• Mondi has created a recyclable refill pouch enabling Henkel consumers to reduce plastic by 70% and helping Henkel to move closer to its sustainability targets
• Henkel’s Pril hand dishwashing liquid is available in a 100% recycled PET pump dispenser bottle which can be re-used many times using refills packaged in Mondi’s recyclable mono PE refill pouch
• The innovative pouch is light-weight, convenient to use, certified as leak-proof and highly durable even for home deliveries

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, and Henkel are helping consumers to wash dishes more sustainably by creating a completely new reuse packaging concept. The two companies worked together on a packaging solution for Henkel’s hand dishwashing products that allows refilling plastic bottles from flexible pouches. This supports Henkel’s sustainability targets of making 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable and reducing 50% of fossil-based virgin plastic by 2025.

Since January, consumers can purchase a new keep-at-home refillable pump dispenser with refills in the lightweight, mono-material pouch produced by Mondi. The flexible stand-up pouch reduces plastic by 70% every time it replaces rigid plastic bottles and is easy to recycle where existing infrastructure exists.

Convenient and lighter to carry home, the pouch completely empties thanks to its shaped design, leaving no residue. It is soft touch with a sturdy base so it can easily stand in-store, offering retailers attractive and eye-catching on-shelf appeal while also communicating all the brand information including sustainability benefits. Mondi’s leak-proof pouch is certified according to ISTA 6, providing a highly durable packaging for both in-store and online shopping.

Muriel Joncheray, Global Key Account Manager Consumer Flexibles, Mondi says: “Sustainability is a vital element in the homecare industry and a trend that is shaping the whole market – and rightly so. At Mondi, we have defined sustainability goals that focus on circular driven solutions in our MAP2030 action plan. This includes a target to make 100% of our products reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 – just like the recyclable pouch for Henkel. Our EcoSolutions approach meant that we worked very closely with the Henkel team to create the new packaging. While the aim was to provide a solution that helped Henkel reach its sustainability targets, we also needed to ensure the materials and structure would protect the product in transit and on-shelf, preventing leakage and minimising waste.”

Carsten Bertram, Head of Global Packaging Innovation Dishwashing at Henkel added: “At Henkel, we recognize our responsibility related to packaging. We’re committed to driving sustainable packaging and have a set of ambitious targets. Our strategy is based around circular economy and focuses on integrating recycled plastics, reducing the amount of plastic packaging, having reusable packaging and using fully recyclable packaging concepts to close the loop. Mondi was the obvious partner to help us with their expertise in creating the best possible solutions – for the product, the planet and the customer.”

The new packaging concept is being launched for Henkel’s brand Pril in Germany. It has been certified by “Blauer Engel”, the independent ecolabel of the German Federal Government that sets stringent standards for environmentally responsible products and services.

Avery Dennison has achieved another market first with the launch of a new certified portfolio of vegan labels, which contain no animal-derived components. Additionally, every item in the portfolio was created without animal testing, or the use of GMOs of animal origin. Because of this, the collection has received approval from EVE VEGAN^®, an independent organization created by Vegan France, which works to promote vegan alternatives in different industries, including food and medicine.

At the time of launch, there are six paper facestocks, three adhesives and two liners in the collection, and they can be mixed and matched according to customer needs. Each item offers a similar level of performance to non-vegan alternatives in both converting and application. Based on converter and end user needs, there are plans to expand the range with new paper facestocks.

“Veganism goes beyond diet,” says Luuk Zonneveld, product manager at Avery Dennison. “It’s a philosophy and way of life centered on avoiding animal exploitation for food, clothing and everything else you can think of. Naturally, this extends into the world of packaging, and we’re excited to help brand owners take their dedication to being cruelty-free to the next level with these innovative labels developed by our R&D team.”

Suitable for the beauty, wine and spirits and food and beverage sectors, the new labels also serve as a unique selling point for brands. Thanks to the certification, companies can let consumers know their entire purchase – packaging included – abides by their values.

“We’re very proud to have received EVE VEGAN^® certification and consider it a powerful symbol that lets brand owners, and their customers, know we take our commitments seriously.” says Luuk.

Historic day in the campaign to beat plastic pollution: Nations commit to develop a legally binding agreement

Nairobi, 02 March 2022 – Heads of State, Ministers of environment and other representatives from 175 nations endorsed a historic resolution at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) today in Nairobi to End Plastic Pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024. The resolution addresses the full lifecycle of plastic, including its production, design and disposal.

