WORLD WATER DAY 2024
25/03/2024
Mindful of our impact on the environment, ANL Packaging is actively engaged in the development of responsible industrial resources. In this #Worldwaterday, we would like to highlight the commitment of our sites to the preservation of this resource. This is because the polymer transformation process has the advantage of using only a limited amount of water. This water is mainly used to cool our tools and is retained in a closed loop that is reused continuously. In addition, ANL Packaging is participating in Operation Clean Sweep®, a programme designed to limit the loss of granules and flakes into the environment by means of containment measures and targeted, regular cleaning of high-risk areas. Find all our CSR commitments in our annual report available here. #WorldWaterDay #CSR #OceanCleanSweep #Environnement
CFIA Rennes 2024
12/02/2024
Somater & ANL Packaging will be exhibiting at #CFIARennes24, the unmissable event for tommorow’s #food and #foodpackaging players! Come and meet us and discover the breadth of our #technological platforms and our #knowhow! We look forward to seeing you there! 📅March 12-13-14 📢Hall 10- Booth G15
Silver Ecovadis
15/01/2024
ANL Packaging awarded silver medal one more time by Ecovadis!With our silver medal, ANL Packaging is in the top 25% companies assessed by Ecovadis.At a time when sustainability has become essential for our future, this result reflects and rewards our commitment to making our environmental, social and ethical practices ever more virtuous.We are grateful to our customers, partners and engaged teams for having enabled this recognition.
FROM FAMILY TO FAMILY. ANL GETS NEW SHAREHOLDERS.
09/05/2022
We can proudly announce that as of today, ANL Packaging has new shareholders. The Neven family, after 64 years of driven craftmanship in the tailor-made plastic packaging industry, passes the torch to the family Hubin, creating a major European player with a broad expertise in the field of sustainable packaging. The family group Hubin is already more than 40 years active in the manufacturing of polymer primary packaging for food, cosmetic, health and industrial products. They offer innovative packaging solutions such as thermoformed, blown or injected packaging (flasks, tubs, caps) and laminated tubes (ABL, PBL). Their expertise extends to decoration (offset printing, screen printing, pad printing or hot stamping) and assembling (including desiccant capsules and mascara). The group counts 10 companies, including SOMATER, realizing a total turnover of € 115.000.000 with 600 employees . Now the group expands their thermoforming capacity by the acquisition of the 3 ANL plants. Synergies of market & product knowledge and multiple business opportunities lie ahead of us! Please note that this transfer of shares has no effects on our services, products or functioning. We will continue producing your packaging on the ANL production sites and your contacts remain the same.
Hafner: Visiopaq®
21/10/2020
Hafner is a business leader in the field of "ready to fill" pastry products. The company also specialises in patisserie products for the fresh self-service aisle. Cakes, tarts and other treats are produced for retail sale. Some of this retail range is already packaged under the Visiopaq® brand of ANL Packaging. Our Visiopaq® is a sealable package (MAP-compatible) which offers an unimpeded view of the products by using transparent RPET, some of which is made from recycled material. The packaging is 100% recyclable. As well as unrivalled value enhancement, the Visiopaq packaging protects the products while guaranteeing an optimum product quality for several days before consumption. To standardise but also to improve the value of the range, Hafner opted to pack all its patisserie products in Visiopaq®. This study was accompanied by logistics optimization with the aim of rationalizing and optimizing packaging and logistics. Hafner divided its range into 6 lower trays and 7 covers. So each patisserie product or assortment has the perfect packaging.
