Sustainability

Euro brewer debuts 'glass' inner-coated PET bottle

New technologies for beer in plastic are moving forward. Among the newsiest launches is in Sweden, where Spendrups Brewery of Stockholm in March introduced its Norrlands Guld beer in 500-mL (16.9 oz) high-barrier Glaskin bottles. Developed by Tetra Pak (Geneva, Switzerland), the proprietary Glaskin technology relies on a vacuum deposition process to coat the inside of blown PET bottles with a clear layer of silicon oxide.Spendrups is the first to use the technology on a commercial basis.

February 29, 2000

Sustainable Packaging: Page 574

Flexible packaging

Clever packages take flexibles to a new level

Sleeves for propane cylinders win Flexible Packaging Assn.'s President's award. Other FPA winners include pouches of grease for fifth wheels, recyclable ream paper wraps and protective air cushion packs.

February 29, 2000

Flexible packaging

Flexibles feed on innovation

Keebler’s contour pouch for cookies doubles as a hand puppet, while a wrap for frozen, microwavable sandwiches provides source reduction, and an all-plastic bag offers oxygen and moisture barrier for dry pet foods.

February 29, 2000

Converting equipment

French brewers say oui to plastic

Web exclusive: Brasseries Heineken puts another brand in 1/2-L plastic and introduces a 1-L plastic beer bottle, consisting of three materials in five layers and coinjection stretch/blow-molded by Continental PET Technologies (Florence, KY). Separately, Strasbourg, France-based Kronenbourg commits not only to the unusal step of self-manufacturing its own PET bottles, but to Actis (Amorphous Carbon Treatment on Internal Surface) coating process from Sidel (Norcross, GA).

February 29, 2000

Conveying & accumulation

Fit for filling 'round the clock

Aberfoyle Springs fills 500-mL PET bottles at a rate of 630/min seven days a week, in two 11-hour shifts each day. ‘We train our people like there’s no tomorrow.’

February 29, 2000

Converting equipment

Chemical maker's new IBC closes the loop

A durable container’s recycling program prompts a chemical manufacturer to invest in new IBCs to transport its chemicals across the country.

February 29, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

A step toward biotech labeling

A new international trade agreement on bioengineered foods puts pressure on U.S. farmers and processors to segregate these products and could speed their labeling in the global marketplace.

February 29, 2000

Sustainability

Food packs sparkle in DuPont Awards

From an Ocean Spray package that won the Diamond Award to a vacuum-insulated container for foods and other temperature-sensitive products, this year’s DuPont Award winners are an eclectic and innovative bunch.

January 31, 2000

Flexibles

Supplier news: Domestic acquisitions, agreements

Blue Ridge Paper Products Inc. (Asheville, NC) has signed a letter of intent to purchase Westvaco Corp.’s (New York, NY) liquid packaging business.

January 31, 2000

Coding, Printing & Labeling

FDA fires starter's gun on 'fast track' (sidebar)

Label ‘libel’ for biotech foods?

January 31, 2000

Feeding/inserting/unscrambling

Packaging for kids at Kellogg and Dannon

When these two food processing powerhouses used existing brands as launch pads for kid-oriented new products, they were highly selective about their choice of containers.

January 31, 2000

Sustainability

Mystery of the missing PMNs

The FDA and the pharmaceutical industry are both scratching their figurative heads over packaging suppliers’ apparent hesitancy to use the agency’s new 120-day packaging approval program.

December 31, 1999

Flexibles

Supplier news: Relocations, expansions

Videojet Systems Intl., Inc. (Wood Dale, IL) has changed its name to Marconi Data Systems Inc. The name change supports the recent rebranding of Videojet’s parent group from GEC to Marconi plc.—Power Packaging (St.

December 31, 1999