2013 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards

Highest Achievement Award

The Highest Achievement Award is presented to a Gold Award winning entry package ranked by the judges as having contributed most to the advancement of the flexible packaging industry.

Kraft Yes Pack

Manufacturer: Exopack

Awards: Highest Achievement, Gold – Packaging Excellence, Silver – Environmental & Sustainability Achievement

Designed to provide a flexible alternative to rigid gallon jugs, the Kraft Yes Pack is an innovative and environmentally friendly flexible gallon dressing package. To provide ease of use by foodservice operators, Kraft Yes Pack incorporates a two-handle design and a smaller spout, making the package easy to carry and pour. The use of flexible materials versus a rigid container affords the customer a package that was manufactured using approximately 50% less energy and 60% less plastic material.

 

Gold Awards

Amcor PushPop

Manufacturer: Amcor Flexibles

Awards: Gold – Packaging Excellence

Amcor’s PushPop adds a “fun factor” to portion control packaging. The packaging material and package design combine to provide an easy open, convenient package. Existing form-fill-seal equipment can be retrofitted at a modest cost to produce this gusseted pouch. Amcor produces PushPop in both North America and Europe.

 

Lindt Lindor Assorted Chocolates

Manufacturer: American Packaging Corporation

Awards: Gold – Printing Achievement

For the Lindt Lindor Assorted Chocolates package, the customer desired a matte/gloss combination utilised on this package to help bring the consumers’ focus to certain areas of the package. American Packaging used gravure printing to emphasise the label detail. The tight register control and the use of gravure cylinders enabled the company to maintain colour/colour print registration. The use of the metallic substrate captures the design and the unique matte/gloss combination adds recognisable style to this high-end product.

 

Ampac No. 2 Pouch – Savvy Green

Manufacturer: Ampac

Awards: Gold – Environmental & Sustainability Achievement

The Ampac No. 2 Pouch is a step towards recycling flexible packaging. It is said to be the first primary flexible package to participate in the How2Recycle programme providing consumers with a path to recycling flexible packaging. The pouch displays are said to feature improved stiffness and HD flexo graphics. It meets No. 2 SPI ASTM classification Designation D7611/D7611M-10, and is approved through Trex.

 

Beacon Converters/CardioFocus Heart Light Cardiac Ablation System Balloon Catheter Die Cut Tray

Manufacturer: Beacon Converters

Awards: Gold – Environmental & Sustainability Achievement; Gold – Technical Innovation

The Beacon/CardioFocus Balloon Catheter Die Cut Tray provides a flexible packaging solution for large, complex devices, using less energy to manufacture, ship and warehouse. Compared to the alternative rigid PETG tray, this package is said to reduce packaging volume by 32% and weight by 50%. Innovative packaging design collaboration resulted in a die cut tray with functional components, which are cut from a single sheet of 0.035″ flexible HDPE. Key features include carabineer hold downs that protect delicate device elements, and triangular sidewalls formed with a series of custom tabs that provide the tray’s physical structure. When assembled and loaded, this flexible packaging tray can be placed on a small mayo stand and act as a catheter prep table top in the confined space of an Operating Room Angio-suite. After use, the tray knocks down flat and can be rolled up for recycling.

 

Aashirvaad Select

Manufacturer: Paharpur 3P

Awards: Gold – Printing Achievement

It is a stand-up pack with authentic looks. The best part of the pouch is the brilliance in printing. The main desired property to achieve from PE film was high dart impact strength. The combination of gloss and matte effect has given an abstract look to highlight certain areas of the pack.

 

Kusi Wayta

Manufacturer: Peruplast

Award: Gold – Printing Achievement

This package presents the Kusi Wayta (Flower of Joy) product, consisting of selected snacks prepared with native Peruvian fruits and seeds. The packaging format and the graphics featuring native motifs and landmarks perform the function of communicating effectively to the consumer the gourmet and native characteristics of the product, the material structure providing the required protection for the sensitive contents. A smart distribution of glossy and matte areas greatly enhances its shelf impact.

 

Halls “Twistoff” Stickpack

Manufacturer: Sonoco Products

Award: Gold – Technical Innovation

This twist-off flexible stick package allows a single cough drop to be dispensed without losing other drops from the package into your purse or pocket. The latest technology is Sonoco’s micro-perforated stick wrap that helps facilitate consumer usage of the product while maintaining the barrier properties keeping the remaining product fresh. With a simple twist of the package, the consumer has their individual cough drop and the rest of the product stays in place.

