Converter Retal has invested in its R&D capabilities in order to offer third-party testing at its laboratory in Klaipeda, Lithuania.
Aleksandr Grinko, chief quality director at the company, said that the company was seeking to widen the scope of its R&D to be able to “create and perfect our preforms and closures in accordance with customer requirements”, but also saw an opportunity to test third-party preforms and closures too.
Grinko continued: “We can offer a full range of tests for carbonated soft drinks and non-carbonated beverages, including prototype development, using our modern equipment, which includes a capping and filling station, large climate chambers that are 750 litres each, an automated torque tester, optical shelf-life tester, and automated open performance tester – these are all from Steinfurth – plus a Zeiss automatic measuring system, plus various other machines and tools.”
The Zalkin pilot capping line delivers semi-industrial testing, which allows the functionality of newly-designed closures that have been produced from a new type of raw material to be testing in aa valuable manner.
“The capacity of this line is 10,000 bottles an hour and it lets us quickly detect hidden defects in a reduced time. Previously, tests were carried out on customers’ lines, but of course this is far better in terms of cost, ease and speed.”
Equipment at the Retal testing laboratory also tests for temperature, humidity and oxygen permeability.
Read online at Eco-Plastics in Packaging.
Read / download in PDF
Local, national and multi-national beverage brands are increasingly keen to boost the sustainability of their packaging, with vocal commitments driven by ambitious targets for environmental and economic performance.
With such a high demand for more sustainable packaging solutions, the challenge for converters and brands is often reliability of supply; wanting to do more of the right thing isn’t always possible if the product isn’t available in the first place.
‘Closing the loop’ is a phrase that represents the scientific approach to a circular economy for the plastic packaging industry, with the focus on making sure sustainable packaging solutions are reliably available by cutting waste , efficiently recycling, and effectively reintegrating post-consumer waste, particularly from single-use plastics.
Lithuania-based UAB NEO Group, manufacturer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins, is one of Europe's leading producers of high-quality PET resins and polyols, and part of the multi-national plastic packaging producing group’s RETAL Industries Ltd. NEO Group’s most recent new product development sees it harness many years of expertise in glycolysis processes with the production of aromatic polyester polyols to create a future-focused solution to this closing the loop conundrum.
Read the article online at Drinkworld Technology (page 40)
Read / download the article in PDF.
With the cost of living crisis biting for consumers and the rise in energy costs impacting on everyone, the fact that waste is unsustainable – in the economic and environmental senses of the word – is just one of the drivers for practical packaging solutions for food.
A recent study shows that the EU now wastes more food than it imports, with around €150billion worth of food wasted each year. All waste is heartbreaking, but food waste is one of the most pointless and depressing, with the fact that around 829 million people go to bed hungry each night while all that food is being thrown away...and produced and paid for at a time when many can least afford it. It is a privilege to be able to throw away food - but we must not waste resources.
One way in which food waste can be tackled is by ensuring suitable packaging is used that compliments how consumers use the product. While we’re all being encouraged to take lunch to work instead of shelling out on takeaways, or making sure we effectively use the produce we’ve bought instead of chucking out half-eaten packets of food from the fridge because it dried out and lost its appeal, it’s a false economy if we don’t fully use what we’ve paid for.
Vikorija Griziene, general manager at RETAL Films, explains how the company has successfully created resealable packaging that’s ideal for sliced cheeses and deli meats, “Developing resealable packaging is a huge technical challenge because it is important that the packaging offers the necessary barrier properties. Sliced cheese needs the right environment inside the packaging; no moisture but not too dry either, so the product has a good shelf life, even after it’s been opened and closed a number of times. We’ve conducted a wide range of technical trials to be sure that we can offer a range of top lidding and bottom film solutions that are resealable and recyclable.”
Read online at Dairy Industries (page 37)
Read / download the article in PDF
RETAL publishes its fourth annual Sustainability Report, proudly highlighting the quantifiable results of its ongoing commitment to implementing CSR across the business.
Guided by the ISO 26000 standards on CSR management and the GRI standard 2021, this clear, easy-to-read yet complete document is available for all stakeholders on RETAL’s website and offers a full insight into the continuously increasing RETAL CSR agenda driven by Sustainability Director Emmanuel Duffaut.
Duffaut says, “I am glad to share RETAL’s continuous progress on our sustainability journey through this fourth annual report. As we advance and increase our actions and improve results, reporting efficiently and keeping our stakeholders informed is a paramount aspect. We strive to make this report an easy and interesting read while including all the required data and information for full transparency and accountability.”
