Packaging-Matters

Attending the 2011 APICS International Conference & Expo?

2011-10-18T09:59:00.005-05:00

Mark your calendar to explore Smart Packaging for Sustainability and Savings with Tom Blanck - Chainalytics. Part of the Supply Chain Strategy learning path, this engaging session will discuss strategic opportunities that achieve costs savings and sustainability wins.

Monday, October 24
2:30pm-3:45pm

Be sure to check your on site program for up-to-date location information!

Chainalytics Acquires Packaging Solutions Business From Adalis

2011-07-22T11:59:00.000-05:00

Chainalytics to Provide Packaging Consulting and Engineering Services in New Minnesota-based Practice

Atlanta, GA – July 19, 2011 – Chainalytics LLC, a leading supply chain research, analytics and consulting firm focused on enabling fact-based supply chain decisions, announced today its acquisition of the packaging engineering and supply chain solutions consulting business from Adalis Corporation. Adalis is a global packaging solutions provider that offers package reinforcement and opening technologies to customers around the world and is a subsidiary of H.B. Fuller Company. The Adalis packaging engineering and consulting team, located in Minnesota, will form a new practice within Chainalytics that will focus on optimizing supply chain packaging solutions. Tom Blanck will lead Chainalytics’ packaging optimization practice as principal.

The Adalis packaging consulting team is a group of certified packaging engineers with significant packaging expertise and a proven track record across multiple industries, including food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, high tech and retail, in which Chainalytics has a strong existing presence, as well as several target markets like medical and industrial. The combination of the team’s technical capability with its cost-minimizing, environmentally-conscious approach strategically expands the scope of supply chain optimization services offered by Chainalytics.

“Packaging design can have a significant impact on overall supply chain performance and sustainability,” states Mike Kilgore, President and CEO, Chainalytics. “Our new packaging optimization practice will provide deep expertise, which, when combined with our robust knowledge of transportation and supply chain tradeoffs, will deliver exceptional value to our existing and future clients.”

Adalis acquired the Packaging Solutions Group in 2004 and has helped clients save millions of dollars by improving packaging and logistics design. The team has developed an approach and proven methodology to solve rigorous packaging and transportation challenges, including those related to high-value and sensitive products.

“Our team is truly excited to join forces with Chainalytics’ supply chain and transportation professionals,” says Tom Blanck. “Our value propositions are naturally aligned, and our clients will benefit from expertise and experience that uniquely blends operations, packaging and logistics. Supply chain stakeholders will be able to leverage packaging further upstream to influence the entire distribution system.”

Chainalytics’ packaging optimization services will help companies balance the performance of physical supply chain packaging activities – such as transportation load factors and product protection – against the impact of packaging on marketing and sales objectives. Services will include:

Packaging Design and Development to improve the design or material use for cost reduction or improved packaging performance;
Packaging Optimization to increase shipping densities of containers and improve cube utilization for decreased logistics cost; and
Sustainable Packaging Improvement to leveraging packaging materials and processes to reduce emissions and improve carbon footprint.

About Chainalytics
Chainalytics is a professional services firm that enhances competitive advantage and shareholder value through optimized supply chain strategies. Using a fact-based decision making approach, Chainalytics accelerates and improves supply chain performance. Chainalytics offers both project-based and managed services using a unique combination of domain expertise, resilient methodologies, and exclusive research and content — all supported by the world’s most advanced decision sciences tools and techniques. Chainalytics targets enterprises with a high degree of complexity created by their unique combination of scale, variability, and geography. With locations in North America and Asia, Chainalytics serves companies globally in a borderless fashion. www.Chainalytics.com

Highlights from ISTA 2011

2011-05-04T10:38:00.004-05:00

By Kyle Ous - Chainalytics

“Testing, Testing, 1, 2”

Recently, we attended the ISTA Transport Packaging Forum in Orlando, FL. The forum brought together a variety of packaging professionals to discuss the latest ideas and advancements in sustainable transport packaging and the physical distribution of products.

Although the majority of the event focused on detailed test methods and field to lab highlights, for me, the most informative piece was the significance of testing in terms of cost reduction and sustainability. At Chainalytics, we often see many companies trying to eliminate packaging components and make material changes in order to increase sustainability and reduce costs. However, if these changes are causing increased product damage and risking customer satisfaction, these changes do not make business sense. Therefore, the best practice is to have the impact of all changes related to cost reductions and sustainability efforts verified in a test lab and compare the results against a baseline (aka, the performance of the original packaging). If the result of the proposed packaging equals or performs better than the original, then you can rest easy at night knowing that you are making the best decision for your company.

Another clear message at the forum was that the best “package” is actually an improved product. Companies should increase their focus on designing out weak elements of their products to add more customer value and reduce the need for overpackaging! So in other words, keep packaging in mind during product development.

Our packaging team believes strongly in package testing. We rarely recommend any changes without having performed testing to prove our solutions. Our packaging engineers also prefer to get involved in the process as early as possible, so if there are potential product recommendations that can be made, they can bring them to light early. If you have a new product in development, give us a call today early in the process, if possible, to help you make simple product changes that can save you thousands in packaging & logistics costs.

See you at the Transport Packaging Forum in 2012!

It’s Not Plastic, It’s a Plant!

2011-04-20T08:30:00.001-05:00

By Rob Kaszubowski, CPP- Chainalytics

Chooo chooo! What’s that, you ask? That’s the great sound of another company boarding the green train. Just last month, the HJ Heinz company announced that it would partner with Coca-Cola to use their Plantbottle™ for 120 million bottles of Heinz ® Ketchup.

Back in 2009, Coca-Cola launched its PlantBottle: a fully recyclable bottle that uses an innovative process to turn sugar cane and molasses into a key component for PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) plastic. Coke initially introduced the bottle in its Dasani® water and sparkling water markets and later with Vitaminwater® in 2010. Coca-Cola’s goal is to eventually convert all of their bottles to the plant based plastic by 2020.

Heinz said that the new material will increase its packaging costs; however they hope that it will give them greater flexibility to move away from the volatile price fluctuations of petroleum based raw materials.

Since the release of the PlantBottle, PepsiCo Inc. has decided to also board the sustainability train as well. In March, PepsiCo inc. unveiled the first ever 100% plant based bottle for their products.

With any kind of packaging change, numerous steps and measures need to be taken to assure a winning solution emerges in the end, so I’m sure these changes had been in process at these companies for some time. Just think of all the design, verification and testing that had to be done to achieve their final goal: bottle design, distribution and package testing, bottling line changes, etc.

Even with all this hard work, it’s great to see companies taking that first step forward to become a leader in sustainable packaging! The packaging engineers at Chainalytics are committed to increasing sustainability in packaging through innovation so contact us to see how we help your company board the train!

The Reusable Box

2011-04-06T09:36:00.015-05:00

By Rob Kaszubowski- Chainalytics

In today’s society, we’re constantly being reminded of the big “3 R’s” of the environment: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Walmart has even gone as far as unveiling their own “7 R’s” of sustainability. eBay has also jumped on board the green train with the R’s of sustainability as they rolled out a trial version of their own reusabke shipping box back in September, 2010.

Stemming from their annual Innovation Expo where employees are encouraged to submit innovative ideas, the reusable shipping box emerged as the top idea. The boxes are made out of 100% recycled content as a robust, die-cut style corrugated shipper The corrugated is FSC-certified and fully recyclable once they finally wear out their use.

eBay estimates the boxes to be able to be reused about 5 times, which by their numbers could help save 2.4 million gallons of water, 4,000 trees and conserve enough energy to power 49 homes.

Columbia Sportswear has also introduced a reusable box program, offering online customers the option of having their purchases shipped in a new or used corrugated box. Columbia also encourages their customers to continue reusing the box by sending them to their site aboxlife.com, which allows people to share stories and track the life of the box.

It’s Not Too Late for a Packaging Resolution in 2011!

2011-03-30T10:23:00.008-05:00

By Rob Busse, CPP- Chainalytics

Let’s be honest, “New Year’s Resolutions” are hard to keep and by April they are usually distant memories. Although we all have the best intentions to achieve these goals, we all usually fail. So now that we are a few months into 2011 and most of the “New Year’s Resolution” pressure has passed, it is a good time to reconsider addressing your business resolutions for 2011. Here are a few ideas to get you started thinking:

1. Think about things that your direct group can affect

2. Brainstorm ideas with your team. Think about any of the following:

Ways to reduce operating costs (from practical to radical)
How to maximize the efficiency of personnel and equipment
How can your group practice sustainability, not just talk about it?
What are some new tools you could use to be more productive?
Your companies social responsibilities

3. Select the top ideas

4. Align your team’s goals with the broader corporate initiatives

5. Have a kick off meeting, assign team roles, and set some milestone dates

6. Then measure the impact

Since most resolutions fail within weeks, stay disciplined in the execution. Your team will be more confident at the end of the year when they can look back and see what was accomplished.

