2020 review: COVID-19 packaging solutions and circular economy designs dominate a challenging year

28 Dec 2020 --- The COVID-19 pandemic dominated headlines in 2020, giving rise to e-commerce home food delivery, hygiene and shelf life enhancing packaging innovation, machinery automation and virtual trade events. Meanwhile, industry continued taking steps toward more environmentally friendly packaging, with innovation rife in circular economy plastics designs and plastic-free alternatives, including increasingly sophisticated bioplastics and paper-based solutions. Connective packaging technologies also continued the charge toward mainstream availability. PackagingInsights looks back on the key stories from a demanding and innovative year.

January

Unilever and Mondi develop recyclable mono-material pouch for Knorr
Kicking off a year brimming with recycle-by-design flexible packaging innovation, Unilever joined forces with Mondi to produce a recyclable polypropylene (PP) pouch in Turkey for its Knorr dry soup powder range. The pouch replaces the previous multi-material laminate with a recyclable mono-material film. 

The packaging can be recycled where “suitable recycling infrastructure is in place,” Thomas Kahl, project manager for Mondi EcoSolutions, told PackagingInsights, while “using PCR (post-consumer resin) would be our aim as soon as a food approved quality would be available in the right quality and at scale.”Unilever and Mondi develop recyclable mono-material pouch for Knorr

Colgate launches first-ever recyclable toothpaste tube
In another notoriously hard-to-recycle category, toothpaste juggernaut Colgate launched the “first-ever” recyclable toothpaste tube line called Smile for Good.

“Our goal is to transform tubes – one of the most widely used forms of plastic packaging that until now could not be recycled – with a package that squeezes easy like a tube and recycles like a bottle. We’re openly sharing it with competitors to help make tubes a part of the circular economy. We can align on common standards for tubes and still compete with what’s inside them,” Ann Tracy, vice president sustainability at Colgate-Palmolive, told PackagingInsights.

Nestlé invests 2 billion Swiss francs in food-grade recycled plastics
In the first of several huge circular economy plastics investments, Nestlé set aside 2 billion Swiss francs (US$2.2 billion) to pioneer the shift from virgin plastics to food-grade recycled plastics and accelerate the development of eco-friendly packaging solutions. The F&B giant committed to sourcing up to 2 million metric tons of food-grade recycled plastics and allocating more than 1.5 billion Swiss francs (US$1.7 billion) to pay a premium for these materials between now and 2025. Building on its 2018 commitment to make 100 percent of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, Nestlé is aiming to reduce its virgin plastics by one third in the same period. 

China bans single-use plastics in 2025 phase out scheme
In a landmark announcement that rippled across the globe, China’s National Development and Reform Commission began phasing out the production and use of single-use plastic products. The ban is being gradually implemented across the world’s most populous country by 2025, while non-degradable plastic bags, straws and cutlery were due to be phased out of all major Chinese cities by the end of 2020.

Davos 2020: Coca-Cola exec says consumers still want plastic bottles
As the plastics sustainability debate gathered pace, Coca-Cola Head of Sustainability Bea Perez announced during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that the beverage giant would not stop using plastic bottles due to steady consumer preference for them. Despite the rise of plastic and reusable alternatives, a move away from plastic bottles could increase the company’s carbon footprint and compromise on product safety, Perez said, while the move could also alienate customers and hit sales.

“Packaging waste is a major and growing problem, and we recognize we have a responsibility to help solve it. All packaging has a potential environmental impact, so it’s not as simple as saying one format is better than another,” a Coca-Cola spokesperson reiterated to PackagingInsights.

February

Berry targets high-quality PCR supply in Georgia-Pacific Recycling agreement
As demand for recycled plastics continued accelerating, Berry Global signed a formal agreement with US-based Georgia-Pacific Recycling to create a closed-loop system to recover, segregate and reprocess PCR. Berry Global also moved to prioritize the production of nonwoven healthcare products at its China facilities as the COVID-19 virus began spreading.

Amcor collaboration brings Garçon Wines’ rPET bottles to US market
Amcor teamed up with British multi-award-winning start-up Garçon Wines to bring its groundbreaking 100 percent recycled and recyclable letterbox-friendly wine bottles to the US. Posing a challenge to traditional round glass bottles, the recycled PET (rPET) flat bottle became widely available in the world’s biggest wine market in the second half of 2020.

