses for remote order picking

09 Sep 2022 --- This week in industry news, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen launched a new print machine, and Müller Milk & Ingredients pledged to slash 500 metric tons of virgin plastic from its cream pot production supply chain. Meanwhile, Toppan started using augmented reality glasses by Vuzic to support remote order picking. 

In brief: Launches and releases 
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen launched its new-generation Speedmaster SX 102, which has been enhanced in line with customer requirements. The press is aimed primarily at commercial print shops that require high productivity and top-quality perfecting printing. Typical areas of use range from brochures and commercial print products to inserts for pharmaceutical packaging and therefore include applications involving thin materials that need to be produced in a single pass. 

In brief: Environmental pledges 
Müller Milk & Ingredients pledged to remove 500 metric tons of virgin plastic from its annual production of cream pots by switching to recycled plastic packaging. The dairy company has converted 75% of its cream volume to recycled PET (rPET) pots, which are 100% recyclable and contain 82% recycled material. The new rPET pots, which Faerch supplies, have been rolled out across Müller’s 150ml and 300ml cream range, across both its brand and private label offering. The business is currently developing packaging solutions for the remaining volume for 2023.

EFSA approved rPET for food contact at the Greiner Packaging facility in Northern Ireland.In brief: Augmented reality 
Vuzix Corporation, a supplier of smart glasses and augmented reality technology and products, announced that Toppan, a diversified global provider driving digital transformation solutions, is using Vuzix smart glasses in its RemoPick system, which is currently being trialed at a 7-11 store in Iizuna, Japan. RemoPick is a next-generation service that enables smoother communication by connecting remote locations in real-time. 

In brief: Expansions 
RRD announced an approximate 40% increase in its production capacity for direct thermal linerless labels. RRD expanded its capacity with an installation of an additional linerless press at its plant in Wisconsin, US. The move came as a direct result of increased customer demand. RRD’s linerless labels offer 60% more labels per roll, reducing the downtime required to change rolls, minimizing waste, and reducing costs associated with freight, warehousing and liner disposal. The rise in demand follows a recent RRD survey that found almost all (94%) of packaging decision makers who responded agreed that environmental sustainability is a key consideration in packaging and label decisions. 

M. Holland Company, a distributor of thermoplastic resins and ancillary materials, announced expanded access to 3D printing filaments from Braskem, a global chemical and petrochemical company. M. Holland’s 3D Printing clients now have access to PE and glass fiber reinforced PP filaments. Both materials deliver high printability, reduced warpage and shrinkage, and better interlayer adhesion than other filament options in the 3D printing market. PE materials formulated for additive manufacturing applications have a track record of high warpage, degradation and failure. Braskem’s FL300PE filament is a low density, lightweight material providing excellent surface finish, low warpage and high dimensional stability.

In brief: Tradeshows and showcasesMüller will slash plastic from its pot supply chain.
R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD), a provider of marketing, packaging, print and supply chain solutions, announced it would spotlight its end-to-end, single-source paperboard packaging services at Pack Expo in Chicago, US. Offered to brands of all sizes and industries, the capabilities can streamline folding carton design and production, minimizing material waste, transportation and associated costs. RRD’s consultative service model encapsulates paperboard materials selection, best-fit manufacturing, enhancements, finishing, and other services like creative development and design, kitting, distribution optimization, warehouse and inventory management and print collateral and labels. 

Fiber-based packaging leader Graphic Packaging International (GPI) will be exhibiting at the Fruit Attraction trade show (IFEMA) in Spain this year, showing its wide range of sustainable, fiber-based fresh produce packaging solutions. The annual Fruit Attraction event, being held this year at IFEMA between 4-6 October, is one of Europe’s largest platforms for fruit and vegetable operators and produce packaging providers. GPI will be exhibiting on stand 4B11C with its portfolio of packaging innovations, enabling visitors to experience their sustainable, high-performance solutions first-hand.

In brief: Approvals and certifications 
The European Food Safety Authority approved the decontamination process used by Greiner Packaging UK & Ireland at its factory in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials. “This is a significant and hugely important step in our journey to use increasing amounts of recycled material in our food-grade packaging,” said UK sales director Julie Eller. “The EFSA panel has concluded that the recycling process we use is safe for manufacturing food-grade packaging.” 

By Louis Gore-Langton