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"Well, Sheila", says Gabe (gray hoodie), "have you read the brochure we sent you?" This seems like a perfectly reasonable question to Sheila, but Gabe looks shocked. "We'll leave you to think about it, Sheila", says Gabe, "but don't take too long. Tempus fugit." Gabe pulls the folder they didn't let Sheila see last time from his briefcase. [Extracted from the article]

The flexible packaging industry has experienced a slowdown in growth, but several niche markets are performing strongly, particularly those for high performance films such as LLDPE and OPP. Demand for polyester film is high and has outstripped supply, with several large investments in new capacity planned. The trend towards thinner film has made the size of the total flexible packaging market difficult to calculate, but it is estimated that flexible packaging consumption in Western Europe is between 4.5 million t and 5 million t.

The long, hot summer of 1995 saw a revival in Western Europe's beverage packaging market, led by the U.K., where cans dominated the packaged soft drinks market, with a 65% volume share. Elsewhere in Europe, PET bottles lead the market for carbonated soft drinks, with over half of volume sales. Meanwhile, glass bottles continue to lose their market share. A major trend in the European market is the move towards steel cans away from highly-priced aluminium packaging. It is expected that steel cans will have some 60% of the market by 1997, against 51% in 1994. An overview of the European beverage packaging industry is presented.

The samples market is one in which industry's ingenuity is regularly put to the test EVERYBODY likes to feel that they are getting something for nothing. And it is this [...]

Has the small-character ink jet printer had its day? Some manufacturers are already making changes to ensure competitiveness For several years companies in the coding and marking sector, particularly small [...]

The benefits of innovative pharmaceutical packaging on patient compliance are discussed. The calendar blisterpack remains the leader in compliance packaging. Comments from executives are also provided.

Demand is growing for the introduction of pan European hygiene standards governing packaging for food products SINCE THE 1990 Food Safety Act came into force, the phrase 'due diligence' has [...]

Product tampering may not always be the most serious crime, but its effects on a product's image can be devastating. Hilary Ayshford looks at the industry's efforts to combat the [...]

LAND OF OPPORTUNITY With its economy the fastest growing in Europe and investment by foreign companies -- including the packaging industry -- reaching record levels, it's not just holiday makers [...]

Mycoplasma contamination is a growing threat to biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes due to their small size and infection capabilities. Testing for mycoplasma contamination is required for therapeutic products designed for human and animal use.

PLASTICS HAVE THE MARKET COVERED ALTHOUGH flexible packaging comprises three main substrates, plastics films are by far the most important, outweighing paper and thin gauge aluminium foil combined in terms [...]

Hilary Ayshford checks out the options as desktop colour printing hits the labels market. Just when it seemed the coding and marking sector was entering a period of consolidation. along [...]

Corrugated cases are still holding their own. The term transit packaging is somewhat misleading. The name implies something temporary, short-lived and disposable, as epitomised by the corrugated case. But as [...]

The ice cream industry is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Gone are the days when ice cream was regarded as a treat for children and came in yellow, brown or lurid pink. [...]

Major retailers are moving slowly but surely towards agreement on the use of returnable transit packaging. The debate concerning the use of one-trip or returnable packaging systems for distribution in [...]

Brand names and packaging are dictating which luxury fragrances sell. STRANGE as it may seem, buying a luxury fragrance has little to do with what the contents of the bottle [...]

Consumers throughout Europe want to be able to buy chilled fresh food any time, anywhere, and rapid progress in CAP/MAP technology is enabling them to do so. CONSUMER reaction to [...]

The recession has meant a sticky patch for the adhesives market, but optimism is reflected in numerous new developments. THE FIRST time most people become aware of a packaging adhesive [...]

DECORATION Decorative techniques are taking glass to new heights, but simple designs are also capable of conveying a strong image of quality WHATEVER your views on consumer perceptions of glass [...]

LUXURY PACKAGING has often been criticised as wasteful. While manufacturers have been addressing this issue, they stress the important marketing role such packaging has to play NEVER judge a book [...]

