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Wednesday, 01 July 2009
“Raccolto di Sardegna” – Microwavable Artichokes Kissed by the Sun - Faced with a hectic life style and their budgets tightening, consumers are more and more seeking convenience and simplicity to backup their home cooking as eating out is a luxury they are skipping for the moment. Although these home-based activities help stretch their budgets, now and again everyone craves a little treat, indulging in small, affordable luxury for a special occasion. As a consequence this leads to a desire for more savoury exotics inspired by the general trend of ethnic dining. Artichokes are such an exotic. …. read more
Tuesday, 30 June 2009
They Claim to be Sustainable, Degradable and even Compostable - As most consumers expect packaging to provide an added ‘feel eco-good factor’ by minimizing environmental impacts, many a company in these days, in its effort to fulfil this ‘consumer-dream’, introduces a packaging claiming sustainability, degradability and even compostability without using the 100% sustainable natural raw materials. They add degradable or compostable additives to the basic, fossil fuel based, material used. Aside from the potential negative impacts on recycling, And that is, according to Napcor, for the time being, a dubious claim and misleading in all its facets and smells like a monkey business, eye washing the consumer. … read the full article
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Vitro’s Perfume Bottles Difficult to Falsify - True Glow of Avon - Many products are targeted by counterfeiters when it is easy to copy their packaging. If the product manufacturer uses undifferentiated bottles and boxes the counterfeiter can easily obtain the same materials and use desktop publishing systems to print packages and create counterfeit labels.
The counterfeit market is a multi-billion dollar market. The counterfeiter prefers a strong brand since it equates to higher-priced merchandise. It is therefore not a surprise that counterfeiting perfumes is a hot item, as …read more
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
Counterfeiting: The Industry is on the Wrong Track - Many products targeted by counterfeiters are very easy to copy due to their simple-to-copy packaging. Undifferentiated packaging is one of the first things to be addressed to, to stop making it easy for the counterfeiter to copy. But that’s not the case with perfumes and up-scale alcohol beverages. With designers having all the freedom to create the most fantastic and sometimes exclusive bottles, the danger of being illegally copied is not the undifferentiated packaging, but confusion.
Confusion, a strong ally of the counterfeiter, occurs when the consumer is confronted with many different, ever-changing versions of the packaging. How is the consumer to know when a new product package arrives that it isn’t legitimate? ….. continue reading
Monday, 22 June 2009
An Exotic Change of Scenery - A major player on the highly competitive Finnish wine market, the Franco-British wine dealer and producer, Boutinot, introduced its two South-African Seriti wines in a distinctive exotic style. The Seriti Chenin Blanc features the delicate detail of a zebra skin, while the Seriti Merlot wine opted for the might of the cheetah.
Boutinot, a Cheshire-based wine production and distribution company, always has sought to remove the aura of elitism which has surrounded wine drinking, with light-hearted brand names such as “Old Git” and “Old Tart” carrying labels with ….. continue reading
Sunday, 21 June 2009
The Howler - I don’t have to relate here about the events and emotions in Iran. The Pullitzer-Prize-worthy blogging of Andrew Sullivan at The Atlantic and Nico Pitney at HuffPost are appallingly complete and deeply moving. They embody Obama’s words: “We are bearing witness”.
In stark contrast to Obama’s eloquent stand and the cautiousness of the European government leaders, Lula, the great world leader, saw fit to defame the standing of Brazil and its people in the world.
As a belligerent child, who sees his beloved toy taken away from him, ……. read the full story
Saturday, 20 June 2009
Aluminium Bottles for Wine adding Value to the Drinking Experience - In a recent study conducted by Owens-Illinois which polled nearly 150 wineries in the USA, glass was still the highest used packaging material with 99-100% of the wineries still using glass packaging, despite the fact that between 17-20 percent of the surveyed wineries had plans to chang their packaging mix in the future. Apparently glass will still be the preferred packaging material by the majority of wineries. ….. continue reading
Thursday, 18 June 2009
Decorating a Champagne Bottle - Created in 1983, the Taittinger Collection combines the genius of modern artists and the art of champagne. The collection is a series of limited-edition champagne bottles encased in a shell specially created by an artist to pay tribute to this wine.
This year artist, decorating the bottle for the Taittinger Brut Millésimé 2000, a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir, is the American painter Robert Rauschenberg, well-known for his “Combine” works that integrate the aspects of painting and sculpture. The Rauschenberg Bottle, is encased in a moulded “shell” of DuPont Crastin PBT, and decorated using DuPont dye-sublimation technology - selected for its ability to accurately reproduce delicate artwork ….. continue reading
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Coca-Cola’s innovative renewable, recyclable, plant-based plastic bottle - The “PlantBottle”, made partially from plants, is fully recyclable, has a lower reliance on non-renewable resources, and reduces carbon emissions, compared with petroleum-based PET bottles. Traditional PET bottles are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. The new bottle is made from a blend of petroleum-based materials and up to 30 percent plant-based materials.
“The Coca-Cola Company is a company with the power to transform the marketplace, and the introduction of the “PlantBottle” is yet another great example of their …….. continue reading
Sunday, 14 June 2009
Recycling PET-bottles for Executive Suits - It is seldom that a well-dressed young female executive turns up in my blog. But this is different. How many women are out there willing to wear a suit made from recycled PET-bottles?
Using recycled PET-bottles in clothing is not new. Polar fleece, usually referred to simply as “fleece”, was created in 1979 by Malden Mills, now Polartec LLC. They came up with a soft napped insulating synthetic wool fabric made from (recycled) PET or other synthetic fibres. …… continue reading
Friday, 12 June 2009
Brazilian Supermarkets Require Deforestation-Free Meat - The major supermarket chains stepped forward to protect the rain forest. A crucial step. WalMart, Carrefour and Pão de Açúcar will work with certificates of origin for beef which they offer on the shelves of their stores. Recently, Greenpeace released a study showing that the biggest slaughterhouses in Brazil, which receive financial funds from the BNDES (Brazilian Development Bank) and other public banks, buy from farmers in illegally deforested areas. The NGO studied the entire distribution chain.
Last week in an interview with …….. continue reading
Thursday, 11 June 2009
The Folly of an Economy Going Against the Environment - From economists it is expected that they are in favour of production at any cost and against environmentalists. But it has to be the opposite. The Brazilian economy will suffer immensely if it continues the deforestation of (among others) the Amazon rainforest.
It is a shot in the foot. Export of Brazilian beef, for example, will face difficulties if the exporters are not guaranteeing the world market that the cattle did not come from deforested areas. The same problem producers will face with supermarkets, as they will require a ‘clean origin’ of the meat. Consumers also are …… continue reading
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Danimals Yogurt in CrushPaks - In May 2003, EverEdge IP (formerly Inveratek, Auckland/New Zealand) began the development of a revolutionary packaging technology for viscous foods such as yogurts, jellies, condiments and sauces. The challenge was simple: to update the fundamentally old technology currently used to package dairy and other viscous food products by focusing on modern consumers’ increasing demands for convenience and “on-the-go” products. The result was CrushPak.
