The companies that make up the European Tube Manufacturers Association - etma - met at the beginning of October in Seville, Spain, for this year's annual conference. The winners of the etma “Tube of the Year 2021” competition were also announced there. The winners were chosen in the categories of aluminium tubes, laminate tubes, plastic tubes, sustainability and prototypes.
Etma-General Secretary Gregor Spengler was delighted with the high level of participation in the competition: “This clearly shows that our Tube of the Year competition is highly regarded in the industry and is a recognised indicator of the performance of the European tube industry.„
The “Evercalm Redness Relief 5ml“ sample tube from Austrian tube manufacturer Tubex Wolfsberg was chosen as the winner in the aluminium tube category. Its customer REN Clean Skincare is the first luxury beauty brand to produce its samples in aluminium. in a monotube instead of in sachets that are difficult to recycle offers. The Evercalm sample tube is made from 100% recycled aluminium, 95% of which comes from post-consumer material. The Monotube is fully recyclable and has an intelligent closure system made of aluminium instead of the conventional plastic screw cap.
As the tube is made entirely of aluminium, the packaging is manufactured in a single production step, including the cap. The aluminium alloy specially developed for the tube makes it possible, closing the material cycle by incorporating used and recycled aluminium packaging. REN's “Evercalm Redness Relief Serum 5ml” tube is additionally equipped with a BPA-NI inner protective coating.
The French tube manufacturer Albéa won the plastic tube category with a tube for Aflofarm Artishoq. Aflofarm was founded in 1989. Since then, it has been one of the leading pharmaceutical companies on the Polish market. Aflofarm Artishoq is a tube made from PCR material with a diameter of 50 millimetres. Equipped with PCR Encore, the tube has a memorable design with a blue colour gradient across the entire tube surface in four-colour flexo printing and white screen printing, which perfectly matches the blue flip-top cap.
The perfect combination of PCR material and the blue colour gradient conveys an overall Powerful sustainability message. The successful design in combination with the excellent printing technology creates an impressive appearance at the point of sale, which not only attracts a lot of attention, but also effectively conveys the image of the company and brand.
The Stylo pipette tube developed and produced by Hoffmann Neopac AG from Switzerland for Filorga Laboratoires Paris won in the laminate tube category. Founded in 1978, the company's products have since become the leading anti-ageing skincare line in pharmacies and drugstores in France. The Stylo pipette tube for the Skin-Unify Radiance Cream writes a new chapter in the success story of Filorga products. The new pipette applicator allows the cream to be applied directly to the skin in a precise, user-friendly and hygienic way. The aesthetic ring of the Stylo Tube enables targeted removal and perfect protection of the product.
There were two winners in the Sustainability category. One was the tube from Swiss manufacturer Permapack for a Kneipp hand cream tube. The cosmetics brand Kneipp, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary this year, was looking for an exclusive packaging solution for a new limited edition hand cream, which is sold in Kneipp shops. As Kneipp has set itself the goal of eliminating the use of plastic packaging by 2025, Permapack has developed a recyclable paper tube.
The tube consists of an innovative paper composite. Consisting of 71 per cent paper and cellulose, the tube impresses with its remarkable paper feel and appearance. An EVOH barrier is used in the tube, which is usually used in the beverage sector, for example. The tube is also characterised by the digital printing technology used, which produces unique results. By using HP Mosaic software, a wide range of design variants with a variety of different colours can be created based on a basic pattern.
The jury also chose the Vichy Capital Soleil tube as the winner in the Sustainability sector. It was produced by Albéa France and pursues a similar approach to the other winner in the sustainability category: replacing plastic with paper. L'Oréal Vichy is now utilising this innovation for its sun care product. The paper-based plastic tube, which was designed as an alternative to a wide variety of packaging solutions for cosmetic products, is a technological breakthrough in the market.
The use of plastic in the tube body and the tube shoulder (without the cap) has been reduced by 45 per cent compared to existing solutions and replaced by FSC-certified cardboard. The production process has been adapted to the new technology. The paper tube is suitable for a wide range of end user markets. In addition to its sustainability, the tube also impresses with its interesting feel combined with a fascinating look.
The prototypes were won by a tube of Hoffmann Neopac AG from Switzerland: The Polyfoil Mono-Material Barrier Tube (MMB) is a a high-performance tube that provides a superior barrier for pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations and is also recyclable. The tube body is produced in a unique lamination process, as a counterpart to the existing blown or extruded films on the market. The advantages are an improved barrier effect and more aesthetic options for the tube body.
The shoulder and cap of the tube are made of low MFI HDPE and a minimum of other materials, which make up only two per cent. Equipped with pharmaceutical-approved contact layers, the tube offers excellent product compatibility and hygienic protection, while retaining the familiar aesthetic characteristics of conventional polyfoil tubes - even in metallised form. The tubes are the first mono-material barrier tubes made of HDPE to receive full RecyClass Technology & Product approval. Combined with HDPE twist and hinge closures, the tube can be recycled together with rigid PE packaging.
In conclusion, Etma Secretary General Gregor Spengler was more than satisfied with this year's competition: “The high number of participants and the impressive quality of the tubes submitted speak for themselves. Despite the difficult economic environment during the pandemic, the innovative strength and creativity of our member companies remain unbroken. This boosts the performance of the tube as the packaging of the future. These investments in new packaging solutions will ultimately pay off in the form of increased customer and consumer confidence and the associated market success. I therefore look forward with confidence to the further development of the European tube industry.”
SourceEtma : Etma
