Cover Story

Plastics in Packaging: Benefits and new technologies

Plastic packaging molds itself to modern lifestyles. Different plastics offer diverse qualities, giving manufacturers and consumers the freedom to choose the type of plastic that best suits the packaging application. Plastics can be rigid when protection is needed, or flexible for convenience’s sake.

They can be clear or opaque. And they can be molded into a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Environmental issues can be satisfactorily addressed, as the initiatives of the industry in the US prove.

Manufacturers worldwide are pursuing innovations in packaging structures that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Plastics are proving to meet these criteria because of their inherent capabilities for light weight, sterilizability, transparency or colorability, break-resistance, resealability, and a full range of mechanical and chemical-resistant properties.

Offering safety, quality, convenience and savings, plastic packaging satisfies a diverse portfolio of requirements of the packaging industry. Today’s working parents and busy homes rely on its convenience and the services it provides.

In medical field, plastic packaging offers a superior ability to protect products against contamination and, consequently, patients against infection. The chemical resistance, transparency and toughness of plastics enhance safety and efficiency in both the laboratory and day-to-day hospital use. Plastics, which can conform to any shape and guard against impurities, are the perfect materials for shipping and storing intricate medical instruments. And in uses such as see-through intravenous bags and break-resistant containers, plastic packaging has proven indispensable in modern medical care.

In the home, break-resistant, shatterproof and no-spill plastic bottles cut down on injuries and clean-ups anywhere the floor is hard and hands may be slippery. Plastic packaging for shampoos, harsh chemicals and motor oils make at-home tasks easier and less hazardous. Child-resistant plastic closures and leak-proof plastic containers for medicines and chemicals provide safety for tots and peace of mind for parents, while tamper-evident closures and shrink-wrap bands made of plastic help protect consumers from tampering.

Food-service outlets and their customers rely on plastic packaging to protect food products against contamination and retain desired temperatures longer. And single-serve plastic packaging for condiments not only preserves freshness and flavor, it also ensures the consumer a sanitary portion while cutting down on food waste.

Advances in plastics technology result in new products with expanded consumer benefits. This is true for both packaging/non-durable and durable products. In most cases, the new products also conserve resources by using less material than alternative products and the resultant lightweight requires less energy to transport. In America, the American Plastics Council works to ensure that plastics are a preferred material by actively demonstrating they are a responsible choice in a more environmentally conscious world.

Today’s two-liter soft drink bottle uses 25 percent less plastic than a similar bottle did in 1977. Plastic engineers played a part in this reduction, which was accomplished without sacrificing the bottle’s strength or shatter-resistance!

According to Dr. Ron Yocum, President & CEO, American Plastics Council, many plastics are recyclable, energy efficient, and can help conserve resources. For example, today in the US, more than 20,000 communities, representing over 80 percent of the population, have access to plastics recycling programs. "It is the plastics industry’s support for research and development of recycling technologies, combined with technology transfer to communities and business that has helped make recycling a part of America’s way of life", he contends.

Moreover, the studies in the US have conclusively demonstrated that use of plastics in packaging actually
saves energy. Only about four percent of the United States’ energy consumption is actually used to produce plastics. This is a small percentage in comparison to energy’s
other uses.

It often takes less energy to convert plastics from a raw material into a finished product than it does for comparable products made from other materials. Plastic bags and polystyrene foam containers are good examples. Plastic bags require about one-third less energy to make than paper bags, and polystyrene foam containers take 30 percent less total energy to make than paperboard containers. Now, generation of energy takes its toll on the environment, so anything one can do to conserve or minimize use of energy helps the environment.

In the month of September, 2001,more than 17,000 purchasing decision makers from consumer products companies worldwide attended Pack Expo at Las Vegas, where over 700 companies featured the latest developments in packaging technology. This included state-of-the-art advances in packaging machinery, converting machinery, materials, packages and containers, and components—all for use as either the primary or secondary package—which comprises the $450 billion packaging economy.

Today, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles come in a variety of colors and neck finishes. They can be custom-molded and designed to strengthen a brand, emphasize its quality or simply fight for consumers’ attention at the point-of-purchase.

Plastics also offer outstanding energy efficiency and cost benefits on a daily basis. Household utility bills are just one area where you can see measurable benefit due to plastics. "For example, if a builder were to use a plastic house wrap under the siding while constructing a new home, the homeowner would save an average of $400 annually on their utility bill", claims Dr. Yocum. Also, improvements in plastic insulation on major appliances, such as the refrigerator, can save fifty-three billion-kilowatt hours of electricity annually. This means that appliances would use up to 30 percent more energy if it were not for plastic insulation.

