Image: thyssenkrupp Rasselstein
Clarissa Odewald is leading thyssenkrupp Rasselstein through the change of brands in packaging steel
17.09.2024
Tin-coated or specially chromium-plated blackplate is also known as tinplate and is used predominantly in the manufacture of packaging. In Andernach, the sole German manufacturer thyssenkrupp Rasselstein produces tinplate for approximately 400 customers in 80 countries. Clarissa Odewald has recently become the Chief Sales Officer and Chairwoman of the Executive Board.
Image: senkaya/iStock
Brand manufacturers fail to meet their sustainability targets
14.08.2024
The packaging of the future is meant to be recyclable, made of recycled material or compostable. A few years ago, many manufacturers therefore defined ambitious sustainability targets, from which some are now beginning to back away. Corporations like Unilever, PepsiCo and Colgate-Palmolive have already announced that they will not be able to meet their targets by 2025.
Image: Tanaonte/iStock
More transparency for hidden price increases
14.08.2024
Shopping for daily necessities has gotten expensive. But some products have become more expensive without a change in price – there is simply less content per package. Customers often do not notice this practice, called shrinkflation, to begin with. France and Hungary are now combatting this practice and obligating supermarkets to indicate hidden price increases.
Image: PKN Packaging News
Australia’s Female Packaging Leaders Get Their Moment in the Sun
25.07.2024
The inaugural PKN Women in Packaging Awards celebrated six remarkable women and a pioneering Hall of Fame inductee. The event highlighted the achievements of women in the industry, addressed the lack of diversity and promoted sustainability efforts. With a focus on innovation and leadership, this celebration aims to inspire and empower more women to make their mark in packaging.
Image: Aeropowder
Natural insulation from feathers
18.07.2024
With their microscopically small hollow fibre structure, feathers are among the lightest natural fibres ever and provide excellent heat insulation. A British start-up utilises these properties and turns feathers, a waste product from the poultry industry, into an insulating packaging material for the cold transport.
Image: unsplash/Cytonn Photography
Partnerships in the packaging industry
18.07.2024
Stronger together – the same is true for the packaging industry. Many businesses have recognised this and so, partnerships are currently very sought-after. Focusing on common know-how, sharing resources and technical knowledge all offers an advantage over the competition.
Image: iStock
Why ‘right-sizing’ your parcel packaging is good for the planet, and the bottom line
26.03.2024
Consumers are all but addicted to home delivery of all types of products, driving the number of parcels shipped globally from 161 billion in 2022 to an estimated 225 billion by 2028.
“We must make packaging more attractive as a varied professional field”
21.02.2024
In a world forced to meet the global challenges of sustainable food systems, progressive packaging solutions are indispensable. This includes the people working on these solutions. In this interview with Caroline Babendererde, Head of Sustainability Mid Europe at Tetra Pak, we discuss how to win young talents for the industry and the role of sustainability initiatives.
“We must make packaging more attractive as a varied professional field”
21.02.2024
In a world forced to meet the global challenges of sustainable food systems, progressive packaging solutions are indispensable. This includes the people working on these solutions. In this interview with Caroline Babendererde, Head of Sustainability Mid Europe at Tetra Pak, we discuss how to win young talents for the industry and the role of sustainability initiatives.
Image: Pro Carton
Urgent need for young talent
17.01.2024
There is an urgent need for young, skilled workers everywhere, and the packaging industry is no exception. Next-generation workers often pursue unconventional approaches with bold new ideas, regardless of whether they have studied packaging technology or design at European universities or completed an industry apprenticeship.
Image: dvi
“Impressed by the power of innovation”
14.12.2023
The German Packaging Institute brings all the different players in the packaging industry together – whether for an expert or political discussion or to celebrate innovations, for example at the German Packaging Award. Kim Cheng, a lawyer and since 2016 managing director of the dvi, combines legal competence with commitment to the needs of the packaging industry and its players.
Image: SIG
Cartons for Good project wins SAVE FOOD competition
13.12.2023
1.3 billion tonnes of food are lost or wasted globally every year. With their project Cartons for Good, the SIG Foundation is using the SIG know-how to reduce theses losses. With a specially developed bottling station, the team supports communities in poorer countries to preserve food locally – and was able to win in the project competition by the SAVE FOOD Initiative.
Image: unsplash/Jack Krier
The Resilient Rise of the Egyptian Packaging Sector in Challenging Times
12.12.2023
As an established sector, the Egyptian printing and packaging sector is faced with similar challenges to many industries in the local economy. However, the growing local consumer base, competitive business atmosphere, and solid international cooperation relations are strong indicators of a thriving sector capable of further development and innovation.
Image:Unsplash
Egypt’s Innovative Solutions: Turning Plastic Waste into Recycling Opportunities
16.11.2023
The packaging industry is heavily reliant on plastics. However, as the focus shifts to more sustainable packaging options, global industry stakeholders and policymakers are searching for ways to investigate how plastic packaging waste can be used to explore sustainable industry practices and market opportunities, some of which might be real gamechangers.
Image: FreeWater
FREEWATER’S RADICAL, AD-DRIVEN PACKAGING CONCEPT AIMS TO DISRUPT THE INDUSTRY
17.10.2023
A Texas startup aims to disrupt the food and beverage industry by turning the marketing of such products on its head. Austin-based FreeWater sells advertising on paper cartons and aluminum bottles of drinking water and then gives away those containers for free, while donation a portion of its proceeds to charity.
