Six Most Likely Questions for a Packaging Engineer at the Holidays

by Rich Lindgren, CPP

Chainalytics

When I decided to study packaging at UW-Stout, I didn't realize how much time I would spend simply explaining what packaging engineers do.  (Hint: We don't pack boxes.)

Most of my close friends and family members finally seem to get it.  But, every holiday season, I can still count on my extended family to ask a handful well-meaning questions.  Here's the list of questions I'm teeing up answers for this year.

1) Why do you make those plastic thingys so hard to open?
I could explain that clamshells are used for theft deterrence, but then again, maybe a simple quip is best:  I can neither confirm or deny any involvement with the Global Scissors Manufacturing Association.

2) Where is the other half of my bag of chips?
Uncle Joe, it's called slack fill. And, here's a fun fact: The State of California is coming down on companies that deceive customers by not filling their packages full of product.

3) Why did the [fill in the blank] I ordered online the other day arrive in an enormous box?
Let me get this straight, Cousin Beth.  Are you saying that you don't like popping bubble wrap?  

4) Why does the pull tape always seem to break before I open the envelope?
Uncle Hank, I think you are just doing it wrong...

5) Why am I paying the same price for a smaller package?
Granny, it's called capitalism. Oh, and oranges are being grown with even more concentration these days.

6) Why do kid's toys come with so many zip ties?
It's part of the un-boxing experience.  Enjoy!

Got a question to add to the list?  Leave a comment below to let us know how you're getting ready for the holiday season with your Great Aunt Judy.

Rich Lindgren is the Senior Packaging Engineer at Chainalytics. Rich holds lifetime Certified Packaging Professional (CPP) accreditation from the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) and has extensive experience with both packaging optimization and supply chain cost reduction projects.

Connect with Rich on LinkedIn

Will innovative ethylene process create a supply and value chain reaction?

by Eric Carlson, CPP
Chainalytics




Recent headlines about Honeywell’s new one-step conversion process from natural gas (methane) to the monomer ethylene (also known as ethene) may not grab your attention right away; but, don't be too quick to dismiss this recent innovation. This little, symmetrical molecule is more integral to your professional and personal supply chain than you may think.

Ethylene Molecule

Ethylene has many uses, both direct and indirect. For instance, ethylene gas is used to promote the ripening of fruits and vegetables during transport, storage, and distribution. Across the global food supply chain, ethylene ripening has become a standard protocol that is critical to the regular supply of fragile fruits and vegetables. Ethylene is also the precursor for a variety of other molecules, such as:

• Styrene which is most often used as polystyrene in packaging foam and insulation; 
• Ethylene oxide, a precursor for Ethylene Glycol (i.e. antifreeze); and 
• Ethylene Glycol, a precursor for polyethylene terephthalate (or PET) which is used extensively in beverage bottles and as "polyester" in fibers. 

For those of us in the packaging world, we are most familiar with ethylene as a base monomer for many polymers. Polyethylene (PE) is one of the most common polymers and it is used for making and packaging a wide variety of products.  PE has many different properties, so it comes in a number of forms and configurations.  The density-based categories range from ultra high to ultra low with about 8-10 categories in between. We often see low density PE (LDPE) and high density PE (HDPE) used in food and CPG packaging, such as bread bags and milk jugs.

Current ethylene processing is an energy-intensive and indirect method, requiring repeated heating and quenching steps that produce many chemical compounds. The new Honeywell process appears to use a more direct route from methane to ethylene using less energy. With the cost of natural gas at an all-time low and the U.S.’s abundant supply of this raw material, this is good news! The Honeywell process could hold the line on price increases related to packaging for many products that we make (and buy) every day.

Honeywell’s Gautam said, "The new technology would be cost effective even if natural gas prices rise much higher. It could become a polymer supply-and-value-chain-reaction."

So, not only does ethylene keep us clothed and fed, but it has the potential to significantly impact today's supply chains.  Pretty amazing for one simple molecule, huh?  What implications do you think this breakthrough process will have in your supply chain?

Packaging: Want vs. Need

by Kyle Ous
Chainalytics


As I put together my shopping checklist last Saturday, I realized most of the goods I was planning on buying were frequent repeats on my list. So I thought to myself: "What is it about these products that keeps driving me to known aisles of the store and why do I continuously find the same items in my cart?" My buying pattern became apparent soon enough; product packaging was playing a gigantic role in the balance between goods I wanted and those I needed.

Of the items that made it on my list, I was surprised to see how many had some sort of innovative primary package.  In most instances, it was an easy to open and close feature.  Such convenience features allow products to be reused without adding an extra step to the closure or refrigeration process. But, given my location, I shouldn't have been surprised; the food and beverage industry is a recognized leader for packaging reusability. 

Advancements in resealability for shredded cheese is a classic packaging innovation example.

More interesting, perhaps, is what I realized about the items that I purchased that were not on my list.  Normally, I do not wander the store, but not wanting to make an extra trip, I decided to browse a few aisles for anything I may have forgotten.  By the time I had reached the cashier station, several items that I didn't need had found their way into my cart.  Case in point... 

It is too early to tell whether the "Punch Top" is the future or a passing fad like the Vortex bottle.

Clearly, the packaging made me do it.  I can recall many instances, similar to Miller Coor's new Punch Top™ can, in which I have chosen merchandise over the competitive set simply because the packaging concept was interesting or worth experimenting with.

Every package at a retail store has a unique blend of characteristics, including functionality, realistic image, design aspect, and aesthetic look and feel. If you're anything like me, then the outlook for the packaging industry seems promising considering all the new innovations that have demonstrated success in the marketplace today!

Have any package innovations changed your buying patterns?  Leave a comment to tell us about it!

Say Cheese!

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!

Top 236 Thermoformers in the US

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

Plastic Bag Bans – Good, Bad or Ugly??

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

Cereal Box Sustainability?

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 reduce packaging material and supply chain costs while at the same time promoting reduced packaging waste and increasing sustainability wins.