CrushPak containers are moulded with accordion-style pleated sides from a standard polystyrene plastic with a small addition of rubberiser or elasticiser but in all other respects …… continue reading
Tuesday, 09 June 2009
Bericap and BioGaia develop LifeTop - Have the dispensing caps I recently described in my previous posts been products of small research or packaging companies, it is clear that the introduction of them have aroused the interest of the ‘big boys’ in the game. Here is number five: a dispensing cap for probiotics.
Recently Bericap, a global manufacturer of plastic closures with 20 factories in 18 countries and well-known Swedish biotechnology company BioGaia entered into a Strategic Alliance Agreement with the aim to promote probiotics for beverages packed in a plastic closure system under the name: Lifetop Cap. …. continue reading
Monday, 08 June 2009
Indians Tembé-Ténêtéhar: The Guardians of the ‘Carbon Storage’ in the Amazon - The indigenous Tembé-Ténêtéhar people who live in the north-west of the federal state of Pará will sign the first carbon credit contract to preserve their forests. The Indians living in Terra Indígena Alto Rio Guamá will receive money from a foreign company to keep the forest within their reserve standing as it is.
The contract for the sale of carbon credit was due to be signed last Friday, World Environment Day. Only heavy rain postponed the ceremony, which was planned to take place in Belém. The agreement will bring together the American company C-Trade and the Indians of Terra Indígena Alto Rio Guamá. ….. continue reading
Saturday, 06 June 2009
More Bottle Caps for Sensitive Vitamins - Baby Boomers, their Gen Y kids and all following generations are convinced that a daily dose of a functional beverage, energy or vitamin drink can keep them youthful. However the potency and effectiveness of functional beverages rely on the way in which ingredients are delivered. Deterioration of vitamins, herbs and other healthful ingredients starts from the moment they hit water, in other words from the moment a packaging for a ready-to-drink energy drink is filled in the factory. Vitamin C, for example, loses 80% of its potency after only 30 days.
Various companies have development solutions for this problem. …. continue reading
Thursday, 04 June 2009 - UPDATE
The Super Blooper of this Year - The New “greener” Cigarette Packages - In a full-page advertisement inside Toronto Life magazine, du Maurier, a cigarette brand of Imperial Tobacco Canada, the wholly-owned indirect subsidiary of British American Tobacco plc.(BAT), introduced its new “greener” cigarette packages. Parent company Imperial Tobacco has replaced the aluminium foil with normal paper and uses external cardboard packaging that “meets standards supporting sustainable … continue reading
Saturday, 30 May 2009
The Collapse of Health Care in Pará - In June last year, the deaths of 13 babies in just one weekend in Santa Casa de Misericórdia do Pará in Belém bringing the total at 260 dead babies in just 45 days, shocked Brazil. Since then, finally, it was recognised that the chaos in health care was structural. The historically overcrowded (public) emergency hospitals had reached their peak, due to the large number of people coming from the interior, where emergency care in the municipalities is lacking completely.
The problems reported in the capital are in fact a reflection of a disorganized management system …… continue reading
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Innovative Dispensing Bottle Caps for Sensitive Vitamins - It is generally known, that most vitamins and other nutrients are very sensitive and loose their power the moment they get mixed with a liquid, particularly water. And even worse the longer they stay mixed, the less efficiently vitamins and nutrients work.
Recently two developments came to fruit solving this problem. First the VIZcap and second the vitamin dispenser for Cedevita Gol, both offer the ability to create more fresher and potent beverages. …. continue reading
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Brazil’s Economically Active Population - or - Over 70% never attended a professional qualification course.
The professional education, which includes courses aimed at training and professionalizing employees, still leaves much to be desired, according to a survey. 72,4% of the economically active population never attended a professional class. Or in absolute numbers, 71,5 million working people. Among the unemployed, 5,3 million people never went to a professional education course (66,4%)….. continue reading
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
The Fruity Bottle for AriZona Infused Water - Arizona Beverage Co., a brand of Ferolito Vultaggio & Sons, recently introduced Arizona Infused Water, a line of four lightly sweetened and flavoured waters. The waters are packaged in a proprietary 20-oz (600 ml) plastic bottle. A colourful lifelike illustration of fruit printed on a shrink sleeve covering the ball-shaped top of the bottle right under the bottle screw closure. Under the ball-shaped top the bottle is stretched, where a paper label is … continue reading
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Beer in a CarboPouch - The development of the CarboPouch, a stand-up pouch for low-carbonated drinks, opens the possibility for draft beer microbreweries to fill on-site clean, ready-to-go stand-up pouches, featuring a spout and a cap. Storage and shelf-life requires refrigeration, but the organoleptic film structure ensures no intrusion of flavour and is designed to handle the pouch ‘stretch’ after filling and carbonation expansion. ….. continue reading
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Gaïa and Infinite Glass - In Greek mythology, Gaïa is a primordial goddess identified with the “Mother Earth”. She is the maternal ancestor of divine races, but laboured also many children as monsters.
The French glass manufacturer Saint-Gobain Desjonqueres SA created Infinite Glass, the 1st 100% recycled glass, from which sprouted the Gaia range of bottles and jars, designed by the design agency Extrême Paris and dedicated to the perfume and cosmetics market segment. … continue reading
Thursday, 14 May 2009
A Creative Moderation of the Industrial Standard - Packaging can’t make coffee in it self taste better, but the right packaging is critical to the success of any coffee product, not only in terms of fresh, convenient and attractive, but also in terms of communication, as the variety and number of coffee products on the shelves increase and the decision process of the consumer is restricted to a few seconds. The package may be the only form of communication for that coffee brand the consumer may ever see. The role of that package is, therefore, as critical as the product inside. …. continue reading
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Excellence for Her - The new packaging for Narciso Rodriguez is a product from Axilone, a subsidiary of Ileos, a leading supplier of packaging to the fragrance, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industry.
Usually I do not write about perfume packages as it is dominantly the design and not the technical or technological performance which create the innovation. I am not a designer and although I love beauty in all forms, it is very hard for me to find the lyrical and analytical words to describe a design. But this perfume packaging is different; it combines a beautiful design with some high tech innovations. …. continue reading
Tuesday, 05 May 2009
A Good Yankee Conquered Latin America - The judgement of the first hundred days of the Obama administration might have had all the attention in the US, it is, as a matter of fact, a global affaire. The foreign policy of the Bush/Cheney administration was ruinous in its approach to and contacts with Latin America. Bush’ few visits to Latin American countries were always characterized with massive, sometimes even violent protests and demonstrations. Neither the Latin American leaders nor the people expected anything positive from Bush/Cheney, and as a consequence any American initiative, commercial or charitable, was met with mistrust and suspicion. Exponents of this disastrous foreign policy were the dubious American interventions in local affairs in Venezuela, Bolivia and Paraguay and the re-instalment of the 5th US Navy Fleet in the Caribbean. The US, personified by George Bush, was “el diablo” as Hugo Chávez stated openly and with which statement many a Latin American government leader silently agreed.
Although the 5th Summit of the Americas, sarcastically called the G-34 … continue reading
Thursday, 30 April 2009
Evolution of Wine in Bag-in-Box - Wine always had the areola of belonging to people with a sophisticated life style, a little snobbish maybe. Certainly snobbish, when you read the lyrical descriptions of the so-called wine connoisseurs, putting you (the simpleton) off because you have little interest in the either critical or lyrical, fancy-full, high-flying words for the wine which flavour you just happen to enjoy.
