Sustainability in the packaging machinery market

Sustainable manufacturing is a practice that is being driven by both the market and regulation and without doubt plays a part in the upward growth of the packaging machinery market. Retailers, in particular, play a key role in driving demand for more sustainable packaging throughout the supply chain, even though they generally are not end users of packaging machinery. Machinery suppliers can most certainly facilitate FMCG manufacturers to reduce carbon footprint, conserve resources and minimise waste through automation.

With the economy strengthening, disposable income is higher allowing for greater consumption of packaged goods. With packaging formats constantly changing to meet changing lifestyles and to meet landfill reduction targets, machinery needs to be adaptable, and this too spurs growth. For example, take the adoption of the stand-up pouch - we have experienced a lot of interest in coding such packaging before filling - as it allows only the right amount of packaging to be brought to the production line ready printed. This not only minimises packaging waste but produces a perfectly positioned clear code.

The trend to code offline is not just limited to primary packaging packs but secondary too. With shelf-ready packaging on the rise, the ability to mark-up secondary packaging offline meets a growing need in today's grocery market. The emerging retail channels of discount, convenience and online will account for all the growth over the next 10 years as conventional supermarkets decline. For many food operators, this shift is driving a rapid rise in the complexity of their logistics operations as demand grows for mixed cases and little-and-often deliveries to a wider range of locations.

Rotech's new RF-Box Feeder enables the fast, efficient feeding of secondary packaging such as flat boxes and cartons into and out of labelling and coding systems. This offline, stack-to-stack feeder enables users to pre-mark flat cases prior to erection and filling with customised data such as promotional messaging or special pricing. Rates vary depending on the box length and chosen marking technology, but typically range from 50 to 150 boxes per minute. Using such offline technologies mean less wastage, as only the needed number of boxes are marked up. It also allows manufacturers to hold lower levels of stock rather than hold inventory in expensive heated warehouses.

Sophisticated shapes

Display packaging also plays its role in growth of the market. In order to lure the consumer into making a purchase products are cutting some sophisticated shapes, with products packaged in trays, tubs or pots with outer sleeves an increasingly common sight on supermarket shelves. Despite clear and correct batch codes, use by dates and traceability codes being essential when supplying the retail market, packaging designs are often presented to production as a fait accompli; it is up to equipment and factory engineers to figure out how to run that pack using packaging machinery. Figuring out how to run these new designs most certainly creates new opportunities.

From a coding technology point of view acting sustainably is crucial, but of equal importance is overall cost of ownership. With the latest thermal inkjet, nasty solvents typically associated with continuous inkjet printers are eliminated and energy savings are made as the printer only runs as and when needed - small but important steps towards fulfilling manufacturers' goals of social and environmental responsibility.

Sustainability will always play a role in the growth of the machinery market, but ultimately we compete in a global marketplace which demands high quality products at the lowest possible prices. Automation with the right return on investment for machinery for manufacturers will help to achieve just this, with the sustainability factor always high on the agenda.

To learn more about sustainability in packaging machinery, please visit www.rotechmachines.com.