How Packaging could make Africa rich Packaging is playing an important role in the world.Flexible packaging does many things. But can it transform the future of some of Africa’s least-developed countries? Khalid Sheikh, chairman of Leicester-based Clifton Packaging, thinks so. What’s more, he’s on the verge of launching a project that, he believes, will put packaging at the heart of economic growth across the world’s poorest continent.   This summer, if all goes according to plan, the first Centre of Excellence run by the ‘Buy African, Build Africa’ (BABA) scheme will open in Rwanda providing packaging services for local farmers and food producers. The concept, dreamt up by Sheikh two years ago, is simple: farmers will be able to bring their products, pay to have them packaged and then sell them for a far higher price than they are currently able to.    Processing harvested food in this way may not sound like rocket science to us. But on a continent where, the World Bank estimates, agriculture represents 32% of GDP, yet around two-fifths of harvested food is lost because it is not stored or processed effectively, BABA could make the difference between profit and poverty.    At the crux of the issue is the problem that the food that does make it to market is sold with zero added value. "99.3% of Rwandan coffee leaves the country as green coffee beans," says Sheikh. "They’re selling coffee beans for a pittance, and the value addition all takes place in the western world. If the growers were part of the value chain, handouts would become unnecessary." Causing a stir Backers of the scheme believe that BABA could be the catalyst for economic growth in the countries where it is introduced. As well as the benefits for farmers of being able to process food, better branding and packaging will encourage more exports of food to Europe and the US and, perhaps most importantly, help develop trade between African nations. And many of those backers are among the most powerful players in African trade development. Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni visited Clifton Packaging’s Leicester facility last September to find out more about the project, and his country is now vying with four other nations – Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia and Kenya – to have the first BABA centre. Meanwhile, COMESA – the trade bloc of 19 countries in eastern and southern Africa that stretches from Libya on the Mediterranean coast to Zimbabwe in the south of the continent – is playing a key role in developing the project. Speaking to Packaging News, Sindiso Ngwenya, secretary general of COMESA, argues that BABA has come at the right time as it fits exactly into his organisation’s strategy of encouraging trade and investment, rather than foreign aid. Most of all, he wants Africa to move away from being a commodity provider in order to develop the continent’s economy, much as India and China have done already. BABA will, he says, be a key part of this. "When you add value, this is where you generate employment and then support services for industries, so you move up the value chain," he says. "We look at branding and packaging as an integral part of that value chain. So BABA will contribute to the transformation and modernisation of the COMESA economy." To back up his point, Ngwenya cites the example of pineapples, a key product for Uganda and a number of other countries. Raw, he says, they sell for ￡900 per tonne. If they are processed to make juice, the product will sell for ￡3,000 per tonne. Branded and packaged, the juice’s value jumps again to ￡5,000 per tonne. "Therein lies the value – around 40% to 60% of the value would lie within the BABA project. If you want to put money in the pockets of small-scale producers, that’s the best way of giving them a better price," he says.

