Food and Beverage Packaging: Beverage packaging manufacturers continue to focus on sustainability. What is the environmental benefit to using beverage cans?

As this issue of Food & Beverage Packaging counts down the top 50 beverage packagers, it only seems right to toast the beverage innovators of the beer and wine markets for their innovations.

Salt of the Earth Bakery is relaunching their artisan baked goods in fresh new structure and design worthy of these supremely delicious treats. The Bakery turned to branding partner Little Big Brands to lead the effort.

World demand for corrugated boxes is forecast to increase 4.2% per year to 234 billion square meters in 2017, slightly outpacing real (inflation-adjusted) gains in GDP. Factors contributing to rising box demand include growth in industrial activities, particularly the manufacturing sector, which often requires corrugated packaging to protect and transport goods.

Polychim is setting a new benchmark in the performance of homopolymer polypropylene (PP) in packaging applications with the launch of a new thermoforming PP offering excellent aesthetics, high quality and faster throughput to converters.

Avantium, a renewable chemicals company, and ALPLA Werke Alwin Lehner GmbH, one of the world’s leading plastic converters, announce their Joint Development Agreement for the development of PEF bottles. After The Coca-Cola Company and Danone, ALPLA is the third company to collaborate with Avantium on PEF, a bioplastic based on Avantium’s proprietary YXY technology. The goal of these collaborations is to bring 100% biobased PEF bottles to the market by 2016.

Nature’s Coffee Kettle is a coffee brewing system for campers, hikers and coffee connoisseurs. Now the company’s updated spouted pouch from Flair Flexible Packaging helps Nature’s Coffee Kettle better communicate the unique brewing method and the freshness of the custom-roasted gourmet coffee.

Boulder Brands is introducing innovative square packaging for its Smart Balance and Earth Balance buttery spreads. The industry-first switch from round to square packaging will save more than 50 percent in dairy case and warehouse space, but will result in no change in product price, weight, volume and ingredients.

The international community agrees: food waste is a problem of global proportion. The widespread inefficiencies caused by food waste highlight the need for packaging that prevents spoilage and extends shelf life, while still protecting the flavor and quality that consumers count on and providing the convenience they need. The metal can is an ideal format to help brands achieve these goals, proving its value as a waste prevention tool.

Product protection is a must for food and beverage packages, and companies are working hard to make sure that their products are safe and protected for the end-user. Tamper evident bands, sleeves and seals are designed to prevent the improper opening of a product, which could cause damage to the product and brand reputation.