The last years the wine market changed and wine received a wide popularity as alternative to beer, but was still only marketed in bottles. No renowned ‘chateau’ would spend a minute of thought to change the bottle for a more popular, vulgar way of packaging. However, the market dictates. Australia and California, two of the outsiders of the European snobbish wine countries, started to market their wines in alternatives. First Tetra Paks and PET-bottles with a coating from Constar, and the not generally accepted bag-in-box. Astra in South Africa launched an alternative bag-with-spigot to the bag-in-box, the Versus, and PPI launched a one-portion wine bag.
It made wine more popular and …….. continue reading
Sunday, 26 April 2009
Noodles On-The-Go - Yum is a hot and spicy soup, very popular in Thailand. It has a sharp sour garlic flavour with a hint of basil, a bit slimy with a pleasant aftertaste of crustaceans. Tom Yum is now packaged in an on-the-go plastic bowl with lid.
Noodles are traditionally dry packed in a plastic bag or wrapper. They are a great as a in between snack or as a simple lunch on-the-go. Spices are usually packaged separately along with the wrapped dry noodles and to eat the noodles the consumer just has to add boiling water. Although it is an ideal on-the-go snack, the consumer has always the problem, …. continue reading
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
Sustainable Products from the Amazon Rainforest - Of course this is a post about an innovation in packaging. The innovation comes from the Amazônia region, the largest concentration of freshwater and biodiversity of this planet and the natural habitat of the animals represented in the series of sustainable packaged products we are discussing here.
As it is Earth Day, today, a little background information must be welcomed by everyone reading this post.
In April this year government officials, business leaders and non-governmental organisations agreed, during a debate on “Managing the Amazon: A Global Responsibility?”, hosted by the British BBC, on the need for rich countries and companies to recognise the people living in the Amazon jungle as “providers of environmental services” and “pay” them for contributing to the fight against climate change by not deforesting. ….. continue reading
Saturday, 18 April 2009
Boxed Water - Let’s face reality. Bottled water is the most outrageous marketing activity of the last years. In countries where water from the municipal tap is potable, it is an outcry to human decency to bottle and promote the sale of that same tap water.
I have no problems with the bottling of special waters originating from clear water springs and of which is said they have special characteristics, like Perrier, Evian and various others. I don’t have problems with enriched waters, which energizes life and supply extra vitamins. I have a problem with bottled municipal tap water hailed as a miraculous, healthy beverage option - a panacea for a fattening populace addicted to sugar-laden sodas, while …..
Recently three companies introduced water in Tetra Paks, stressing environmental features. They choose respectively for the more luxurious Tetra Prisma, the old-fashioned Tetra Gable-Top and finally the ordinary Tetra Brik. …… read the full article
Friday, 17 April 2009
The Pantanal by Train - Beautiful news for those who always wanted to see the beauty of the Pantanal, but were put off to make a trip by a chalana (a boat used to navigate the Pantanal rivers between Brazil and Bolivia) or on horseback, as tickets are on sale for the Pantanal Express, the latest venture of a touristic railway in Brazil.
The Pantanal is the largest continuously inundated plain of the world, formed mainly by the floods of the river Paraguay and its tributaries. The region of about 250 thousand square kilometres is for 80% situated in the federal states Mato Grosso and …….. continue reading
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Milk in a Pouch - Innovative and Sustainable - The milk container market is exemplary of sustainable developments and design options within one of the most important and traditional of all the food and beverage packaging segments. From the glass milk bottle to the existing plastic or cardboard containers over more than 60 years little changed in that market. Up till recently.
Last year UK’s Food and Farming Minister, Lord Rooker, called for the dairy industry to become more sustainable, targeting 50% reduction of plastics used in milk packaging as a key goal for 2020.
Although for the majority of industries sustainability is solely a moral issue at best, pressure of the environment conscious consumer … continue reading
Sunday, 12 April 2009
Functional products demand packaging innovation - In her article “Consumer Trends for 2009” published in FoodProcessing, News and Trends Editor Diane Toops expects for 2009 premium ready meals that give a restaurant experience at home or beauty products that bring a spa-like feel to the bathroom.
Beyond this, manufacturers will launch products specifically designed to enhance people’s moods in unique ways.
From food and beauty to household cleaners, Chicago-based Mintel, expects to see a widening range of products that soothe, energize or simply lift the spirits.
Health and wellness is expected to continue its march into new product development as a rapidly growing segment in the food and beverage industry that is having an impact on both food content and packaging. … continue reading
Friday, 10 April 2009
A Probiotic Packaging - Although the pictures shown with this post suggest that I want to discuss a special application for Tetra Pak, it is, however, a little packaging included in or added to the Tetra Paks which have our attention today.
The probiotic straw. As a matter of fact it is per definition a packaging as the straw, made and developed by Unistraw from Australia, holds probiotic bacteria, which are released when the consumer sips the liquid from the pack through the straw.
The Australian company sold the straws as a separate item, till the moment they signed, end of last year, a global agreement with Tetra Pak …. continue reading
Wednesday, 08 April 2009
Natural In and Out - Fresh Handmade Cosmetics as Easter Egg - Easter Eggs are supposed to be made from chocolate, although loved by everyone, chocolate isn’t always the best gift. But everyone loves to receive an Easter Egg, that ancient Pagan symbol of springtime.
Try an alternative to the standard chocolate Easter Eggs often packaged in nature unfriendly material. Try the Honey Toffee Scented Easter Egg of ethical handmade cosmetics company Lush. All Lush’s Easter Eggs are vegetarian and four are vegan. Don’t eat them, They are to dip yourself into a nice ‘fragrance bath’.
Each Bubble Bar and soap gift is housed ….. continue reading
Tuesday, 07 April 2009
The ‘greenness’ of Easter Eggs - Worldwide the period up to Easter is traditionally a ‘wasteful’ period in terms of packaging material. The sales in Easter Eggs and other (chocolate) products during the Easter period is enormous and consequently the consumption of fancy and mostly non-recyclable packaging materials. Easter time is one of the most important periods for the chocolate industry, it represents some 10% of their annual sales volume and for years, chocolate companies have used bigger and more flamboyant packages to excite children and their parents, to boost sales and profits.
In several countries, however, the Easter Eggs are stripped of their exorbitant packaging, as manufacturers cut down on packaging material or replace it by environmental friendly alternatives in their attempt to let Easter Eggs go green…… continue reading
Monday, 06 April 2009
Designing and developing packaging with i-Design - Consumer product companies requiring innovative and branded designs, which use less and/or alternative and/or recycled material so packages are more sustainable, with an eye on the bottom line, minimizing prototyping and concept testing and that all as quickly and accurately as possible so that they can be the first in the market with the best packaging, might find the answer now by automating the modelling and analysis process, which provides innovative, high-performing, value-added packages in a fraction of the time. … continue reading
Friday, 03 April 2009
Wrong Choices - The response of Lula’s government to the financial crisis has serious defects: some market sectors are benefiting but not the entire economy, and incentives are given without something in return. The car, a product for the middle class and the rich got a tax waiver, the employees of the automakers received an employment guarantee, but the sugar-alcohol sector has neither, not even a guarantee of the labour laws.
