SIG Combibloc has recognised the Middle East needs to do more when it comes to sustainable approaches, and is determined to lead by example, with a range of exciting new products that dramatically reduce the carbon footprint at the same time as offering both customers and consumers attractive alternatives.
As consumers and industry alike move ever-more towards more environmentally friendly products and approaches, SIG Combibloc – already one of the world’s leading providers of aseptic packaging and F&B filling machines – has teamed up with Obeikan to up the sustainability game in the MEA region.
Packaging MEA editors Ben Daniel and Vikram Fotedar recently toured the Innovation and Reliability Centre (IRC) at SIG Combibloc Obeikan in Dubai Silicon Oasis.
Chief Operation Officer, Abdelghany Eladib and his technology and applications team presented the purpose-built facility that has been creatively designed to revolutionize the way food and beverage products are packaged and delivered.
“SIG Combibloc Obeikan is a joint venture between SIG Combibloc, a Swiss-German company with 80 years of experience in aseptic packaging, and Obeikan Inc, which is a family-owned Saudi business,” he says.
“SIG Combibloc Obeikan is responsible for 70 countries and we specialise in aseptic packaging of dairy products, non-carbonated soft drinks, liquid food and water.”
Mr. Eladib continues: “We need to ensure a good life for the younger generation, and the generations to come, so we need to ensure sustainability of resources.”
“Plastic is causing more and more problems for the environment, so cartons can be a sustainable alternative to plastic bottles. We already have leading solutions, with our innovative carton bottle combidome and our new on-the-go pack combismile, two formats that some leading brands have taken up already, like the Unilever start-up brand B-better for its bottled near-water products.”
But old habits die hard.
The carton take-over
“PET is still cheaper than paper in oil-based countries,” says Mr. Eladib. “People are acquainted with this (PET), and unfortunately they do not see the harm it does to the environment, so we need to raise awareness.”
“The population is increasing and if we cannot sustain our global resources, we will need to find three or four more Earth-like planets to live on.”
And even in the immediate future, existing dominant formats pose a risk to individuals, as Mr. Eladib explains: “Scientists tell us that if we’ve left a PET bottle in the sun, not to drink from it. Also, glass can be hazardous with children around. We must think of sustainable solutions that are safe to consume as well. I think slowly but surely, cartons will take over from glass.”
As a region, though, it could be argued that the Middle East still largely lacks awareness about sustainable approaches, and recycling in particular, so if these cartons end up in landfill anyway, they are little better than PET.
Mr. Eladib concurs, and says SIG Combibloc Obeikan is addressing this very point. “This is a critical aspect,” he says. “We need to think about the whole supply chain; the product’s life cycle. We are working with our customers to develop concepts on how we can collect (used materials) from consumers. We’re planning in terms of full recycling. This is one of the clear directions SIG has taken globally, but it is still being developed, hence it is too early to discuss it at this point.”
But if the Middle East could do more, Africa is showing the way. For example, studies suggest some 68% of South Africans consider whether a product is environmentally friendly before buying or using it.
“South Africa is very much into sustainability,” says Mr. Eladib. “Let me tell you about our latest addition, Fair Cape. It is an important dairy player in South Africa. All their assets are from SIG. Sustainability is their core concept. We are launching combibloc EcoPlus, which is a package with a 28% reduced CO2 footprint compared to a conventional one-litre carton pack of the same format. SIG built on the pioneering aluminium free design of combibloc EcoPlus to create the world’s first aseptic carton pack linked to 100% plant-based materials. Even the closures are linked to plant-based material.”
A signature offering
At this point, Commercial Strategy and Marketing Director Martin Schmedes joins the conversation to explain more about SIG Combibloc Obeikan’s environmentally friendly packaging and the company’s sustainability vision.
“When we launched combibloc EcoPlus, we did so looking from an environmental perspective, asking ourselves how we can do better,” he says. “Aluminium packaging has an impact of 50% on the LCA. EcoPlus has 28% less carbon emissions.”
“We replaced the aluminium barrier with a special polymer layer. With this, we reduce the carbon footprint while providing the same performance for dairy products (compared to a standard carton pack of the same format).”
And Signature Pack takes matters “one step further”, Mr. Schmedes says. “The polymers used in Signature Pack are linked to plant-based materials through an innovative mass balance system that supports the use of renewable feedstock in mainstream polymer production,” he explains. “The plastics from closure and the lamination are linked to plant-based materials.”
“We don’t use a sugarcane-based product; we chose tall oil. We work with our supplier SABIC – producers of polymers. They introduced it into their production and when we receive the plastics, we receive a certification as part of it. That’s why Signature Pack is our special edition, because it is linked to special plantbased plastics. In addition to that, we not only reduced fossil fuel usage, but there is also up to 70% less carbon footprint compared to our standard packaging.”
Tall oil is a source for polymer, but is there sufficient supply of this to deliver on a large scale for all applications? Schmedes believes so – albeit down the line.
“We certainly want this in all our products,” he says. “The challenge with renewable materials is the market is not yet mature. Unfortunately, there is a cost to it. Although there is a demand, it is still not enough.”
“Take the discussions we have had with SABIC, for instance. They really want to push the circular economy, meaning they really want to start moving away from fossil fuels, although probably not for all products, or grades. But this is why we are working so hard with SABIC, trying to get more of this material, and hopefully lower the costs.”
From B2B to B2B2C
Sustainability is certainly a major movement in the packaging industry at the moment, and as we begin a new year, Packaging MEA wants to make this a key theme for 2020. We gladly devote space to companies embracing such initiatives, and SIG Combibloc Obeikan certainly fits the bill. But is there any particular success that the company feels deserves particular attention?
“We meet every month to discuss sustainability,” says Mr. Schmedes. “SIG joins external forums to discuss, learn and collaborate in this area.”
“When you say you want to take care of the environment, it sounds nice, but are you ready for that? Well… I believe there is a brilliant success story we can share with you. We are not just boasting; we have attached our unique solution, which is the individual QR code. We want the consumer to pull more from that product. So we are launching the individual QR code with Fair Cape.”
“We want to move from B2B to B2B2C and become the platform for our customer and connect them with the consumer, establishing more consumer trends, working with our customers and their consumers on sustainability trends, convenience trends, urbanisation on the go.” “We have introduced combismile, another fantastic on-the-go product based on ethnographic studies. Combismile is a brilliant product we are launching with Pioneer, a South African brand. We have done a lot of research with the consumers to come up with the right shape in terms of grip, rounded shape, slant, positioning of the straw or the cap, size of the cap and re-close-ability.”
And there’s more. “Our latest innovation is our combistyle pack,” adds Mr. Schmedes. “Its unique advantage in the aseptic space is not only technical reliability but also unmatched flexibility. On any machine you can produce multiple sizes with a changeover time of less than five minutes. With some machines you can produce up to 9 sizes. We have added style. We have two formats, flat or slanted and added now the third. This is now coming into our space.”
So, SIG appears to be making great strides, both environmentally and commercially. Mr. Schmedes certainly thinks so: “There are success stories of partnership with customers. Our market share is going up. We are also the first to open an innovation and reliability centre in Dubai, where we monitor our connected machines 24/7. We are taking all this data into asset performance management.”
“To conclude, SIG is growing globally and making a difference in the Middle East and Africa.”