Page 59 - Packaging News Magazine Nov-Dec2020

DECADES IN REVIEW | PKN 60 YEARS SPECIAL
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INDUSTRY 4.0 IS A BUZZWORD
PKN’s Packaging Technology Survey 2017 reveals that Aussie FMCG manufacturers are set to increase capex for packaging line equipment, with a focus on robotics and automation in the next few years. Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) dominate technology talks in the manufacturing sector.
Dulux Paint’s $165 million greenfield factory in Victoria is rated as one of the top five Industry 4.0 factories in the world. Automation engineering specialist Foodmach installed the plant, which has five fully-automated filling and production lines with a total capacity of between 50 and 80 million litres per year.
◆ Coca-Cola Amatil’s Packaging Services Division opens a new injection moulding and assembly line at its Eastern Creek facil- ity for making a world-first three-part HDPE closure for its Powerade brand.
◆ Initscentenaryyear,iconicAussiebrand SPC puts innovation for local and export markets front and centre, launching a trio of fruit snack ranges in Cheerpack pouches – a new pack format for the company – with packaging and filling technology supplied by Metalprint and Guala.
2019
◆ Pro-PacPackagingisrockedbytheexitof two top executives. CEO Grant Harrod and executive John Cerini both step down in a year when the company suffers a $5m loss. ◆ Glass giant OI has put its five Australian and New Zealand plants up for sale, valued at $1billion [Visy is the frontrunner and closes the deal in 2020].
◆ Tube maker Impact International cele- brates 60 years in business, and wins acco- lades for its sustainable initiative, Project Craig, a tube made from material derived from sugarcane.
◆ Packaging solutions company tna opens a new $8 million manufacturing centre in Victoria; tna’s founders Alf and Nadia Taylor are honoured as Members of the Order of Australia for their philanthropic work.
◆ Global aseptic specialist SIG Combibloc is set to acquire Visy Cartons from VisyPak Operations for $70 million.
◆ In the fibre packaging market, Nippon Paper subsidiary Australian Paper buys Orora Fibre packaging for $1.72bn. The deal receives ACCC approval in early 2020 and the company goes on to be renamed Opal. ◆ Wellman Packaging, Sydney-based manu- facturer of rigid plastics packaging, moves into the sustainability spot-
light. On the back of launching a new ‘squeezy’ sauce bottle comprising 90 per cent food grade recycled polyethylene plastic, Wellman announces it is 100 per cent rPET ready – able to produce all its PET preforms and bottles with 100 per cent food grade recycled PET.
◆ Intermediate bulk container and PE drum manufacturer
Schutz Australia opens a new IBC blow moulding and reconditioning facility in Yatala, Qld.
◆ Packaging waste and the war on plastic is a major news focus, and company’s switch into high gear in response. Among these, Pact Group launches its End of Waste white paper and announces its sustainability goals; Coca-Cola Australia and bottling partner Coca-Cola Amatil announce that by the end of 2019 70 per cent of the plastic bottles manufactured for Coca-Cola Australia Beverages will be made from recy- cled plastic.
◆ The e-commerce packaging market glob- ally is enjoying double digit
growth and is worth tens of
billions of dollars. The
industry’s focus switches
to next-gen e-commerce
packs that are lightweight to
save energy, robust to protect
content, right sized to save
space, and easily recycled.
Unboxing is a YouTube phenom-
enon and brand owners are advised
to consider the first impression their packaging will deliver.
◆ Visy snaps up Norske Skog’s newsprint mill in Albury with a view to converting it to board manufacturing.
◆ Jamestrong opens (another) new can mak- ing facility, this time in Auckland, New Zealand to supply the burgeoning infant for- mula market.
◆ Coles teams up with REDcycle and records a 32 per cent increase in soft plastic recycling through REDcycle bins in its stores. REDcycle is a recycling initiative that sees flexible plastics recycled into useful products like park benches and fences.
◆ Australian Vintage invests in a new $10m bottling line at its Merbein packaging operation in
Victoria capable of filling both still and sparkling wines for the first time. The line is installed and integrated by Foodmach. ◆ Carlton and United Breweries ditches the controversial ring-pull cap on its Carlton Dry bottles and reverts to a twist top after consumer backlash.
◆ AUSPACK 2019 wraps up as biggest edi- tion of the packaging and processing trade show yet, with attendance up 25 per cent, and also launches a successful business and industry conference.
2020
◆ Bushfires and floods put Australian businesses under pressure, and the pack- aging industry responds with support. ◆ PKN launches the PLAY PKN
weekly video news bulletin.
◆ TheWorldHealthOrganisation declares Covid-19 a global pandemic, Australia goes into shut down but pack- aging is deemed an essen- tial service and packaging compa- nies step-up to respond with agility. Many pivot their businesses to start producing
hand sanitiser and PPE.
◆ APCO launches Our Packaging Future framework outlining how Australia will deliver the 2025 National Packaging Targets in April, and government steps up funding for recycling infrastructure.
◆ The Australian Institute of Packaging stages two successful virtual events, the PIDA awards in April and the Australasian Packaging Conference (see pages 22-40).
◆ PKN launches The PKN Podcast to bring important packaging conversations into the mainstream.
◆ AUSPACK 2021 is postponed, due to Covid-19, to May 2022 in Melbourne.
◆ PKN turns 60, and publishes its biggest issue to date with an AR activation on the front cover. Turn to Headline Makers on page 114 for this year’s news highlights.
www.packagingnews.com.au | November–December 2020