Companies will soon have the freedom to choose the size of
packaging they use for most oftheir products, after a set of
restrictive rules were abolished yesterday by EU ministers.
Importing wine to Britain in bulk and bottling it in lighter glass
would save money and help the environment, says a recycling agency,
which has signed up supermarkets and wine firms to trial the idea.
Proposed EU legislation would define the manufacturing practices
the bloc's processors would have to take in ensuring that packaging
materials do not migrate into foods.
Edible coatings based on various mixes of milk serum proteins,
starch, and mesquite gum could be the basis for the next innovative
wave in food packaging, says a researcher in Spain.
Work on the UK's first factory able to recycle HDPE resin from
plastic milk bottles for re-use in food packaging could start
within a year, according to a government-funded recycling agency.
UK-based Stanelco will begin testing the use of its radio frequency
technology heat sealing method with a food packaging company within
the next two months, according to a company spokesperson.
An automated carton end-loader will bridge the gap between large
production lines and small-scale operations, giving quick
labour-saving options for medium-sized manufacturers, says its
developer.
Global packaging provider Rexam says it will begin renegotiating
contracts with its European clients later this year in a bid to
recover some of the rising costs of the aluminum used in its
beverage cans.
Leading carton maker Tetra Pak will double capacity at its Beijing
factory, it said yesterday, allowing it to meet the expected
ongoing growth in China's dairy sector.
Packaging giant Rexam has gained its first foothold in India,
signing a local joint venture that plans to supply cans to the
country's promising beer market.
Products containing meat and poultry will now be able to feature
the Whole Grain Stamp, after the US government announced it was to
expand the list of goods eligible to use the eye-catching symbol.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is pushing ahead with product
testing methods after scientists found new ways to detect latex
allergens in food packaging.
A new layout for processing and factory warehouses could save 20.4
per cent in costs when compared to the traditional warehouse
designs, claim researchers.
About one-third of the UK's food packaging has been found to
contain hidden latex, leading to calls for processors to note the
presence of the known allergen on their products.
Driven by tougher waste legislation and set EU targets, the
recovery of plastics in the bloc is growing steadily, according to
a new report by Applied Market Information (AMI).
European post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) collection
recycling rates reached 796,000 tonnes in 2005, a 15.1 per cent
increase over the previous year, according to a trade association.
Recycled packaging has become a more viable option in the UK,
according to three leading firms spanning soft drinks, food
retailing and cosmetics, who have been trialling products and
gauging consumer opinion.
A rectangular polyethylene terephthalate (PET) container for hot
fill beverages offers increased strength and packs at a greater
density, claims its manufacturer.
Ready-to-pour cereal products in packaging that has until now been
associated with juice cartons could be the new way to improve the
appeal of products and add consumer value, according to Tetra Pak.
Rexam is putting new beverage can capacity on the market, as it
strengthens its relationship with Red Bull by building a new
wall-to-wall plant in Austria.
A UK mineral water company has launched the first corn-based
biodegradable bottle in that country's market, linking its fund
raising activities with environmentalism.
A new thermoforming, filling and sealing machine for packaging cups
and other containers can result in savings of up to 35 per cent in
material costs, its manufacturer claims.
With biodegradable becoming less of a buzzword and more of a
reality in the packaging business, a machine maker has adapted a
blow moulder for use with corn-based plastics.
Asia Packaging Industries has broken ground on a US$39 million can
factory in southern Vietnam, which is designed to meet rising
demand for packaged beverages in the market.
A drinks company has put out a call for a nanotechnology company to
help it create functional packaging and a new gas release "widget"
using the technology.
The 'iCone' is the big new idea in carton packaging from Elopak,
intended to fend off competition from plastics and provide a new
vehicle for premium soft drinks.
Tetra Pak's own packaging machines could soon be used against it,
after rival group Alternapak claimed it had found a way to run its
own packaging reels on Tetra Pak production lines.