Column: 100% packaging

Packaging of the Year
page 8

This year, the Czech packaging institute SYBA is organizing the 16th national competition of the best packaging and packaging materials – The Packaging of the Year 2010. The competition is intended not only for packaging manufacturers or users but also for other entities involved in the creative process, such as brand managers, graphic studios, engineers and designers. Any new solution can entry the competition if falling into one of six categories as follow: Consumer packaging, Consumer gift packaging, Packaging materials, Sales packaging and displays, Transport and handling packaging, Labels, closures, fixation and other auxiliary packaging means. The deadline for entries: May 28, 2010.

Column: Market analysis

Which packaging is environmentally friendly?
page 10

The aspect of environmentally friendly packaging is a major purchasing factor for around two thirds of consumers. This is the result of a survey on the sustainability of packaging by GfK Panel Services Deutschland on behalf of Pro Carton, the European Association of Cartonboard and Carton Manufacturers. On the question of whether the consumers are willing to pay a higher price for more environmentally friendly packaging: Overall, just under 16% of the entire population agree with this statement; in contrast, the figure is 25% in the two environment-oriented groups. Overall, a clear majority of 79% regard paper and cardboard as more environmentally friendly than plastic.

Column: Main topic – Pharmaceutical and cosmetic packaging

Pharmapack 2010
page 12

Already the 9th Pharmapack international conference and exhibition was held at Grande Halle de la Villette in Paris at the beginning of February. Representatives of more than 200 companies have gathered at expert sessions on pharmaceutical and health products packaging. New and innovative products, launched on the French market last season, were awarded as follow: Pharmapack Compliance Award – the reusable insulin delivery device NovoPen®4 from Novo Nordisk; Pharmapack Hospital Product Safety Award – the Ephedrine prefilled syringe destined to surgical units by Laboratoire Aguettant; Pharmapack Award for Medical Device – Conveen® Optima, an effective management solution for male urinary incontinence, by Laboratoires Coloplast; Pharmapack Prevention of Domestic Risks Award in veterinary category – the first veterinary drug intended to treat leishmaniasis Milteforan by Virbac; “New Packaging” Special Distinction – plant concentrates packaged in an ampule with a patented seal, the flackpull, Phytocencentrés VitaflorBIO by Laboratoire Milical.

Gerresheimer at Pharmapack 2010
page 14

The number of plants operated by Gerresheimer in Europe, America and Asia now totals forty – almost all oriented towards the pharma and healthcare industry. How much progress the product range of glass and plastic has made today was highlighted by the presentation in Paris. The PharmaPlus™ concept is a fundamental focus area.

Transforming blister packs
page 20

The basic structure of a blister pack consists of a flat pad attached to a 3D shell. This system is known in various design and material combinations. A known type of packaging meets all the functional and selling aspects. It is most often used in the pharma industry where it has certain specifics. Pharmaceutical packagings are subject to more strict requirements in terms of barriers, health, dosage and convenient opening. The structures plastic/aluminium or aluminium/aluminium appear above all. This type of packaging is most frequently used for drugs – tablets, coated tablets, pills, suppositories, etc.

“The more expensive product, the higher level of packaging,” says cofounder of AMPI
page 23

The Czech Republic ranks among the countries with high consumption of pharmaceutical products as well as increasing consumption of so-called food supplements. Development and innovation in both the areas are advancing at a rapid pace. An interview with Jaroslav Vlk, manager and cofounder of AMPI, shows which way these aspects affect filling, dosing, and packaging technologies.

Flacons should be made of glass
page 25

Flacons, cups, as well as pots, tubes and bottles are primary cosmetic packaging. To be their protective and often aesthetic or informative features boosted, these containers use to be placed into (usually) printed folding cartons. It means into boxes made of cardboard which is transported in the form of flat blanks to the manufacturer or filler. Particularly boxes for glass flacons use to be equipped with fixation of either the same or different material as the secondary packaging is. Some are the window boxes, so that the consumer see the primary packaging or even the product.

Cosmetics in plastic do not work cheaply…
page 27

We can meet cosmetic packaging made of virtually any material available. There are found printed or blank folding cartons, metal or glass containers among them. A large part of containers for this product line constitutes of plastics. They are functional, inexpensive and push boundaries of shape contruction really high. Due to the fact, that it is possible to shape containers so variable in design and then complete them with printing or labelling, they can often boldly compete more expensive materials such as metal and glass. Unlike these materials they have a lower weight and ensure better safety even if handled improperly.

