Packaging News -- interpack

Two men discuss data and statistics on a piece of paper at an office table.

Credit: Scott Graham/Unsplash

Trends in packaging: All this and more in 2022

Nobody can really say what the new year holds in store for packaging. However, some speculations can be made, based on the current state of affairs. We dare to take a look into the crystal ball...

Proteins make the fibres of natural spider silk particularly elastic and tear-resistant. Properties that are also well suited for packaging. (Credit: Chase McBride/unsplash)

Image: Chase McBride/unsplash

Weaving a web for the future

Canadian researchers make film from spider silk

Researchers from Cambridge University had a mad idea for a new, sustainable alternative to plastic packaging – vegan spider silk. The start-up Xampla now wants to market this plant protein-based material and use it to protect consumer goods.

Image: P&G

Procter & Gamble is packaging the future

What direction will packaging take? How can we meet the challenges of our times? These questions face small and major companies alike. At consumption goods giant Procter & Gamble, the future of packaging is in the hands of one man.

Cream cheese packaging with visible design and invisible digital watermark

Photo: Mondi

HolyGrail 2.0 and the digital recycling passport

High-quality recycling is the be all and end all for a working circular economy. The HolyGrail 2.0 initiative is now testing how invisible digital watermark codes can contribute to increasing efficiency when sorting packaging waste; the project is supported by more than 120 companies and organisations along the entire packaging industry value chain.

Photo: HiPP

HiPP organic food jars are climate-positive

In close cooperation with sustainability consultancy Soil & More Impacts, baby foods manufacturer HiPP is analysing the entire manufacturing process for its jars of organic HiPP food so as to ensure their production is climate-positive along the entire value chain, from the field to the retailer’s warehouse.

The pandemic has had a huge impact on the day-to-day routine of machine engineers for the packaging industry. Digitalisation gives rise to innovation.

Impact of the Corona Pandemic on the Packaging Machinery Industry

The pandemic stimulates innovation amongst machine engineers in the packaging industry. Digital commissioning, virtual communication and virtual reality are all possible solutions and have led us to rethink.

94% of the material for the caps on CATRICE (cosnova) nail polish is created from the post-consumer recycled plastic Procyclen.

Photo: Cosnova / ALBA Group

cosnova implements post-consumer recycled material in packaging for its decorative cosmetics for the first time

The cosmetics industry is using more and more recycled material for packaging, although government requirements are not yet concrete. In the process, individual manufacturers are developing their own standards and making them available to the entire industry. The use of post-consumer recyclate reduces CO2 production enormously.

In 2011, toom became the first DIY store to introduce emulsion paint in tubs made out of recycled plastic. Photo: toom

Recycled materials in the construction industry

The construction industry is aiming to become more sustainable and has increased their use of recycled materials in their packaging with the objective of reducing their own CO2 emissions. toom, a DIY giant, was one of the first in the industry to set their sights on implementing recycled materials.

Bins, bucket, crates for the home with a rug

New products made from packaging. Photo: LIDL

New products made from packaging

Packaging is valuable and should be reused and repurposed as often as possible in line with the ethos of a sustainable circular economy. Thanks to improved recycling technology, more and more new products can be created from packaging, as demonstrated by the discount retailer LIDL.

Photo: Coca-Cola Deutschland

The Coca-Cola paper bottle

Coca-Cola is not the first company to place a paper bottle for beverages on the European market. The beer manufacturer Carlsberg had brought out a paper bottle, the Green Fibre Bottle, before the Coca-Cola bottle.

If an item has the lowest level of impact on the environment, it is awarded a green A, and if it has the greatest it is given a red E.

Photo: Yuka

The Eco-score makes sustainability visible

With the Eco-score label, another new food labelling campaign from France has been brought onto the European market. The Nutri-score focused on the health of the customer, but the environmental friendliness of the product is paramount for the Eco-score.

Thayers’ cosmetics bottles with red caps.

Photo: L’Oréal

Increasing recycling of cosmetics packaging

The cosmetics group L’Oréal is striding into the future with new technology and an attention-grabbing recycling campaign with the objective of increasing recycling of cosmetics products and closing loops.

Mask on the floor with a waste bin and a woman’s legs.

Photo: Metsä Board

Hygienic disposal of masks

People are wearing masks around the globe. This means we’re also seeing more and more of them littering the streets and the environment all around the world. The packaging specialist Metsä Board has now ensured that there is a hygienic solution for disposing of used masks.

Woman wearing a blue mask reaches for packaged beverages on a supermarket shelf

Photo by Imants Kaziļuns on Unsplash

Is the virus present on packaging?

After a year, we all know more about the coronavirus, but it’s still not enough. Therefore, some of us are asking whether an infection hazard is posed by packaging. The experts say that the answer is no: according to the latest findings, packaging is not a significant source of infection.

LUVE chocolate dessert with an edible spoon

Photo: ALDI NORD and ALDI SÜD

The Edible Spoon

Twice as tasty - chocolate dessert with an edible spoon. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? Edible spoons made from by-products from food factories have been available on the fridge shelves at ALDI NORD and ALDI SÜD, the discount retailers, since October 2020.

Photo: McDonalds

The future of sustainable fast food packaging?

Packaging is a valuable commodity and should be reused as often as possible, or recycled expediently. Burger King and McDonald’s are starting pilot projects in line with this theme and are testing reusable Loop solutions in fast food packaging for burgers and other foods.