In the United States, aid to the automakers was given under the condition of environmental improvements. Here, nothing was requested from the automakers, except to keep labour employed, which creates a distortion in the economy: all Brazilians can be dismissed, except …… continue reading
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
The Revival of the Tin Can - The Collectible as Marketing Tool - A steel can or tin can, or just tin, is a single-walled container moulded mostly by impact extrusion of tinplate or black plate (including tin-free steel) and designed for packaging products, Tin plate has been replaced by tin-free steel which is given a tin coating, usually as thin as a human hair, to prevent rusting. Protective (plastic) coatings applied to the inside of the cans ensure the integrity of the contents, allowing tins to hold a wide variety of products,
Except for the day-to-day food cans, the tin is nowadays a marketing tool, giving the product a luxury image.
The Tin’s History
With glass and wood, the tin made from steel is one of the oldest pillars of the packaging industry. The tin’s history began in 1795 when Napoleon Bonaparte, who famously ……… click here and read more about:
The Sculptured Metal Technology
Modern Collectibles as SheerBliss Ice-cream, Silver Joe’s Coffee, Nestlé Easter Eggs, Williamson’s Elephants, The Financial Crises and the Banker’s Dozen and The ‘Light-Green’ Colour of Tins (about the ‘greenness’ of tins) ……. continue
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Polemic: Lula’s White Blue-Eyed Bankers - Last Thursday 26 March during a visit of British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva blamed the rich countries for the crisis.
“The crisis was caused by irrational behaviour of white people with blue eyes, who in the past seemed to know everything, and now show no knowledge at all”, said Lula in reference to foreign speculators in the first world countries.
When asked by a journalist whether his statement would not have an ideological bias, Lula said: “As I do not know any black or indigenous banker [...] I can only say that it is impossible that the part of mankind, which is the worst … continue reading
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
The Battle against Slave Labour in Brazil - One of the items on the FSM (World Social Forum) was the slavery. But always when I talk or write about slave labour, I get commented that I have to show pictures to prove my case. My words are apparently not credible enough or the horrific and the disgrace of contemporary slave labour rise above the human mind and should be underlined with hardcore photos. Slavery in the sex industry is widely recognized as existing, but slavery in the “normal” industry, especially in the sugar cane, is often seen as excessive. And the “evidence” is often no more than words, because pictures are almost never available…. continue reading
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Innovation is Key to Sustainable Packaging - “Innovation can eliminate packaging waste and enable a future where all packaging is recycled or its value is recovered”, said William F. Weber, vice president and general manager - DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers, during the keynote address at the Packaging Strategies CEO Summit.
“The packaging industry has long focused on reducing to the minimum necessary packaging. But this is not enough - we can do more through innovation,”
“Packaging provides value in preventing costly food waste. And, in the future, all packaging can provide added value through …. continue reading
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Why? - It is remarkable with the economy worldwide at its (probably) deepest point, that there is an avalanche in verbal positioning of multinationals and international organisations, to defend the status of the packaging industry, to pronounce their views for the future, to promote effective measurements for recycling and sustainability and in general to justify the overall use of packaging.
If you think the recession will temper consumer interest in sustainability, you think wrong. Packaging development programmes focussing on sustainability and degradability - in other words ‘green packages’ - will probably accelerate.
Why? Despite the economic recession, nearly 60 per cent of the consumers … continue reading
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
“What State is this? What Justice is this?” - When I wrote about the World Social Forum, held in Belém, I quoted the words the governor of Pará, Ana Júlia Carepa, used in her closing-speech. I repeat:
“…….. here in Pará we demonstrate that it is possible to construct a new development model for Pará and the Amazon. We feel one with these hundred thousand people, who believe that another world is possible and in the name of this ideal, we have built our government. In the name of this ideal, we work to transform Pará into a constitutional State.”
And I commented: If you know Ana Júlia and her political results, you get weak knees listening to these words.
Well, let’s have a look how weak our knees can get.
The Bishop of the Prelature of Marajó criticizes the government of the Federal State of Pará for omitting cases of paedophilia
“The omission of the State is the worst thing facing the people of Marajó in all sectors, which contributes to the persistence of sexual exploitation of young children, teenagers and to the misery in the 16 municipalities of the archipelago”, according to the testimony …. read the full article
Friday, 13 March 2009
War between the Vatican and Brazil - First in brief the (shocking) facts:
A 9-year-old girl was raped by her stepfather. The child is in the 15th week of pregnancy with twins, when an abortion is performed.
Although banned, the Brazilian law allows an abortion in two situations, namely in cases of rape and when the life of the mother is in danger.
The Roman Catholic Church had the (ridiculous) hope that the child would carry the twin pregnancy to the end. Last Tuesday, the Archbishop of Olinda and Recife, Dom Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, tried to convince the girl’s parents to refrain from abortion. The mother of the girl did not budge and did not even wish to talk with the Archbishop.
Subsequently, the Archbishop excommunicated the mother, doctors and others involved in the abortion. …… continue reading
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Packaging is the Answer to World Hunger - Read this position paper prepared jointly by the World Packaging Organisation and the International Packaging Press Organization.
Ever since World War II, global food production has increased faster than population growth, and food prices have remained relatively stable. Now, however, we are seeing a reversal of that trend-and we face a world food shortage. Populations are starving, and food prices have risen dramatically.
As a result, in many cases there is food but no money, or too much food in some places and too little food in other places.
The current food shortages have emerged quickly and with little warning. As always, several reasons are cited. The rising middle class in Asia and in other emerging markets with bigger purchasing power is one such reason, while another argument is the attractiveness and usage of food raw materials for other purposes, such as cattle feed, fuels, and materials. Some even say that the production of bioplastics ….. continue reading
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
The Dual-, Two-in-One-, Twin- or Kangaroo-packaging - Whatever you want to call them, the Dual-, Two-in-One-, Twin- or Kangaroo-packaging is a packaging holding two separate containers with two different products, which together form one entity in packaging as well as in product. I am not talking about promotional packages in terms of “pay two, get three” or whatever the promotion, nor am I talking about some extra bonus packed with the original product.
No, in this post I like to highlight the innovative creations of Kangaroo-packages (I like this word as it gives an exact definition of the matter), where the one product belongs or depends on the other product and brought together to form one product to serve a mutual goal.
Without doubt packaging history shows early examples of the Dual-, Two-in-One-, Twin- or Kangaroo-packaging. I remember, in the sixties of the last century being the beginning of packaging development in Europe after World War II, the tin packaging of Struik Conserven … continue reading about the selection I made:
Struik Conserven dual-tin-packaging - Italy’s Pasta Barilla dual packaging -
Jekyll & Hyde twin packaging - EcoLab’s kangaroo packaging - Zhen Bao Fang Liqueur’s big brother, little brother - Wonder Tablitz’s empty dual-bottle - Sambuca con mosca’s bottle-in-a-bottle - The kangaroo bucket of Avlon - bio2TONIC’s dual packaging - Dawn Simple Pleasures’ two-in-one bottle - Double Down’s twin bottle - The Conagra Two-in-One Pack
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Dow Challenges Packaging Industry to Work Together Toward 100% Recyclability - This is a paper I received from Dow Chemical and publish here unabridged as it is of importance for the future of packaging.
