A trend that began post-Covid with trade shows that have a Sunday start date occurred at PACK EXPO International as well — lower attendance on the first day. However, attendance quickly picked up beginning Monday as show organiser, PMMI (The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies), reported that the show brought together 48,000 attendees and 29,500 exhibitor personnel, reaching 77,500 in total attendance. International attendance increased 19% over 2022 (PEI is a biennial exhibition).

“PACK EXPO International 2024 has truly raised the bar for what an industry event can achieve,” said Jim Pittas, president and CEO, PMMI. “This show has not only grown in scale but also in substance, attracting attendees and exhibitors from every corner of the industry. The connections made here are invaluable, reinforcing PACK EXPO’s role as an unmatched platform for innovation, collaboration, and progress across the packaging and processing landscape.”

The show has significantly grown year over year with a 10% increase in exhibit space and 24% increase in number of exhibitors from PACK EXPO International 2022. “All across the board, our numbers have increased. Exhibitors continue to showcase top innovations, and attendees are flocking to see the latest solutions to their manufacturing challenges,” said Laura Thompson, vice president of trade shows at PMMI. “It’s not just the size of our show which draws people in – it’s the quality.”

With seven pavilions tailored to meet industry demands, new show features like Sustainability Central and Emerging Brands Central, and show resources to help attendees plan their days, attendees found value throughout the show.

Exhibitors found the show rewarding with plenty of opportunities for sales leads.

“PACK EXPO International is a very important packaging show for our business in the U.S. market and the automation industry,” said Jonathan Titterton, CEO, Coesia North America. “We appreciate the opportunity to discuss with our customers’ face-to-face how customised solutions are helping them with greater flexibility, efficiency, and productivity.”

There were ample suppliers to the coffee and tea industries exhibiting at PEI this year, in addition to Coesia, including IMA SpA, Syntegon, GEA Processing, Fres-co, Buhler, CAMA Packaging, Tetra Pak, Graphic Packaging, Amcor, and Pacteon, among many others.

Attendees were able to make valuable connections off the show floor as well with popular networking events like PACK gives BACK, sponsored by Rockwell Automation, seeing nearly 3,000 attendees enjoy comedy from Nate Bargatze to benefit the PMMI Foundation. The popular Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN) breakfast was held on 5 November with guest speaker Lisa Sun, founder & CEO of retail brand and lifestyle company GRAVITAS giving an inspiring presentation. The Young Professionals Networking Reception, sponsored by Beckhoff Automation LLC at Flight Chicago gave emerging leaders in packaging and processing a chance to build new relationships with their peers.

Looking to the workforce of the future, PACK EXPO International featured several activities for local students to encourage their interest in the industry. Events like the PACK Challenge, sponsored by PepsiCo, and the Amazing Packaging Race, sponsored by Emerson Discrete Automation Group, had students use their creativity and ingenuity to conquer real-life manufacturing challenges.

The next PACK EXPO event will be the new PACK EXPO Southeast, scheduled for 10-12 March 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information and to register, visit packexposoutheast.com. PACK EXPO Las Vegas will take place 29 September through 1 October 2025. For more information, visit packexpolasvegas.com. The next PACK EXPO International is scheduled for 18-21 October 2026. For more information, visit: packexpointernational.com).

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New and expanded education and show navigation resources will help 45,000 attendees efficiently meet their sustainability objectives as they traverse more than 1.3 million square feet of floor space housing 2,700 exhibitors.

“With consumers and regulators paying more attention to sustainability, brand owners must step up their efforts to set and meet goals to increase the sustainability of their operations,” said Laura Thompson, vice president of trade shows at PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, and producer of the PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows. “Attendees at PACK EXPO International will be able to walk away with the information they need to set and achieve sustainability goals.”

Show resources include the launch of Sustainability Central, the Sustainability Solutions Finder, the PACK EXPO Green program, The Showcase of Packaging Innovations®, and free educational sessions.

Sustainability Central in the West Hall (Booth W-21020) will explore packaging sustainability and what it means to brands. This new show floor destination will provide a look at actionable, sustainable solutions in manufacturing, materials, recovery, logistics, analytics, and design. With over 20 educational sessions, the Sustainability Central stage will deliver critical insights. On Sunday, 3 Nov at 12 CST, PMMI experts Jorge Izquierdo, vice president, market development, and Rebecca Marquez, director, custom research, will present Navigating Packaging Materials Transitions, an update on PMMI’s 2023 Packaging Compass report and the related Material Transitioning Dashboard, an on-line tool illustrating materials consumer packaged goods companies are using, what they are phasing out, and their likely replacements over the next five years.

Sustainability Central also will feature presentations from experts at Amazon, Conagra, Clorox, Dow, Merck, and the Consumer Brands Association and others, as well as opportunities to learn about the latest planet-friendly innovations, research, and best practices from Virginia Tech, University of Florida, Clemson University, AMERIPEN, and more.

Educational sessions related to sustainability also will be presented at the Reusable Packaging Learning Center (Booth LU-6737) in the Reusable Packaging Pavilion, the Innovation Stage (Booth N-4560, N-4580, and N-4585), the Processing Innovation Stage (Booth LU-7147), and Industry Speaks (Booth N-4544). Topics include technology and materials innovations, the use of recycled content and renewable materials, transformation of waste, circularity, refill/reuse options, life cycle assessment, sustainable package design, reduction in emissions, extended producer responsibility, and data collection.

At the Reusable Packaging Pavilion, members of the Reusable Packaging Association will demonstrate ways to reduce waste, cut costs, and gain supply chain efficiency. Visitors to the pavilion will also be able to explore reusable transport packaging products and services as well as learn about innovative reuse options.

Showgoers can locate sustainability resources quickly by using the Sustainability Solutions Finder kiosk located in Sustainability Central. This professionally vetted and searchable tool identifies exhibitors with environmentally friendly products and machinery. Sustainable materials and machinery suppliers and service providers also are identified by the PACK EXPO Green icon signage on the show floor. The logo also indicates which educational sessions explore sustainability topics.

Real-world examples of sustainable packaging from around the world may be found at The Showcase of Packaging Innovations® and located within the Containers and Materials Pavilion in the West Hall (Booth W-21030).

At the venue, PMMI is working with Dow, the Official Sustainability Partner and the Official Sponsor of Show Floor Recycling at PACK EXPO International, to minimise the environmental impact of the event and divert as much waste as possible from landfills. Recyclable items include paper, paperboard, and corrugated; metal cans; unbroken glass containers; 01-PET and 02-HDPE containers; and name badges (look for badge collection bins at shuttle bus areas).

PMMI also noted that McCormick Place itself has been recognised for its innovative strategies to reduce its carbon footprint and has received official acknowledgment by independent third-party organisations such as LEED, APEX, Green Seal, and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Learn more about PACK EXPO International’s Sustainability Commitment here. For more information and to register for the show, visit packexpointernational.com.

