Category: Packaging & Equipment

Stay informed on the latest innovations and technologies in packaging and processing within the food and beverage industry. This category covers the companies, equipment, and materials that are transforming how products are packaged, processed, and delivered to consumers. From sustainable packaging and smart technologies to advanced processing equipment and automation, explore the solutions that are driving efficiency, safety, and sustainability across the entire value chain.

U.S. FDA launches webpage on micro- and nanoplastics in food – Food Packaging Forum


The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has introduced a new webpage dedicated to micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) in food. The page, published on July 24, 2024, provides general information on MNPs, as well as how these particles may end up in foodstuffs, and whether there is scientific evidence on associated health risks (FPF reported).  

According to the FDA, the main source of MNP particles in foods is from environmental contamination where foods are produced. The agency further claims that “there is not sufficient scientific evidence to show that microplastics and nanoplastics from plastic food packaging migrate into foods and beverages” (FPF reported).  

While the methods for detecting and identifying MNPs are still being standardized (FPF reported), multiple studies have found evidence that the normal and intended usage of foodware and packaging is a source of MNPs in food (FPF reported, here and here). As food processing equipment is regulated under the same conditions as food packaging, it may not be appropriate to group it with broader sources of environmental contamination. 

The FDA notes that although MNPs have been detected in various foods, their presence does not inherently pose a risk or violate FDA regulations unless they are shown to cause health concerns. Additionally, the current lack of standardized methods for detecting, quantifying, and characterizing MNPs raises questions about the accuracy and specificity of many studies, the agency says. They will continue to monitor new research on MNPs. 

The Food Packaging Forum is part of AURORA, a research project focusing on early-life human health impacts from exposure to MNPs, funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. AURORA is one of five projects within the CUSP research cluster investigating health impacts of MNPs. With the projects coming to an end in 2026 and 2025, respectively, new scientific insights on the topic are expected in the coming months. 

 

Reference 

US FDA (July 24, 2024) “Microplastics and nanoplastics in foods.” 

Read more 

Keller & Heckman (July 31, 2024) “FDA publishes web page on microplastics and nanoplastics in food.” 

Valerie Volcovici (August 14, 2024) “Exclusive-In shift, US backs global target to reduce plastic production, source says.” Reuters 



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Sous Vide Specialist Anova Informs Community Its App Is Going Subscription, and It’s Not Going Well


Last week, Anova CEO Steve Svajian announced that the company will begin charging a subscription fee for new users of its sous vide circulator app starting August 21st, 2024. However, existing users who have downloaded the app and created an account before this date will not be impacted by the change. These users will be grandfathered into free access to the app’s full features.

Svajian explained that the decision to introduce a subscription fee stems from the fact that “each connected cook costs us money,” a cost that has become significant as the number of connected cooks now numbers in the “hundreds of millions.” The new Anova Sous Vide Subscription will be priced at $1.99 per month or $9.99 per year.

As Digital Trends noted, this announcement comes on the heels of Anova’s decision to sunset app connectivity for older Wi-Fi and Bluetooth sous vide circulators.

Unsurprisingly, the news has sparked discontent among Anova users. There are currently 195 comments on the Anova post announcing the new subscription, the majority of which express dissatisfaction, with many users stating, “I’m done with Anova.”

For instance, one user commented:

“I liked the product and bought it for friends and family as a gift. I will no longer be using this product and regret ever supporting this company.”

Another user remarked:

“You must have watched Sonos app troubles and thought, ‘Hold my beer.’ Charging your customers for your inability to innovate is a doozy!”

As a long-time Sonos user, I can relate to the frustration expressed in the Sonos comment, having witnessed how the music streaming hardware pioneer damaged its reputation with a glitchy app. While the Anova app may not be as central to the user experience as the Sonos app (I personally prefer using the on-device controls for the Anova), it highlights how upset customers become when a company alters or disrupts a previously satisfactory experience.

However, it’s important to recognize that smartphones have taught us that connected devices have a limited shelf life. Over time, products age, and companies like Apple, Samsung, and now Sonos and Anova, have made it clear that they can’t support old hardware indefinitely, particularly when maintaining apps incurs ongoing costs related to development, web services, and customer support.