Chainalytics is focused on our customer’s bottom line. We would like to help your business unit win in 2011. Our packaging professionals can help you identify and implement cost reduction programs related to packaging, redesign pesky damage-prone packages, or make your supply chain more sustainable and easier on the environment. Email us to learn more.

Iconic Girl Scouts Cookie Packaging: Paper to Plastic?

2011-03-02T10:39:00.002-06:00

By Eric Carlson, CPP- Chainalytics

For the Girl Scouts Cookie® purist, the new “Thanks-A-Lot”™ cookie packaging that is being tested in the Midwest may seem like the sad end of an era.

This new packaging design eliminates the paperboard carton by replacing it with a plastic wrap. According to ABC Bakers, the manufacturer of Girl Scouts Cookies, the new packaging will remove 150 tons of paperboard from the waste stream and save energy equal to 35,000 gallons of fuel, based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Waste Reduction Model.

Chainalytics Packaging Optimization Practice, a team of Certified Packaging Professionals providing independent packaging engineering and consulting services, often suggests similar packaging changes reduce packaging and/or logistics costs to its clients. Had the Girl Scout organization asked us, we might have suggested this change as an option. However, we wonder if distribution and packaging testing was done to evaluate the impact of the new packaging on the quality or appearance of the delivered cookie.

Any time a packaging design change is made, due diligence demands that the new design be tested to assure that performance meets or exceeds expectations. Distribution testing to an internationally recognized ship test protocol (ASTM, ISTA, ISO) is highly recommended to understand not only baseline performance, but to provide some qualitative and quantitative measures of performance of the new packaging.

As a long-term consumer of the iconic Girl Scout Cookies, I can say that I never remember getting broken cookies. I hope that the Girl Scouts have done their cookie homework so that the cookies arrive intact to their adoring fans.

2011 Small Parcel Rate Increases

2011-02-22T10:30:00.004-06:00

By Tom Blanck, CPP, CSCP- Chainalytics

You’ve probably heard about the recent rate increases from FedEx and UPS. According to the Logistics Management’s January webcast, 2011 Logistics Rate Outlook – Going UP, the good news is that the economy is recovering – yet offset somewhat by expectations of escalating transportation costs including probable diesel fuel price increases.

FedEx package and freight rates are up an average of 5.9% (2011 FedEx Rates) and UPS rates increased an average of 4.9% (2011 UPS rates). However, what hasn’t made top news is the change to dimensional freight pricing methods. Depending on package weight and size, both services may assess higher charges based on dimensional weight.

Dimensional weight is calculated by multiplying the length by width by height of each package in inches and dividing the total by a specific factor. Coincidentally, both services have reduced the factor used for calculating shipping prices from 194 to 166 for domestic services and from 166 to 134 for most export services.

What this means is that some packages will now be charged based on DIM measures, resulting in increased rates – substantially greater than the average 4.9%. This might have serious implications on small parcel shippers who have large, lightweight or fragile products that require cushioning.

Supply chain and packaging leaders are continually looking for ways to decrease costs and improve operating income. For some companies, this may provide financial motivation for finding creative ways to deal with increased shipping costs by leveraging packaging design. Now more than ever, optimizing packaging can provide a positive impact on the bottom line. The packaging engineers at Chainalytics specialize in evaluating packaging’s affect on shipping rates and have helped many companies find the most effective cost solution.

Frustration-Free Packaging Redesign

2011-01-25T10:48:00.003-06:00

by Brad Oberstadt - Chainalytics

Amazon.com® new Frustration-Free Packaging initiative not only cures online shoppers of “wrap rage”, it is also a benefit to other retailers selling products online. Frustration-Free Packaging strips down the original retail packages to the bare essentials or the lowest point of protection needed to ensure the product gets to the customer undamaged.

Amazon.com recognized that online retailers don’t need the marketing or theft deterring characteristics of traditional retail packaging. Frustration-Free Packaging gives Amazon.com and other online retailers an excellent opportunity to save money in reduced packaging material cost.

Just look at this example by Fisher-Price®. By re-engineering their packaging to the frustration-free format, they were able to reduce a long list of materials, creating a much more cost effective and sustainable package for their pirate ship toy, not to mention making it easier for the consumer to open. Amazon reported the below material savings in just one package:

• 1576.5 square inches of printed corrugated package inserts

• 175.25 square inches of PVC blisters

• 36.1 square inches of folding carton materials

• 36 inches of plastic-coated steel-wire ties

• 2 molded plastic fasteners

• 3.5 square inches of ABS molded styrene

Multiply these numbers by thousands of annual sales units and you are making a large impact towards reducing your company's sustainability footprint.

Interested in bringing the benefits of Frustration Free Packaging to your company? Contact the packaging engineers at Chainalytics, info@chainalytics.com. They have helped hundreds of companies redesign and re-engineer their packaging to realize material cost savings and significant supply chain cost reductions.

"Paper vs. Plastic" – The Grand Debate

2011-01-19T09:31:00.001-06:00

By Rob Kaszubowski, CPP - Chainalytics

As a packaging engineer, I am hounded by aunts, third cousins and other long lost relatives at family reunions and gatherings. I am repeatedly asked the timeless question: which is better...paper or plastic bags?

The short answer is easy: neither! Paper and plastic bags each have different components that make them a drain on natural resources and a strain on the environment. When it really comes down to it, each option has its pros and cons. Advocates from each platform will tell you their option is better than the other. It just depends on who’s banging their drum louder that day to make you listen to them.

Both materials are recyclable, but the rate that consumers recycle them is minimal at best. Paper is degradable, whereas plastics take over 1,000 years to decompose. Yet, plastic bags require less energy to produce and recycle. The list goes on and on and teeters back and forth without really steering you to truly believe one is greater than the other.

The grand “Paper vs. Plastic” debate has started to stir again, with California’s recent attempt to ban plastic bags completely. The bill was rejected in Septmeber, as challengers thought the regulation pushed the limits on consumer choice too far. Either way, the push is on for consumers to utilize reusable bags across the country.

The “Paper vs. Plastic” debate brings up a common challenge for most organizations: what are the best materials to use for packaging? With so many factors to consider, such as cost, protection and the environmental impact, it is important to understand the pros and cons of all material options. However, researching and testing a number of different materials can be time consuming and expensive.

The packaging professionals at Chainalytics have extensive knowledge of materials, are experts in evaluating packaging materials and can help your company select the packaging materials that best meet all of your packaging needs. Contact us at info@chainalytics.com .

Spotlight on the Supply Chain for Competitive Improvements

2010-12-07T17:30:00.004-06:00

by Tom Blanck, CPP, CSCP- Chainalytics

The message was clear at this year’s APICS Convention: many organizations have sharpened their focus on the supply chain to increase their competitive advantage, profitability and sustainability. I spoke at this year’s convention

to explain how packaging plays a significant role in reducing supply chain costs.

With organizations considering a variety of ways to improve supply chain performance, packaging is an important factor to evaluate because it impacts the entire supply chain. Packaging can impact freight, storage and handling costs, and by leveraging packaging design and optimization, changes can be made to create savings that go directly to the bottom line.

Many organizations are also looking to the supply chain for opportunities to improve sustainability and measure success and in my presentation, I addressed the alignment between cost reduction and sustainability, and how packaging improvements can deliver on both these timely challenges and presented a few examples of companies that have capitalized on packaging optimization for significant supply chain improvements.

I also highlighted a recent example of a food manufacturer who optimized transport packaging by making several minor improvements to their secondary packaging. These straightforward improvements will not only help the company save thousands of gallons of diesel fuel and eliminate hundreds of trailer load trips, but they will also increase margins by several hundred thousand dollars throughout the coming year.

Chainalytics Packaging Optimization Practice is a team of IoPP Certified Packaging Professionals that provide the experience and unbiased packaging engineering services. They have helped many clients improve profitability and sustainability through better packaging performance and design as well as through supply chain optimization saving millions of dollars in packaging and supply chain costs.

Click here, to find contact to learn how packaging improvements can improve supply chain logistics.

The 1st Annual UW-Stout Packaging Alumni Reception at Pack Expo

2010-10-28T17:48:00.044-05:00

by Rich Lindgren
Please join us at the 1st Annual UW-Stout Packaging Alumni Reception at Pack Expo-Chicago! This event will be a great opportunity to reconnect with classmates and network with alumni in the packaging industry. Also, meet current students and hear from Vice Chancellor, Dave Williams.

Monday, November 1^st, 6:30-8:30pm

Frankie’s 5th Floor Pizzeria

900 North Michigan Avenue

Alumni $10

Current Students $5

Click here, to register for the event!

This event is brought to you by the UW-Stout Alumni Association.

Happy 200th Birthday to the Tin Can!

2010-08-25T11:43:00.001-05:00

by Bill Connell - Chainalytics
Today the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) celebrates the 200^th anniversary of the metal can. It was 200 years ago that Englishman, Peter Durand received a patent to preserve food in tin plated containers.