“As the round Bordeaux 75 cl bottle is the most popular bottle shape in wine on both sides of the Atlantic, we have chosen to go to market first with our flat Bordeaux 75 cl bottle design in both these regions,” Garçon Wines’ Co-Founder Santiago Navarro, shared with PackagingInsights.

Bioplastics rivals BASF and Novamont unveil compostable cling films
Major bioplastics players BASF and Novamont both launched highly sustainable solutions for fresh food packaging in two major compostable cling film breakthroughs. Tackling both plastic pollution and food waste simultaneously, BASF’s certified compostable ecovio material and Novamont’s Mater-Bi material replace hard-to-recycle conventional plastics like polyethylene (PE) while increasing product shelf life.

Amcor introduces multivitamin segment’s first 100 percent rPET containers
Amcor launched “the first” 100 percent rPET containers in the multivitamin segment. The supplier created the clear containers for health meets technology company Ritual. Maintaining color and clarity can be challenging when using a high percentage of PCR but Amcor’s engineers created a color-stable bottle close to virgin PET clarity.

Coca-Cola Sweden swaps brand logo for “Recycle me again” message on rPET bottles
Coca-Cola Sweden unveiled 100 percent rPET bottles in Sweden with labels reading “Panta mig igen,” meaning “Recycle me again,” in place of brand names and logos. The new label design applied to the Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite and Bonaqua brands. The move epitomized Innova Market Insights’ top packaging trend 2020 – “The Language of Environmental Sustainability” – with FMCG brands increasingly finding a competitive advantage in more prominent on-pack communication of their packaging’s environmental sustainability credentials.Coca-Cola Sweden swaps brand logo for “Recycle me again” message on rPET bottles

“The ambition of the new disruptive labels with the recycling call to action ‘Panta mig igen’ is to increase the level of recycled bottles further toward our goal of 100 percent [recycled plastic content]. Sweden has a good track record at recycling but we can improve. We believe this clear message will have a positive impact,” Olivia Enquist, Marketing Director Coca-Cola AB, told PackagingInsights.

March

Grolsch brings Smurfit Kappa's plastic-alternative beverage carrier to market
The beverage industry took major action against plastic waste in 2020, exemplified by Dutch beer brewer Grolsch bringing Smurfit Kappa’s paper-based TopClip to market for the first time for its multi-pack cans. Completely renewable, recyclable and biodegradable, the TopClip offers a viable alternative to conventional plastic shrink wrap, which is typically unrecyclable in existing recycling infrastructure. Grolsch said it will eliminate 100,000 kg of plastic annually using TopClip.

“Designed-to-be-recycled”: Nestlé launches single-material baby food packaging
Nestlé released what is marketed as the first-of-its-kind, single-material pouch for baby food products. The “designed-to-be-recycled” PP pouch was developed in partnership with Gualapack for Nestlé’s baby food brand Gerber.

“We are introducing this pouch for our baby food products in the US and Finland. We aim to gradually extend the use of single-material pouches to our baby food pouches range globally. We will continue to work with other stakeholders to ensure that the infrastructure needed to recycle matches material innovation,” a Nestlé spokesperson explained to PackagingInsights.

Packaging Innovations 2020: Industry converges to consider cost of carbon
Before the pandemic forced European trade show shutdowns, Packaging Innovations 2020 took place in Birmingham, UK, with carbon reduction as its main theme. Climate change-combatting plastic and plastic-free innovation took center stage, with suppliers keen to demonstrate how their solutions could reduce carbon without compensating for pack shelf-appeal, convenience or functionality.

EU Circular Economy Action Plan reintensifies drive for eco-friendly packaging
The European Commission adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan, prioritizing overpackaging and packaging waste reductions, driving design for reusable and recyclable packaging and reducing the complexity of packaging materials. The European Commission identified the plan as one of the major building blocks of the European Green Deal. The plan also considered mandatory plastic requirements for recycled content and waste reduction measures for packaging, addressed intentionally added microplastics, developed labeling and regulatory measures on unintentionally released microplastics and established a policy framework on the use of bio-based plastics.Grolsch brings Smurfit Kappa's plastic-alternative beverage carrier to market

Sandwiched sustainability: Sirane unveils plastic-free compostable skillet
Biodegradable and compostable packaging specialist Sirane developed a plastic-free sandwich skillet as an alternative to the PE-coated packs and laminated boards, currently dominating the market. The sandwich packs, branded as Earthwedge, were created from a combination of coated boards and coated papers.