The challenge for companies like Sonos and Anova is that consumers don’t perceive all connected electronics the same way, especially those that were initially free to use and expected to have a long lifespan. We’ve become accustomed to paying substantial sums for our phones and their associated monthly service fees, and despite this investment, most of us have accepted the forced obsolescence model that the smartphone industry has ingrained in us.

In contrast, when it comes to other devices, like connected cooking appliances, we tend to expect them to work indefinitely without additional costs. We assume that this new experience—connected cooking—will continue without requiring us to pay for the same level of service we previously enjoyed for free.

Considering the broader trajectory of Anova and its parent company, Electrolux, this news is not entirely surprising. Electrolux, like many appliance companies, has faced challenges in recent years, including laying off three thousand employees last fall. Despite these difficulties, they have continued to operate Anova as a relatively independent entity. Unlike other major brands that have shuttered their smart kitchen acquisitions, Electrolux appears to be making a concerted effort to keep Anova going in a tough economic environment.

It remains to be seen how this move will affect the brand. The backlash is predictable, but I wonder if the outrage is primarily coming from a vocal minority. I suspect that the “100 million connected cooks” figure is somewhat exaggerated, as Anova claims to have powered over 100 million cooks on its website. I also believe that many of these cooks, like me, are from users who simply plug in the device and use it directly without relying on the app.



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Saco Foods Acquires Pamela’s, Ancient Harvest Brands



Saco Foods, a portfolio company of Fengate Private Equity and Weathervane Investment Corp., has completed the acquisition of Quinoa Corporation and its brands Ancient Harvest and Pamela’s. 

Saco Foods acquired Quinoa Corporation and its brands from funds managed by Encore Consumer Capital. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed

Founded in 1983, Ancient Harvest pioneered the sale of quinoa in the U.S. and continues to be a leading brand for plant-based products including gluten-free pasta, polenta and quinoa. Founded in 1988 and acquired by Quinoa Corporation in 2019, Pamela’s offers gluten-free baking mixes and baked goods.

“We are excited to welcome Ancient Harvest and Pamela’s into our family of brands,” says Tom Walzer, CEO of Saco Foods. “Broadening our offering with their quality products complements our existing portfolio and leverages our shared service platform to improve service and reinvest in innovation to drive the organic growth of these great legacy brands.”

“I am excited to be joining the Saco platform, as it is a natural fit for our brands,” adds John Becker, former CEO of Quinoa Corporation and now president of Ancient Harvest and Pamela’s. “With the support of Saco, we have a great opportunity to reinvigorate these brands and expand our distribution while maintaining the high quality standards our customers and end consumers expect.”



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Thailand adopts standard for assessing footprint of biobased plastics – Food Packaging Forum


In July 2024, the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) adopted a new standard, TIS 3287 Part 4-2566, that covers the carbon and environmental footprint of biobased plastics, focusing on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of these materials. It is identical to the ISO 22526-4:2023 standard and provides guidelines for evaluating the environmental impact of biobased plastic products, including materials and polymer resins. The standard allows for different LCA approaches, such as cradle-to-gate and gate-to-gate, depending on the study’s scope. It aims to standardize environmental assessments of biobased plastics. 

TISI has also adopted the standard for  the analysis of microplastics in the environment: TIS 3747-2566, or ISO 24187:2023.

 

Reference 

TISI (July 20, 2024). “Carbon and environmental footprint of biobased plastics – Part 4: Environmental (total) footprint (life cycle assessment).” (in Thai) 

ISO (2023). “ISO 22526-4:2023. Plastics — Carbon and environmental footprint of biobased plastics Part 4: Environmental (total) footprint (life cycle assessment).”  

TISI (July 24, 2024). “Principles for the analysis of microplastics in the environment.” (in Thai)



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The Idea of Smell-O-Vision Has Been Around for Over a Century. AI May Finally Make It Work


Since the early 1900s, the entertainment industry has been attempting to pair the experience of smell with video entertainment.

