Box Clever: ERS Lifts the Lid on Today's Packaging Innovaters

 With more people working longer hours and the decline of the traditional family unit,  manufacturers fast caught on to the fact that consumers wanted quick, easy-to-use products  that could slot conveniently into their hectic lifestyles. Now they’re part of everyday life.  Haven’t got time to give the kitchen a good scrub and mop? Give it the once-over with  multipurpose cleaning wipes. Need a quick caffeine fix? Grab a cup of instant coffee. Can’t be bothered to cook a meal for one? Pop a ready-meal in the microwave.

However, despite these products making life easier for consumers, consumers aren’t making life any easier for the suppliers. Brand competition, price wars, health concerns and diet fads are just some of the drivers in convenience products. And the packaging industry is being squeezed from both sides. Consumers want smaller and more disposable packaging but the marketers want more packaging for less money. They also want instantly eye- and wallet-catching designs that can incorporate free buying incentives such as toys, coupons and collectibles.

Put simply: “The end goal of any company is to sell more with more profits The first, easiest and less creative way to do that is by lowering the prices of the packaging materials,” says Mauricio Herman, Director of Cartmont Packaging, the Mexican partner of the Global Packaging Alliance (GPA). “The bad news is that, sooner or later, they find their competitors matching their products and prices, and see themselves exactly where they started – this time with less opportunity to reduce cost.” READ MORE

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AIM Global experts to provide latest standards and market analysis of RFID and Auto ID

INTERPHEX2006™ scheduled for March 21-23, 2006 in New York

Diamond Named Best Workplace in America

Diamond Packaging of Rochester, NY has again been recognized as “Best of the Best” in the 2005 Best Workplace in the Americas awards competition, sponsored by the Printing Industries of America (PIA) and Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF). The program is designed to recognize graphic arts companies for their outstanding human relations efforts in recruiting and retaining qualified staff, which contributes to a successful workplace. This year marks the fifth year in a row that the honor was bestowed on Diamond Packaging.

A panel of experts carefully evaluated all of the entries and found that the human relations practices of Diamond Packaging were among the best in the country. Companies were measured on their day-to-day application of the following criteria:

• Management Practices
• Work Environmentveals
• Training and Development Opportunities
• Recognition and Rewards more

 The Allure of Plastic: A Look  at Polypropylene
 by Dennis Bacchetta

 In previous issues we  highlighted the characteristics  and applications of  polyvinylchloride (PVC) and amorphous polyethylene terephthalate (APET). This month we take a closer look at another versatile plastic, polypropylene..  

One of polypropylene’s greatest strengths is its strength. It has traditionally been a substrate of choice in the textile and automotive industries, because it provides excellent impact cushioning and withstands exposure to most chemicals, heat and extreme weather.

More recently, the consumer goods industry has taken notice of this plastic workhorse and its particular applications for confectionery, stationery, food, and cosmetics packaging. more