People all over the world are familiar with this tin/steel can style of packaging which allows products to be retorted for excellent for shelf stability and product preservation. Also, the can's stack-ability and rigid structure was ideal for safely moving food to uncommon places, like the American Civil War battlegrounds or in a backpack to a kindergarten class food drive.

The steel can also fits right in with today’s sustainability movement because of its high recycling rate and unchanged post recycling material properties. The CMI claims that the metal can is the most recycled type of packaging. Proving that the steel can as we know it will most likely be around for the next 200 years!

Happy Birthday!

Get Paid to Recycle

2010-08-03T15:22:00.004-05:00

by Rob Kaszubowski, CPP - Chainalytics

Wouldn’t you love to get paid to throw stuff away? Well, now you can, thanks to Recyclebank. Recyclebank is a company that tracks and scans the weight of packaging you recycle each week, and then turns your recycled goods into points which you can accumulate to redeem later for anything ranging from magazine subscriptions to coupons to other fun freebies and deals.

Our community recently started using Recyclebank in 2010, and I’ve already cashed in my reward points for deals and coupons at local sporting goods stores, clothing stores and restaurants. We were pretty good at recycling before the program was started, but now we definitely have some additional incentive. Plus the whole neighborhood has really taken to the program, which now seems to make recycling fun and exciting! A recent release stated that 87% of households in my town are participating in the recycling program, up from about only 60% before the program started.

Recyclebank also tracks your personal recycling data to show just how “green” you are by identifying the number of trees and gallons of oil saved, just by recycling your water bottles, newspapers and glass bottles every week!

Recyclebank’s focus on the environment and educating consumers on recycling and packaging has definitely put a new, exciting spin on recycling. I can’t wait to see what kind of rewards my points will get me next!

Can't view the video, click here.

The Latest Trend in Trash

2010-07-08T12:06:00.004-05:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics
The growing trend in trash is that many municipalities are leading the nation in reducing costs and waste while increasing sustainability.

In Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston, you can find BigBelly Solar Trash Cans replacing traditional trash cans on the streets. These are solar-powered trash cans that automatically compact the trash inside to save space and limit the number of times they need to be emptied.

BigBelly claims that these new compactors can reduce the size of the trash inside by 80 percent, and when the trash is compacted, the cans are capable of holding 150 gallons of waste. This means fewer scheduled collection times, which reduces fuel use and air pollution from garbage trucks.

And in Seattle, they are banning single-use restaurant packaging from landfills. Seattle is officially the first market area in North America to require single-use food service packaging be either compostable or recyclable. This requires restaurants, coffee shops, food courts, cafeterias and other food service businesses to stop throwing away single-use food service-ware and packaging including napkins, paper bags, wooden coffee stir sticks, clamshells and hot and cold beverage cups and lids among others.

The city hopes participation of the new ordinance will help prevent 6,000 tons of food service-ware and leftover food from entering landfills. Similar regulations for single-use food service packaging are in the testing phases in San Francisco and Toronto as well.

We are impressed with both of these cites trash improvements. Tell us your ideas on how your city could reduce trash and improve your city.

Anatomy of the Packaging-Matters Blog

2010-06-30T14:23:00.001-05:00

by Rich Lindgren, CPP - Chainalytics

This post is to help all readers optimize their time spent on the Packaging-Matters Blog. This entry breaks down the different functions and options you have when visiting our blog.

Back to Main Page - anytime you want you can click on Title of Blog; will get you back home no matter what area you are in blog or comments.

Subscribe to Blog - enter your email here and you will get our new posts delivered to your inbox as soon as they are published.

Category Labels- We assign a category to every post, that way you can browse categories to find info quickly. Foe example, click on Sustainability Scene to read all the entries about greener packaging movements and other sustainable packaging stories.

Blog Archive - Browse by previous months, go back to April 2009 and see the humble beginnings of our blog

Quicksearch - In the upper left corner of screen, there is a search box, great way to look up a topic or word and see all the posts that contain that info.

BlogRoll Links - This is a listing of other sites that we enjoying reading and provide good information. info that we like, check them out at your leisure

RSS Subscription - These are links for RSS (Real Simple Syndication) basically you can sign up using these links and content will be pushed to your Feed Reader, there are many and MyYahoo and MyMSN have them built in, if you are interested. We can help you if you get stuck. Just another way to be on the cutting edge of getting information.

- if you see this symbol, it is a link to help you get RSS feeds setup through FeedBurner, click here and its falling down easy to get recent entries of the blog to show up on your MyYahoo or MyMSN home pages

Packaging Business News Feed: Helps you stay tuned to packaging news at a glance, updated constantly through out the day.

Hope you find this helpful and just write a comment if you have any questions.

Quaker Loses the Box on the Rip n’ Go Chewy Granola Bars

2010-06-23T17:39:00.005-05:00

by Brad Oberstadt- Chainalytics
The latest sustainable packaging innovation to catch our eye is the Rip n’ Go Chewy Granola Bars by Quaker. Quaker has eliminated the paperboard packaging and replaced it with an adhesive label. The adhesive label also has perforated lines that allows for an individual bar to be ripped from the package while the other bars remain together.
Quaker’s Rip n’ Go packaging is quite the suitable packaging improvement, Quaker states the new package uses 33% less material than the standard paperboard package. Re-engineering their standard package also made the package more convenient for consumers; the adhesive packaging keeps the bars together until the last bar is finished rather than allowing them to float around in the kitchen cupboard or pantry.

Packaging Inspiration = Recipe Inspirations

2010-06-16T11:03:00.001-05:00

by Rob Busse, CPP

Thanks to the packaging, McCormick has developed a new product line called Recipe Inspirations. Each product contains all of the seasoning you need for a whole recipe, all made possible by the 6 individual serve thermoform cavities on the package. Now that’s packaging inspiration.

Say Cheese!

2010-06-10T15:04:00.001-05:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics

Finally, there is an upgrade to the conventional zip closure for cheese. For those of you in the UK that buy cheese with a zip closure feature, Milk Link (www.milklink.com), the leading British dairy farmer owned co-operative and largest cheese manufacturer, now offers a completely new and apparently better resealable feature for their regional cheese brands, Cadog and Lockerbie. Both brands produce cheddar and butter. Cadog (www.cadog.co.uk) is a relatively new Welsh based brand, while Lockerbie (www.lockerbiecreamery.co.uk) is a 50 year old Scottish brand.

The new resealable feature is branded Grip Strip® and features a hook and loop configuration that claims to firmly seal the pack and maintain product freshness. The Grip Strip® has repeat closure application similar to the zip feature found in many current film structures. However, the improvement is mainly in user interface – it is simply easier to seal and more forgiving to slight mis-alignment. The material is a food-grade, heat-sealable polyethylene.

This hook and loop feature was developed for Milk Link by APLX (www.aplix.com), a leader in self-gripping fasteners for over 50 years. I’m sure this would be an approved pack by Wallace and Gromit!

Puma Thinks Outside of the Box

2010-05-26T14:37:00.001-05:00

by Rob Busse, CPP - Chainalytics

Outside of the shoebox, that is. After 21 months of development and apparently 2,000 ideas, Puma has a design that will replace the common shoe box that has been around for dozens of years. The design consists of a “sustainable” cotton and recycled polyester bag and corrugated insert. Puma estimates that bag will slash water, energy, and fuel consumption during manufacturing alone by 60%–in one year, that comes to a savings of 8,500 tons of paper, 20 million mega joules of electricity, 264,000 gallons of fuel, and 264 gallons of water. Ditching the plastic bags will save 275 tons of plastic, and the lighter shipping weight will save another 132,000 gallons of diesel.

Unfortunately for Puma, they don’t expect that the design will save any money initially since the higher price of the materials will offset other savings. They are certainly hoping that the package will drive up sales dollars with all of the hype that has been created and with undoubtedly more to come. Is this going to make you buy a pair of Puma's?

Top 236 Thermoformers in the US

2010-05-24T16:50:00.001-05:00

Plastics News published a list of the top 236 Thermoformers in the US. Check it out...http://www.plasticsnews.com/rankings/listrank.html?mode=thermo

What to Look for in a Packaging Consultant

2010-05-19T15:02:00.010-05:00

by Bob Fiedler, CPP - Chainalytics

A little over 20 years ago, IoPP, the Institute of Packaging Professionals, established a Consultants Council with a mission of defining standards for professional packaging consultants. The consultants established and published Standards of Ethical Conduct and worked together to establish and promote packaging consulting as a full time profession. Educational materials were developed both for enhancing the practices of members and to promote within the industry the effective use of packaging consultants.

Promotional educational materials were developed by the Council including when and when not to hire a packaging consultant, how and where to find one, how to hire one and what to look for in a packaging consultant.

