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Packagi
ng
Innovations
Packaging has played an important role in protecting, preserving, containing, storing and delivering products since the earliest civilisations.
Amphorae (pottery jars) were used to store and transport olive oil, wine and dry foods in the Egyptian, Greek and Roman empires and other civilisations.
Modern packaging dates back to the early 19th century when metal packaging was invented to preserve foodstuffs needed by armies fighting in the Napoleonic Wars.
Since then, innovation has come to characterise and define the packaging industry’s approach to meeting society’s needs. New materials, designs and technologies enable packaging to respond to the rapidly evolving demands of modern consumer lifestyles.
Packaging’s role in preventing and reducing product waste is often taken for granted but, in recent years, its valuable contribution to reducing food waste has begun to be recognised. This is important because the resources invested in growing, making and transporting products is more than 10 times the resources used to make the packaging to protect them. Packaging responds to increasingly varied consumer demands by providing a wide range of portion sizes, portions of food containing a specific number of calories, tamper evidence, child-resistant closures, easy opening for less able consumers.
The need to increase the shelf and storage life of food – in stores and at home – has stimulated development of a huge number of innovative packs.
Reclosable/resealable packs continue to keep food fresher for longer once the pack is opened. “Active” packaging absorbs moisture and other gases and so increases shelf life. “Intelligent” packaging communicates information about the state of the contents.
Packaging innovations are driven primarily by companies’ desire to respond to their customers and to reduce costs and environmental impact.
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Packaging has played an important role in protecting, preserving, containing, storing and delivering products since the earliest civilisations.
Amphorae (pottery jars) were used to store and transport olive oil, wine and dry foods in the Egyptian, Greek and Roman empires and other civilisations.
Modern packaging dates back to the early 19th century when metal packaging was invented to preserve foodstuffs needed by armies fighting in the Napoleonic Wars.
Since then, innovation has come to characterise and define the packaging industry’s approach to meeting society’s needs. New materials, designs and technologies enable packaging to respond to the rapidly evolving demands of modern consumer lifestyles.
Packaging’s role in preventing and reducing product waste is often taken for granted but, in recent years, its valuable contribution to reducing food waste has begun to be recognised. This is important because the resources invested in growing, making and transporting products is more than 10 times the resources used to make the packaging to protect them. Packaging responds to increasingly varied consumer demands by providing a wide range of portion sizes, portions of food containing a specific number of calories, tamper evidence, child-resistant closures, easy opening for less able consumers.
The need to increase the shelf and storage life of food – in stores and at home – has stimulated development of a huge number of innovative packs.
Reclosable/resealable packs continue to keep food fresher for longer once the pack is opened. “Active” packaging absorbs moisture and other gases and so increases shelf life. “Intelligent” packaging communicates information about the state of the contents.
Packaging innovations are driven primarily by companies’ desire to respond to their customers and to reduce costs and environmental impact.
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Resealable / reclosable packs
Compression technology
Frustration-free paper ties for toys
Variety of resealable packs
Easy to open and reseal
Allows portion control
Maintains integrity of residual product
Light weight packaging
Compression technology enables
shallow box to contain same number
of tissues as larger standard box
Easy product access
Packaging widely recycled
Paper ties replace wire and plastic
clips
Made from strong but flexible
310gsm paper
Can be torn by hand to remove toy
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Extra layer of packaging protects against food poisoning
Calorie-portion
Single-use portions for developing markets
Responding to consumer needs in
India for more affordable portions
Single-use, small size, laminate
mini-bottles enable easier handling
and easier shipment
Calories printed on front of
packaging
Chicken is wrapped in special ovenable packaging
on the filling line and only unwrapped after it is
cooked
This stops people being exposed to
Campylobacter bacterium and suffering poisoning
It also means people will follow the Food
Standards Agency advice and don’t wash the
chicken
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New material, easier to open
Gas-injection technology
Portion sizes to suit all uses, without waste product
Gas-injection creates gas
bubbles in the middle layer of
the bottle wall
Reduces density of the bottle
Uses 15% less material
Recyclable
After the first use, superglue can
dry out and clog the opening so
the remainder of the glue gets
thrown away
Smaller, single-use packs
prevent waste of glue
Gillette razor
Innovative pulp tray made of
bamboo and bulrush fibre
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Vacuum skin pack technology
Reduces in-store waste of product
Child-resistant closure
High barrier film and removal of
gases from tray extend food
shelf life in store and at home
Reduced food waste
Innovative technology allows
use of shallow trays so reduced
packaging
Trays recyclable
Improved child safety closure
New flip top
Embossed handle facilitates
consumer handling
Bottles are widely recycled
In-store ‘Sugar Shroud’
display packaging
prevents damage to
bags
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Dual function and less packaging
Compression technology
Fresher, red meat for longer
Innovative compression
technology means container is half
regular size but contains same
amount of antiperspirant
25% less aluminium in can
25% reduced carbon footprint
Special vacuum pack keeps meat
red and fresh
Extends shelf life 10 times longer
than store-wrapped
Heinz dip and squeeze responds
to consumers who want to dip
and those who want to squeeze
Uses less packaging than
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Recycled content
Reclosable
Pigment replaces material label
Reclosable container with
see-through portion-control guide
Stays fresh in fridge for up to
five days
Reduced product waste
Container widely recycled
Recycled content of up to 30%
Light weighted
Widely recycled
Laser labelling replaces
traditional paper labels, does
not use any material.
Removes pigment from thin
layer of fruit surface and
applies tiny amount of liquid
to inscribe text and images.
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Portion control
Dose metering
Dose metering
Increased recyclability of food tray
Single serving, portion control, no
waste
Can be eaten directly from
container so no need to wash cat
dish
Aluminium container widely
recycled
Innovative pressurised,
metered dose inhaler
Enables easy count-down
of number of doses taken
Alerts consumer to need to
replace inhaler
Tray made from a single type
of plastic (PET) can be
recycled with plastic bottles
Reduced product waste
Improved product visibility
Lighter than standard tray
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Child-resistant closure
Resealable
Consumer choice / portion control
Innovative closure
stops children
accessing dangerous
contents
Closure enables drinks can
to be resealed after drinking
Carbonated drinks retain
fizz for up to 24 hours after
being resealed
Drinks cans come in a wide
range of sizes from 15cl to
over half a litre
Consumers can choose
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