“Against the backdrop of geopolitical turmoil, the UN Environment Assembly shows multilateral cooperation at its best,” said the President of UNEA-5 and Norway’s Minister for Climate and the Environment, Espen Barth Eide. “Plastic pollution has grown into an epidemic. With today’s resolution we are officially on track for a cure.” 

The resolution, based on three initial draft resolutions from various nations, establishes an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), which will begin its work in 2022, with the ambition of completing a draft global legally binding agreement by the end of 2024. It is expected to present a legally binding instrument, which would reflect diverse alternatives to address the full lifecycle of plastics, the design of reusable and recyclable products and materials, and the need for enhanced international collaboration to facilitate access to technology, capacity building and scientific and technical cooperation.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) will convene a forum by the end of 2022 that is open to all stakeholders in conjunction with the first session of the INC, to share knowledge and best practices in different parts of the world. It will facilitate open discussions and ensure they are informed by science, reporting on progress throughout the next two years. Finally, upon completion of the INC’s work, UNEP will convene a diplomatic conference to adopt its outcome and open it for signatures.

“Today marks a triumph by planet earth over single-use plastics. This is the most significant environmental multilateral deal since the Paris accord. It is an insurance policy for this generation and future ones, so they may live with plastic and not be doomed by it.” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

“Let it be clear that the INC’s mandate does not grant any stakeholder a two-year pause. In parallel to negotiations over an international binding agreement, UNEP will work with any willing government and business across the value chain to shift away from single-use plastics, as well as to mobilise private finance and remove barriers to investments in research and in a new circular economy,” Andersen added.

Plastic production soared from 2 million tonnes in 1950 to 348 million tonnes in 2017, becoming a global industry valued at US$522.6 billion, and it is expected to double in capacity by 2040. The impacts of plastic production and pollution on the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution are a catastrophe in the making:

• Exposure to plastics can harm human health, potentially affecting fertility, hormonal, metabolic and neurological activity, and open burning of plastics contributes to air pollution.
• By 2050 greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastic production, use and disposal would account for 15 per cent of allowed emissions, under the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C (34.7°F).
• More than 800 marine and coastal species are affected by this pollution through ingestion, entanglement, and other dangers.
• Some 11 million tonnes of plastic waste flow annually into oceans. This may triple by 2040.
• A shift to a circular economy can reduce the volume of plastics entering oceans by over 80 per cent by 2040; reduce virgin plastic production by 55 per cent; save governments US$70 billion by 2040; reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent; and create 700,000 additional jobs – mainly in the global south.

The historic resolution, titled “End Plastic Pollution: Towards an internationally legally binding instrument” was adopted with the conclusion of the three-day UNEA-5.2 meeting, attended by more than 3,400 in-person and 1,500 online participants from 175 UN Member States, including 79 ministers and 17 high-level officials.

After a two-year pause, the Indian print industry’s flagship scheme, PrintWeek Awards will once again go live. The entries to the twelfth edition of PrintWeek Awards 2022 will officially open on 1 May 2022 and the PrintWeek Awards Night will be held on 27 September 2022.

The Covid-19 pandemic proved to be a crisis that humanity has faced. The Indian print industry too had its fair share of woes. But after two years of challenges, the print industry is hoping to rebound this year, though inflationary and supply concerns related to input material continue to post challenges to the print industry.

“After being forced to pause the Awards scheme in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, PrintWeek Awards resume, albeit in a limited capacity form,” said SudhanvaJategaonkar, B2B business head at Haymarket SAC Publishing.

PrintWeek Performance Awards in 2022 will have a total of 10 awards instead of the six awards in the past eleven editions. These entries in this category will be audited plus vetted on the basis of financial as well as contribution to the industry.

In the Quality Awards, there will be 13 Awards that will celebrate “the latest and the best”. This edition of PrintWeek Awards will introduce a new category: Special Covid-19 Awards, a total of five awards  will be presented to recognise factories and teams in the Indian print industry who have gone above and beyond the call of duty.

“By returning to host the annual PrintWeek Awards event, we would be celebrating the achievements of the print industry and those working in it, in the tough past two years, and have emerged unscathed,” added Jategaonkar. “As we reflect on where we are as an industry, this celebration of the extraordinary work that is accomplished each and every day by those in the print and packaging business. It also gives the industry an opportunity to savour the challenges and successes.”

As Kayyum Memon, director of Vadodara-based Concord Printing Press said while talking to PrintWeek, “To be certain, the last two years were filled with many challenges, but also many achievements to celebrate. Our people have worked harder than ever amid challenging circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic to achieve our goals, and make a positive difference to our company.”

The pandemic may have altered the way the print industry does business or may not, but it hasn’t stopped from doing what it does best – excellent printing.

