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interpack 2023 - Food

Food

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interpack 2023 - Beverages

Beverages

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interpack 2023 - Confectionery

Confectionery

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interpack 2023 - Bakery

Bakery

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interpack 2023 - Pharmaceutics

Pharmaceutics

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interpack 2023 - Cosmetics

Cosmetics

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interpack 2023 - Non-Food

Non-Food

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interpack 2023 - Industrial Goods

Industrial Goods

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A man in a supermarket looking at a package.

Image: AdobeStock

NEW!
21/07/2022

Less material needed to produce sealing films

Films are an important part of packaging: They provide an impenetrable barrier between the product and the environment. That said, industrial handling of such sealing films is not always simple. A cooperation between Plasthill and Constantia Flexibles has now led to the development of a PE film which uses less material, thus leading to reduced CO2 emissions, yet has greater seal strength.
Cart buyer in supermarket

Image: AdobeStock

21/07/2022

Sausage wrap that can be recycled
Sliced sausage is supposed to look good on the refrigerator shelves in the supermarket and is usually wrapped in non-recyclable transparent composite film. Now, thanks to energy-efficient heating systems in thermoforming machines for packaging, it is possible to use more sustainable materials – while maintaining the same level of safety, quality and transparency.
Container for Aino ice cream against a woodland backdrop

Image: Froneri Finland Oy

21/07/2022

Ice cream packaged in mono-material
Companies continue to ask themselves how they can meet customers' demands for sustainable packaging. Together, Borealis, Froneri and Paccor have found an answer, and are packaging ice cream from the brand Aino in mono-material.
Three garbage bins next to each other and one garbage sack for different kinds of waste.

Image: "Mülltrennung wirkt" (waste separation works) initiative / Steffen Jagenburg

14/07/2022

Public obligations for recycling: Germany – a good role model?
In 2019, the Central Agency Packaging Register started its work. Since then, companies that place packaging in circulation must register with it. An amendment to the German Packaging Act led to this requirement being extended to all online retailers and providers of take-away packaging on July 1st, 2022. Is this still reasonable or is this over-regulation?
Pulp moulded one-way pallet

Photo: Wiederstein Verpackungen

24/06/2022

Hemp, a trending material?
When cannabis is mentioned, its intoxicating effects are the first thing that springs to mind for most people. However, the European hemp varieties that are cultivated today contain very little that is intoxicating, and instead have a high amount of fibres that are ideally suited for making them into paper labels, cold storage packaging or even one-way pallets.

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A fully loaded container ship being towed into a harbour.

Image: Mika Baumeister/Unsplash

23/06/2022

What are the consequences of the strain on supply chains?
The pandemic, war, scarcity of resources, the energy crisis – there are many reasons why supply chains, including the packaging industry, are under pressure the world over. As an end to this situation is not currently in sight, companies are called to examine their logistics procedures.
Sealing system with a big pack ready for closure, side view

Image: SSB Wägetechnik GmbH

22/06/2022

Vacuum-sealed closures for bulk goods
Food or building materials present special challenges for the filling and closing process. To make sure that the surroundings stay clean and product safety is guaranteed along the entire supply chain for bulk powders, vacuum seals are used for filling and closing.
Several small single-use bags

Photo: Kier In Sight / unsplash

21/06/2022

Mono-material sachets
For packaging made of plastic, their potential to be recycled is very important. Refilling systems save material. Mono-material sachets and bags also reduce the amount of material consumed, protect packaged goods and have practical uses for customers.
A range of glass bottles filled with various recyclates.

Image: Fraunhofer IVV

25/05/2022

Rebound Plastic Exchange: New trading platform for recyclates
Circular economy can only truly work if plastic waste is collected, recycled and reused. To drive international trade with recycled plastic, Abu Dhabi-based International Holding Company (IHC) has now established a new trading platform for recyclates with Rebound Plastic Exchange.
A collage shows a dummy flow pack in the foreground, with a portion of mince on a wooden chopping board in the background.