Advances in inks technology for ink jet printers offer major opportunities for product differentiation THE INKS used in ink jet printing are unique. Any other ink is used only once: [...]

Where a wrong decision could mean life and death, the correct choice of ppackaging material for disposable medical products is critical THERE ARE few areas where pack performance and integrity [...]

The overall European market for drinks containers continues to expand. But it is anyone's guess as to which material will be the next flavour of the month ALTHOUGH the recession [...]

Improvements in productivity and design capability have enabled French corrugated producers to outperform their traditional role of economic indicator AS AN indicator of economic activity, corrugated board has been hard [...]

As demands on labels become increasingly varied, facestock manufacturers are making the most of marketing opportunities COMPARED with the number of label converters in Europe, the manufacturers of labelstocks are [...]

Of all the countries represented at Pakex 92, Germany has changed more in the last three years than perhaps all the others put together. Not only have the 'two Germanies' [...]

Despite a prolonged period of uncertainty caused by the Gulf War, subsequent destocking, unsatisfactory margins, environmental pressures, economic recession and fears of overcapacity in Europe, the polyethylene market is in [...]

Recycling plastics is still in its early stages - but it has value in something more than pound notes. Hilary Ayshford reports TWO YEARS years ago there was no plastics [...]

FOR ONE company to be taken over by another is always a traumatic experience. No matter how logical the acquisition seems, it always gives rise to uncertainty among employees and [...]

CHILL WIND PASSES BY ONE OF the few areas of the high street to be affected least by the slump in consumer spending is the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and toiletries market. [...]

FOOD FOR THOUGHT IN AN atmosphere of enthusiasm and optimism, more than 100 representatives of the packaging industry, converters, food manufacturers, retailers and environmentalists were brought together by polymer producer [...]

SIZING UP THE MARKET IF A PACKAGING print job fails to run satisfactorily on the press, the first person to receive a telephone call is usually the ink supplier. Why [...]

PLENTY OF ROOM FOR EXPANSION PACKAGING currently represents a relatively small part of the activities of Du Pont's Polymer Products Division (PPD) in Europe. But Keith Lyons, director packaging products [...]

SAFETY FIRST PRODUCT LIABILITY CONSUMERS are traditionally seen as poor, downtrodden creatures, constantly abused by large, wealthy manufacturers and suppliers against whom they are powerless to retaliate. This is why [...]

A NEW adhesive developed by National Starch and Chemical in the US could boost the use of roll-fed wrap-around shrink labelling. Launched at Pack Expo 2000 in Chicago, the Contour [...]

A NEW film coating technology which results in an eye-catching finish has been developed by Rexam Image Products, of Wrexham. The technique produces vivid, bright colours on a film which [...]

THE degree of barrier performance for PET bottles for beer and carbonated soft drinks has increased in leaps and bounds in the last few years. But ingress of oxygen during [...]

Demand for push-pull closures will show rapid growth in Europe over the next five years, according to the newly published 2000 edition of Marketpower's European Caps and Closures database. This [...]

Visitors to Pack Expo International 2000 exhibition in Chicago from November 5-9 can hit the ground running with the help of a new, comprehensive web-based show planner. The easy-to-use registration [...]

THE concept of a packaging material that simply disappears after use is very attractive in today's environmentally aware society - particularly in view of recently introduced UK legislation. In reality, [...]

WHAT is claimed to be a breakthrough in PET packaging resins for beer and other hot-fill applications has been launched by KoSa, one of the world's leading polyester producers. KoSa's [...]

IMPROVEMENTS in the barrier properties of plastic containers for liquids through the application of various coating technologies have recently hit the headlines. Elopak's new Plastic Systems Division, headed by managing [...]

EASTMAN Chemical's new Imperm high-barrier nylon-based polymers for multilayer containers are aimed at PET bottles for beer and juice, and small carbonated soft drink containers. Derived from proprietary nanocomposite technology, [...]