Page 24 - Packaging News Magazine Sep-Oct 2018
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24
COVER STORY
www.packagingnews.com.au
September-October 2018
Dairying to be different
Ecolean’s lightweight packaging solution is one of the stars of Bannister Downs Dairy’s latest $30m commercial project. PKN reports.
ABOVE: The award-winning designer dairy in Northcliffe, WA.
LEFT: The Bannister family has run the dairy for close on a century.
the environment, and its long shelf life – were also positive features.
“Since adopting Ecolean packaging we’ve found there are space-saving benefits for our foodservice customers as well,” Daubney says.
“Ecolean is an excellent fit for our business and personal values as we focus on making ethical choices in everything we do.
“And in terms of shelf presence, it stands out from all other available packaging.”
$30M MEGA-PLANT
Bannister Downs’ latest project, which cost over $30 million, has seen it install a complete paddock-to- plate fridge system whereby visitors can view the cows being milked in an automatic milking robot system.
We have a fully automated processing system that has been custom-engineered to meet our product quality priority, and includes our Ecolean filling lines.”
BANNISTER Downs Dairy’s new creamery is the talk of the town. Soon to open in Northcliffe, Western Australia, the robotic dairy and milk processing plant doubles as a tourist facility – and is already winning recognition.
It picked up four awards at the recent 2018 WA Master Builders Bankwest Excellence in Construc- tion Awards, and won the Best In- dustrial Building award in the $20- $50 million category.
Built on a greenfields site away from the existing dairy and process- ing plant on Bannister Downs’ Daub- ney family farm, the robotic rotary dairy will be a first for WA.
Another industry and technology first will be the packaging used for the company’s dairy products.
Back in 2005, Bannister Downs was the first Australian dairy to adopt the Ecolean packaging system, comprising packaging materials and machinery in an end-to-end solution. Following the installation of additional filling and packing lines, it leads the way as the only milk processing facility in the southern hemisphere to use this cutting-edge technology.
Imported from Sweden, the Ecole- an pouch has strong sustainability credentials and weighs around 50- 60 per cent less than a conventional liquid food carton or bottle.
Bannister Downs’ MD Suzanne Daubney says the sustainable profile of the packaging was a major factor in the company’s original decision. The benefits offered to the dairy product – such as a lower impact on


































































































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