“Sandwich packs have been a headline recently,” Simon Balderson, Managing Director at Sirane, told PackagingInsights during Packaging Innovations 2020. “They are typically made from carton board and plastic and famously unrecyclable because they are made from two different types of materials. There has been some effort to make it possible to peel the plastic away from the carton board but it hasn’t been very successful.”

Cracking up: Microplastics fling from packs during opening, study finds
A study funded by the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment confirmed fears that opening plastic packages can spread harmful microplastics. The research found evidence that tearing open chocolate bags, cutting sealing tapes and twist-opening bottle caps can generate microplastics from broken junction and cap abrasion, catapulting up to 75,000 microplastics across 3 m.

DS Smith fights COVID-19 with fast-tracked safety boxes but cardboard shortage looms
DS Smith developed special emergency provision boxes to meet increased demand for safer home delivery in the food retail sector as the global COVID-19 outbreak intensified. In line with social distancing and self-isolation guidelines, the new boxes can be stacked in delivery vans, picked up and dropped off to vulnerable consumers while supporting the safety of the workers involved. The launch came as the UK Recycling Association warned of looming European and potentially worldwide shortages of paper and cardboard, essential to the distribution of food and medical supplies.

April

European Plastics Pact joins MacArthur Foundation’s global network
The European Plastics Pact became the first regional pact to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's global Plastics Pact network. Together, the 81 members of the European Plastics Pact committed to a set of ambitious 2025 targets, including making all plastic packaging recyclable and reusable where possible.

Snappd: One-hand soap dispensing innovation boosts hygiene amid COVID-19 crisis
UK-based Lifestyle Packaging designed a novel one-hand dispensing mechanism for alcohol-based hand sanitizer coined Snappd. The product is a brandable packaging innovation, developed to deliver a single dose solution with minimal contact when dispensing liquid. The launch arrived as hand sanitizer production skyrocketed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.Snappd: One-hand soap dispensing innovation boosts hygiene amid COVID-19 crisis

Steel championed as Europe’s most recycled packaging material
European steel packaging hit a record 82.5 percent recycling level, making it the continent’s most recycled primary packaging material, according to 2018 data from the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging. The association highlighted that 8 out of 10 steel items put on the EU market in 2020 have been recycled into new steel products.

Europe embracing fresh food e-shopping despite food waste deterrent, Amcor finds
Amcor research into the impact of e-commerce on fresh food grocery shopping in Europe forecasted the online grocery market to grow by 66 percent by 2023. The report indicated consumers relied much more heavily on e-shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, although this trend was detectable before the crisis.

Krones’ virtual exhibition brings circular beverage solutions to desktop screens
COVID-19 forced the cancellation of industry events but German packaging and bottling machine manufacturer Krones kept its doors wide open – virtually. Krones welcomed visitors to its virtual booth, providing authentic demonstrations of the manufacturer’s latest solutions in plastic shrink replacement, digitalization and multi-sensory packaging design.

“The interest for the virtual booth is quite high,” Peter Mörtl, press relations at Krones, described to PackagingInsights through the virtual booth’s Live Chat feature. “Especially as it's the first time that we have hosted a virtual fair. Some of our visitors are just having a look, others are really exploring our exhibits and communicating with our specialists about specific machines or solutions.”

May

TerraCycle's returnable packaging program Loop extends to five major markets
TerraCycle’s reusable packaging initiative Loop expanded into the UK, Canada, Australia, Japan and Germany after promising trials in France and the US, which were met with “an overwhelming global appetite for sustainable and circular solutions.”

“We always planned to launch Loop in 2020 in a number of new markets, so the current global pandemic didn’t play a part in Loop’s upcoming launches,” Stephen Clarke, head of communications for TerraCycle and Loop Europe told PackagingInsights. “However, the growth is probably in some part linked to the general growth e-commerce is having right now due to COVID. March and April have been Loop’s best performing months.”

