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This is good news – as long as you’re a metal or glass producer, less good for the plastics sector, I suspect. For me, it all depends how deep they are going to go when they consider Carbon issues. There is a mind-boggling complexity at work – for example, how do bioplastics fare, when you consider the Carbon cost of growing and processing against the Carbon fixation through their growing phase? A degradeable material in Carbon terms will arguably perform worse than a non-degradeable material because it is designed to degrade (and release Carbon?) rather than be burnt and recovered as energy. How will we measure what should happen to the waste stream against what will happen? There is a wool-based material on the market for insulation that describes its environmental credentials as ‘it’s wool, it speaks for itself’. Well, no it doesn’t, I’m afraid – you’ve ignored feeding the sheep, harvesting, processing and transporting the wool, never mind disposal. Interesting times ahead, I fancy (Martin)

Wrap has confirmed that the second stage of the Courtauld Commitment will be launched on Thursday after revealing two new signatories to its DIY sector scheme.

Crown Paints and ICI Paints Azko Nobel have joined retailers such as Homebase and B&Q after signing up to the Home Improvement Sector Commitment (HISC) following the first round table discussion in January.

Wrap revealed the new signatories as it prepares to launch the long-awaited second phase of the grocery sector's Courtauld Commitment this Thursday (4 March).

via Courtauld 2 to launch this Thursday | packagingnews.co.uk.

Marks & Spencer M&S has announced 80 new initiatives under its ‘Plan A’ eco programme and committed to begin implementing them within the next five years.Amongst the most ambitious commitments set out today by the high street retailer is to ensure that at least 50 per cent of M&S’ 2.7 billion products across 36,000 product lines carry at least one sustainable or ethical quality – such as Fairtrade or Marine Stewardship Council certification – by 2015, and that all M&S products meet this criteria by 2020.Also unveiled today by the retailer, which sells clothing, food and homeware, is a goal to get all 2,000 of its suppliers to adopt Plan A best practice. This will include backing 200 sustainable factories and encouraging 10,000 farmers to join M&S’ sustainable agriculture programme.

via M&S extends ‘Plan A’ with 80 new commitments to sustainability / green business news.

Supplier rationalisation and the introduction of the packaging scorecard will be key elements of Asda’s work on packaging over the coming months, the retailer revealed at easyFairs over the past two days.

Asda’s buying manager for packaging and the environment Shane Monkman told the audience at a Packaging News-run learnShop that supplier rationalisation was a “massive project” to help the retailer ensure it was “working with the right people”.

“The team has three remits for packaging buying – sustainable, technical, commercial. We’ve already looked at our label suppliers and will follow this year with films, corrugated, cartons and trays. Everything else will be looked at in 2011,” said Monkman.

Another important part of Asda’s work on packaging in the next year will be the introduction of its version of Wal-Mart’s packaging scorecard.

via Asda unveils ‘massive’ supplier rationalisation plan at easyFairs | packagingnews.co.uk.

Scientists have discovered an area of the North Atlantic Ocean where plastic debris accumulates.The region is said to compare with the well-documented “great Pacific garbage patch”.Kara Lavender Law of the Sea Education Association told the BBC that the issue of plastics had been “largely ignored” in the Atlantic.

via BBC News – Plastic rubbish blights Atlantic Ocean.

I think this is hugely important for the British/Western packaging industry. Unless a company is big enough to set up dedicated lines in India and China, there seems to me to be no better place to become established than in the pharma field if you want to address this important and growing market.  (Martin)

Low wages, a skilled workforce, and improving technologies make India and China appealing destinations for pharmaceutical packaging operations.GBI Research’s report “The Future of the Pharmaceutical Packaging Industry—Emerging Economies Poised to Capitalize on Increasing Demand” sees strong growth in pharmaceutical packaging “in the emerging economies of India and China, primarily on account of increasing generics and contract manufacturing activities in those countries.”The report forecasts that the global pharmaceutical packaging market will reach a value of $68 billion by 2015, up from $42 billion in 2008.

via Pharmaceutical packaging growth forecast in emerging economies | Pharmaceuticals and biologics | Healthcare Packaging.

HP today announced that Kingsway Printers, of Humberston, Lincolnshire, has installed an HP Indigo press ws4500 and an AB Graphic Omega Digicon Series 2 finishing unit to create an end-to-end digital label and flexible packaging production capability.Established in 1972, the family-run company is the latest in a number of medium size label converters who have taken the decision to add digital printing to its services. Beginning as a conventional commercial printer, Kingsway Printers moved into label production shortly after with the installation of UV flexo presses.The company has developed label converting experience and expertise in specialist label production including “no label” look labels and the converting of peel-and-read, reveal-and-reseal labels, for blue-chip customers in a variety of industries.

via Kingsway Printers Moves into Digital Label Production with an HP Indigo press ws4500 — Packaging and Converting ESSENTIALS.

Resealable cans are making their debut on the UK market this month with the launch of No Fear Extreme Energy.Ball Packaging first launched the ‘twist and shut’ can technology on the French market in 2008 for the Coca-Cola energy drink brand Burn.Made of plastic and aluminum, the Ball Re-sealable End has a flat opening mechanism that is rotated to open the can and turned back to reseal it.

via Resealable cans hit UK beverage aisles.

Not sure what to think of this. Under the chairmanship of John Turner the committee produced one of the best, most well-balanced publications on packaging that I have seen, but they are a committee of only ten people, covering the whole industry – apart from the Chairman, there are two people representing raw material producers (one steel, one recycler), a Converter (from British Polythene Industries….arguably more a raw material producer than a converter), a packer/filler (Coca-Cola), a retailer (M&S), two people from compliance schemes, a local authority representative and someone from Trading Standards representing the consumer. Is that enough to really be able to reflect the eighth largest industry in Britain? Where are the label printers, carton makers, trainers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, pallet people, etc, etc,etc. I can only assume that their consultations within the industry will be wide and detailed, otherwise there are some very powerful special interests represented here. (Martin)

Defra has appointed Robert Lisney of Irl Consultancy Services to chair the Advisory Committee ACP on Packaging from next month.Lisney takes over from John Turner who stood down from the role after seven years at the end of 2009.The new ACP also features Marks & Spencer's head of packaging Helene Roberts, Andrew Roberts from BPI and David Williams for Corus Steel Packaging Recycling.

via Defra announces new advisory committee on packaging | packagingnews.co.uk.

Well, yeah, but people have been putting fragrances in packaging for at least fifteen years, ever since soap went into flow-wrap. (Martin)

Going beyond the visual is the latest way to make a product stand out on the store shelf, according to packaging professionals at this year’s PCD Congress.

A number of products were showcased at the perfume and cosmetics packaging show that appealed to multiple senses of the consumer, not just sight.

Fragrance emitting logos on tubes, inks that change colour with a rise in temperature and a soft touch plastic combined with peach fragrance, were all presented as the latest technique to make products stand out.

via Multi-sensory packaging wins consumers’ attention.

Amcor announced today that it has completed its $1.95 billion acquisition of the Alcan Packaging businesses, including the former Alcan Packaging Global Pharmaceuticals, Food Europe, Food Asia and Global Tobacco divisions. The purchase consideration represents a profit before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization PBITDA multiple of 5.1 times based on earnings for the year ended Dec. 31, 2009, of $383 million excluding Medical Flexible operations in the U.S..

via Amcor completes Alcan acquisition – Newsworthy – Flexible Packaging.