Tetra Pak and Lactalis’ recycled polymer cartons
Dairy major Lactalis teamed up with packaging maker Tetra Pak to develop what the companies claim is the industry’s first packaging that uses certified recycled polymers sourced from used beverage cartons.
The recycled material is ISCC PLUS-certified and is allocated to the package based on a mass balance attribution method – meaning that the recycled content is made up of a mix of recycled and non-recycled content, with the corresponding volume of recycled material sourced and tracked throughout the supply chain. This contributes to minimizing the use of virgin fossil-based materials. The packaging will be used for Lactalis’ Puleva dairy range sold in Spain and later expanded to other ranges.
Tetra Pak research indicates that 78% of consumers are concerned about the environmental impact of plastic waste, with 29% reporting an increase in purchasing products packaged in recycled materials in the last year.
Sealed Air’s thermoforming solution
Sealed Air Corporation has launched Cryovac AutoWrap Lite in partnership with British cheesemaker Bradbury’s Cheese.
The packaging system reduces plastic use by up to 65% compared to traditional thermoformed packs, meaning it uses around 2g of packaging material to wrap 200g of cheese.
The packaging is also claimed to extend product shelf-life to 100 days and contributes to increased line speed by eliminating the need for using nitrogen or carbon dioxide by effectively vacuuming out oxygen.
Yoran Imaging’s through-the-cap monitoring system
Israeli thermal imaging Yoran Imaging introduced i-PAM, a monitoring system that provides comprehensive inspection and process analysis for induction-sealed bottles, jars and vials in a through-the-cap thermal imaging inspection process.
Induction-sealed packaging is widely used in the food and beverage space to safeguard product integrity and extend shelf life – but in many settings, seal integrity is verified through manual sampling, which could result in oversights and inefficiencies.
Yoran Imaging’s new i-PAM system eliminates such pitfalls through high-speed, thermal imaging-powered inspection combined with realtime data informing immediate process adjustments. The company says that the system continues inspecting each product while also recognizing developing trends, thus stopping small issues from becoming larger, line-stopping problems.
Coveris to expand UK hub
European packaging manufacturer Coveris is to expand its polyethylene extrusion facility in Winsford, Cheshire to strengthen its recyclable films production capabilities.
The upgrade includes a nine-layer blown extrusion line for technical EVOH barrier films, a new cast stretch extrusion line and an onsite 5,000-pallet space warehouse.
The stretch films extrusion line is set to commence production in December and is engineered for machinery applications for sectors such as bottling, canning, transport and logistics.
Meanwhile, the nine-layer EVOH barrier technology is suitable for applications in meat, fish and dairy.
SIG and Celema partner in Colombia
European packaging manufacturer SIG has teamed up with Colombia’s co-packer Celema to implement the former’s aseptic carton filling technology.
Production is set to commence by the end of Q4 2024, with SIG’s tech expected to enable improved efficiency and product safety for Celema customers. Celema will focus on filling flavored milk drinks, plant-based beverages and juices in SIG SmallBloc 200ml cartons.
US machinery sales rise
US packaging machinery shipments grew 5.8% in 2023 to $10.9bn, according to the 2024 State of the Industry report published by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, the producer of the Pack Expo portfolio of tradeshows.
While the growth rate is projected to slow to 2.5% in 2024, the 2025 forecast calls for an upturn in growth rates to reach a high of 8.0% in 2027.
This slowdown in 2024 is expected to be the next low point in the industry’s usual peak-to-trough sales cycle, typically lasting three to five years.