In 1916, the Rivoli Theater in New York City introduced scents into the theater during a movie called The Story of Flowers. In 1933, the Rialto Theater installed an in-theater smell system. Hans Laube developed a technique called Scentovision, which was introduced at the 1939 World’s Fair. A decade ago, Japanese researchers were also exploring “Smell-O-Vision” for home TVs, working on a television that used vaporizing gel pellets and emitted air streams from each corner of the screen into the living room.

However, none of these efforts took off, primarily because they didn’t work very well. These attempts at Smell-O-Vision failed because we’ve never been able to adequately recreate the world’s smells in an accurate or scalable way, largely because we’ve never been able to digitally capture them.

This doesn’t mean the fragrance and scent industry hasn’t been robust and growing, but it’s a very different task to create a singular fragrance for a consumer product than to develop something akin to a “smell printer” that emits scents on command. The latter requires a comprehensive digital understanding of scent molecules, something that has only recently become possible.

The digital understanding of the world of smells has accelerated in recent years, and one company leading the way is Osmo, a startup that has raised $60 million in funding. Osmo is led by Alex Wiltschko, a Harvard-trained, ex-Googler who received his PhD in olfactory neuroscience from Harvard in 2016. Wiltschko, who led a group at Google that spent five years using machine learning to predict how different molecules will smell, founded Osmo in early 2023 with the mission of “digitizing smell to improve the health and well-being of human life” by “building the foundational capabilities to enable computers to do everything our noses can do.”

Osmo employed AI to explore the connection between molecular structure and the perception of smell, demonstrating that a machine can predict scents with remarkable accuracy. They developed a machine-learning model using graph neural networks (GNNs), trained on a dataset of 5,000 known compounds, each labeled with descriptive smells like “fruity” or “floral.” This model was then tested on 400 novel compounds, selected to be structurally distinct from anything previously studied or used in the fragrance industry, to see how well it could predict their scents compared to human panelists.

The model’s capabilities were further challenged in an “adversarial” test, where it had to predict scents for molecules that were structurally similar but smelled different. Osmo’s model correctly predicted scents 50% of the time in this difficult scenario. Additionally, the model was able to generalize well beyond the original training data, assessing other olfactory properties like odor strength across a massive dataset of 500,000 potential scent molecules.

The Principal Odor Map (POM) created by Osmo’s model outperformed human panelists in predicting the consensus scent of molecules, marking a significant advancement in olfactory science and demonstrating that AI can predict smells based on molecular structure better than individual human experts in many cases.

We’ve been able to digitally capture and categorize other sensory categories, such as vision, which has led to massive new industry value creation in robotics and autonomous vehicles. The biggest leaps have been a result of machine learning models, and now we’re seeing another massive leap forward in capabilities and product innovation through the application of generative AI.

One potential application Wiltschko describes is “teleporting scent,” where we’ll be able to capture a smell from one part of the world and digitally transfer it to another. To do this, he envisions a world where a local AI-guided molecular sensor could instantly identify the molecular makeup of any scent. From there, his odor map can create what is essentially a formula ready for teleportation without significant manual intervention by scent experts.

This idea, using AI to recreate scents based on a digital framework quickly, could lay the foundation for what film and TV makers have long dreamed of: creating technology that can recreate odors and smells at scale. In other words, we may finally enter a world where Smell-O-Vision becomes a reality. The potential for video entertainment, virtual reality, and other experiences in food service, travel, and more would no doubt lead to a multitude of new applications, much like we’ve seen over the past couple of decades with advances in computer and machine vision.



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Vital Farms Names Joe Holland as Chief Supply Chain Officer



Vital Farms has hired Joe Holland as Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO), beginning Sept. 1.

Holland will lead Vital Farms’ diversified supply chain team, including its egg washing and packing facility, Egg Central Station (ECS), in Springfield, Mo., its forthcoming facility in Seymour, Ind., and dairy operations for its growing butter business.

“Joe’s unwavering commitment to service, quality and cost principles will help us further innovate and deliver long-term resilience across our supply chain,” says Russell Diez-Canseco, Vital Farms’ president and CEO. “I’m excited for Joe to dig into the incredible work our supply chain team already does every day to continue expanding our leadership in ethical food and making progress towards our goal of $1 billion in net revenue by 2027.”