A list and explanation of what to look for in a packaging consultant included:

1. Experience

2. Strong ethics

3. Complete objectivity

4. Cost

5. Good listener

6. Self-confidence

7. Strong analytical skills

8. Creativity

9. Personality Size

10. Full time attention

11. Ability to transmit knowledge

12. Strong references

After consulting for over 40 years, I believe that what clients are now looking for may be changing or needs to be viewed differently. Many clients are now seeking consultants providing the following qualities:

1. Specialized expertise and experience

2. Program direction and leadership

3. An objective outside viewpoint

4. Being a catalyst for action and change

5. Increase sustainability expertise

6. Scalability to address both specific and systemic issues

Miller Lite Vortex Bottle: Gimmick or Packaging Innovation?

2010-05-06T10:37:00.002-05:00

by Rob Kaszubowski, CPP - Chainalytics

Mega-brewer MillerCoors is preparing to launch their latest and greatest packaging innovation, the Miller Lite Vortex Bottle, in the hopes of boosting its sales which have slumped recently. The newly developed bottle design has specially designed grooves in the neck to “help create a vortex as you’re pouring beer”.

The thought is that the Vortex bottle neck will create an influx of oxygen and create a fresher, better tasting beer. Now I’ve had a beer or two in my day, but I’m not sure how realistic that will be. My belief though is that the new vortex design will allow consumers to pour (or chug) beer faster – although the new design is not marketed in this way.

Some are calling it another gimmick, similar to the Coors Lite cold activated bottle labels that are printed with a thermochromatic ink which allows the mountains to turn blue in color when the package is cold enough to drink.

Whether you call the new Miller Lite Vortex bottle a gimmick or packaging innovation, it’s bound to cause a stir in consumers….and beer!

I’m sure the packaging geek in me will be curious to see this new technology and I’ll have to try one….or two!

What did Walmart really save?

2010-05-03T11:59:00.011-05:00

by Rob Busse, CPP - Chainalytics

As noted in the previous article, Walmart elminated 3,000,000 pounds of corrugated when they gap flapped their Great Value cereal cases. So what does that much corrugated savings relate to in the “real world” anyways?

6,280,000 Lbs of CO2 – the equivalent annual CO2 emissions of 570 cars
2,425 Tons of Wood – the equivalent of 16,800 trees
34,591,000 BTU’s of energy – the equivalent annual BTU’s necessary for 380 homes
9,682,000 Gallons of Wastewater – the equivalent amount of water in 15 Olympic swimming pools
1,231,000 Lbs of Solid Waste – the equivalent amount of 44 full garbage trucks

So does that help you get you mind around it? Those are starting to seem like REAL savings! I guess Walmart not only preaches sustainability but they practice it to!

Note:

Calculations made using papercalculator.org

Corrugated example run with 50% recycled content.

It’s Rollback Time at Chainalytics

2010-04-28T10:59:00.003-05:00

by Rob Busse, CPP - Chainalytics

Have you seen the new Walmart commercials, “It’s Rollback Time at Walmart”? They explain practical ways Walmart has reduced costs and improved sustainability. These commercials hit pretty close to home for us here at Chainalytics, especially the ones that relate to packaging materials and logistics.

Check out the first video below – it refers to Walmart’s redesign of the shipping cases used on their Great Value cereals. The Walmart associate in the video realized they didn’t need the full flaps on the shipping cases because they don’t add much value and take up a lot of corrugated (or “cardboard” as said in the video for the non-packaging audience). Walmart changed over to what is referred to as a “gap flap” design, so now the flaps don’t completely meet in the center. By creating this gap they were able to use less corrugated on each case and that savings adds up fast. Walmart reports they are now using almost three million fewer pounds of corrugated, which translates into less greenhouse gases, less waste water, less solid waste and less energy which is great for both the environment and your wallet.

This new case and the rest of the videos below are great examples of the work Chainalytics does each day for our clients. We help our clients identify and implement ways to improve their packaging to save money and improve sustainability.

Walmart’s slogan is “Save People Money so they can Live Better”, but at Chainalytics it’s “Save our Customers Money so they can Increase their Bottom Line and Reduce their Carbon Footprint!" It’s Rollback time at Chainalytics!

Hungry? Have Some Packaging!

2010-04-22T11:42:00.006-05:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics
Intego, who develops and sells desktop internet security and privacy software for Macintosh is shipping their products in packages made from organically-grown, edible materials. Using rice- and soy-based packaging, and vegetable-based inks, all of Intego’s boxes are derived from organic raw materials, and are edible.

Intego’s boxes come in two flavors: the company’s VirusBarrier X6 box will be bacon-flavored, and its Internet Security Barrier X6 box will be roast chicken-flavored. In addition, each box will include packets of low-fat, low-salt, naturally-flavored salad dressing: French dressing for VirusBarrier X6, and blue-cheese dressing for Internet Security Barrier X6. Standard license boxes, good for protecting up to two Macs, will contain two packets of salad dressing; family pack boxes, which protect up to five Macs, will contain five packets.

In addition, nutritional information for the box and salad dressing is printed on the sides of the boxes.

Just to note- only those boxes bearing a logo saying “eat me!” are edible.

A Cure for Wrap Rage

2010-04-14T14:52:00.002-05:00

by Rich Lindgren, CPP - Chainalytics
Wrap Rage, at one point or another we’ve all experienced it- a heightened level of anger and frustration resulting from the inability to open hard-to-remove thermoformed packaging, particularly plastic blister packages and clamshells. In addition to the anger and frustration, I think we have all felt the pain as well. Yes, the literal pain of opening the package. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of 6,000 people a year end up in the ER after trying to open these packages. Reported injuries include cut fingers and sprained wrists, from tools used to open packages and from the packaging itself. Usually caused by the solid perimeter seal used on these packages often by processes of heat sealing the 2 halves of plastic.
No weaponry needed. This Logitech mouse packaging has a perforated corner you bend, splitting the seam in two. (And clamshells for some batteries are now precut on one side; you just peel the plastic back.)

While many retail store's tamper and theft deterrent policies require a solid seal on these packages, not all products that use this packaging are subject to this. There are many alternative closure methods that do no require the jaws of life to open a thermoformed package. Spot welding or friction fit closures protect the product just as well and keep the package closed until needed to be opened by consumer. Also, on products that require solid edge sealing, perforated back panels can be designed so customers have other options for removing what they really want; the product! Most companies put little thought into the customer experience once you leave the store, just a little thought and design effort would go a long way!!!

Another option to cure Wrap Rage is to purchase a ZIPIt Clamshell Opener. The ZIPIt is a battery-operated, handle-held device designed to tear through those clamshell packaging cases like a hot knife through butter. Check out the commercial for the ZIPit….

Will the Green Police Come After Your Packaging?

2010-04-07T12:54:00.002-05:00

by Rob Kaszubowski, CPP - Chainalytics

The Superbowl is traditionally known for two things: great football, and great commercials. During Superbowl XLIV, Audi launched its witty and humorous “Green Police” commercial where consumers are arrested and reprimanded for various environmental violations.

Sustainability, recycling, global warming and saving the environment have all been hot button topics for the past decade. Even though there are no such “Green Police” roaming the streets today, it does beg to ask the question: What “green” packaging violations does your company have?

Here’s a quick list of some possible infringements:

- Using EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam for protective packaging

- PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastics

- Poor cube utilization

- Improper material selection

- Under utilized distribution systems and warehousing

How has your company been working to move away from these packaging violations?

If there really were “Green Police” for packaging, what should some of the penalties or fees be?

Small changes in packaging can pay huge dividends in helping the environment and improving your packaging’s overall sustainability rating. Make sure you’re not on the wrong side of the law!

BONUS: If you dig the tunes from the Audi commercial check out Cheap Trick’s “Dream Police” circa 1979. The word “dream” was substituted for “green” for Audi’s “Green Police” commercial.

Paper + Nanotubes = Battery?

2010-03-24T13:40:00.007-05:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics
I know that many of you are not reading the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, but last December they first published research coming out of Stanford indicating that printing batteries on ordinary paper might very well be possible in the near future. By combining carbon nanotubes with ink and printing on ordinary paper, the research found that the resulting ‘battery’ performance encouraging even when the paper was folded, bent or after adhesive tape was removed from the surface. Current performance requires about a kilogram of the ink/nanotube matrix to power a 40 watt bulb for 1 hour.

I know that doesn’t sound like much capacity now, but think back to the early ‘90s and think about the size and capacity of your cell phone … if you had one ($2-4k)… then think about what the latest iPhone can do? Who knows maybe one day the walls in your house will be painted with some version of this ink to help power your electric lights!

Even more exciting is the thought of active packaging powered by these printed batteries! Packages that give you a message about the product or sale, maybe even flashing graphics activated as a consumer passes in the aisle.

A Revolution in Pizza Boxes? Check out what Walmart is doing!

2010-03-17T10:13:00.008-05:00

by Rob Busse, CPP - Chainalytics
There is no doubt that Walmart is a leader in the area of sustainability. They have implemented a packaging scorecard and have created some aggressive goals to reduce packaging waste- they want to reduce all packaging waste by 2025!

Check out how their deli pizza box is bringing them one step closer to reaching their goals!

The deli pizza boxes are being made from 100% recycled corrugate which has come directly from Walmart’s retail stores. It is the first fully closed recycling loop of its kind.