The 2021 Sustainability Report from RETAL publishes strong results from the previous 12 months, including an increase in our Silver EcoVadis score and maintaining our CDP ‘B’ rating for the 3rd year in a row, clearly showing our performance in managing CSR and climate change respectively. Main developments include our commitment to the science-based target initiative (SBTi) to set GHG reduction targets, an increase in our purchase of renewable energy in EU&US, and several noticeable actions on the social aspect. RETAL’s Sustainable Procurement Programme also continues to yield positive results.
Read online at PETnology, SP News, Sustainable Plastics
Read / download in PDF
RETAL publishes its fourth annual Sustainability Report today, proudly highlighting the quantifiable results of its ongoing commitment to implementing CSR across the business.
Guided by the ISO 26000 standards on CSR management and the GRI standard 2021, this clear, easy-to-read yet complete document is available for all stakeholders on RETAL’s website and offers a full insight into the continuously increasing RETAL CSR agenda driven by Sustainability Director Emmanuel Duffaut.
Duffaut says, “I am glad to share RETAL’s continuous progress on our sustainability journey through this fourth annual report. As we advance and increase our actions and improve results, reporting efficiently and keeping our stakeholders informed is a paramount aspect. We strive to make this report an easy and interesting read while including all the required data and information for full transparency and accountability.”
The 2021 Sustainability Report from RETAL publishes strong results from the previous 12 months, including an increase in our Silver EcoVadis score and maintaining our CDP ‘B’ rating for the 3rd year in a row, clearly showing our performance in managing CSR and climate change respectively. Main developments include our commitment to the science-based target initiative (SBTi) to set GHG reduction targets, an increase in our purchase of renewable energy in EU&US, and several noticeable actions on the social aspect. RETAL’s Sustainable Procurement Programme also continues to yield positive results.
Please download the report here.
For further information, please contact Maria Jarrar at media@retalgroup.com.
RETAL Baltic Films enjoyed a welcome reception at this year’s Fachpack trade show for the packaging industry, held in Nuremberg at the end of September and now in its 40th year.
Focusing on presenting its complete range of films solutions across both flexible and rigid films, RETAL Baltic Films hosted a busy stand, showing its rigid mono thermoformable APET film with mono top lidding BOPET film, with food contact approval.
General manager Viktorija Griziene says, “Fachpack was a great opportunity for us to present our complete rigid bottom and top lidding film solutions for a range of food and personal care applications; we had plenty of samples available to show how the two elements work well together. Our team could also explain to visitors how our extensive in-house testing capabilities lets us really explore how to give our customers the best solution for their needs.”
Griziene adds, “It is clear that there is a growing trend for increased sustainability and an interest in mono films across the industry. Our Fachpack stand was buzzing with questions and answers. It was so interesting to share that we regularly collaborate with our sister company NEO Group and can now offer rPET integrated into our APET, created through chemical recycling, bringing a wider range of sustainable solutions to our customers.”
Chemical recycling helps to support a circular economy by reducing plastic waste, decreasing dependency on crude oil, and by lowering the carbon footprint of products made using the resulting rPET.
Are we doing everything we can?
Belgium-based non-profit Plastics Recyclers Europe has created RecyClass, a platform that is a vocal proponent of Design for Recycling (DfR) and its clear approach shares how responsible players in the plastics value chain can do more, earlier. RecyClass defines its purpose as ‘a cross-industry initiative facilitating the transition towards a circular economy’, which it promotes utilising its roster of ‘scientific findings, transparency and traceability’. A useful resource is its Design Book, which was published in June 2022 and is now being increasingly referenced as a science-driven handbook for the entire plastics value chain.
The Design Book is the result of a collaboration from across the entire plastics value chain, particularly members and supporters of RecyClass, with RecyClass Chairman Paolo Glerean explaining that it can, ‘lead to improved quality of recycled plastic and stimulates its uptake in new packaging applications’, while ‘opening the door for a circular plastic future.’
Emmanuel Duffaut, Sustainability Director for multinational plastics packaging manufacturer RETAL, shares how the RecyClass Design Book is an excellent way to clarify and define how that journey from linear to circular economy for the plastics industry. “There are limitations to simply shouting that increasing recycled material volumes in plastic packaging is the answer, especially in food packaging; of course, this is part of the solution, but there are currently also market issues with supply and quality, so strict legislation on this topic is not only helpful. The RecyClass Design Book is a welcome addition to our continually progressing arsenal of circularity tools, as it clearly defines the concept and guidelines of DfR for all players in the plastics industry, showing how we can work together to dramatically increase the likelihood of a realistic plastic circular economy.”