In the newly created CSCO role, Holland will lead Vital Farms’ supply chain and logistics, production operations, food safety quality assurance, dairy operations, and integrated business planning teams. He brings more than 25 years of experience serving in various supply chain and distribution roles at leading CPG companies including Dean Foods, Cadbury Schweppes and Ventura Foods. Most recently, Holland served as executive vice president of operations and supply chain at Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., an international provider of consumer cannabis products.

“I’m thrilled to join the Vital Farms team and contribute to the company’s continued growth as a Certified B Corporation and public benefit corporation,” Holland says. “The incredible accomplishments of the current team have laid a strong foundation, and I’m eager to build on that success. It’s inspiring to be part of a company that truly values the stakeholder model, where every decision is made with the well-being of our farmers, crew members, customers, consumers, shareholders, communities and the environment in mind. This collective focus is what drives sustainable and meaningful progress.”

Holland will assume many of the responsibilities previously held by Jason Dale, who has served as Vital Farms’ chief operating officer since 2019. Dale will remain in an advisory role with the company through the end of 2024.

“Jason leaves a great legacy. He built a dynamic team that embodies our values,” Diez-Canseco says. “I’m thankful for his numerous contributions to our culture and stakeholders. We wish Jason the best and will cheer him on in his next chapter of life and career.”



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U.S. supports global plastic production caps and chemical bans in ‘major’ policy shift


According to Reuters, the United States will support a global treaty to cap and restrict new plastic production, as well a list of controlled chemicals, in what is described as a ‘major policy shift’.

An unnamed source ‘close to U.S. negotiations’ is cited in Reuters’ claims that, in order to avoid a ‘patchwork’ of rules that differ from country to country, the U.S. will now back the creation of international criteria, including lists of harmful chemicals and ‘avoidable’ plastic products.

Reuters explains that the shift will bring the country into closer alignment with EU Member States, South Korea, Canada, Rwanda, Peru, and other ‘high-ambition countries’. Collectively, they have encouraged the introduction of a cap and reduction on plastic production, as well as restrictions on so-called ‘chemicals of concern’.

Countries like China and Saudi Arabia have argued that individual nations should be able to establish their own rules surrounding plastic production; before its shift in policy, the U.S. echoed this stance. Such differences in opinion caused delays at INC-4 in Ottawa back in April, with the so-called ‘Like-Minded Countries’ protesting against production caps in favour downstream measures – improved waste management, redesigning packaging, etc.

Now those in favour of plastic production targets fear that these disagreements over the treaty’s scope will make it difficult to close negotiations at INC-5 in Busan, South Korea later this year. The Bridge to Busan Declaration – signed by the European Union earlier this month – seeks to preserve plastic production targets, although it is currently unclear whether the U.S. will offer its support.

Environmental groups have voiced their ‘cautious’ support for the policy shift, described by Greenpeace as a “watershed moment” in the fight against plastic pollution. Greenpeace USA Ocean’s campaign director, John Hocevar, considers it “a welcome signal that [the government] are finally listening to the demands of the American people.”

However, industry groups have criticized the move. The American Chemistry Council (ACC) argues that the Biden administration has “caved” to environmental groups and, while it supports a global treaty, it does not agree with caps or lists of controlled chemicals.

“With today’s shift in position to support plastic production caps and regulate chemicals via the UN Plastics Agreement, the White House has signalled it is willing to betray U.S. manufacturing and the hundreds of thousands of jobs it supports,” said Chris Jahn, president of the ACC.

INC-5 will be held after the upcoming presidential election on 5th November, in which former President Donald Trump – who previously withdrew the U.S. from the United Nations’ Paris Agreement on climate change – will run against current Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced that, if elected again, it plans to phase out all single-use plastics across US federal government agencies by 2035 and all single-use plastic products in foodservice, packaging, and events by 2027. It is claimed that this landmark strategy marks the first time the federal government has formally acknowledged the severity of the plastic waste crisis and the large-scale effort needed to combat it.