“World’s first” cardboard cosmetic tubes give L’Oréal its day in the sun
L’Oréal brand La Roche-Posay achieved a global first by packaging its Anthelios sunscreen in a cardboard tube in France. The cardboard tube reduces plastic use by a reported 45 percent. The solution was the result of L’Oréal’s collaboration with cosmetic packaging heavyweight Albéa and the first in a long line of cardboard solutions to follow, according to the companies.“World’s first” cardboard cosmetic tubes give L’Oréal its day in the sun

Ocean plastic food trays integrate natural defense mechanism to fight COVID-19
Restaurants in Europe started to reopen their doors as governments relaxed COVID-19 self-distancing measures but health and hygiene remained top of the agenda. Against this backdrop, Norwegian company ZincIn launched ocean plastic food trays that leverage integrated antimicrobial safety technology from Dutch company Parx Materials. The natural trace element found in the trays is vital to the human immune system and protects against bacteria and viruses without needing to wipe the trays clean. According to third-party testing, the innovation boasts approximately 99.9 percent fewer germs than those found on conventional food trays.

Out of the ashes: EU prioritizes circular transition in COVID-19 €750 bn recovery plan
The European Commission unveiled a €750 billion (US$917 billion) COVID-19 recovery plan to revitalize the EU economy. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the recovery plan was an opportunity to invest in the European Green Deal, recently reinforced with the Circular Economy Action Plan considering mandatory plastic requirements for recycled content and waste reduction measures for key products such as packaging. Several key packaging industry players, including Tetra Pak and Plastics Recyclers Europe, voiced their support for an EU recovery plan prioritizing the building of circular economies.

June

Tetra Pak targets 2030 net-zero GHG emissions with four-pronged approach
Tetra Pak committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its operations by 2030 and net-zero GHG emissions for the entire value chain by 2050. The Tetra Laval multinational food packaging and processing sub-company also set emissions reduction targets in line with 1.5°C according to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) across scopes 1, 2 and 3. Tetra Pak is focusing on four key areas to reach its GHG emissions targets: lowering energy-related emissions, partnering with stakeholders to reduce carbon footprint, accelerating the development of its low carbon circular packaging and equipment portfolio, and developing environmentally sustainable recycling value chains.

Diageo whiskey brand’s rPET switch wipes out 1000 tons of virgin plastic
Alcoholic beverage giant Diageo North America launched 100 percent rPET bottles for its Seagram's 7 Crown American whiskey brand across all formats (1.75 L, 750 ml, 375 ml and 200 ml). Diageo expects a reduction in virgin plastic of almost 1000 tons annually – the equivalent to removing 100 million 500 ml plastic bottles from shelves.Diageo whiskey brand’s rPET switch wipes out 1000 tons of virgin plastic

“Our main challenge was to make sure we met the color standard and minimized any flaws on the bottle. To address it we increased our quality inspections, both manually and mechanically, which led to producing a 100 percent recycled plastic bottle meeting the quality standards we were looking for,” Ronald Holmes, packaging director, Diageo North America, explained to PackagingInsights.

Essentra rPET tape tears up virgin plastic dependency
Essentra Tapes unveiled an “industry-first” 70 percent rPET tear tape for flexible packaging boasting easy-opening and brand enhancement opportunities. Like all Essentra tear tape solutions, the single ply 23-micron SupaStrip PCR film is easy to implement within flexible packaging lines, while the ability to print the tape allows for a diverse range of brand messages and logos to enhance on-shelf impact and consumer interaction.

Anti-counterfeit technology arms Australian wine exporters against global fraud
Australian-developed technology suite called eBottli launched to defend the wine export industry against the booming global counterfeit wines trade. eBottli delivers a suite of new tracking and blockchain data technologies, geolocating services for bottles or containers, and unique identifier labels for winemakers. Developed with the support of the South Australian Government, eBottli helps guarantee a wine’s authenticity and address the issue of brand trust for Australian exports – a huge issue in markets such as Asia.

“We utilize and combine several different kinds of technology, according to the level of security and requirements. Right now we are working with RFID/NFC, QR Code and Image Recognition, all of which can be integrated within the label, the cap or other specific locations,” Nathalie Taquet, eBottli founder, shared with PackagingInsights.

PulPac pilot line marks industrialization of disruptive single-use fiber
PulPac engineered the first pilot line for its patented Dry Molded Fiber technology, presenting a price competitive alternative to single-use plastics at scale. Touted as the world’s first industrialization of disruptive dry molded fiber technology, the pilot line is a sequential step towards enabling licensees to produce billions of plastic-free and biodegradable fiber products within a few years. PulPac invites manufacturers and brands to set up their own Dry Molded Fiber production as EU Member States seek to impose the Single-Use Plastic Directive by 2021.