Plastics also contribute to effective resource conservation. This means using less resources to make a product in the first place. This is called source reduction. Source reduction is frequently preferable to recycling because it means conserving material, energy and financial resources - if you reduce energy requirements and material usage, lower costs will follow.

Plastic packaging also preserves flavor and saves time in conventional cooking and storage. Squeeze bottles for condiments, boil-in-bag dishes, resealable bags for everything from shredded cheese to cereal, freezer bags that protect food against ice crystals, precooked foods that are microwavable in the package all contribute to quality meals in modern homes.

Extremely lightweight and molded to promote easy handling, plastic containers allow consumers to enjoy the savings of beverages, detergents and other products in the "large economy size." And plastic packaging, which can be transparent without being fragile, enables consumers to see what they’re getting and to serve themselves.

In addition to saving space in today’s smaller living quarters, plastic packaging can be as decorative as it is serviceable. Further, it won’t leave rust rings on counters and fixtures. For a host of personal and home products, plastic packaging works well and looks good, too.

The use of plastics for shipping and storage will continue to grow. Strong, durable and tear resistant, plastic packaging saves energy, space and money. Plastic containers, which generally require less energy to manufacture than other packaging, also require less fuel to transport than heavier materials. Additional savings come from reductions in shipping damage and elimination of the need for additional packing materials, such as partitions between individual products.

Strong enough for stacking and moldable into space-saving shapes, plastic containers can maximize warehousing room and lower storage costs.

Meeting unique packaging needs - from anti-static protective packaging for electronic components to shelf-stable containers for products that once required costly cold storage - are a specialty of plastics. Because they can be molded to fit contours, plastics provide the ultimate protection in packaging office machines, entertainment units, computer components and other delicate products. Tough enough to withstand the stresses of transportation yet capable of screening out even the smallest particle of dust, plastic packaging delivers. These factors all add up to savings for producers and merchants and can result in lower prices for consumers.

Plastic packaging continues to have the wrap on consumer preference. Freshness, storage stability and ease of preparation are among the consumer goals driving the popularity of plastic food packaging.

New ideas include plastic containers for cereal, coffee, spices and baby food, as well as squeeze bottles that allow portion control of juice concentrates and keep contents fresh in the refrigerator for up to five weeks. Freezer-to-oven-to-table plastic food packaging is now available for both microwave and conventional oven use. And plastic container design itself is participating in the cooking, with innovations such as tapered popcorn boxes that keep the kernels in the hot oil and microwavable cake mixes with reusable trays.

In other types of packaging as well, consumers and the hospitals, schools and other institutions that serve them increasingly are turning to plastics. Safe, sanitary, easy to use and economical, plastic packaging is the shape of the future.

New plastics and processing technologies have created the potential for new food products, and improvements in the quality and convenience of existing products. While an obvious function of packaging is protection - to keep the inside in and the outside out - the product, its preservation process and the package should be considered a unit, rather than separate entities.

The development of plastic polymers in the 1950s revolutionized the packaging industry, but the early plastics weren’t able to withstand the high temperature processes required in canning. Today, newer polymers and polymer blends with good barrier properties (e.g., to oxygen) and high temperature resistance have many applications, including their use for food containers such

as semi-rigid plastic trays, which can be thermally processed. Several projects are underway to investigate how processing and storage conditions affect the permeability of plastic packaging materials.

Stratapac is a patented system for the packaging of powdered products to be used in hygienic processing environments. The Stratapac packaging system has been named a winner of the year 2000 international DuPont Awards competition. The award is in recognition of significant packaging systems innovations.

Through the use of proprietary sealant resins and patented sealing equipment, the inner and outer bags of the Stratapac block-bottom sack are sealed independently and simultaneously. An easy-open perforation is applied to enable the fully sealed inner bag to be quickly and cleanly removed and taken into a hygienic processing area.

The Stratapac system was invented and is produced by New Zealand companies Holmes Packaging and Avalon Engineering.

Developed initially in conjunction with the New Zealand Dairy Board, Stratapac was extensively tested, with successful trial shipments to Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, Germany, USA, Taiwan, and Venezuela in 1998. As a result, Stratapac was approved as an alternative to the conventional paper sacks in October 1999. Stratapac has been enthusiastically received by processors packaging milk powder and other food powders in the US, Europe, and Argentina, and successful trials have been run in all of these territories.