2011-12-17

Five Easy Steps to Get Started Packaging Your Product Feeling overwhelmed while trying to develop a package for your product? I’m not surprised. Packaging is the third largest industry in the country. In fact, there are more than 10,000 packaging manufactures in the US alone. The proliferation of material choices and vendors is extensive. To begin you will have to narrow the resource and material universe before you package anything.  That is your first step because you can’t have a product without a package. Which vendor is right for you? What is your packaging material of choice? Do you understand the differences between each material and what value each will bring to marketing your product? How do you sift through the mounds of information and resources to set started packaging your product? Here are 5 easy rules to get you started. 1. Do Your Homework Before you decide how you want to package your product you need to see and understand what is already available in the marketplace. Even if your product is the greatest new invention out there, you will still have competition of some sort. Start by checking that out first. Visit outlets that carry similar products or products in the same category. For example, if you have a houseware product you should check out places that market housewares. Don’t just pick one outlet. Go to a variety of stores. You don’t want to develop a great new packaging concept only to find someone else is already doing the same thing. The more you look the better informed you will become. Be careful not to go into information overload by visiting every retailer outlet out there. This will only serve to confuse your decision making process. 2. Pick Your Packaging Material This isn’t as simple as it sounds because there are many external factors influencing why products are packaged in certain types of materials. Certain products lend themselves special merchandising. Some products can only be merchandised in certain materials. How the product is merchandised may dictate what type of package material you use. For example, if you need clarity to see the entire product then you are probably going to want plastic. The choice of material may also be dictated by availability. Packaging materials are classified by their primary raw material. Two simple examples are paper and plastic. Within in each material type are numerous sub categories of different types of packaging. If you chose paper packaging it might be a box, a bag, a drum, a tube, a canister and so on. See the variety of choices? It’s easy to become inundated with options and hard to figure out what is the best choice. As products lend themselves to several different packaging materials, it’s best to start with what you know is working with similar products. Even if you choose the same material as a competitive product the package doesn’t necessarily need to look the same. 3. Optimize Your Package Profile This is what is called the retail footprint, i.e., how much space will your product take up on the shelf. Your goal is to have the smallest size or amount of packaging you can while optimizing the shape and design of the package. It’s important to understand the concept of the retail footprint. Retail space is at a premium so the smaller amount of space you use the happier the retailer will be. They may even specify that your product only be allowed so much shelf space. In any case, you need to understand the concept and incorporate that in your sales pitch to retailers. Many times you can package your product in variety of different ways. This is where creativity comes into play. Your product doesn’t just have to sit on a shelf in a box. It could sit upright; it could hang or be displayed in a floor stand or similar merchandiser. There are many unique ways to merchandise any product. You just have to think outside of traditional ways of doing things. Look at other products from different industries. See if you can’t incorporate design ideas into your own product packaging. 4. Be Prepared To Take Advice I know you are in love with your product and you are sure you have ALL the answers, but you can’t be an expert at everything. Listen to what other people have to say about your product packaging. Don’t get so caught up in your own ideas that you make design mistakes or mistakes in merchandising. Get a reality check from someone who knows nothing about your product. See if your packaging concept is compelling to an outsider. By that I mean that they are interested enough to pick your product up off the shelf. There are many resources available to you at little or no cost. Many vendors provide design expertise as part of the order. There is an unlimited amount of resource materials that can give you basic information that can save you many hours and costly mistakes. Be sure and spend time checking them out. 5. Think Big, But Be Prepared To Compromise I know your product is fantastic, but you may need to start out on a smaller scale than you envision.  One of the largest obstacles might be finding a vendor. In general, custom packaging is relegated to large volume orders and you are probably not there yet. But don’t despair. Look for stock items that can be customized. The stock container market has improved dramatically with innovation and new designs. In fact there are many companies now that provide only stock containers. You can customize stock on a smaller scale.  With a simple label change, your package may there. Also ordering in a limited quantity allows you to change and modify your packaging as your sales increase. You don’t want to have 10,000 old packages on hand when you have a design change or need to change what’s on the package due to some regulatory issue. The important fact is to understand that packaging is not static it evolves and changes with consumer needs and demands. It can even change because you have more business and can order in larger quantities. What worked in the past may not work tomorrow. You need to be innovative and creative in your thinking. Look for guidance and expertise in outside resources. Keep up with packaging changes and materials. Don’t get caught ordering too much stock that you can never use. Think big and start small.

