ECOPACK, which returns to the NEC in Birmingham on 26 & 27 February 2014, is keenly anticipated as environmental concerns over packaging and food waste continue to grow. Ecopack is the only UK packaging show reflecting the global green market, showcasing the latest R&D developments, eco-friendly innovations and up-to-the-minute industry insight.
For instance, making its show debut is environmental start-up company, Bag Re:Born, with a new innovation for the carrier bags market. The company’s reusable carrier bag is durable enough for repeated use, with a clever pull, tear and snap system. The bag folds out into a full size (60litre) refuse sack. Made from 100 per cent recycled materials utilising post-consumer plastic waste and produced using renewable energy, Bag Re:Born is a truly sustainable product.
Richard Simmonite, the innovator behind Bag Re:Born and CEO of the company, comments: “Single-use carrier bags are an environmental disaster. Their limited function and value permits them to be thrown away after just a few minutes of use, which becomes litter and a danger to wildlife. Bag Re:Born builds on the way people already use their carrier bags, but in a truly sustainable way.”
Cost saving and environmental issues are big challenges for many companies to deal with, but there will be plenty of expertise to hand. Recoup, a leading UK authority on plastics waste management, will be at the show providing knowledge and guidance on the plastics chain of supply, use and disposal.
If you are looking to reduce storage and shipping costs Airpack Systems will be showcasing its latest 100 per cent recyclable inflatable packaging solutions for fragile goods that need to be shipped through courier networks.
For environmentally friendly plastic packaging solutions, Bell Packaging will be showcasing its latest innovations, including its triangular-shaped plastic tubes from the Jetran® range, which employ Post Consumer Plastic Waste.
Pioneers of the stretch sleeve applicator technology, PDC EUROPE, which has worked with the likes of Coca-Cola, Dean Foods and Procter & Gamble, is inviting all those visiting the show to come and “take the PDC wheel” and have a go at applying a stretch sleeve with PDC machinery. It is also displaying its latest linear high speed machine, which makes it possible to sleeve bottles at up to 600ppm.
Those needing to source the latest eco-friendly solutions in the food and drinks industry will find plenty of expertise at the show from the likes of Nicholl Food Packaging, Visican, FFP Packaging Solutions, MLT Packaging and Miko Pac, all of whom have signed up to exhibit.
Summing up her own take on the role of Ecopack, organiser Alison Church: “Consumer consumption has increased, so packaging must work harder. Ecopack provides the perfect forum to discover new products and services to help reduce waste, and it also presents visitors with a fresh outlook on the latest industry developments and issues.”