California Dairies Inc, USA has ordered the first two Stratapac-capable packaging lines, California Dairies believes it will gain marketing advantages with Stratapac through the benefits Stratapac will provide its customers. In addition the company will reap the benefits of a significantly more robust package that will reduce spoilage rates in handling and distribution.

Holmes Packaging developed the unique dual plastic, bag-within-a-bag concept and worked closely with Avalon Engineering, which was responsible for the development of the innovative sealing and packaging technology. Primary inventor of Stratapac is Alex Wood, R&D manager of Holmes Packaging.

The development process was an extensive and comprehensive two-year project, based on replacing the outer paper layers of the traditional multiwall sack with one very tough, plastic outer bag. Conventional paper block-bottom multiwall bags with integral plastic liners produce a sealed bag of milk powder that can be removed from the outer paper packaging and taken into a hygienic processing area. However, the
paper outer bags have several disadvantages. They offer limited protection from moisture or other contamination, are not as tough as plastic, and paper fibers may contaminate the environment in which the inner bag is opened.

Through use of innovative co-extrusion and sealing technology, Stratapac combines the benefits of a removable, sealed inner bag with those of a tough, plastic outer bag. The resulting package provides improved hygiene and moisture resistance, better presentation, and a higher level of protection than conventional paper multiwall sacks. In addition, Stratapac offers significant environmental benefits, with source reduction of up to 30% when compared with conventional 3-ply paper multiwall sacks. The outer plastic bag can be easily recycled. The inner bag can be designed with barrier or non-barrier properties utilizing Holmes Packaging 9-layer barrier co-extrusion technology. The outer bag is a tough 3-layer co-extrusion utilizing metallocene LLDPE resins.

Holmes Packaging has invested in automated conversion equipment designed specifically for the manufacture of Stratapac. This equipment is located in a hygienic, food-grade conversion facility. Avalon Engineering has developed sealing technology that provides dual capability, i.e., it allows processors to seal Stratapac as well as conventional multiwall paper bags on the same sealer. This provides processors with the flexibility to use the packaging that best meets their market requirements. At marginal additional cost processors who are contemplating new sealer lines are now able to enjoy this dual capability.

A new material science that enables new products and improves existing products from US-based CSP Technologies introduces a new class of plastic materials that enables a virtually unlimited number of new products.

This enabling technology creates a system of plastic materials that absorbs and/or releases small molecules at a controlled rate. Also, the transport properties of a polymer can be engineering to exhibit specific transmission rates.

CSP products are custom engineered with formulations developed to provide solutions to specific product challenges. Some standard products are available. Controlled Interactive Packaging works with any thermoplastic or thermoset material.

These new materials can be processed into film, blow molded into bottles, or injection molded into any shape.

This new technology is a major breakthrough in material science that creates microscopic interconnected transmitting pathways within a polymer. These solid pathways allow the controlled transport of a wide variety of small molecules, thus enabling a myriad of applications for absorbing and releasing chemically active substances. The results are custom designed plastic materials that respond to external stimuli in a reliable, preprogrammed fashion, creating the desired, controlled, packaged environment; or, a new or improved product.

The proprietary technology relates to a polymer blend having a co-continuous interconnecting morphology. The composition is composed of at least three components:
(A) a polymer (e.g. thermoplastic or thermoset) that makes up the majority of the composition;
(B) a minor polymer (e.g. a hydrophilic or hydrophobic material) that is immiscible in the majority polymer; and,
(C) a particle (e.g. active agent) that resides in minor polymer.

These interconnecting pathways permit gases or vapors to be absorbed into or released from the particles located with the polymer blend. The advantage of this technology is that the composition can be "engineered" to meet the needs of the end-use application.

Here, one can engineer a container, package, or plastic component that will maintain a specific relative humidity, absorb gases, vapors, or odors; and/or release active substances such as gases and aromas, nutrients, or other ingredients in a controlled manner, while offering 100% utilization of all active particles. More than one interactive function can be incorporated into a polymer blend.

Basically, the polymers are engineered to control small molecule transport through the materials. The underlying proprietary enabling technology allows for the creation of a microscopic co-continuous interconnecting channel morphology throughout a solid polymer structure.

These channels provide pathways that facilitate migration of substances through the polymer, thus enabling a host of exciting new applications, including: Polymers which preferentially absorb, scavenge or emit desired small molecules (e.g. Moisture, CO2, O2) Materials which facilitate or retard the transport of one or more substances Polymers with novel electric or ionic transport properties. In a revolutionary new technological breakthrough, desiccants can now be integrated directly into plastics and molded or shaped into any product form with variable adsorption rates and capacities.