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Now available, NOLA Craft Instant Coffee Blend marries the flavour of Blue Bottle’s New Orleans-Style Iced Coffee with the convenience of soluble coffee, allowing coffee lovers to enjoy this indulgent drink anywhere. Affectionately known as NOLA, Blue Bottle’s New Orleans-Style Iced Coffee has become one of the brand’s most popular drinks, with around three million sold annually in cafés across the US and Asia. First introduced in 2005 when Blue Bottle founder James Freeman started selling it at farmers markets in the San Francisco Bay Area as an iced-latte alternative, NOLA is inspired by the traditional New Orleans tradition of serving sweet, milky coffee cut with chicory. Over the years, the recipe has been perfected to achieve a delightful balance of coffee, chicory, and sweetness offering a harmonious experience in every sip. Crafted from Blue Bottle’s specialty coffee and chicory blend, the new soluble coffee blend is transformed into aromatic granules that dissolve instantly, delivering the classic NOLA taste with ease.

“In celebration of longtime guest favourite, NOLA, we’re proud to introduce NOLA Craft Instant Coffee Blend as a way for more people to enjoy this coveted drink,” said Benjamin Brewer, senior director, global innovation and coffee quality at Blue Bottle Coffee, Oakland, California. “After countless tastings, we perfected NOLA Instant, ensuring it encapsulates the signature flavour that fans of the drink have come to cherish. With this new addition, alongside our diverse range of NOLA creations and ‘Summer of NOLA’ festivities, we invite everyone to indulge in the distinct taste of NOLA wherever they may be.”

Blue Bottle has continuously expanded NOLA offerings, evolving from a singular beverage into an entire experience with a diverse product portfolio. In its café, Blue Bottle has introduced variations such as Hot NOLA, seasonal flavours, and formats like NOLA Cola, NOLA Shakeratos, and NOLA Floats. The introduction of Iced NOLA cartons in 2010 further broadened its availability to grocery stores, where it has remained a top seller in natural grocery stores. Meanwhile, the introduction of offerings such as Blue Bottle’s New Orleans-Style Coffee and Roasted Chicory Kit and NOLA Concentrate make it easy to enjoy the drink at home. Most recently, Blue Bottle introduced NOLA Almonds, chocolate-dipped almonds infused
with New Orleans-Style Coffee in Blue Bottle cafés.

NOLA Craft Instant Coffee Blend is available in a package of five pre-portioned single-serve sachets (USD $10), a three-pack set of 15 sachets ($26), and in a one-box set with Blue Bottle’s Subminimal NanoFoamer ($47). The items can be purchased online, in Blue Bottle cafés, or on Blue Bottle’s TikTok Shop.

NOLA Summer
To celebrate the Summer of NOLA, Blue Bottle is hitting the road with the NOLA Truck Tour. From the sunny beaches of Korea to the busy streets of Tokyo, NOLA trucks will bring dreamy, indulgent NOLA experiences to popular summer spots throughout July and August. Confirmed truck locations, dates, and opening hours are subject to change based on locations outlined below:

● Yangyang Surfyy Beach, South Korea: 12 July – 25 August
● Dayuntiandi, Shenzhen, China: 28 July – 17 September
● Toyosu Park, Tokyo, Japan: 17 August – 22 August
● Malibu, CA, USA: 30 August – 2 September
● Malibu Chili Cook Off: Tickets required
● New York: Dates and locations to be announced

Consumers can track the NOLA trucks in the US on Blue Bottle’s Instagram, @bluebottle, to learn where the truck will pop up next. The NOLA Truck Tour is a highlight of Blue Bottle’s NOLA Summer celebration which kicked off in June in select Blue Bottle cafés.

Special summer offerings available through 4 August include:
● NOLA Cold Foam — New Orleans-style iced coffee topped with a cloud-like concoction of sweet vanilla cream and a dash of savory salt. Offered for a limited time at select cafés.
● NOLA Fridays — Every Friday enjoy $1 off any 12 oz or 15 oz New Orleans-Style Coffee drink including the NOLA Shakerato, in all Blue Bottle cafés between 2pm-4pm when ordering on Blue Bottle’s mobile app.

For more information, please visit: bluebottlecoffee.com.

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Making its Pack Expo International debut, Sustainability Central will explore packaging sustainability and what it means to brands. This show floor destination will include expert speakers and a look at actionable, sustainable solutions in manufacturing, materials, recovery, logistics, analytics, and design. With over 20 educational sessions at Sustainability Central, attendees can gain critical insights on various vital topics from experts at Amazon, Conagra, Clorox, Dow, Nestle, the Consumer Brands Association, Conagra, and other major industry players.

Additionally, Sustainability Central will feature displays from Virginia Tech, the University of Florida, Clemson University, PMMI Business Intelligence, and AMERIPEN among others, sharing their latest planet-friendly innovations, research, and best practices.

For attendees looking to see sustainability-enhancing solutions in action, show producer PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, is expanding resources to help the expected 45,000 attendees efficiently navigate the show’s 2,500 suppliers stretched over 1.3 million net square feet of exhibition space.

• For advanced online planning, attendees can use the Sustainability Solutions Finder, a professionally vetted and searchable tool, to locate exhibitors with environmentally friendly products and machinery. The tool goes live in late July, and a kiosk will also be located in Sustainability Central.
• On-site, attendees can look for the Pack Expo Green icon to identify sustainable materials and machinery suppliers and educational sessions focused on sustainability. A complete list of current Pack Expo Green exhibitors can be found in the online exhibitor directory.

“We’ve intentionally partnered with companies, exhibitors, and vendors to integrate sustainability into every component of Pack Expo International, including educational programming, show features, and how we do business as the largest packaging and processing event this year,” said Laura Thompson, PMMI’s vice president of Trade Shows.

In addition to the new and expanded education and show navigation resources, attendees can expect the return of familiar features and initiatives to support their eco-conscious efforts:

• Sustainability focused educational sessions also will take place at the Innovation Stage, Processing Innovation Stage, and Industry Speaks.
• The Reusable Packaging Pavilion will feature Reusable Packaging Association member companies demonstrating sustainable packaging solutions to help reduce waste, cut costs, and gain supply chain efficiency. Attendees can explore reusable transport packaging products and services and see innovative reuse solutions.
• Sponsored by WestRock, The Showcase of Packaging Innovations®, located within the Containers and Materials Pavilion, will display award-winning packaging from around the world.

Additionally, PMMI is working with Dow, the Official Sustainability Partner and the Official Sponsor of Show Floor Recycling at PACK EXPO International, to minimise the environmental impact of the event to divert as much waste as possible from landfills. PMMI is also proud to host PACK EXPO International 2024 at McCormick Place, which has been recognised by independent third-party organizations such as LEED, APEX, Green Seal, and the US Environmental Protection Agency for its innovative strategies to reduce its carbon footprint.

Learn more about PACK EXPO International’s Sustainability Commitment here. Register for the show at packexpointernational.com.

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Amsterdam-based Metal Arts brings with it 40 years of experience. With the acquisition, The Box expects to further strengthen its position as a market leader in the Benelux market.

