Corrugated of Course

A corrugated packaging manufacturer and washing liquid brand owner have developed RRP (Retail Ready Packaging) that created savings in time and management costs. Functionality was improved and savings on raw materials achieved.

The Finish packaging sector has come together to produce a campaign highlighting the wide range of benefits of different packages. The Quite a Package! Campaign is a series of highly entertaining video animations following 2 characters called Siiri and Rolle, who explore the benefits of different packaging types as they go about their daily life.

What do the French think of the cardboard as packaging material? According to a recent Ifop study they see it as a practical, economic and ecological multi-purpose material.

Many elements help ensure that fresh produce is protected while it moves along the supply chain. Packaging must be efficient during transport and warehousing. In the picture the height of the corrugated tray in which the peppers are packed minimises movement and maximises protection to ensure that they arrive in perfect condition.

11 to 14 year old pupils studying Design and Technology in the UK have been invited to enter a school competition to design original corrugated board packaging. The competition is one of the modules on PaperWorks, the award winning multimedia schools resource developed by the Confederation of Paper Industries.

A new economic case study demonstrates a 25% annual cost savings from shipping tomatoes in corrugated versus shipping the same volume of tomatoes in reusable plastic containers (RPCs).

The study assesses total annual costs for using corrugated containers vs. RPCs to ship 144 million pounds of Roma tomatoes from Mexico to Houston, TX. Results of the detailed, activity-based accounting comparison show that corrugated saves $6.8 million annually.

During transport food products require protection from shock, vibration, temperature, etc. Some packaging materials are particularly designed to help protect and hence extend the life of food products such as fruit and vegetable. Corrugated packaging protects 75% of products transported in Europe. The reason is that it ensures that products do not suffer damage while keeping food clean, fresh, and safe, thereby avoiding waste.

The results of a recent UN study suggested that one-third of food production for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, which amounts to about 1.3 billion tons per year. Mainly in emerging countries, much of the food is wasted even before it reaches the consumer, while in industrialised nations losses occur mainly at consumer level.

The European Commission has just launched a consultation entitled "What future for our food system?". Based on the observation that in Europe we waste about 89 million tons of food every year, the European Commission is asking for opinions on how to prevent and reduce food waste and use resources more efficiently.

At the ECR Conference in May we spoke to Jan Somers—CEO, GS1 Belgilux—and Steffie Defreyne—Junior Data Manager, GS1—about how digital technologies (like trustbox which GS1 has developed) are helping retailers and producers interact with the consumer. We captured their views on video.