In other news, a Notice of Intent has been issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce opening a competition for new R&D deliveries to secure and drive domestic capacity for semiconductor advanced packaging. The CHIPS for America programme is expected to award $150 million in federal funding to five R&D areas and leverage private sector investments from industry and academia to support prototype development opportunities.

If you liked this story, you might also enjoy:

How are the top brands progressing on packaging sustainability? 

Sustainable Innovation Report 2024: Current trends and future priorities 

Reuse vs. single use – which is better for the environment? 

The ultimate guide to global plastic sustainability regulation 



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Updated safety guidelines for metals used in food contact – Food Packaging Forum


The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) published an updated version of a guidance document on metals and alloys used in food contact materials and articles. The document, published on August 1, 2024, serves as a technical guide for manufacturers and regulators. It is based on the Council of Europe Resolution CM/Res(2020)9 concerning the safety and quality of food contact materials.

The document sets out Specific Release Limits (SRLs) for various metals and alloys, which define the maximum permissible levels of metals that can be released from food contact materials into food. These limits are determined based on toxicological assessments and exposure data, in an effort to minimize any potential health risks. Several updates have been made to the SRLs since previous editions, reflecting the latest scientific data. 

Safety assessments for a wide range of metals commonly used in food contact materials, including aluminum, chromium, cobalt, nickel, lead, cadmium, and other contaminants, are provided. 

A significant portion of the guide is dedicated to testing methods and procedures for determining the release of metals from food contact materials into food or food simulants. It provides comprehensive guidance on selecting food simulants, analytical methods, and data interpretation. 

The document also highlights the need for collaboration between manufacturers, testing laboratories, and regulatory authorities. By following the recommended practices and ensuring compliance with SRLs, manufacturers can minimize the risk of releasing harmful levels of metals into food, while regulators can more effectively enforce safety standards. 

 

Reference 

EDQM (August 1, 2024) “Metals and alloys used in food contact materials and articles.” 



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Automated Flexible Conveyor Introduces SPIRALFEEDER



A new SPIRALFEEDER flexible screw conveyor from process equipment manufacturer Automated Flexible Conveyor features a custom design that automatically transfers fine powders that cake and clump without clogging the conveying tube. 

Developed to transfer a proprietary wheat flour for a major food and nutritional product manufacturer, this portable SPIRALFEEDER features an asymmetric agitator design to continuously sweep wide swaths of powder into the hopper discharge, FDA-compliant air diffusers to reduce particle-to-particle contact, and a vibrating hopper to ensure constant movement towards the screw. The fine powders move from hopper to discharge in a first-in, first-out process in a choice of throughput rates.

Suitable for gently transferring bentonite clay, powdered sugar, starch, detergent and other non-free flowing materials and ingredients, the sanitary flexible screw conveyor also includes a hopper dust cover with dust sock to keep any fine particles enclosed in the powder transfer system. In addition, an automated low-level shutoff stops operation when the hopper is empty to prevent excessive wear on the screw conveyor and tube.

The AFC SPIRALFEEDER is custom-designed and manufactured at the company’s New Jersey facility. Product and material testing are offered in the on-site test laboratory.



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German Packaging Awards 2024: top standouts, emerging trends, and exclusive insights


Last month, we reported on the winners of the German Packaging Institute’s German Packaging Awards 2024. Now, in a unique opportunity to gain insight into the jury process, we spoke to jurors Simone Marquardt, head of Packaging Development & Packaging QA at Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli; Norbert Menzel, head of Packaging Technology at Beiersdorf; and Christoph Waldau, CEO of B+P Creality – learning more about their experiences on the panel, the entries that impressed them this year, and the packaging trends they’ve noticed.

 

First things first, could you tell us a bit more about yourself and your professional background?

SM: Yes, for sure, I would like to. First of all, hi, my name is Simone Marquardt. I was born in the south of Germany and studied Packaging Technology at the Hochschule der Medien which is located in Stuttgart.

