Unwrapping sweet packaging trends at ProSweets Cologne

ProSweets Cologne will take place in Germany from 2–5 February 2020. The event will feature future packaging trends for sweets and snacks, ranging from using less plastic and more renewable raw materials, lowering packaging weight and improving recyclability.

A representative survey published by the German Packaging Institute in June 2019 indicated that almost 70% of German consumers have refrained from purchasing a product because the packaging was not sustainable enough, with 19.3% of German consumers putting products back on the shelf for this reason.

Sweets and snack manufacturers are exploring alternative packing materials, such as compostable paper-based and biodegradable materials, to satisfy increasing demands for sustainable packaging.

The latest innovations in the application of paper packaging include packets made of 100% recyclable lightweight paper to replace plastic blister. The paper can be folded into different shapes by a rotating assembly machine. A tray cutout made of lightweight corrugated cardboard is taken out of the blanks magazine, pressed through the tooling plate and fed out of the machine as finished packaging. As the pack can be shaped through interlocking without glue, it can be easily disposed as paper waste, taken to a paper treatment plant and fed back into the cycle as recycled paper.

Exhibitors at ProSweets will also be presenting fully recyclable or biodegradable foils, with the same mechanical characteristics as conventional PET/PE composite foil, which can be directly processed into individual and multipacks using tubular bag machines.

The event will also focus on the digitalisation of packing. The Digimarc code is invisible to the human eye and is attached to the entire packing, as a sort of watermark that allows the Global Trade Item Number to be encrypted or accelerates the checkout process. It also enables a link to the social media. Consumers can point a camera on the packaging at the point of sale to receive information about the recipe, nutrients and allergy warnings, alongside offers, prize draws and coupons.

“Technologies capable of interacting, that are based on digital codes like Digimarc, have the potential to turn packing into multitalents,” said Alexander Schenk, Chief Design Director at the agency DeTeMa.

Organised by Koelnmesse, ProSweets Cologne will feature the latest trends in the sweets and snacks industry, ranging from manifold ingredients to innovative packing machines and materials, through to optimised production technologies.

For more information, visit www.prosweets.com.

Image credit: Koelnmesse / Stand: DÖHLER, Halle 10.1