PETpla.net Insider 04 / 2017

imprint EDITORIAL PUBLISHER Alexander Büchler, Managing Director HEAD OFFICE heidelberg business media GmbH Bunsenstr. 14 69115 Heidelberg, Germany phone: +49 6221-65108-0 fax: +49 6221-65108-28 info@hbmedia.net EDITORIAL Kay Barton Heike Fischer Gabriele Kosmehl Michael Maruschke Ruari McCallion Waldemar Schmitke Anthony Withers WikiPETia.info petplanet@hbmedia.net MEDIA CONSULTANTS Martina Hirschmann hirschmann@hbmedia.net Johann Lange-Brock lange-brock@hbmedia.net phone: +49 6221-65108-0 fax: +49 6221-65108-28 LAYOUT AND PREPRESS EXPRIM Werbeagentur Matthias Gaumann | www.exprim.de READER SERVICES Till Kretner reader@hbmedia.net PRINT Chroma Druck & Verlag GmbH Werkstr. 25 67354 Römerberg Germany WWW www.hbmedia.net | w ww.petpla.net PETplanet Insider ISSN 1438-9459 is published 10 times a year. This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (1-year subscription 149 EUR, 2-year subscription 289 EUR, Young professionals’ sub- scription 99 EUR. Magazines will be dispatched to you by airmail). Not to be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. Note: The fact that product names may not be identified as trademarks is not an indication that such names are not registered trademarks. 3 PET planet Insider Vol. 18 No. 04/17 www.petpla.net Dear friends of PETplaner Insider, Exciting things are in prospect at the NPE next year. Here are some highlights. On May 7–11 2018, in Orlando, FL, USA , “the bottle zone“ (www.npe.org/bottlezone) wi ll be taking place, for the first time at the trade fair. With joint support from the SPI, drinktec and PETplanet Insider, all exhibitors will be focusing on the theme of plastic bottles. Previously, bot- tles were spread out over the entire site, but now the visitor interested in this sector will be able to find everything under one roof. Highlighting this fresh approach, the NPE has now published, together with the Plastics Association, a market analysis entitled “Plastic bottles today - Innovating to reach today’s consumer”. It is an interesting brochure, which gives a good overview of the market and technology in North America for ambitious newcomers. But the profes- sional will also find highlights here and there which are certainly interesting. The analysis assumes an average growth in the plastic bottle sector across the world of 5.2% to 6% a year. An important part of the analysis is the environmental concern about a smaller carbon footprint. The analysis was published before the election of the new President. It remains to be seen whether new protectionist politics will be implemented, and whether, under such circumstances, this level of growth can be achieved whilst meeting environmental targets in North America. Only time will tell. What is certain is that PET will not be able to pull out of the political climate. The analysis describes very well individual packaging segments, such as drinks, pharma etc. It also gives a concise picture of the market players in the supplier and users areas. Brief statements from Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola and MillerCoors enhance the brochure. What is particularly interesting is the latter’s contribution, considering that beer is an emerging market for plastics bottling. MillerCoors saw a spike in sales of its 40-ounce and 32-ounce bottles when it moved from glass to plastic containers. While only one percent of the company’s total sales are made with plastic bottles, Jonah Smith, sus- tainability manager for policy and reporting at MillerCoors, predicts the use of PET bottles is only going to increase in the years to come. “I’d say within 10 to 15 years you’re going to start to see more and more of the packag- ing product mix switch over to more environmentally sustainable choices. Is PET going to increase? Probably. It’s also going to increase as more MRFs, material recovery facilities, improve their technologies in how to best recycle PET,” said Smith. With a recycling rate of just a third in the USA, there is still room for improvement. Yours Alexander Büchler