Packaging process

Process optimisation is often an important part of an organisation’s business operations. It ensures that processes are made more efficient, which must ultimately result in fewer lost materials, less waste, and reduced energy consumption. With regard to packaging development and the reduction of the packaging’s environmental impact, you can explore the following measures:

Reduced material use with better processes
Modern machinery and processes use sensors that can track important process parameters during production. The computer that runs the process can monitor settings in real time and make adjustments if necessary. This ensures that processes are smoother, which reduces the mechanical strain on packaging materials. The process can also immediately react to small variations in the properties of the packaging material. This presents opportunities for reduced material use and the use of renewable materials, monomaterials, or materials made from recyclate, since these materials are sometimes more vulnerable than virgin materials.

Standardisation in packaging and packaging materials
Standardisation often leads to improved efficiency, because process settings do not have to be modified as often. As a result, the process is less prone to errors. Standardisation usually also leads to a reduction of the amount of material kept in stock. This, in turn, can reduce the amount of waste that is produced. After all, less old stock has to be destroyed when an organisation for example switches to new artworks or when adjustments in the material have to be made.

Inline printing techniques can facilitate the road to standardisation
As a result of the increasing quality and speed of these printing techniques, it is becoming easier to print country-specific or product-specific information on a standardised basic packaging during the filling process in the production line.

Recycle internal packaging waste immediately as part of the process
When producing packaging materials and semi-finished products, waste (for example cutting waste from punching out trays) is sometimes generated. If monomaterials are used in the process, it is often possible to reuse this waste as new material. This eliminates the residual waste stream from the process and ensures that all raw material is used for the production of the packaging. This procedure is usually not feasible for multi-layer materials.

Recycle internal product waste immediately as part of the process
Every process experiences losses as a result of production errors or malfunctions. It is important to determine how packaging materials and product can be separated immediately, so the product can be returned to the start of the process and be repackaged.

More effectively separate internal waste materials
During processes, it is often easy to collect and dispose of streams of monomaterials separately, for example pallet films that were used to package incoming materials, left-over film on rolls, and cardboard cutting waste.