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Can carton dent tin’s dominance?

06-Dec-2010 - For years cartons have played second fiddle to cans when it comes to liquid packaging. But is that dominance about to be challenged? asks Freddie Dawson

PIRA gets US parent


06-Dec-2010 - Leatherhead, Surrey-based group Pira International, which offers strategic and technical consulting in packaging, has been acquired from BASF by The Smithers group of the US for an undisclosed sum.

Phantasmagoric vodka

06-Dec-2010 - The impact of the full-length sleeve adds punch to the strength of organic vodka in a product launch by Galatea, Sweden.

New paradigm of in-store dispensing embraces milk, water and soft drinks

06-Dec-2010 - By Paul Gander
Soft drinks, water and milk could be the next categories to benefit from in-store dispense systems (ISDSs) after Asda innovated with an award-winning system for detergent products.

New plastic foil avoids leaks

03-Dec-2010 - A closure system that combines a foil laminate membrane with injection-moulded plastics overcomes many of the operational challenges to do with plastic-on-plastic seal integrity, according to the manufacturer.

‘Unique’ oxygen scavenging method cheaper, more efficient, says company

10-Nov-2010 - An innovative series of oxygen scavenging additives designed for use in a raft of plastic packaging materials are cheaper, more efficient and simpler to apply than conventional techniques, said NanoBioMatters.

Multihead gives ‘snap’ to cereals

04-Nov-2010 - A Swiss breakfast cereal manufacturer has improved efficiencies on its packing lines, thanks to a new 16-head four-mix multihead weigher.

Industry staves off its critics

04-Nov-2010 - Packaging industry champions have defended its record on self-promotion and the environment in the face of criticism from experts in branding and consumer issues. The high-profile legal threat to Sainsbury’s ‘overpackaged’ joint of meat set the scene for a lively debate at the October easyfairs Packaging Innovation Show in London. 


Cook-in film set to grow from fresh fish to meat and barrier

01-Nov-2010 - A clear film cook-in bag for prepared fresh fish is just the first of many applications to include meat, poultry and vegetables, packaging supplier Sirane has promised.

In-mould sets sights on new label markets

01-Nov-2010 - From 3D differentiation to metallised finishes, thermoforming and – potentially – oxygen barrier, in-mould labelling (IML) for plastics is opening up new options for food manufacturers.

Nestlé makes microwave meals to eat from the tub

01-Nov-2010 - Packaging firm Rexam recently collaborated with Nestlé’s German culinary unit, Maggi, to develop a new range of microwaveable ready meals under the Maggi Topfinito brand.

EC calls for views on nanomaterial definition

25-Oct-2010 - After hammering out a definition of the term ‘nanomaterial’ in a draft resolution, the European Commission is now inviting comments from interested parties over the next four weeks.

Half of plastic in Arla milk bottles could be made from recycled materials within 10 years

19-Oct-2010 - All of Arla’s fresh milk and Cravendale polybottles now contain 15% recycled plastic, and bosses are confident of doubling this percentage to 30% by 2015, the firm has revealed.

Is the ‘tail wagging the dog’ when it comes to recycling?

04-Oct-2010 - Industry body PlasticsEurope has warned that brandowners and retailers, particularly in the UK, risk allowing consumer pressure to justify uneconomic recycling where other options would make far better environmental sense.

A fashion parade in the freezer


04-Oct-2010 - 
Consumer belt-tightening and lively competition between the main frozen food brands are triggering a welter of packaging innovation. But this still leaves key areas such as frozen ready meals with more questions than answers.

Coca-Cola calls for councils to standardise recycling

04-Oct-2010 - 
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has called on the coalition to improve the UK’s poor recycling infrastructure by making local authority processes consistent.

Phat pack brand

04-Oct-2010 - A new pack from The Phat Pasty Co demonstrates the ability of composite materials to protect product from process to purchase and simplify handling.

EU research opportunities open up with new funding

06-Sep-2010 - A fresh tranche of EU funding under Framework Programme 7 (FP7) has created new opportunities for collaborative, global packaging research.


Inject a cheaper labelling alternative

06-Sep-2010 - Linx Printing Technologies says its new thermal inkjet (TIJ) printer is a cost-effective alternative secondary packaging labeller for small manufacturers.


Beanz keepz 
in the fridge

06-Sep-2010 - Heinz appears eager to play down expectations, but the arrival of the Heinz Beans kilo-containing plastics Fridge Pack has fuelled speculation around metal’s future share of the ambient foods category – and around possible imitations. 


Accurate apertures

06-Sep-2010 - The accuracy of wide-aperture metal detection in bulk packs and products has taken a leap forward with the introduction of a more sensitive system, says supplier Mettler Toledo Safeline. 


Retailers to converge on sustainability

06-Sep-2010 - Retailers’ divergences on the packaging and sustainability agenda could be resolved by the shift in focus under the new Courtauld Commitment Two (CC2) agreement, says environmental consultant Julia Hailes. 


Comment

Let’s hear it for the sound of compostable packaging

23-Aug-2010 - The world’s first 100 percent biodegradable chip packet attracted a lot of noise last week, but not the buzz that SunChips’ maker FritoLay had been hoping for.

Strong UK demand for recycled food-grade PET and HDPE boosts prices

23-Aug-2010 - UK demand for food-grade recycled plastics continues to outstrip supply and drive prices, according to a new report from the UK government-funded Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

Sending PET bottles to landfill may prove the low-carbon option, report

12-Aug-2010 - Countries with adequate space and little recycling infrastructure, such as parts of the US and the UK, could lower their carbon footprint substantially by sending PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles to landfill – rather than recycling or incinerating them, say researchers.

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