Image: Südpack

25/05/2022

Flow packs as a sustainable solution in food packaging
From requiring less material in production to taking up less space on supermarket shelves, flow packs have some clear benefits. Predominantly used in the food sector, this packaging is becoming more and more popular. But how sustainable are these packs?
A reusable glass bottle upright on the beach. Next to it lies a plastic bottle that is damaged in some places.

Image: Sea Me

24/05/2022

Deposit systems for cosmetics packaging?
On the beverage sector, deposit systems have been around for many years. Now, deposit systems are being introduced specifically for cosmetics packaging as well. A pilot project by Circleback is currently underway in Berlin, while Sea Me has introduced a reusable solution for cosmetics packaging with zerooo.
A person attaches a QR label to a wrapped cheese loaf.

Image: CFPR

19/05/2022

Digitisation you can print
For many packagers, labelling products correctly is part of their daily business. But digitisation has now entered this field as well. As a result, some manufacturers are working on combining tried and tested labels with bits and bytes.
Pasta, legumes and spices in a transparent package.

These food packages are mostly made from cornflour and cellulose. Photo: Amelie Graf

28/04/2022

A fresh design for food packaging
Students at German universities and other institutes of higher education are taking new approaches, including to packaging food. Sustainability often drives their new ideas.
A collage showing the use of the waste compartment in the cigarette packet Input.

Four students of the Muenster School of Design have created a cigarette packet that contains a compartment for butts. (Photo: J. Zerr, E. Freymüller, M. Hesse, F. Vennemeyer)

28/04/2022

Design students develop sustainable packaging
Fresh ideas on how to design packaging often come from institutes of higher education. In different study courses, young up-and-coming designers are perfecting their future-ready, and often prize-winning, solutions.
A graphic shows drums wrapped in stretch film on pallets. Red lightning bolts are printed on the film.

The antistatic stretch film is marked with printed red lightning bolts. Image: BASF

19/04/2022

Stretch Film for EX Zones
Dangerous goods on business premises present special challenges for the packaging material used. BASF and Duo Plast have now developed an antistatic stretch film for palletisation in potentially explosive atmospheres that prevents flying sparks.
Greiner Packaging and LyonellBasell’s CirculenRevive as a circular coffee capsule for Nestlé

Image: Greiner Packaging

12/04/2022

PCR Coffee Capsules Stay in the Recycling Loop
For their morning coffee, many consumers choose coffee capsules that then end up in the bin. This is not particularly sustainable, since the capsules consist of new plastics. Greiner Packaging and LyonellBasell have developed a circular solution made of post-consumer recyclates for Nescafé.
A refill cap is inserted into a cosmetic jar.

Photo: Papacks

16/03/2022

Refill and Reuse
Most packaging is used once and then thrown away. However, a change in this trend is emerging: In addition to the use of recycled materials, new reuse and refill systems are becoming a particularly attractive alternative.
Two mint green tubes with aluminium seals lying next to each other.

Image: etma

10/03/2022

Tube Trends
The tube as we know it was invented in 1841. In times of resource scarcity and rethinking sustainability, however, this faithful companion is facing major changes. Certain trends are emerging clearly.
Paper is wrapped around a pallet stacked with water bottles.

Photo: Mondi

03/03/2022

Mondi wraps pallets in paper, not plastic
03.03.2022 - With Advantage StretchWrap, Mondi has added a new paper to its assortment that has been specifically designed to wrap pallets. The paper is elastic, puncture-resistant and provides robust protection for goods during transport.
Coca-Cola bottle with new cap

Image: Coca-Cola Germany

02/03/2022

Coca-Cola keeps its cap on
Coca-Cola Germany has given its single-use PET bottles new caps. In November 2021, the company introduced caps that are tethered to a safety ring on the necks of their bottles. In doing so, Coca-Cola is implementing a EU directive on plastic products way ahead of time.
Close-up of some cup plant blossoms; a bee has landed on one of them.

Image: OutNature

15/02/2022

Packaging made out of cup plant fibres – an eco-friendly alternative?
15.02.2022 - Every child knows that paper is made out of wood. A truth that could soon crumble: German company OutNature uses the cup plant to make some of their paper products – including packaging. A Fraunhofer study has scrutinised the ecological balance of this new commodity.
One person holds shredded plastic

Photo: Borealis & Tomra

10/02/2022

Goods in short supply but in high demand
10.02.2022- Although the use of recycled plastics is an important pillar of the circular economy, the recyclate market is nearly empty as of the beginning of 2022. In future, standards are supposed to ensure the availability of a sufficient amount of recyclates with consistent quality in order to supplement new material.
A Dachshund pops out of a cardboard carton.

