Lisa McTigue Pierce

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3D packaging: no funny glasses required (unless you want)

Judged the Flexible Packaging Assn awards earlier this week. Fun, fun, fun. This is why I love my job. Always so much innovation and new technologies to see. Flexible packaging converters have been busy this past year improving shelf pop, playing with sustainable materials and designs, and developing structures that strut. I’ve got to stay mum about the winners for now, but a quick... More

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Plastic additives headed for a ‘breakdown'?

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.” That famous line from the 1967 movie “Cool Hand Luke” starring Paul Newman describes the current situation surrounding additives that help petroleum-based plastics break down. On one hand… The Plastics Environmental Council (PEC) is pushing for a landfill biodegradation standard for petroleum- and... More

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USA, USB and other trends

Trade shows are a great place to see emerging trends. At the EastPack show in NYC June 7-9, I saw a couple noteworthy things along the lines of being close and connected. “Local” supply is taking a more nationalistic approach. Several exhibitors–packaging machinery makers as well as materials suppliers–promoted their products as “Made in the USA .”... More

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Come on, baby! Collapse!

I know it doesn’t begin with an “R,” but I think we should add “collapse” to the how-to-be-green Reduce, Reuse, Recycle mantra. Why am I advocating a collapse in the packaging market? Consumers aren’t done with the belt-tightening, right-sizing, decluttering, frugal-is-chic movement yet. Sure, some discretionary spending has come back. But with... More

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Hybrids on my mind

“A little bit of this and a little bit of that.” This song by Pandora keeps playing in my head. Seems like a lot of people are mixing up their idea palettes to create the next masterpiece. Hybrids are popping up all over the place. It’s what Mintel calls “ blurring categories ,” and it’s something that consumers enjoy because it gives them a pleasant... More