 

Eco-Ultra Motor Oil Pouch

Manufacturer: Star Packaging

Award: Gold – Environmental & Sustainability Achievement; Silver – Packaging Achievement

As the nation’s first domestic retail motor oil, the Eco Ultra Motor Oil FlexPak pouch brings together all the benefits of flexible packaging into a new product category dominated by rigid HDPE packaging. The FlexPak pouch provides for significant reductions in materials, energy consumption, emissions, transportation and landfill waste.

 

Silver Award

Dent Resistant – Compact Formpack

Manufacturer: Amcor Flexibles

Award: Silver – Technical Innovation

Amcor’s newest Formpack can be inserted without denting into an overpack designed for child resistance or adherence/compliance packaged medications. Improved forming properties are said to allow a deep draw without fracturing and a 10 – 20% decrease in individual cavity width/length. This results in up to a 10% reduction in the overall package size, says the company. Amcor’s Dent Resistant – Compact Formpack extends the use of flexible packaging to medications that are improving healthcare while containing costs.

 

Campbell’s Skillet Sauces

Manufacturer: Ampac

Award: Silver – Packaging Excellence

The Campbell’s Skillet Sauces line uses a new format, shaped stand up pouch, in a category that is traditionally packaged in glass jars or aluminium cans. The stand-up pouch is a rotogravure printed pouch utilising a pattern matte varnish to highlight the graphics and coupled with the shaped, non-rocking bottom, creates enhanced shelf appeal. This package includes a layer of linear tear film that gives the consumer a window to see the product while in the package.

 

gDiapers Biodegradable Wipes

Manufacturer: Berry Plastics

Award: Silver – Packaging Excellence

The gDiapers Biodegradable Wipes includes the Rigid Lens II closure, which encompasses the benefits of both traditional peel and reseal labels and moulded fitments. Packaging high stack count wet wipes in a flexible package with a Rigid Lens II closure alleviates the need for using moulded fitments, canisters and tubs. High quality graphics can be printed directly on the RLII to complement the respective graphics on the flexible film. This technology and package format can be run on existing equipment for wet wipes, and leaves behind a much smaller carbon footprint versus alternative packaging formats for high stack count wipes.

 

CBI Coelho Smart Wheat

Manufacturer: Berry Plastics

Award: Silver – Printing Achievement

The CBI Coelho Smart Wheat package uses HD Flexo imaging for more detail and sharper imagery. New printing technology combining era metallic and pearlescent inks provide a high impact package and eye catching design.

 

Easy Peel Lidding for High Pressure Pasteurisation

Manufacturer: Berry Plastics

Award: Silver – Technical Innovation

High pressure pasteurisation is a growing trend in the food industry. The abuse of packaging from this technique requires higher performance films to meet standards. Berry Plastics multilayer co-extrusion technology and polymer knowledge provided a solution, which is said to bring a significant improvement to a challenging process. Product benefits include reduced leaker rates, increased production and assurance of package integrity through distribution and retail. The end consumer can enjoy a convenient easy to open package with attractive clarity.

 

Simply Heinz Single Serve Mayonnaise Sachet

Manufacturer: cei (Coating Excellence International)

Award: Silver – Environmental & Sustainability Achievement

The new high barrier Simply Heinz Single Serve Mayonnaise Sachet replaces traditional aluminium foil structures. The sachet contains 30% renewable content with its cellophane component. Additionally, incorporating the metallised OPP layer eliminates the need for foil while still providing high barrier and a higher renewable resource content. No solvents are used throughout the entire manufacturing process, avoiding any Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), which are known to harm the environment.

 

EZ Open Block-Tite Bulk Cheese Package

Manufacturer: Curwood

Award: Silver – Technical Innovation

EZ Open Block-Tite Bulk Cheese Packaging – featuring EZ Peel opening – adds a new level of safety and convenience to traditional bulk cheese packaging. The easy-open feature incorporates notched grips and an easy-peel back flap, allowing knife-free opening and clean, complete removal of abuse-resistant packaging materials for 40# institutional cheese blocks. Selective positioning of the easy-open feature ensures that EZ Open Block-Tite pouches deliver the fill-stretch, load factors and hermetic barrier critical for long-hold bulk cheeses.

