RETAL PA is proud to be an active partner in the BotsIQ future workforce development program, connecting smart students with STEM career opportunities.
The non-profit program was founded in 2004 when industrial manufacturers got together with the Pittsburgh chapter of the NTMA (National Tooling & Machining Association) to create an initiative that harnesses the experience of industry mentors and partners them with technically-impressive students.
An inter-school robotics competition is at the heart of BotsIQ, with the teams of students tasked with building a 15lb robot, with every stage of the design and production carefully developed to support the overall STEM goals of the program.
Maria Campieri, Youth Services Manager at BotsIQ, says, “BotsIQ partners with 60 high schools across southwestern Pennsylvania. Through our program, students gain in-demand technical skills needed for a rewarding STEM career. This school year, we've had to think of creative ways to continue connecting industry and education, as in-person events are difficult, even with social distancing.”
One such creative idea is allowing a small number of BotsIQ representatives to visit RETAL PA's Donora factory, taking all social distancing and health precautions, to film an educational tour of the production site and the administrative functions for a virtual student event.
RETAL's HR manager Elizabeth Giecek says, “We are delighted to partner with such an inspiring program; the BotsIQ team are so motivated and the students themselves show incredible potential. It was great to have them here to gather information for the virtual event and to see first-hand how working with the next generation of STEM experts is important for progressive manufacturing companies like RETAL.”
Donora's nickname "home of the champions" proved to be as relevant today as it was in its 1950s heyday as the company's decision to locate there gave the community another chance.
While the well publicized difficulties of towns and communities throughout the rust belt are also true, the clear characteristics of hard work, loyalty and positivity shine through.
"Steel production started to decline from the early 1980s, and it was also that pollution became more of an issue throughout the valley. So the tone changed; people and families needed to leave to find jobs, and young people graduated and left," she said.
But while the tone of Donora and its neighboring towns changed, that local pride and expectation of hard work remained.
Read online at Plastics News
The modification of APET films to suit the demands of face shields has opened up not just philanthropic avenues for one packaging converter, but also commercial opportunities. Emma-Jane Batey reports
It will be almost impossible to describe 2020 in the future. With so much happening that we could have never predicted, the stories of loss and triumph over adversity may well get forgotten as we try to make sense of it.
Businesses large and small have had to adapt, some with more of a fair wind than others, and as we head into the unknown that is this winter, it is crucial that we take what we have learned and make the best of it.
During the first lockdown in spring, global plastics packaging manufacturer Retal responded to an online shout-out from a non-profit organisation that needed face shields for healthcare workers in Lithuania. The Retal Baltic Films team made the necessary adjustments to the plant’s equipment in order to produce transparent, fog-free APET films that are thicker than the company’s usual food-grade films.
As ‘essential’ manufacturing has been able to continue throughout the lockdown, the company was able to donate the required volume of these particular APET films for the production of more than 70,000 masks. These were requested by Robotikos Mokykla, a non-profit that provides technical education for children, and was spearheading the organisation of creating PPE masks for people in at-risk jobs during the initial phase of coronavirus.
Following the success of this volunteer project, the Retal Baltic Films team was keen to continue with the production of this specific APET film, even though the demand for face shields decreased in urgency as the supply of PPE became more reliable.
Violeta Ruseka, Retal Baltic Films’ APET films sales manager, explains: “We all know that 2020 has been a huge challenge, but the challenge to amend part of our additional production capacity to produce these thicker APET films for face shields was a welcome one. In March and April we found they were in great demand and we created an internal platform so that medical professionals could order them directly; it’s quite probable that the majority of face shields used in Lithuania until May were made from Retal Baltic Films APET film.”
While demand for this film for face shield applications dropped slightly after June, the company found that other applications were fast creating additional needs, in particular for the temporary, transparent hanging screens that have been quickly installed at many shops, coffee bars, and administrative offices with public access.
Ruseka adds: “This APET film is around 5mm thicker than the film used for face shields, but other than that it has the same anti-fog, no haze qualities and can be easily cut to whatever size and shape is required.”
Now that the company has finalised the technical parameters for its various APET film thicknesses, it is able to quickly adjust production according to its customers’ needs, both in terms of donating product for non-profit organisations and selling in quantity for commercial customers.
For example, Swedish packaging converter INP Forpackningar contacted Retal Baltic Films eager to source large volumes of clear films following the news that the company was able to supply thicker APET film with guaranteed anti-fog, no haze properties.
“This is one of two new cooperations that we have established since June and we are seeing new orders come in in smaller quantities too,” admits Ruseka.
Read online at Plastics in Packaging
The pace of RETAL’s ongoing development shows no sign of slowing down, even though 2020 has been full of unforeseen challenges.
The global plastic packaging manufacturer has been able to stay close to its investment and progression strategy this year, with its ambitious CSR strategy underpinning its success.
An important example of RETAL’s continued growth is the official opening of its dedicated new laboratory and warehouse at its RETAL Baltic Films facility in Klaipeda, which represents a considerable €4.5 million investment, resulting in enhanced testing facilities and a new 4000 square metre warehouse.