2011-12-17

Economic Crisis effect on the Packaging Industry Packaging Industry was effected badly during the economic crisis.Packaging sales in the US and Europe plummeted to record lows in the final quarter of 2008, as most manufacturers reported sales declines of up to 20%. Companies are projecting negative growth throughout 2009. Asia’s packaging sales also dropped, though by an average of 5.6% - a reverting to pre-2006 levels, reversing the region’s recent high growth rates. Most developing Asian countries will not dip into recession in this crisis. This, according to the interim findings of a global industry-wide survey “Economic Crisis - Impact on the Packaging Industry” from packaging industry analysts at PackWebasia.com. According to the report’s publisher, Stuart Hoggard, “Despite the various government stimulus initiatives, the international financial crisis and collapse in global trade will continue to devastate the Western world’s packaging sector throughout 2009 with some recovery seen in 2010.” The immediate result will be across the board tightening of the job market in the US and Euro Zone with significantly reduced capital investment, according to the initial findings of the report which canvassed more than 550 companies worldwide across the packaging supply chain. Highlights from the survey Sales projections for the first half of ‘09 show continuing downward trend.  The rate of decline will ease slightly in North America and the Euro Zone; most companies project negative growth of below -2% to -5%. Asia will decline to +8%, down from averages of +11% A minority of manufacturers project sales growth of more than 40%. Again, Asia will be the main beneficiary. Headcounts Frozen Most companies report flat headcounts throughout 2009-10 Significant number will be slashing staff – mostly by about 5%. A minority of the hardest hit firms anticipate more than 40% of jobs will be lost.  A small proportion say they plan on hiring in 2009; again, confined mainly to the Asian region. Capital Equipment More than half of all packaging producers reported a capital expenditure freeze - no investment plans through 2010.  Contribute! The Global Packaging Survey is still open. The Survey is completely anonymous, comprising 10 questions it takes just two minutes to complete. You may provide your e-mail address if you wish to receive a summary of the findings, but this is optional. To take the survey Of those that have ’09 capital expenditure plans, only 10% have budgeted more than US$2 million. Converting equipment tops the shopping list, followed by printing presses (digital, offset, flexo and gravure). Other equipment purchases being budgeted for include labelling, prepress, CAD/CAM, inspection, filling & sealing, extrusion and moulding machinery. Brand Owners Increase Investment In Asia, the impact of the crisis has been less pronounced than in the West and company projections going forward to 2010 show Asian producers being more bullish about growth. “Our findings suggest that there are two different Economic Crises occurring simultaneously. The profile of the Asian Crisis is altogether different from the West’s experience,” says Hoggard.  “Asia is suffering a crisis of market collapse rather than a shutdown of financial and credit systems. “The region’s traditional export markets collapsed in September ‘08, but by continuing to fulfill orders placed before the crash, Asia was cushioned from the initial shock. By December ‘08 factories from Bombay to Beijing faced empty order books as many customers faced liquidation.” However, this is proving a temporary setback for the Asian packaging sector. The Asian economies will contract, but the region as a whole will not dip into recession and will instead refocus on exploiting and consolidating untapped domestic consumer market potential. News From PackWebasia.com China HengTaiDa Packaging Industry Co.,Ltd

2011-12-17

How To Avoid Costly Flexible Packaging Mistakes? How To Avoid Costly Flexible Packaging Mistakes? You invest so much time and money in product development, why not invest a little more and protect yourself from making a bad packaging mistake? It is easy to make a packaging error that comes back to haunt you after you have packaged the product and sent it on its way to the retailer’s shelf. We think about bad packaging when they hit the news. For example “Ecoli Outbreak Attributed to Packaging.” Packaging that on the surface seems like a good idea but then backfires due to some unforeseen circumstance that takes place. Why wait until it becomes an issue? Wolfgang Puck found out about “bad” packaging the hard way when his new self heating latte cans hit the retailer shelf and started exploding. Was it his fault? Probably not, but the words “Product Recall” were shouted from the isles. “Fabuloso” experienced a similar problem when it designed the packaging for its cleaning products to look like soda or beverage bottles. Children confused the “fabulous” colors with the real thing. A few poisonings later they realized they had made a huge mistake. All packaging problems certainly don’t rise to the level of these two examples. A problem can be something of minor significance. Nonetheless, it is a problem and in many cases can be avoided or at the very least modified or anticipated. You would be surprised at how many people contact me knowing in advance that their packaging may have a problem yet they never do anything about it. Perhaps they will be the next big news story. In any case, there are ways to foresee potentially “bad” packaging situations. A little forward thinking may alleviate impending problems. Here are some common questions that could pave the way to avoiding potential packaging problems: Should I put my product in a plastic clamshell? The number one contested “packaging” issue revolves around the plastic clamshell and how difficult it is to open or penetrate without causing bodily harm. Can you anticipate this problem? You bet. Weigh your options when considering this type of packaging. Even with your best effort to make the clamshell easy to open, you may end up as an “Oyster Award” candidate and be labeled as one of the most difficult packages to open. What is “green” packaging and how can I incorporate it into my packaging design? Whether to use green packaging or not should not be the question. What you should be asking is does utilizing environmentally friendly packaging materials make sense for my product? Am I going green legitimately or just jumping on the “green” bandwagon to make a buck? Will I be mandated to use “green” packaging materials by retailers? What other options can I consider that aren’t “green?” You really need to take some time to analyze these and other questions before you advance your packaging development in the wrong direction. My packaging is working now should I change it to new and improved or give it a packaging makeover? Remember my negative packaging trend for 07. Don’t fix it, if it ain’t broken. Consumers hate change. When they go to look for their trusted brand on the retailer’s shelf, you want to ensure they recognize your product easily. If they don’t, they may be forced to buy from the competition. Keep packaging consistency and continuity to make it easy for consumers to buy from you. Who regulates what needs to be on my product packaging? The answer is just about everyone. Outside of the various regulatory agencies that tell you what can and must be placed on your product packaging you could be mandated by a plethora out outside influences. Here are a few examples. Going Green? Better listen to what Wal-Mart has to say with their “Packaging Scorecard.” Trading in the organic space? Better understand what the work organic means to your product and who is watching out looking for a mislabeled package or a claim that can’t be validated. Making weight loss claims or dietary claims on your product packaging? Just about every one will be on your case. These claims are heavily scrutinized, not just by regulatory agencies but by consumers too. They are taking charge of their own well being. They “can” and will read them. Pay attention to these common packaging questions to which many companies don’t find adequate answers before they embark on their product packaging. By doing so, you may anticipate potential packaging problems that could result in packaging problems. Do your homework. Use a little common sense and think about packaging issues relative to your product. Consider what you can do to avoid potential pitfalls before it’s too late.