How about beer in a plastic bottle? Just doesn’t sound right does it? Well, you’d be surprised!

New technological advances are making the marketing of beer in plastic bottles possible. Beer, like other products, has a market identity based on its packaging properties and plastics are poised to enhance marketing opportunities for the beer industry.

To provide some perspective on the size of the current beer market, it has been estimated that the international beer market will soon use more than 302 billion containers a year, which - if laid end-to-end - would circle the earth more than 1,050 times! Worldwide consumption of beer is projected to over 160 billion liters in 2006. In addition to glass and aluminum packaging of beer, plastic bottles would be another alternative in this enormous market.

Bottling beer in plastic is difficult due to beer’s sensitivity to oxygen, presenting greater challenges than bottled water or carbonated soft drinks. After years of experimentation, developments in machinery, materials and bottle design, major developmental investments in plastic beer bottles have been made internationally by Bass Brewers in the UK; Brasseries Heineken of Rueil-Malmaison, France; Karlsberg Brewery of Homberg, Germany; and Carlton and United Breweries Ltd. in Australia.

In the United States, Anheuser-Busch, the world’s largest brewer, tested a 16-oz plastic bottle last summer in Madison Square Gardens and Miller Brewing Company is currently test-marketing beer in plastic bottles in six U.S. cities.

The Miller Bottle, manufactured by Owen-Illinois’ Continental PET Technologies, will incorporate a center layer that will include post-consumer recycled material from the post consumer bottles with barrier layers on each side and a virgin layer of PET on the internal and external surfaces. The bottle is designed to keep the beer as fresh as glass bottles or aluminum cans over a four-month period and also offer a wide mouth opening with a resealable screw-on cap.

To maintain the beer’s brand identity, Miller Genuine Draft is offered in a clear PET bottle while Miller Lite and Icehouse will remain in traditional, amber-colored bottles.

This innovative packaging technology could be the most significant beverage packaging advance since the commercial introduction of PET bottles for carbonated soft drink bottles 20 years ago. What makes these plastic bottles even more environmentally and user friendly is that they are substantially lighter than near-comparable-size glass bottles.

Compared with Miller’s 22-oz. glass bottles weighing 340 grams, the 20-oz plastic bottles weighs only 43 grams and the 1-L (33.8-oz) plastic bottles weigh a mere 56 grams versus Miller’s 32-oz glass bottle which weighs in at 392 grams. This reduced packaging could result in many energy efficiency savings such as less fuel used in packaging production and transport of the product to the marketplace.

Because of their light weight and non-breakability, Miller is promoting their plastic beer bottles for use in such places as stadia and picnics or concerts instead of glass bottles and cans that may not be as safe or convenient. According to a company press release, consumers will "get the taste, freshness and premium image benefits of a glass bottle, combined with the convenience of cans. This new package will give people unprecedented flexibility in selecting the beer package that’s most appropriate for their particular occasion."

Three leading plastics industry groups, the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR), the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) and the American Plastics Council (APC) are spearheading a coordinated effort to ensure the successful introduction and longer term market growth for these innovative plastic bottles for beer. Among the initial goals of this effort are to identify new challenges to the current PET recycling stream which may be posed by the introduction of plastic beer bottles, and to develop solutions to those challenges. The groups have recognized that now is the time to identify and resolve challenges to the PET recycling stream before they become problems.

The recyclables collection community has expressed concern that the plastic beer bottle’s amber tint, interior barrier material, metal cap and label could be incompatible with today’s plastics recycling stream. Miller Brewing Company believes that amber plastic beer bottles are likely to be available in sufficient quantities to foster the necessary recycling infrastructure and Continental PET, the manufacturer of Miller’s bottles, has announced their intent to incorporate acceptable post-consumer amber and clear PET into their multilayer bottles at levels over 25% of recycled content beginning in May of ’99. CPT recognizes the need to establish critical mass for amber PET in order for it to be successfully recycled and has offered to pay a premium for amber PET (over the price of mixed color PET bales) for a period of at least one year.

Polylactides (PLAs) are a family of degradable plastics produced by the fermentation of corn.

The environmental benefits of these polyesters are numerous and include:
(1) reduction of municipal landfill volumes when used as packaging materials;
(2) fixation of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide;
(3) significant energy savings;
(4) production of the monomer from a renewable agriculturally based resource; and
(5) improvement of farm economy.