After finishing school – I remember well – I searched for a long time to find a study programme which combined my personal interests. So, I started Packaging Technology because of the technical content, but also because of the creative subjects. Now I know, it is much more than this.

To work with packaging is the best way to work on a technical basis, be creative, influence the market with sustainable ideas, and have different, varied tasks at work every day.

Okay, sorry. I will come back to your question. I get excited when I talk about my job.

After Stuttgart, I started as a Packaging Developer for skincare products at Win Cosmetic/Dalli Group. I was responsible for the development of sun care, skin care and natural cosmetic products.

The next step in my career was to work as a Team Leader for Packaging Development Personal Care. As a team, we developed all the packaging in cooperation with production and marketing. A few years later, I switched to the head office at the Dalli Group in Stolberg and replaced my former boss as Head of Packaging Development.

And now, a few years later, I work as the Head of Packaging Development and Packaging QA at Lindt and Sprüngli Germany.

NM: I started my career in the packaging industry in 1981. In 1989, I moved to Beiersdorf AG, where I took on various responsibilities in the area of packaging development for consumer goods.

Currently, I am heading the packaging technology team in the global packaging organization.

CW: I am the CEO of Berndt+Partner Creality, the agency of holisitic packaging for design, innovation, and sustainability.

Please could you give us an introduction to the German Packaging Award and what it’s like to be a judge?

SM: The Deutsche Verpackungsinstitut e.V. (dvi) is the organizer of the largest European packaging competitive exhibition. Almost 250 submissions from 13 countries are part of the German Packaging Award 2024.

Therefore, it was a lot of work for us 27 independent jurors. At a two-day meeting, we reviewed, discussed, and evaluated all submissions personally and as a team.

The winners of the German Packaging Award 2024 come from Germany, Austria, Poland, the Netherlands and the UK. In addition, the dvi had innovations from Denmark, France, Israel, Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Hungary and the USA. The innovations cover the entire range of materials, from glass to wood, flexible plastic, rigid plastic, metal, paper, cardboard and cardboard, multi-material and new material through to corrugated cardboard and composite material.

At least one innovation won a prize in each of the ten categories of the exhibition.

It is very interesting to accompany the jury meeting and be a part of it. As interesting as it is, it is also difficult. No idea was worse than the others. Everything was highly professional and really good. And from these, selecting the submissions that are the very best is a big challenge.

It was very exciting to exchange ideas with the other jurors and find out their opinions and views. Everyone brings a different focus and completely different experiences. Through this activity, I was able to gain a lot for myself and my work and was also able to share my own experiences.

In summary, I can say that the time-consuming work as a juror was instructive and inspiring for me.

NM: The German Packaging Award is the most prestigious and largest packaging award in Germany. It is organized by the DVI, which every year invites all relevant companies along the entire packaging value chain – from packaging raw materials to the packaging industry, B2B and consumer goods industry, and consumer retail as well as logistics – to submit their most innovative new developments for the German Packaging Award.

A selected jury of experts from the entire packaging value chain evaluates the submissions in various categories and awards German packaging prizes for the most innovative solutions, which will be presented at an awards ceremony.

CW: It’s great to see the innovative strength of the industry, both from the perspective of the branded goods industry and the packaging industry. As a juror, you gain great insights, and on the other hand, you can incorporate your many years of experience into the evaluation.

What are some of the major packaging innovation trends that were represented in this year’s awards?

SM: Due to the diversity of the categories, every focus is included. This makes it possible to cover an enormous range of innovations and to offer even small companies and students a platform. Of course, it also shows in how many situations and areas packaging takes place in our life nowadays.

To talk about the trends, I have to tell you the different categories:

  • Design

  • Digitalization

  • Functionality and Convenience

  • Logistics and Material Flow

  • Sustainability

  • Overall Concept

  • Material Substitution and Reduction

  • Reusable

  • Recyclability and Use of Recycled Materials

  • Junior Employees

  • New Material

  • Packaging Machines

  • Technology and Software

  • Presentation of Goods

  • Economic Efficiency

For example, in the Sustainability and Reusable categories, a realistic option with corresponding added value for the market must be presented. In the Economic Efficiency category, it is important to look into the smallest detail of the process/product that needs to be improved in order to ultimately stand out. I just want to take two examples to show you that there is no “one trend”.

