Sonoco Completes Divestiture of Europe Contract Packaging Business

Esko has announced it has delivered a world-first in connected packaging production, "supercharging" secure Variable Data Print (VDP) capabilities in terms of both speed and scale for a new collaboration with Scantrust and packaging company ePac Flexible Packaging. Esko Automation Engine is at the heart of the operation, with its VDP technology enabling the printing of serialized and secure QR codes on flexible packaging on a mass scale, unleashing the power of VDP for the new connected packaging and connected goods service, ePacConnect™. “Variable Data Printing has the ability to take the role of packaging to a whole new level,” says Esko product manager, Paul Land. “With opportunities for localization, serialization, personalization and traceability, the advances in automation mean it is now possible to further harness the technology to transform the prepress environment. With cloud deployment for 24/7 global access to data and new scalability capabilities, Automation Engine is enabling ePac to realize the power of VDP for an organization without the downsides. “By connecting the VDP module in Automation Engine with Scantrust, we have created a framework for codes that makes it easy for converters to use,” adds Land. “Not only is this implementation the first of its kind, but it also unlocks capabilities that were previously difficult to achieve.”

The carbon footprint of food is approximately 30 times higher than that of its packaging. So, preventing food waste by protecting food with the right packaging is a crucial step towards a sustainable society. “As a Frenchman, food is definitely part of my heritage. At the same time, as I have experienced living in many and diverse countries, I have seen the importance of making food safe and available everywhere across the world,” says Charles Héaulmé, President and CEO of Huhtamaki. Food packaging is essential. It promotes hygiene. It secures food safety. Furthermore, the pandemic serves as a reminder of the importance of reducing cross contamination and enabling food availability – affordably and at low emissions. Food packaging also helps prevent food waste, which accounts for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As the carbon footprint of packaged food is approximately 30 times higher than that of its packaging, having the right packaging for each food system pays off from a climate protection perspective.

When Inland Packaging opened its third new 40,000 sq.-ft .manufacturing facility in La Crosse, WI, the domestic label and packaging manufacturer ensured that its $15 million equipment investments included a unique high speed, specially built press for the in-mold label market. To provide the finest service to its customers, management chose the pinnacle of premium offset press technology available on the market — its first Koenig & Bauer, a Rapida 106X UV LED nine color plus coater — as the centerpiece of its newest production facility. “Our state-of-the-art press and finishing equipment have opened additional capacity with increased productivity and efficiency,” says Amy Mashak, Director of Operations at Inland. “This additional capacity is allowing Inland to better serve growing markets and exceed customer demand.”