Packaging Innovations Packaging has played an important role in protecting, preserving, containing, storing and delivering products since the earliest civilisations. Amphorae (pottery jars) were used to store and transport olive oil, wine and dry foods in the Egyptian, Greek and Roman empires and other civilisations. Modern packaging dates back to the early 19 th century when metal packaging was invented to preserve foodstuffs needed by armies fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. Since then, innovation has come to characterise and define the packaging industry s approach to meeting society s needs. New materials, designs and technologies enable packaging to respond to the rapidly evolving demands of modern consumer lifestyles. Packaging s role in preventing and reducing product waste is often taken for granted but, in recent years, its valuable contribution to reducing food waste has begun to be recognised. This is important because the resources invested in growing, making and transporting products is more than 10 times the resources used to make the packaging to protect them. Packaging responds to increasingly varied consumer demands by providing a wide range of portion sizes, portions of food containing a specific number of calories, tamper evidence, child-resistant closures, easy opening for less able consumers. The need to increase the shelf and storage life of food in stores and at home has stimulated development of a huge number of innovative packs. Reclosable/resealable packs continue to keep food fresher for longer once the pack is opened. Active packaging absorbs moisture and other gases and so increases shelf life. Intelligent packaging communicates information about the state of the contents. Packaging innovations are driven primarily by companies desire to respond to their customers and to reduce costs and environmental impact. 1
Packaging has played an important role in protecting, preserving, containing, storing and delivering products since the earliest civilisations. Amphorae (pottery jars) were used to store and transport olive oil, wine and dry foods in the Egyptian, Greek and Roman empires and other civilisations. Modern packaging dates back to the early 19 th century when metal packaging was invented to preserve foodstuffs needed by armies fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. Since then, innovation has come to characterise and define the packaging industry s approach to meeting society s needs. New materials, designs and technologies enable packaging to respond to the rapidly evolving demands of modern consumer lifestyles. Packaging s role in preventing and reducing product waste is often taken for granted but, in recent years, its valuable contribution to reducing food waste has begun to be recognised. This is important because the resources invested in growing, making and transporting products is more than 10 times the resources used to make the packaging to protect them. Packaging responds to increasingly varied consumer demands by providing a wide range of portion sizes, portions of food containing a specific number of calories, tamper evidence, child-resistant closures, easy opening for less able consumers. The need to increase the shelf and storage life of food in stores and at home has stimulated development of a huge number of innovative packs. Reclosable/resealable packs continue to keep food fresher for longer once the pack is opened. Active packaging absorbs moisture and other gases and so increases shelf life. Intelligent packaging communicates information about the state of the contents. Packaging innovations are driven primarily by companies desire to respond to their customers and to reduce costs and environmental impact. 2
Resealable / reclosable packs Variety of resealable packs Easy to open and reseal Allows portion control Maintains integrity of residual product Light weight packaging Compression technology Compression technology enables shallow box to contain same number of tissues as larger standard box Easy product access Packaging widely recycled Frustration-free paper ties for toys Paper ties replace wire and plastic clips Made from strong but flexible 310gsm paper Can be torn by hand to remove toy easily 3
Extra layer of packaging protects against food poisoning Chicken is wrapped in special ovenable packaging on the filling line and only unwrapped after it is cooked This stops people being exposed to Campylobacter bacterium and suffering poisoning It also means people will follow the Food Standards Agency advice and don t wash the chicken Calorie-portion Calories printed on front of packaging Single-use portions for developing markets Responding to consumer needs in India for more affordable portions Single-use, small size, laminate mini-bottles enable easier handling and easier shipment 4
New material, easier to open Gillette razor Innovative pulp tray made of bamboo and bulrush fibre Easier to open Gas-injection technology Gas-injection creates gas bubbles in the middle layer of the bottle wall Reduces density of the bottle Uses 15% less material Recyclable Portion sizes to suit all uses, without waste product After the first use, superglue can dry out and clog the opening so the remainder of the glue gets thrown away Smaller, single-use packs prevent waste of glue 5
Vacuum skin pack technology High barrier film and removal of gases from tray extend food shelf life in store and at home Reduced food waste Innovative technology allows use of shallow trays so reduced packaging Trays recyclable Reduces in-store waste of product In-store Sugar Shroud display packaging prevents damage to bags Reduces waste of sugar Child-resistant closure Improved child safety closure New flip top Embossed handle facilitates consumer handling Bottles are widely recycled 6
Dual function and less packaging Heinz dip and squeeze responds to consumers who want to dip and those who want to squeeze Uses less packaging than standard squeeze sachets Compression technology Innovative compression technology means container is half regular size but contains same amount of antiperspirant 25% less aluminium in can 25% reduced carbon footprint Fresher, red meat for longer Special vacuum pack keeps meat red and fresh Extends shelf life 10 times longer than store-wrapped 7
Recycled content Recycled content of up to 30% Light weighted Widely recycled Reclosable Reclosable container with seethrough portion-control guide Stays fresh in fridge for up to five days Reduced product waste Container widely recycled Pigment replaces material label 8 Laser labelling replaces traditional paper labels, does not use any material. Removes pigment from thin layer of fruit surface and applies tiny amount of liquid to inscribe text and images.
Portion control Dose metering Single serving, portion control, no waste Can be eaten directly from container so no need to wash cat dish Aluminium container widely recycled Dose metering Innovative pressurised, metered dose inhaler Enables easy count-down of number of doses taken Alerts consumer to need to replace inhaler Increased recyclability of food tray Tray made from a single type of plastic (PET) can be recycled with plastic bottles Reduced product waste Improved product visibility Lighter than standard tray High recycled content 9
Child-resistant closure Innovative closure stops children accessing dangerous contents Resealable Closure enables drinks can to be resealed after drinking Carbonated drinks retain fizz for up to 24 hours after being resealed Consumer choice / portion control Drinks cans come in a wide range of sizes from 15cl to over half a litre Consumers can choose appropriate size specific need 10
Gets the last bit out A specially designed trigger spray that enables every last drop to be removed without tilting or shaking Measured anti-diarrhoea medicine for African villages AidPod is an anti-diarrhea kit that fits between bottles in crates of bottles Provides a single, measured dose mixing container and a drinking cup 11
12