Virtually nothing will change for Metal Arts’ customers. Only matters such as visiting address, telephone number and contact persons have changed, as can also be read on the websites of both companies (theboxnl.com) (metalarts.nl).

The quality of products and service remains unchanged at a high level.

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While innovation and new/upgraded technology are always key themes, similar to most exhibitions of late, the main theme was sustainable innovation, with exhibitors touting their sustainable/eco-friendly machinery and initiatives.

For example, Cimbria’s new SEA.IQ Optical Sorter is designed to recognise all defects and imperfections. It features cameras with integrated RGB, NIR and SWIR or UV working multifrequency to match multiple data collected during thousands of scans per second.

Goglio introduced a coffee capsule equipped with a degassing valve. This design makes it possible to immediately package fresh coffee without having to wait for the degassing process, which reduces storage times and preserves the aroma of the coffee. The capsule is also available in a 100% compostable version to meet the regulations being discussed in Italy and Europe, and is already certified as industrially compostable.

Mikafi, a Swiss startup, launched its electric tabletop roasting machine at Host Milan. The founders believe that in a world where sustainability, personalisation, and quality experiences are becoming more important, coffee roasting must be ‘rethought’. Designed for the HoReCa market, and in partnership with Thermoplan, the MikafiOne is a fully automated roasting system that uses AI and IoT that offers pre-programmed roast profiles – so non-baristas or inexperienced roasters can use it – as well as customisable roast profiles. “Anyone can roast the coffee, you do not need a roast master and it frees up the barista, said co-founder and CPO, Claudio Vögtli. He shared that the MikafiOne roasts 1 kilo of coffee, which enables businesses to offer a special roast daily in addition to their standard coffee assortment.

Caffe Vergnano was highlighting its ‘Women in Coffee’, which is the company’s women-focused sustainability initiative developed by CEO Carolina Vergnano. Launched in 2018 in collaboration with the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA), the initiative is aimed at supporting women working in small coffee plantations. The initial project in 2019 focused on the Dominican Republic, followed by Honduras beginning in 2020. This year’s project is a further evolution of the Honduras initiative, which will provide equipment for the library (that was built between 2021 and 2022) and a cafeteria. Proceeds from the Women in Coffee items – all pink – that are sold online and in WIC Cafés around the world, contribute to the project. For more information or to purchase items, visit caffevergnano.com.

After being decimated during the pandemic as stay-at-home orders were implemented globally, the office coffee service (OCS) industry is making a comeback this year. At Host Milan, OCS machine manufacturers exhibited a range of products that are stylish, fully automated, offer high quality beverages, and, most importantly, are durable, easy to use and easy to maintain. Bravilor Bonamat, Rancillo and Bunn were just a few of the companies that showcased the latest in OCS technology.

The 44th edition of Host Milan will be held at fieramilano from 17 to 21 October 2025.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal

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Jim Pittas, president & CEO, PMMI (The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies), said “Pack Expo Las Vegas (‘PELV’) was the largest since its inception” with more than 32,000 attendees and over 2,300 exhibitors spanning more than one million square feet of exhibit space. PMMI executives said the show had reached maximum capacity despite continued interest from companies wanting to exhibit as the new West Hall was occupied with a different exhibition.

Pack Expo – whether in Las Vegas or Chicago – is the premier trade show in the United States annually to observe the latest packaging and processing solutions in action, with suppliers showcasing diverse innovations for more than 40 vertical markets. According to PMMI, industry growth remains steady at 3.4 percent with the total size of the market in the U.S. reaching $10.2 billion.

Sustainability and automation were the major themes of PELV. A new Sustainability Central area served as an interactive resource to learn about design, materials, manufacturing, recovery, logistics, and data. At the accompanying Sustainability Stage, presenters spoke on a range of packaging sustainability topics, advising attendees how to make their brands more environmentally friendly. The Pack Expo Green Program – which identifies exhibiting companies that provide sustainable solutions via new materials, technology, or strategies such as sustainable processes and machines, renewable and biodegradable packaging, source reduction and lightweighting, recyclable and recycled-content materials, or innovations that reduce carbon footprint – returned to PELV.

At a media briefing on the opening day of Pack Expo Las Vegas, Pierre Pienaar, president of the World Packaging Organisation, which facilitates solutions to global challenges in all areas of packaging, said that the packaging industry is “at a crossroads where the future of packaging is in our hands. “Decisions need to be made that will alter the course and map the path for future generations.” He believes that the reduction of food waste can be achieved through the better use of packaging and awareness.

Pienaar noted that the material types that we use “have and will change the landscape, having a direct impact on sustainability.” He added that the technology that we design and implement, will “map the course of energy reduction that we will follow over the next 10-20 years.” Furthermore, the “innovation of new ideas in packaging will make the difference in creating a successful and sustainable circular economy. We need to empower consumers with the ability to lead their lives in a more environmentally positive way.”

In an exclusive conversation with T&CTJ, Jorge Izquierdo, vice president of market development, PMMI, said that labour and manufacturing challenges have fuelled innovation because many technologies – primarily in automation – have been adapting to close gaps in availability and skills. Additionally, the area of remote access continues to gain strength. “Remote access is not new,” he explained, “it’s been around but companies didn’t take advantage of it because of cyber security concerns. Covid forced them to look. Covid was a catalyser and once companies started using it, they realised they can utilise remote access technologies in multiple areas.”

Izquierdo noted that there are still supply chain challenges, but they are not as bad as in 2021 and 2022. “A lot of orders in 2023 are from 2022 but they were delayed because of supply chain issues that have finally been resolved (such as the delays with electronic components),” he explained, noting that wait times have improved significantly but they will not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024.

“E-commerce exploded during Covid. We’re finding significant demand for packaging and fulfillment machinery at the warehouse level because of companies doing to direct to consumer,” said Izquierdo. “When sending direct to consumer, there is a mix of different products so the box will have different varieties in it and they will need to be packed into smaller boxes. This is happening at the warehouse, not the manufacturing plant so now warehouses need case sealing equipment, labelling equipment, etc. All this requires different types of equipment in warehouse.”

Pack Expo Las Vegas offered 100+ educational sessions organised into five different areas (Innovation Stage, Processing Innovation Stage, The Forum, etc). Topics ranged from robotics, automation, AI, and sustainability, to advances in food and beverage processing, digitalisation, cybersecurity, integration of cobots into manufacturing, to the benefits, ROI, and points of consideration for companies switching to reusables.

One sustainability session, ‘Sustainability — What Does it Mean in Packaging Materials?’, focused on the trends and developments specific to food packaging. The presenter, Gregg Poffenbarger, business unit director, materials at the Multivac Group, noted how methane gas is 80 times worse for the environment than CO2. He then listed several holistic approaches to mitigating waste that included reducing plastic content in favour of paperboard and formable papers as well as smaller packages. “With smaller packages, there is portion control so there is less food waste and less packaging water going into landfills.”

