PACKAGING BRIEFS—Thursday, Jan. 13

Toothbrushes to tout ADA Seal of Acceptance on packs
Dr. Fresh's popular FireFly children's toothbrush and its licensed counterparts-Barbie, Spider-Man, Hot Wheels, Hello Kitty and Peanuts toothbrushes-have been awarded the prestigious American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance. According to Puneet Nanda, founder and CEO of Dr. Fresh Inc., the Seal will immediately be incorporated into packaging and prominently displayed on shelf.

These toothbrushes use a proprietary light-up timer technology to encourage compliance and develop good oral hygiene habits for life in young kids to help fight early childhood cavities. Colorful, sparkly and engaging, each toothbrush lights up at the touch of a button and flashes for 60 seconds, the length of time dentists agree is required to thoroughly brush one row of teeth, upper or lower. The ADA Council of Scientific Affairs' Acceptance of FireFly and licensed counterparts is based on its finding that the products are effective for removing plaque and helping to prevent and reduce gingivitis, when used as directed.

Small Planet Organics integrates QR codes into tofu label design
By the end of the first quarter 2011, Small Planet Organics plans to incorporate quick-response (QR) codes on all its product labels, actually integrating the 2D code into its packaging design. The company will use the QR code to educate consumers about the benefits of organic tofu. A press release explains: "QR codes provide us with a multimedia platform in a very small footprint where consumers are learning about who is making and what is in their food from product labels."

AstraZeneca pushes on with mass serialization
At the beginning of 2011, AstraZeneca will have 10 manufacturing sites and more than 30 packaging lines set up to add item-level serial numbers on the packaging, reports SecuringPharma.com. This investment in what the company calls "at-line mass serialization" is in response to recent counterfeiting episodes of its products.

Javier Flaim joins RecycleBank as global marketing svp
RecycleBank, the leading social connection and engagement platform that motivates individuals to take positive environmental actions, has hired veteran marketing and innovation executive Javier Flaim as the global marketing svp. Flaim was most recently partner and evp of innovation at Maddock Douglas, an innovation consulting firm, where he was responsible for helping both Fortune 50 and startup organizations develop and launch industry-changing products and services. An accomplished marketing expert, Flaim brings almost 20 years of marketing, communications, innovation and consumer insights experience to RecycleBank, and will be focused on helping to translate RecycleBank's local community impact to a broader, digital audience.

Study to evaluate prospects of paperboard tray use in Israel
Pro-Green Israel, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting a sustainable consumer market in Israel, is conducting a survey on the use of paperboard trays in other parts of the world as they evaluate the prospects of promoting the use of paperboard trays in Israel instead of products made of aluminum and plastic.

Cereplast to distribute bioplastic resins in Poland
Cereplast Inc., a leading manufacturer of proprietary bio-based, compostable and sustainable plastics, has entered into a multi-million dollar supply and distribution agreement with BioWorks Pl to supply Cereplast bioplastic resins to the Polish marketplace. This partnership reflects a growing demand for Cereplast bioplastic resin across the European continent. BioWorks will distribute Cereplast Compostables and Cereplast Sustainables resins to product and package manufacturers in Poland.

UFLEX starts up new BOPP plant in Egypt
The UFLEX Group (formerly the FLEX Group) has commissioned its new greenfield BOPP film plant in Egypt (near Cairo). The coextruded BOPP film line is one of the world's largest at 8.7 meters wide, runs at 500 meters per minute and can turn out about 80 million pounds per year. The film line is supplemented by a 2.85-meter wide plasma-enhanced high-barrier vacuum metallizer.

Osler named senior strategy director at Anthem Worldwide
Anthem Worldwide—a Schawk Strategic Design Co., whose integrated global network provides innovative solutions to articulate, unify and manage brand impact to create compelling and consistent brand experiences—has named Rob Osler senior strategy director.

PCA names vp for containerboard mill operations
Packaging Corp. of America has named Charles J. (Jack) Carter vp, Containerboard, with responsibility for the company's four containerboard mills and support operations. Carter will report to CEO Mark Kowlzan. Carter, age 51, joined PCA in March 2010 as director, papermaking technology. He has nearly 30 years of forest products industry experience working in key management positions.

Bayer MaterialScience LLC expands polycarbonate film production
To better serve its customers, Bayer MaterialScience LLC has expanded its polycarbonate film production at its South Deerfield, Mass., facility. With this expansion, the facility is able to produce gloss-gloss and textured Makrofol polycarbonate and Bayfol polycarbonate-blend films.

The Label Printers begins major waste reduction project

The Label Printers has kicked off a new solid waste reduction project, its next step in achieving TLMI's Label Initiative for the Environment (L.I.F.E.) "Green" certification. It plans on reducing waste sent to landfills by 60 percent or more.

Xaar appoints new marketing communications manager
Xaar, the world's leading independent supplier of industrial inkjet printheads, has appointed Charlotte Baile as marketing communications manager. With almost 20 years of experience in marketing technical products, Baile joins Xaar from Linx Printing Technologies, an industrial inkjet manufacturer and a global leader in the product identification market.

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