Innovation

Interesting material at:

http://www.windshift.co.nz/Trajectories.html

and look at their ppt presentation


And a site with something quite different - and I'll tell you more when I get a chance to work out how it works...
http://www.ponoko.com/

Enjoy...

Tom

A New Start

My how time flies when you are having fun...
So you want to know how much aof a Carbon Foot print you are generating then go look at; Online calculator determines carbon footprint at: www.carbontrust.co.uk/footprintcalculator
I found out about this from http://www.FoodProductionDaily.com/news/ng.asp?n=81428-co-carbon-emissions
A previous attempt to use a UK book on carbon foot print was not successful as there are quite different systems running here in NZ particularly production of electricity is more "green" here. But the biggie was to reduce flying time....

Enjoy

A new today

My the time flies when you are having fun - couple of interesting new items this time - one a video from Coke about their aim to recycle 100% of their PET bottles.
http://www.eventstreams.com/recycling/

Worth viewing - and an interesting example of where the packaging industry will be going. Also I have had real reservations about the development of compostable polymers from food grade starch that are a truly one way product with no intention of recycling and reuse. But there is interest in developing pacakging from waste products see this example from Thailand from:

http://www.ap-foodtechnology.com/news/ng.asp?id=79525
"Bagasse, a previously useless waste product from sugar cane, can now be used to make biodegradeable packaging for food products in Thailand, its manufacturers claim." Now if we can make that a reusable / recyclable product then I think we might be onto something.

Another company in the US has developed coffe paper cups using PLA coating on the paper so they can be composted... I wonder if it would be better to just bury the used cups and lock up the carbon?

Just wondering....

Another day another $

Been a busy week ---- Fourht year Product Development students' projeects won Highly Commended and First in the Foodstuffs (NZ) Ltd Conceptual Design by a Tertiary Student category. Have a look at
http://www.packaging.org.nz/awards/awards_student.php

Interesting to note Amcor has $ to spend - see:
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?n=79323-amcor-flexible-pet
I wonder what they will be buying?

An interesting article on the "perfect" film (can there be such a thing I wonder??
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?id=79392

So I'm off to Nelson tomorrrow another Meat Packaging presentation to deliver and then to Albany to be with the Packaging Diploma students

Corrugated Board

A great site for information about Corrugated fibreboard:
http://www.corrugated.org/

and another from the uK
www.corrugated-cardboard-boxes.co.uk

then you can follow the nz companies as well
www.chh.co.nz
and then amcor.com.au

Have fun exploring the exciting world of corrugated board....

Well it is isn't it??

Another Beginning..

There is always a time to start Blogging - so here goes...
Subject mostly will be packaging technology but not always - as there are other things that interest me like trees, Tai Chi Chuan, Druidry..
I have just finished a presentation on Meat Packaging to be presented to NZFSA conferences over the next 4 Wednesdays in Christchurch, Nelson, Rotorua and Wellington.The fun part was getting permission to take photos in a supermarket to use in my presentation and then taking the photos - I was escorted around and then when I was sent off on my own to take some more photos another staff member approached me to help (ie the check what I was doing!!).

In the process of preparing the meat presentation the following sites I found were interesting:
http://returnable-plastic-containers.polysort.com
for some different bulk crate designs and
http://www.safepack.com/products/activepack/freshmax.html
oxygen absorbers for meat products.