July

Amazon fulfills pledge to eradicate single-use plastic packaging in India
Amazon announced the elimination of all single-use plastic packaging across its more than 50 fulfillment centers in India. The e-commerce giant replaced air pillows and bubble wrap with paper cushions and adopted 100 percent plastic-free, biodegradable paper tapes, delivering on a pledge to eradicate single-use plastic by June 2020. Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi called on citizens and government agencies to end the consumption of single-use plastics by 2022 in an October 2019 speech.

COVID-19 slows Europe's "already sluggish" single-use plastics ban adoptions
The transposition of the EU Single-Use Plastic Directive into domestic law stalled in most European countries, largely due to COVID-19-induced disruptions.

Six months after the Directive’s entry into force, the pandemic and lockdown measures increased the “already sluggish pace” of national legislative developments,” Frédérique Mongodin, Senior Marine Policy Officer at Seas At Risk, told PackagingInsights. “In our opinion, it is not an excuse [to delay 2021 deadlines] for all governments, but some might use it to delay further the national process. That’s why we felt the urge to communicate on implementation now, before it’s too late and a lot of time is lost.”

Frugalpac’s paperboard wine bottle finds favor with Italian vineyard
UK-based Frugalpac launched a wine bottle called Frugal Bottle made with 94 percent recycled paperboard and a food-grade liner. The new bottle is five times lighter than a standard glass bottle and uses up to 77 percent less plastic.Frugalpac’s paperboard wine bottle finds favor with Italian vineyard

“The Frugal Bottle is the first really significant step in sustainable packing for the wine industry and with a carbon footprint up to six times lower that a glass bottle, this has to be the future for the industry,” Ceri Parke, the owner of Cantina Goccia, shared with PackagingInsights.

Coca-Cola Europe invests in groundbreaking polyester rejuvenation technology
Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler, announced funding for CuRe Technology – a recycling startup providing a new lease of life for difficult to recycle plastic polyester waste. Through its innovation investment fund CCEP Ventures, CCEP is enabling CuRe to accelerate its “polyester rejuvenation” technology from pilot plant to commercial readiness. Once the technology is commercialized, CCEP will receive the majority of the output from a CuRe-licensed, new-build plant, accelerating the beverage giant's transition to 100 percent rPET.

Systematic roadmapping can solve plastic pollution crisis in a generation, claims landmark report
A landmark report by The Pew Charitable Trusts and Systemiq warned annual flows of plastic into the ocean could nearly triple by 2040 on the current trajectory, equating to 29 million metric tons of plastic leakage at the cost of US$100 billion to the global economy. The report concluded plastic pollution can be solved in a generation but requires political leaders, policymakers, business executives, and investors to shift from incremental to systemic change.

August

“Not ‘lovin’ it’”: US study finds toxic chemicals rife in fast food packaging
A report warned nearly half of all take-out food packaging tested across major US food chains contains potentially toxic chemicals. The Mind the Store campaign and Toxic-Free Future nonprofit combined forces to investigate the presence of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) – chemicals known to threaten human health – in Burger King, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s as well as top health-minded food chains Cava, Freshii, and Sweetgreen. The investigation showed all six food chains sampled had one or more food packaging items “likely containing” toxic PFAS.

Coca-Cola launches paperboard multipack rings in European first
CCEP adopted WestRock’s CanCollar paperboard-based ring technology for its multipack cans in the Balearic Islands, Spain. The PEFC-certified, recyclable and sustainably-sourced CanCollar replaced the Hi-Cone plastic ring solution, saving more than 18 tons of plastic annually. Spain became the first European country to launch CanCollar on multipack cans, with further European rollouts soon following.Coca-Cola launches paperboard multipack rings in European first

UK Plastics Tax finds favor with waste industry as consultation closes
Leading UK waste management authorities including Veolia, the Environmental Services Association and the National Association of Waste Disposal Officers offered support for the UK Plastics Tax as the consultation period concluded. The UK government proposed a £200 (US$268) per ton tax rate for plastic packaging with less than 30 percent recycled content, taking effect from April 2022.

“Plastic is not the enemy – disposal or loss in the environment is, and we should set up suitable recycling schemes around the world,” Richard Kirkman, chief technology and innovation officer, Veolia UK and Ireland, told PackagingInsights. “There is no target group to blame. Everyone has a responsibility to adopt part of the solution. Consumers, manufacturers, local authorities and waste companies all need to do their bit in this supply chain.”

