On 24 September 2019, FachPack, the European trade fair for packaging, processes and technologies, will open its doors for three days at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg. The 1,590 exhibitors (39 percent from outside Germany) will then present their products and innovations to some 45,000 trade visitors. For 40 years, FachPack has been where packaging specialists from far and wide come to find out about the latest trends in the industry. In this anniversary year, FachPack has for the first time announced a key theme for the event: “environmentally compliant packaging”. As an issue that is currently of greater concern to the packaging sector than any other, it will be reflected in all aspects of the FachPack programme.
The discussion about environmentally friendly packaging is not new. As long ago as the 1980s and 1990s, there were demonstrations against the tide of waste and calls for more environmental protection. Packaging regulations, container deposits and industry-funded packaging recycling systems were the result. However, the issue has come to a head again with concerns about “ocean littering” and the public debate about plastics. An additional driver is the new packaging law that came into force in Germany at the beginning of the year. “We have established a main theme for FachPack for the first time because we want to show that the packaging industry is tackling this challenge and that our exhibitors can offer numerous innovative solutions and new approaches for environmentally friendly packaging,” explains Cornelia Fehlner, Director of FachPack at NürnbergMesse. 727 of the total 1,590 exhibitors have this issue on their agenda and are showcasing packaging materials, machines or processes that make packaging environmentally friendly. These companies are specially designated in the exhibition guide and at the stands themselves. “To make the key theme “environmentally friendly packaging” more tangible we have divided it into four segments,” says Fehlner. “Specifically, these are recycled packaging, resource-saving materials, reusable packaging and systems, and new environmentally compatible processes.”
Inspiring presentations and hands-on workshops
But the exhibition stands are not the only source of information. The trade fair theme will also be explored in 51 of the total 120 presentations at FachPack, covering topics like design for recycling, the closed-loop economy or bio-based plastics. The speakers come from companies like the zero-waste platform Loop, PepsiCo or Procter & Gamble, for example. Whereas the PackBox Forum in Hall 7 concentrates primarily on issues like packaging, packaging printing and processing, the TechBox Forum in Hall 4 is devoted to packaging technology and logistics.
A new feature this year is the Open Workshop Area in Hall 8, where a series of workshops will be held each day in which participants have just two and a half hours to brainstorm ideas and concepts for environmentally friendly packaging. For details of the complete programme for PackBox and TechBox and information on the Open Workshop Area go to: www.fachpack.de/en/events
Special show on stylish and sustainable premium packaging
This year, the special show hosted by NürnbergMesse in partnership with bayern design in Hall 8 will focus on “environmentally friendly premium packaging”. Consumers appreciate stylish packaging that is also environmentally friendly. The products displayed in the special show are good examples of how to reconcile a successful brand image, first-class design and environmentally friendly packaging and they provide a source of inspiration and ideas for the packaging sector. For more information on this and other special shows go to: www.fachpack.de/en/events/all
Award ceremonies at FachPack
The ceremony to honour the winners of the prestigious German Packaging Award, which has been a permanent feature of FachPack for decades, is always worth a visit. The award consists of nine categories including sustainability, which attracted a lot of entries this year. The awards ceremony will take place on 24 September at 16:00. The award-winning packaging solutions can also be viewed at the German Packaging Institute (dvi) stand in Hall 5. A new feature at FachPack this year is the presentation of the Sustainability Awards organised by Packaging Europe. This awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday 25 September 2019 at 17:30 in the PackBox Forum
40 years of FachPack: a success story
FachPack launched in 1979 as a regional packaging exhibition with 88 exhibitors and around 2,000 visitors at what was then the new exhibition venue in Nuremberg. Since then FachPack has successfully evolved to become increasingly larger and more international. Today it is the leading European trade fair for the packaging industry. In 1995 more than 400 exhibitors took part for the first time. In 2003 the 1,000 exhibitor mark was reached, and in 2015 there were more than 40,000 trade visitors for the first time. In 2018, 38 percent of the 1,644 exhibitors at FachPack and 29 percent of the 44,019 trade visitors came mainly from other countries in Europe. FachPack Director Fehlner is especially proud of 11 exhibitors who have attended every trade fair to date since the first event in 1979. “We would like to give them special thanks for this extraordinary dedication and loyalty to FachPack and to Nuremberg as an exhibition venue,” says Fehlner.[1]
Packaging manufacturers report positive results
The packaging market continued to grow in 2017. According to data from the GADV (Joint Committee of German Packaging Producers), the industry produced around 19 million metric tons of packaging materials. This represents an increase in production volume of 1.1 percent over the previous year. Sales rose by 4.6 percent to around EUR 33 billion. As in previous years, plastic packaging was the biggest earner at around 44 percent. In terms of volume, packaging made of paper, cardboard and paperboard was the largest packaging material segment at around 47 percent.
Moderate growth for food processing and packaging machinery
Following a record-breaking 2018, the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Division expects moderate growth this year with an increase in production of 2 percent. Generating 80 percent of its revenue abroad on average, this segment continues to be the No. 1 on the world market.
Even at the beginning of 2018, many of the around 600 manufacturing companies had a good order backlog. In 2018, the output value for food processing and packaging machines rose to just under EUR 15.2 billion (previous year 14 billion), an increase of some 8 percent and a new record. The output for packaging machines was around EUR 7.1 billion (6.6 billion in previous year). Exports of food processing and packaging machines were up around 6 percent in 2018 to more than EUR 9 billion (previous year 8.5 billion). The most important sales markets continue to be the European Union and the USA. In 2018 there was also significant growth or momentum from China, Russia, Brazil, Japan, South Korea and India.
