All articles by Rebecca Panks

Rebecca Panks

Buying behaviours: rapid growth predicted for convenience stores

Increasingly busy lifestyles and changes to consumer behaviours will mean a rapid growth in convenience stores in the next five years. Martin Leeming identifies the challenges posed to the packaging sector by the move towards little-and-often shopping habits.

Twinings: a joint enterprise

Are two heads better than one? Gilchrist’s Lisa Bale and Barry Pritchard of Twinings talk to Packaging & Converting Intelligence about the design of heritage products, the process of integrating a new carton structure with a familiar brand, and the benefits of a long-term relationship between brand and designer.

Keeping a lid on cost

Collaboration between ASDA’s packaging and logistics departments has helped the supermarket to cut supply chain costs. Elly Earls talks to Greg Alder and Alex Linton to find out more about this success, and learns how the innovative Palletainer packaging solution has saved the company money and boosted its environmental credentials.

Danone: packaging the future

Danone has announced that it will adopt PLA packaging in the form of Ingeo for its Activia yogurt brand. It’s further evidence that major manufacturers are serious about investing in environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional materials such as polystyrene. Barry Mansfield reports.

Natural selection

In a market saturated with petroleum packaging products, truly sustainable solutions stand out. Frito-Lay’s Brad Rodgers talks to Packaging & Converting Intelligence about the ups and downs of designing and developing a new, 100% compostable, biopolymer-based material.

Koni Grob: The missing ink

Going green isn’t easy. Sustainability may be popular among consumers and food manufacturers but the threat of mineral oil and phthalate migration from recycled packaging remains. Koni Grob of the Official Food Control Authority of the Canton of Zurich tells Nic Paton why the onus is on the packaging industry to develop cost-effective solutions.

Pressing ahead

The value of the digital printing market within the packaging sector is set to grow to almost £12.5bn by 2015. Neil Falconer, print strategy consultant at Pira International, explains why digital presses have the potential to revolutionise packaging supply chains by offering unrivalled cost reduction and efficiency.

PET: packaging at premium

It’s essential that a product consistently reflects the brand and target market – inside and out. Barry Mansfield talks to Håkon Langen, packaging innovation manager at Danish brewer Carlsberg, about the role PET will play in extending the company’s global reach, and where the material fits into a sustainable yet high-end strategy.

Cosmetics: airless is more

Against a backdrop of economic austerity, cosmetics brands are continuing to invest in the power of airless packaging. This is facilitating an increase in natural products that have a longer shelf life and reduce waste. SugarBaby’s Lizie Clifton and Gillian Garside-Wight of Your Packaging Partner explain to Rhian Owen why demand is set to surge as formulas become increasingly sophisticated.

Counterfeiters: caught in the net

The internet has opened up a massive new market to counterfeiters, one that can be accessed at the click of a button. Desmond Hunt of US Pharmacopeia and Merck Serono’s Andreas Maack explain how a global legislation effort combined with multilayered packaging protection can help catch the copies.