The due diligence bar for checking glass-in-glass contamination could and should be lifted, say equipment suppliers, despite the potentially significant capital costs for filling operations.

An upsurge in environment-related pack designs, and a consequent fivefold increase in entries in this area, has led the organisers of the Starpack packaging awards to split the category in two for 2008.

US multi-layer films firm Ampac Flexibles has launched a range of nine-layer films for vertical form-fill-seal applications in foodservice.

A premium carton can deliver improved margins without leaving a hole in your packaging budget, says supplier A&R Carton. "We can find other savings, while putting more exclusive surfaces on the carton for an improved look and feel," explains marketing and development director Lars Aberg.

Users of packaging could be liable for unprecedented levels of fines for non-compliance with their obligations under the Producer Responsibility (Packaging Waste) Regulations, say lawyers.

The growth in plastics recycling capacity, and the prospect of non-bottle collection and processing in future, is inspiring UK converters to look at mono-material pack, lid and label combinations.

Raw material costs and retailer commitment to reduce the weight of packaging are driving the development of lighter closures as well as containers.

Closed Loop Recycling, owner of the Dagenham plant due to open in June, says it is already pursuing plans for a second plant "within an hour of Liverpool and Manchester".

When Arla Foods won two Food Manufacture Excellence Awards last November, including Food Manufacturer of the Year, the sheer scale of its logistical operations and its impressive reductions in packaging volumes were two elements singled out by the judges.