Flexibles

Electronics packaging

A translucent sheet of Eastman's PETG copolyester with a specially developed black electro-conductive coating is available from Lustro Plastics (Evanston, IL).

May 31, 1997

Sustainable Packaging: Page 600

Flexibles

NPE 1997 delivers a 'world of plastics'

Billed as the world's largest plastics exposition this year, NPE 1997 expects more than 1귔 exhibitors and 75ꯠ visitors at Chicago's McCormick Place between June 16 and 20. A technology-oriented conference program focusing on plastics trends will feature at least 100 industry experts.

May 31, 1997

Sustainability

Headache disposal, too

When environmental legislation began to affect customers, Wacker Silicones switched to a durable industrial bulk container that eliminates customer hassles.

May 31, 1997

Conveying & accumulation

Bottling water for millions

Tak Fat now supplies pure bottled drinking water to eight million consumers in China's Guangzhou area. The next target is the total Guangdong province of 69 million, and then on to the rest of the country. Integrated 5-gal line delivers 400 bph.

May 31, 1997

Coding, Printing & Labeling

California bill defeated

An attempt by California Assembly- woman Debra Brown to revise the state's existing environmental labeling law was defeated. The law, which concurs with the Federal Trade Commission's guidelines on the use of environmental marketing claims, failed in committee on a 10-8 vote with three abstentions.

May 31, 1997

Home

New European marks?

The European Commission has proposed new legislation that would introduce two new voluntary symbols for packages that can be reused or recycled. If a packager chooses to use the symbols, then no other symbols may be used for the same purpose.

May 31, 1997

Recycling

Can lines to dwindle; can recycling rates up

The number of can lines producing two-piece drawn-and-ironed aluminum cans for beer and beverages in the U.S. will drop 15%, from 178 to 151, between 1996 and 2001.

May 31, 1997

Sustainable Packaging

COPE takes environmental pulse

In one of its final tasks before disbanding at the end of 1996, the Council on Packaging in the Environment (COPE) released a Retrospective entitled "Taking the Environmental Pulse of the Consumer: A 4-Year Look." The COPE-funded study, conducted by the Environmental Research Associates (ERA), surveyed consumer opinions between 1993 and '96.

May 31, 1997

Controls & Machine Components

Encyclopedia updates packaging technology

"Ten years agoo/ooservo drives were for airplanes, sous vide was French for vacuum and Crown Cork and Seal was an also-ran in the world of can makers.

May 31, 1997

Protective/transport packaging

PEN polymers lure beverage marketers

Superior thermal properties, chemical resistance, and high barrier to oxygen transmission have made PEN and other naphthalate-based materials irresistable for a hot-filled isotonic drink and for citrus juices.

May 31, 1997

Sustainable Packaging

Mass. bill opposed

Industry is marshalling its forces to fight yet another tough environmental bill in the Massachusetts Senate. The Massachusetts Citizens Right-to-Know bill would require warning labels for consumer products whose contents or packaging contain carcinogens, mutagens, endocrine disrupters, neurotoxins and any chemicals causing serious or irreversible health effects in humans.

May 31, 1997

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

Controls & Machine Components

Recycled chipboard

Royal Pad Products (Cincinnati, OH) has added Royal Pad Economy chipboard to its line of recycled paperboard products. It is a low-density board with a dry finish designed to be used as separator sheets, tie sheets, pallet caps, dunnage and in other packaging applications.

April 30, 1997