US Plastics Pact unites value chain’s circularity ambitions
The US Plastics Pact, a collaborative led by The Recycling Partnership and WWF, launched as part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's global Plastics Pact network. The pact unifies diverse public-private stakeholders across the plastics value chain to rethink how the US designs, uses, and reuses plastics, creating a path toward a circular economy. Several FMCG leaders are among the more than 60 Pact activators, including Nestlé, Mondelēz International and Henkel, and global plastic packaging giant Amcor.

September

PepsiCo pilots invisible digital watermark technology to boost recycling
PepsiCo trialled packaging encoded with invisible digital watermarks for more effective recycling. The technology is pegged as the “holy grail” that will make mechanical sorting more efficient.

“This technology has the potential to make life simpler for consumers because they will not have to separate their packaging and worry about which plastic polymer is which. Instead, through this trial, our product packaging will be encoded with these invisible digital watermarks, which contain information about the manufacturer, product, material type and whether the packaging is food safe,” Gareth Callan, PepsiCo’s Holy Grail Project Lead, detailed to PackagingInsights.

Greenpeace USA condemns morally suspect chemical recycling
Greenpeace USA warned many American Chemistry Council approved “chemical” or “advanced” recycling projects are unviable or misleadingly promoted as recycling when they mainly produce fuels and waxes. The “Deception by the Numbers” report examined 52 US chemical or advanced recycling projects, concluding “chemical recycling is not a solution to the plastic pollution crisis, but rather a bait-and-switch PR tactic meant to create the illusion of industry progress.”

Pringles reveals paper tube Tesco trials as “recycler’s nightmare” reaches tipping point
Kellogg’s iconic potato chips brand Pringles trialled a new recyclable paper can in partnership with supermarket giant Tesco. The move came after sustained UK Recycling Association pressure to reinvent the “recycler’s nightmare” packaging, which consisted of a complex construction of foil-lined cardboard sleeve, plastic cap, metal base, and metal tear-off lid.Pringles reveals paper tube Tesco trials as “recycler’s nightmare” reaches tipping point

Pringles sayid the trial results will help shape the future design and appearance of the can. “This is a small pilot to see if people like the new can and gather feedback so we can make it even better, if necessary,” a representative told PackagingInsights.

“If the trial is a success, we hope to roll out a new can to further stores and countries over the coming months.”

Amcor and Nestlé unveil world’s first recyclable retort pouch for pet food
Amcor and Nestlé launched the world’s first recyclable flexible retort pouch with the Purina wet cat food brand in the Netherlands. The “recyclable packaging breakthrough” reportedly improves environmental footprint by up to 60 percent.

“During retort processing, the food is cooked inside the pouch at temperatures up to 130 °C. This sterilizes the product and its packaging, providing a typical shelf life of 1-2 years,” an Amcor spokesperson outlined to PackagingInsights.

October

Encirc and Glass Futures launch bio-fuel trial for “world’s most eco-friendly” glass bottle
Encirc glass container manufacturer and Glass Futures industry research and technology organization partnered on a landmark project to create “the world’s most sustainable glass bottle.” In 2021, Encirc’s Derrylin plant in Northern Ireland will pioneer bio-fuel on one of its furnaces, paving the way for an industry-wide reduction in carbon emissions. Alongside this 30-day trial, Encirc will use up to 96 percent recycled glass to create the new bottles, further reducing the carbon footprint.

Unilever unveils Europe’s largest supermarket refill trial under tide of consumer demand
Unilever unveiled its largest ever supermarket refill trial in Europe. Beginning in a single Asda supermarket in the UK, customers are encouraged to refill packaging for seven leading Unilever products. The company expects up to 30,000 plastic water bottles to be saved in the store in its first year. A machine for beauty and personal care brands, another for Persil laundry liquid, and a touch-free machine containing Pukka and PG Tips tea bags are available. 

Burger King rolls out reusable packaging model in TerraCycle Loop partnership
Burger King trialled a new reusable packaging model with TerraCycle’s Loop platform, offering restaurant guests the option to order sandwiches, soft drink and coffee in reusable containers or cups. Starting in 2021, select Burger King restaurants in the US cities of New York City and Portland, and in Tokyo, Japan, will be among the first to implement the model.