 

Bolthouse Farms Shakedowns

Manufacturer: Emerald Packaging

Award: Silver – Technical Innovation

 

The interactive Bolthouse Farms Shakedowns package brings consumers into the role of participant in preparing their vegetables in a simple and funny way. This is done in a single package combining wet and dry products without compromising shelf life of the carrots.

 

Nestle Purina ONE Cat

Manufacturer: Exopack

Award: Silver – Printing Achievement

The Nestle Purina ONE cat food bag manufactured by Exopack eliminates the need for a reverse printed PET out layer of film by utilising a surface printed MET PET layer combined with EB coating. This process provides the customer with a visually appealing metallised package that maintains good ink protection throughout traditional distribution channels. The elimination of the reverse printed PET layer is also said to allow for reduced costs in associated lamination set-up and run-time.

 

Crystal Farms Shredded Cheese Stand Up Pouch

Manufacturer: Exopack

Award: Silver – Environmental & Sustainability Achievement

Crystal Farms Shredded Cheese Stand Up Pouch replaces the previous flat bag providing consumer convenience at home. It uses 20% less material than the earlier version and features 30% less face area which enables retailers to fit more of the product into the space in the dairy case. It is also said to reduce the amount of corrugated material required to ship the product leading to fuel savings. The new double zipper improves the closure’s performance, which helps protect the cheese inside.

 

Lundberg Family Farms Organic and Eco-farmed Rice

Manufacturer: Peel Plastic Products

Award: Silver – Packaging Excellence

The Lundberg Family Farms 454g & 907g organic and eco-farmed rice flat-bottom pouches are user-friendly and visually stunning. The flat-bottom pouches have a registered matte/gloss design, are completely air-tight & gas flushable, and have the Velcro Brand Press-Lok closure system. The Press-Lok hook-to-hook closure is a user-friendly closure. It contains easy alignment that allows the hooks to line-up, securing easy & reliable closure and therefore ultimate consumer convenience.

 

Walkers Shortbread – Re-Seal It

Manufacturer: Printpack

Award: Silver – Packaging Excellence

The Walkers’ mini shortbread 125g package is the first use of Re-Seal It on a VFFS (vertical form fill seal) application for this recloseable format. Consumers can easily open and reclose the tamper-evident packages, extending the product lifespan and securing Walkers’ brand identity longer in the pantry. Printpack’s premium print quality and pack form are said to enhance the shelf appeal and good display properties of this package.

 

SwabCap

Manufacturer: Rollprint Packaging Products

Award: Silver – Technical Innovation

SwabCap is the leading commercially available disinfectant cap designed to cover needleless connectors, for instance, luer access valves, to disinfect and protect them from further contamination. The Allegro B barrier lidding used with the cap is said to ensure that the SwabCap will maintain its efficacy over the two-year shelf life of the product while still allowing nurses easy and reliable access. Use is as simple as peel, twist, protect.

 

Chameleon Color-Changing Sealant

Manufacturer: Rollprint Packaging Products

Award: Silver – Technical Innovation

Chameleon Color-Changing Sealant has been engineered to allow a film of one colour to transfer a peel indicator of a different colour providing a strong visual indication that the package has been opened. The transparent nature of the colour application allows the product to be viewed while still in the package.

 

Overprint on Already Printed Package

Manufacturer: Rotoprint Sovrastampa

Award: Silver – Environmental & Sustainability Achievement

The overprinting process enables modification to already printed flexible packaging. The unique, patented process offers a wide range of benefits including reuse of stock material, and updating packaging graphics and text. Overprinting also reduces material scrap to the landfill, resulting in less environmental impact.

 

Cryovac Multi-Seal FoldLok

Manufacturer: Sealed Air (Cryovac Division)

Award: Silver – Packaging Excellence

The Cryovac Multi-Seal FoldLok pouch is one of the latest innovations in reclosable packaging. A tab located near the top is peeled off to initially open the package. To close, simply fold the top over and press. It is easy to open, dispense and reclose for consumers of all ages. This package is said to reduce leaker rates, to use less material (decrease of at least 5cm) than conventional pouches and enable better space utilisation in transit and on shelf making it a more sustainable package.