PELV also raised $30,000 for the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, an organisation dedicated to helping the nation’s first responders, military heroes, injured veterans, homeless veterans, and their families. For over 20 years, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has honoured the late FDNY (Fire Department of New York) firefighter Stephen Siller’s legacy by supporting the heroes who continue to risk life and limb in the line of duty.

“With our show opening on 9/11, we could not think of a better way to honour the lives lost during that tragedy than to support an organization like Tunnel to Towers that keeps the legacy of those heroes alive by providing support to the first responders, military heroes, and veterans who are with us today,” said Pittas. “We’re grateful to all who donated and showed their support.”

Pack Expo International will take place 3-6 November 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. — Vanessa L Facenda

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According to a survey conducted by Future Market Insights (FMI), cost remains a significant hurdle preventing smaller brands from investing in sustainable packaging, while packaging suppliers and converters face eroding margins due to high material prices. That said, FMI estimates that the market for sustainable packaging will cross the US$500 billion annual mark by 2030, driven by manufacturer, consumer, and regulatory demands. Within the next decade, sustainable packaging will no longer be a choice, but a necessity says the firm.

On 28 March, FMI hosted a virtual roundtable, “Making Sustainable Packaging Commercially Viable,” with three experts weighing in on the challenges that are holding back greater adoption at a faster rate.

“Sustainability is no longer marketing jargon or a buzzword anymore,” explained Ismail Sutaria, chief research analyst at FMI, noting that “businesses are rapidly developing and using packaging materials that not only increase the life cycle inventory, but also reduce the ecological footprint.” He notes that the significant momentum gained by the concept of the circular economy has grabbed the attention of numerous packaging giants as well as governments, responding to the realities of packaging waste and its impact on the environment.

Sutaria sees successful sustainable packaging as balancing several key attributes: low carbon footprint, lightweight, environmentally friendly, fully circular, higher rates of recycling, and perhaps most importantly to packaged food and beverage producers, better shelf life for the products themselves.

Missing currently from the advances in the sector, despite continuous innovations in materials and substrates, and a growing number of consumer product rollouts, are a high degree of adoption; to achieve a successful sustainable packaging eco-system, widespread commercialisation is required. To their credit, the food and, in particular, beverage industries are the global leaders in adopting sustainable packaging.

While sustainable packaging designs for any given product can save certain costs—reduced shipping weights for example—the cost of switching from a previous format can be quite expensive. Sustainable packaging can only be commercially viable through mass scale adoption, Sutaria stresses.

An interesting wrinkle, he notes, is that consumer perception of recyclability doesn’t always align with the actual carbon impact of packaging. Production of PET beverage containers, for example, might be lower in greenhouse gas impact, but aluminium cans have the edge in recycling rates.

In terms of consumer shopping behavior, Millennials are by far the most aggressive generation to date when it comes to preferring companies with “purpose,” such as reducing pollution or waste, and have the highest interest in choosing products with eco-friendly, sustainable packaging.

In short, Sutaria says that the higher perceived costs (led by the inability to pass on costs to consumer and the higher cost of sustainable materials), combined with inadequate recycling infrastructure and complex government regulations, are all deterrents to mass scale adoption of sustainable packaging. Collaboration across regions in regard to tracing, waste collection, and sorting and recycling systems is the missing key in what’s limiting the success of sustainable packaging and in achieving circularity

Robert Flores, VP of sustainability at Berry Global, Inc., an Indiana, USA-based manufacturer of plastic packaging products at over 265 regional facilities worldwide and 56 years of experience, said his firm sees the future of plastics moving to recycling and renewable. Mechanically recycled plastic can achieve significant energy use savings versus production of virgin plastics, says Flores, while the production of bio-plastics from renewable resources such as crops rather than fossil fuels could potentially move that process toward net-zero carbon emissions. Lightweighting—reducing the amount of plastic used in redesigned packaging—shrinks not only carbon footprints but also customer cost while improving circularity, he adds.

Tristan Kaye, commercial director of Notpla Limited, founded in 2014, explained that his firm focuses on single-use packaging in the consumer space, challenging long-standing conventions about packaging. The East London-based startup has rapidly developed an innovative portfolio of advanced, all-natural packaging products made from seaweed and plants that are naturally biodegradable and home-compostable. Some are entirely edible and impart no flavour, such as beverage “blobs” or dissolvable instant coffee sachets. Kaye said, however, Nopla is particularly focused on industrialising and scaling its seaweed-based coating as an alternative to plastic inner liners on fiber-based packaging, allowing the entire package to be composted. Other uses are in earlier stages of R&D.

Kaye noted that some other newer biodegradable products, such as PHA, PLA and PBAT are actually seeing prices increase due to changing EU classification standards. “In the EU, there is now a common definition around single-use plastic,” said Kaye, the two key aspects being it must be a natural polymer and not chemically modified. As such, Kaye said that PHA and similar products are now being classified as plastics in the EU. “So even though as we scale as a business and we’re trying to bring our costs down, we also see that other materials are getting more expensive through the role of regulation,” he noted.

• E Edward ‘Ted’ Hoyt has more than two decades of experience as a trade magazine editor and freelance writer, authoring many articles in the premium coffee, spirits and cigar industries, among others.

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It is vital for the packaging and processing industries to come together and share innovations, connect with colleagues, hear from experts and see machinery-in-action — and Pack Expo International 2022 is the most efficient and effective way to do it all, offering solutions for over 40 vertical markets. No other event this year will showcase entire production line solutions and offer attendees everything needed to compete in a changing marketplace.

New at Pack Expo International
• Pack to the Future Exhibit: Go Pack to the Future in an interactive exhibit new to Pack Expo International. Pack to the Future celebrates the role of packaging and processing through history and the impact it is poised to have on our future.

This curated exhibit includes historical equipment, materials and photographs spanning 250 years, journeying through the evolution of packaging and processing, and highlighting how the industry developed alongside civilization. This exhibit will be in the West Building at booth W20001.

The Pack to the Future Stage will provide thought-provoking sessions on groundbreaking industry advancements and features free presentations by industry experts on advances in pharmaceutical and cannabis packaging, wireless factory automation, sustainable alternatives, smart packaging, artificial intelligence and more! The Pack to the Future stage will be in the West Building at booth W20025.

• The Processing Zone: It’s back and better than ever! The Processing Zone returns to Pack Expo in 2022 with the widest variety of food and beverage processing equipment. In today’s manufacturing environment, processing and packaging are integrated systems, making it critical to bring both solutions under one roof. Start your search for front-of-the-line solutions such as homogenizing, heat treating, forming/sizing and coating in The Processing Zone.

Attendees will discover solutions to increase efficiency, achieve total system integration and ensure safety. Visit The Processing Zone in the Lakeside Center at PACK EXPO International 2022! The Processing Zone will be located at booths LU7000-LU7799.

New in 2022, the Processing Innovation Stage (booth LU7130), will focus on the latest food and beverage processing breakthroughs. Conveniently located in the Processing Zone, no additional registration is required for attendees to take a break from the show floor and learn something new.