Bacardi and Danimer Scientific’s biodegradable bottle boosts plastic pollution fight
Bacardi revealed plans to develop a 100 percent biodegradable and compostable bioplastic bottle by 2023. The family-owned spirits company is using Danimer Scientific’s Nodax PHA – a biopolymer derived from the natural oils of plant seeds such as palm, canola and soy – to replace petroleum-based plastics. The bottle cap will also be made of biopolymer.Bacardi and Danimer Scientific’s biodegradable bottle boosts plastic pollution fight

L’Oréal, Total and LanzaTech premier carbon-captured packaging in recycling world-first
L’Oréal partnered with energy giant Total and carbon recycling company LanzaTech to create cosmetics plastic packaging from captured and recycled carbon emissions, which it plans to fully commercialize by 2025.

“As a major innovation for more responsible and sustainable packaging, this recycling process will be available to other companies who would like to work with us to reduce the environmental impact of their packaging,” Polina Huard, corporate media relations director for L’Oréal, told PackagingInsights. 

November

Dow launches recycled polyethylene resin in North American shrink film circularity boost
Dow launched its first PCR-rich resin for collation shrink film in North America, enabling companies to incorporate more post-consumer materials while maintaining application performance. The recycled plastic resin was designed specifically for retail and logistic shrink film applications and expands Dow’s circular technology portfolio by offering shrink film with up to 40 percent PCR content.

“One kT of formulated recycled resin for shrink wrap is estimated to provide greenhouse gas emissions savings equivalent to over 1.5 million miles driven by the average passenger vehicle and energy savings equivalent to the electricity used in 370 US households in one year,” Victor Zapata, Dow’s recycling commercial director for North America and Latin America, described to PackagingInsights.

SharpEnd empowers Yeo Valley’s consumer engagement with scalable QR code platform
Yeo Valley Organic unveiled connected packaging across all products as part of its new “Put Nature First” brand platform. The British family-owned dairy company is harnessing IoT agency SharpEnd’s connected data platform to evaluate consumer purchasing behavior and optimize brand-consumer engagement. Consumers can use their smartphones to scan the “Moo-R” QR codes found on over 100 million products to access product information, brand content and promotions, linking to Yeo Valley’s “Yeokens” reward program.

Smurfit Kappa sets sights on net-zero carbon emissions by 2050
Corrugated packaging giant Smurfit Kappa ramped up its CO2 reduction targets significantly, aiming for a 55 percent drop in carbon emissions by 2030 and at least net-zero emissions by 2050. The SBTi initiative is currently validating the company’s targets in line with the UN Paris Agreement.

“We offer our customers optimized packaging solutions that help them to reduce CO2 emissions in their value chain. Our suite of tools, including the SupplySmart Service, help us determine the carbon footprint of our customers’ packaging, and are on average, utilized 11,000 times a day,” Steven Stoffer, group VP of development and sustainability at Smurfit, told PackagingInsights.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation Progress Report tracks limited progress in plastic pollution fight
Global companies using plastics packaging demonstrated “limited progress” increasing the recyclability of plastics packaging and reducing single-use packaging. This was according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Global Commitment 2020 Progress Report, based on 2019 data. However, the F&B sector did make “significant advancements” in incorporating more recycled content in plastics packaging and phasing out cradle-to-grave packaging materials. Signatories are averaging 6.2 percent recycled plastic content.

“We’re very much aware that all these companies are part of the problem today. But equally, we truly believe that these companies need to become part of the solution because they have the size, power and responsibility to solve this issue,” Sander Defruyt, leader of the New Plastic Economy initiative, shared with PackagingInsights.

Amcor’s 2020 Sustainability Report reveals US$7.7 billion recyclable packaging revenue
Amcor launched its 2020 Sustainability Report, highlighting US$7.7 billion of its revenue is now generated from recyclable products. The consumer packaging giant generated US$12.5 billion in global sales in fiscal year 2020 (78% flexible packaging and 22% rigid packaging). Amcor’s PCR resin use reached over 83,000 tons this year. This higher utilization of PCR prevented over 100,000 tons of CO2 emissions as recycled resin has a lower carbon footprint than virgin material.

Third Aurora pioneers codeless AR label recognition brand-to-consumer technology
Third Aurora, the Australian tech start-up behind the Winerytale augmented reality (AR) wine platform, introduced a similar technology enabling smartphone cameras to scan packaging and project virtual content.Third Aurora pioneers codeless AR label recognition brand-to-consumer technology

“The technology doesn’t rely on QR codes – the app recognizes the shape and printing on the can or bottle and brings the display to life. That’s critical as it means there’s no need for any new packaging – it’s set up to work with the product already on the shelf,” Dave Chaffey, Third Aurora’s managing director, explained to PackagingInsights.

