Smurfit Kappa research finds increased demand for Bag-in-Box wines

A research conducted by corrugated packaging company Smurfit Kappa has revealed an increase in consumer demand for Bag-in-Box wines in the current year.

The survey was conducted in partnership with Wine Intelligence and analysed the behaviour of monthly wine drinkers in France and the UK.

During the last six months, Bag-in-Box wine drew attention from 3.7 million new consumers in the two countries.

The increase in demand for Bag-in-Box wines is partly due to the change in consumer behaviour caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the survey, the Bag-in-Box wine consumer market stands at around 12 million and four million consumers in France and the UK respectively.

Additionally, it was observed that four in ten potential Bag-in-Box wine buyers were under 35 years of age. This buyer group also expressed interest in the product's smaller formats.

The research also revealed 3l Bag-in-Box wine products to be the “most favoured” option. Smurfit Kappa is one of the European leading providers for Bag-in-box solutions.

Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I removes all plastic rings 

AB InBev’s Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I has enhanced its sustainability commitment by making its beers portfolio plastic-ring free. 

The brewer initially announced the goal in September last year and invested £6.3m into the packaging infrastructure at its breweries in South Wales and Lancashire, UK. 

Budweiser upgraded three canning lines on these sites, which together produce more than 4,000 cans per minute.  

The sites are now capable of producing plastic ring alternatives including fully recyclable wraps and a new technology known as tKeel Clip, which uses recyclable paperboard to create a lighter weight pack. 

With this initiative, the group has removed 250 tonnes of plastic annually throughout its full canned beer range, including Budweiser, Bud Light and Stella Artois.

In addition to the reduction of plastic shrink wrap, the group has removed 850 tonnes of plastic waste. 

The move is in line with the company’s goals to make 100% of its products in packaging that is returnable from majority recycled content by 2025.

Recycling Technologies, Neste and Unilever establish partnership

Plastic recycling technology provider Recycling Technologies, renewable diesel and circular chemical solutions provider Neste, and consumer goods manufacturer Unilever have established a partnership to integrate their expertise in chemical recycling.

The chemical recycling partnership will focus on recovering and reusing waste plastic packaging including films, sachets and pouches and recycling them to make new sustainable plastics.

The project is funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund as part of its £20m investment in four advanced recycling plants.

During the three-year project, Recycling Technologies will process waste plastic packaging using its recycling machinery to transform it into oil called Plaxx.

Neste will analyse and test the material’s quality and suitability to upgrade it into high-quality drop-in feedstock, which will be used in manufacturing new, virgin-quality plastics. Unilever will contribute expertise on design for recycling for packaging.

Amcor supports call for a global treaty on plastic pollution 

UK-based packaging company Amcor has announced its support to a new call for a global treaty on plastic pollution.

Amcor has joined the initiative following a report titled ‘The business case for a UN treaty on plastic pollution’. It is a collaboration between Boston Consulting Group, World Wildlife Foundation and Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

According to the report, the coordinated global response in the form of a UN Treaty will help governments and businesses create a level playing field across the plastic value chain.

It will encourage organisations to set goals, accelerate commitments made and progress towards waste management.

Currently, more than 11 million metric tonnes of plastic are entering into the ocean on an annual basis.

The report states that the global volume of plastic flowing the ocean is projected to increase by three folds over the next two decades. Amcor has already committed to make all its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.

Origins, ELC, SABIC and Albéa partner for recycled tube package

Global skincare brand Origins and The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) have entered a sustainable packaging partnership with chemical company SABIC and beauty packaging manufacturer Albéa.

The collaboration is intended to develop an advanced recycled tube package.

SABIC’s certified circular polyethylene and polypropylene advanced recycling technology will be used for producing the tube.

The tube will contain a circular polymer resin. Origins will use the tube for its Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask.

The post-consumer mixed plastics material made from recycled tubes will be available in market next year.

Under this partnership, Albéa will offer its expertise to use recycled resins to develop a high-performing tube.

The partnership is in line with ELC’s sustainable packaging goals, to increase the amount of post-consumer recycled (PCR) material in its packaging by up to 50% by 2025.

The company also pledged to make at least 80% of the brand’s packaging by weight to be recyclable, refillable, reusable, recycled or recoverable by 2023.

ALPLA unveils world’s first carbon-neutral recycled PET

Plastic packaging manufacturer and recycling specialist ALPLA has introduced the world’s first carbon-neutral recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET).

The production of carbon-neutral rPET has been achieved by using green electricity and offsetting unavoidable emissions with carbon certificates.

In order to produce this resin, the company’s PET Recycling Team plants in Wöllersdorf, Austria, and Radomsko, Poland, moved to a combination of electricity from renewable sources.

ALPLA is making the world’s first carbon-neutral rPET available to its customers to help meet their objectives and targets towards sustainability.

Last month, ALPLA expanded its recycling activities across the globe by building a plant in Mexico for recycling high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

Scheduled for launch in the second half of 2021, the facility is designed to produce 15,000t of post-consumer recycled material annually.