Business cooperations can offer added value especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. (Image: Vardan Papikyan)
Added value through cooperation
16/01/2023
In a competitive system, cooperation might not seem the way to success. But small and medium-sized enterprises especially can profit from cooperation – even in the packaging sector. This can be seen in the example of German companies Koch Pac-Systeme and Zahoransky.
The ZP3C series vacuum pad (shown here in the version for flat work pieces) does not require tools for maintenance thanks to its two-part construction. (Image: SMC Deutschland GmbH)
New vacuum pad makes maintenance possible without tools
12/12/2022
Transport of hazardous materials poses different challenges to labels. They have to adhere to different materials and be resistant to chemicals or environmental effects. Storage and disposal of large amounts of labels can become a problem.
The sustainable load carriers by Cabka were especially designed and improved for the chemical industry. (Image: Cabka)
The new generation of recycled plastic pallets
12/12/2022
For the chemical industry, plastic pallets could be a sustainable alternative when it comes to the transport and storage of products. With the help of industry feedback, Cabka has developed a sustainable generation of their plastic pallets, made from recycled material.
The number of online orders and delivered packages is growing every year, all over the world. (Image: Claudio Schwarz / Unsplash)
Packaging in the times of e-commerce
17/11/2022
Today, even your grocery shopping is delivered by mail. The changes to the way we live our everyday lives, brought about by the lasting e-commerce trend, also mean that packaging is not what it used to be. Even something as seemingly simple as a shipping box comes with a lot of things that need to be taken into consideration and improved.
Plastics can also be produced from fibre-based raw materials, for example from sugar cane. (Credit: Victoria Priessnitz/unsplash)
A bioplastic for every application
24/10/2022
Fossil plastics have a lot of advantages, but they are also said to be harmful to the environment. Bioplastics are an alternative for packaging manufacturers. They are just as versatile, but are made using renewable resources, and some are even compostable.
Tactile nubs form on the surface of the cap as soon as the contents of the bottle are no longer fit for consumption.
A closure fighting food waste
24/10/2022
Too much food is still being thrown away around the world, even though it may still have a shelf life. Together with United Caps, a London start-up has now developed a bottle cap that provides information about the edibility of the contents beyond the best-before date.
There is no such thing as innately good or bad packaging, and the environmental impact should always be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. (Image: Nick Fewings/unsplash)
Life cycle assessments – a useful tool or greenwashing?
26/09/2022
Plastic or paper, single use or reusable – which packaging gets the best marks in a life cycle assessment? The answer often appears to be simple, but an environmental assessment should always look at the individual case in detail, because there are benefits and drawbacks everywhere – and the results are sometimes surprising.
Many companies are thinking about their energy consumption and CO2 emissions. (Image: Marcin Jozwiak/ Unsplash)
Reliably determining the carbon footprint of packaging machines
26/09/2022
Companies are looking for ways to make their production and their products more sustainable. One of the important factors is the machinery which is used here. TÜV Rheinland has now certified a method by Syntegon which determines the carbon footprint of the machines produced by the company.
With the new complete line, PET bottles in various different sizes can be filled and packaged even more quickly. (Image: Sidel)
Go with the flow! With the fastest complete water filling line in the Middle East
17/08/2022
Quality and efficiency are key production requirements for water supplier Mai Dubai. The company turned to Sidel for a new bottling system. Now, 86,000 bottles per hour are being filled by Super Combi, the fastest complete line in the Middle East region.
Image: AdobeStock
Sausage wrap that can be recycled
21/07/2022
Sliced sausage is supposed to look good on the refrigerator shelves in the supermarket and is usually wrapped in non-recyclable transparent composite film. Now, thanks to energy-efficient heating systems in thermoforming machines for packaging, it is possible to use more sustainable materials – while maintaining the same level of safety, quality and transparency.
Image: AdobeStock
Less material needed to produce sealing films
21/07/2022
Films are an important part of packaging: They provide an impenetrable barrier between the product and the environment. That said, industrial handling of such sealing films is not always simple. A cooperation between Plasthill and Constantia Flexibles has now led to the development of a PE film which uses less material, thus leading to reduced CO2 emissions, yet has greater seal strength.
Photo: Wiederstein Verpackungen
Hemp, a trending material?
24/06/2022
When cannabis is mentioned, its intoxicating effects are the first thing that springs to mind for most people. However, the European hemp varieties that are cultivated today contain very little that is intoxicating, and instead have a high amount of fibres that are ideally suited for making them into paper labels, cold storage packaging or even one-way pallets.
Photo: Kier In Sight / unsplash
Mono-material sachets
21/06/2022
For packaging made of plastic, their potential to be recycled is very important. Refilling systems save material. Mono-material sachets and bags also reduce the amount of material consumed, protect packaged goods and have practical uses for customers.
Image: Südpack
Flow packs as a sustainable solution in food packaging
25/05/2022
From requiring less material in production to taking up less space on supermarket shelves, flow packs have some clear benefits. Predominantly used in the food sector, this packaging is becoming more and more popular. But how sustainable are these packs?