Currently, 75% of finished products require packaging. Of these, 90% are used for food and beverages, which makes these two branches relating to the development of packaging. manufactured in Mexico is 8,500,000 tonnes of packaging annually, are distributed as follows: glass, 38%, paper and cardboard, 26% plastic, 16% wood, 14% metal, 6%. The commercial value of this industry is about 490 pesos.
By: Luis Castro
According to the Mexican Association of Packaging (AMEE), today we can speak of three factors determining the trend in packaging:
Sustainability. Companies looking to reduce the environmental impact of packaging with lower energy consumption from production raw material to disposal container. This is not only an environmental purpose but also as a critical element of competitiveness, the aim is to have a balance between efficiency, functionality and cost.
Marketing. The packaging is a key element in the consumer experience with the product from your choice at the point of sale, purchase, transport and storage, to disposal. Therefore, the success or failure of a product also depends on the image you present and provide comfort design.
Convenience. Changes in lifestyles, the new geography, urban population growth, household composition, changes in work environments and awareness that has been taken with regard to health has affected the characteristics of the goods and, therefore, of the packaging.
"Each day looks better preserve food. It's right there where packaging plays a key role in innovative designs and materials are also looking to save and preserve the freshness of the product and give the user a solution, "said Jorge Martinez, director general of the AMEE.
Alquicira Edith Ponce, a researcher Department of Biotechnology of the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM), Iztapalapa campus, notes that the development of packaging must ensure not only product protection to the environment, but safety issues and food safety, provide consumer information about the composition of food, brand or media consumption and have an attractive design that makes a difference.
Active and intelligent
global warming and the high levels of contamination led to the packaging industry to develop initiatives to counter these problems. The idea is to achieve optimization of materials, energy use, waste generation and reuse them.
Arturo Dávila Villarreal, representative of Support, Business Commitment to the Integrated Management of Solid Waste, said that sustainable packaging are those that are intended to optimize resources and minimize waste in the life cycle products.
William J. Roman, a researcher at the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), believes that a package must be sustainable worked with ecodesign. This concept allows you to select materials with low impact, reduce the quantity and optimize processes and distribution systems.
José Martínez, director of the Office for Latin America Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute (PMMI), adds that there is a clear tendency to criticize the package, in the sense of considering whether or not junk, and disagreements regarding this issue are ongoing.
Alquicira According to Ponce, one of the main trends in the evolution of the packaging industry has to do with the development of materials biodegradable, because, apart from the factors of environmental protection, upgrading and variability of oil costs and a reduction in proved reserves of this resource.
"Scientists and industrialists have been given the task of developing packaging materials to replace plastic films through the use of biopolymers from renewable resources. The film materials may be polysaccharides such as starch and chitosan (element found in crustacean shells) and cellulose or its derivatives, or made with protein and casein protein whey, collagen, gluten and zein. Other packaging materials are natural polymers or bioplastics such as polylactic acid (PLA), the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), obtained by microbial fermentation with wild microorganisms or genetically modified organisms, "says Ponce.
Dolores Vidal explains that Mexico has 300 biodegradable packaging options, such as food, substitutes for plastic bags, disposable cups and plates.
However, the director AMEE General adds that regarding the issue of biodegradable there is an argument, because some products are based on renewable materials such as starch or corn, sometimes consume more energy than otherwise, which is not evaluated.
Another trend within the industry of packaging refers to the active packaging with applications designed to give greater functionality. A Alquicira Ponce say, the traditional packaging concept has been transformed into the active packaging by adding antioxidants, enzymes, flavors, nutraceuticals and antimicrobial agents, as well as oxygen absorbers and humidity, among others.
"active packaging concept covers a wide range of possibilities, all with the aim of increasing the shelf life by protecting against the officers directly responsible for the alteration as rancidity, discoloration and development Microbial. An advantage of using active packaging is to reduce and completely eliminate the need for direct addition of preservatives in the formulation of foods, enabling the production of so-called 'clean label' for low or no content of conservatives, "says UAM researcher.
One of the more used is the smart packaging, these are classified according to their properties, components or packaging material. Essentially it seeks to generate time-temperature indicators, microbiological quality and levels of oxygen or carbon dioxide. "There are already packages open when cooled or heated alone, so you no longer need the microwave. The Italian patent is being marketed in the country, "says the director of PMMI.
Another new trend is one that has to do with nanotechnology. This is typically used in computers can read the special texture of a container, store information and identify data such as lot number.
Vidales says today working on the implementation of chips that allow communication with the container, ie, the chip can tell the consumer the product shelf life, how to use and give recommendations on the content. They could also give the customer instructions on opening the package, among other things.