Image: PulPac
Eurostars project for fibre-based packaging concluded
11.07.2023
As part of the Eurostars funding programme, PulPac in Sweden and the Bio-Lutions start-up in Germany have together developed a prototype for a new dry-moulded-fibre machine that’s able to process fibres from agricultural waste. The project saw them adapting standard components that are traditionally used to make plastic products.
interpack 2023 is ready to start. But is the industry ready? (Image: Jamentle Reskp/unsplash)
Everything in crisis? The packaging industry before interpack 2023
18.04.2023
Six years are a long time. All the more so for a dynamic industry like the packaging sector. But this is the amount of time that has passed since the last interpack. Which issues are being debated worldwide shortly before the start of the trade fair?
Since 1970, the WorldStar Awards have been conferred every year. (Image: WPO
Industry innovations in the spotlight
18.04.2023
Since 1970, the World Packaging Organization has annually awarded the WorldStar Awards. With this prize, WPO honours the achievements of the companies and developers in the industry. In 2023, this highly sought-after prize will be awarded during interpack.
The European Green Deal is supposed to make Europe carbon neutral by 2050. (Image: unsplash/Alexandre Lallemand)
European Green Deal – ambitious concept for carbon neutrality in Europe
17.01.2023
The bundle of measures that makes up the Green Deal is supposed to make Europe the first carbon neutral continent. Circular economy is an important stepping stone on the way to achieving this goal. The EU Commission now has presented a suggestion for a packaging regulation which is supposed to create a new order for the European packaging market.
Image: Gerhard Schubert GmbH
Training to overcome the lack of skilled professionals
16.01.2023
Within the framework of digitalisation and automation, there is a continual further development of machines. To enable staff to meet these new requirements, Schubert supports their customers with a new training concept which is also intended to combat the lack of trained professionals.
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.
Image: Kelly Sikkema/unsplash
Eventful times for the packaging industry
12.12.2022
Only few would have expected the direction in which the year 2022 will develop. A lot has also happened in the packaging industry. Not only has the conflict in Ukraine thrown the markets into turmoil, but new legislation is also presenting the industry with new challenges. But there are also good things to report.
When it comes to their daily coffee, many people choose the to-go option and quickly dispose of the cups afterwards. Stora Enso and Huhtamaki now want to recycle these cups. (Image: Stora Enso)
A coalition for more and better cup recycling
24.10.2022
For 2030, the EU recycling target for paper and cardboard packaging is 85 %. However, the valuable raw materials in paper cups are often lost after only a short period of use. With The Cup Collective, Stora Enso and Huhtamaki are launching an initiative to collect and recycle paper cups.
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.
The Maggi condiment over the years. The dark bottle with the red and gold design remains unique until today. (Image: Nestlé)
125 years of Maggi in Germany
25.09.2022
Some brands seem made for eternity – and so is their respective packaging. Maggi, Swiss manufacturer of condiments, is a fixture in many modern kitchens, and in German-speaking areas every child recognises the brown bottle with its red and gold label.
Image: Froneri Finland Oy
Ice cream packaged in mono-material
21.07.2022
Companies continue to ask themselves how they can meet customers' demands for sustainable packaging. Together, Borealis, Froneri and Paccor have found an answer, and are packaging ice cream from the brand Aino in mono-material.
Image: "Mülltrennung wirkt" (waste separation works) initiative / Steffen Jagenburg
Public obligations for recycling: Germany – a good role model?
14.07.2022
In 2019, the Central Agency Packaging Register started its work. Since then, companies that place packaging in circulation must register with it. An amendment to the German Packaging Act led to this requirement being extended to all online retailers and providers of take-away packaging on July 1st, 2022. Is this still reasonable or is this over-regulation?
Image: Mika Baumeister/Unsplash
What are the consequences of the strain on supply chains?
23.06.2022
The pandemic, war, scarcity of resources, the energy crisis – there are many reasons why supply chains, including the packaging industry, are under pressure the world over. As an end to this situation is not currently in sight, companies are called to examine their logistics procedures.
Image: Fraunhofer IVV
Rebound Plastic Exchange: New trading platform for recyclates
25.05.2022
Circular economy can only truly work if plastic waste is collected, recycled and reused. To drive international trade with recycled plastic, Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company (IHC) has now established a new trading platform for recyclates with Rebound Plastic Exchange.
Four students of the Muenster School of Design have created a cigarette packet that contains a compartment for butts. (Photo: J. Zerr, E. Freymüller, M. Hesse, F. Vennemeyer)
Design students develop sustainable packaging
28.04.2022
Fresh ideas on how to design packaging often come from institutes of higher education. In different study courses, young up-and-coming designers are perfecting their future-ready, and often prize-winning, solutions.
These food packages are mostly made from cornflour and cellulose. Photo: Amelie Graf
A fresh design for food packaging
28.04.2022
Students at German universities and other institutes of higher education are taking new approaches, including to packaging food. Sustainability often drives their new ideas.
The antistatic stretch film is marked with printed red lightning bolts. Image: BASF
Stretch Film for EX Zones
19.04.2022
Dangerous goods on business premises present special challenges for the packaging material used. BASF and Duo Plast have now developed an antistatic stretch film for palletisation in potentially explosive atmospheres that prevents flying sparks.
Credit: Scott Graham/Unsplash
Trends in packaging: All this and more in 2022
05.01.2022
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...
High-Tech against spoilage of food
03.07.2015
Over 80 kilos of foodstuffs are disposed of per year per capita in Germany according to statistical assessments. Innovative packaging material is to contribute to longer shelf-life.