Here’s the flow which is explained in the video below.

1. Walmart retail associates recycle corrugated boxes by sending them through a compactor.

2. Bundles of corrugate are sent to Pratt Industries, where it is repulped and turned into the linberboard that is used to make boxes.

3. Pratt then converts that linerboard into pizza boxes for Walmart.

Impressive! What is Walmart going to do next?

Chainalytics is a leader in improving sustainability through packaging design and supply chain optimization. Check out our website to see how we can help your business create a sustainable impact!

Have You Heard It? SunChips New Sustainable Bag

2010-02-24T12:29:00.025-06:00

by Rob Busse, CPP - Chainalytics

We are very excited about SunChips’ new 100% compostable chip bag. It’s made from PLA (polylactic acid), which is a derivative of corn starch and decomposes in 14 days under prime composting conditions.

This is a great step forward with sustainability; the only thing to mention is that the new bag can make eating chips a little more noticeable. The crisp bag is so loud when touched that we suggest transferring the chips into a resealable bag or bowl right after opening. That way you can get the bag into the compost pile as soon as possible.

Massive Shipping: Transpacific supply chain is now shorter!

2010-02-17T09:14:00.027-06:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics

Maersk, a leader in global logistics, container ships and shipping has built a truly astounding container ship for the express purpose of transpacific shipping and global shipping, the Emma Maersk. This ship exceeds the Panamax, which is the largest ship to transit the Panama Canal; however it can still pass through the Suez Canal and is approximately 180’ longer than an aircraft carrier. The ship was built to carry 1,400 more containers than the next largest ship.

Panamax: Length = 965 ft, Beam = 106 ft

Emma Maersk: Length = 1302 ft, Beam = 184 ft

Specs: http://www.emma-maersk.com/specification/

The Emma Maersk is powered by the world's largest single diesel unit, weighing 2,300 tons and capable of 110,000 horsepower allowing the ship to travel up to 25% faster. With a cruising speed rated at 31 knots, this ship can make the trip from Hong Kong to Los Angeles in about 9 days – this compared to nearly 14 days (19 knots) for a typical container ship.

To get an idea of how much faster this ship can make the journey, calculate your journey here: http://www.searates.com/reference/portdistance/

The ship also has several features to protect the environment. This includes recycling the exhaust, mixed with fresh air, back into the engine for reuse. This not only increases efficiency but also reduces engine emissions.

ISO adopted the intermodal container standard to more efficiently transport goods across the world in the late 1960s. Ever since then cargo containers have revolutionized global trade.

Time and distance have shrunk again with the Emma Maersk!

Dell Goes Green with Sustainable Bamboo Packaging

2010-02-10T14:07:00.030-06:00

by Rob Kaszubowski, CPP - Chainalytics

In November, 2009, Dell unveiled its newest innovation into “green”, sustainable packaging: bamboo.

The packaging sustainability initiative has been growing exponentially over the past decade. More companies have started to migrate away from the use of environmental contaminants, like PVC, and have started to make the push into more environmentally friendly plastics.

From a protective packaging standpoint, foams and molded pulp have long been the traditional packaging material. With the green push, molded pulp has become more and more prevalent throughout electronic industries.

Bamboo has been deemed a highly sustainable resource due to its ability to re-grow to full term within 2-3 years, whereas trees generally take nearly 20 years to grow before they can be consumed for paper usage. As more companies turn to bamboo, I imagine it would help drive down the cost of molded inserts, which could then create a significant cost savings opportunity for multiple industries.

From a packaging engineer’s perspective, it will be interesting to watch and track the performance of this new protective packaging. The performances of foams and pulp have been known and tested for decades, but I would be curious to see how much, if any, testing has been done related to the performance of molded bamboo, especially with highly sensitive and expensive electronics.

Bamboo wood flooring has also been on the rise, due to its high sustainability rating and unique look, so it’s no wonder that the packaging industry has caught on to this exceptional plant as well!

See more about Dell’s sustainability push here: http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/corp-comm/earth-products-packaging.aspx
*Photo courtesy of Dell

CERTIFIED: Frustration Free

2009-11-19T15:40:00.006-06:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics

CERTIFIED: Frustration Free

Amazon has advanced their position in the market from just naming and promoting “Frustration Free Packaging” to creating a program to CERTIFY a package as Frustration Free according to their criteria. The criteria have been mainly driven by consumer feedback. Consumers say they don’t like wire ties or impossible to open clamshells and prefer a minimal amount of packaging for disposal.

Directly from their website:

Our vision is to offer our entire catalog of products in Frustration-Free Packaging. The certification program supports that goal by providing manufacturers an easy process for getting their product packaging certified Frustration-Free Packaging.

Benefits of the Frustration-Free Packaging Program:

· Improved customer experience by offering easy-to-open, recyclable packaging.

· Simple work flow for the items you want to be reviewed for certification.

· Amazon.com will not charge you for the certification evaluation--you just need to ship us the samples you want us to review.

How much thought has been put in by you and your company on the frustration created by your packaging and how does that affect your customers?

Plastic Bag Bans – Good, Bad or Ugly??

2009-10-27T10:03:00.004-05:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics
Last week the ban on non-biodegradable plastic bags in Mexico City went into effect, joining many communities around the world from municipalities to countries. Mexico City is the second large city in North America after San Francisco to have outlawed the free distribution of thin plastic shopping bags; Washington DC has implemented a tax. Other worldwide bans or restrictions include Wales (complete ban) and Ireland with their 0.15 euro cents plastax on each bag, New Dehli, China, South Africa & Belgium. Many cities and towns are discussing the merits of imposing a ban including San Jose, CA.

In my readings, there have been 2 issues driving the move to ban the ubiquitous and highly utilitarian plastic bag; 1) visible litter; 2) joining the environmental bandwagon. With regard to the litter issue, these bags are reported to make up less than 0.5% of the US refuse; however, they are an easily identified object wherever they happen to land, so they are an easy target.

It seems that the litter issue is more an issue of consumer behavior and responsibility than an issue with the bags themselves. In the distant past – about 20+ years ago – trash was frequently flung out of cars, filling our roadsides with all manor of garbage. There has been a huge shift so that we as a society legislates and castigates against this behavior; we also utilize community service to clean our roadsides. The roadsides are now a mostly clean and verdant oasis across the country.

With regard to the environmental bandwagon, we could probably do more for the environment by simply keeping our tires optimally inflated to save money, reduce greenhouse gasses & global warming, etc. In a recent post from About.com …

Poorly Inflated Tires Increase Fuel Costs and EmissionsThat may not sound like much, but it means that the average person who drives 12,000 miles yearly on under-inflated tires uses about 144 extra gallons of gas, at a cost of $300-$500 a year.

I am sure that the cost of the bags we each use is well under $100/year/person. It seems that our behavior (the hardest thing to change) is the key to responsible use, re-use and disposal of the lowly but highly useful plastic bag.

Other reading includes:
Do we really need to ban plastic bags? – Gardian.co.uk
N.C. retailers hurry to prepare for bag ban – The Virginian-Pilot
Plastic Bag Wars Poised to Continue – NY Times

Debunking myths about plastic bags:
http://www.savetheplasticbag.com/

Tracking the bans & fees of plastic bags:
http://www.chicobag.com/t-track_movement.aspx

Packaging & Supply Chain Optimization Article

2009-10-05T15:55:00.003-05:00

Here is an excerpt from a Supply Chain Digest Article:

Achieving Bottom-Line Sustainability with Packaging Optimization

Optimize Packaging to Drive Cost Reductions and Sustainability in the Supply Chain
Packaging optimization can yield considerable opportunities for supply chain productivity improvements and substantial transportation cost reductions. In today’s challenging economic climate, showing improvement to bottom-line results is crucial. Packaging can be leveraged to provide measurable cost savings and sustainability improvements, ensuring the success of supply chain improvement initiatives.

Read the full article here

Barcoding On The Way Out – Don’t bet on it!

2009-09-15T09:19:00.003-05:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics
There has been some buzz in the press lately about a new visual type of tag to replace barcodes called Bokodes. These tags have traditionally used a mask and lens over an LED. The advantage is that the bokode can contain about 1000x more information than a barcode and supposedly the tags can be read from a longer distance – typical reported distance is 12 feet (It seems to me that many barcodes can be read from a long distance as well). Because these tags have been projected to be expensive (dollars/tag) and need to be powered with an LED, the market has shown little interest since their development in 1994. The reason for the current resurgence in interest is that there have been some developments that will take advantage of reflected light or camera flash to provide sufficient illumination of the screen. At the SIGGRAPH Conference & Exhibit there will apparently be a demonstration of some new bokode technology – although it is not clear that this demonstration will be utilizing the reflected light technology.

