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To address the issue of marine pollution caused by microplastics, the Japanese government started charging for plastic shopping bags in July 2020 and the Plastic Resource Recycling Promotion Law (PRRPL) was passed in April 2022, thereby discouraging plastic use in Japan. However, even before these laws and regulations were established, companies and offices had begun starting to make voluntary efforts to reduce plastic use. Among these efforts, this study focused on the shift from plastic to paper materials and company efforts to lower plastic use. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the social perception of marine plastic pollution since 2018 on companies' adoption of paper materials for containers and packaging. The companies reviewed may have used up to 236,699 tons of paper materials instead of plastic since 2018. This reduction in plastic consumption is expected to decrease emissions by up to 625,424 tons of carbon dioxide (tCO2) annually, as well as external costs by up to 180.7 million yen. Hence, the shift from plastic to paper materials through firms' voluntary efforts since 2018 has helped to reduce plastic use and ameliorate the effects of global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main challenges in food contact materials research is to prove that the presence of non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) is not a safety issue. Migration extracts may contain many unknown substances present at low concentrations. It is difficult and time-consuming to identify all these potential NIAS and concurrently to assess their health risk upon exposure, whereas the health relevance at low exposure levels might not even be an issue. This paper describes a scientifically based, but pragmatic safety assessment approach for unknown substances present at low exposure levels in food contact matrices. This complex mixture safety assessment strategy (CoMSAS) enables one to distinguish toxicologically relevant from toxicologically less relevant substances, when related to their respective levels of exposure, and allows one to focus on the substances of potential health concern. In particular, substances for which exposure will be below certain thresholds may be considered not of health relevance in case specific classes of substances are excluded. This can reduce the amount of work needed for identification, characterisation and evaluation of unknown substances at low concentration. The CoMSAS approach is presented in this paper using a safety assessment of unknown NIAS that may migrate from three carton samples. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

PPG INDUSTRIES PPG Industries, Inc., Pittsburgh, has named Michael J. Petley as fiberglass reinforcements sales director and Robin E. Snyder as reinforcements market development manager. CUMBERLAND John Farney has been [...]

Paper or recycled paper containing contaminant can be used for food packaging if the food is protected by a functional barrier made of plastic coating. The problem of contaminant transfer through the packaging was studied from a theoretical viewpoint. A migration model was built to provide predictions of concentration and amount of contaminant. The equations were built based on Fickian diffusion, and analytical solutions were obtained through Laplace transformation and inversion theorem. Different diffusivities of contaminant in the two layers and partition coefficient kCP at the interface of paper and plastic coating were considered in the model The effects of kCP, thicknesses of paper and plastic coating on the migration were discussed. In addition, the applicability of the model as bi-layer polymer packaging was also studied. The effects of concentration and L⋅.(L + H)-1 (thickness ratio of paper and packaging) on migration were analyzed. The model obtained can be used universally for other types of bi-layer packaging materials such as for two plastic combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficiency of optical brightening agents (OBAs), also known as fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs), has long been of interest in the production of uncoated fine paper, particularly in uncoated fine paper grades containing high-yield pulp (HYP). The increasing levels of whiteness and also the increasing HYP substitution in fine papers has made OBA efficiency an important issue. This paper summarizes recent research findings in understanding and enhancing OBA efficiency in fine papers containing HYP, with focus on the main factors affecting OBA efficiency in both wet end and size press application. These factors include the base sheet brightness and whiteness of the pulp, UV competitors, OBA retention, quenching effects, and OBA migration at the size press. Some new technologies to improve OBA efficiency are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents challenges in the paper-and-board packaging market which is counted 39% of the European packaging market and 52% of the UK packaging market. The automation present challenges in the paper-and-board food packaging and its subsequent reconfiguration to meet the variety of packs. Having reviewed the current market and state of the art of food packaging automation, this paper studies the principle of multistation-based operation and reconfiguration and the corresponding technologies. Packaging requires understanding of packs'' motion and design of robotic tooling which are investigated in this paper with origami-type cartons and with sandwich packs. This presents integration of tooling and mechanisms and that of algorithms for reconfiguration and demonstrated in a robotic packaging device. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article discusses a study which proposed an alternative mechanical recycling of multilayer carton scraps (MC) to obtain high-density polyethylene (HDPE)-based composites. Particular focus is given to the analysis of structure/properties relationships as a function of MC. Results showed that a complete polymeric covering of cellulose fractions was induced by the coupling agent.