Figure 8 shows the novel environmental-friendly route to these plastic materials.

In a landmark project in the US, fundamental properties of polylactides to facilitate the adoption Of this environmentally benign plastic material by industry have been examined. In particular, the flow properties of importance during processing of plastics into useful articles have been carefully studied. In addition, the permeation of gases through PLA also has been measured. Knowing these properties is important before industries can adopt this new plastic into new or existing products.

Replacement of petroleum-based plastics by long-term degradable materials based on renewable agricultural resources is one aspect of a solution to this environmental challenge. The two applications of near-term interest for PLA are disposable packaging (for food and other consumer goods) and textile fibers (for the manufacture of clothing and other fabric-based products like baby diapers and disposable wipes). The project has pursued the development of a fundamental scientific understanding of the properties of PLA to allow the commercialization of this important material.

In particular, the rheological (flow) properties of PLA that are of interest in shaping and forming articles (in processing the polymer) have been carefully studied. One work focused on the base linear polymer and has been published in Macromolecules. The other explored ways to "tune" the important flow properties through blending of different grades.

Also of interest, particularly for packaging applications, are the permeation properties of PLA (the rate at which gases like oxygen and nitrogen pass through). Another study measured such properties for a variety of different gases and grades of PLA.

The work has greatly facilitated the commercialization of PLA, and a new polymer production plant capable of producing 300 million pounds per year of the material is under construction in Blair, Nebraska, USA.

NINETY-EIGHT percent of all integrated circuits (ICs) are currently packaged in plastic. However, applications that require high reliability and/or tolerance to wide temperature fluctuations have needed to utilize costly, hermetically-sealed metal or ceramic packages for their ICs.

The consortium that is developing this superior plastic packaging technology is lead by National Semiconductor and includes Amoco/Plaskon, Dexter, Olin, IPAC, Delco, Sheldal, Leading Technologies and Sandia National Laboratories. Their goal is to develop
the total supply chain from plastic packaging materials to a low-cost on-shore assembly source.

The new materials and processes developed will be demonstrated on a number of single-chip and multi-chip modules with dual use applicability. The goals of the program are to achieve a >175C operating temperature, 50% decrease in manufacturing cost, higher thermal dissipation, and the elimination of hazardous materials from the packaging process Military use of low-cost, plastic packaging has been seriously limited due to the low reliability and environmental limits that have been associated with this packaging technology.

With improvements in plastic packaging, an ever increasing number of high-performance military ICs will be able to shift to plastic for a substantial cost reduction. New commercial applications, such as automotive electronics, require the same high reliability and severe temperature range operation as has been traditional for military ICs.

Improvements in low-cost, plastic packaging will expand commercial sales into such lucrative markets as the automobile industry.

Numerous advances have been made on this project in improving plastic packaging technology in the U.S. The primary one being that these packages can now meet JEDEC Level 2 requirements, while before they could only meet Level 3 requirements. Components of the technology are about to enter the commercial market place.

RADIO Frequency Identification (RFID) tags on plastic containers can turn them intelligent. The tags can be read and updated automatically from a distance of more than 10 feet as they pass through doorways or on a conveyor belt, at a produce packing facility or inside a retail grocery store.

US company, Georgia-Pacific Corp. demonstrated new generation of reusable plastic containers (RPC’s), launched at the last Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit show. This includes an automatic identification technology that wirelessly tracks shipments of fruits and vegetables on their way to grocery stores.

Each of GP’s new, collapsible containers marketed as part of the company’s TOP program is equipped with two RFIDs.

"We use the wireless RFID system to simultaneously write or read data from multiple tags, at high speeds and under a wide range of tough environmental conditions," says Jeff Hehir, director of operations for Georgia-Pacific’s Supply Chain Solutions Team, Containerboard and Package Division. "Intermec’s RFID solution met all our requirements for range, performance and durability."

Georgia-Pacific is the first company in the produce packaging industry to commercially use long-range RFID tags in a high-volume application. In the first phase, Georgia-Pacific will use the tags to control the movement of the RPCs it leases to produce companies. Each container tag will be updated with vital information such as date of shipment and receipt, and verification of Georgia-Pacific’s cleaning and sterilization processes.

In the future, Georgia-Pacific is expected to use the same tag to record other data about supply chain performance and offer important supply chain information to retailers, transportation companies, and produce growers.