“There are very few limits to how the technology can be applied, and it will work with virtually any material. It does rely on identifying features with a phone’s camera, so a clear unlabeled bottle, for example, won’t pass the muster.”

Ribena’s radical label redesign lifts UK bottle-to-bottle recycling
Ribena minimized its iconic labels, ensuring bottles can be easily identified, sorted and recycled using standard industry technology. The Suntory Beverage and Food GB and Ireland-owned (SBF GB&I) blackcurrant drink incorporated 100 percent rPET into its packaging, making it the largest UK soft drinks brand facilitating bottle-to-bottle recycling.

“Ensuring the light exposure wouldn’t affect the drink was one of the biggest challenges we overcame since without the sleeve Ribena was liable to lose its color,” Jo Padwick, SBF GB&I’s business transformation manager, explained to PackagingInsights.

“After working on this project for two years, we’ve ensured our drinks retain the same great taste and color they always have while maintaining the same shelf life. To do this, we’ve made one small change to the color we use in our Blackcurrant No Added Sugar and Very Berry variants, but this hasn’t changed the taste in any way.”

December

EUBP foresees dynamic global bioplastic growth inspired by portfolio diversification
European Bioplastics (EUBP) predicted dynamic growth in the global bioplastics market. Announced at the 15th EUBP Conference, EUBP and the nova-Institute estimated 36 percent growth over the next five years after the industry “successfully weathered the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” noted François de Bie, EUBP chairman.

“Innovative biopolymers, such as bio-based PP and especially PHAs continue to drive the growth of the biopolymer industry. However, this also applies to PLA,” Oliver Buchholz, EUBP communications manager, told PackagingInsights.

DS Smith and Touchguard develop coronavirus-resistant antimicrobial packaging
DS Smith and Touchguard developed a range of antimicrobial e-commerce cardboard packaging to protect consumers against potentially harmful bacteria. DS Smith is finalizing the technology’s rollout, commercially available at scale in the coming months across its global footprint. While there is no evidence of COVID-19 transmission from cardboard, Touchguard’s patented technology is reportedly effective against several bacteria and viruses, including enveloped viruses, of which COVID-19 is a member.

Amcor announces Europe’s first recyclable shrink bag for fresh meat and cheese
Amcor launched Europe’s first designed-for-recycling PVDC-free shrink bag for fresh and processed meat, poultry and some cheeses. European countries with suitable PE recycling streams currently include Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria and Spain.PopPack and PPi Technologies optimize ultra-convenient air-powered packs

“We needed to ensure safety, toughness, presentation and cost-effectiveness all matched our PVDC shrink bags. With EcoTite R, we’ve created a competitive solution that is also recyclable,” Rosalia Rosalinova, marketing manager for meat and fresh produce at Amcor, outlined to PackagingInsights.

SIG arms all new filling machines with Industry 4.0 connectivity
SIG equipped all new filling machines with industry-standard OPC Unified Architecture (OPC-UA) connectivity to drive greater flexibility in food and beverage manufacturing. Built-in OPC-UA connectivity enables horizontal machine-to-machine and vertical communication within the entire production plant.

Flexibility in manufacturing operations is becoming increasingly critical. With growing industry demands, rapidly changing consumer trends, and ongoing COVID-19 challenges, manufacturers are working to make their production lines more individualized and agile to handle periods of higher outputs and faster product changes while also driving down costs.

PopPack and PPi Technologies optimize ultra-convenient air-powered packs
PopPack harnessed a cooperation agreement with PPi Technologies to develop its air-powered flexible packaging. The “Air-Powered Package” uses the “EasyPop” air bubble function as a lever to open packages easily when the bubble is popped. Flexible packaging specialist PPi Technologies is customizing PopPack’s EasyPop feature to make commercial prototypes at its US packaging incubator facilities. Multinational brand owners have reportedly expressed interest in applying the PopPack technology to their packaging.

“EasyPop is a simple concept and yet fully gratifying on many levels. No caps, no fitments, no frustration opening, no tear strips, no applied labels, no need for knives, scissors or teeth,” Cheryl E. Harrison, PopPack’s director & co-founder, described to PackagingInsights.

By Joshua Poole