Sustainability

Plastics' broken loop

Recycled-content legislation has receded, environmentalists have been quiet and virgin PET is plentiful and cheap. Packagers are divided on whether to continue their commitments to use post-consumer resin in the U.S. market.

May 31, 1997

Consumer packaged goods: Page 204

Flexibles

Chemical packaging plant explodes

An explosion followed by a fire at a chemical packaging plant in West Helena, AR, killed three firefighters and caused the governor to declare a state of emergency as the area was evacuated due to toxic fumes.

May 31, 1997

Consumer packaged goods

Supplier news: Domestic acquisitions, agreements

Amoco Chemicals (Chicago, IL), Magnetic Separation Systems, Inc. (Nashville, TN), Shell Chemical Co. (Akron, OH), and Wellman, Inc.

May 31, 1997

Consumer packaged goods

Supplier news: Domestic acquisitions, agreements

Univation Technologies (Houston, TX), the joint venture of Union Carbide Corp. (Danbury, CT) and Exxon Chemical Co. (Houston, TX) for PE technology, licensing and catalyst supply, has opened for business worldwide.

May 31, 1997

Bag/pouch fill/seal (pre-made bags)

Freeze-dried veggies enjoy PVOH shield

A 0.84-mil oriented polypropylene with a coating of polyvinyl alcohol plays a key role in the distribution of Veggibles(TM), a novel freeze-dried vegetable snack from Beverly Hills Farmers Market.

May 31, 1997

Beverage

Supplier news: Domestic acquisitions, agreements

Spartanburg Stainless Products Inc. (Spartanburg, SC) has signed an agreement to purchase beer and small chemical keg manufacturing equipment from Hoover Materials Handling Group (Alpharetta, GA).

May 31, 1997

Conveying & accumulation

Vacuum conveyor accessories

PIAB Material Handling (Rockland, MA) has introduced a line of accessories that is said to improve the hygienic properties of the PIAB vacuum conveyor.

April 30, 1997

Sustainability

Return of the 'domino theory'

Even small increases in upstream investments to manage new ozone and VOC rules could aggregate into weighty packaging cost increases.

April 30, 1997

Additives, coatings & inks

HDPE resin

Bottles made from Petrothene® LS 9020-46 HDPE resin from Millennium Petrochemicals Inc. (Cincinnati, OH) are said to have about three times the gloss and better crack resistance compared to bottles made with standard HDPE.

April 30, 1997

Conveying & accumulation

New level of packaging technology reaches Jim Beam

Managers at Jim Beam's Clermont, KY, plant began with a filler/capper monoblock to build its modernized 1.75-L glass line for spirits. New techniques for inspection and conveying will enable line to handle future needs.

April 30, 1997

Closures

Matrix finds 'suede' takes special handling (sidebar)

Additional winners include:

April 30, 1997

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

In the eye of the beholder

Good looks and marketing muscle characterize this year's cosmetics and personal care winners in NACD's annual packaging competition.

April 30, 1997

Consumer packaged goods

More EC export regs

North American exporters to the European Community (EC), who already must contend with some 20 different packaging laws, may face yet another EC mandate, currently under consideration by the European Commission, according to Recycling Laws Intl.

April 30, 1997