Georgia-Pacific will use Intermec’s recently introduced 915 MHz Intellitag RFID tag for the reusable plastic containers. Intermec also will provide both fixed and mobile Intellitag RFID transceivers to enable communications with individual RPCs in stacks of more than 100 (empty), on pallets in stacks of more than 50 RPCs loaded with produce, and in a variety of mobile and remote settings.

"Georgia-Pacific is leading the packaging industry into a new era where producers, retailers, transportation and service organizations will be able to electronically track individual RPCs and the goods in them through the entire supply chain," said Winston Guillory, vice president of Intermec’s Intellitag Strategic Business Unit. "Ultimately, the consumer benefits because supply chains will be more efficient and responsive."

Intellitag RFID is Intermec’s wireless information technology, a system of tiny computer chips and miniature antennas smaller and lighter than a postage stamp, and readers known as interrogators. The technology lets companies track goods, materials and vehicles automatically and in real time.

Intellitag RFID can read and update the information on many tags at once, rather than one at a time, using low-power wireless signals that don’t need line of sight like laser scanners. As a result, Intellitag tags can be read as much as 40 times faster than conventional bar codes.

No write-up on plastics can ignore the growing concern of their use on the environment. In India, several states have banned the use of plastic bags.

Labelled as a consumerism-driven society, the US has undertaken significant initiative in studying and reducing the impact of plastics in packaging.

"For every seven trucks needed to deliver paper grocery bags to the store - only one truck is needed to carry the same number of plastic grocery bags. It’s important to think about all those steps in a product’s life cycle-not just what happens when a product’s useful life is over-to get a true picture of its environmental performance", quips Dr Ron Yocum, President, American Plastics Council.

The US has focused its efforts on source reduction. "Let me give you some specific examples of source reduction", explains Dr Yocum. Today’s one-gallon plastic milk jug is 30 percent lighter in weight than its counterpart some twenty years ago. When the 2-liter PET soft drink bottle was introduced in 1977 it weighed 68 grams. Today, the same bottle weighs only 49 grams, a reduction of 27 percent. Plastic grocery bags are also lighter and create up to 80 percent less waste by volume than paper sacks. These and many more examples serve to demonstrate how plastics are a naturally source reduced material.

More than 100 million reusable plastic containers are in use in North America, handling packaging requirements for automotive parts, plus fresh poultry and produce. In the United Kingdom, use of reusable containers will increase almost 50 percent, from 32 million containers in 1997 to 47 million by 2002, according to a survey by Zenith Environpack.

The following case study is an admirable example of addressing the environment concerns regarding usage of plastics.

Stonyfield Farm in the US manufactures millions of yogurt cups annually. They are keenly aware that through this packaging, an enormous impact on the environment is caused. The packaging choices are extremely important to them.

What follows is a brief description of the packaging options and the choices that they have made.

In the mid ‘80’s when they first began examining the environmental aspects of packaging, they assumed that the most important characteristic was recyclability. It was important that the finished product did not become solid waste. So they set out to find the most recyclable cup available. They discovered that recyclability was just one of many factors that must be considered in addressing the total impact of our packaging on the environment.

In recent years, an effective tool for measuring the environmental impact of a product has emerged. Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is the process of determining the environmental impact of a product from its manufacture and use, through its re-use, recycling and/or disposal. Several LCA studies have aided manufacturers in the decision-making process.

Perhaps the most extensive packaging study to date, undertaken by the Boston based Tellus Institute, illuminated understanding of the environmental impact of packaging. It compared a variety of packaging options such as plastics, aseptic and poly-coated paper (used for milk cartons, ice cream and "paper" yogurt containers), metals and glass.

The Tellus study findings were surprising, indicating that less than 5% of the total environmental cost of packaging is in the disposal. Over 95% of the environmental cost is in the production of the package! Focusing efforts predominantly on the "end use" such as recycling or disposal addresses only a tiny aspect of the overall container impact. It is more accurate to look at the environmental impact of the container over its entire life cycle.

The Tellus Institute study concluded that with the exception of PVC plastic (#3) which has significantly higher environmental impact, "...the lightest-weight package, per unit of delivered end product, is generally the lowest-impact product". The concept of source reduction-reducing the amount of material in a product-has been overshadowed by the tremendous enthusiasm to recycle.

Recycling is important, but it may be more environmentally advantageous to reduce the amount of material generated in the first place. The solid waste hierarchy teaches us to first reduce, then reuse, and finally recycle.

