FachPack 2012: Packaging industry is confident

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Some 1,400 exhibitors from the packaging, technology, processing and logistics segments are expected at FachPack 2012 from 25–27 September in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg. They come mainly from Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, France, Belgium, Poland and Great Britain. The good 35,000 trade visitors expected from all over Europe confirm FachPack's outstanding reputation as a compact Euroregional gathering of competent decision-makers from the packaging sector.

The German economy is looking to the future with cautious optimism despite the euro and debt crisis. After last year's good 3 % growth, most of the economists expect growth in 2012, although at a modest level. In the surveys conducted by the ifo Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (Institute for Economic Research) at the beginning of the year, the small and medium enterprises, which include most of the German companies in the packaging industry, were confident and the German export motor is running at top speed. Energy efficiency is the dominating issue everywhere in the packaging supplies industry due to rising energy and raw material prices and the growing pressure of competition. Social trends also have a great impact on developments and innovations in the packaging industry: Enjoyment and quality are so important for consumers that they are happy to spend more money on this added value. The package is a major sales argument in saturated markets. Consumers also increasingly look for an environmental label like FSC certification of paper and cardboard or the CO2 footprint.

Paper, cardboard and paperboard: high production level – smart ideas
The German paper industry largely maintained the high level of the previous year in 2011, but the dynamic upward trend of 2010 did not continue. Sales of paper, paperboard and cardboard dropped slightly by 1.9 % to 22.6 million t. Production declined by 1.6 % compared with the same period of the previous year. However, as reported by the Verband Deutscher Papierfabriken (VDP – Paper Manufacturers Association), sales rose by 7 % to 15.3 billion euros. The high costs of raw materials and energy continue to be a burden on results. Despite macro-economic risks, the paper industry is cautiously optimistic about the current year.

The demand for efficient, economical and environment-compatible transport packaging of corrugated cardboard is steady, reports the Verband der Wellpappen-Industrie (VDW – Corrugated Cardboard Industry Association). The quantity sold in 2011 is slightly above the previous year. The association estimates that the level reached will be maintained or slightly increased in 2012. Sales have risen appreciably, but accompanied by higher costs for energy and raw materials. The corrugated cardboard industry has proved to be robust in the ups and downs of the market, and the demand for its products can also be expected to grow in future. The member companies sold a total of more than 7.1 billion m² of corrugated cardboard in 2011, which is just under 90 million m² more (1.3 %) than in 2010. Turnover of corrugated cardboard grew by 12.8 % last year, but with rising costs. The raw material costs account for 54 % of the total costs. The increasing use of vegetable raw materials for obtaining energy pushes up the price of starch products, for example, which are used for making glue for sticking the rolls of corrugated base paper. The biggest cost block remains the raw material paper.

More and more users are turning to multi-coloured printed corrugated cardboard products and so cleverly using this versatile material as a marketing instrument. How innovatively the corrugated cardboard itself can be improved is shown, for example, by a functional fruit and vegetable punnet, which won the German Packaging Award in the "Prototypes" category in 2011. A specially made corrugated cardboard absorbs the ethylene gas produced in the ripening process and so keeps the fruit or vegetables fresh for longer. The folding box is also gaining appreciably – in its promotional impact and in terms of logistic, protective and use functions. Packages with matt-gloss effects are guaranteed to catch the eye at the POS. Partial embossing, e.g. of lettering, and finishing with UV coatings skilfully highlight packages in the cosmetics or confectionery segments.

