All Comment articles – Page 10
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ArticleExploring patents: Innovating sustainable packaging solutions
Nicola Anderson, senior associate and patent attorney in the Advanced Engineering group at European intellectual property firm, Withers & Rogers, looks at a patent application that protects a method of forming a seal between two sheets of renewable plastic.
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ArticleWill the corrugated industry's ability to back the winning horse be the key to its future success?
Is flexibility while serving multiple retail channels the key to the success of corrugated, and how will this play out in the future within retailing? Neil Osment, Managing Director of paper packaging industry analysts NOA, shares his thoughts with Packaging Europe.
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ArticleRefillable Packaging – How to provide a sustainable solution from concept to design and beyond
Refillable packaging is on the rise, yet there is still a long way to go before it’s considered a fully sustainable solution. George Hooper from Lifestyle Packaging discusses how brands can go beyond using it as a marketing opportunity and explains how refillable packaging can be a genuinely sustainable solution from concept to design and throughout the customer journey.
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ArticleAustrade’s view on the UK and Australia’s free trade agreement and the future of Australian packaging
Following the signing of the free trade agreement between Australia and the UK at the end of last year, we spoke to Ana Nishnianidze, Austrade’s Trade Commissioner for the UK and Ireland, about packaging trends in Australia, sustainability efforts (including the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation) and the potential effects of the agreement on the industry.
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ArticleHow to secure venture capital for your packaging start-up
Anna Farberov is GM at PepsiCo Labs – Pepsico’s venturing team – which identifies and invests in start-ups with the aim of bringing innovative emerging technologies to market. In this interview, Farberov talks about what she looks for in potential partners, the elements that go into creating the perfect pitch, and the differences between successful pilot trials and unsuccessful ones.
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ArticleUnpacking the ‘first step’ on P&G’s paper bottle journey
Earlier this month, Procter & Gamble and Paboco announced a commercial trial for an innovation that it describes as its first step towards a fully recyclable paper-based bottle. We spoke with Jerry Porter, Senior Vice President of R&D for Global Fabric & Home Care Sector at P&G, to get his thoughts on recyclability, the criticisms that have been leveled at P&G following the announcement, and the steps that must be taken in order to launch a fully recyclable paper-based bottle at scale.
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ArticleAchieving climate goals in a post-consumer recycled materials desert
The EU’s deadline for all packaging to incorporate at least 30% recycled material is fast approaching, while the industry finds itself in the middle of what some are describing as a “post-consumer recycled materials crisis”. Jack Bigio, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of UBQ Materials, tells us more about how the packaging value chain can overcome these challenges.
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ArticleParcel theft is on the rise – how should the industry respond?
Doorstep parcel theft is on the rise – potentially costing the global economy around US$38.8 billion each year. In the midst of additional complications like strikes and supply chain uncertainty, how can the packaging value chain confront the issue of stolen parcels? Fergal O’Carroll, CRO at Scurri, tells us more.
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ArticleThe science behind packaging sustainability
We need more facts, not simply more faith, to move the needle on packaging sustainability. In this article, Robert M. Lilienfeld, executive director at SPRING, unpacks sustainability misconceptions and myths, and gives an introduction into the key forces that contribute to climate change.
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ArticleBioeconomy 2.0: Creating a bio-based, resilient future
Bioeconomy 2.0 refers to the research and development of the next generation of bio-based solutions aimed towards renewable, reusable, recyclable and sustainable production. We asked Ali Harlin, research professor at Finland’s VTT research centre about the potential benefits of bio-based materials for the packaging industry, the impact of current solutions and some of the main challenges in this field.
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ArticleWhat does modern traceability look like for CPG businesses?
Consumers are paying attention to their products – where and how they are sourced, and whether they are everything they claim to be. How can smart packaging accommodate for this shift, and what additional benefits can it bring? Ken Sickles, EVP and chief product officer at Digimarc, tells us why digitisation might be the way forward for CPG businesses.
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ArticleHow ensuring accessibility improves packaging for everyone
In this article, Howard Wright, executive creative and strategic director UK, IE & Australia at Equator Design, explores how inclusive design can be used to create packaging that not only meets the expectations of disabled customers but can also lead to a better product overall.
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ArticleWhat I learned about plastic waste by watching bread bake
Countless brands are repackaging their products to combat plastic pollution, but is it fair to hold the packaging industry responsible in the first place? Would the complete eradication of plastic packaging make a significant difference? Robert Lilienfeld, founder and executive director of sustainable packaging think tank SPRING, argues ‘no’ on both counts, and warns us against knee-jerk reactions that could ultimately cause greater environmental harm.
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ArticleBuilding more resilient, flexible supply chains for the future
European supply chains are facing intense pressure under the strain of various social and political disruptions. For Phil Reuben, executive director at SCALA, adaptation is the way forward. In this article, he weighs in on the progress supply chains can make to work towards survival in turbulent times, from digitalisation to diversification.
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ArticlePaul Foulkes-Arellano: It’s time we welcomed 3D printing into packaging factories
As brands go bespoke and packaging goes local, will packaging megafactories become redundant? Paul Foulkes-Arellano, founder of Circuthon Consulting, asks this question and more – arguing that the industry needs to work smarter, not larger, and embrace technology over expansion.
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ArticleHow can the packaging industry engage with disability-led design?
Several consumer goods companies – including high-profile Unilever and Procter & Gamble brands – have unveiled what they refer to as inclusive or accessible packaging designs in the last few years. These companies often assert that they worked with disabled people during the development of the packaging, ...
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ArticleDesign for sustainability: Does the easy dissembling of a product improve its sustainability?
We spoke to Sheri Dillard, director of Engineering Services at Jabil, about designing products with their disposal in mind.
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ArticleHow to work towards sustainable plastic packaging in an economic crisis
With many parts of Europe facing a cost-of-living crisis, Andrew McCaffery, global EPR director at Ecoveritas, argues that we should prioritise the planet over saving money in the short term. He tells us about the financial benefits of recyclable packaging, holding suppliers accountable for unsustainable practices, and the monetary incentives that might change consumer and company behaviour where legal ones fall short.
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ArticleCould smart labels replace best before dates?
OliTec’s smart labels can be applied to a temperature-sensitive product at the same time as it is packaged, offering a visual representation of freshness based on the temperature it is stored at over time and mimicking the product’s lifecycle. The company’s CEO Nicholas Richardson says the labels can provide greater clarity than best before dates and contribute to a reduction in food waste.
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ArticleGetting the sustainable message across: What is the role of Smart Packaging?
How can our industry empower consumers to play a larger role in recycling and packaging sustainability in general? The answer, according to AIPIA’s communications director Andrew Manly, lies in smart packaging.