Constantia Flexibles Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of flexible packaging and labels, has announced it has won four Alufoil Trophies in 2017. Every year, the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) recognizes the most outstanding packaging products, which are either made from aluminum foil or contain aluminum foil as part of a laminate, structure or packaging system, as well as aluminum closures, with the Alufoil Trophy. Overall, there were nine winners across five specific categories, plus a trophy given for Innovation in Application for the first time that also went to Constantia Flexibles.

“We are very honored to receive not one but four of these prestigious awards this year. This shows that our focus on innovation and on further developing already existing and popular products has clearly paid off," said Alexander Baumgartner, CEO of Constantia Flexibles. “We are especially proud to win the Application Innovation award – that was given for the first time - together with our customer ABInBev, as this demonstrates that our longstanding customer relationships enable us to carry out joint projects very successfully!”

The award categories cover every aspect of aluminum foil usage across many diverse markets, particularly those for packaging and technical applications. The classifications are Consumer Convenience; Marketing and Design; Product Protection; Resource Efficiency; and Technical Innovation. The awarded products of Constantia Flexibles are the following:

Consumer Convenience: Constantia Unshredded Wrap:
A new aluminum foil wrapper, called Unshredded Wrap, from Constantia Flexibles’ ends the frustration of chocolate lovers trying to peel off the aluminum foil in little bits. The ‘elastic’ lacquer on the foil means it comes off in one piece.

To achieve this, Constantia Flexibles created a special ‘elastic lacquer’, which is applied on the foil (outside or inside). This enables easy unwrapping of small chocolate balls, eggs, seasonal products or even chocolate bars/tablets, as it stretches like an elastic band, so the wrapper comes off in one piece with no shredding. In addition, the new wrapping material offers improved puncture resistance.

Marketing and Design: Bone-Shape Container with high-end printing:
A Bone-Shaped Container pack, designed for wet dog food, has a powerful shelf appearance and message, according to the judges. The entire aluminum foil pack, created by Constantia Flexibles for German pet food manufacturer Saturn Petcare, is also printed to underline bones as one of any dogs’ favorite foods. Printing on the container sidewall not only continues the bone shaped theme, it can prevent dents and irregularities from being visible. Other consumer friendly features include the ergonomic shape for easy opening and one hundred percent recyclability. The lightweight empty trays are easy to stack and transport too.

Product Protection: Cakees – Ready-to-eat cakes:
German company “Bäckerei Stiebling” needed a sustainable pack to protect its Cakees range of innovative cake products. Constantia Flexibles developed a sealed aluminum container system, which offers a shelf life of up to one year and excellent barrier properties. The judges felt this was the perfect packaging solution.

Using this packaging system means no cold chain is required, so no freezer in the outlets or defrosting by the consumer. The cake is immediately ready to serve, as it is always at ambient temperature and so contains no artificial preservatives. There is an excellent combination of traditional recipes, modern food technology and high performance packaging.

Application Innovation: Constantia Flexibles and ABInBev: Capsule for beer flavor dispenser
“Capsule for beer flavor dispenser” is a clever aluminum capsule system, containing liquid flavor syrup, specially designed for a unique beer dispensing technology. The system, which allows serving multiple drink options from a single beer keg in pubs, is a joint development by ABInBev and Constantia Flexibles. The judges felt it reflected a strong all-round innovative performance.

The fully recyclable capsule offers beer flavoring at the point of dispensing, with high barrier qualities, to avoid the scalping/degradation of sensitive and concentrated flavors in individual syrups over the whole shelf-life. A major consideration was the piercing performance of the aluminum foil lids in the new dispensing system.

Alufoil Trophies
Organized each year by the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA), the Alufoil Trophy 2017 competition winners will be on display at the Association’s booth during Interpack 2017, in Düsseldorf, Germany. The association’s Executive Director Guido Aufdemkamp commented on this year’s winners: “The different competition categories allow aluminum foil products made for a variety of industry sectors to demonstrate a wide range of innovations. It confirms the ‘strength in depth’ of the industry that so many excellent products were recognized again this year.”

The European Aluminium Foil Association is the international body representing companies engaged in the rolling and rewinding of alufoil and in the manufacture of aluminum closures, alufoil semi-rigid containers and of all kind of flexible packaging. Its more than 100 members include companies in Western, Central and Eastern Europe.