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M&H to double flexible tube capacity
Jane Ellis, packagingnews.co.uk, 06 August 2008
M&H Plastics is investing a "significant seven-figure sum" on doubling its flexible tube manufacturing capacity at its plant in Suffolk after experiencing unprecedented growth of 30-40% in the last year.
The Beccles firm is to install a complete production line that will offer multi-layer tubes, decoration and printing, capping, labelling, as well as tamper-evident features.
M&H sales and marketing director Simon Chidgey said the line will include new technology to enable the firm to "add more special effects, including soft-touch, metallic and matt and gloss, more decoration, more choice and more shapes".
"We'll be able to marry our tube shapes with bottle shapes, such as supply a square tube to go with a square bottle," he said.
Chidgey added that the additional line would enable the firm to target the DIY and food supplements markets by providing tamper-evidence in the form of an inline-applied aluminium seal that is peeled off.
M&H will start construction of the line in the fourth quarter of 2008 and expects it to be operational in early summer 2009.
The firm, which has 530 staff, supplies plastic bottles, jars and flexible tubes to the toiletries, healthcare, food and DIY sectors.
It also offers a complete decoration service that includes offset printing, silkscreen printing, labelling and hot foil blocking.
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Gerresheimer to build new RTF syringe production facility
Jane Ellis, packagingnews.co.uk, 15 July 2008
Gerresheimer, the glass and plastic packaging manufacturer, is to build a new production facility for RTF syringe systems to meet increased demand.
The German firm increased sales in the second quarter by 13% to €276m (£220m), led by the pharmaceuticals and cosmetics markets and acquisitions.
Adjusted EBITDA rose by 20% to €54m, supported by "good performance" in all divisions, the firm said.
The tubular glass division increased sales by 10% to €78m, led by a high level of demand from the US, expansion in the Chinese market and the acquisition of the pharmaceutical glass business of Comar in March 2007.
Production capacity is already fully utilised in this division and the new RTF facility will be operational by early 2009.
Sales of inhalers and diabetes care products grew "substantially" to take sales in the plastic systems division to €94m, an increase of 18%.
The moulded glass division reported sales of €86m, up 6%, led by higher sales of pharmaceutical vials in the US and Europe and of cosmetic products.
Sales grew in the life science research division by 52% to €23m, led by its Chinese operations and cost savings through production relocations.
D¨¹sseldorf-based Gerresheimer acquired EDP, the Spanish producer of PET pharmaceutical packaging in January.
Gerresheimer produces glass and plastic medicine bottles, drug delivery systems, sterile syringes, inhalers and vials.
The company employs around 10,000 people at 40 locations across Europe, US and Asia, and in 2007 had worldwide sales of €958m. |
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Gerresheimer finalises EDP acquisition
Jane Ellis, packagingnews.co.uk, 03 January 2008
Gerresheimer, the German pharmaceutical packaging group, has expanded its medical plastics business with the acquisition of Spanish company EDP.
EDP produces PET pharmaceutical packaging in Zaragoza and Valencia, Spain, and in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has annual sales of around £24m (€32m).
The firm can make up to 400 million PET containers and 180 million polyolefin containers per year.
Gerresheimer chief executive Axel Herberg said the addition of EDP's factories would open up "important new growth markets" for its plastic systems division.
The deal will be completed by the end of this month, with full integration during the first half of 2008.
Herberg said EDP's product range provided an "ideal match" for Gerresheimer's drug delivery systems.
Gerresheimer produces glass and plastic medicine bottles, drug delivery systems, sterile syringes, inhalers and vials.
The company employs around 10,000 people at 37 locations across Europe, US and Asia, and has annual worldwide sales of more than £700m. |
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Borealis relaunches pharmaceutical plastic
Simeon Goldstein, packagingnews.co.uk, 13 July 2009
Borealis has relaunched a blow, fill and seal-grade polymer for the pharmaceuticals market.
Bormed LE6609-PH is a low-density polyethylene that has a high melting point to allow for steam sterilisation at temperatures of more than 110¡ãC and is being targeted at the medical bottle and ampoule manufacturers.
The high temperatures enable converters to increase production speed and it is easy to adapt existing blow moulding equipment to use the material, Borealis said.
Bormed LE6609-PH can be sterilised with ethylene oxide and radiation and can be used to make lightweight products to save energy.
Borealis application marketing manager Martyna Matelska-Jucha said the polymer had been relaunched in response to feedback from the sector. "Bormed LE6609-PH expands our product range for this highly-demanding, specialised industry."
