This Month in Packaging... [April 2023]

Packaging News April 2023

Welcome to the April edition of Rocket Industrial’s ‘This Month in Packaging’ blog series, a monthly wrap-up of packaging related content that catches our eye.

From soccer fields made from chip bags to modern athletic packaging creating a mindset shift, here are five things that caught our attention in April.


Chip Bags Turned into Soccer Fields

Lay's Soccer Field

WHO: Lay's

WHAT: As part of its global RePlay program, Lay's created the first soccer field in the US to be made from disposed potato chip bags and other packaging materials in Santa Ana, California. This sustainable underlying layer is designed to be recycled at the end of its 10-year lifespan.

WHY IT MATTERS: The impact of this program drives positive outcomes for people and the planet, uniting people through their love of soccer and providing a safe space while minimizing their impact on the earth.


Mindset Shift with Modern Packaging

WILL PERFORM

WHO: WILL PERFORM

WHAT: The primary packaging for WILL PERFORM's pain relief and muscle care products are 100% HDPE bottles, allowing recyclability and squeezability. The graphics of the packaging also feature athletes that would use the product to reduce the stigma of pain relief products being used by older generations.

WHY IT MATTERS: With Serena Williams as the co-founder, the refreshing take on athletic recovery is authentic to the products that she wants to use.


Executive Order to Replace Fossil-based Plastics

President Biden

WHO: President Biden

WHAT: An executive order from President Biden states that 90% of today’s petroleum-based plastics need to be replaced with bio-based polymers over the next 20 years. This will advance biotechnology and biomanufacturing throughout the country.

WHY IT MATTERS: This change will significantly impact petroleum-based plastics and encourage a more circular economy.


Using Industry 4.0 to Increase Packaging Line Value

Packaging Line Machines

WHO: Packaging Lines

WHAT: The largest cost in packaging lines is unplanned shutdowns, causing spoilage, waste, and lost production. Using existing data can turn existing plants into data-driven plants, ensuring that lines are running at peak performance.

WHY IT MATTERS: By relying on Industry 4.0, a Dutch company reduced production shutdowns during nights and weekends by nearly 90%. Existing data revealed when machine tools needed to be replaced, allowing them to be replaced while personnel were on-site, instead of shutting down production.


Rocket Industrial Declares Death to Packing Peanuts

Rocket Industrial Packing Peanuts

WHO: Rocket Industrial

WHAT: We are excited to announce that we will no longer offer non-sustainable polystyrene foam packing peanuts.

WHY IT MATTERS: With a mission to Package With Less, it is our responsibility to provide sustainable and environmentally responsible packaging solutions for our customers. Since packing peanuts take up to 500 years to decompose, this is an important step toward our sustainability goals.


Submit to the Monthly Packaging Wrap-Up

Do you have a packaging example, industry news article, or idea that your peers should see? Share it with us here! Our blog team will pick a few suggestions to mention in our This Month in Packaging blog series at the end of each month. If your suggestion is used, we will send you a Rocket hat!

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