Sustainability the buzzword at USA show

3 January 2007



Pauline Covell reports from Chicago


Highlight of the PMMI's Pack Expo exhibition was the keynote address from Matt Kistler, vice president of package and product innovations, and Amy Zettlemoyer, director of packaging at Wal-Mart's Sam's Club.

Although announced in September at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York, the detail of the world's largest retailer's Packaging Vision was saved for the packed house presentation at Pack Expo.

The Packaging Scorecard tool (for Wal-Mart product suppliers) and the associated Packaging Supplier Virtual Trade show scorecard (where the converters come in) is designed not only to assist Wal-Mart reach its stated environmental goal of a five per cent reduction in packaging by 2013, but is also claimed will be of benefit for its business and its suppliers' businesses. There can never be total agreement on the balance put on each material or package. “It is a consensus and not necessarily an agreement,” said Amy Zettlemoyer. But everyone, including Wal-Mart, recognizes that the global retail giant has the strength and now the opportunity to have a global impact on the environment.

So how does it work? The product supplier answers an extensive series of questions on-line about the packaging and transportation of its products. The scorecard evaluates a list of these input metrics including greenhouse gas/carbon dioxide generation per ton of production, material value, product/package ratio, cube utilization, transportation (how far it comes), recycled content, recovery value, and renewable energy used in manufacture. They are weighted differently, with the first four headings accounting for 15 per cent each of the score.

Examples of material value scores include a high value for starch based products and a low one for PVC, for example. High recovery values are given for, say, paper and aluminium, whilst mixed materials and foams score poorly, reported Amy Zettlemoyer

The system will operate globally and suppliers will not need to enter information for each country - scores will automatically take in the different circumstances about materials and recovery for say Asda in the UK and Sam's Club in the USA.

An additional information question is designed “to reward innovation”, explained Amy Zettlemoyer. It will question the percentage energy gain from a company's unique manufacturing innovations, for example.

Once all the parameters have been completed, the software gives the supplier a score and indicates where there is a high or low score. In addition, modelling software available for $900 will suggest where improvements can be made. Amy Zettlemoyer stressed: “The modelling software puts it in terms that non packaging people can understand”. Scores will change from day to day as other suppliers join the scheme or change some of their input.

More than 2,000 private label (own brand) suppliers are already involved in the initial trialling of the scorecard. In February, 2007, its other suppliers will begin inputting their information. An automated on-line demonstration is available at www.scorecardlibrary.com for them to familiarize themselves with the system.

In the second score card - The Virtual Trade Show - packaging converters and suppliers, as well as those offering technology on, say, renewable energy such as wind power can enter their information. Through the use of the system, users are able to search the industry for new or improved materials, packages, machinery and services, suppliers who can help them make improvements and conserve resources better. This website www.marketgate.com/packaging, is already live. It also gives packaging suppliers the opportunity to showcase their innovations as they occur to the 60,000 Wal-Mart suppliers around the globe.

From February, 2008, the company “will begin to analyze performance on sustainability“, announced Amy Zettlemoyer.

It was significant that in the extensive question and answer session that followed the address, Matt Kistler said the system had nothing to do with mandates. “If what we are doing is not sustainable financially it is not worth doing. Also if something changes the safety or effectiveness of the package we don't want to see it.”

Questioned on how the buyers will judge suppliers, he said: “It is obvious that we have to serve the customer so price is an important part of the equation. But in 2008 our buyers will look at other things rather than just price.”

Wal-Mart (2005 earnings were $288B) operates Wal-Mart discount stores, SuperCenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam's Club chains in the USA. The company has operations in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, and the UK.

Biodegradable films were clearly in evidence at the show. Seal-it introduced its Earthfirst PLA shrink sleeves. Offering “excellent printability” in up to 10 colours by either rotogravure or modified flexo, they are said to provide up to 75 per cent shrinkage. And recently appointed supplier to the Beijing Olympics PSM, of HongKong, was offering its plasticized starch based film, sheet and bottle grades. (However, one can't help wondering how the material would score under transport on the Wal-Mart system).

It was in the field of flexible materials where some of the most exciting innovations could be found in Chicago. Nanotechnology products company NovaCentrix has recently announced a partnership with Pliant. One of the first ideas to be jointly developed as a security measure for high value palletized goods, revealed ceo of NovaCentrix Steve Leach, is a stretch film printed with its Metalon FS-066 nano silver ink in a band connected to an RFID chip. If the stretchwrap is broken, so is the circuit and the shipper would be able to know exactly where it has happened.

