PACK EXPO International 2024: Sustainability Becomes a Core Engineering Focus
Showgoers to the biennial PACK EXPO International will agree on one aspect that the biennial show delivers on: scale.
Hosted at McCormick Place, Chicago (Nov. 3–6), the exhibition space took up more than 1.3 million square feet, where nearly 2,700 exhibitors representing more than 40 industries that serve the packaging and processing world.
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The premier event for the packaging industry is produced by PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, and is a central hub to discover solutions, stay abreast of the latest topics and trends.
Toward Sustainable Packaging Practices
Sustainability was a purposefully orchestrated theme at Pack Expo International 2024. “We’ve intentionally partnered with companies, exhibitors and vendors to integrate sustainability into every component of PACK EXPO International, including educational programming, show features, and how we do business as the largest packaging and processing event this year,” said Laura Thompson, PMMI’s vice president of Trade Shows.
The show debuted Sustainability Central, an expansive and dedicated hub surveying packaging sustainability. New content included expert speakers at the Sustainability Stage, but also highlighted brands that could demonstrate actionable, sustainable solutions in manufacturing, materials, recovery, logistics, analytics and design. More than 20 expert presentations and educational sessions offered their takes on sustainability-enhancing solutions, including major industry players Amazon, Conagra, Clorox, Dow, Nestlé, the Consumer Brands Association and Conagra.
Minimizing the Use of Virgin Resources to Meet Sustainability Commitments
Many vendors are now developing and producing responsible packaging solutions by incorporating recycled content into their packaging. For instance, packaging solutions purveyor Amcor focuses on making packaging increasingly recyclable, reusable, lighter in weight and using an increasing amount of recycled content. The AmFiniti portfolio of recycled content packaging includes mechanical and advanced recycled material options for mechanical PCR (derived from post-consumer recycled content) for both food-grade and non-food grade applications, as well as advanced recycled materials.
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Amcor produces responsible packaging solutions across a variety of materials for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home and personal care. For its in-booth demonstration of advanced film/equipment systems, Amcor shone a light on Liquiflex intermittent or continuous motion VFFS pouching machines, which it touts for creating “strong, abuse-resistant, zero headspace pouches with superb seal integrity.” These machines feature a programmable 200-function memory, rapid changeovers and cleanup, and accurate weight control to eliminate variability and profit loss. According to Amcor, Liquiflex pouches reduce carbon footprint by 67% compared to metal cans and provide up to 30% reduction in material thickness over competitive structures.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Bottling Materials
The company noted that in fiscal year 2024, Amcor is on schedule to generate $13.6 billion in annual sales from operations that span 212 locations in 40 countries. Amcor has pledged to develop all its packaging to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025. The company’s long-term goal is to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 2050.
In view of these ambitions, Amcor Rigid Packaging (ARP) has, for example, partnered with America Recycles Day to advance the ability to recycle small bottles. ARP’s team of engineers designed a container that collapses in a controlled way to maximize its width. “With a collapsed width greater than 5 cm, this design would no longer slip through the cracks at most U.S. recycling facilities,” noted Amcor.
When bottles are designed to collapse in a specific way, fewer bottles fall through the cracks. “The potential here is higher recyclability rates and more recycled content for multiple segments and materials,” stated Dr. Terry Patcheak, vice president, R&D, Sustainability and Program Management at ARP in a press release.
This example, along with subsequent research, created a basis for Patcheak’s presentation, “Designing the Future of Packaging,” which highlighted how ARP has worked with brands on how they might convert from glass to PET, and why intentional, focused design “not only capture consumer interest but are also lighter and more sustainable.”
Show Partners Demonstrate Commitment to Sustainability & Circularity
Sustainability Central hub featured displays from Virginia Tech, the University of Florida, Clemson University, PMMI Business Intelligence and AMERIPEN, among others, sharing their eco-friendly innovations, research and best practices.
PMMI demonstrated an organizational commitment to sustainability best practices and minimizing the environmental impact of the event by working with Dow, the Official Sustainability Partner and the Official Sponsor of Show Floor Recycling at PACK EXPO International.
Additionally, PMMI noted that McCormick Place has been recognized by independent third-party organizations such as LEED, APEX, Green Seal and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its innovative strategies to reduce its carbon footprint.
Be sure to check out more show coverage at our PACK EXPO 2024 content hub.