Despite all the renewed interest in the bokode, I am quite certain that the ubiquitous and nearly cost free barcode will be around for a very long time. Many of the current barcode applications do not need 1000x more information. This reminds me of the RFID buzz that was around some years ago. RFID was going to change the entire supply chain infrastructure, tag prices were going to fall to pennies a tag, the technology was going to overcome signal scattering by metal & liquids AND they were going to make the barcode obsolete. Well, lots of the predictions came true, prices of the tags have fallen steadily, some early adopters helped (Walmart, DOD, and now the pharmaceutical industry). Some of the physics has been worked out; tag architecture and ink technology for printing the antennas has improved steadily and yet, the barcode is still alive and well!

I expect the barcode will remain as the universal solution for most supply chain applications and in most of the other applications that have adopted its simplicity. So even if the bokode overcomes its cost and design hurdles, expect to continue to see the barcode in as many, and likely more applications than today.

It has been reported that these codes could be read by cell phone cameras … how about that for another cool app for your snazzy new iPhone!

For a great introduction to the technology, check out the video below.

Somebody is listening to your packaging concerns

2009-08-19T10:41:00.004-05:00

by Bob Fiedler, CPP, Fellow - Chainalytics
Amazon.com has added a listening post to their website to get feedback on their packaging for shipments. What a great way to collect complaints and compliments to see how effective their shipping system is working. So many companies ship and hope for silence as the measure of their effectiveness. It is good to see someone asking for feedback at the outset.

Sometimes I think of packaging designers and shippers as sending out arrows trying to hit a target, and then never looking to see how many are in the center and how many miss the target completely. Feedback can help to adjust the sights for the next shot. Here is a snapshot from the Amazon.com website about how their feedback program works.

Packaging Feedback Program Overview
At Amazon, we are working to improve all aspects of our business. This includes the way in which we ship packages to our customers. The Packaging Feedback Program is designed so you can tell us if your items arrived in good condition and in appropriate-sized packaging. We'll use your input to improve product and Amazon packaging.

Entering Your Packaging Feedback
1. Visit www.amazon.com/packaging
2. Review the list of shipments for orders placed within the past 60 days.
3. Click the Leave Packaging Feedback button next to the shipment.
4. Fill in ratings and answers to questions. You'll also have the option to upload a photo of your shipment.
5. Click the Done button.

If you are a packaging engineer, wouldn’t you want this direct link to consumers for feedback on your packaging designs and it’s performance?

Will Urban Moles and PRT change the future of Supply Chains?

2009-08-03T11:31:00.011-05:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics

Bayer MaterialScience has announced its second annual VisionWorks Award this year called CargoPacks 2020. This is a student contest with industry & university partners. Second place this year was called Urban Mole by Philipp Hermes at Folkwang Hochschule in Essen Germany. The concept is to utilize existing underground infrastructure to provide an automated delivery network (sewer). How is that for an every changing supply chain, how quickly do you think ISTA and ASTM can come up with test standard to simulate the Urban Mole? The ick factor is supposed to be avoided by having the Mole travel at the top of the tube, the Mole is hermetically sealed, etc. The intent is for small parcels to be ferried around the city at minimal cost and a reduction of congestion; items like books, CDs, small parts/tools delivery, documents, etc. This is the type of last mile delivery innovation that many companies are looking for to reduce or defer supply chain costs. I think I might prefer the small upcharge for a bike messenger or wait an extra day for the overnight delivery service.

This appears to be WAY out of the box thinking, similar to a concept for moving people that has been around for a while called Personal Rapid Transit. There are a variety of concepts worldwide. The Skyweb Express by Taxi2000 was the solution posed for the Minneapolis area to better move people around non-stop directly from point to point. The system utilizes vertical space and would be have stations attached to buildings & transit hubs. There will be a PRT in place at London’s Heathrow Airport later this year using guided track vehicles. If this system moves people, it most certainly would only be a short time before it becomes part of your packaging supply chain as well.

More general info on PRT: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_rapid_transit
Heathrow PRT intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI3qadusfNA&NR=1H

Making Weight

2009-07-23T10:07:00.006-05:00

by Rich Lindgren, CPP - Chainalytics
Like any good heavyweight fighter, software giant Microsoft is reportedly cutting their new packaging weights by a targeted 40 percent. One example shared is the new software “Windows 7” package which should weigh about 37% less then the previous package design. Look for this new release sometime this fall.

Also the new package should be easier to open and more customer friendly.
See more detailed article here.

A 30 plus percent package reduction is very substantial and with Microsoft’s volumes, this will likely reduce tons of packaging from our world's waste stream. Along with that, it will likely save the company a good chunk of change in material costs and shipping.

What is your company doing to make weight?

Gizmo Twist Cap Makes Splash

2009-07-16T08:42:00.005-05:00

Packaging Innovation or Short-term Craze?
by Rob Kaszubowski, CPP - Chainalytics
The Scotland based company, Gizmo Packaging, has recently unveiled its latest invention to the public: a bottle cap closure that allows the consumer to inject the liquid in the bottle with active ingredients, flavors, or vitamins. You simply twist the cap, and you can add a variety of flavors to your bottled water.

As our on-the-go lifestyles become increasingly busier, new packaging innovations have helped us maintain that speed. From microwave popcorn to squeezable tube yogurt to single servings of just about anything, each packaging advance shaves seconds (and maybe minutes) off our daily activities to allow us to spend a little more time with friends and family.

I too have jumped on the bandwagon of adding flavor packets to my bottled water, but am I really so busy that I can’t tear open a foil packet and pour the powder into the bottle? Plus, there’s always the chance that my attention deficit disorder kicks in and I twist all the caps at once in an entire case of water just to see the magical flavor injection take place. Also, how much extra would I be willing to pay for those few seconds of excitement?

I’m sure once this gadget makes it to the U.S. I will give it a whirl. Maybe this will be a new craze that catches on like some of the other great packaging innovations, and we’ll never have a reason to drink plain water again!

You can learn more at Gizmo Closures Website.

Cereal Box Sustainability?

2009-07-09T14:11:00.007-05:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics

In the US, bag in box cereal has been a tradition … a staple at the breakfast table for nearly 100 years! Some of you value conscious consumers may have noticed a section in the cereal aisle devoted to bag only cereal – mostly marketed in my state (MN) by Malt-O-Meal. Many supermarket chains offer a private label cereal whether it is by bag only or side-by-side with the brand name cereal.

Bag only cereal has been offering similar product selections to the BIG name brands (Kellogg’s, Post, Nestle, Quaker) typically at less than half the cost to the consumer since the Generic craze swept the market in the mid to late 1970s. The brief success of the generic brands led retailers to develop private label lines to compete side-by-side with traditional brand name products. Private label ‘brands’ are common in most large food retailers today and this trend is also popular in many other markets with some private label brands vaulting to top brand status – think of the Sears brands of Kenmore & Craftsman.

Across the pond, the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain surveyed their customers to identify the 10 worst packages. Bag in box cereal is an early target and now Sainsbury’s is going to move all its private label cereals to bag only. It is unclear whether all cereal types will be able to withstand the shipping and handling. Kellogg's has indicated they don’t believe their signature product – Corn Flakes – can be adequately protected without the box. Recently, Kellogg's announced that it was test marketing a new size box to reduce the amount of paperboard by 8% and still provide a full 12oz of Corn Flakes.

Sainsbury’s has recently published a commitment to reducing packaging waste by 1/3 by 2015 while Tesco (Walmart rival in UK) has pledged to reduce packaging by 15% next year – 2010. In 2008, Walmart committed to reduce the amount of packaging by 5% from their Packaging Network by 2013.

Aside from any public pressure to ‘green’ their offerings, why would there be such a global trend by large retailers to reduce packaging waste? Because by minimizing packaging (size, shape, weight), these retailers are able to trim packaging material and supply chain costs while at the same time promoting reduced packaging waste and increasing sustainability wins.

From Trash to Treasure

2009-07-07T10:35:00.006-05:00

By Thaddeus Feiler
One company is making it their business to see that the world is a little greener. A company called TerraCycle Inc. is taking discarded packaging, such as juice pouches, bottles, corks and much more discarded waste, and turning it back into functional packaging and trendy accessories. Who would have thought that a shiny juice pouch could be used to make a stylish bag durable enough for everyday use, or that an old soda bottle could be used as a vessel for various new products such as TerraCycle’s deer repellent.

As a member in the packaging world, I am delighted to see that the unrecyclable packages are no longer just being thrown out, but being made into functional new ways to not only help mother earth, but also the packaging industry. With some effort and time, I think that all of the packaging in the world could be recycled or reused in some way, whether it be to make a bag or use old wine corks to make a “Waste Cork Corkboard”. As packaging develops in the world around us, there is no end to the possibilities as to what can be created out of one person’s trash. With all the packaging engineers coming out of school with a minor in sustainability, there are going to be many new ideas on how to reduce waste and increase the value of a discarded package. Packaging Sustainability is there; we just have to find the possibilities.

Watch Youtube video of, “the making of the drink pouch bags.”