Plastic packaging is an important part of the solution in the big picture of sustainability, waste and the environment, according to The Dow Chemical Company. In a strong message first delivered to a recent gathering of packaging industry leaders, Dow is challenging packaging value chain members to work together toward 100 percent recyclable packaging solutions - and asking consumers to challenge their misconceived view of plastic packaging as “waste.”
“Plastic packaging is viewed by many consumers as waste, or a problem, or in some cases as unnecessary,” said Glenn Wright, ….. continue reading
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Water Bottle for Children Doubles as Toy - The, by top designer Yves Behar of “fuseproject” in San Francisco, designed symmetrical Y-shaped single-serving bottles for Y-Water, Los Angeles, should attract the attention of children, since they, when empty, can serve as a toy, brick or as part of a game.
The small size of the 9 oz (267 ml) bottle, accentuates the health aspect (portion control and calorie use) of this new organic, low-calorie drink for children.
Although the package will certainly attract ……. continue reading
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Beer that “fits the hand” - The design process of a special beer bottle - The young Brazilian consumers are open to new and innovative packages and products. The latest innovation comes with the launch of Summer Draft beer.
At the time the summer period which accounts for about 40% of total sales in this segment, starts (southern hemisphere) Cervejarias Kaiser introduces Summer Draft beer in a special long neck. The draft beer is a Pilsner, light and refreshing, with low fermentation, a slightly bitter flavour, a bright colour with 4.7% alcohol content. The beer is double-filtered and made from special hops that are more resistant to UV radiation. That is the reason that Kaiser Summer Draft could be introduced into the market in a clear transparent 355 ml glass bottle.
The result: a beer, presented in a very special designed bottle, with a mild and medium sweet taste that typically must be savoured ice cold. ….. continue reading
Friday, 27 February 2009
The Most Envied Man of Carnival 2009 - Betto Almeida, 36, paints the body of (female) dancers, who participate in carnival parades in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. For many Betto Almeida is a lucky bird. In addition to his daily work as art director of TV soaps, he paints, brushes, drips and sprays paint on some of the finest Brazilian carnival bodies and that already 12 years.
With sweat on his forehead, he says that it is hard work but worth it. A modelling agency pays him BRL 1,000 (€ 335) for about two hours required for painting a model. During the samba parades, he paints two models a night. And throughout the year he paints a minimum of 50 women for various events.
“I started to do it for the …. continue reading and see the video
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Carnaval 2009 in Olinda: The Giant Dolls - The, of origin pagan festival, that was brought from Europe to Brazil by the Portuguese colonists, is in Olinda, as we know it today, a relatively recent event, dating from the beginning of the twentieth century.
Although a relatively recent event Carnival of Olinda has maintained its purest traditions of celebrating carnival in Pernambuco. Each year, hundreds of carnival blocs and carnival groups meander through the streets and on the slopes of the Cidade Alta (Upper City), keeping alive the original roots of the most popular festival in Brazil.
And don’t forget the giant dolls, each year, new versions are created and total now more than a hundred. The Calungas (sacred doll in the Candomblés of Pernambuco) are carried in … continue reading
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Galo da Madrugada - The Cock by Dawn - Recife. Multicultural Capital of Brazil.
Early Saturday morning (21), the parade of the block Galo da Madrugada toured the streets of the centre of Recife. The sculpture of a Galo (cock) with a height of more than 6 metres is the sensation of the bloc. In its 32nd edition, the first time without the founder Enéas Freire, who died in 2008, the block came with news. With 23 trio-elétricos leading the party of some 1,5 million foliões (partygoers), it was the first time that the bands did not play solely frevo (frevo is a rhythm from Pernambuco derived from the march, the maxixee (Brazilian tango) and the capoeira).
The Galo travels a route of 4,5 kilometres. The Galo is considered the largest carnival block in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records. … continue reading
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
The Best Carnival of Brazil is in Salvador - Anyone who spends carnival in Salvador just wants one thing: fervour every day. And he gets it. Here fun is granted. This year was even more agitated, with the commemoration of 60 years of the Filhos de Gandhy (Children of Gandhi), which has been honoured along with other afoxé blocks.
50% of the people chose the carnival in Salvador as the best in Brazil. A survey organized by the Jornal Nacional/O Globo on their website, chose the capital of Bahia. With six days of festivities, 234 blocks with 45 trios-elétricos, and the presence of big music stars, the capital of Bahia attracts 650 thousand national and foreign tourists, resulting in a carnival for two million foliões (partygoers). ….. continue reading
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
The 7 Best Places in Brazil to Enjoy a Hectic Carnival - Is Rio de Janeiro world famous for its spectacular carnival and awesome beauties, year after year industrial and economic centre São Paulo is trying to excel Rio in luxurious floats as well as in breathtaking beauties.
Glamour, glitter, sensuality, competing samba schools and millions of euros are however not part of the carnival in all Brazilian communities. There are Brazilian towns where carnival still is what it was and should be, ordinary people enjoying and participating in traditional street carnival. No sensuality, no spectacular semi-nude queens, no floats, no millions. Just traditional local music and fun, much, much fun. The original sound of carnival.
Let’s visit 7 places, Florianópolis, Ouro Preto, São Luís do Paraitinga and of course Salvador, Recife and Olinda. Number 7? That’s a surprise, wait and see. ……….. continue reading
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Blondes, brunettes, mulattos …. Ahh, Muses, without them carnival would not be fun - São Paulo as the industrial and economic centre of Brazil starts its carnival parades on Friday night with the highlight on Saturday night. Then it is over in São Paulo, the Paulista can not spend valuable working hours with something as frivolous as carnival. Monday is simply back to work.
Rio de Janeiro is different. Cariocas are partying all the time and working a bit in between. Rio is the glamour city, São Paulo is for serious business.
Although in Rio carnival in the streets starts on Friday, the big carnival parades in de Sambódromo are Saturday night with the top on Monday night. The Carioca is …… enjoy the photo session
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Carnival 2009 - A Work of Art called Monalisa - This is a free interpretation of Ancelmo’s blog.
The first queen of the carnival’s parade which started today is a spectacular appearance in the photos. You can congratulate her, Monalisa Lucia de Carvalho, 21 years, the “Mulata do Gois 2009”. The representative of the city of Portela was the most voted in the carnivalesque contest of this column and took the competition’s title of the “loveliest on the internet”. For the group from Oswaldo Cruz, however, it is hard to take - as it is the second consecutive year that Portela takes the title. The photos of the winner, by the expert Fabio Rossi, were taken at the train station. What a beauty - what a styling. ……… continue reading and enjoy the photos
Today carnival in Brazil started its five days of festivities. The next few posts will be devoted to this all consuming event. Enjoy the view of the Brazilian beauties, abundant in numbers and luxuriant in appearance. After the carnival is over, the serious part of the year 2009 finally starts for the Brazilian and we, in our blog, shall go back to the reality of Brazilian life.
But first: five days carnival, parades, samba and beauties.
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Delicious Tea-Eggs - Xiang Cha Lu Dan - Let’s have a look at some Asian packaging innovations. The next few articles will describe some interesting and creative packages from several South-East Asian countries. First the Tea-Eggs from PR China and Taiwan.
Never before were tea-eggs pre-packaged. Marbled Tea Eggs (cha ye dan) are one of the most popular and typical Chinese snacks, sold solely by street vendors and in night stalls in most Chinese communities throughout the world.
