PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2021

BOTTLE MAKING 23 PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 06/21 www.petpla.net Serre: We’re receiving positive feedback from the market, the com- prehensive offer and our sustain- able solutions are appealing to a lot of companies in the field as they see us as the strategic partner pro- viding all the solutions they need. Competek is perceived as a good alternative to OEMs in packaging development and line transforma- tion. PETplanet: In your first announcement concerning the joint company, you said that your inten- tion is to help packaging manufac- turers in the fast-evolving consumer good sector to face the challenges and changes the market requires. On which main challenges and changes exactly do you focus? Serre: Nowadays Environmental Health and Sustainability are two hot topics, and countries are introducing new regulations that serve to meet today’s needs while preserving the world for future generations. Com- panies are therefore facing a major transformation, as they must adapt their business according to the new legal requirements. Competek’s main aim is to provide them with all solu- tions they need to reduce carbon impact and material wastes, achieve energy savings and packaging opti- misation. For instance, in Europe the Single Use Plastic directive forces all bottle producers to use tethered caps by 2024 and to have a ratio of 25% of rPET in PET containers by 2025, which means customers will have to redesign their packaging to take those new regulation into account, prefer- ably with a fast return on investment. We support them in the development of their projects, from preform devel- opment to injection, thanks to our capability to manage rPET protocols and thanks to our 20 years of experi- ence with packaging. Once validated, we have all industrial capabilities and knowledge to manage the transforma- tion of our customers’ lines in light of the new shape of the tethered cap, thereby transforming the new packag- ing into reality. But there’s more, thanks to some specific technologies. For example, with the Starlite super- vented base we can optimise the blowing process and increase energy savings while reducing bottle weight, consequently reduc- ing costs and emissions. PETplanet: What are the main concerns your clients come to you with regard to meeting new regu- lations and how can you support them? Serre: Clients are worried because adopting tethered caps means that existing lines must be evolved, which implies huge invest- ments of time and money. But they are also worried about rPET. The main fear is that making a packaging greener thanks to the use of recycled PET will impact on the performance of the bottle and the perception of their customer. We are by our customers’ side, that’s why we have developed the right skills to help them face all of these activities, built on our exper- tise over the past ten years. The rPET Protocol, for instance, allows the customer to compare the actual bottle performance with the same bottle done in recycled PET, and following the test results our engi- neers will advise on possible modifi- cations, if needed. In general, every customer request is a new possibil- ity to innovate. PETplanet: Concerning sustain- ability - a keyword that you have integrated into the company name – which technologies are you offer- ing? Serre: For sure, the rPET Pro- tocol is an innovative service that will become useful and required in future months. What we would like to make clear is that our sus- tainable packaging solutions are designed to help manufacturers transform their business and their production to safeguard the envi- ronment but also to help them make sustainable and reasonable invest- ments. Another example, Supervent, is a proprietary technology that allows the machine to blow at a lower cost thanks to the reduced pres- sure required. This has an impact on the environment thanks to the lower energy consumption, but also lowers the investment the company has to undertake. The combination of Supervent technology with other technologies we have at our disposal thanks to specific licensing agreements, will help us improve not only the costs but also the quantity of material used, therefore being sustainable under an economical point of view as well. Our engineers invest a lot of time in research and develop- ment, testing new innovative solu- tions to introduce in the market. “We always tailor the solution to the specific request we receive and consider the existing line” PETplanet: For which customer issues/sectors does the new brand bring the most benefits? Serre: Competek’s added value is that we have a complete and modular offer, which means that we can provide everything the cus- tomer needs: A full service, going from packaging design and packag- ing engineering to the implementa- tion of a new container on existing lines, or just one of the single ser- vices. In general, we always tailor the solution to the specific request we receive and consider the exist- ing line. Thanks to our experience and the innovation-driven mindset of the team, we can address many different issues PET bottle produc- ers may face. That’s why we define ourselves as “The one-stop-shop for all your needs”. PETplanet: You mentioned that you do not focus exclusively on bot- tles for beverages, but also on other sectors such as bottles for personal care? Serre: The majority of our cus- tomers belong to the Food & Bev- erage industry, however, we have also been working with companies producing detergents and personal care products. To be clear, all our services are perfect for all PET bottle producers whatever required. Indeed, our moulds are available in a wide array of sizes, from 100 ml to 30 l with handles. PETplanet: Thank you very much!