• Pack Match: This complimentary consultation makes its Pack Expo International debut, providing attendees personalized, one-on-one guidance to locate targeted solutions. Whether an emerging brand or a well-established household name, Pack Match Advisors are available for 30-minute virtual consultations to connect attendees with the right suppliers. Attendees complete an online form to indicate their challenges and ensure they are matched with the appropriate industry expert to use the service. Once the match is made, attendees schedule a virtual meeting with their assigned Pack Match Advisor to receive non-biased guidance and recommended exhibitors to suit their business needs. Meetings will begin approximately three weeks prior to the show. Assigned on a first come-first serve basis, meeting spots are limited.

• Pack Challenge: A new packaging competition at Pack Expo International brings six high school teams together for a head-to-head machine-building competition. PMMI will provide a build to print snack filler machine kit, designed specifically for this competition, along with an assembly (flight manual) to the qualifying teams. Each team will assemble the snack filler to the specifications at Pack Expo International and have the flexibility to be creative with add-ons. The winning school will be awarded USD $5,000 with an additional $2,000 split between individual team members. The other five teams in attendance will receive $1,000 for participating in the event. After the event, the teams will take the machines back to their school, providing future students the opportunity for hands-on experience.

• Industry Meets: The Industry Meets at Pack Expo with targeted mini-industry events hosted by a record number of association partners as part of the Partner Plus Program. In addition, Association Partner thought leaders will present the latest industry trends on the Industry Speaks stage throughout the show.

• The Logistics Pavilion: A new pavilion a Pack Expo International, logistics is a crucial part of the product journey from manufacturer to consumer — and among the top five searches on the Pack Expo website. With the boom in e-commerce, The Logistics Pavilion will be the place to find targeted solutions related to the supply chain, including warehousing, fulfillment, distribution logistics services and transportation providers. Located in the North Building.

Free Show Floor Education
• The Forum at Pack Expo: Take advantage of free, unique, interactive learning sessions throughout Pack Expo International. The Forum at Pack Expo will feature 45-minute sessions, open to all attendees, on the latest industry trends. Sessions will be interactive, including activities, small group discussions and Q&A sessions. Located in the North Hall at booth N4543.
• The Innovation Stages: On the show floor, the three Innovation Stages present free 30-minute seminars on breakthrough technologies and techniques focused on a wide range of industry-specific solutions. Innovation stages are located in the North Hall at booths N4560, N4580, N4585.
• See also the Processing Innovation Stage, the Pack to the Future Stage and Industry Speaks Stage mentioned above. These are all free to attendees and conveniently located on the show floor.

Returning Pavilions at the 2022 Show
• The Package Printing Pavilion: This area in the South Building features digital printing and converting, labeling, coding and marking technologies.
• The Containers and Materials Pavilion: Big trends such as sustainability, recyclability, e-commerce and consumer convenience have loomed large in recent years in this pavilion. Located in the West Building, it is a prime destination for companies looking to refresh a brand, launch new products, broaden appeal and attract attention.
• Pack Expo International attendees can network with peers, gain specialized insights and rest their feet at the Candy Bar Lounge, hosted by The National Confectioners Association (NCA), and sponsored by Syntegon Packaging Technology, LLC. The lounge offers a place for casual networking and idea sharing. Located within the Confectionery Pavilion in the South Building.
• The Reusable Packaging Pavilion: This pavilion, sponsored by the Reusable Packaging Association, showcases sustainable packaging solutions to help reduce waste, cut costs and gain supply chain efficiency. Explore reusable transport packaging products and services and see innovative reuse solutions from over 30 exhibitors. Sponsored by the Reusable Packaging Association, this pavilion will be located in Upper Lakeside at booths LU6700 – LU6999.
• PMMI U Workforce Development Pavilion: Located in the West Hall Concourse, this is Pack Expo International’s one-stop-shop for resources to strengthen your current workforce and grow the existing workforce. Learn about PMMI U offerings, including popular training workshops. Schools will present mechatronics, packaging and processing offerings, and you can meet students interested in careers in the industry.
• Association Partner Pavilion: This pavilion houses leading associations dedicated to advancing the packaging and processing industry, offering significant resources, insights and expertise all in one central location within the North Hall at booths N4510 – N5101.

Packaging & Processing Women’s Leadership Network (PPWLN) Networking Event
PPWLN serves to recruit, retain and advance women’s careers in packaging and processing. Each Pack Expo, the PPWLN hosts a networking event addressing a timely issue facing women in the industry.

The annual PPWLN breakfast will take place Tuesday, 25 October, 7:30-9:00 am, in Room, S-100 at McCormick Place. Hear from keynote speaker Dawn Hudson, former Chief Marketing Officer at the National Football League and former president and CEO of Pepsi Cola North America, who has led an impressive career spanning high-level posts in media, retail, consumer goods, consulting, and healthcare at some of the biggest corporations in the world.

Pack Expo Green
The Pack Expo Green Program is the commitment of Pack Expo and all its partners, vendors and exhibitors working together to create a more sustainable world. Find below information and resources to aid and advance your company’s unique sustainability goals.

Reusable Packaging Learning Center
Learn the latest trends and benefits of reusable packaging, in the Lakeside Upper Building, booth LU6737. Discover how implementing a reusable packaging system can improve material handling performance, reduce operating costs, create new economic values, and lower environmental impacts in your supply chain.

The Emerging Brands Summit, organised by PMMI Media Group, will launch at this year’s show and will be a one-day event featuring educational content and tabletop exhibits. This new program is aimed at founders and leaders of startup manufacturing companies looking to scale their brand to larger production through either in-house facility build out or outsourced relationships with contract manufacturers and packagers. Exhibitors will include packaging machinery, packaging materials, processing equipment, and contract manufacturing and packaging.

Visit packexpointernational.com to register, search suppliers and for more information.

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The 2021 State of the Industry US Packaging Machinery reports that packaging machinery production total shipments in the United States increased 14.7% between 2015 and 2020, with a packaging order backlog increase of 22.3%. According to PMMI, the seven areas currently impacting the packaging machinery market range from technology to sustainability to e-commerce, and include:

Automation and Robotics

To achieve higher efficiency and productivity, more packaging machinery companies are embracing automation in their packaging lines and leveraging smart manufacturing – such as machine vision – to do so. The robotics sector is also a rapidly growing one within the packaging machinery market, with the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI), 5G, and expanding IoT environment. In this age of Covid, ‘cobots’, or collaborative robots are designed to be safer for humans to work in close proximity. (The cover story in our upcoming November 2021 issue discusses the expansion of automation and robotics within the packaging machinery market.)

IIOT and Wireless Connectivity

The Industrial internet of things (IIoT) continues to impact the product lifecycle in the packaging industry including design, operation, maintenance, and supply chain. Per the report, the progress of conventional wireless network in smart manufacturing had lagged due to its inability to maintain stable connections and latencies, but innovations that perform better than other wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are emerging.