Trash Your Fireworks Packaging

2009-07-02T10:04:00.003-05:00

by Rob Kaszubowski, CPP - Chainalytics

As the Fourth of July holiday weekend nears, I’m sure many are already planning ahead for fun-filled activities of boating, barbequing, fishing, and surely fireworks! Of course it’s always important to remember safety first. This is especially true for fireworks and their proper disposal.

In today’s age of being “green” and environmentally friendly, the thoughts of recycling anything we can is constantly ringing in our heads. Many traditional fireworks are often made of recyclable materials like paperboard or corrugated, however, they also can contain metallic foils, rigid plastic bases and components and even left over explosive residue from the firework. All fireworks should be soaked in water and then properly disposed of in the trash – not the recycling bin.

Enjoy a safe and fun Fourth of July holiday!

How Can CPG’s Better Play the Green Card?

2009-06-22T15:58:00.016-05:00

by Rich Lindgren, CPP - Chainalytics
If more consumer goods producers played the “Green” card, would the consumers buy into it? Often most companies try to go for a "green look" which usually means brown (kraft) packaging and toned down graphics but they have not really done much to change their sustainable impact. Usually a much more sustainable impact is attained by reducing materials and the overall size of the packaging, not just switching out materials.

Picture a scenario where instead of a package boasting 20% more product, a company right size their package & displayed a banner that shouted “20% Less Packaging”.
Maybe on the back or side panel instead of just nutrition facts they could tally trees saved or gallons of diesel saved by their packaging optimization changes.

Would shoppers in the aisles recognize this value and use it to make buying decisions?

Kellogg’s is testing a similar concept, that they call a “Space Saving Box” I believe their marketing angle is that the box better utilizes a standard kitchen cupboard or pantry, but I would venture to guess there is some good packaging material cost savings and sustainable wins with the Kellogg’s test design as well.

If it works, maybe they will put the Packaging Engineer on the front of a Wheaties Box some day….

New APHIS Regulations – The Lacey Act

2009-06-17T14:03:00.003-05:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics

It has come to our attention that APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) under the Department of Agriculture has amended the Lacey Act with new regulations with regard to the importation into the US “to a broader range of plants and plant products”. There is a phase-in schedule for those importing products to provide declaration documentation for various types of products that began in April 2009, but will go on to include paper based products. Below is a chart with the phase-in schedule. APHIS will continue to provide updates on their website and you can register for updates on their website.

APHIS website:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ - http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/lacey_act/

APHIS Docket No. APHIS-2008-119 http://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/lacey_act/downloads/FederalRegister02-03-2009.pdf

Eat Your Packaging For Breakfast

2009-06-15T11:29:00.006-05:00

by Rob Kaszubowski, CPP - Chainalytics

I recently had the pleasure of watching old re-runs of Mythbusters on a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon. The second part of the episode was set aside to debunk the myth of which had more nutritional value … a fruity, sugary breakfast cereal, or the paperboard box it actually came in. Adam recalled how his mom always told him that the paperboard box was healthier than many of the sweet, sugary cereals he wanted as a child.

The team used a calorimeter to test the amount of calories in each specimen. The paperboard box was ground up and blended to a mush, and 1 gram of the mix was placed on top of the calorimeter and lit on fire. The same was done to the cereal mash. Once the samples finished burning the temperature was recorded and calculations were made. It was determined that the 1 gram of cereal had 9 calories, while the mix of the box had around 7 calories.

Next they tested the nutrients in each sample. It was deemed that the cereal had sugar, protein, fat and starch – just as the label on a cereal box would say. The box on the other hand had almost no notable nutrients.

Sorry mom… Myth Busted! The paperboard cereal box had some calories, but no nutritional value. Now I can feel guilt free the next time I’m eating my favorite morning cereal (Cinnamon Toast Crunch – in case you were wondering!).

Breakthrough in Can Technology

2009-06-11T09:18:00.007-05:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics

Unfortunately, I’m one of those people who usually polish off my beverages from a can in pretty short order. I do know many who would like to take a few sips and then return it to the fridge. But until now, you would return to find your carbonated beverage flat and pretty lifeless.

The Canmaker Magazine from Great Britain has awarded their 2008 Cans of the Year Awards top prize to a Ball Packaging Europe innovation called “Ball Resealable End” (BRE). The first application was for a Coca-Cola energy drink from France called Burn. In a similar move, Monster is launching a North America import that incorporates the BRE fea

ture.

To view all the award winners from 2008
http://www.spgevents.com/PressRelease.htm

http://www.canmaker.com/main/index.php

Packaging Complaints uncovered by Photo Sharing sites

2009-06-08T09:41:00.017-05:00

by Rob Busse, CPP - Chainalytics

Have you ever gone online to a photo sharing site and searched for “bad packaging”? If you’re a packaging engineer, you might be interested in some of the hits.

Flickr – 84 results for “bad packaging”

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=%22bad+packaging%22

Photobucket – 19 results for bad packaging

http://photobucket.com/images/bad%20packaging/

After going through these, I am sure you have found similar frustrations as many of these photo sharing users have shared.

Serendipity & Ramune…

2009-05-26T09:05:00.005-05:00

by Eric Carlson, CPP - Chainalytics

Coincidence can be a great opportunity to learn. My son Jack is taking Mandarin in high school and came home from a China Day field trip with a few unusual looking bottles of carbonated beverages. As a packaging engineer, I was immediately interested in the odd shape and unusual opening. Jack could not wait to show me how the bottle opened and proceeded to punch a marble through the top and INTO the bottle only to be captured in the narrowed neck. I could not wait to dissect the opening to learn more about this bottle and found that the marble stays in the top by a slight interference fit, but the seal is maintained by the internal pressure of the drink’s carbonation. I was determined to learn more about this, but was scheduled to go to an ASTM meeting the next day.

The next night I found myself downtown in Vancouver, BC surrounded by hundreds of Japanese restaurants, so I walked to a self described Japanese Tapas restaurant (I know … Tapas is NOT Japanese in origin). Enclosed in the menu was a paper describing a fundraising effort in which the restaurant was partnering with the makers of Ramune – a Japanese soda – and a picture of the bottle I just saw the day before! I looked around and saw that many of the tables had ordered Ramune to drink. Apparently this is a decidedly popular drink (outside the US anyway) and as a packaging geek, I was inspired to research more about the Ramune bottle.

A Google search returned Wikipedia as the first hit for Ramune. Wikipedia had a pretty complete description of the history of the name Ramune, the bottle design, the original designer & usages.

Ramune
Ramune is a Japanese carbonated beverage (original flavor is lemon or lemon-lime) and the name is apparently a phonetic mashup from the English lemonade. Wikipedia indicates that Ramune was popular with the Japanese Imperial Navy before WWII. Many flavors and producers are currently marketing soda generically known as Ramune.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramune

The Codd-Neck Bottle
The bottle was designed in England by Hiram Codd with a patent dated 1876. The distinctive Codd-neck bottle was designed for the fizzy drink market. The bottle was quickly adopted by the brewing & fizzy drink industries with strong market presence in EU & Asia. The bottles were originally filled upside down. Until recently drinking from the Codd-neck bottle was a little tricky. A new pinched in feature was incorporated to hold the marble away from the bottle opening for easier pouring & drinking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottle#Codd-neck_bottles

Codswallop
To open a bottle of Ramune, there are a couple of techniques; slow steady pressure (not easy for kids) or the wallop. Of the many etymological roots of codswallop, one apparently comes from opening a Codd-neck bottle of beer. And considering that wallop is a 19th century slang for beer, and so it seems fitting that a walloping a Codd-neck bottle of beer could become codswallop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codswallop

Jack Shows how to open the bottles

Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jWsxBqRYkc&feature=related

Packaging Summit 2009 Review

2009-05-22T10:11:00.005-05:00

by Robert Fiedler, CPP - Chainalytics

Several people from our group attended the 2 day IoPP Packaging Summit at the Hyatt Rosemont hotel in Chicago along with over 135 colleagues. The venue included table top exhibits highlighting Adalis amongst a couple dozen others and all of the IoPP AmeriStar packaging winners on display. The meals and breaks were surrounded by all the displays providing opportunities for continuous networking. The evening reception centered within the displays and the reception swelled with the addition of all of the honors and awards recipients including Fellow Members, Honorary Life including Jack Grams from Minneapolis, Member of the Year, Jane Chase and all of the IoPP AmeriStar package design winners.

The presentations were well received and wide ranging with a strong focus on costs and economics and addressing the “New Normal”. Change that is here to stay and that is changing the way business is conducted.

Jim Peters of IoPP described the New Normal as:
• The CFO sitting at the packaging table
• Innovation as the now business strategy
• Sustainability gaining momentum
• Packaging moving up the “Food Chain”
• The growth of contract packaging and manufacturing both in kitting and primary packaging manufacturing.