Maxcess, a provider of innovative products and services for web handling applications has unveiled VisionMax and VisionConnect, powerful 100% vision inspection and automation tools that reduce scrap, customer claims and rework, while improving productivity.

“In today’s converting environment, with unprecedented material and labor shortages, it is crucial to be able to run your process line as efficiently as possible by automating the process and removing defects before they become critical, which can cause significant material waste and expensive rework,” said Conor O’Neil, Business Development Manager for Maxcess Vision Systems. “Our new line of 100% vision inspection and workflow automation solutions for wide-web applications feature industry-leading price performance, an easy operator interface and advanced workflow automation software for smart converting, giving customers the ability to deliver defect-free material to their customers. Backed by the global service and support network of Maxcess, doing business where you do business, customers can trust that their investment will be supported for years to come.”

Featuring high-definition cameras, advanced lighting, a high-resolution touchscreen operator interface and advanced out-of-the box 100% inspection software, VisionMax is a flexible tool that can be used in both surface and print inspection applications, finding key defects like insects, gels, carbons, color problems, streaks, drags, roller marks and more, alerting operators before they become costly. VisionConnect is an advanced workflow automation software suite, which allows operators to automatically control process lines and slitters to physically remove defects with as little waste as possible.

Tending to the evolving needs of the advertising industry in the post-lockdown era, Media Expo is set to introduce an entirely new product category on labelling and packaging technology at its next edition in Mumbai. Slated to be held in May, the trade fair will unite buyers and industry stakeholders for product sourcing and B2B interactions.

Media Expo has been home to some of the latest technology showcases in printing, signage, retail displays, finishing and fabrication as well as consumables and media.

This year, the organiser – Messe Frankfurt India is looking forward to up the tempo by introducing a brand-new category on ‘labelling’ during the 48^th edition of Media Expo at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Goregaon from 12 – 14 May 2022. The quality of labelling and packaging is one of the crucial factors that can influence a consumer’s buying choices and makes a significant difference in today’s world where brands are constantly competing against each other. Media Expo’s new product section will encompass various label printing technologies and materials for the flexible printing and packaging segments, giving business visitors a much broader value and brand-new variety of products to include in their arsenal of branding tools.

Leading manufacturers of large-format printing technology, HP India and Mehta Cad Cam will be introducing their most advanced labelling and packaging production technologies for the very first time on the show floor of Media Expo.

Commenting on the changes ensuing in advertising sector, Mr Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd shared: “The manner in which advertising and brand content is consumed and perceived has drastically changed over the last few years. Today, digital and physical advertising mediums have become two-sides of the same coin and go hand-in-hand in delivering better reach and impact of a brand over its audience. Nonetheless, just as digital advertising keeps evolving, it is also crucial for the physical advertising segment players to keep discovering new technology and channels to suit the preferences of modern consumers.”

MrManek further elaborates on Media Expo Mumbai: “Having set a tone for the new normal with our New Delhi edition, we are ready to once again welcome our industry stakeholders at Media Expo Mumbai 2022. I am also delighted to announce that our brand-new product category in labelling featuring on our show floors this year will enable us to further expand our value offering to trade visitors. We are confident that Media Expo will prove to be an adept platform to explore new products, trends and business opportunities that will pave the way to the growth of physical advertising segment in India.”

Arihant Uniglobe, Benson Polymers, D-Kit Media, HP India, Laxmi Sales, Mehta Cad Cam, Mimaki, Mistry Sign, Scorpio and Silicon are among top manufacturers who have confirmed participation at the three-day exhibition.

As advertising trends foray into a mix of digital and physical mediums, Media Expo Mumbai 2022 will be the ultimate business event to witness technologies that will drive the future of traditional advertising sector. Other than the Mumbai edition, Messe Frankfurt India will also host the advertising fraternity at Media Expo New Delhi from 01 – 03 September 2022 at India Exposition Centre & Mart, Greater Noida.

A commitment to increase circularity and sustainability in packaging

H.B. Fuller Company (NYSE: FUL), a leading global adhesives provider, announced that they have recently joined the 4evergreen alliance, a cross-industry alliance hosted by the Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi) to improve the circularity of fiber-based packaging.

The initiative brings together a diverse network of around 90 organizations and stakeholders throughout the packaging value chain­ to push for innovation throughout the sector and develop robust, fact-based guidelines for the future of fiber-based packaging. The goal of the alliance is to raise the overall recycling rate of fiber-based packaging to 90% by 2030 and contribute to a climate neutral and sustainable society.