Cybersecurity

Ransomware attacks on major F&B and retail companies such as Cadbury and Target, and JBS, the world’s largest meat processor, highlight the vulnerability of the critical infrastructure of manufacturers across the industrial supply chain to increasing levels of cyber-attacks. (The ransomware story in our October 2021 issue – Ransomware is Rampant: Is Your F&B Business Safe? – offers details measures companies can take to protect themselves against cyber-attacks.)

Sustainability and Flexible Packaging

Many food brands have invested in packaging innovations and have implemented sustainability initiatives in their production and packaging lines due to consumer demand. However, the PMMI report points out that machine modifications or adjustments are often needed to achieve sustainable packaging goals. The challenges CPGs face when moving to more sustainable packaging provide opportunities for OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to explore applications with customers:

• Secondary packaging machines such as conveyors must be able to handle material reduction strategies, including lightweight corrugated.
• Machines need to run different style boxes to accommodate sustainability strategies, such as using the right size box. Case packers with a smaller footprint can help achieve sustainability goals through reduction in energy usage.
• A more efficient process of unpacking the contents of a pallet and repacking them into different sizes or variety packs is needed, with a focus on reducing material usage.

Furthermore, the flexible packaging industry is innovating to meet sustainable and recyclable packaging demands by creating compostable or sustainable components such as films and pouch closures.

Sustainability is a key area of coverage within T&CTJ, including sustainable packaging. Sustainable packaging and technology articles this year alone can be found in the February issue, Sustainable Packaging Remains a Top Priority for Consumers and Brands Alike; the April issue, Digitalisation: The Missing Piece in the Sustainability Puzzle; and in the June issue, How Sustainability Trends are Impacting Single Serve [Packaging].

Material Innovations

Many food and beverage brands – especially coffee and tea brands – are increasingly using recyclable board-based packaging, compostable packaging, and 100% recycled paper packaging. Some companies have even pledged long-term research commitment in packaging material innovation. (The article in our September 2021 issue – Compostable Packaging for Coffee & Tea: How Viable is It? – discusses the pros and cons of compostable packaging.)

Waste Reduction Legislation

In June 2020, US representatives introduced the Plastic Waste Reduction and Recycling Act. If passed, the act will guide the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a plastic waste reduction and recycling program to improve the global competitiveness of the US recycling industry. The act further aims to reduce plastic waste and encourage research into and technologies for recycling infrastructure.

E-Commerce

And, of course, e-commerce has become an increasingly important factor in the industry (across many industries!). For example, sales of coffee and tea products purchased online surged during the pandemic and remain strong. Package design must maximize packing space, and there is a trend for e-commerce packaging to use more pouches and easily packable trays, and less glass.

The report notes that the shift in purchasing habits will continue to drive demand for packaging machinery as e-commerce requires increased touchpoints to reach the customer, increased packaging, and supply chain challenges.

• Vanessa L Facenda, editor, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.
  Keep in touch via email: vanessa@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @TCTradeJournal or LinkedIn: Tea & Coffee Trade Journal.

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“We aim to forge partnerships throughout the supply chain that will benefit our customers and the industry while advancing innovation” said Rebecca Casey, senior vice president of Marketing and Strategy at TC Transcontinental Packaging.

“We are excited about the TME partnership as we have a shared customer-centric vision and are driven by common values of innovation, teamwork and performance. We are poised to deliver impactful solutions that will drive efficiency in roaster’s organizations and help developing new products, allowing them to remain ahead of the curve.”

This partnership leverages both companies’ in-depth knowledge of the coffee market to provide innovative solutions from crop-to-cup that will contribute to their customers’ success. TME SpA has been serving coffee market leaders across the globe with highly customized, flexible and efficient equipment solutions. While TC Transcontinental Packaging offers high-performing films, bags and sustainable structures. The collaboration between the two companies allows to dynamically address coffee roasters’ needs for the wholesale and retail markets from club size packages to single serve solutions.

“The partnership with TC Transcontinental Packaging is a step in supporting our expansion to the North and Latin American regional markets”, added Claudia Merli, president and CEO at TME Packaging Solution.

“We want the market to know that we are committed to creating advanced equipment that is inventive, flexible, and built to satisfy production needs, and backed by a dedicated, in-market customer service and technical support team to ensure timely, attentive and proactive service.”

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The launch will be supported by a targeted media, social, digital, OOH, print and in-store campaigns, which will go live from 1 March 2020.

Marcus Swift, commercial director for UCC Coffee UK and Ireland, said: “We know today’s coffee consumer desires more than just a caffeine fix, they want full-bodied flavours and formats to suit their needs, at an affordable price point. Our refreshed range certainly delivers this, and we’re excited to unveil it in grocery stores across the UK.

“Aligning to the consumer trend for convenience and quality evident within the category, the coffee bags sector is now worth £6.8m and is growing at an impressive +46.5%. With sustainability becoming more and more important in customers’ purchase decisions, we’re also pleased to now offer fully compostable coffee bags and sachets. It’s set to be a great year for Lyons and we’re confident in bringing new growth to the Roast & Ground coffee category with our new and improved range.”

Lyons said it is working towards a sustainable future alongside TIPA. All of Lyons’ coffee bags and sachets are certified as fully industrially compostable and if local recycling allows, the packaging can be added to food recycling or green waste bins.

The new-look Lyons products will be available in stores from 1 March 2020.

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After several rounds of input from the consortium, the open consultation on the guideline drafts is finished and will be launched in spring 2020.

As a consortium of companies and associations representing the entire value chain of flexible packaging, Ceflex aims to establish a collecting, sorting and reprocessing infrastructure throughout Europe by 2025.

“Sustainable packaging needs to be easily recyclable and processable at the same time,” said Matthias Klauser, project leader and sustainability expert at Syntegon Technology.

“With our long-standing expertise we can help to pave the way to a circular economy that leaves room for production efficiency.”

Together with some of Ceflex’s industry partners, Syntegon Technology is developing the design guideline for flexible packaging as part of a circular economy roadmap for the whole value chain.

“With the guidelines, Ceflex aims to offer a widely recognised guidance on flexible packaging materials,” Klauser said. “We want to support Ceflex in reconciling sustainability and efficiency requirements, since not every sustainable packaging material is easy to process in an efficient manner.”

Depending on the material, processes such as sealing might take longer, affecting output and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

Klauser explained: “We see considerable potential for instance in mono-polyolefines and other monomaterials. At the same time, packaging and processing equipment providers will need to adapt their technologies to facilitate implementation of the guidelines. This includes making new materials processable on existing equipment, as well as developing new machine technologies that are suited for all kinds of materials today and in the future.”

Circular economy – the origins

The concept of a circular economy dates back to the mid-1960s, when American economists were looking for possibilities to use resources in a more sustainable way. As opposed to linear economies where products are made and then disposed of, circular systems try to restore products, components, or materials by reusing, repairing or even recycling them.