Plastics – easy on resources and sustainable
The raw material prices for plastic packaging rose by almost a third in the first quarter of 2012 – and an end to these rising prices is not foreseeable, reports the Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen (IK – German Association for Plastic Packaging and Films). Despite this, the economic trend for 2012 shows more positive expectations than at the end of 2011. Around 30 % of the companies expect higher sales, and more than half of them assume that the situation will at least remain constant. The export trend is also rated positively. The top priorities are the resource-saving use of raw materials and cutting CO2 emissions. For example, changing to PET recyclates for bottles for household chemicals saves valuable resources and improves the CO2 footprint. PET is used for manufacturing articles like drink bottles, films and textile fibres. As a recyclate, the material has already completed at least one life cycle and after recycling is available again to start a second life cycle from manufacture through to disposal. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics also confirms the positive footprint of the cleaning agent bottles made from recyclates. The scientists proved that one fifth less carbon dioxide is produced when the bottle is manufactured from 100% recycled PET.

Glass: high quality and decorative
In the past years, the manufacturers of glass packaging have focused on the growing target group of environment- and health-conscious consumers who also attach great importance to lifestyle. The container glass industry is satisfied with the annual result for 2011. Sales in terms of tonnage were up 5.1 % over the previous year, according to the Bundesverband Glasindustrie (Federal Glass Industry Association). The demand situation improved distinctly in 2011, especially for the segments of water, lemonades (an enormous 31.1 %) and beer (10.1 %). The demand also grew for bottles for sparkling wine (8.2 %), spirits (7.6 %) and wine (3 %). Sales of bottles for juice (1.2 %) and milk (3.6 %) dropped slightly. Sales of food packaging in 2011 grew by a total of 0.4 % over the previous year, with sausages, meat and fish increasing their sales growth by 11 % to become the year's winners in food packaging, followed by sweet spreads (7.7 %) and canned fruit and vegetables (3.4 %). Sales of packaging glass for pharmaceuticals (2.1 %) and cosmetics (1.3 %) were more restrained.

The container glass industry rates the increasing sales of glass packaging in the shrinking drinks market as a positive signal. Glass is popular among consumers, it meets the safety and sustainability requirements, has a high-quality appeal and is available in new decorative forms. Technical innovations also favour container glass. For example, a curved glass container for coffee granules won the German Packaging Award in the "Sales Packages" category last autumn. The decisive factor was not only the good shape for holding, but especially the functional advantages: A new patented membrane seals the glass and its large tab makes it easy to open the first time. This container is the first industrial application of induction-sealed peel membranes on glass without the use of other substances such as glue.

Metal: more growth – premium wine in cans
Some 1.7 million t of aluminium and steel were processed into packages in 2010, a production increase of 6.8 % over the previous year. This equates to a sales value of some 5.6 billion euros, a rise of 6 %. Whereas packages of aluminium achieved appreciable growth, a look at steel packages shows a different picture: Growth for larger containers of heavy tinplate with a minimum thickness of 0.5 mm, but stagnation for the smaller tinplate containers, i.e. packages with a volume of up to about 40 l and a plate thickness of maximum 0.49 mm.

Drink cans and party kegs make up one of the biggest market segments. Besides new products like wine and sparkling wine in cans, especially the functionality of party kegs for beer is being constantly improved. Built-in taps together with an integrated CO2 pressure system offer a 30-day freshness guarantee after opening the first time. If the tap is mounted on top of the lid, the beer can even be drawn from the top of the keg for extra convenience. The market for wine in cans offers great potential through new trends in consumer behaviour. Small cans of 200 to 250 ml are particularly attractive for consumers who only want to enjoy wine occasionally or in small amounts. The metal package reaches consumers who are not traditional wine drinkers, but like to try a premium wine in an innovative package. Wine in cans is also interesting for market segments in which easy transport, weight, storage and safety are important. Constant quality, stability and long life are assured by the patented Vinsafe technology, which includes defined parameters for the wine, specifications for the cans and exact standards for filling.

A good third of the FachPack exhibitors present new developments and improvements in packaging materials, supplies and ancillaries in Nürnberg, and together with the packaging machinery suppliers are the focus of attention. More than half of all FachPack visitors are specifically interested in packaging materials and supplies, and another 29 % in packaging ancillaries (multiple answers).

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