Weekly Roundup: Weetabix nears 100% recyclable portfolio, Holland & Barrett cuts virgin plastic in vitamin containers

08 Oct 2021 --- In packaging news this week, Weetabix announced 92% of its packaging is now completely recyclable, while the company is also on track to reduce its packaging carbon footprint by 20% in the next year. Meanwhile, Holland & Barrett revealed plans to reduce virgin plastic in its vitamin containers, saving 200 metric tons per year. Also, Carbios launched an industrial demonstration plant for its enzymatic recycling technology.

In brief: Virgin plastic reductions
Weetabix Food Company revealed it had reduced its plastic use by 6% in the last year, with 92% of its packaging now fully recyclable. The plastic reduction has been driven by creating smaller wrappers for Alpen Light bars, saving 24 metric tons of plastic per year, and removing 28% of plastic in its Weetabix wrappers, saving 102 metric tons of plastic per year. The company is also on track to reduce its packaging carbon footprint by 20% in the next year. In 2020, Weetabix On The Go redesigned its bottles to make them 100% recyclable, allowing the bottle, cap and sleeve to be recycled together. The breakfast drink also moved to a clear PET bottle, which is made from 30% recycled plastic, with scope to bring that up to 50% or higher in the future.

Holland & Barrett announced plans to save 200 metric tons of plastic each year following a review of its own brand vitamin range. The health and wellness retailer is reducing the weight of all its own brand vitamin bottles to contain 20% less plastic, introducing smaller bottle sizes and only using plastic that contains a minimum of 80% recycled material. Also, the company will remove the plastic wrapping on caps and reduce the color levels in the bottles, enabling the plastic to be reused in more ways when recycled.Keir Carnie’s plant-based, biodegradable and free-from plastic and sugar chewing gum.

Pact Group produced the packaging for Woolworths’ Macro brand of cleaning products, primarily composed of post-consumer rHDPE or rPET. The move is expected to see approximately 45 tons of recycled post-consumer plastics reused and diverted from landfill annually. The product range includes 1 L Macro laundry liquid made from 75% rHDPE and a 500 ml dishwashing liquid product packaged in bottles made from 100% rPET.

In brief: Advanced Recycling
Carbios launched an industrial demonstration plant for its enzymatic recycling technology, installed on the Cataroux site in Clermont-Ferrand, France. The demonstration plant marks the culmination of C-ZYME technology’s development, enabling the validation of the enzymatic PET recycling process’ technical, environmental, and economic performance and the design of future industrial units. By the end of 2022, its operation will enable the complete engineering documents for the process to be drawn up for the building and operation of a 40,000-metric ton per year capacity reference unit and future factories to be run under licensing agreements.

In brief: Acquisitions and expansions
Gualapack revealed plans for expansion in Brazil as part of its continued efforts for global growth through vertical integration. The company acquired Teruel Embalagen, a traditional family business with 50 years of expertise, specializing in flexographic printing on flexible film at its two factories in Brazil. Gualapack, a pre-made spouted pouch supplier, identified Brazil as a strategic growth area in 2015 when it opened the dedicated subsidiary Gualapack Brasil in Iperó, São Paulo, by merging with pouch producer Tradbor.Evangelion’s lightweight Ecolean pouches.

TricorBraun acquired Cormack Packaging, a leading packaging supplier in Australia and New Zealand. The acquisition expands TricorBraun’s global presence and establishes TricorBraun’s footprint in the region. Cormack primarily serves the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, industrial, and household cleaning industries.

Alpla acquired BTB PET-Recycling based in Bad Salzuflen, Germany. The company processes used PET beverage bottles sourced from Germany’s reverse vending system and turns them into food-grade rPET pellets, which are then primarily used for manufacturing new preforms for PET bottles, including beverage bottles.

Tekni-Plex acquired US-based rigid packaging supplier Grupo Phoenix, putting the company in a stronger position to broaden its market-focused, customer-driven innovations, especially in food and beverage markets. Grupo Phoenix provides both plastic and paper products to global brands in over 20 vertical markets, such as dairy, desserts, coffee, beverages, ice cream, soups, spreads, cosmetics and household cleaning.

Pregis, a global manufacturer of protective and flexible packaging solutions, acquired Danco Converting in Illinois, US, from its privately-held owners. As Pregis grows its manufacturing footprint, both organically and through acquisition, bringing Danco’s paper converting capabilities and diverse offering into its portfolio is expected to enhance the company’s vertical integration strategy. Berry M&H’s child-resistant bottle and closure combination.

In brief: New products
Morrisons began selling entrepreneur Keir Carnie’s plant-based, biodegradable and free-from plastic and sugar chewing gum in UK stores. Nuud Chewing Gum’s packaging is made from cardboard and fully recyclable at home. The compostable packaging reportedly breaks down “like a banana skin.”

Evangelion anime and its official brand Radio Eva launched a series of juice beverages in lightweight Ecolean packages in Japan through Nippon Akinai and Cheerio Corporation. “When I first saw Ecolean packages, the stylish appearance really struck me, and I instantly imagined they are ideal for innovative beverage products,” said Tomohiro Kato, director at Radio Eva.

DS Smith released a quickly erectable tray equipped with two lateral automatic bases for saving time in logistics across various sectors. The smart, 100% recyclable construction made of 100% corrugated cardboard can be easily folded up again and stored with space efficiency.

Berry M&H introduced a child-resistant certified bottle and closure combination, providing safe and secure packaging for various products in the healthcare, cleaning and DIY industries, such as disinfectant, antiseptics, white spirit, sugar soap and paintbrush cleaners. The new CR Certified Pack comprises Berry M&H’s proven 500 ml PET Single Grip Bottle and 28 mm Deep Non-Vented R4 Clic-Loc cap with EPE42 liner.

By Joshua Poole