The concept has evolved ever since, with the European Commission first issuing a circular economy manifesto in 2012, then successfully implementing a Circular Economy Action plan with 54 measures in 2018. The latter saw the adoption of ambitious initiatives, including a directive to reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment. However, the transition to a circular economy not only requires policy makers to provide the framework. It also relies on the support of key industry players, from material producers to flexible packaging converters, packaging equipment manufacturers, brand owners and sorting and recycling companies.

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Driftaway Coffee’s new sustainability initiatives aim towards coffee sustainability helping both people in coffee and the planet at large. The company is launching compostable packaging, carbon-neutral operations and a new video series called Coffee Stories that include sourcing transparency information as part of Driftaway being a signatory of the Transparency Pledge.

This is building on existing transparency and sustainability initiatives like the Farmer Feedback and the Bean for Bean programs which have been running at Driftaway since 2017. These programs share ratings and reviews with coffee farmers all over the world and contribute 5 cents per pound roasted to World Coffee Research (WCR).

Compostable Packaging
Driftaway says it is the first subscription roaster to have all elements of its packaging be plastic-free and commercially compostable. This includes the pouch, label, postcards and other inserts, and the mailer.

“We spend a lot of time considering each element in the packaging, and making every element compostable. If one of the elements was not, then it would end up in landfill, and we did not want that,” said Suyog Mody, co-founder of Driftaway Coffee. Only the poly mailer supplied by the post office is made of plastic. “It’s not perfect, but it is a huge step in the right direction” said Mody.

Carbon-neutral shipping and operations
Driftaway is carbon-neutral in its shipping and operations. With a footprint of 71 metric tons in Q1-Q3 2019, Driftaway is offsetting its emissions by contributing to the preservation of Alto Mayo forest in Peru where local communities are being trained to convert to coffee farmers and eco-entrepreneurs.

“It’s a cause that we strongly believe in. Our goal is to measure and reduce our emissions as much as we can, and purchase offsets for what we do emit,” said Anu Menon, co-founder of Driftaway Coffee. As an eCommerce operation, over 70% of Driftaway’s emissions are from air shipping and they are working on switching to 100% ground shipping.

Coffee Stories & transparency pledge
Coffee Stories is a behind-the-scenes series of videos with Driftaway green buying, roasting and QC team members that tell the origin to roasting story of each coffee.

“We source and roast 52 coffees in a year, and there is a ton of hard work involved not just on our end, but all over the supply chain,” said Mody. “Roasters get a large share of the credit from consumers when it comes to a cup of coffee. With Coffee Stories, we want to share with all coffee consumers all that we know about each of our coffees and to level the field a little bit in favour of the coffee farmers.” Coffee Stories includes information that is shared with Transparency Pledge that includes 50+ of the world’s leading coffee roasters, with a goal towards defining a better price for specialty coffee.

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About Driftaway Coffee
Driftaway Coffee is a sustainability-focused coffee roaster, offering subscriptions and coffee gifts in an environmentally and socially conscious manner. Founded in 2014 and living at the intersection of coffee and technology, Driftaway Coffee roasts coffee in Red Hook, Brooklyn, shipping to customers all over the world at home and delivers freshly roasted coffee that matches a consumers taste. Please visit driftaway.coffee for more information.

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The new Portland Coffee Roasters logo has shifted from a thin and delicate serif font on a cream background to a bold typeset in black on gold.

“Our original packaging featuring coffee seedlings was subtle and never really stood out,” said Mark Stell, Portland Coffee Roasters’ founder and managing partner. “We updated our packaging to be bright and youthful, while telling the story of who we are and what we stand for.”

Portland Coffee Roasters continues to be committed to building and strengthening sustainable coffee communities with everyone involved in the coffee chain. The new packaging features a warm, gold background with inviting illustrations that symbolize the global community the company serves. Hand-drawn doodles by Taylor Engel and Klay Arsenault depict the people who create the coffee experience, from the coffee grower, to the roaster, to the barista.

“The doodle concept represents who we are as a company,” said Stell. “Doodles are fun and approachable; they are a genuine expression of human nature and creativity. The doodle theme of our new packaging meshes perfectly with the culture and personality of Portland Coffee Roasters – understated, accessible and unpretentious.”

The packaging for the product line includes 12-ounce bags heat sealed and nitrogen flushed with a zip closure for maximum freshness; five-pound bags also heat sealed; single-serve cups, which feature two grams more coffee per cup than average single-serve cups; and portion packs designed to maintain freshness and produce consistent results with drip coffee machines.

The new packaging supports Portland Coffee Roasters’ belief that when someone buys a bag of its coffee, they are supporting a global community that respects people, philosophy, environment and craftsmanship. For more information, visit the new website at PortlandCoffeeRoasters.com

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Farrer’s new single portion coffee bags – similar to teabags – are designed to give consumers specialty coffee without having to deal with cafetières or brewing equipment. All users have to do is pop a coffee bag into the cup add freshly boiled water, leave for roughly three minutes then stir, squeeze and then dispose of the used coffee bag.

Retailing at £3.95 for 15 bags, Farrer’s coffee bags are available in two varieties:

• A Colombian single origin coffee sourced from the Huila region, which brews a wonderfully bright and fruity cup, with hints of toffee apple and blackcurrant, with a dark chocolate finish.
• Decaf, from a single origin source in Brazil, with rich peanut and chocolate notes, medium body and low acidity.

Dave Walsh,  general manager at Farrer’s, based in Kendal UK, said: “We’ve been working to get the taste profiles for both of these products right for just over six months. Experimented with using different materials for the bags, changing the weight of coffee used, with different grinds to maximise flavour and delivery.

“A good coffee needs to infuse the water as it brews, so we’ve come up trumps delivering flavour with both our Colombian and Decaf bags. We think you’ll agree they deliver a great cup of coffee and all you need is a kettle.”

To find out more about Farrer’s teas and coffees or to buy direct visit: http://farrerscoffee.co.uk

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The RecycleMe system was developed by Detpak, a manufacturer of sustainable packaging solutions for the food service industry, and involves the sale, collection and recycling of its new recyclable coffee cups.

Contrary to common belief, around 99% of takeaway cups are currently unrecyclable, which means that over 7 million cups are taken to landfill every day in the UK alone.

The RecycleMe system is tackling this problem by providing an affordable, sustainable alternative for commercial businesses. Detpak sells the cups directly to its partner businesses across the UK, and when used, the cups are collected by Shredall SDS Group, Detpak’s primary recycling partner in the UK for this service. Shredall then transports the cups to a recycling processing facility, at which point the cups are transformed into usable paper which is then reused in other products.

“Shredall Recycling have thousands of collection points around the UK and are supporting the establishment of additional collection points for RecycleMe cups”, said Nik Williams, group managing director.

“Currently less than 1% of takeaway cups are recycled and unlike many other initiatives, the RecycleMe System is designed to provide a guarantee and transparency of the recycling process.”

The system is already available in Australia and New Zealand, with RecycleMe customers in the UK already including Taylor St Baristas (9 London sites), Caravan (6 London sites), Prufrock (Holborn) and Colonna & Smalls (Bath).