The XuanHui pre-packaged tea eggs, to be found in the supermarket refrigeration section, are shrink wrapped giving it … continue reading
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Salt so ordinary a product, so beautifully packed - BrandStorm, Inc. manages, imports, and sells different brands of gourmet food products. Since 2001, the company has become a major player in launching fancy food brands into the U.S. market.
They have an in-house marketing and design team who created this packaging. BrandStorm sourced the glass jar in the US, and had the labels printed in California.
Finely milled in France Himalania Pink Salt comes from the mountains of the Himalaya, at 10,000 feet high. It is a fossil marine salt which was formed more than 200 million years ago during the Secondary area. Since the beginning of time, salt has … continue reading
Monday, 09 February 2009
Heavy rainfall here in the Amazônia region frustrated my communication devices, i.e. my radio-antenna for internet and my telephone line. Consequently for some weeks now I have not been able to post new articles, although some interesting things happened.
I know, I know, it is the rain season, but nevertheless there ….. continue reading
Update: All articles about the World Social Forum have been posted in order with the date of writing. I hope they will give the reader a good impression of the event as it took place. With regard to the discussions the bloggosphere reports in great length about all topics, so that I could restrict myself to the periphery.
Monday, February 2nd, 2009
World Social Forum - The final balance - The previous articles described the run-up to, the opening and the proceeding of the forum. Now the final balance.
The final balance of the World Social Forum (WSF) in Belém was positive. At least according to the organizers, the mayor of Belém and the governor of the federal state of Pará. Eventually 135 thousand people participated from 142 countries, with 15 thousand participants in the encampment and 4,830 volunteers, translators, technicians and representatives of the organizers.
The governor of Pará, Ana Júlia Carepa emphasized the positive influence of the forum on the economy of the state. (I had expected that, as a socialist, ……… continue reading
Sunday, February 1st, 2009
In Belém the heat dominates the World Social Forum - This is a translation of an impression, published by Leonardo Sakamoto on his blog about his experience with the World Social Forum in Belém. It is obvious that he was clearly present in Belém.
During the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre (in the years 2001 to 2003 and 2005) the weather was hot. But the heat in Rio Grande do Sul is nothing compared to the climate of Belém in the month of January, where the mugginess of the humid air embraces you upon arrival. The frequent rainfalls are refreshing, but sometimes even the pouring rain is unable to cool down the atmosphere. The theatre installed in the ….. continue reading
Saturday, January 31st, 2009
World Social Forum - The course of an event - For those who did not know that this year Belém was the seat of the World Social Forum (WSF) the participants of the forum could easily be taken for tourists on holiday in the capital of Pará. The campus of the Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia (Ufra = Federal Agriculture University of the Amazon) - one of the main centres for this event - seemed more like a vacation colony. At least until the debates started. On the campus it was quite normal to see people walking around in …. continue reading
Friday, January 30th, 2009
Latin America celebrated the collapse of neo-liberalism - Latin American Presidents with a left-wing signature participating in the World Social Forum 2009 in Belém, celebrated the collapse of neo-liberalism.
Characterized as the block of the real left-wing Latin American social movements, Presidents Hugo Chávez (Venezuela), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Rafael Correa (Ecuador) and Fernando Lugo (Paraguay) celebrated the collapse of neo-liberalism in ‘Davos’, a reference to the meeting running at the same time as the Social Forum, and collecting the crème de la crème of capitalism in the Swiss Alps. The assembled Latin American presidents gave a clear message to the participants of the World Social Forum (WSF), that was held ….. continue reading
Thursday, January 29th, 2009
The World Social Forum - Preparation and Opening - The event was outlaid so ambitiously that it had to go wrong. The organizers had clearly forgotten that they had to do with the Federal State of Pará with its public administrators and political leaders, who are still unable to look up the word ‘organization’ in the dictionary, let alone find the word.
During the six-day forum (from Jan 27 to Feb. 1), 2400 activities were scheduled, which means that some 200 activities were held simultaneously about topics such as the environment, global warming, poverty, child- and slave labour, exclusion of …… continue reading
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
Tell me: What actually is the World Social Forum? - On Tuesday, January 27, 2009 the 9th edition of the World Social Forum opened in Belém, the capital of Pará, with an estimated 60 thousand people from around the country and 30 thousand foreigners participating. For the city of Belém an unprecedented large-scale event that would rule the entire city for 6 days.
However, a survey conducted by the media-group ORM Portal showed that the event is unknown by the Paraense (resident of the federal state of Pará). … continue reading
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
The World Social Forum - Tuesday, January 27, an estimated 60 thousand people from around the country and 30 thousand foreigners started their participation in the 9th edition of the World Social Forum, held in Belém, the capital of Pará.
While the entire capitalistic controlled western world looked to Davos, on the other side of the world, the World Social Forum was held totally ignored by the world press. Well, what should the third world do with a Social Forum, in this time of international financial crisis. As if … continue reading
Monday, 26 January 2009
Lula, the great world leader - This is a translation of a post written by my fellow blogger: Wanderley Filho
One of Lula’s ambitions is to be recognized as a major world leader, a leader with a recognition which equals Nelson Mandela, for example. This wish seems to be promoted constantly by his assistants. In the midst of this illusion of greatness, some nonsense takes form as ridiculous proposals and end up as a mockery of Brazil.
Lula has already proposed the “World Zero Hunger” program, which should be financed by taxes levied on international arms trade; he said also that he would re-establish …… continue reading
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Brazil: The Country of the Future - With Lula ‘highly commended’ in the world, my last series of posts may have created the impression that I’m negative about Brazil and everything the government Lula does or fails to do. That certainly is not my intention. I am well disposed towards Brazil, where I live, and so it is with a bleeding heart when I see the (often unnecessary) injustice that goes around. What Lula is concerned, I can say that I am indeed very disappointed in …….. continue reading
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Braille and Packaging - Since January 1, 2006 a new EU directive (2004/27/CE No) requires all packages of pharmaceutical products to bear the Braille characters, in order to give the blind and partially sighted consumer the ability to read and understand the necessary consumer information.
The number of people that can be categorized as blind or partially sighted increases each year, mainly as a result of the higher life expectancy and aging of the population. Most of the visual disabilities manifest themselves at an older age, namely 88% after the age of 60 compared to 10% between 16 and 59 years and 2% below the age of 16 years. But unfortunately - less than 2% of the partially sighted and the blind can read Braille………
In order to help drug manufacturers to comply with the European legislation, several companies have developed their own unique solution.
Here successively Sleever Braille, CCL’s BrailleMarker, the AccuBraille system of Bobst and Nordson’s e.dot. ……. read the full article
Saturday, 24 January 2009
In 2008 Fines for Environmental Crimes Exceeded 1 billion Euro - In 2008 more than BRL 3 billion (€ 1 billion) in fines was imposed in the Amazônia for environmental crimes. But the question is, who is crazy enough to pay the fine? For sure not the Brazilian environment criminal.
A report stipulating the by Ibama (the Brazilian Environment Authority) imposed environmental fines shows that between January 1 and December 8, 2008 22,697 reports of environmental offences were made with a total of BRL 3.25 billion (€ 1.05 billion) in fines. The figure is 38% higher than in 2007, when it was BRL 2.37 billion (€ 0.772 billion).
