Kempten University of Applied Sciences was the venue for the conference organised by the ZLV on 12 and 13 September. Once again, over 170 participants came to the town on the River Iller to find out about the latest packaging topics. The EU packaging directive PPWR and sustainability took centre stage. Prof Dr Markus Prem from Packaging Technology at Kempten University of Applied Sciences and Thomas Lux from the Centre for Food and Packaging Technology e. V. welcomed the participants.
By Dr. Jörg Häseler
Prof Dr Markus Schmid, Head of the Sustainable Packaging Institute at Albstadt-Sigmaringen, University of Applied Sciences, provided exciting insights right at the beginning. He went into detail about future-orientated packaging strategies, addressing the challenge of making packaging fit for the future and therefore more sustainable, whereby, according to him, the entire system must be considered in this context. Most of the system's resources are linked to the packaged goods and not to the packaging material. However, the consumer often thinks that the proportion is significantly higher. From this point of view, the increased use of biogenic raw materials instead of fossil fuels appears to make sense. However, this shift does not necessarily lead to environmental relief, but rather to a shift in the burden, he explained. In his opinion, it is necessary to move towards a cycle-orientated bioeconomy for sustainable packaging.
The part of the programme moderated by Thomas Glaser, Futury GmbH, proved to be a very good innovation. The cooperation between start-ups and the industry was impressively conveyed in the form of best practices. Vivian Loftin, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Recyda GmbH, and Jürgen Dornheim, Director Corporate Packaging, Innovation & Sustainability at Procter & Gamble, demonstrated how packaging can be sustainably transformed. Recyda GmbH uses software to help implement digitalisation as part of a solution approach to determine sustainability requirements. The software quickly creates transparency regarding packaging data for companies in order to optimise recyclability.
Maximilian Bannasch, Co-Founder and CEO of circolution GmbH, presented new reusable systems in the form of a stainless steel cup in the second example. He also took over from Bernd Büsing, Corporate Packaging Lead at Nestlé Deutschland AG. The container with a volume of 750 ml, priced at EUR 2.50, was very well received by the end customer during the test phase. They are quite prepared to pay this amount. The retail collection system does not need to be expanded immensely here either.
Dominik Rotter, Senior Director Business Models & Processes at Multivac Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co. KG, explained the optimal utilisation of resources and potential through digital solutions. In addition to transparency regarding resource consumption, these can also reveal unused potential and thus provide the basis for optimisation. For example, small wear parts such as valves can lead to high costs. Intelligent machine software can recognise this and ultimately save valuable energy.
Andreas von Lösecke, Product Management Microwave Imaging at Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG, explained the possible applications of the millimetre wave in the packaging industry. KG. This non-ionising imaging process enables fast and precise inspection of just-packed products. He demonstrated solutions, not forgetting to point out the limitations.
In his presentation "Innovative and efficient packaging solutions for a sustainable brand experience", Dennis Grotian, Technical Service Manager at Metsä Board Deutschland GmbH, showed how trends and consumer behaviour are affecting the cartonboard and packaging industry. He used an example to show how a renowned confectionery manufacturer has moved away from a multi-layer design with a PE plastic layer covering the box and switched to a dispersion-coated barrier board.
Jochen Standfuß, Account Manager at EVAL Europe N. V., explained how the recycling of EVAL EVOH and recycling-friendly film structures can generate success. Such mono-material composites can be used as an alternative to conventional barrier films. By varying the ethylene content, the oxygen permeability can be influenced and thus the film thickness can be reduced.
The first day traditionally ended with the presentation of the ZLV sponsorship award, which is endowed with 500 euros. This year, it went to Adriana Bartenschlager for her bachelor's thesis in the Department of Food and Packaging Technology at Kempten University of Applied Sciences on the subject of ‘Investigation of the influence of different starches and plasticisers on the film properties in edible coatings’, which was supervised by Prof Dr Kajetan Müller. The laudatory speaker was Peter Stober, Managing Director of EK-Pack Folien GmbH, Ermengerst-Wiggensbach.
Dr Bassel Ibrahim, Network and Project Manager in the Sustainability Department at EurA AG, based in Erfurt, explained how life cycle assessments can be used as a tool to support decision-making. Using the example of the ‘Mobile’ project sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, he illustrated the procedure for an ecological assessment, which is based on the non-trivial definition of objectives. Here it is also necessary to make adjustments where required.
Prof Dr Christine Borsum, Deputy Scientific Director of Klevertec, Allgäu Research Centre, and Christian Zeberle, Research Associate, Kempten University of Applied Sciences, presented sustainable packaging with innovative solutions from science. Both emphasised the importance of networking in the specialist disciplines. On the food side, for example, limit values for oxygen intake are determined using a combination of physical-chemical and human sensory methods. In addition, simulation and AI approaches support a deeper understanding of the process, which will initially be validated on a small scale and later transferred to a real plant.
Last but not least: The next ZLV Packaging Symposium is scheduled to take place in Kempten again on 11 and 12 September 2025.
