PETpla.net Insider 11+12 / 2017

PET news 6 NEWS PET planet Insider Vol. 18 No. 11+12/17 www.petpla.net Sustainability and Recycling at NPE2018 Around the world, the demand for plastic bottles contin- ues to rise, fuelled by the growing bottled water market. In the United States alone, demand for beverage containers is expected to increase 1.9%/a to 283 billion units in 2019. But, with this growth, consumers are also increasingly looking to manufacturers and suppliers to move toward incorporating more environmentally-friendly products and processes. Whether its energy output from machinery or material lightweighting, equipment manufacturers are at the forefront of finding solu- tions to help brands employ more green practices. Beverage packaging manufacturers will lead the charge in bottle manufacturing as they look to optimise their assem- bly lines, reduce their carbon footprint, incorporate faster machines, and offer lightweight, recyclable containers and innovative packaging design. Coca-Cola serves as an example of manufacturers making process improvements to reduce the impact. Producing its partially bio-based PlantBottle packaging since 2009, they’re pioneering the use of bioplastics and are focused on achieving their goal of creating 100% bio-based bottles. Currently, the PET in Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle pack- age is 30% plant-based; the company has reduced its use of fossil fuels without impacting the recyclability of the bottle. Given the role plastics play in today’s society, there is a heightened awareness of end-of-life issues regarding their recycling and disposal. The plastics industry has responded with sustainability efforts and educational endeavours. Two Technology Zones at NPE2018 will put greater emphasis on the technology, ideas and innovations that bottling and bev- erage packaging manufacturers will need to further greater sustainability and recyclability in their operations. The Bottle Zone is a new sector-specific area of the NPE 2018 program and show floor where event attendees can explore all the innovations in bottling manufacturing, including sustainability and recycling. This area will feature more than 6,000m 2 packed with new machinery, equipment and sustainable materials from 80+ suppliers, giving bottling professionals unprecedented access to solutions designed to maximise efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint. In addi- tion, the Bottle Zone Technical Forum will give engineers and designers access to in-depth sessions focused on the latest information and processes surrounding bottle manufacturing, including recyclability and sustainability, to strengthen their position in this $12.6 billion sector of the U.S plastics industry. Similarly, the Re|focus Zone at NPE2018 and the Re|focus Sustainability & Recycling Summit will address manufacturers’ real-world challenges with recycling and sustainable processes. The Summit will feature three half-days of plenary and break- out sessions dedicated to solutions and challenges around opportunities in sustainable manufacturing. The Zone will fea- ture materials, machinery and solutions focused on allowing brand owners and manufacturers to meet their green goals. www.npe.org R&D/Leverage Open House The R&D/Leverage open house event included presenta- tions on trends and developments in packaging design and mould manufacturing. Almost 50 attendees from global con- verters to brand owners attended the three day event, ran from September 20-22, 2017. The theme was “Breaking Down the Silos in Plastic Pack- aging” where R&D demonstrated that working with design, engineering, and manufacturing early in the planning process, fosters innovation and cost efficiency. The keynote speaker, Gerry O’Brion, brought a powerhouse presentation that demonstrated from his extensive experience on the benefits of making packaging stand out and bring on innovation by working together. He gave examples from working with big brands such as Procter & Gamble, Coors Light, Quiznos, and Red Robin. A stop of interest was the hall of fame wall where 103 pictures of employees are shown who have worked at the company for more than 20 years. Other stops included manufacturing value streams, quality control, laser, Lever- age, repair and refurbish, polish, prototype, blow moulding, quality assurance, and welding departments. www.rdleverage.com Birkner’s Beverage World 2017/2018 The new updated edition of Birkner’s Beverage World 2017/2018 provides in reliable manner professional company and trade information on companies in the international bev- erage industry. In structured manner 20,000 company profiles from 197 countries are listed with more than 5,400 breweries, 5,500 producers of mineral water, juices and soft drinks, 2,400 distilleries, 1,300 hop, malt and raw material suppliers, 6,200 suppliers und 480 associations and institutions. Apart from names and addresses including websites the new edition also offers information regarding management, services, products and brands, machines and capacities, capital and turnover. In addition to the 12,600 e-mail and web addresses in the print edition there are also QR Codes for direct contacts and offers at your disposal. With the updated book edition and the internet database, users have two sources of information avail- able to follow their business interests against the backdrop of the current market situation. www.beverage-world.com