Bormed LE6609-PH forms part of the Bormed group of polyolefin products for the healthcare sector. |
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Newman upgrades pharmaceutical labeller
Ben Bold, packagingnews.co.uk, 04 November 2009
A high-speed labelling machine has stopped off in London on its journey from the US to Australia for an upgrade by Newman Labelling Systems.
Newman has refurbished a VAL550 high-speed labelling system for pharmaceutical group Merck that was being sent to its Sydney manufacturing facility.
Merck had the labeller installed in 1999 at its West Point facility in the US, where its use had been relatively limited. When the production line was due to be closed, the drugs firm decided to have the machine renovated by Newman in the UK before having it installed at its Merck Manufacturing Division Australia (MMDA) plant in Sydney.
Matthew Bolton, a project leader at Merck, said: "We were looking to optimise the labelling process in Australia by dual processing diluents and vaccines, rather than the double handling that was currently being done."
Newman replaced all of the VAL550's components and modified its specifications to meet Merck's requirements.
Additions and modifications included an Acuity Vision System; changing the sensors for cap colour, label position and label presence; sourcing and adding a thermal transfer system capable of coping with the speed of the Australian line; and changing the product format to enable the machine to handle 3ml and 2ml glass vials.
The machine is in operation alongside MMDA's existing labeller and is used in the duel processing of diluents and vaccines. |
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Courage is key to innovative cosmetics packs
Jill Park at Cosmopack, Packaging News, 30 March 2007
Cosmetics packaging designers lack the courage to innovate, a leading design consultant said yesterday at international industry trade show Cosmopack.
Thierry De Baschmakoff, chief executive of design agency Aesthete, made the comments during a roundtable discussion, which included representatives from Rexam Dispensing and YSL Beaut¨¦, entitled ¡°Combining creativity with technical and economical constraints¡±.
Baschmakoff cited increasing pressures on lead-times as the main reason for reluctance within the industry to invest in the time-consuming innovation process.
He said companies were scared to innovate, but that taking risks, as Dior did with its Addict lipstick pack and applicator, did create successful products. The lipstick, he said, had been heavily criticised within Dior prior to its success on the market, but hesitation had turned into enthusiasm for innovation: "This pack has become a licence to innovate within the Dior brand."
Astrid Henquenet, R&D manager at Rexam Dispensing said the link between the manufacturer and designer, which has been missing in the last decade, has to be recovered to make companies visionary again.
Former president of Thierry Mugler Parfums, and chair of the event, Vera Strubi, proposed the introduction of small in-house innovation teams to overcome the problem.
Strubi argued that innovation was necessary to maintain the aspirational quality of cosmetics packaging.
She concluded: "We should not forget that people don't need perfume, therefore, it's our task to create that desire." |
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Markets: The fresh face of cosmetics packs
Jill Park, Packaging News, 03 February 2010
Plastic packaging has long reigned supreme in the luxury cosmetics sector, but, as many challenger brands move into cartonboard and rigid boxes to stand out, print is back on the agenda, finds Jill Park
Plastic has long been a dominant force in packaging for the cosmetics sector. Most of the big-name, high-end brands, including industry staples such as Chanel, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, choose to pack their products in the material, leaving contenders looking for new ways to stand out. It is among these brands that print is being used on secondary, and, in some cases, primary, packs to differentiate products.
San Francisco-based cosmetics house Benefit was one of the first brands to use print to help its range stand out from the luxury crowd. The company's powder products are packed in rigid boxes, while its liquid and cream products are packed in plastic, which is then housed in colourful printed cartons.
Benefit's best-known range is probably its blusher powders in rigid boxes. Its packaging is created by covering solid board boxes in printed paper, a technique that is popular in the palette sector of challenger brands, which are often aimed at a younger audience.
"These brands tend to go for something different. They know they can't compete with brands like Dior and Chanel," says Chesapeake UK and Ireland artwork and constructional design manager Gill Wright. Another benefit, she adds, is that many of the packs are imported from the Far East. "Their weight is a lot lower than the plastic competition, so shipping from China costs less." Chesapeake is currently looking into an alternative to rigid boxes that uses a biodegradable plastic-lined board in place of the metal component currently required.
Cosmetics packaging designer and manufacturer HCT has created packaging for a host of brands, including Urban Decay, TooFaced and Almay, that have used board packaging to differentiate themselves. Creative director Rebecca Goswell believes board can be a successful tool within the cosmetics industry.
