Pregis Corp.'s booth at Pack Expo 2008 featured several products introduced in the summer and fall.
For the show, the Deerfield, Ill., packaging supplier promoted PolyPlank Renew, a new mid-density foam plank grade that contains up to 60 percent preconsumer recycled content. Marketing Director Josephine Lee said at Pack Expo that the close-cell PE foam was developed for clients seeking cushioning performance with reduced environmental impact.
``This product is our contribution to reclaiming materials that otherwise would end up in a landfill,'' she said.
Less than a week before the show, Pregis launched Astro-Foam Renew, a low density PE foam sheet with up to 35 percent regrind content, a product the firm said is the first of its kind. In addition to protective packaging, the foam also can be used in liners for agricultural containers, tool bins and flotation devices.
Pregis staff demonstrated the company's new HC Auto Flow unit, an accessory to the older AirSpeed hybrid cushioning machine. HC AutoFlow is designed to automatically separate the cushioning material coming off the AirSpeed and place it into a bin or directly into a shipping carton for easy dispensing.
Pregis recently opened a new innovation center in Chicago as a think tank for the creation of new products. ``We want to tackle multiple issues such as protective packaging solutions which minimize material usage while maximize performance benefits,'' Vice President Tom Wetsch said. Developing accessories to increase throughput and minimize labor for clients is another primary task for innovation center staff, he said.