RETAL Baltic Films General Manager, Viktorija Griziene, explained how this investment illustrates RETAL’s focus on development.
“We are delighted that our new facilities will support our ambitions to deliver complete packaging solutions for our customers. We can now offer fast, reliable, expert testing in-house, which guarantees that customers can clearly understand every element of their products from RETAL. Essentially, we can imitate the actual industrial processes that our customers use, including capping and filling, allowing us to smooth out any details that could be optimised.”
This complete packaging solution now includes a highly sophisticated validation process, thanks to the investment in the laboratory at RETAL Baltic Films, which assures guaranteed product quality stability due to the in-house equipment and technical expertise.
“Our highly experienced team can effectively utilise the new equipment to analyse the product and any changes the customer requires, including new additives, slight design changes, or new materials,” continued Ms Griziene.
Read more at insidefoodanddrink
We cannot get away from the fact that plastic packaging is not having a golden time at the moment. It's an easy bogeyman across the media, from wildlife programmes to EU legislation, so it can be hard to be a plastic packaging champion without looking like you're disconnected from the zeitgeist. And of course, we all want to be responsible citizens and leave the world a better place than how we found it, so it's not like packaging professionals want to waste loads of valuable raw materials and just dispose of them in the nearest river.
Yet with plastic packaging being so easy to criticise, it also means that the reality of plastic as a packaging material is also incredibly transparent; both literally (consumer studies show a slow uptake for 'non glass like' packaging with higher recycled content, even though it's more sustainable) and metaphorically (being under the spotlight means there's nowhere to hide).
Read more online at Sustainable Plastics
RETAL Baltic Films, which manufactures food-grade APET film and closures at the Klaipeda Free Economic Zone, has completed a €1m laboratory expansion investment project. The renewed lab allows the company to imitate the food and beverage packaging processes of its brand-name customers while utilising the packaging elements it produces, helping to bring innovative packaging solutions to market sooner.
The company has been pursuing scientific research and production testing projects in Klaipėda since 2016, during which time its laboratory has been certified by one of the world’s largest beverage producers. The current R&D capacities of the company have allowed it to successfully perform tethered cap research and to create and test the product, in turn contributing to a greater quantity of packaging elements being returned for recycling and meeting the EU Directive on single use plastics.
Believing in the lab’s importance and its contribution in developing more sustainable products for the market, the company decided to expand its R&D capacity, prompting the completion of the expansion of the laboratory’s premises and purchasing new laboratory equipment this year. The company will transport a full set of equipment to Klaipeda and install it by the second quarter of 2021. Currently, the laboratory premises and equipment have drawn €1m investment, and since 2016, €800K has been allocated for purchasing the equipment. The company plans to purchase a further €700K worth of laboratory equipment. General Manager at the company Viktorija Grižienė notes that the new laboratory will allow the company to expand its research into closures and will open up totally new opportunities in the food film segment. “In terms of bottle closures, we already are a research centre for our global group, and we have also established firm partnerships with third parties. The entire world is keen to use more recycled and sustainable materials in bottle caps and bottle preforms, and in our new lab we can test every idea and possibility by imitating the entire packaging process, replicating the conditions and technologies of our clients. Today, most of the food packaging on the market is comprised of components supplied from various manufacturers, which does not ensure optimal compatibility, functionality, sustainability and opportunities to improve the packaging. We can create products for our customers which are more optimal, more sustainable and easier to recycle,” V. Grižienė says.
Read more at Delfi.lt
Brands overlook the importance of innovative closures to their detriment, as clever caps deliver protection of product as well as convenience. Yet with the latest EU directive regarding tethered closures making stay-connected caps a need not a want, manufacturers are highlighting how their particular expertise can bring value to this crucial part of packaging design. Emma-Jane Batey speaks to design engineer Andzejus Buinosvskis and marketing manager Mariya Ushakova from RETAL to learn how this global plastic packaging manufacturer is exceeding its brand-owner customers’ requirements.
The impact of the EU Single Use Plastic Directive on tethered closures sees a ruling that all beverage containers of up to three litres must have lids that ‘remain attached’ is not only set to be positive from an environmental perspective, but also in terms of packaging innovation.
With the crucial yet often underplayed role of closures in the performance and, to a lesser extent, brand awareness, this SUP directive brings closures into the spotlight. And now that closures have been given their chance to shine, they seem to be rather enjoying it! For global caps and closures manufacturers, their work has long been somewhat in the shadow, yet for those involved in the creatively technical aspects of the design of closures, their deep understanding of how the closure literally allows the product itself to be protected, this is not news. For carbonated beverages in particular, the role of the closure is driven by the pressure of the fizzy drink within, so understanding how that performance influences the engineering elements is key. The additional demands of tethered closures is bringing an additional challenge to those who create what consumers take for granted.
Andzejus Buinosvskis, design engineer for RETAL, a global plastic packaging manufacturer that works with many of the world’s leading food and beverage brands, explains how the EU’s SUP directive is influencing his work. He says, “In the early days of tethered cap development all packaging manufacturers were working in our own bubbles, but as the regulations and their impact have become more clearly understood and, particularly, now we have more specific requirements from our household-name brand owner customers, we are able to develop solutions that are unique to us.”