"It allows vivid and fashion-led graphics, which can be changed from season to season - linking with fashion trends," she says. "It's more versatile than plastic or metal components." However, Goswell adds, shapes have to be simple, "as card is laminated and then covered with a top layer by hand".
Cheaper set-up
Rigid boxes and cartonboard packs benefit from cheaper tooling costs than those for injection-moulding plastic. "This allows smaller, niche companies to create striking packaging, and also gives the larger brands the flexibility of creating one-off limited edition pieces throughout the year to rejuvenate sales and give specific outlets exclusive launches," says Goswell.
There are, however, some disadvantages to using packaging made from board. The material's use is often restricted to powder, and occasionally cream, products as there is a danger that oil from the products can seep into the card, causing discolouration and marking. On top of this, as the card is often laminated and then covered with a top paper surface by hand, creating packaging of this type can be a very labour-intensive process.
As cosmetics are often kept in handbags, their packaging must also be able to withstand the rigours of being stuffed in with other items. Plastic packaging is generally robust enough to endure such conditions, but products made from board can run the risk of becoming dog-eared, detracting from the premium look and feel of the product.
As cosmetics are often percieved as luxury items, many products in the sector are packed in secondary cartonboard packs. Not only does this provide extra space for information about the product, but it makes the product feel more special, too, as Webb Scarlett deVlam's (WSdV) design manager Dominic Burke explains. "[It] elevates the experience by introducing a reveal ritual as you peel through the layers to get to the product inside," he says.
The advantage of cartonboard is that it not only converts well, but is an excellent printing surface and can take a series of finishes.
WSdV's Burke agrees that the finishes that can be achieved using cartonboard make it a highly versatile medium for the cosmetics sector. "This can range from foils that control the direction of the light refraction, giving a very eye-catching impact, to a soft-touch rubberised finish for a sensory experience - both work in cosmetics."
Chesapeake has created a series of finishes for cartonboard that replicate everything from rubber to leather and snake skin. "Often we don't even know if we can do it, but we get on the press and try," says Wright, whose team has developed a much-coveted brushed aluminium effect for cartonboard.
Natural success
At the other end of the scale, some companies have chosen to capitalise on the qualities offered by natural board. In the past, Swedish paper company Korsnäs did not operate in the cosmetics arena as it specialised in brown board, which brands felt projected the wrong image.
However, the company now offers Korsnäs White, which, as end user director Darryl Rice explains, "fits in with what the cosmetics people want for the primary packaging". Yet there are also brands that have started to use the brown board for cosmetics packaging. French cosmetics brand L'Occitane, for example, uses brown material supplied by Korsnäs.
"They're very much focused on this natural image," says Rice. "They are trying to avoid use of plastics or oil-based materials and use sustainable packaging, such as FSC board."
While it may not be a ground-breaking material, some designers are starting to think of new ways to use cartonboard. Turkish carton manufacturer Venk Offset recently won a Procarton/ECMA award for its Gabrini Maku-up kit box. The sliding box is solely made from cartonboard, making it both environmentally friendly and cost-effective, plus it makes an inroad into the traditional realm of the rigid box.
Boxes Prestige sales manager Ray Grundy says that there are advantages to using cartons instead of rigid boxes. "There's the time lag from shipping rigid boxes in from the Far East and I suppose the cost is also closing the gap [with cartonboard], nowadays," he says.
Rigid boxes from China remain the most common type of pack for printed cosmetics, but there are signs that carton alternatives are starting to make an appearance. However, at the moment cartonboard is limited to the secondary packaging sector where tactile varnishes, in particular, are increasingly popular.
While some like Benefit and Urban Decay have used the material to take on the big players in the luxury market, others use the packs as promotional items to add to their ranges frequently throughout the year. All of which means printed board packaging remains the realm of challenger brands.
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BARE AMBITION
Nude Brand Creation called on carton manufacturer Beamglow to produce packs for a new range of cosmetics, following the success of the design agency's own luxury self-tan range Makebelieve. Enhance consists of five products including bronzer, concealer, tinted moisturiser, lip gloss and highlighter. London-based Nude formulated the products as well as designing its packaging.
"I don't think using cartonboard as such brings anything new to a brand, unless you evaluate how it has been used. It's not a ground-breaking material and has been around for years," says partner of Nude and Makebelieve Mike Parsonson. "But, in the case of Enhance, we printed on the reverse, which had an uncoated finish - this made the inks react in a different way to printing on a coated stock and gave us a tactile luxury feel that intrigues.