After examining the options (including glass, poly-coated paper, and plastic), they chose a lightweight plastic. Glass, which is widely recycled and made from recycled material, was rejected as the environmental costs of transporting the heavy material outweigh the benefits. The energy (fossil fuels) used over the entire life of the glass package for its manufacture and transport exceed the energy that goes into the manufacturing and transporting of a plastic container.

Poly-coated paper was ruled out for several reasons. It is not made from recycled material as FDA prohibits the use of recycled material in contact with food. The "paper" containers are plastic coated and recyclable in only a few communities. The paper-making process produces highly carcinogenic dioxins.

An alternative that holds great promise for the future-a "chlorine free" paper container which eliminates the release of dioxins in the paper making process was also considered.

Plastic polypropylene (#5) containers appear to be the best option to assure product quality, with the least amount of material, fossil fuel and environmental impact.

With polypropylene (#5) plastic packaging, Stonyfield Farm uses significantly less plastic than we would if the cups were HDPE (#2) plastic. One of the most beneficial characteristics of (#5) plastic is that it can be made with thinner walls, while maintaining the same structural integrity. The quart containers are over 30% lighter today than they were just 10 years ago. By using (#5) plastic instead of (#2), in 1998 alone they prevented the manufacture and disposal of over 85 tons of plastic.

Added environmental savings were achieved through decreased air emissions and resource depletion associated with the manufacture and distribution of the packaging. In addition, polypropylene is manufactured without the use of chlorine, thus eliminating the hazards of deadly dioxin releases during manufacture and incineration which occur with certain other plastics.

Still, many of their customers requested the use of HDPE (#2) plastic because it’s is the only yogurt container recycled in their community. These customers were mistaken. Most communities accepting HDPE plastic for recycling actually recycle bottles only. Bottles and wide-mouth ontainers such as yogurt containers have different melting points, thus rendering them ndesirable for recycling together.

Many communities accept all HDPE plastics to avoid consumer confusion, then they landfill or incinerate all but the bottles. The 1997 US recycling rate for HDPE bottles was over 24%, but less than 2% of wide-mouthed HDPE plastic (such as yogurt cups) were recycled.

In 1995, Stonyfield Farm introduced the first yogurt created for children in bulk size (32 oz) containers. At this time, 4 oz single-serving size containers were the standard. Significantly less expensive on a per serving basis, our 32 oz size proved to be a dollar value for families. It also used less packaging than competitors’ products.

Since the launched of the innovative children’s yogurts, they were inundated with mail and calls from parents who loved the product, but wanted a single-serving size. They could no longer ignore the overwhelming requests from customers. After much deliberation, they resolved to offer a choice-economical 32 oz cups or the yogurt 6-packs with six 4 oz single-serving cups.

In developing the 6-pack, they worked closely with the suppliers to minimize the packaging. The suppliers developed a new plastic mold to ensure that the cup would be lightweight. To further reduce material, a thin plastic seal was used on each cup, and completely avoided the use of energy-intensive aluminum seals that are common. The cardboard wrap itself is made from recycled paperboard with a minimum of 82% post consumer waste.

Blister/skin packaging is one of the fastest-growing segments of the plastic packaging business. Blisters, clamshells and carded skin packages are part of the transparent (high-visibility) packaging market, involving containers designed to expose all or partial product contents for the benefit of the consumer. (The term "high-visibility" is credited to Packaging Magazine, coined in the late 1980s). This packaging is so designed to assist the retailer in promoting sales of products, as well.

An interesting study by Business Communications Company Inc. of Connecticut, USA assesses the current and future role played by blister and skin packaging as barrier media, in point-of-purchase displays and for tamper- evidence in the packaging of a variety of consumer products for healthcare, toiletries and cosmetics, hardware, stationery and a myriad of other consumer markets.

The study highlights that packaging in which thermoformed plastic film/sheet is converted into highly-transparent containers either affixed to a paperboard card or as hinged and/or reclosable stand-alone packages. The terms "film" and "sheet" are used interchangeably since the thickness definitions as to what constitutes each differ among the thermoplastics.

The use of blister/skin packaging is compared and contrasted to other packaging media, such as bags, pouches and skin packaging in each market and application, reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of each medium with respect to cost and performance.

Focus was on seven major markets, believed to be the major outlets for blister/skin packaging.

Major players are identified and ranked in each phase of blister packaging-those companies which make the blister and skin cards, blister/skin fabricators, and thermoforming companies which participate in this industry.

Those trends which have already affected the demand for blister/skin packaging and the ones which are likely to have some impact in the future are highlighted.

Final analyses and projections are based on a combination of a consensus among primary contacts and our understanding of the impact of trends from an historical perspective.