"Define the elements that create a good package reminds us all that is behind that bottle that can or buy the box daily. We think of the color, size, and, of course, the brand as the main elements to be included packaging design, "says Alfonso Núñez, director of Art of the Delta Group advertising agency.
The color choice is very important in the design of a package, it is largely responsible for that lead to the differentiation between brands of the same class and the construction of their identity.
"An important element in the beverage market is about climate of the country or region where the product is distributed.
For example, in the hot spots presentations tend to be larger, so it is impossible to imagine that by 2010 there are presentations of five-liter soda due to climate change, "says Nuñez .
in the country and is recognized by the drive for innovation in packaging, and proof of this is the contest Packaging star. The award ceremony takes place every year during Pack Expo and the requirements to participate are available at www.amee.org.mx.
AMEE is worth noting that last year joined the Housing Green Awards which promotes and encourages the conservation of the environment and container for export.
NO 'CAN' INNOVATE
"The competitiveness of a country depends on the ability of industry to innovate," argues strongly Roberto Fernandez, director of Engineering and Projects Jumex Group, a firm that intended to innovation in products and processes 2.5% of its turnover.
development of their latest developments, the 'Latabotella', the company invested about 20 million dollars. The container had a preparation period of two years before release.
Its development process had a first draft in Europe to find some examples of how it could be a 'Latabotella', mainly in countries like Germany and Spain, although the final design is 100% Mexican.
Fernandez says that the company has committed to the tin and container, as one of the best packages that can be offered to consumers due to ownership per se that has, like the keeping quality and resistance. "Hence the idea of \u200b\u200bbeing able to create and innovate a can that could be opened, closed and use a material like steel, which, although you have certain restrictions, was adapted from the original design we had planned," says Fernandez.
TECHNOLOGY IMPORT
At the international level there are three leading countries in machinery for packaging: United States (U.S.), Italy and Germany. However, countries like Spain, Japan, China and Brazil have seen their slice of cake.
According to the Confederation of Packaging Machinery Associations (Copama), an organization of different associations worldwide machinery, equipment producing countries such as Japan and the U.S. is for their own markets, while Germany and Italy cover about 66% of international trade.
Mexico imports approximately 480 million dollars in machinery for packaging, of which 25% come from U.S. manufacturers, 25% of Italian companies, and the rest of Spain, Japan, Germany and France.
The country imports 80% of the technology used to package products and also one of the largest buyers of U.S. equipment. The packaging industry is looking for specific features in the new machinery, particularly efficient use of energy.
modular design also aims to machines that can be flexible, because we must remember that companies look make more of a product or packaging in the same production line. Another great feature is the increased speed and efficiency, ie, changing the devices that were tires electromechanical and flexible, to suit every need of filling.
"It is also seeking to automate tasks, such as inspection, which does not have to take a person to review defects, but that, through automation, these tasks are given for granted, "says Martinez.
Edgar A. Jürgensen, general director of Krones Mexico, company that offers systems, equipment and solutions for filling and packaging industry, indicates that large companies need to have a comprehensive solution technologies from different countries.
mentioned that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly understanding that gives you the advantage against the competition to have a complete, integrated solution, rather than taking several modules for same manufacturing process.
"Before, when purchasing a machine was not feasible to make a different product that was targeted by the team. Today we can manufacture various packaging, as the market demands it, and you can ask the machine manufacturers to give them the opportunity to work in presentations of packaging, because the brands want to win a place in the market, "says the director of Krones.
The Italian Association of Manufacturers of Packaging Machinery (ICU, for its initials in Italian), the voice of his representative Guido Corbella, mentions that the Italian manufacturers of packaging equipment and technology to consider this country as the eighth largest market, accounting for 5.7% of its exports.
For its part, Isidre Puigdemasa, representative of the English Association of Machinery for Packaging, Packaging, Bottling, Carton and Graphics (Amec) reveals that Mexico has become the second country that imports more English machinery for the packaging industry, after France.
"EU has always been a leader in coding, so each country, each focusing on certain segments it serves, in fact, for many large companies are complementary. At this point the various international groups are preparing to cope with a more open market in terms of compatibility between devices, "said Martinez.
Mexico has an important leadership role in the packaging industry and packaging, however, must face the challenges include shortages of basic commodities, the fight against piracy and sustainability.
"The development of new market-driven solutions are natural health products, beauty and cosmetics. A new trend in a new type of consumer should be the goal. Its acronym 'Lohas', meaning Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability, is the type of consumer who will demand products that can be recycled and environmentally friendly, but also that they are healthy, "Martinez concluded.
Source: CNNExpansion
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