"I feel the main benefits to us of using cartonboard are the ability to print using a vast array of inks, foils, varnishes, embossing and die cuts along with its folding properties, which help when considering interesting structures."
THE BOARD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
Cosmetics packaging designer and manufacturer HCT has consistently been the company to watch in terms of its work with board packaging. The international company, which has offices in Clapham, London, has repeatedly used the material for brands such as Almay, TooFaced and longstanding customer Urban Decay.
The company's Californian office recently collaborated with cosmetics brand TooFaced on its The Bronzed and The Beautiful Bronzing palette, launched in July last year. The compact is small enough to fit in a handbag and epitomises the on-the-go nature of modern cosmetics, but unlike many luxury brands the pack is made from board laminated with paper.
Also last July, Almay launched a range of eco-friendly compacts from HCT made from 50% recycled paper, showing that board can be used for everyday ranges as well as the gifting products like Urban Decay's elaborate book of shadows that incorporates pop-up cartonboard butterfly decorations into the palette.
Previously, HCT has also explored the opportunities of using cardboard for lipstick tubes, having used the material for the brand, Read My Lips in the US.
"Customers love cartonboard because whatever you can do in the printing industry, you can carry into cartonboard packaging," says HCT creative director Rebecca Goswell. "Your print quality is more refined, meaning you can get finer text and information on to your packs - sometimes negating the need for secondary packaging - and designs are also more refined and can be far more complex and adventurous than decorating on plastic." |
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Cosmetics packaging importer ceases trading
Liz Wells, packagingnews.co.uk, 02 February 2009
Innovative Trading International, which imported packaging for the cosmetics industry, has been wound up.
The Milton Keynes-based company, which employed five people, went into adminstration in December and has now ceased trading.
Emily Brooks, daughter of company director Lloyd Brooks, told Packaging News that she could not disclose the reasons behind the company's failure.
The adminstrator BRI (UK) was unavailable to comment. |
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Cracking the code for safer drug dispensing
Simeon Goldstein, Packaging News, 04 July 2008
In May, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) revealed that pharmaceutical firms are to pilot a bar code system to monitor the authenticity of drugs as they are dispensed. The scheme was set up in response to a European Commission consultation on tackling fake products, but with pharmaceutical counterfeiting a $70bn business (see box), beating the criminals is likely to take more than one approach.
A Californian scheme appears to have provided the main model for tackling counterfeiting. In 2004, the state passed a law requiring pharmaceuticals manufacturers to provide individual ¡®electronic pedigrees¡¯ for all their products, showing all transactions from manufacturing to dispensing. The system is designed to highlight fraudulent products when they are sold by registering repeated items.
We talk about breaking the counterfeiters¡¯ business model. They can copy a single pack, but they would have problems copying more if they are all different, says EFPIA director of legal affairs Ann Robins.
Pack problems
Although 2D bar codes and RFID tags have received the most attention, the Californian regulations do not specify a tracking technology. The question over where the code should be placed remains unanswered, but EFPIA would like to ensure that the integrity of the pack is assured from manufacturer through to patient.
It¡¯s a waste of time for manufacturers to use security labelling if the packaging is changed and the label is discarded, says Robins.
Part of the problem is that the EU permits parallel trade of goods and the repackaging of products, and drugs move freely across borders. The UK¡¯s medicines watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has expressed concerns that a unique seal on pharmaceutical packaging would restrict importers from complying with UK-specific regulations on medical leaflets and labelling.
Contract packer Brecon Pharmaceuticals, based in Hay-on-Wye, believes late-stage customisation is the best approach, as a counterfeit product is more likely to enter the system between leaving the packer and reaching the dispenser.
If you put a label over the end of the box it can act as a tamper-evident feature as well as carry the individual product code, says business development director Steve Kemp.
Akan Oton, global marketing director for packaging services at US-based Catalent Pharma Solutions, agrees that most counterfeiters go after the secondary packaging.
Oton recommends a combination of overt and covert tracking elements, but admits cost is the key factor.
Bar codes are obviously less expensive than RFID tags, but they have to be scanned individually, whereas an RFID system can scan a whole case. On the other hand, RFID will require additional equipment and procedures to be put in place, he says.
There are more cost-effective alternatives, such as holograms, micro-print ¨C so small it can¡¯t be read by the naked eye ¨C or using specific papers or inks. It¡¯s down to how manufacturers want to audit their products.
