We are attending Pack Expo in Las Vegas this week and are excited about the best and brightest new products and innovations in the industry. One exciting product was a new aluminum can with a replaceable cap… If you’ve been following our blog, then you know we get excited about sustainable packaging. We’ve highlighted a few of the coolest updates in sustainable packaging here!
- Diverting food waste— Food Upcycler Matriark Foods uses vegetable farm surplus and fresh-cut remnants that would otherwise be wasted and sent to landfill. They launched a new product in March 2020 that processes these ingredients into healthy, low-sodium vegetable products for use by schools, hospitals and food banks!
- Non-foil aseptic packaging— Packaging giant Tetra Pak launched the first-generation non-foil aseptic packaging solution. By replacing the aluminum barrier layer with a coated polymer film, they reduced the carbon footprint by nearly 25%!
- Expansion of carton recycling— In 2010, only 40 facilities worldwide recycled carton packages. Today, there are more than 170! The paperboard component is processed into corrugated cardboard and other materials, including secondary packaging for the food and beverage industry.
- Renewable, plant-based COATINGS for cartons— Clover Sonoma created a plant-based polymer coating made of sugarcane for Tetra Pak’s chilled carton products. Over a billion units were sold in 2020 and Clover Sonoma plants to convert 100% of its liquid-packaging portfolio to fully renewable packaging by 2025.
- Tethered cap— Marine mammals, birds and fish see plastic bottle caps as food, which can lead to ingestion and potentially fatal consequences. The EU gave a push for caps to be attached to plastic bottles by 2024, and Tetra Pak’s first tethered cap features a new screw-and-flip concept with a self-locking hinge, as you can see in the image above.
I was already impressed that we have such a variety of recyclable materials, but to learn that even the coatings on the cartons themselves are recyclable is extremely cool. As packaging designs become increasingly earth-friendly, every detail is considered. Perhaps someday we’ll find a replacement for plastic itself! I love the aesthetic of glass, so I’d be happy if we went back to that.
Which innovation is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below! Give us a call today to find out how we can make your product line more sustainable while improving your bottom line.
