Sustainability

Wal-Mart launches sustainable packaging initiative

How do you answer the CEO of the largest retail organization on earth when he lays down an environmental challenge?

November 30, 2005

Leaders (UNIVERSAL TAXONOMY PW): Page 1426

Blisters/clamshells/thermoforming materials

Sustainable packaging from Nestlé UK

With its recent launch of assorted chocolates in the Nestlé Dairy Box, Nestlé UK becomes the first in the UK to commercialize packaging made of Plantic®.

November 30, 2005

Flexibles

Freezer drink mixes in gallon HDPE pails

El Paso Chile Co., El Paso, TX, is a producer of gourmet “Tex-Mex” foods and beverages.

November 30, 2005

Flexibles

Non-smudge bakery bag closures

Australia-based food manufacturer George Weston Foods (GWF) uses plastic tag closures from Kwik Lok to close its plastic film bread bags, but was experiencing some problems with ink smudging of date codes, price, and other product identification codes on the tags.

November 30, 2005

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Lactose labeling suit filed

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, an organization that promotes vegetarian diets, filed suit in Superior Court for Washington, DC, demanding that every milk carton bear a warning label aimed at lactose intolerance.

November 30, 2005

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Groups support alcohol facts labeling

Public interest groups the National Consumers League and Shape Up America held a news conference demanding that the Bureau of Alcohol Tax and Trade immediately mandate an Alcohol Facts panel on labels of beer, wine, and distilled spirits similar to panels on food and beverage packaging.

November 30, 2005

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Embedded RFID

Should consumer packaged goods companies consider using packaging materials with RFID tags built in?

November 30, 2005

Conveying & accumulation

Simpler is better

Simplified wiring requirements and a reduction in components needing to be inventoried are key gains yielded by this move toward standardization.

November 30, 2005

Converting equipment

December Forecast continued

Arnie Orloski was kind enough to let me borrow his Pipeline space this month when I told him I’d run out of room for all the new developments in food and beverage packaging that overflowed from my December Forecast (see main story on page 44).

November 30, 2005

Cartoning

Pondering the puzzle

Facing a Pandora’s box of global issues, and technological developments such as advanced machine controls and RFID, packagers of healthcare products forecast the future.

November 30, 2005

Blisters/clamshells/skin packaging

Pondering the puzzle (sidebar)

The end of drug bottles?

November 30, 2005

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Pondering the puzzle (sidebar)

Radio-frequency identification

November 30, 2005

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Higher frequency of RFID ahead

Experts assess the impact of Gen 2, recent price cuts, and other issues to discern where RFID is heading in 2006 and beyond.

November 30, 2005