2011-12-17

Greener Flexible Packaging Design Flexible Packaging is playing an important role in the modern society.How to make the packaging design more environmental friendly? Think about the traditional three R’s associated with waste hierarchy, which are reduce, reuse and then recycle. These three R’s associated with the waste hierarchy should absolutely be considered when it comes to product development and packaging development as well. 1. Prevention is step one, because waste prevention should definitely be a primary goal when it comes to product and packaging development. Packaging should only be used where it is absolutely needed. Proper packaging is also an excellent way for your company to help to prevent excess waste. Packaging can play an important role in helping to prevent loss or damage to the contents of the packaging. The energy content as well as the material usage for whatever product is being packaged is usually going to be much greater than the energy content of the package itself. One of the most vital functions of the package is to protect whatever contents are inside for their intended use. For example, if the product is either damaged or degraded, then its material content and energy content may have been entirely lost. 2. Minimization is also known as source reduction, and relates to the mass and the volume of packaging. The mass and the volume of packaging, for each individual unit of content, are capable of being measured as well as used as one of the numerous criteria for minimizing during the process of packaging and design. Reduced packaging makes it possible for costs to be significantly minimized. Packaging engineers are consistently working toward reducing their packaging. 3. Reuse is important because it is encouraged for packaging or components of packaging to be reused for other purposes. When packaging is capable of being returned, it is even more useful as well as more economically viable as well, especially when it comes to closed loop logistical systems. In some case inspection and cleaning are required, and repair and recouperage may also be required in some instances. 4. Recycling involves the reprocessing of packaging materials, including pre consumer materials and post consumer materials in order to create new products. Emphasis is placed on recycling the largest packaging components, especially when it comes to primary components such as paper, plastic, steel and aluminum for example. Smaller components can also be chosen but they are sometimes much more difficult to separate, so they are only chosen when they do not contaminate the operations of recycling. 5. Energy recovery allows for heat to be made available from packaging components through refuse derived fuel and waste to energy processes which can be conducted within approved facilities. 6. Disposal is needed for some materials used in packaging, which means incineration as well as placement within a sanitary landfill. Certain states located within the United States will regulate packages for contents that are potentially toxic, especially if these packages have the potential to contaminate the air from incineration. Packaging like this should never simply be littered.  