PCD 2010: Less material, more ideas
page 30

The 6th Perfume, Cosmetics & Design exhibition and conference took place at Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie in Paris at the end of January 2010. Innovation and sustainability were this year’s main topics. The PCD Awards were awarded to the product packages as follow: Eau Thermale Avène Tolérance extrême by Pierre Fabre in Care category; Roll’on Accord Parfait complexion make-up by L’Oréal, Rouge d’Armani by Armani, HR lip gloss by Helena Rubinstein and Singulier lip gloss by Yves Saint Laurent in Make-up category; Ricci Ricci perfume by Nina Ricci in Perfumes for women category; Gold Collector One Million perfume by Pacco Rabane in Perfumes for men category.

Gerresheimer at PCD congress
page 32

The Gerresheimer Group’s exhibition concept was set to inspir
e visitors from all segments of the perfume and cosmetics industry. “We don’t focus on any particular market segment,” said Burkhard Lingenberg, Director Corporate Communication & Marketing. “We manufacture products for all those who sell beauty in beautiful packaging and special products with special appeal.” Some of the current product highlights in glass are feeder coloured, others have a delicate, dégradée spray finish, some feature a trendy watercolour print, others are decorated using the sublimation technique, boast silky acid-etched patterns or are simply completely transparent.

Plastic closures and dispensers can be combined
page 33

Closures are the essential auxiliary packaging features. In addition to protective functions (sealing above all), they often complete an overall packaging design with their appearance. Plastic closures of various types are used not only with plastic containers by far, but we see them on glass bottles and pots, metal tubes and containers for aerosol cosmetics. Closures use to be attached to dispensers.

Containers are expensive for Czech cosmetic manufacturers
page 35

Which type of packaging the products of cosmetic firms are placed into? Who supplies them and for what portion of their total costs they account? Who and how transports all the products manufactured here and abroad to the shops? And what is the biggest problem the companies are facing in the fields of packaging and delivery today? These are some of questions Svět balení has addressed to three domestic producers, namely Ryor, Dermacol, and Detecha.

Column: Logistics

Cantilever rack – ideal for long burdens
page 38

A cantilever (tree) rack is always tailor made for a specific storage solution. It serves for storing long items – such as bars, boards, planks, and other loads which can not be stored in pallet racks. If one dimension of an item or a handling unit excesses distinctively the common standard size for storage in a pallet rack, a cantilever rack is just suitable.

Column: Packaging and environment

“Packaging accounts for more than a quarter of the waste we burn,” says director of a Prague incinerator
page 41

There are currently only three waste incinerators – in Prague, Brno and Liberec – in the Czech Republic. Next two, namely in Pardubice and Karviná, have been already designed, but their construction has not yet been commenced due to opposition of local residents. Manager of the incinerator which is officially called Waste-to-energy plant (Czech abbrev. ZEVO) and located on the outskirts of our capital city in Malešice, Mr. Aleš Bláha thinks that we would need at least three additional plants apart from existing ones to be the area of our country equally covered and mainly to be less of so-called household solid waste landfilled.

Column: Legislation

EUR pallets in compliance with the ISPM 15 standard
page 44

Czech Railways, as a technical supervisor of EUR pallets with CD markings, apply some measures on marking and an additional criterion of being forgery-proof beside of the requirements applicable to EUR pallets manufacturing in accordance with the UIC 435-2 code. Since June 1, 2009, an additional mark consists of a copper-coloured metal staple affixed to the middle block at a longer side of a pallet, always only on one side. Therefore if pallets produced after the sixth month of 2009 do not bear this staple, they may be considered a forgery.

Column: Trade fairs

Embax 2010 revived
page 45

Together with trade fairs for food processing and gastronomy, the 26th Embax international trade fair for packaging and packaging technology took place in Brno in March. Joint terms have been asked for by the exhibitors themselves and had a successful premiere. They’ve brought a new customer base to the stands of packaging firms and opened new business opportunities. The project “Packaging live” in the Hall F, where a model packaging line has been demonstrated several times a day, has attracted great attention.
Within the accompanying program of Embax, the CzechTrade agency organized a seminar “Construction design and branding”, dealing with an issue of how the packaging design can be changed in an icon of the product itself. Packaging designer Jan Činčera has presented individual and small-volume packages; packaging products for mass consumption have been presented by Vedrana Ajdin, director of Flex/Cocoon studio, and Christien van Yzendoorn, Dutch designer working in London now, formerly in Prague. We talked about the fair participants’ response with Pavel Dvořák, manager of Embax 2010.

Paperworld 2010 & Co.
page 48

At the turn of January and February, Frankfurt became the scene of a couple of important international trade fairs for the 15th time. Along with the Paperworld trade fair for paper, office supplies and stationery, it was also the Christmasworld international trade fair for festive and decorative articles and the Beautyworld international trade fair for perfumery, toiletries and cosmetics. This fairs complex is held together since 1996.