Tesa, the German self-adhesive product manufacturer, last year launched Holospot, a system that contains four secure identification devices, including a hologram and an encrypted code. The system, which can be as small as 5mm2, can be applied to all types of pharmaceutical packaging, such as vials or blister packs.
Viable technologies
Domino Control, a division of Cambridge-based Domino Printing Sciences, has been working with Dutch firm Tjoapack to develop a system to print data matrix codes onto individual cells of blister packs, meaning that the ability to trace the product is not lost even if you cut up the pack.
Not only is it now possible to use mobile or internet technology and high-speed printing and data transfer systems to develop coding for pharmaceutical products, it is practical with cost-effective, tried-and-tested technology, says Tony Walsh, European business development manager for Domino Control.
The details of the authenticated products would be kept on a central electronic database that could be accessed by hospitals and chemists as drugs are delivered and dispensed.
If you link a pack to a patient¡¯s prescription, you can achieve a more robust real-time system that answers a number of issues in terms of counterfeiting and fraud, says Walsh.
However, he adds that the security of database software needs to be improved before such a system could be considered safe.
Whatever the system, the ease of implementation ¨C the Californian law won¡¯t be fully introduced until 2011 ¨C and data security will be important factors to consider. Shaun Gallagher, MHRA director of policy, says: We are keen to see changes that help keep counterfeits out of the medicines supply chain without putting in place requirements that would be unduly burdensome or impractical.
The most secure place for an itemised tag could be on a tablet, but there are limitations. Catalent¡¯s Oton says: There are techniques available, perhaps putting a specific pattern on a pill, but you have to ask when it becomes cost-effective and how much information could actually be added.
FAKE DRUGS: A $70BN INDUSTRY
• The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that around 10% of medicines sold in the world are counterfeit, ranging from less than 1% in developed countries, such as the US and in Europe, to over 30% in some parts of Africa. In the former Soviet republics, WHO estimates around 20% of medicines are fake.
• According to US-based health industry consultancy IMS, global pharmaceutical sales in 2007 were worth $712bn (£364bn), which would suggest around $70bn was paid for counterfeit products. The US¡¯s Center for Medicines in the Public Interest has predicted this will rise to $75bn by 2010.
• In Europe, customs officials seized almost three million units of counterfeited medicines in 2006. While the figure pales in comparison with counterfeit cigarettes ¨C 74 million packs ¨C a sharp increase of almost 400% in 12 months was one of the main factors behind the EU¡¯s move to start tackling the issue. |
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Vimto firm acquires 50% of Dayla Liquid Packing
Liz Wells, packagingnews.co.uk, 11 December 2008
Nichols, the soft drinks and dispensing firm, has acquired 50% of aseptic bag-in-box filler Dayla Liquid Packing for £2.8m, with a further £1m deferred until December 2009.
Nichols, the firm behind the fruit cordial Vimto, has the option of buying the remaining 50% in 2011 or 2012.
The company said the investment would enable it to capitalise on opportunities both in the UK and overseas and allow it direct access to the growing premium juice market.
It added Ian Jenkins will remain as managing director of Dayla throughout the option period.
Jenkins said: "The Nichols investment shows its strong commitment to developing Dayla's unique position in the drinks dispense market. This move is very exciting for Dayla, after working closely with Nichols for many years.
"Nichols has strong links in the markets that Dayla is looking to develop and there are clear synergies that will enable both Dayla and Nichols to grow jointly in new and existing international markets," he added.
Dayla's sales for the year to September 2008 were £9.2m. |
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BPF slams 'politicised' calls for ban of Bisphenol-A in baby bottles
Simeon Goldstein, packagingnews.co.uk, 08 April 2010
The British Plastics Federation has blasted the politicisation of Bisphenol-A (BPA) and defended its use in packaging.
The Independent has today published a letter from "a coalition of leading scientists" that calls for a ban on BPA in the UK in any baby bottles or baby food containers.
Philip Law, BPI public and industrial affairs director, told Packaging News that references to 'BPA bottles' were misleading the public and that exposure to BPA was "less than newspapers would have us believe".
"The issue has become detached from scientific appreciation and has become highly politicised," he said. "Comprehensive risk assessments by the European Union have demonstrated that consumers are not at risk."
Bottles are not "made" from BPA but rather it is a substance used in the manufacture of polycarbonate, which is an inert solid plastic, Law said. He added polycarbonate was not used for the majority of food packaging, bottles and trays.