“If the stretchwrap were to be printed with silver flake, the circuit would break when stretched; the flakes would break apart. But with Metalon the millions of nano silver particles will not break. Patterns printed with the conductive inks are capable of achieving excellent electrical conductivity even after 100 per cent stretch.“ To enable the nano silver printed ink to cure on film, a process was developed which operates at a temperature low enough not to damage the substrate. The company is offering the PCS 1100 Photonic Curing System. It works by exposing the nanoparticle based films to a brief (300ms), intense pulse of light from a xenon flash lamp. The technology is claimed to heat and fuse nano metallic ink particles rapidly and selectively, forming highly conductive paths. The low temperature curing conductive inks are also developed and supplied by NovaCentrix.

The same nanoparticulate silver will kill microbes and neutralize viruses, revealed Steve Leach. Basically, the particles are in an unstable state so they work their way into the bacteria to stabilize themselves. He suggested future applications in medical devices and their packaging. And next year the company is launching its Effisil brand of wound care products.

“We are looking to double our staff in 2007 and to market our inks and systems worldwide,” he added.

Ampac Flexibles, a unit of Ampac Packaging launched PureFlex, a new clear stand-up pouch structure for water. Traditionally, water has been challenging to pack because of its odourless and tasteless qualities. First product to be brought to market in the new structure is Wasatch's Park City Ice Water.

The seven to nine layer proprietary coextrusion features an organoleptic sealant layer, nylon and an optional EVOH layer for additional oxygen barrier. The nylon helps provide structural strength and acts as a barrier against odour ingress.

Performance Films, the company's film manufacturing arm, was charged with finding the right combination of polymers and sealants. Ampac Flexibles' Converted Products applied its pouch making expertise to offer a range of shapes and sizes (175-1,000ml).

The basic PureFlex structure is also available in the reel for other converters. Additionally, two laminated versions (solvent and solventless) are available for those requiring reverse printed applications.

Rollprint Packaging Products has developed Allegro M sealant to achieve clean peel lidding demanded by medical and pharma applications.

The sealant can be extrusion coated onto various substrates, including film, foil or paper to create “a cost effective way to achieve a clean peel”. It seals to rigid cup or tray structures, including HIPS, PVC APET, PP and HDPE at low temperatures and also offers a wide operating window. The sealant is said to be ideal for more challenging applications, including those where there may be liquid contamination on the sealing surface. Ed Verkuilen, marketing manager, said: “The first application is for a unit dose cough syrup that will launch in the first quarter of 2007. A second application is in the diagnostics business.” The sealant is claimed to have a good thermal and dimensional stability and is suitable for radiation sterilization.

He revealed that the company was currently looking at a joint venture in Europe.

DataLase Casemark Tape was launched as a “cost effective label replacement for outer case secondary packaging”. It also offers a neat brand protection feature.

The DataLase coating produces a colour change in the tape from white to black on exposure to a low power CO2 laser. The lifetime of the laser is said to be over 30,000 hours and, compared to thermally printed labels, requires little maintenance and no replacing of printheads. As the tape does not have any backing paper nor require any inks or consumables, the technique is much simpler, cheaper and more environmentally friendly than traditional print-and-apply labels, said sales and marketing co-ordinator Michelle Radcliffe.

As the DataLase chemistry is integrated in the tape material and uses such a low power CO2 laser, it is possible to laser through the PP to effectively encase the image within the tape. If the tape is removed from the carton after imaging, the image is automatically transferred to the box, leaving permanent evidence.

During Pack Expo 2,302 companies demonstrated their innovations on 1,254,624ft2 of space to 71,407 attendees (2004: 70,477).



Contacts

PMMI
Tel: +1 703 243 8555
Wal-Mart
Tel: +1 479 273 8446
Seal-It
Tel: +1 516 935 3965
PSM
Tel: +852 2213 7384
NovaCentrix
Tel: +1 512 491 9500
Pliant
Tel: +1 866 876 6188
Ampac
Tel: +1 513 671 1777
Rollprint
Tel: +1 630 628 1700
DataLase
Tel: +44 (0)151 4239360





External weblinks
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Ampac
DataLase
NovaCentrix
Pliant
PMMI
PSM
Rollprint
Seal-It
Wal-Mart

Ampac’s Pureflex Ampac’s Pureflex
DataLase Casemark tape DataLase Casemark tape
Wal-Mart’s Matt Kistler and Amy Zettlemoyer Wal-Mart’s Matt Kistler and Amy Zettlemoyer
Clean peel lidding by Rollprint Clean peel lidding by Rollprint


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