Read full article online on Packaging Today
Plastics packaging manufacturers are keen to stay ahead of changing EU legislation in order to be a positive influence and supporter of the circular economy. The EU SUP Directive’s tethered closures rule for all beverage containers of up to three litres to have lids that ‘remain attached’ is a reflection of the organisation’s ‘growing sense of urgency’, which also reflects the view of the majority of PET manufacturers.
Packaging converter Retal is driven to meet and exceed EU targets in order to deliver on its customers’ CSR targets as well as its own strict
goals.
Andzejus Buinovskis, design engineer at Retal, has been deeply involved in the development of the company’s tethered cap solutions, a process which has evolved in response to challenges and further information.
“The process of developing and changing has been interesting as we’ve been in close communication with our beverage brand customers,” said Buinovskis. “Their needs are evolving too, so sharing ideas has helped to create solutions that we’re really proud of.”
Read / download the article in PDF
Read online on Plastics in Packaging
In all the best success stories, it is not one person that makes the difference, but rather a motivated team of like-minded individuals that come together to achieve a big goal. This is certainly true of RETAL Cyprus, the Limassol-based plastic packaging factory, part of RETAL Industries, which celebrated its fifth anniversary on 9th October this year.
The story first started with a big inauguration in 2015. The importance of RETAL opening and operating a successful factory in Cyprus, where it is headquartered, was clear from this event, as it was attended by the President of Cyprus Mr. Anastasiadis, senior local government officials, the President of RETAL Anatoly Martynov, all of RETAL's board of directors, and its global customers. The event was widely publicised as it highlighted the importance of opening such a modern factory in Cyprus.
RETAL's plans in this strategically important region - the south part of Europe - have come true. Today it is a successful and dynamically developing business that contributes to the Cyprus economy. The company’s president Mr. Martynov notes, “RETAL has over 20 years of experience in the production of plastic packaging. It is the synergy of our deep understanding of the industry and significant investments in our modern plant that are key to the achievements of RETAL in Cyprus.”
Read the story online on Cyprus Times
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Working together to create a complicated closure has been a positive and commercially beneficial project for both RETAL and PepsiCo.
The resulting crown-shaped cap helps to ‘guarantee the preservation of the first-class taste and useful properties of the fruits within thanks to a unique combination of functional parts and clever design.
The project has been driven by PepsiCo’s launch of a new chilled juices category in Russia in 2019, seeing its Ya and J7 trademarked chilled natural juices. Сaps for this project are the result of this collaboration and are exclusively owned by PepsiCo, bringing benefits that have seen increased sales and strong brand awareness.
Traditional yet modern
The crown closure from RETAL is produced by utilising the shared customer/supplier relationship. Commercial production started in August 2019, with this 38mm 8.5g closure complimenting the 38mm 36g preform also supplied by RETAL to PepsiCo for the Russian market. For the production of this brand new line of chilled natural juices, which have a shelf life of less than 72 days on a cold (dairy) shelf, completely new aseptic filling equipment was installed at the Tsaritsyno Dairy plant in Moscow, including an ultramodern line with a capacity of 16 thousand 0.85 litre PET bottles per hour.
RETAL key account manager for Russia Anastasiya Romanovskaya adds, “This premium product needs special packaging that highlights its quality and positioning. The fundamental difference between the new crown closure and its Tropicana predecessor is the clever combination of its functionality, which is how the necessary tightness is achieved, with the design element, which sees a characteristic bright design in the form of intersecting arches. This versatile solution eliminated the need to seal the neck with foil and ensure the complete tightness of the product when it is resealed, making it convenient for consumers.”
Creatively commercial
It is these performance- and design-driven intersecting arches that help make this closure unique. Having already worked in close partnership with PepsiCo for some years, Romanovskaya and her team were committed to designing a closure solution that harnessed RETAL's deep understanding of the company and its products. She says, “Huge efforts were made on both sides to ensure that the samples requested for different tests were produced and delivered on time. We also made a commercial mold as part of the project; all in all, it was a very complicated process that required the skills of PepsiCo and RETAL's R&D teams. We truly value the shared project and the resulting sucсess of the crown closure.”
Evgenia Kiyashko, purchasing manager for polymer packaging PepsiCo Russia, says, “Consumer-centricity is in heart of our business. We investigate consumers needs and heavily invest in product innovations. Launch of chilled juices was one of our largest projects in 2019. We wanted to deliver a brand new, high quality product to our consumers and make it look really great. This required new ideas in packaging including juice closures”.
Romanovskaya concludes, “Creating a crown cap solution for PepsiCo was a fabulous challenge and one we were delighted to solve successfully and ahead of schedule. We understood that we were part of an important image project for the market leader of the juice sector in Russia and we did not have a single chance for a mistake or delay! We utilized our best resources, overcoming difficulties step by step, staying in constant contact with our injection equipment manufacturer Husky. We hope that the impressive results of this crown cap project once again prove RETAL’s high quality design and service standards to PepsiCo and the market.”