New EcoVadis Score for ANL Packaging
16/10/2018
New EcoVadis Score for ANL PACKAGING. We received our new ecovadis rating and achieved a silver recognition level. What is Ecovadis? Ecovadis is the number one in business sustainability ratings. It is a platform on which more than 45.000 companies are active, situated in 110 countries. We, as a supplier, get rated on our Company Social Responsibility policy (CSR). We fill in a vast questionnaire that overviews a lot of different domains within the company (people management, environment, energy consumption, communication,...) and this needs to be supported with documents. The Ecovadis team checks all these answers and also contacts external sources to verify the information that we've submitted. Our clients, the brands/retailers/..., can consult our scorings, compare us with other suppliers,.... but the biggest advantage is that they get a full view on their entire supply chain in terms of CSR. We see more and more clients asking for this rating, therefore it is important to actively work on CSR. The special thing of ecovadis is that they also conduct research themselves throughout the supply chains of the member organizations. They visit plants throughout the world to make sure that companies do as they promise. It is a extra service that our clients receive when becoming a member. With our silver recognition level, we're actually part of the 30% of best scoring suppliers. But we need to constantly improve on this matter. It is important that we conduct a policy in which we keep doing efforts on CSR to evolve towards a sustainable future and the circular economy that Europe admires.
Recyclable tray for Loc Maria
The Loc Maria Biscuits Group is one of the first on the market to opt for 100% recyclable dark-coloured tray for its Gavottes brand (the famous Crêpes Dentelle!), using mono PET material with a black finish that is detectable with infrared. Dark-coloured trays are used in different markets for various reasons (high-end touch, contrast with food, clear vision of the content ...). Many of our customers prefer dark colours while of course wanting them to be recyclable. ANL Packaging has found a colouring agent solution to this infrared detection problem and has adhered to the CITEO protocol. ANL Packaging, another step towards true circularity!
KIDV Recyclecheck 2022
Sustainable packaging is the future. Here, recyclability plays a giant role. But to achieve recyclable packaging, there are many uncertainties. To help with this, the KIDV developed a series of Recyclechecks. This Recyclecheck consists of a decision tree. Here, you answer a series of questions about your packaging or product. Based on the answers, the degree of recyclability is determined. KIDV is aware of and tries its best to keep up with the many developments and changes occurring in the market. Ifnecessary, the Recyclecheck will be updated in close conference with the relevant chain parties. (Recyclass, Petcore Europe, EPBP)Read the full KIDV Recyclecheck here.
BRCGS Packaging
For several years we obtained the BRCGS (Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standard) certificate for packaging and packaging materials. By this, we demonstrate that our food safety and quality management system meets the strictest standards. End of January, BRCGS held its annual audit at the Headquarter of ANL Packaging in Wellen, Belgium. As in previous years, we have achieved status A for Packaging and Packaging Materials. Packaging is a fundamental part of any brand. It defines product integrity, security and drives innovation. Consumers are attracted to strong and recognisable products that need to be consistent in size, colour and shape. Packaging is, therefore, an integral part of the manufacturing process. The Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials is the first packaging standard in the world to be recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GSFI) benchmarking committee. It’s why over 3,500 suppliers in over 80 countries have chosen to be certificated to this scheme and it is recommended or accepted by specifiers worldwide. The Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials can be used by any manufacturer producing packaging materials for all types of products - from food to consumer products - at all levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. ISSUE 5: JULY 2015. Issue 5 of the Global Standard was published in July 2015 after consultation with industry experts. The BRCGS organization designed the Standard to help you adopt good manufacturing practices and support quality management systems. This will help you develop and manufacture safe, legal packaging materials that meet the quality levels expected by your customers and consumers. Issue 5 of the Standard consists of six sections: SENIOR MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT For any packaging quality management system to be effective, it's essential that management personnel are fully aware of the requirements and are committed to the implementation. HAZARD AND RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM The basis for the programme is an effective hazard and risk analysis based on the principles from the internationally recognised Codex Alimentarius system and encompasses hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP). PRODUCT SAFETY AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT Sets out requirements for the technical management of product quality and hygiene practices, building upon the principles of ISO 9000. This includes requirements for product specifications, supplier monitoring, traceability, and the management of incidents and product recalls. SITE STANDARDS Sets out expectations for the production environment including the layout and maintenance of the buildings and equipment, cleaning, pest control and waste management. This includes a specific section on managing foreign body and chemical controls. PRODUCT AND PROCESS CONTROL The requirements at the product design and development stage including quality assurance, process control and product inspection and testing. PERSONNEL The standards needed for staff training, protective clothing and personal hygiene. Why do you choose a BRCGS certified supplier?. BRCGS certified companies offer a stronger guarantee in terms of traceability, food safety and quality. Choosing a supplier with a BRCGS certificate is choosing safety for yourself and your consumers. The corresponding certificates can be downloaded here
The Plastic Packaging Tax
Starting April 1st, 2022, the United Kingdom will enforce a tax on plastic packaging containing less than 30% of recycled plastic. This tax impacts you if you manufacture or import 10 or more tons of plastic packaging within 12 months. The tax is €240 (£200) per ton. For more information about the Plastics Packaging Tax click here. For the Plastics Packaging Tax, all plastic is made from virgin material unless there is proof that it contains recycled material.