H.B. Fuller Global Sustainability Manager Elizabeth Staab says, “This is both an exciting and challenging period for the packaging industry. Collaboration throughout the supply chain is vital if we are to achieve changes that improve the world for this generation of consumers and beyond. Sustainability is a core pillar of our business strategy at H.B. Fuller, and we are joining the 4evergreen Alliance to expand collaboration with a variety of companies. We must ensure that we continue to invest in R&D projects that will deliver the scientist-designed adhesive products with the tailored high performance and low environmental impact needed to answer the challenges facing the fiber-based packaging industry both today and in the coming decades.”

A commitment to innovation and sustainability drives H.B. Fuller to prioritize technologies that fulfill increasing regulatory needs and consumer environmental awareness. In this case, adhesives are a very small, and often unseen, part of the final item of fiber-based packaging. And yet they are a key performance enabler. Fiber-based packaging is made of fibers that can have several lives by being kept in the recycling loop. During the life of that packaging, the adhesive maintains pack and brand integrity throughout the supply chain. Last, once it is discarded by the consumer into the correct recycling stream, adhesives continue to perform by ensuring the fibers can be recycled into new board and packaging of stickies.

One recent example is the Sesame®  sustainable fiber-based e-commerce opening tear tape. Unlike the standard plastic technology on the market, the global, patent-pending, tear tape adds fiber to the recycling stream. This solution is over 80% bio-based and utilizes a substrate that is responsibly and sustainably sourced, certified by PEFC (The Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification). The product prioritizes sustainability while maintaining an excellent consumer “unboxing experience” of everyday packages.

H.B. Fuller palletizing adhesives are another example. They enable Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) manufacturers to design products with a waste-out approach, dematerializing the pallet packaging used throughout the supply chain, such as trays, slip sheets and stretch wraparound pallets that use polyethylene plastic, a material that is not recyclable in some parts of the world. Thus, when applied to the top of finished goods packaging, H.B. Fuller adhesives grip corrugated cases, bags and shrink-wrapped bottles into place and prevent pallet loads from shifting during transit – reducing the need to use plastic stretch wrap for pallet stability.

Staab continues, “Being more sustainable can mean different things to different people. It could mean easy to recycle. Or have a low carbon footprint. Or designed using circular economy principles. But most likely, it will be a combination of all these, in addition to complying with current and possible future regulations. The environmental challenges facing the world and the subsequent demand for low environmental impact products needs a multi-faceted and collaborative approach. There simply isn’t just one solution or one company with all the answers.”

Sesame ® is a trademark of H.B. Fuller Company (“H.B. Fuller”) or an affiliated company of H.B. Fuller.

About H.B. Fuller:

Since 1887, H.B. Fuller has been a leading global adhesives provider focusing on perfecting adhesives, sealants, and other specialty chemical products to improve products and lives. With fiscal 2021 net revenue of $3.3 billion, H.B. Fuller’s commitment to innovation brings together people, products and processes that answer and solve some of the world’s biggest challenges.

As the costs of raw materials, transport, labor, and energy continue to rise, hubergroup Print Solutions now reacts with a price increase for all global regions.

The price increase applies to all segments, i.e., to sheet-fed/UV and web offset as well as flexo and gravure products and will vary by product. Local contacts will inform customers about the concrete effects and be available for questions at any time. The ink manufacturer emphasises that it is working hard to minimise price increases for customers by using its global supply network, examining other sourcing methods, and utilising alternative raw materials. Nevertheless, a price increase is unavoidable.

Heiner Klokkers, CEO of hubergroup, states: “The situation on the raw material market is not easing, but instead continues to worsen. The printing ink industry is severely affected by the increased costs for transport and raw materials such as pigments, resins or solvents. To ensure that we can continue to supply our customers with high-quality products in the future, it is unfortunately unavoidable that we reflect the increased procurement costs in the prices of our products.”

In a major step towards ensuring transparency in liquor sales, the government has decided to inscribe e-labels with QR codes on liquor bottles being sold in the state.

The move is aimed at reducing the illegal sales of liquor as the QR code will help the authorities to easily scan and track the point of origin, point of sales and authenticity of liquor bottles. The order in this regard was issued by the taxes department last Tuesday.

As per rule 26 of the foreign liquor rules, 1953, it is mandatory to affix security labels over the liquor bottles being sold in the state. At present, the security labels are fixed manually at warehouses of Kerala state beverages corporation. The IMFL bottles, which are stored in the warehouses, are taken out only after affixing the security labels issued by the excise department and verified by excise officials posted in each warehouse.

News courtesy Times of India Qr-code Labels On Liquor Bottles Soon | Thiruvananthapuram News – Times of India (indiatimes.com)