Driven by the dynamic economic development, accelerating urbanization and improvement in people’s quality of life, the consumer market has a surging demand for safe, convenient, unique and environmentally friendly packaging. Meanwhile, the packaging industry is in a difficult position due to more stringent VOC regulations, fluctuating raw material prices, regional industrial transfer, uncontrollable costs, and recruitment difficulty. In light of the increasingly diverse user requirements and fierce market competition with more homogeneous products, the packaging industry has a pressing need for transformation and upgrading.
With the growing complexity of the business environment, how can one read the market trend, adapt to changes with technological innovations, and thus find a way out? CHINAPLAS 2019, a technology-oriented and innovation-driven trade fair, provides an international platform for showcasing and exchanging advanced technology. The show has a large display of innovative solutions featuring cutting-edge materials, machines, and technology, spotlighting customized, green, functional and intelligent manufacturing with reduced cost and improved efficiency, which helps packaging enterprises stand out.
Customized packaging in great demand
The packaging industry is playing an increasingly critical role across various sectors. Brands are looking for crowd-pulling customized packaging. Whether packaging can serve as the driving force behind a brand and how it becomes an important means for enterprises to implement their business strategies are currently hot topics in the industry.
Compared to Europe, the US, Japan, and other countries, China is a late starter in the packaging industry, which, however, has grown to a fairly large-scale industry over the past few decades. And thanks to China’s 40 years of reform and opening-up, the income and living standard of people in the country have improved significantly. As a result, the market has a rising demand for technology that helps deal with small and customized orders in a precise, quick and flexible manner, and brands are going through substantial upgrades with unprecedented frequency. The importance of packaging to products is growing exponentially.
HP Inc. will present its Indigo digital printing solutions for flexible packaging at
CHINAPLAS 2019, provides a timely solution of on-demand customization, enhancing product value through personalization. The digital printing technology can be employed to shorten delivery lead time, boost business growth, save costs, streamline work processes, achieve automated prepress workflow, and directly increase profits. HP Indigo supports one-pass printing to allow the use of micro-text, anti-counterfeiting and traceability solutions, and special inks. HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press can be used for manufacturing labels and packaging. With a printing speed up to 42 m/min in color mode and a maximum web width of 76 cm, the press can address SKU diversity and operate per specific requirements. It has a print quality comparable to gravure printing and meets the safety standard for food packaging.
Towards a green and sustainable development path
Under the rapid emergence of the e-commerce industry and continuous changes in the business environment, consumer’s demographics and marketing channels, a “packaging revolution” triggered by the “consumption transformation” is taking place quietly. According to figures of the National Bureau of Statistics, the quantity of courier packages in China has topped the world ranking for consecutive years and increased more than twentyfold over the past decade. Behind the rapid growth, however, is a shocking waste of packaging materials, which are usually non-degradable. At the same time, the total recycling rate of packaging waste materials in China is less than 20%, which is disappointing. How to protect the nature while developing the economy and reduce the burden of logistics packaging on the environment has been a public concern in recent years.
Hubei Guanghe Biotechnology Co., Ltd. is a major player in an environmental protection campaign of Alibaba Group. The exhibitor will display a fully biodegradable material, GH7-1-360, and a bio-based material with a biogenic carbon content of almost 20%, JH330-D16A, which were developed in collaboration with the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The materials, designed for courier bags and bubble courier bags, have passed the European DIN CERTCO’s certification for fully biodegradable and bio-based products.
The bio-based and compostable material of Suzhou Hanfeng New Material Co., Ltd. has changed the situation of traditional plastics being difficult to degrade and combustion producing harmful gases. With the technology for blending PLA and PBAT, customers’ various requirements for the physical properties of products and cost control can be satisfied, and the softness and environmental friendliness of products will be enhanced. Users can opt for such degradable and non-toxic packaging with higher quality when purchasing products in the future. The material can be used to manufacture green courier bags, disposable lunch boxes, bowls, cups, supermarket shopping bags, bags on a roll, flat-top bags and so on.
CHINAPLAS 2019 will also feature a “Recycling Technology Zone”, a “Recycled Plastics Zone” and a “Bioplastics Zone” to address the industry’s need for green and circular
solutions.
Packaging innovations meeting consumers’ needs for freshness, taste and aesthetics
Consumers care about the freshness and taste of their food and drinks. They think that the packaging should not spoil or alter the taste, but retain nutrients in a product. Concerning the loss of taste and nutrients of food and drinks upon exposure to light and air, innovative packaging solutions can keep products fresh without adding preservatives.
NatureWorks LLC will showcase a new generation of tea and coffee bags made of Ingeo PLA-based biopolymer, which is not only compostable but also helps improve consumer experience in terms of flavor and aroma with better organoleptic properties. The product is applicable to various fields.