The bulk of the amount came out of actions against deforestation in the Amazônia ….. continue reading
Friday, 23 January 2009
Forgotten Prisoners - In a country where state prisons bulge, inmates just remain behind bars, although they served their ‘time’.
Inspections carried out by the Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ = National Council of Justice) in four of the 27 federal states of Brazil discovered that more than a thousand prisoners, even after they had served their criminal sentence, were still behind bars. Around 1.218 other convicts had no access to the facilities to which they were entitled - as a pardon, a semi-open regime or external work. Without a lawyer or a public defender assigned to their case, these prisoners eventually just are forgotten….. continue reading
Thursday, 22 January 2009
In 2008, the Lula’s Government executed only 22.5% of the budget - Health care got only 7% of its allocation - The speech of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva relating the public investments to solve the economic crisis is in flagrant contradiction with the facts. Last year, the government has issued only 22.5% of the budgeted investments. At a total investment budget approved by Congress of BRL 47.6 billion (€ 15.5 billion), only BRL 10.7 billion (€ 3.5 billion) has actually been spent. The investment budget includes all public works for infrastructure, housing and sanitation facilities for which the federal government is responsible, including ….. continue reading
Sunday, 11 January 2009
What Are We Going To Do with Polystyrene and PET Trays - More and more supermarkets and food service companies prohibit suppliers to use polystyrene and/or PET trays following their policy to show ‘green’ involvement to their customers. Wal-Mart, took the lead in 2006, in cooperation with the Oppenheimer Group of Vancouver, Canada, a supplier of fresh produce, by introducing the compostable packaging from EarthCycle Packaging Ltd, in the Wal-Mart Stores.
with: Palm Fibre trays for Wal-Mart’s fresh produce - CycleEarth’s palm pulp packages for mushrooms - SilvaPak’s shaped wood pulp trays - RPET-trays for frozen food ……. continue reading
Saturday, 10 January 2009
1.2 billion Condoms for Brazil’s Birth Control Policy - The Brazilian Ministry of Public Health has decided to invest in 2009 heavily in actions for the promotion of family planning. Among the major actions is the purchase of 1.2 billion condoms, a record in the world, and the distribution of most of the existing stock of 458 thousand ‘morning-after’-pills. New purchases of conventional injectable contraceptives and contraceptive pills, of which 50 million strips were distributed last year, are expected. …. continue reading
Friday, 09 Janaury 2009
Pure nature - The fragrance of the Amazon dancing in the wind - The capillarity of the wooden sticks transmits the fragrance of the perfume from the Amazon region to the ambiance of the room.
15% of the world’s total of all known vegetal species (plants, trees) and 10% of all mammals are concentrated and trying to survive in the Amazon region.
This source of fresh air to the world, home to (besides man and animal) many super-fruits, medicinal plants and other useful species, will be destroyed soon. Between 2006 and 2007 11.224 km2 has been deforested ….. continue reading
Wednesday, 07 January 2009
The Paper Water Bottle - The paper/cardboard bottle, the so called, 360-Paper-Water-Bottle from Brand Image, has been developed in an attempt to reduce the waste of billions of plastic bottles.
Overall introduction of the 360 paper-water bottle to replace the mineral water bottles made from PET or other plastics, might reduce resolutely the plastic bottles which are discarded every day in the United States and end up at a landfill. The bottle is made from 100% renewable food safe resources, fully ….. continue reading
Wednesday, 7 January 2009
Ready-to-drink cocktails in single-shot stand-up pouches - ShotPak comes in the ready-to-drink segment in four flavours with vodka created cocktails, in addition to four pure alcoholic beverages. All flavours are presented in single-serve stand-up pouches from eco-friendly material.
The package, called ShotPak contains a single shot of a tasty liquor in a plastic stand-up pouch. The company is targeting people with an active lifestyle and …. continue reading
Sunday, 4 January 2009
“Have we met before?” - With the action: “Have we met before?” Pepsi tries to recuperate a large part of its 750 million aluminium cans (per month) after use by the consumer for recycling. The value of ad space, which Pepsi frees on its cans, is estimated at USD 40 million.
“Wonder why that can of Pepsi you’re holding feels so familiar? It could be because it’s been in your hand before.”
With at least 40% of the average aluminium can made from recycled material, Pepsi is trying to tell the story of how used aluminium cans gain a new life through recycling. The “Have we met before?” campaign aims ….. continue reading
Saturday, 3 January 2009
The Largest Penguin Rescue on Record - A Success for Animal Welfare - But a Terrible Omen - Some 2,500 Magellan penguins from the Argentina’s Patagonia region, probably confused by the warm ocean currents stranded - dead and alive - on Brazil’s northern coast in October last year. Approximately half of the penguins found on Brazilian beaches were dead, and the others were starving and in very bad shape.
Magellan penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) live in relatively warmer climates than other penguin species, and breed and nest in burrows from October to February, in southern Chile and Argentina, in a temperate and dry climate. Magellans, one of ……… continue reading
Thursday, 01 January 2009
Happy New Year - One of the most spectacular events of the year is the “Réveillon” fireworks at the Copacabana beach of Rio de Janeiro, with which Brazil enters the New Year.
This year again Rio de Janeiro gave prove why during this time of the year so many tourists prefer to spend their holiday season here.
During 20 minutes the public stood there agape with wonder by the beauty of the fireworks. A beautiful experience which, …. continue reading and enjoy the photo reportage
Sunday, 28 December 2008
The Flying Brazilian - A Busy Bee - It is a public secret that President Lula, from the very beginning of his first term in office, indicated his intention to see the world before his second term in 2010 will end. That’s why he bought, immediately after his inauguration as president, a new plane (an Airbus A319CJ ).
In 2008, the President made 33 international trips, almost the same number as in 2007 (36). It is for sure that in 2009 the ‘AeroLula ‘, as his plane popularly is called, will make many international flight hours.
In the year before the presidential elections and the penultimate year of his second term, president ……… continue reading and enjoy the photo reportage of Lula’s travels
Saturday, 27 December 2008
A Can You Can Drink From - It is a known problem that the top of beverage cans, in particular in disco, during sport events and outdoor activities, often are dirty by handling, cooling and storage. It is also a known fact that more and more consumers drink directly from a can declining the use of a cup or glass. A peel-off hygienic seal/cap atop aluminum beverage cans is therefore a must.
Advercan introduced in collaboration with 3M to AmeriCANtop a commercially feasible method of ensuring that beverage can tops remain clean, while also providing a marketing opportunity for distributors.
The newly developed pulp-based film will biodegrade … continue reading
Friday, 26 December 2008
Economic crisis? What economic crisis? - While worldwide governments design and implement financial stimulus packages, President Lula mainly limits himself to stimulate the Brazilians to continue spending money and to buy goods to support the Brazilian industry. In Brazil apparently payment of the 13th month is seen as stimulus package to rescue the economy and beat the financial crisis. In the month of December, the Brazilian economy will be “enriched”, with approximately BRL 78 billion (25 billion euros) due to the payment of the 13th month.