"The exposure of the public, including children, to BPA is, in the words of a Health Canada expert, 'inconsequential'," said Law in a letter to The Independent.
The Independent's article said the leading toxicologists and cancer specialists who wrote the letter "say Britain is failing to protect the public's health and should make sure manufacturers use alternative plastics".
"To protect vulnerable populations, we believe it would be both prudent and precautionary in public health terms if products containing BPA used for baby and children's food and liquid packaging in the UK were withdrawn," the letter said.
Barbara Gallani, the Food and Drink Federation¡¯s (FDF) director of food safety and science, said the body was awaiting the outcome of the EFSA review and other scientific work to assess the safety of very low levels of BPA migration from materials in contact with food.
"Pending the outcome of this review, FDF urges the authorities to resist political pressures and to come to a decision on the safety of BPA based on sound science," she said.
"If there is scientific evidence that BPA is unsafe then the food industry will take appropriate action.
"However, early indications are that any potential alternatives may perform less well than BPA with the possibility that compromises may have to be made in the form of reductions in shelf-life, thus it would be inappropriate to move away from BPA in the absence of robust scientific justification for doing so." |
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Framptons invests £1m in PET bottling line
Ben Bold, packagingnews.co.uk, 07 October 2009
Contract packer Framptons is installing a new bottling line to process PET bottles at its facility in Shepton Mallet in Somerset.
Managing director Ian Harvey told Packaging News that the company had invested £1m in the new line, which should be fully operational by the end of the month.
Framptons, which specialises in processing liquid foods and drinks into a range of gable-top, aseptic cartons and bag-in-box packaging, has received interest from customers looking to use the line, with one having committed large volumes.
The Federal ultra-clean PET bottling line is designed to fill a range of bottles, ranging from 200ml to 1,250ml and is targeted at the chilled dairy and juice-based drinks markets.
It can accommodate a variety of cap systems and closures and gives customers the option of shrink-sleeve, wrap-around plastic and self-adhesive paper labelling. The line can run between speeds of 220 bottles per minute for 200ml bottles and 110 bottles per minute for 1,250ml bottles.
The end of the line offers the option of tray and shrink-wrapping, with a multi-pack option.
The line is being installed at Framptons' 1,858sqm building, which the company recently started renting and which is sited alongside its existing filling hall for ESL and ambient carton packaging.
The Federal filler is the first to be installed in the new building, which has capacity for another two to three lines. While there are no plans at the moment to install more, Harvey said that new lines would be installed in the future to meet growing customer demand. |
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Rexam launches first rPET liquid prescription bottle
packagingnews.co.uk, 10 October 2008
Rexam Prescription Products in the US has developed and marketed the first liquid prescription oval made with 100% post-consumer recycled PET resin.
The pack is available in two, three, four, six, eight, 12 and 16oz sizes.
Pat O'Connell, vice president of sales, said: "Pharmacists and consumers have shown a preference for packaging using recycled material.
"Our new recycled ovals will provide differentiation, allowing pharmacies to market themselves as environmentally friendly. This is another example of how we anticipate the needs of customers and create and deliver a full package solution that helps build their business."
The recycled oval meets the same government standards as its current virgin PET line, including United States Pharmacopeia requirements for light transmission and moisture permeation and the Consumer Product Safety Commission's child-resistant and senior-friendly protocol requirements.
The pack will be available in November in retail pharmacies across the US. |
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Sto-Flaconnage lands major contract for 'Linton' bottle
Jill Park, packagingnews.co.uk, 02 July 2007
Sto-Flaconnage has already secured a major contract with a multinational corporation following the launch this month of its new 'Linton' bottle, aimed at the perfumery and personal care market.
The 100ml rectangular bottle, which has straight shoulders and a generous face for a design, is being aimed at products for both men and women.
Mark Devonald Smith, group sales director for perfumery and personal care for the Stolzle group, said the contract would require Sto to spray and design the bottle.
"At Sto, we provide acid etching, spraying and printing and, through associated companies, a range of closures. We are able, therefore, to be a 'one-stop shop'," he said
Customers also have the opportunity to choose from a bottle with either a 15ml crimp neck or 18/415 screw neck. |
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STO-Flaconnage unveils new perfume bottle
Simeon Goldstein, packagingnews.co.uk, 20 August 2009
STO-Flaconnage has added a new 100ml oval bottle to its standard range for the perfume market.