Electronic components, medical devices and other durables are becoming smaller, more delicate and more valuable. And consumers are becoming more demanding. Many of them order an item or part, only to find that it has been broken during shipping-even though it appeared to be packaged carefully. They want the equipment or components they ordered to arrive in exemplary condition and ready to use. They don’t have the time to reorder damaged merchandise or, in some cases, to wait on a replacement.

Eastman Chemical Company’s Eastar PCTG copolyester is used for the tough, impact-resistant outer clamshell casing and a film of polyurethane is sealed to a frame that snap-fits into the clamshell to suspend the contents of the package. When a delicate component is placed inside and the case is closed, the polyurethane molds around the part and holds it suspended inside the tough, protective outer case.

When a manufacturer of laser system components approached ADE for a packaging solution, the search began for an innovative resolution. ADE’s first requirement was that the external packaging material be tough. After evaluating a number of plastics, Eastar copolyester was selected for the external shell.

"Eastar copolyester is so tough, we could drop it without breaking it and could even stand on it," said Priscilla Keach, marketing manager at ADE. "We also wanted a plastic with high clarity so that the package contents could be easily seen and inspected. Eastar copolyester is so clear you can actually scan the bar code right through the package. Its sparkling clarity also gives the package a very high tech look."

Although the Crystalair Compression Pack was developed for the photonics market, other potential applications include packaging for delicate components and devices found in the electronics and medical markets. While the package is not inexpensive,
in some applications it can be used repeatedly.

According to Doug Small, market manager at Eastman, "ADE chose Eastar copolyester because of its high clarity and impact resistance. The material also molds very well, which was a plus for this customer because of the intricacy of the compression pack and its hinging system. Eastar copolyester can be sterilized using gamma radiation, and it is also resistant to various medical chemicals and solutions like alcohols and lipids. These characteristics make Eastar PCTG copolyester the material of choice for a wide variety of applications including medical devices, components and packaging."

Consumers are becoming more demanding of their food packaging. They want food to retain its fresh look for longer and to have the correct flavour, odour and texture. They also want packaged food to have greater convenience, be tamper resistant, safe and environmentally friendly. The packaging industry is responding with ever more new and innovative packaging solutions. The most interesting areas are multi-layer film and trays, stand-up pouches and caps & closures.

New technologies will continue to play an important role in the further development of this market. A key task for R&D is to improve the performance properties of the polymer including toughness, strength, processing speed, heat resistance, clarity, etc. The use of metallocene catalyst technologies allowing the production of polyolefins with improved properties is one of example of how new technologies are opening up opportunities for food packaging. Packaging films made from these new types of resin are providing similar or superior packaging performance at significantly lower gauges. In rigid packaging applications these materials permit thinner walls and hence have economic and environmental benefits.

The plastics food and beverage packaging continues to show good growth prospects. The main factors driving the market are replacement of traditional materials, improvements in polymer properties and processing equipment, and growth in the pre-packed food market. The trends in the European plastic food and beverage packaging market have recently been unveiled in a report by Frost & Sullivan the international marketing consultancy company.

In 2000, total revenues of plastic resins used in this market amounted to $4.91 billion and are projected at $7.15 billion in 2007, representing average annual growth of 5.5%.

There are significant differences in projected growth rates for the various commodity plastics used for food and beverage packaging. As Frost & Sullivan Senior Plastics Industry Analyst David Platt explains, "During the forecast period of 2000 - 2007 thermoformed and injection moulded polypropylene are expected to show the highest annual growth rates (10.7% and 9.5% respectively). Bottle-grade PET growth is not far behind at 9.2% /annum. In contrast, the slowest growing polymers will be flexible PVC which is forecast to remain virtually static, and expandable polystyrene with projected growth of 0.6% per annum."

The study highlights the trends in inter-polymer substitution taking place in the food and beverage packaging market. The growth in use of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) for mineral water bottles has propelled polyester into the number one position with a share of 30.5% of total market revenues in 2000.

Polystyrene, with 17.7% of total market revenues is the second most important polymer used in food & beverage packaging, followed by polypropylene with 16.6% and LDPE with 14.2%. PET, polypropylene and LLDPE are projected to increase their market share even further during the next five years, while PVC, LDPE, polystyrene and to a lesser extent HDPE will continue to lose market share.

The development of co-extrusion technology has encouraged the development ofnnovative packaging ideas based on multi-layer film, which has further expanded the market for plastic food and beverage packaging.