Read full version at Sustainable Plastics
Read / download in PDF
The multinational sales team from plastic packaging producer RETAL was out in force at the recent Plastics News Caps & Closures speaker event in the US.
Held in Schaumburg, Illinois, the prestigious event, hosted by the world’s leading online and print magazine for the plastics industry Plastics News, took place from 19 – 21st September 2022, with over 1500 participants.
RETAL’s sales director for Europe and the US Vitaly Lavrinenko and key account manager Gennadiy Khmelevskiy presented to a packed audience, with the subject ‘Staying Ahead of Legislation – Caps & Closures for Global Beverage Brands’.
The presentation started with details of the impending EU legislation regarding the requirement for all single-use containers of over three liters to have closures that stay attached, explaining how RETAL has developed closures in-house to ensure all its customers are in line with the new rules.
A mineral water bottle made with NEOPET Cycle (PET resin with 30% rPET integrated into the flakes produced by sister company NEO Group) and tethered closure produced by RETAL in Europe was used to demonstrate how the combination works. Lavrinenko and Khmelevskiy continued to explain how the R&D behind the development was achieved, notably sharing how close cooperation with global customer requirements were met alongside the EU Directive.
Following the 20-minute presentation, the RETAL team took a wide range of questions from the floor, with both noting that the audience asked many pertinent questions, highlighting that the dynamic US market is considering the potential realities of implementing tethered closures both to stay ahead of possible legislation and to support global brands in achieving their own ambitious sustainability targets.
RETAL Baltic Films offers full mono solutions of APET rigid and top lidding films, with performance analysis for customers.
The decision to promote RETAL Baltic Films as a dedicated company with its own website coincides with its increased portfolio in flexible and rigid films, thanks to considerable investment at its Klaipeda, Lithuania location, including sales increasing by 100% over the last five years.
Viktorija Griziene, General Manager, RETAL Baltic Films, says, “RETAL has long been a well-known name in rigid packaging across the Baltic region, and we have been increasingly adding to our flexible film capabilities in recent years. Now, RETAL Baltic Films has our own website, and we can highlight how our place in the stable RETAL Group is perfectly complemented by our nimble approach to flexible film packaging development.”
RETAL Baltic Films will be participating at Fachpack, the European trade fair for companies that produce and use packaging, held in Nuremberg, Germany from 27 – 29 September, and Scanpack in Sweden from 4 – 7 October. The team of rigid and flexible film experts will be on hand to talk through its latest sustainable solutions for recyclable high barrier films in APET for top lidding and high barrier mono Form-Fill-Seal laminate, planned investments, and to share how the complete assessment of top lidding and bottom tray is of great value to customers.
Visit RETAL Baltic Films at Fachpack, Hall 7, stand 7-259, and at Scanpack stand number D03:37
See RETAL Baltic Films’ new website at www.retalfilms.com
For further information, contact info@retalfilms.com
RETAL Baltic Films offers full mono solutions of APET rigid and top lidding films, with performance analysis for customers.
The decision to promote RETAL Baltic Films as a dedicated company with its own website coincides with its increased portfolio in flexible and rigid films, thanks to considerable investment at its Klaipeda, Lithuania location, including sales increasing by 100% over the last five years.
Viktorija Griziene, General Manager, RETAL Baltic Films, says, “RETAL has long been a well-known name in rigid packaging across the Baltic region, and we have been increasingly adding to our flexible film capabilities in recent years. Now, RETAL Baltic Films has our own website, and we can highlight how our place in the stable RETAL Group is perfectly complemented by our nimble approach to flexible film packaging development.”
RETAL Baltic Films will be participating at Fachpack, the European trade fair for companies that produce and use packaging, held in Nuremberg, Germany from 27 – 29 September, and Scanpack in Sweden from 4 – 7 October. The team of rigid and flexible film experts will be on hand to talk through its latest sustainable solutions for recyclable high barrier films in APET for top lidding and high barrier mono Form-Fill-Seal laminate, planned investments, and to share how the complete assessment of top lidding and bottom tray is of great value to customers.
Visit RETAL Baltic Films at Fachpack, Hall 7, stand 7-259, and at Scanpack stand number D03:37
See RETAL Baltic Films’ new website at www.retalfilms.com
For further information, contact info@retalfilms.com
Read online at Business Focus
Read / download in PDF