The Knottingley, Yorkshire firm said the Fiona was a traditional-looking bottle with a large surface area that could be decorated with a wide range of printing techniques such as spraying, acid etching and hot-foil stamping.
Mark Devonald Smith, STO group director for perfumery, toiletries, cosmetics and personal care, said: "This is a bottle that reflects the style and quality of classical fragrance without development costs or lengthy delivery times."
STO said its printing prices were very competitive and the firm also offers a wide range of standard closures.
As well as its standard range, STO-Flaconnage offers a custom design service. It is part of Austrian firm Stölze Glass Group. |
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Innocent cuts PLA in 100% recycled drive
Jane Ellis, packagingnews.co.uk, 30 October 2007
Drinks brand Innocent has stopped using polylactic acid (PLA) in its packaging and is switching to 100% recycled plastic bottles.
The firm said it had looked at the pros and cons of PLA and had talked to industry experts, but felt it was better to work with waste material, such as recycled plastic, than to create bottles from new materials.
Innocent tested its Breakfast Thickie in a PLA bottle, but said it was "not quite the right material" because it did not use any waste materials, and because commercial composting was "not yet a mainstream option" in the UK.
Innocent claimed a world first when it put four of its fruit Smoothies in 100% recycled PET bottles last month.
It expects to switch the rest of its range, including the Breakfast Thickie, to the material by January 2008.
Innocent said PLA bottles could also add costs to recycling operations and, in some cases, prevent recycling of conventional plastics.
The company was criticised by this week's Independent on Sunday for claiming that bottles made from PLA could be put into a home recycling box next to PET bottles.
The newspaper said PLA would contaminate the batch and could result in the reprocessor being unable to sell the plastic.
Innocent said that, according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap), it was possible to have small amounts of PLA in with PET recycling.
"Wrap supported the levels used in the trial, but the recycling industry is now reporting that it is finding it hard to cope with PLA," said the firm.
Innocent added that it also checked about the use of genetically modified corn in PLA, and knew there was "no possibility of contamination from the plastic", so it opted for a scheme "where they offset any GM corn with a tonne of non-GM corn". |
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Plastics bodies question London energy-from-waste proposals
Ben Bold, packagingnews.co.uk, 29 October 2009
Plastic packaging bodies have expressed scepticism over proposals to convert London's 22m tonnes of annual waste into energy using non-incineration technologies.
The London Assembly yesterday published a report entitled 'Where there's muck, there's brass', which claims that London's rubbish could be used to generate electricity for up to 2m homes. Mayor Boris Johnson is now considering it.
The 34-page report did not mention packaging once, but a spokeswoman for the London Assembly told Packaging News that the conversion schemes "probably would include some packaging going into these new sites".
Its lack of focus and avoidance of issues was a concern for the Packaging and Films Association (Pafa) and British Plastics Federation (BPF) ¨C primarily that the energy-from-waste methods the report proposed are not suitable for the majority of packaging.
Pafa advisor Peter Woodall pointed out that it avoids mentioning one of the most effective ¨C and clean ¨C means of creating energy from waste: "Clearly they are not talking about clean-burn incineration but the new technologies aimed at converting waste organic matter into energy," he said.
"This would not really include packaging to my way of thinking. Packaging is best recovered through conventional recycling ¨C paper, metal, glass, plastic bottles ¨C or through clean-burn incineration," he said. "Plastic has greater calorific value than coal so why bury it?"
Peter Davis, BPF director general, supported Woodall's view, and pointed out that the energy created from organic waste would not come close to generating enough energy for the target of 2m homes.
"The London Assembly is absolutely correct to look urgently at energy from waste," he said. "We have to embrace all energy from waste technologies to use un-recyclable material to generate much-needed energy in London."
"The fact is that landfill sites ¨C primarily in Essex ¨C are almost full. Therefore there is an urgent need to bring more energy-from-waste to London to deal with un-recyclable waste and provide much needed heat and power."
However, the report's refusal to countenance clean-burn incineration indicated a nervousness on the part of Boris Johnson to talk about a methodology that has drawn fire from groups such as Friends of the Earth.
Pafa's Woodall said the time had come for politicians to accept the benefits of the new clean technologies available.
"More dioxins are created on bonfire night than the entire industry creates in a year. Plastic packaging is an outstanding resource which saves energy and can then be recovered for energy."
The BPF's Davis added that there is only six years-worth of landfill capacity left in London and England and that from 2013 local authorities will face heavy fines from the European Union for failing to divert waste away from landfill (under the EU Landfill directive).