ANL Packaging is further investing in its future and welcomes a new Viscotec PET extruder.
ANL Packaging is further investing in its future and welcomes a new Viscotec PET extruder. This new extruder combines efficiency, versatility, and speed. With a processing capacity of 1000 kg/hour, our extruder is perfectly suited for efficient film production. It can process both flakes and virgin material either in combination or separately. However, what truly sets this machine apart from our other extruders is the built-in winder, allowing us to handle extra width. Depending on the desired thickness, this width can be further expanded. Furthermore, we have invested in an additional cooling roller, making the production of film up to 1.50 mm thickness easier. Thanks to this innovation, we can not only produce thick film but also with a higher output than ever before, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in film production.
NIR detect colour range
ANL Packaging makes the recycling of dark coloured trays possible: our NIR detect colour range is CITEO approved!. Carbon black as a colouring agent has been under fire for quite some time now. Carbon does not reflect the light emitted by the NIR devices at the sorting plants, making it unrecognizable and unrecyclable as such. So why not just ban black coloured trays? Why look for detectable alternatives? A lot of the clients that we have at ANL Packaging use dark coloured trays. This has various reasons. Some of them use a dark coloured tray because of the contrast it creates between the food and the packaging. This means that if the packaging isn’t in mint condition (angel hairs or chips) and food safety might be at risk, this is immediately detected as contamination is less visible. Black is also a colour with a distinct feel to it, making products look luxurious and ensuring a high-end feel. This is preferable for more expensive items, giving them the positioning on the shelf that they desire. Various reasons and all legitimate from a producer stand of view. So, these clients still need a dark coloured tray but of course, one that is NIR detectable and thus recyclable. We at ANL Plastics accepted this challenge and started looking for a colouring agent solution that fits the description. We’ve received multiple solutions and tested them all. The most challenging part was the hue when the packaging was formed. Using carbon gives a very strong and opaque black hue, the carbon black free agents were all translucent and have a colour shine, some being blueish others being purplish. The first step was consulting our clients for which alternative had their preference. The second step was testing internally whether we could still use our internal waste material. Black plastic is the most inexpensive one because all other colour waste material can be reprocessed into black. That is why plastic producing companies like ANL Packaging don’t mind making black items. It ensures us of the re-use of all material that we have, no matter what colour it was. It ensures us of reprocessing 100% of our post-industrial waste, recycling 100% of all our material used. From our point of view, it was very important to retain this. The final step was declaring our NIR detectable plastic. We’ve engaged in the CITEO protocol for detectable black plastics and passed all tests! This means that ANL Packaging offers carbon black free plastic that is 100% detectable and 100% recyclable. Our clients can still enjoy the benefits of using a dark coloured tray without having concerns on the recyclability of the material. 95% of our packaging is mono-material (R)PET or PP and now we have Citeo approved NIR detectable blacks and browns for every use. ANL Packaging, another step closer to true circularity! To download the certificates here
What is hybrid packaging?
A large portion of the packaging you interact with daily consists of many different materials that work together. This mix of materials ensures the product stays safe during transport, on the shelf, or in a consumer’s home.