Constantia Drukpol, one of the Polish plants of flexible packaging converter Constantia Flexibles, has teamed up with ExxonMobil, a supplier of polyethylene resins, to develop an innovative freezer film for the ready-to-use plant-based food brand Bonduelle.

This collaboration led to the development of a mono-material polyethylene (PE) solution designed to replace traditional multi-material metalized films, which can make the packaging easier to recycle and better suited for a variety of vegetables. The new film can address the packaging needs for both “easy to pack” vegetables such as peas and green beans and “challenging to pack” vegetables like spinach and broccoli, which were the primary focus of this project due to their tougher packaging requirements.

Arnaud Warusfel, packaging development manager at Bonduelle Europe Long Life, highlighted the project’s goals and achievements, stating, “For our retail Frozen Bag Category, we aimed to replace our historical multi-material metalized film, which can be difficult to recycle. We selected a mono-material PE solution without adhesives to facilitate easier recycling compared to multi-material solutions. Throughout the development process, we encountered numerous challenges but successfully overcame them with the technical expertise of Constantia Drukpol and ExxonMobil.”

Meanwhile, OMNI Systems, touted as the largest, privately-owned label manufacturer in the US, announced the opening of its Print Center of Excellence in St. Charles, MO. Located at 411 Fountain Lakes Blvd, the 64,000-sq-ft facility is actively hiring and expects to bring 50-100 new jobs to the greater St. Charles area in the next several years.

“We are pursuing long-term legacy growth in the next 5-7 years, and this expansion nearly quadruples our geographical footprint,” says Mike Murton, president and COO. “Being a privately held company with highly skilled employees provides us with unlimited growth potential, and St. Charles is the perfect location for OMNI to continue to grow.”

OMNI’s new Print Center of Excellence will focus production on custom printed labels for the consumer-packaged goods industry on a national scale. The renovated plant features expansive floor space, state-of-the-art labeling capabilities, and flexibility for future growth.

Here are the highest-trafficked news items from the week ending on June 21:

1. Constantia Flexibles and ExxonMobil launch recyclable freezer film
2. OMNI Systems opens Print Center of Excellence in Missouri
3. FLAG hosts successful Annual Members Meeting XII
4. Landa reports ‘historic’ adoption of Nanography at drupa
5. KDV Label names Gary Morrison SVP sales and marketing