The trend is definitely that the requirements for packaging are becoming more and more complex. It is no longer enough to just handle one or two demands/standards. We had a lot of submissions that combined looks, sustainability and cost-effectiveness, current legal situations, and so on. This will continue to be the trend. So I will say it is “complex packaging demands while looking simple”.

CW: Above all, the major topic of sustainability in the area of packaging. Development is taking place at all levels: in terms of improving recyclability, reducing the use of materials in general, using more recyclates, but also in terms of new packaging systems.

In my view, seeing sustainability as an opportunity for innovation is an important step. After all, we can only achieve our sustainability goals with innovation and creativity.

NM: Sustainability and solutions that increase efficiency in packaging production, processing, and logistics are, as in previous years, the dominant trends.

Could you identify one innovation which particularly impressed you this year, and talk a bit about why you liked it?

SM: I was particularly impressed by, for example, Small Cup, Big Impact from DMK Deutsches Milchkontor GmbH and Pöppelmann GmbH & Co. KG, and ReZorce Circular Packaging from Zotefoams plc.

These participants presented new types of packaging that can be used with the same currently existing production machines. The old machines/machine parts also do not need to be replaced and can outlive their regular time of usage, which in turn continues the idea of sustainability.

Also, the material is completely optimized – one with a significant reduction of polymer, and the other is more recyclable now. The properties of the packaging are also comparable to the previous and the product is therefore adequately protected.

And what’s more, the consumer still doesn’t have to get used to it (due to the almost identical appearance). To combine all these parameters and make it useable and economically feasible is extremely impressive.

NM: There are several innovations that have impressed me. Particularly around packaging materials, you can find some impressive solutions that can replace insufficient or non-economic recyclable materials without any loss of performance.

I particularly like solutions where the close cooperation between industry, technology providers, logistics, and retail become visible and innovative sustainable packaging concepts are developed. I am particularly impressed with a standardized reusable bottle for cooking oil that can be returned for refilling via the usual deposit machines for beverage bottles.

CW: It is difficult to single out a single winner from the large number of fantastic prize winners. The world of packaging is so diverse that each individual winner has achieved an outstanding result.

How do you expect the packaging landscape to change in between now and the next edition of the awards? What are some emerging trends that we should be looking out for?

NM: In the area of sustainability, we still face major challenges. A great need for action is needed to find innovative, efficient, and consumer-oriented solutions. So, from my perspective, it’s quite easy to predict that this will be a key driver of innovation for the German Packaging Award in the coming years.

Digitalization will also play a greater role in optimizing efficiency, and I also expect more solutions to lead to more interaction with the consumer.

CW: The trend towards paperization will certainly continue and paper will penetrate further areas previously occupied by plastics. In the area of plastics, the use of mono-materials will be further promoted and the use of recyclates will continue to expand, especially in the non-food sector. I also expect to see an increased use of flexible materials over rigid containers.

SM: Here we are definitely faced with the challenges presented by the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). What the award and its participants show is that the diverse demands placed on us by the PPWR can be solved. Many of the submissions are exactly in this vein.

Thus, the PPWR will not only determine the actions of the industry, but also encourage the industry to produce new creative ideas.

First of all, the minimum quota for the use of recycled content leads to the push for different recycling streams to scale up. For example, the submission from Saperatec GmbH and Dr. Schumacher GmbH shows us how to use packaging material out of the rejects from beverage carton recycling. With this, they make the polymer part reusable as rLDPE for flexible packaging.

All these exciting challenges will certainly play a big role until and in the next award in 2025.

Finally, I would like to mention that the award ceremony and the nomination of the Gold Award will take place on September 24th 2024 as part of FACHPACK in Nuremberg.

If you liked this story, you might also enjoy: 

How are the top brands progressing on packaging sustainability? 

Sustainable Innovation Report 2024: Current trends and future priorities 

Reuse vs. single use – which is better for the environment? 

The ultimate guide to global plastic sustainability regulation 



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