He highlighted the need for a public information campaign to educate consumers about the benefits of clean incineration. |
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King calls for national recycling strategy as plastic bag focus rubbished
Josh Brooks, packagingnews.co.uk, 23 July 2009
Sainsbury's chief executive Justin King has called for a national recycling strategy as he shot down the green lobby's focus on plastic bags,
In a newspaper article today, King branded plastic bags a "poor measure" of how environmentally friendly a supermarket is. He has also called for a national strategy on recycling services to help consumers recycle more of their used packaging.
Writing in The Mirror, King said that while it was important to cut use of plastic bags, it was just one of many issues affecting the environmental footprint of the supermarket business.
"The carrier bag may be an obvious, iconic issue that makes easy headlines, but the plain truth is it is a poor measure of a supermarket's - and a customer's - real green-ness," he said.
King's comments come a week after Wrap published figures showing that supermarkets had reduced distribution of plastic bags by 48% between May 2006 and May 2009.
King said that this was "great news" but argued that counting bags at the checkout was no real measure of their environmental impact. He also pointed out that the bags made up just 0.05% of an average person's carbon footprint.
King also called for a national recycling strategy. "Most shoppers are keen to recycle, but are often let down by individual local facilities and collection schemes. A national approach to recycling services is needed," he said.
"In the meantime, we will continue to help by providing recycling banks at our larger stores, where customers can return anything from paper, cardboard and bottles, to plastic bags."
While Sainsbury's has recently pledged to reduce its overall packaging weight by a further third by 2015, King laid out a series of other measures that consumers can take to reduce their environmental impact.
These included storing food properly and in its packaging and cutting food waste by using leftovers in cooking. |
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Wal-Mart's smaller detergent bottle to reduce packaging
Jane Ellis, packagingnews.co.uk, 27 September 2007
Wal-Mart will decide whether to roll out a packaging-saving plan for liquid detergents to the UK and the rest of the world once it has assessed results in the US and Canada.
The retailer said yesterday (26 September) that it would sell only smaller bottles of double-concentrate liquid detergents in stores in the US and Canada from May 2008. Wal-Mart said this would save more than 45,000 tonnes of plastic resin, 59,000 tonnes of cardboard and 1.6 billion litres of water over three years.
Sales are expected to reach more than 800 million bottles over the same period in these two regions. Wal-Mart sells around a quarter of all the liquid detergent sold in the US.
Although the technology to concentrate liquid detergent has been available for more than a decade, Wal-Mart said it had been "little used due to lack of interest in commercialisation".
In 2005, the firm worked with Unilever to reduce the packaging of its liquid detergents and the following year unveiled "All Small & Mighty" bottles in the US.
These were launched in the UK earlier this year for the Persil and Surf brands. Unilever claimed the switch had reduced packaging by 40% and water usage and shipping volumes by 60%.
Procter & Gamble followed Unilever's lead in the US earlier this year. |
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Co-op introduces 100% rPET bottles for own-brand fizzy drinks
Liz Wells, packagingnews.co.uk, 21 July 2008
The Co-operative Group has rolled out 100% recycled PET (rPET) plastic bottles across its entire own-brand range of carbonated drinks and mixers, working in partnership with its supplier, The Silver Spring Mineral Water Company.
The move to 100% rPET plastic bottles for these beverages, along with the retailer's own-label 330ml sportcap juice drinks, will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,212 tonnes and save 808 tonnes of new plastic from being made per annum.
The bottles are fully recyclable and can be collected and recycled alongside regular PET bottles.
The retailer ultimately hopes to roll out rPET bottles across its entire own-brand beverage range where PET plastic bottles are used.
Iain Ferguson, commercial packaging manager of The Co-operative Food, said: "Our members and customers have told us they want to see action on packaging, so we are delighted to be the first major retailer to roll out 100% rPET bottles across our carbonated drinks and mixers range.
"This follows similar initiatives by The Co-operative, such as the launch of the world's lightest whisky bottle and the introduction of 'naked' cucumbers last year, when our whole cucumbers were stripped of their plastic wrapping."
The switch to rPET follows the launch of The Co-operative's Food Ethical Policy earlier this year, based on the world's largest consumer poll on ethics.
More than 100,000 of its members and customers said action to safeguard the environment was one of their top priorities and 97% endorsed its aim to reduce waste and increase recycling. As a result, the retailer announced that it was dramatically reducing the weight of its own-brand wine bottles. |
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