This research aims at modeling the rotary drying of carton packaging waste and analyzing the energy performance of the process. Drying data were obtained in a semi-pilot rotary dryer, 0.45 m diameter and 2.7 m rotating drum long, operating with an air velocity of 1 m/s and air inlet temperature of 90°C and 10 rpm. Under the operating conditions employed, the analysis of the data showed that the energy performance of the drying process increased from 5 to 75% as the inlet wet solid feed rate increased from 1.8 to 19 kg/h. In addition, at this latter wet-solid feed rate, the reduction of the air velocity in the dryer to 0.8 m/s also led to an increase in the performance of drying process from 80 to 94%. Furthermore, with a 95% confidence interval, the model used was adequate to predict the air and solid temperature as well as the air humidity and the solids moisture content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cooperation with the world’s second largest manufacturer of beverage cartons (SIG Combibloc®) for liquid foodstuffs an innovative off-take for neutralisation of reactive gas in a paper laminating machine was constructed. A great challenge during engineering work was ensuring a high concentration of the reactive gas where needed and at the same time minimising work place impact in a machine basically without housing. Preliminary 2D-models of the machine geometry proved to be insufficient in describing all the governing flow phenomena. A simplified 3D-geometry containing all important parts of the complex machinery was necessary for accurate predictions. It was found that the driving force of air movement and transport of reactive gas (which acts as an adhesive agent) from the reaction zone in the interior of the laminating machine to the outside is a boundary flow caused by the rapid movement of carton material and rotating cylinders. A physically correct simulation result of the boundary flow is a premise for correct prediction of air flow in and around the machinery. Lacking experimental data (due to an inaccessible geometry) a worst case scenario was constructed by generating a grid and using turbulence models that maximised mass transport in the boundary layer region and thus emission of (tracer)gas from the machine. CFD simulations were done using the geometry preprocessor Gambit, and the finite volume solver Fluent. The results of the analysis of the emission paths from the machine were surprising and led to the construction of an effective off-take relatively far away from the emission source. The chosen position ensures low disturbance of highly sensitive flow patterns inside the machine and diffusive mixing, dilution and contamination of the surroundings. The effect of the new off-take is an immediate and significant rise in air quality in the vicinity of the laminating machine and ensures maximum allowed concentration in the plant area. The product quality furthermore is uncompromised by the working off-take which was another important goal of this work. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The determination of bisphenol A (BPA) and/or bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE) in foods sold in Japanese markets and in water leached from six epoxy resin cans with similar diameters was carried out using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection (LC/ECD), LC-mass spectrometric detection (LC/MS) and LC-tandem mass spectrometric detection (LC/MS/MS). BPA concentrations were 0–842 ng g-1 for 48 canned foods, 0–14 ng g-1 for 23 foods in plastic containers, and 0–1 ng g-1 for 16 foods in paper containers. No BADGE was detected in three canned foods. There was no difference in leaching concentrations of BPA into glycine buffers at pHs 8 and 11, and water. The amounts of BPA leached into water from six epoxy resin cans held at 121°C for 20 min were almost the same as the cans’ contents and were much higher than the amounts leached from cans held at or below 80°C for 60 min. The amount leached depended on the type of can, but not on the amount of BADGE leached from the cans. Considerably more BPA than BADGE leached to water from six cans. Two cans whose contents had high concentrations of BPA showed no BADGE leaching even at 121°C, suggesting the different kinds of epoxy resin can linings from others. The results imply that the main source of human exposure to BPA is food from cans with linings that contain high percentages of BPA as an additive or an unforeseen contaminant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents information regarding the relationship between balancing reactions and reaction lifetimes. Science educators share a common objective, to familiarize students with critical thinking. An instructor may select a topic of current interest from the scientific literature or from the popular media and ask students to write critical essays concerning some aspect of this topic. A stocker at a local grocery store is given the task of stocking store shelves with cans of corn. The stocker removes 10 cans of corn from each carton, places the cans on the shelf, and discards the empty carton in a nearby waste bin. The stocker works for awhile and then breaks for lunch. A store manager inspects the work after the stocker has left and wishes to know how long the stocker had worked. She finds that there are 100 cans stacked on the shelf, and 10 empty cartons in the waste bin. She knows that the stocker works at a constant rate of emptying carton per minute and concludes that the stockman must have worked for 10 minutes. Although her conclusion may or may not be correct, her logic is certainly reasonable.

This study sought to investigate the significance of raw materials (starch-based glues, raw material papers) at different microbiologically critical stages in the manufacturing process of refined paper products. The study examined the occurrence of microorganisms in the process and in end-product samples. Microbiological surveys verified that the production and use of pasteurized starch-based glue was the most important factor threatening the process hygiene and product safety. Subsequently, the production and use of starch-based glue was changed, and a follow-up programme targeting the microbiological quality of glue was developed as part of a hygiene and safety management system. A total of 33 spore-forming bacterial and 15 enterobacterial isolates were ribotyped, and 22 and 10 different ribogroups (ribotypes), respectively, were generated. These isolates from starch-based glue, raw material paper and end products were atypical and, thus, in many cases physiological, chemotaxonomic (FAME) and molecular (partial 16S rDNA) results did not correspond. The most common spore-forming bacteria (55% of the isolates) were Paenibacillus sp. and within this genus several new species were also proposed. The most common enterobacteria (87%) were Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter freundii belonging to bacteria in hazard group 2, or species closely related to them. It was demonstrated that the same spore-forming bacteria (ribotypes) were present in both the glue samples and the end products (45% of isolates). All RiboPrint® patterns were saved at the VTT identification library for future use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By means of a photoacoustic gas-cell technique we estimated the thickness of varnish layers on base paper. Interpretation of the measurements was supported by a theoretical model which describes the packaging material as a multilayer stack with freely eligible thermal and optical properties. The variable moisture content could be taken into account using mixture formulas for the definition of thermal effusivity and thermal diffusivity at different percentages of water. Satisfying correspondence between photoacoustic phase slope measurements and calculations simulating water migration was able to be achieved. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]