Sustainability drives packaging innovations
The use of recycled materials is one of the latest innovation in EoL packaging. Image: MTPak
Driven by consumer demands for more eco-friendly products and manufacturers’ goals to cut costs by reducing material and energy usage, sustainability has become one of the most significant trends in the packaging industry, including end-of-line packaging. By Maria Ferrante
Up and down the production line, sustainability is one of the most pervasive and persistent trends in the packaging industry — impacting everything from packaging to equipment choices. Packaging has a significant impact on the perceived sustainability image of coffee and tea products, according to market research from the Natural Marketing Institute. Sourcing and “end life” packaging is becoming more relevant as the product life cycle and waste impact are becoming a stronger part of consumers’ purchasing decision-making process.
Driven by both consumer demands for more eco-friendly products and by manufacturers’ goals to cut costs by reducing material and energy usage, sustainability has become one of the most consequential trends in the packaging industry. And this is true for end of the line (EoL) equipment for coffee and tea packaging as well, according to the newly released End-of-Line Equipment white paper from PMMI Business Intelligence, a division of PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Sustainability trends such as lightweighting, the use of recycled materials and a general reduction in machine energy usage are driving innovations in EoL machinery.
The concept of lightweighting, where manufacturers seek to reduce their overall material usage by designing packaging that requires less material, can be implemented in a variety of ways including thinner films for wrapping, thinner/smaller labels and secondary packaging with less empty space designed to maximise pallet stacking. While lightweighting strategies are effective on cutting costs, they bring with them extra considerations in terms of EoL equipment. Thinner packaging, films and labels are ultimately less durable, requiring EoL machinery to adjust in kind. To compensate for this reduction in durability, EoL equipment should be designed to tolerate an array of material strengths, with an emphasis on delicate handling capabilities.
Additionally, the post-consumer recycled (PCR) trend is being driven by two main factors: environmental impact and legislative regulations. On the one hand, savvy consumers seek packaging that is derived from recycled material to decrease the environmental impact of their purchases. On the other hand, regions around the world are passing new legislation aimed at reducing single use plastic, encouraging an expanded use of recycled materials. As a result of these dual pressures, the use of post-consumer recycled material is seeing steady adoption by manufacturers in the packaging space.
‘Lightweighting’ is a concept that involved reducing overall material usage by designing packaging that requires less material. Image: Shutterstock
The growing use of PCR material for coffee and tea packaging creates challenges for packaging lines that should be factored into future machine design. PCR material is often lower quality than virgin materials, resulting in variances in opacity, thickness and strength. Materials with a hazy quality may be rejected by automated vision inspection, while thinner, less durable material may break or fail during processing. These hiccups on a packaging line can result in additional downtime and an increase in material waste, driving up costs for packagers utilising PCR material. To avoid these pitfalls, EoL packaging machines should strive for an increased range of tolerances in both handling and inspection. These nimbler packaging configurations can allow manufacturers to proactively adjust to the variances in PCR material to maximise uptime and improve their throughput efficiency.
Beyond material sustainability, 38 per cent of manufacturers interviewed for PMMI’s white paper are seeking to reduce energy usage as part of their sustainability strategies. Manufacturers are sourcing machines that are more energy efficient, utilising less overall electricity and feature less power-hungry resources. EoL equipment designed with more precise motion, the integration of robotics, a reduction in reciprocating movement and the integration of frequency controls for motorized movement are just a few of the energy reduction strategies that coffee and tea producers can source.
- Maria Ferrante is senior director, marketing and communications for Herndon, Virginia-based PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Ferrante is an award-winning writer/editor who has been covering the packaging industry for over 25 years. PMMI (pmmi.org) produces the PACK EXPO Portfolio of trade shows, which includes the upcoming Pack Expo East (21-23 March in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). To register or learn more, visit packexpoeast.com. For information about the PACK Ready Health and Safety plan, visit packexpoeast.com/packready.
