Weekly Roundup: Stora Enso launches new kraft liner, Waitrose scraps colored milk caps

03 Jun 2022 --- This week in industry news, Stora Enso launched its new 100% virgin fiber-based kraftliner, AvantForte WhiteTop, while Berry Global launched a range of hot fill sauce bottles. Meanwhile, Waitrose permanently scrapped colored milk caps as they cannot be recycled into food-grade material. 

In brief: Launches and releases 
Stora Enso’s new 100% virgin fiber-based kraftliner, AvantForte WhiteTop, is now commercially available. The white top kraftliner targets demand premium segments, such as fresh food, e-commerce, and shelf-ready packaging. The kraft liner is engineered to meet brand owners’ need for safe, high-performing, and plastic-free packaging. Through Stora Enso’s patent-pending technology, Tri-Ply, the product has three fiber layers to maximize its strength and help converters and brand owners use less material than traditional kraft liners. 

Berry Global launched a new range of hot fill sauce bottles that combine on-shelf appearance with maximum consumer convenience. The Nova bottle is available in 250ml and 500ml sizes, features a modern curved design in clear PP and provides a large labeling area for high-impact product branding and easy handling for the end-user. 

Berry Global hot fill sauce bottles.Emballator Tectubes introduced a range of smaller packaging tubes for a “smaller [environmental] footprint, but a larger impact.” This range of small dose tubes is possible for a wide area of applications, from pharmaceutical to cosmetic products. The range includes six different products in PE, PCR aluminum, and aluminum.

Greif launched a lightweight jerrycan in Brazil suitable for packaging agrochemicals, chemicals, flavors, fragrances and beverages. The JCR20L is almost 20% lighter than the standard 20-liter jerrycan. The reduced weight accommodates up to 7% more jerry cans per pallet and 6.7% greater warehouse storage capacity. In addition, the lighter weight means lower collection costs for recycling. Internal analysis indicates that the combination of these factors amounts to a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the standard 20-liter jerrycan.

Consumer Convenience Technologies released the “world’s first” aluminum lug jar lid to European markets. The patented EEASY Lid allows consumers to vent a jar by pressing a button on the lid. Research shows the EEASY Lid reduces the amount of torque needed to twist off a jar lid by more than 58% for traditional lug lids and 40% compared to standard continuous thread lids. 

Novolex’s Hilex brand announced the launch of RollStar EZ Open Produce Bags, which it says solves the problem of how to open produce bags with sides that stick together. The new bags use aThe KHS filler machine that boosted Argentinian brewery CCU's market share to 33%.proprietary recipe that makes them easy to open, simplifying life in the fresh fruit and vegetable department. The bags come in a wide variety of sizes and gauges, including versions certified as compostable by the Biodegradable Products Institute.

In brief: Service resources 
Alexir Creative added an in-house resource to produce premium rigid box samples. All prototypes are customized to be brief and handmade with attention to detail. White samples can be wrapped with bespoke print, and in-house foil transfers can be added, helping to eliminate long lead times for samples from the Far East. 

In brief: Business news 
KHS reported success in aiding Argentinian brewery CCU, which has increased its market share to 33% thanks to its “bold commitment” to beverage can production using a KHS filler and two turnkey lines. 

Waitrose announced it would permanently scrap colored milk caps in all its stores with immediate effect. Waitrose partnered with Müller to trial colorless caps for milk bottles in April because while HDPE milk bottles are widely recycled, the colored caps cannot currently be recycled back into food-grade packaging. 

In brief: Research and studies 
According to new research by nonprofit organization Every Can Counts, 90% of UK adults think that companies should only use infinitely recyclable packaging, with a similar amount (91%) believing that firms should be held responsible for the packaging they select. Comparatively, less than seven in ten (65%) believe consumers should be held responsible for the packaging they buy, which the organization says proves it is businesses that are being held accountable for making a change.

By Louis Gore-Langton