Sustainability

Cat litter bag stands up and stands out on-shelf

Forty-two pounds of scoopable cat litter are now more visually inviting on shelf, easier to carry, and more sustainable, with The Clorox Pet Product Co.’s switch from a polypropylene pail to the FlexZiBox® flexible stand-up, handled bag from Nordenia.

March 10, 2011

Containers & Closures: Page 133

Flexible packaging

Film for bulk liquids earns Gold for Packaging Excellence

Liquiflex® Advance™ films for bulk liquids is designed to replace metal foodservice cans or traditional bulk liquid films. The 13-layer Liquiflex film generates 96% less waste than cans and up to 30% less waste than other films, and includes redundant nylon and ethylene vinyl alcohol layers for strength and resistance. It is manufactured by Curwood Inc., a Bemis company.

March 10, 2011

Filling/capping, dry

New technique improves container handling on auger filling lines

Video from Spee-Dee shows pneumatic-over-hydraulic lift design that uses air for a rapid lift and hydraulic damping for a controlled lower as the auger fills the container from the bottom up. Lift height is controlled electronically.  A pneumatic container gripper is adjustable for different size bottles.

March 10, 2011

Filling/capping, dry

Rotary Auger Filler innovations drive productivity and profitability

White paper from Spee Dee discusses the application of servo controls and a new innovative funnel design to rotary auger fillers for free-flowing and non-free flowing applications. Benefits include dramatic reductions in changeover time and increased efficiencies.

March 9, 2011

Flexible packaging

Bulk-liquid packaging system serves up savings for Deli Star

Leading provider of protein salads, cooked meats, and sauces doubles productivity, improves versatility, and reduces packaging failure with new bulk-liquid packaging system.

March 9, 2011

Containers

Maui Brewing gets a handle on growth pains

The Hawaiian maker of craft beers expects to double production volume in 2011, and a new can carrier applicator is helping to dramatically increase line speed and cut costs.

March 8, 2011

Containers

Ice River springs for a new PET line

The newest bottled water line at Ice River Springs blows and fills 1,200 half-liter bottles/min for private-label customers that include Walmart and Loblaw.

March 8, 2011

Flexible packaging

Four co-packers, repackers merge in pharma industry

Companies create a new entity, Aphena Pharma Solutions, as a single-source vendor. The firm has separate liquid and topical, and solid-dose divisions.

March 3, 2011

Coding, Printing & Labeling

White paper discusses advances in roll-fed extended content labeling

White paper from Quality Assured Label explains the recent development of roll-fed extended content labels (ECLs), also called booklet labels. Covers benefits such as the ability to increase content area by up to 200%, utilize existing materials and labeling equipment, and maintain current production line speeds.

March 1, 2011

Additives, coatings & inks

Recycling of nonbottle rigid plastics jumps nearly 50% in two years

Growth attributed to reclaimers’ increased willingness to accept mixed plastics, greater access by households to collection of these plastics, and industry collaboration.

February 22, 2011

Containers

A closed-loop RPET first

Ice River Springs buys baled PET in metro Toronto, cleans it, and turns it into 100% PCR RPET water bottles that it fills and sends to the marketplace.

February 9, 2011

Coding, Printing & Labeling

Video: Roll-fed expanded content labels in action

See this short video from Quality Assured that demonstrates how expanded content labels open and re-close for roll-fed labeling applications. Video also demonstrates in-line application on existing equipment.

February 9, 2011

Containers

Jars made from styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) plastic

Classique Jewel Jars from O.Berk are available in .5 oz. and 1 oz. (both with 43mm neck finish), 2 oz. (with 56mm neck finish), and 4 oz. (with 63mm neck finish) sizes.

February 9, 2011