Image: Erda Estremera/unsplash

08/02/2022

The trend for paper packaging
Paper packaging has always been part of the scenery in every supermarket. Lately, however, it’s also been creeping into areas where it’s slightly more unusual. There’s more behind this trend than pure marketing strategy.
Ccycled styropor box from BASF and Vartdal containing salmon fillets from Bömlo.

Image: Peter Tubaas, Vestland Media

04/02/2022

Fish in packaging made from chemically recycled plastic
Styropor boxes are a popular choice for transportation, particularly when food or medication need to be kept cool on the road. In Norway, this task is now fulfilled by the world’s first styropor boxes made from chemically recycled plastic.
Two men discuss data and statistics on a piece of paper at an office table.

Credit: Scott Graham/Unsplash

05/01/2022

Trends in packaging: All this and more in 2022
Nobody can really say what the new year holds in store for packaging. However, some speculations can be made, based on the current state of affairs. We dare to take a look into the crystal ball...
Proteins make the fibres of natural spider silk particularly elastic and tear-resistant. Properties that are also well suited for packaging. (Credit: Chase McBride/unsplash)

Image: Chase McBride/unsplash

16/12/2021

Weaving a web for the future

Canadian researchers make film from spider silk
Researchers from Cambridge University had a mad idea for a new, sustainable alternative to plastic packaging – vegan spider silk. The start-up Xampla now wants to market this plant protein-based material and use it to protect consumer goods.
Lenor bottles with digital watermark

Image: P&G

25/11/2021

Procter & Gamble is packaging the future
What direction will packaging take? How can we meet the challenges of our times? These questions face small and major companies alike. At consumption goods giant Procter & Gamble, the future of packaging is in the hands of one man.
Cream cheese packaging with visible design and invisible digital watermark

Photo: Mondi

23/11/2021

HolyGrail 2.0 and the digital recycling passport
High-quality recycling is the be all and end all for a working circular economy. The HolyGrail 2.0 initiative is now testing how invisible digital watermark codes can contribute to increasing efficiency when sorting packaging waste; the project is supported by more than 120 companies and organisations along the entire packaging industry value chain.
HiPP organic food jars are climate-positive

Photo: HiPP

10/08/2021

HiPP organic food jars are climate-positive
In close cooperation with sustainability consultancy Soil & More Impacts, baby foods manufacturer HiPP is analysing the entire manufacturing process for its jars of organic HiPP food so as to ensure their production is climate-positive along the entire value chain, from the field to the retailer’s warehouse.
VR goggles

The pandemic has had a huge impact on the day-to-day routine of machine engineers for the packaging industry. Digitalisation gives rise to innovation.

01/06/2021

Impact of the Corona Pandemic on the Packaging Machinery Industry
The pandemic stimulates innovation amongst machine engineers in the packaging industry. Digital commissioning, virtual communication and virtual reality are all possible solutions and have led us to rethink.
94% of the material for the caps on CATRICE (cosnova) nail polish is created from the post-consumer recycled plastic Procyclen.

Photo: Cosnova / ALBA Group

25/05/2021

cosnova implements post-consumer recycled material in packaging for its decorative cosmetics for the first time
The cosmetics industry is using more and more recycled material for packaging, although government requirements are not yet concrete. In the process, individual manufacturers are developing their own standards and making them available to the entire industry. The use of post-consumer recyclate reduces CO2 production enormously.
toom's bright white paint held in hands

In 2011, toom became the first DIY store to introduce emulsion paint in tubs made out of recycled plastic. Photo: toom

24/03/2021

Recycled materials in the construction industry
The construction industry is aiming to become more sustainable and has increased their use of recycled materials in their packaging with the objective of reducing their own CO2 emissions. toom, a DIY giant, was one of the first in the industry to set their sights on implementing recycled materials.