The Keynote Speaker, Peter Clarke, Founder and CEO of Product Ventures Ltd. addressed “Recession Proof Packaging Strategies… Hard times call for smart thinking.” His six issues focusing on structural packaging with a systems approach included:
• Focusing on the long-term
• Trust is your Brand fortress, resize ethically, compare apples to oranges, don’t greenwash
• Packaging IS advertizing, 24/7
• You can’t compete on cost with store brands, be unique
• Shed what’s not needed – Invest in what is
• Target the sweet spot:
o Improve consumer experience
o Optimize production cost
o Provide the most environmentally friendly option.

The COMPASS presentation by Minal Mistry, Project Manager for Green Blue/Sustainable Packaging Coalition shows how far they have yet to go to create an understandable tool for accurately and consistently producing reputable dependable results on life cycle analysis (LCA). A great start for sure that can be trialed at www.sustainablepackaging.org/projects.asp for one month free and purchased for a license fee of $500/yr for the Coalition Members and $750/year for non-members including 5 seats. The Design Phase Software does not yet include options for either distribution or use data and relies on common industry data bases for metrics to feed the models other areas that will constantly be updated as they are developed.

Tom Blanck of Adalis spoke to one of the largest break out sessions about packaging improvements for sustainability and was well received and appreciated.

Overall, the Summit was an excellent opportunity to renew relationships, add new members to our networks, and keep current with market and sales information and intelligence and to generate new sales leads and reinforce opportunities.

It’s never too early to start looking forward to next year’s Packaging Summit!

Heritage meets Innovation

2009-05-11T10:47:00.007-05:00

by Rich Lindgren, CPP - Chainalytics

The new Maestro closure for champagne has been introduced through a partnership between Alcan and Champagne Duval-Leroy. This unique closure keeps the tradition of “The Pop” without a cork of any kind. The two biggest benefits are the safety of no more flying projectiles and no more worries of corks affecting the delicate tastes of many types of champagne.

The following video clip gives some great detail and pictures of the inner workings of this innovative closure.

From the video, it appears they are combining the properties of a metal crown closure often associated with beer and the newer style plastic corks that many wines have shifted to. It’s also noted that this closure can be wrapped or decorated with foils and other materials to preserve the romantic feel of many current champagne bottles.

The other thing I find very cool, is that they chose a very established and traditional flavor of champagne to partner with this innovative new opening feature!

Tax on Packaging in Europe

2009-05-04T10:06:00.003-05:00

by Rob Kaszubowski, CPP - Chainalytics

On January 1, 2008, the Netherlands implemented a tax on all packaging materials in a push for sustainability and reductions in carbon emissions. The main goal for the tax was to allow for the level of emissions in the packaging to be expressed in the market price to the consumer, as well as create a different standard of thinking in the selection of packaging materials and package design.

The tax is thought to be the first of its kind in Europe and will be used primarily to start a fund to help reduce waste and increase the rate of recycling in the country. Only the manufacturers and importers of pre-packaged products were held responsible for paying this tax.

For example: a Dutch manufacturer of dry cereal would be taxed upon delivery of their product to any retailer or wholesaler in the Netherlands. The manufacturer would be taxed for the plastic bag, paperboard box, corrugated shipper, pallet and any other secondary transport packaging materials.

The story for importers is rather similar. For instance, a U.S. beer maker ships their product to the Netherlands. That U.S. beer maker would then be required to pay the tax on the carton, bottles (or cans), pallets and other secondary packaging materials. This example would equate to an estimated tax of €.221 ($.294) per 24 pack of canned beer.

The tax is based on a calculation of CO² emissions from the production of each kilogram of packaging material. The eight materials included in the tax, in order from lowest cost to highest are: wood, glass, paper & corrugated, other materials, miscellaneous metals, biodegradable, plastic, aluminum. The 2008 rate for wood was €.0228/ kg ($.0138/lb - approximately), while on the other end of the scale, the tax for aluminum was €.5731/kg ($.3458/lb – approximately). These increased taxes are likely passed on to the consumer.

Back in 2002, Thailand had toyed with the idea of a packaging tax, but officials feared it would put their industry at a disadvantage to countries like Vietnam and China, who could supply cheaper labor. In 2003, Ontario, Canada also contemplated about charging additional fees based on packaging weight, yet they did not have the gumption to call it a “tax”. In the 1980’s and 90’s studies had been done in the United States to initiate a form of a packaging tax, but it was deemed that the political and economic implications far out-ranked the financial benefits.

Changes have already begun in the Netherlands 2009 plan to greater define the rules of who and what specific materials are taxed, as they look to standardize the process and calculations. Even with these changes the budgetary numbers for the tax do not expect to change this year. The tax is estimated to generate € 365 Million (Euros), or roughly $484 Million U.S. dollars, in revenue.

Europe has long been a trend setter in many different aspects, with the packaging tax to not be excluded. After the Netherlands initial implementation of the unique tax, Hungary and Belgium have also introduced a similar tax, with Belgium’s revenues expected to be over €300 million ($398 million USD). So far, there have been no further talks of such a tax starting up in the United States.

Difference between ECT & Burst grade corrugated board

2009-04-24T12:03:00.004-05:00

by Rich Lindgren, CPP - Chainalytics

Mullen Burst tested board had long been the industry standard for grading corrugated board. As corrugators started utilizing more and more recycled content in their corrugated board, it was discovered that recycled board of the same basis weight did not always perform as well in the Mullen Burst test but still had some very good vertical compression qualities.

Somewhere along the line, ECT (Edge Crush Test) was developed as another method of grading corrugated board. The Mullen test pressures a rubber diaphragm bubble against the board in a defined area to measure the pounds of pressure per square inch to burst the board. The ECT test takes a defined sample board size and measure the straight compression force for that sample size.

In general, Burst grade boards contain more virgin material, which means it has longer and interleaved fibers. ECT usually has a higher recycled content, which makes it less expensive, but the fibers are often worked more and shortened. Some paper mills will dye their higher recycled paper a darker tint to give it the appearance that there are more virgin fibers in the paper. Often the mills that produce the paper with shorter fibers use special processes to align the fibers in a vertical orientation to help with top to bottom compression strength.

So if all you do in straight column stacks of product, that does not bulge out against your container and store in controlled environments, you should see very similar performance between ECT & Burst. On the hand, most companies do not have these ideal conditions, handle & restack their boxes many times as well as shipping in single parcel environment.

In this case, you should see much better overall box performance from the Burst board because of the configuration and natural strength of their longer fibers. You can also combine Mullen weight papers with traditional ECT papers to help offset costs and still create a better box. This is still relatively uncommon due to the special paper combinations and high volumes needed.

In summary, sometimes ECT is the right choice and saves money, but many times the ECT will cost you in the long run with increased damage and customer dissatisfaction.

ISTA Transport Packaging Forum Recap

2009-04-10T10:50:00.008-05:00

by Rob Busse, CPP

This years Transport Packaging Forum (formerly known as the Dimensions Conference) was held at the JW Resort and Spa in Las Vegas. It was the second time that I have attended the event. Although the attendance was down approximately 30% (presumably because of the economy) I certainly recognized a few more faces this time around.

Overall, I thought the forum went very well. This conference is very technical in nature, so if that’s not your thing, then you would probably find it very difficult to keep from nodding off. Other than testing, the main themes of this year seemed to be sustainability and supply chain. Sustainability is obviously very relevant with the whole “green” push and with Walmart’s environmental goals for packaging. And developing packaging with the supply chain in mind is also very relevant since most companies are looking to reduce packaging cots in this day and age. Both sustainability and supply chain are some of Packaging Solutions’ main types of packaging projects over the past few years, so it was interesting to hear how other companies are tackling those issues as well.

Another particularly interesting presentation was given by Bill Armstrong (Sealed Air) and Dale Root (Lansmont Corp). They talked about “Project Leonardo”, which was the transport of a very unique dinosaur fossil from Malta, Montana to Houston, TX. The entirety of this project was filmed by the Discovery Channel. This project also utilized state of the art environmental recorders and GPS locating devices along with the video recording to make for a very impressive report that allows you to go and see with your own eyes the events that were recorded during the trip across the country.

See all the picture and video that you can handle at http://www.lansmont.net/judithriverfoundation

It was interesting to note that almost all of the most intense events occurred when the 53 foot trailer went over bridges and overpasses due to unevenness, buckling, and gaps in the road. The fossil arrived in Houston unscathed and it was considered a huge success. Kudos to all parties involved in that project from paleontologists to the truck driver to the packaging experts!

The conference will return to the Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando next year from March 29-April 1. If your company isn’t under a travel freeze and you have room in your budget, you might want to go ahead and book your arrangements while you still can, hope to see you there!

What is Packaging Matters?

2009-04-10T10:22:00.004-05:00

by Packaging-Matters' Team

Packaging-Matters' Blog is a compilation of articles, excerpts and opinion pieces about general packaging topics.
Topics will likely cover but not be limited to:
Cool Packaging Designs
Sustainable Packaging Issues
Marketing Trends
Packaging & Supply Chain interactions
Wrap Rage
Packaging Education
Packaging Humor
Much more....

Come back often; ask questions, we are dedicated to make this a great packaging resource!