Detpak’s RecycleMe marketing manager Felicity Parker said it provides a true end to end solution for takeaway cups and lids: “Our RecycleMe cups have a next generation lining to allow cups to be recycled.

“Importantly, we’ve ensured the collection and recycling logistics of this system, thanks to the right industry partnerships, such as with Shredall Recycling.”

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The Iced Flat White is the brand’s first beverage to come in an aluminium can and is a notable departure from the bright, colourful cartons of other Jimmy’s flavours. The aluminium can was chosen for its serious eco credentials as it will not degrade irrespective of the number of times it has been through the recycling process, therefore having an unlimited lifespan.

The decision to launch the Iced Flat White in an infinitely recyclable format followed the news that only 9% of all plastic is ever recycled which further prompted the brand to pledge becoming entirely plastic free by 2020.

As the brand’s co-founder Suzie Cregan said: “We’ve always championed sustainability with our paper cartons and by switching to bio-caps (made using energy from sustainably sourced sugar cane), therefore opting for cans which can easily be recycled in to the same format again and again was the logical next step.

“Being based on the south coast of England, the ocean and the environment is a big part of who we are and what we do, and we want to look after that,and we know our customers do.”

Inside the slick black and gold can is a smooth flat white made with a line-up of just five ingredients including ethically sourced and Rainforest Alliance accredited Arabica beans, semi-skimmed milk and a touch of unrefined demerara sugar. The Flat White Extra Shot the strongest Jimmy’s Iced Coffee beverage yet.

Suzie’s co-founder and brother Jim Cregan said: “With Flat White fast becoming the nation’s coffee of choice, we knew we wanted to make a stronger iced coffee to meet that demand.

“Our tasting development started with us adding an espresso to our current Original. It was epic. So, to now have the recipe refined into a super smooth Iced Flat White, with an extra kick, all wrapped up in infinitely recyclable packaging is really exciting.”

The Flat White Extra Shot is available to purchase in Whole Foods and select high street retailers, with an RRP £1.85.

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ACMA, which in 2019 celebrates 95 years in the business, is a Coesia company that specialises in the design, construction and marketing of machines and systems for the packaging of consumer packaged goods, with significant experience in the tea sector. In this context, ACMA’s know-how not only encompasses the specific area of packaging technologies but extends right along the supply chain, taking in the various phases connected with the production and consumption of the beverage: from the cultivation of the tea plant to the process of drying and producing the product, and through to subsequent marketing and consumption phase, which differs according to the reference market.

Knowledge, Sustainability and Innovation

During the event, the world of tea and the time-honoured culture with which it is associated were represented within the Knowledge section. In a dedicated area, guests were able to enjoy an exhibition of innumerable types of tea and objects connected with the consumption of this beverage in various countries, from Japan to England, and from China and India to Morocco. A highly sensory experience based on sounds and smells as well as aesthetics.

Meanwhile, the materials used in the packaging of tea were the focal point of the sustainability section, which involved specialist suppliers. Companies that took part in the event included Terranova and Glatfelter, both involved in the manufacturing and processing of filter papers; Interfil and Zwirnerei, which specialise in the production of tea bag threads; Polypack, which produces tags and envelopes; Cartotecnica Naldi, whose core business is the manufacturing of cardboard boxes and Rockwell Automation, which supplies systems for controlling and optimising the consumption of machines.

ACMA proposes solutions that work with sustainable materials in order to guarantee the utmost attention to environmental protection.

As well as external suppliers, lots of attention was also focused on the technology partnerships with some Coesia companies. These were explored in the Innovation section. Collaboration with the other group companies is complementary and strategic for the development of customised and complex projects.

Tea Days was attended by Atlantic Zeiser, which displayed its latest applications in inline and offline digital printing, designed for track and trace solutions. Flexlink, a company specialised in the creation of product handling systems, exhibited an application based on collaborative robots – cobots – for the palletisation of boxes of tea and two types of conveyor belts. Emmeci, specialised in the creation of boxes for “premium” sectors, presented solutions to enrich our current range of secondary tea packaging products.

ACMA’s tea portfolio

In the exhibition area customers were able to see the different models that make up ACMA’s portfolio of solutions dedicated to tea. The first machine on display was the TM 320, designed to pack single chamber tea bags and presented in the comprehensive over-wrapping configuration, thus representing a complete solution. The TE 500 F stood out for its top-level performance (it can reach 500 ppm) with heat-sealed double chamber tea bags, displayed in “complete line” mode for the secondary packaging of the bags in pouches. Finally, there was also the TD 300, a mid-speed machine (300 ppm) for the creation of double chamber tea bags, produced without the use of metal staples or glue.

This underlines the important influence that ACMA has had in the development and integration of technology over the last 95 years. Technological innovation that is always in step with the times and the needs of the market.

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The parties signed an agreement on 11 July, effecting the transfer of the entire packaging technology business and its 6,100 associates in 15 countries. The purchase price and other details of the purchase agreement have not been disclosed.

Dr Stefan König, president of Robert Bosch Packaging Technology GmbH, said: “My colleagues and I in executive management regard this new partnership with CVC as a huge opportunity for our future success. Just under two years ago, we completely modified our strategy. It now includes working on a completely new range of smart and sustainable process and packaging technologies. This will allow us to offer our customers even more attractive product solutions and services in the future.” 

Dr Stefan Hartung, member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH and chairman of the supervisory board Robert Bosch Packaging Technology GmbH, said: “With its experience in growing companies over the long term, its broad industrial expertise, and its viable strategy for taking the division forward, CVC was the right choice for us. For Packaging Technology and all its associates, our aim was to find a reliable new owner with a long-term approach, under whose leadership the business can develop successfully. We have achieved just that.”

Bosch announced a year ago that it was looking for a buyer for its packaging technology business. The company is giving increasing attention to mobility and connectivity over the Internet of Things. It is focusing its existing resources on areas of future importance, such as shaping the transformation process and preparing for further digitalization. Bosch firmly believes that the Packaging Technology division’s competitiveness, and thus also its future viability, can be further enhanced through this new partnership, and that significant stimuli for growth can be created.

Dr Alexander Dibelius, managing partner of CVC, said: “Bosch Packaging Technology is a strong company in an attractive market with long-term growth prospects. [It] has an excellent reputation for quality and innovation, a broad product range, a global footprint, and experienced associates. Together with the management team, we will work to take the business forward in the years ahead, and to make it even more competitive.”

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Founded by Robert Bosch in Stuttgart, Germany in 1886, the Bosch Group is a global supplier of technology and services. The company generated sales of €78.5 billion (USD$88.3bn) in 2018. For more information, visit: www.bosch.com, www.iot.bosch.com or www.bosch-press.com.

CVC is a private equity and investment advisory firm. Founded in 1981, CVC today has a network of 24 offices and over 500 employees throughout Europe, Asia and the US. To date, CVC has secured commitments of over USD$123 billion from some of the world’s leading institutional investors across its private equity and credit strategies. For further information about CVC please visit: www.cvc.com.

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