2011-12-17

Packaging industry at home and abroad The development of flexible Packaging Industry in Europe,USA,Japan With the rapid development of food,cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry and the improvement of packaging materials and processing technology ,fexible packaging is playing an increasingly more and more important role in many fields.Flexible packaging,which enjoys the following advantages:barrier properties, easy printing, low cost, light weight, impact resistance, transparent, microwave heating, convenience,etc.Therefore,flexible packaging is warmly welcomed by cunsumers.On the other hand,with the growing demand of flexible packaging as well as people's awareness of energy-conservation and environment-protection raising,flexible packaging industry is developing steadily,providing great opportunitirs. The development status of Euro and USA Industry "2007 the European flexible packaging market report" ,published by PCI Films Consulting Company of United Kingdom ,points out that in 2007 the sales of European flexible packaging market has exceeded more than 11.3 billion euros, taking up 29% of sales in the global flexible packaging market. The sales of processing forming flexible packaging products has reached 9.89 billion euros and sales of flexible packaging materials went beyond 1.41 billion euros. For the processing of forming the European flexible packaging market, 2008 is a year with stable development. PCI forecasts that in next four years, the average annual growth rate of processing of forming the European flexible packaging market will remain at 1.5% and it would reach 10.6 billion euros by the year of 2012.Meanwhiles,Europen is the biggest place of origin of packaging machinery equipment.The sales of Germany takes up 22% of the world,which ranks in the first place.And the second one comes to Italy,taking up 16%. The gap between China soft-package transfer printing equipment industry and similar industries abroad Design of Products Most of packaging machinery manufacturing enterprises in China are small and medium enterprises.Generally,they do not have their own R & D capability.Due to inadequate investment in scientific research, research institutes lacks excellent experimental conditions, resulting that our products on the market being imitated. Standardization of equipment Nowadays, international flexible packaging printing equipment manufacturing enterprises in the production of parts basically realize the standardization, serialization, fine and professional goals.

2011-12-17

Price of rubber raw materials rises by 15 percent China HengTaiDa Packaging Industry Co.,Ltd got the news from PackIndustry.com The average price of rubber raw materials across the globe has risen by 15 per cent in 2009, says Rubber World Industries (RWI), the leading manufacturer of closed-cell rubber insulation 'Gulf-O-flex' in the Gulf and South-East Asia, and part of the international business conglomerate, the Memon Group of Companies. Amidst the upward movement of global prices, RWI, which accounts for 86 per cent of the Middle East rubber insulation market share, has committed to maintain its prices and ensure sufficient supply of rubber insulation products across the region, including pipes, sheets and other rubber-derived products. Following a long period of continuous decline, the price of rubber raw material in the world market has seen an increase in the second quarter of 2009. Furthermore, three of the largest rubber producers in Southeast Asia - Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, agreed to cut down their exports to push up the export price. Rubber producers and exporters have also decided to cut down output, which could translate to a 6.2 per cent drop in world rubber production in 2009 to hit 9.36 million tons. Amidst increasing global rubber raw materials prices, RWI maintains a positive outlook on the regional market taking pioneering efforts to enhance its processes and production capacity. "Amidst present challenges, we are strengthening our efforts to increase our production by 600 containers to sufficiently address the need for rubber insulation products in the region," said Abu Baker Shaikhani, Managing Director, Rubber World Industries, and Chairman of the Memon Group. "We expect the region to witness a steady increase in the demand for high quality rubber insulation products, which motivates us to explore more technologies to further enhance the quality of our products and the efficiency of our processes." RWI has also recently revealed its expansion goals, which is to be able to produce 3,600 containers by 2013, thereby cementing its leading position as the source of high quality products for major property developments by real estate leaders in the UAE. As the only producer of rubber insulation in the Middle East region, RWI delivers a versatile range of rubber insulation products that meet the requirements in the oil and gas fields, construction, shipping and automobile industries. RWI products are used in more than 90 countries, including the US, Germany, Russia, Canada and Singapore.

