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Welcome to the November edition of Rocket Industrial’s ‘This Month in Packaging’ blog series, a monthly wrap-up of packaging related content that catches our eye.
From the first fully recyclable ketchup cap to air fryers changing packaging designs, here are five things that caught our attention this month.
WHO: United Kingdom
WHAT: The United Kingdom has banned single-use plastics for commercial and residential purposes, a step towards the UK’s vision of eliminating plastic waste and pollution by 2042. Some of the items that are banned include single-use plastic cutlery, plates, trays, bowls, and polystyrene cups. This ban is contributing to the UK’s goal of eliminating plastic waste and pollution by 2042.
WHY IT MATTERS: As more countries implement sustainability initiatives, companies need to start transitioning their packaging to non-plastic alternatives to stay ahead.
WHO: Kraft Heinz Company
WHAT: Kraft Heinz, in collaboration with Berry Global, has launched its first fully recyclable cap for squeezable ketchup bottles. The new mono-material cap allows the whole bottle to be recycled at once without impacting previous functionality.
WHY IT MATTERS: This innovation took eight years, 45 prototypes, and more than 185,000 hours of development to ensure optimum functionality and sustainability. This cap will save a potential 300 million plastic lids from being sent to landfills each year.
WHO: Packaging Industry
WHAT: Just like the popularity of microwaves in the 1970s demanded microwave instructions on packaging, air fryers are now doing the same. There are millions of products that are air fryer compatible, meaning millions of products need to change their packaging design to include updated cooking instructions, which can be a daunting task. For example, Tyson has updated one-third of its packaging and has seen positive shopper favorability.
WHY IT MATTERS: With 60% of households owning an air fryer, it is now the fourth most popular kitchen appliance, after the oven, toaster, and microwave. Including air fryer directions on the packaging ensures food is properly cooked.
WHO: Systech
WHAT: The Systech next-generation UniSecure platform is a non-additive product protection solution that works with existing package codes to identify counterfeits and detect diversion. This technology creates a unique, digital fingerprint that cannot be seen or duplicated.
WHY IT MATTERS: This technology provides real-time alerts and data to track products through the supply chain, generating product identification, traceability, and product verification via smartphone.
WHO: Rocket Industrial
WHAT: Our team of Packaging Engineers performed stretch film testing with our top 5 vendors. This was a controlled process to see which films work best for a variety of situations.
WHY IT MATTERS: By testing and collecting data for stretch film, we can offer the best film for our customers, which often results in lower usage and cost.
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!
