UNITED CAPS, international manufacturer of innovative lids and closures, has developed a new polypropylene compound (PP-Copo). Thanks to the patented composition, 40 per cent less material is needed to produce the new GREENCAP snap-on cap.
The company aims to develop particularly environmentally friendly closures. The polyethylene (PE) material previously used for snap-on caps proved to be too weight and material-intensive, as the material thickness of at least 0.8 mm increases the carbon footprint of the closures. For this reason, a New polypropylene composition that starts right there. Its use reduces the use of materials of the product and improved thus perceptibly its CO2 balance.
Benoît Henckes (51), CEO of UNITED CAPS, Wiltz (Luxembourg), provides background information.
pj: Mr Henckes, your company stands for sustainable packaging concepts. As many as two thirds of consumers surveyed in an international study by the „Forum for the Future“ prefer to buy green products. More than three quarters demand that companies reduce their CO2 emissions and use more renewable raw materials in production. What advantages do customers and consumers have when using GREENCAP?
Benoît Henckes: Consumers are right to demand that companies take a stand when it comes to Sustainability anstrict. This zeitgeist is reflected in our company's product development and products: the GREENCAP is thin, light and flexible, yet very stable. Its patented polypropylene mixture enables an extremely Low use of plastic and Good recyclability. This ensures a good CO2 balance.
pj: Where do you see further advantages?
Benoît Henckes: The use of the new material has also significantly improved the design of the cap, allowing the GREENCAP to fully utilise the speed of modern filling systems. With a speed of up to 550 caps per minute it runs more than twice as fast as with conventional snap-on lids.
pj: What are the costs compared to conventional lids?
Benoît Henckes: The GREENCAP is even cheaper than comparable products made of polyethylene.
pj:For which applications are the lids predestined?
Benoît Henckes: With GREENCAP, we are making an important contribution to responsible packaging. Our focus is primarily on packaging for baby and infant food.
pj: What feedback is there from the field?
Benoît Henckes: Demand is high: UNITED CAPS produces around 300 million GREENCAPS. Stacked on top of each other, this would result in a tower 2,176 kilometres high: that's the distance between Bremen and Moscow. We manufacture the GREENCAP at four locations: Greystones (Ireland), Hoboken (Belgium), Wiltz (Luxembourg) and Messia (France).
pj: Mr Henckes, your company is committed to a sustainable packaging concept, not only for GREENCAP, but also for the production of all closures. All caps and closures are manufactured exclusively in Europe in strict compliance with high standards in terms of occupational safety, worker protection and fair wages. What are your other priorities?
Benoît Henckes: We are strongly committed to climate protection. In the last four years, UNITED CAPS has reduced the CO2 emissions of its plants by 14% and energy consumption by 10% thanks to efficient machines and optimised work processes. The company has also reduced the amount of waste materials it produces by 40 per cent, with 85 per cent of all waste materials currently being recycled. Waste materials are reused in accordance with standards and renewable raw materials such as sugar cane are integrated into production. In addition, all production sites are certified in accordance with the international environmental management standard ISO 14001.
pj: Do you develop new products in-house?
Benoît Henckes: Of course, our research and development is a cornerstone of our success. Around half of our development projects are Customised order developments. The other half are future standard products that we sell freely. This allows us to set trends on the market. With the GREENCAP For example, we have developed a snap-on cap for baby and toddler food that already fulfils the strict requirements of the future. Life cycle assessment plays a central role in all product developments. Three of our most important requirements here are All lids and closures are safe and of consistently high quality. They are manufactured using the least possible amount of material and are as light as possible. In this way, we protect the environment and resources during further processing and minimise CO2 emissions during transport.
[infotext icon]UNITED CAPS is one of the leading international Manufacturer of innovative lids and closure systems with headquarters in Wiltz (Luxembourg). The company has seven production sites in Europe and employs more than 500 people. Innovation leadership, customer proximity and responsibility for people and the environment are the key success drivers of this growing family business. Its customers include well-known brands such as Nestlé, Danone, Friesland Campina and Abbott[/infotext].