Two Almdudler bottles on the conveyor belt in the packaging plant

Foto: ©Almdudler / Lipiarski

Gender-inclusive language in packaging

Almdudler’s limited edition packaging, which uses gender-inclusive language with stars to include the female gender and others on their bottle (Almdudler means “alp yodeller”, and the female form is “Almdudlerin” – the limited edition packaging now includes both nouns and an asterisk) is one example that demonstrates that the role that diversity plays in packaging is equally as important...

Foto: Dimitri Houtteman //unsplash

Ensuring safe packaging for the corona vaccine

The wait for the corona vaccine has finally come to an end. BNT162b2 is the name of the first promising vaccine candidate. However, before we can start vaccinating, we need to overcome huge logistical hurdles which require suitable packaging and processes.

Baked goods and biscuits with a Christmas branch.

Foto Dr. Oetker

The Great Baking Trend

Home-made just tastes best! Your Grandma’s cakes aren’t the only ones that are best when they’re handmade. By the time the corona crisis happened, Grandma wasn’t the only one that was baking up a storm - in most kitchens, baking has now become a trend.

Woman holds a bottle in her hands over a conveyor belt. A man is sitting next to her, near the conveyor belt.

Foto: Remy Gieling, Unsplash

Green technology in machines and systems

In the 21st century, green technology will play a key role and will have a significant influence on a company’s competitive edge when implemented in machines and systems. Even the coronavirus hasn’t put a dent in the boom, as regulatory pressure remains high.

Pallet of beer cans in warehouse with man

Foto: Wade Austin Ellis, Unsplash

More beer is being consumed at home

The beer industry is suffering due to a drop in beer consumption in bars, restaurants and clubs due to the corona virus. However, beer sales recorded an uptick in retail and in the beverage markets in the first six months of 2020, which even led to bottlenecks in beer can production in parts.

Photo: Gustavo Fring von Pexels

The coronavirus crisis as an opportunity for the packaging industry?

The coronavirus pandemic changed everything, with the packaging industry also experiencing a transformation. The fact that not every consequence of the crisis was bad is demonstrated by individual examples of industry participants who were able to find opportunity in the COVID-19 situation.

Photo: Nivea/dm-drogerie markt

Filling up packaging at refill stations

In a variety of pilot projects, Henkel and Beiersdorf are testing refill stations for their products. In this way, the companies are seeking to contribute to more prudent use of resources and more recycling as well as to a closed-loop economy.

Foto: Deutsche Post AG

Multi-use Gift Packaging

It’s far too pretty to throw away! Who hasn’t thought this when they’ve been presented with beautiful, high-quality gift packaging? Even your Grandma has probably given up on ironing wrapping paper by now, but many others have a new take on handling the concept of gift packaging with special care in this modern era too.

Photo: EDEKA

The reusable packaging trend

Reusable packaging can be a resource-saving alternative to single-use packaging and is very popular with consumers. Environmental protection laws and the high demand for sustainable packaging solutions brings more and more reusable packaging into the retail market.

Foto:imgix, Unsplash

Big data in the packaging and processing industry

Companies from all industries are constantly generating more and more data that needs to be saved, analysed and processed. Big data is increasingly in demand in the packaging and processing industry too.

Green packaging with bio-based recyclable print

Photo: Metsä Board

Sustainability in to-go packaging

Our world is to become more eco-friendly, and manufacturers across all industries and segments are doing everything they can to give their products and processes a more sustainable design. This has resulted in a range of solutions, one of which is sustainable to-go packaging for baked goods.

Foto: Lambertz, StephanRauh

Christmas confectionery packaging

Easter and Halloween fell victim to the pandemic, so let’s let the kids make the absolute most of Christmas. Christmas confectionery packaging and the tasty treats that they contain sweeten the wait until Father Christmas finally turns up.

Dr. Eckhard Ratjen is a certified IP lawyer at the firm BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT.

Foto: BOEHMERT & BOEHMERT

Trademark law interview: How do I go about protecting a form of packaging?

A fight’s afoot in the packaging sector. No question about it: manufacturers of packaging and also manufacturers of packaging machinery are brought before their competitors in courts of law at lightning speeds when it comes to competition law matters. When is it worth putting up a fight, and what should companies protect using trademarks?

The Langnese Delight’s green ice cream packaging

Photo: Langnese/Unilever

Our ice cream packaging for 2020: From ice lollies to ice cream for dogs

When the temperatures rise, grab an ice cream. In the dog days of summer, when temperatures reach over 30 degrees Celsius, everyone is desperate to cool down. The wide variety of types of ice cream in the frozen aisle increases every year and the colourful world of ice cream packaging design develops to keep pace with it. We present a selection of our ice cream packaging for 2020 here.

Woman in front of chemist’s with mask and cap, wearing a black coat and carrying a black bag

Foto: Anna Shvets, Pexels

How varnishes can protect us against viruses and bacteria

Since the outbreak of corona, we have all been washing our hands industriously to avoid catching the dangerous Covid-19 virus. But varnishes can also help protect us against viruses and bacteria on packaging. The activated ingredient in Microbe Protect special varnish contains nanosilver and is said to provide 99.99 percent protection.

Photo: www.einhorn.my

A real stunner: Menstrual hygiene products

Menstrual hygiene products: They hadn’t received much attention up until now, but sustainable packaging designs and tax relief on personal care products has pushed the subject of periods into the spotlight.

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