Exploring smart sustainable packaging
The cosmic design on this particular package lends itself to Eviosys' 'Stellar Dream' trend, which is about heightening daily lives. Image: Eviosys
I’ve not long arrived back from Wantage, UK, having been part of a lucky group of journalists given an exclusive first opportunity to visit Eviosys’ R&D centre, which opened in June this year.
David Hall, Eviosys R&D director, gave us an introduction to the company’s history of expertise, before taking us on a food pilot tour. In this space, David showed us the industrial cookers Eviosys has on-site, to mimic customer processes, which helps Eviosys understand precise requirements and allows for more accurate testing of products. We then saw two storage rooms, one at ambient temperate and one at 35°C, which test the storage life of various canned food products (Eviosys products guarantee a four to five year shelf life).
Oliver Walker, Eviosys packaging science and EHS manager, then led an insightful microbiology tour explaining the science and technology behind hygiene testing, which includes measuring trace metals, seam quality and BPA migration, among so many other things that are somewhat mind-blowing in the amount of detail and data accuracy they can offer.
Probably the highlight of the day, which rounded off the site visit, was seeing Eviosys’ pilot plant and how the company’s EcoPeel packaging is produced. We saw how metal sheet cylinders are firstly divided into two heights of 38mm, to make the EcoPeel can size, then coated with an internal lacquer to support the can’s side strip, before heading to the metal forming process to create the EcoPeel’s wedge – which makes the inside product slide out easier for consumers during opening. We then saw the heat seal process in action which applies the EcoPeel lid to the can, before a manual demonstration with a toggle press of how the tab on the lid is folded.
After the site visit, we then heard from Isabelle Le Graët, marketing, communication and sustainability manager for Eviosys, and Laure Malherbe from Caramel, who expanded on the trends associated with the company’s packaging options, and how these will be leading the way in terms of innovation and consumer demand, into 2025 and beyond. From what we saw, there are a lot of creative possibilities incoming.
Today was the perfect day for learning, and the tour of Eviosys’ labs and pilots really offered us all a chance to reflect on the amazing stages involved in each can production process. To read more about the visit, make sure you’re subscribed to the magazine, as there will be a full article in our upcoming December/January edition.
Huge thanks to Eviosys for hosting our visit and providing a highly enjoyable morning. Thanks also to Grayling PR for organising the trip!
- Alex Rivers (she/her), CanTech International editor
Keep in touch via email: [email protected] Twitter: @CanTechIntl or LinkedIn: CanTech International magazine.
