The Complete Package: Latest food and drink packaging developments
Attached cap roll-out at CCEP
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) is to extend its roll out of attached caps to its 500ml plastic bottles.
The new design keeps the cap connected to the bottle after opening, making it easier to recycle the entire package.
CCEP will gradually roll out the new cap design, starting with 500ml bottles of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Fanta Zero. A complete roll out across all Coca-Cola brands and pack sizes will be complete by the end of 2024.
Stephen Moorhouse, vice-president and general manager at CCEP in Great Britain, said: “This small but significant change helps to ensure that when consumers recycle our bottles, the caps stay attached and don’t get left behind as litter.
“We know consumers in Great Britain want to dispose of packaging in the right way, and we want to help them do that. We’re pleased to share this change, and we will continue to innovate and create more sustainable ways to enjoy our products.”
Biodegradable film for salty snacks
Tipa has developed a new thin compostable barrier film for crisps and nuts that is suitable for salty snacks.
The new 312MET film was described as having “superior sealing properties” and a particularly high barrier that enabled quick converting without the need for an additional sealing layer. This culminates in a thinner product than typically found in similar film products.
The salt and oil content present in these products acts as a corrosive that has, to date, made it very hard to package them in compostable materials.
Eli Lancry, Tipa’s chief technology officer, said: "Tipa endeavours to always remain on the forefront of developing innovative, planet-friendly technology.
“We are proud to launch a film that performs just like traditional plastic with an extremely high barrier, offering customers convenience and reassurance that the quality of their product will be protected. This is only one of many novelty products we have and will produce in our R&D centre.”
Aunt Bessie's develops labelling for blind people
Aunt Bessie’s has introduced NaviLens technology to the packaging of two of its bestselling products in a bid to support visually impaired shoppers.
Tags printed on the packaging of Aunt Bessie’s 10 Glorious Golden Yorkshires and Crispy & Fluffy Roasties can be read by smartphones easier than QR codes – 12 times further awat and with no focus required.
Shoppers can identify products from afar and receive information on the ingredients, preparation instructions and recycling information that can all be heard aloud through their device.
Lauren Ward, Brand Manager at Aunt Bessie’s, said: “We’re delighted to be trialling such an impactful tool on our packaging as we continue to provide a helping hand to those who live with sight loss and strive to make mealtimes as accessible as possible.”
Marc Powell, accessibility innovation lead at the Royal National Institute of Blind People which has partnered on this project, said: “Blind and partially sighted people should have the same freedom, independence and choice as sighted customers. Currently, important information on packaging can often be in very small print, making it difficult or impossible for people with sight loss to read.
“We are delighted that Aunt Bessie’s are the first frozen food brand to sign up to using NaviLens technology on their packaging.”
Latest packaging prices
The Mintec Category Index for packaging (UK) has declined for four consecutive months following a record high price in April 2022 (GBP 1,562.44/MT). In August, the UK packaging index reached GBP 1,409.64/MT, up 7.3% month-on-month (m-o-m) and 10.3% year-on-year (y-o-y). The index is mainly driven by elevated input costs (energy, fibre).
The European August price of GD 300gr cartonboard stayed flat m-o-m but increased by 54.1% y-o-y, to EUR 1,140/MT. The cartonboard prices in Europe are historically high since natural gas, recovered paper, and pulp prices rose again in August. According to producers, there is still a robust order intake but sluggish call-offs. In some cases, delivery has been a month late and wherever possible, customers have been cancelling orders, for instance, if price increases or surcharges are announced. According to market sources, cartonboard prices may increase again in September 2022.
The EU kraftliner 175gr price decreased by 3.1% m-o-m but still up 24% y-o-y to EUR 989.3/MT in August. According to market participants, business activity has been slower in comparison to the same time year ago, and demand has slowed down. In addition, the kraftliner market was facing a much larger surplus than recycled paper, as more capacity had been added to the European market. Also, Russian kraftliner has been replaced by
