5 favorite packaging stories from August 2018

Our monthly review of the top articles of the previous month reveals a strong interest in sustainability (no surprise there, right?), flexible packaging and an amusing but accurate look at what personifies a packaging engineer, courtesy of 30 packaging engineers from around the world.

Our audience chooses these top articles and I usually don’t editorialize or let my feelings intrude. But, because packaging is blessed with a lot of good people who deserve recognition, this time I’m going to just mention… While it didn’t make the top five list, my favorite article of last month is “Marchetti: A new generation of packaging professionals” because it was so much fun to do. You’ll read about a trio of young new packaging professionals who have three things in common: parents, Cal Poly and a passion for packaging. Do you have a packaging-family story to tell too? Comment at that article to share your tale.

Now, let’s take a look at what news our global packaging community found especially compelling—based on page views at PackagingDigest.com—during the month of August 2018.

5. 10 packaging trends and news rockin’ 2018 (so far)

At the end of June, instead of reviewing the top articles Packaging Digest posted in May 2018 (based on page views), we looked back at the first half of the year. To see where the industry is headed and identify emerging trends, it’s always helpful to analyze where we’ve been.

So from January to June 2018, here are the top packaging developments:

1. 5 packaging design trends on the way out in 2018

2. 8 sustainable packaging hits of 2017

3. Chew on this: Packaging trends for new sweets and snacks

4. Decadent Delici dessert packaging designed for Costco

5. How sustainable are biodegradable and plant-based plastics?

6. Chill-Can presents a new twist in on-demand cold beverages

7. 166 new packages to inspire you

8. 5 top packaging developments in May 2018

9. Amazon on creating ecommerce packaging that’s great for all: Customers, companies and the environment

10. Nestlé Waters’ sparkling new packaging signals major rebranding

NEXT: Flexible packaging energizes the industrial market

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Packaging solutions come to Minneapolis: As part of the region’s largest advanced design and manufacturing event, MinnPack 2018—and the five related shows taking place alongside it—brings 500+ suppliers, 5,000+ peers and 60+ hours of education together under one roof. Register for free today.

4. Flexible food packs bulk up with superior performance

Flexible packaging has conquered many consumer product categories. It’s making inroads, too, on the industrial side. Senior technical editor Rick Lingle eye-spied a pair of breakthrough flexible packaging innovations during an excursion to the Powder & Bulk Solids show.

The developments from Fres-co System USA are the Termalock Powder Bag and Flexible Bucket, which are suitable for food ingredients and other dry goods, including pharmaceutical and cosmetics ingredients.

Abby Possinger, Fres-co’s market development manager, food and feed ingredients, says, “The Termalock Powder Bag directly addresses recurring problems that plague the producers of bulk powders, namely oxidation, moisture and dehydration. The one-way degassing valve with built-in vent chamber offers 100% airtight protection and a near-zero moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR). With flat storage when empty and perfect palletization when filled, the advantages over alternative packaging options are overwhelmingly apparent.”

Possinger also touts, “With an EZ Open reclosable top and a high strength-to-weight ratio, the Flexible Bucket is the ultimate weight-saving, space-conserving solution for product transportation and storage.” She explains that, with an extra ply of material in its construction, the reinforced shaped handle maintains its form and strength, and makes the Flexible Bucket easier and more comfortable to carry than other flexible pouch or rigid buckets.

NEXT: Creation of the world’s largest consumer packaging manufacturer

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Packaging solutions come to Minneapolis: As part of the region’s largest advanced design and manufacturing event, MinnPack 2018—and the five related shows taking place alongside it—brings 500+ suppliers, 5,000+ peers and 60+ hours of education together under one roof. Register for free today.

3. New Amcor: Assessing the impact of the world’s largest manufacturer of consumer packaging

Because packaging is such a dynamic business, mergers and acquisitions happen all the time in the supplier community. But Packaging Digest just had to comment on the news about Amcor buying Bemis. Combining these two mega-material manufacturers creates a stronger, more capable provider of flexible packaging, rigid plastic packaging, specialty cartons and closures.

My take? In the flexible packaging market specifically, I believe the New Amcor will set a high bar for innovation as the talented Amcor and Bemis staffs begin to collaborate rather than compete.

Other packaging experts also weigh in on the news with their insights of what the acquisition will mean to the company’s customers.

NEXT: A sustainable packaging bonanza!

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Packaging solutions come to Minneapolis: As part of the region’s largest advanced design and manufacturing event, MinnPack 2018—and the five related shows taking place alongside it—brings 500+ suppliers, 5,000+ peers and 60+ hours of education together under one roof. Register for free today.

2. 8 sustainable packaging hits of 2017

Sustainability is so embedded in packaging today. Nearly every article posted at PackagingDigest.com has at least a mention of sustainability. So it’s not surprising that our annual review of the top sustainable-packaging-related articles from last year did well. What is surprising is that it continues to do well eight months into the next year. (And did you notice this article also appeared in the “10 packaging trends and news rockin’ 2018 (so far)” article at the beginning of our August 2018 countdown?)

Here are eight reasons this 2017 annual review is still so popular that it earned our second highest spot in August:

1. 5 exciting, emerging sustainable packaging materials to watch in 2016

2. How sustainable are biodegradable and plant-based plastics?

3. Are refill stations the answer to packaging waste?

4. Ahh…Coke refreshes its sustainable packaging strategy

5. Sustainable packaging is more important than ever

6. Is 100% recyclable flexible packaging possible?

7. McCormick’s recipe for packaging that’s more sustainable

8. First fully recyclable shampoo bottle made with beach plastic points to new plastics economy

NEXT: Calling all packaging engineers!

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Packaging solutions come to Minneapolis: As part of the region’s largest advanced design and manufacturing event, MinnPack 2018—and the five related shows taking place alongside it—brings 500+ suppliers, 5,000+ peers and 60+ hours of education together under one roof. Register for free today.

1. You know you’re a packaging engineer if…

With tens of thousands of page views, this 30-page slideshow enjoys the #1-article-of-the-year-so-far designation, garnishing nearly double the page views of the #2 article of the year. Quick-reading and often funny, answers to the sentence “You know you’re a packaging engineer if…” show the comradery, challenges and pride people experience in their packaging careers.

We’ve gotten several new replies, which we’ll share in another slideshow down the road. Do you have something to say??? Share it now at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PkgEng.

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Packaging solutions come to Minneapolis: As part of the region’s largest advanced design and manufacturing event, MinnPack 2018—and the five related shows taking place alongside it—brings 500+ suppliers, 5,000+ peers and 60+ hours of education together under one roof. Register for free today.