2011-12-17

China Aseptic Packaging Market China HengTaiDa Packaging Industry Co.,Ltd is trying to introduce and develop the technology for aseptic packaging. For a comsumer,food is private,but for the market,it is public.Food safety is a security commeitment to the sale of food.Abviously,food is different from common consumer goods.Those food that people consume every day will be assimilated into the body through metabolism,which is an important of our body.Therefore,the safety of production,processing and marketing is absolutely our human being's responsibility. With people's awareness of food safety increasing,the last step of food processing---Food,has already increasingly caused people's attention.The exposure of the incident "Packaging Pollution" and the constant improvement of relevant rules  makes the comsumers realized how to protect themselves."Industrial production license management Regulations" indicates that,from Sept.1,manufactures cannot produce or sell their products with paper bag, paper tableware and so on until they are certificated in QS.Those enterprises that put the quality of goods in the first place has reached the consensus that they should  select the advanced aseptic packaging equipment and high-quality aseptic packaging materials to ensure the safety of food. Aseptic packaging technology has experienced decades of rapid development. The R & D institutions and industry equipment, materials, related to manufacturing enterprises continued to improve the food safety standard.They are also actively seeking the optimal way of "don't destroy the original nutrients of food" . "Food safety first" and "nutritional function" is gradually being taken into account the principle of identification for consumers.The technology and equipment for the aseptic packaging market-oriented applications, opened up a broad space for development, the industry recognized aseptic packaging industry.Nowadays, the development is facing unprecedented opportunities and challenges.

2011-12-17

China scrap plastic packaging market on 18th August China HengtaiDa Packaging Industry Co.,Ltd got the belowed news from PackIndustry.com LDPE LDPE market was in short of supply of goods and suppliers gave high quotations. Buyers got some demand while the trading could not be made due to price reasons. The latest price: LDPE bottle cap material 3,500RMB per ton; LDPE granule 6,900-7,200RMB per ton. ABS ABS price went up slightly and suppliers sticked to their quotations. Down-stream buyers made little purchasing. The latest price: ABS telephone shred 52,000RMB per ton. PS PS price kept stable. Suppliers sold actively while buyers kept on the sideline. The latest price: PS black product material 3,600RMB per ton; PS forming sheet in bales 5,400RMB per ton. PVC PVC market was dimmed and many spot goods were overstocked. Suppliers kept their quotations high while buyers got little purchasing intention. The latest price: PVC roll film 5,200RMB per ton. PET PET market moved steadily with small trading volume. The latest price: PET flake(unwashed) 4,900RMB per ton; PET mixed-colored granule 4,500RMB per ton. HDPE HDPE price increased 100RMB per ton. There were sufficient spot goods available and buyers had resumed their purchasing intention somehow. The trading volume was in general. The latest price: HDPE milk bottles 4,650RMB per ton. PMMA PMMA market kept stable with many buyers asking for prices. The trading volume was in general and some suppliers took wait-and-see attitude. The latest price: PMMA shred 9,100RMB per ton.

2011-12-17

Foreign new plastic packaging machine Emerging Recently, foreign packaging machinery companies have introduced new products to expand sales in the current economic situation. Electron spin PET filler     A German and a British company brought out the e-spin PET filler.It is the combination of rotating single-bottle-washing, filling, capping of the new system, using 'bottleneck' delivery systems, different bottles and packaging which can be converted completely in one minute.The filler can reduce the costs, equip with the patented electro-pneumatic quantitative filling system and electronic flow measurement devices that can be accurate continuous filling, reducing waste, avoiding the burden of excessive packaging that may arise.  The system is applicable to non-carbonated beverages, carbonated drinks, including fruit drinks, products, whose filling temperature reaches 5 ~ 70 ℃ and 44,000 bottles per hour in speed. Computer packaginging printing machine      One of the non-contact printing method for high-speed printing and packaging products, which can identify the date of manufacture, use period, water number, batch number, trade mark and new computer package bar code printing machine has been successfully developed by Japan's Hitachi Ltd.It has proved that the computer package printing machine, with a 0.4-inch large LCD control panel in Chinese operation enjoys the advantages of convenient maintenance and good savings of consumables. It can print in Chinese, English, Japanese with a maximum printing speed of 2270 characters per second.The machine has a low solvent consumption,a low printing cost with the self-cleaning function.It is  suitable for pharmaceutical, cosmetics, electronics and food packaging industries and so on. 3 side sealing bag making machine     A British company has already successfully developed a three-side sealing bag packaging machine which has put into the market so far.The sealing bag making machine adopted a new design of multi-function unit so you can set the size range which has a high production up to 250 per minute.

2011-12-17