This amount represents about 2.7% of the gross domestic product (GDP), and includes workers in the …… continue reading
Thursday, 25 December 2008
A Christmas Story - 5-year Deivid Sent a Letter to Papa Noel with his Dearest Wish: Shoes - The Christmas letter from the small Deivid José Pereira da Silva, of only 5 years old, addressed to Papa Noel, differed strongly from the usual Christmas wish list of his classmates in the kindergarten. While other children asked toys, Deivid put a pair of (tennis) shoes on his wish list. The boy’s worn shoes, with its see through holes, justified this unusual request of a child of his age.
Deivid used the same tennis shoes for three years. Already second hand when he got them, too big for his feet, acquired at a bazaar organized by the Parish of St. Anthony of Lisbon, they are the only ones the boy has.
Since last Saturday afternoon, after the daily newspaper O Liberal had Deivid’s story on its front page …….. continue reading
Thursday, 25 December 2008
Water with a spiritual message - Water that purifies thoughts and deeds - During this for so many “sanctified days” of the Christmas season it is justified to present a spiritual packaging.
Water with a spiritual message. Water comes in all forms, in expensive glass bottles and simple PET-bottles, in stand-up pouches and fancy packages. New is “Spiritual Water”, just an ordinay (mineral) water, not dedicated or sanctified, but just to drink, and while drinking a prayer can be read.
In a market where bottled water is the number two …. continue reading
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Does the future belong to the youth ?
“Literacy and the struggle against hunger are connected, closely interdependent,” Nobel literature prize winner Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio said Sunday (07/12) in his Nobel lecture to the Swedish Academy. The 68-year-old Frenchman continued with: “One cannot succeed without the other. Both of them require, indeed urge, us to act.”
From a president who himself had no chance to follow a proper education, you expect the portfolio of education in his government highly favoured and enjoying all the (financial) support it deserves. Indeed the future belongs to the youth and that’s certainly true for an emerging economy as Brazil. But not so in Lula’s mind. The results are disastrous and will wreck the future development of this country.
Although elementary education is ‘enjoyed’ by 97.6% of 7-14 year old children, this figure is no synonym for quality. The majority of the Brazilian school children between 8-14 years can neither read nor write. Data from the IBGE ……… read the full article
Saturday, 6 December 2008
Smoothie in a ‘twisted’ bottle - According to Mintel, the US market, the birthplace of the smoothie showed, in the past 5 years, a growth of 80% . Consumers are attracted to smoothies because they are seen as a healthier option to most sweets, snacks and on-the-go meals.
Now that the smoothie market is a proven success, companies are forced to bring the product to the next level - extreme differentiation. Similar to the coffee market, the “smoothie” companies have to develop innovative new flavours and additives (vitamins) to keep consumers interested.
Nestlé chose Product Ventures, a well-known branding agency, for the development of a new bottle, which should accentuate Jamba’s characteristics, such as health, refreshing and enjoyable.
Product Ventures used the essence of Jamba by creating a sculptured design, which imagines ‘freshly squeezed fruit’. The result is a twisted bottle, which displays the ‘fresh squeezed’ and fits pleasantly in the hand. ….. read the full article
Saturday, 6 December 2008
Graduate as Santa Claus - All the latest posts had a serious undertone. That’s not quite what “Brazil in Hot Pants” is all about, as it promised to involve a wink to the sometimes lofty Brazilian society with a hint of its beauties.
Hence this post about Papai Noël, as Santa Claus is called here. What have these “dirty old men” to do with Brazilian beauties? Well, Brazil should not be Brazil if Papai Noël did not have assistants, called Noeletes. Is Papai Noël required to be old and fat with a barreled belly, from the Noeletes is expected, that they are 18 years and …….. of course.
Scroll down and see for yourself. ……… more
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Water in an octagonal Bag-in-Box - Two major natural elements, water and wood, play a central role in the “Lindoya Vida” (Life in the Box) 22-ltr octagonal bag-in-box with mineral water from the Mineração Mantovani fountains. The BIB-pack consists of a corrugated cardboard case with two-die-cut handles and a laminated bag with dispensing tap.
The corrugated case is manufactured by Klabin - Brazil’s largest producer and recycler of paperboard. The octagonal shape of the box was not only chosen from an aesthetic point of view, but also because it gives a perfect palletising pattern.
The two-layer bag, provided by DuPont Liquid Packaging Systems/Liqui-Box, has a 3.8-mil (96.5 mu) outside layer of a bi-axially oriented nylon composition and an inner layer of 2.5-mil (63.5 mu) polyolefin. DuPont Liquid Packaging Systems delivers ……. continue reading
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Lula and the Financial Crisis - Apart from other things, Lula is famous for his blundering utterances in public. Since the financial crisis in the U.S. started to worsen, president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva changed his tone.
March 30, 2008: “Bush, my son, solve your crisis.”
September 17, 2008: “What crisis? Ask Bush.”
September 22, 2008: “Until now, thank God, the crisis has not crossed the Atlantic.”
October 4, 2008: “There [in the USA], the crisis is a tsunami. Here, if it reaches us, it will be a marolinha (high wave), not even good enough for surfing.”
In the meantime:
Former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso criticized the way Lula’s government was facing the economic crisis and was ironic, calling Lula a “great economist”, in reference to the statements Lula made by calling the crisis a marolinha when coming to Brazil.
“No need to be aggressive with anyone personally, but we have to say that not everything the master is saying, is right, because it is not. We have to say the king is naked here, there, and yonder. Put your clothes on, Mr. President. Do not talk nonsense, Mr. President. Be more consistent with your history. Don’t be as fast in your judgments as the others. Note that a nation is made in the course of generations. Don’t be so pretentious. Be a little more humble,” completed Fernando Henrique Cardoso. ….. read the full article
Sunday, 16 November 2008
Securing Exclusive Wines - The worldwide system that tracks the origin of a good glass of wine from the château to the consumers, is based on the offset printed seal (bottle closure) made from aluminium foil in which the “taggant” is incorporated. The taggant is a chemical registration, emitting a specific unique electro-optically signal linked to a particular brand (in this case eProvenance).
The system, designed by eProvence LLC, comprises three components: a semi-active RFID tag …… continue reading
Sunday, 16 November 2008
The EnviroClear refillable water bottles - According to the 2008 Global Bottled Water report from Zenith International Ltd, the worldwide sales of bottled water will rise from 206 billion litres in 2007 to 272 billion in 2012 (32%).
A recent study of increased toxic antimony (also known as stibium, chemical symbol Sb, a silver grey metalloid) concentrations in 132 brands of bottled water from 28 countries shows that in PET bottles, the level of antimony increases ……. continue reading
Saturday, 15 November 2008
Seven Federal States and the Federal District Concentrate 80% of the GDP - And nevertheless Pará is the champion of economic activity. - About 80% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Brazil is generated by only eight of the 27 states of the Federation.
Pará, with all its minerals (iron ore, gold, diamonds, bauxite and whatever you want) letting his soil be robbed for a pittance, Pará does not belong to the above mentioned list of Prime Producers.
Nevertheless Pará is the undisputable leader. A sad leadership. Ranking No. 1 at the list of slave labour. ….. read the full article.
Saturday, 15 November 2008
Water Bottle for Children Doubles as Toy - The, by top designer Yves Behar of “fuseproject” in San Francisco, designed symmetrical Y-shaped single-serving bottles for Y-Water, Los Angeles, should attract the attention of children, since they, when empty