Kickstart: Calling all NPE exhibitors

NPE2024 is looming — it's now less than 100 days away — and I'm sure a lot of exhibitors have plans to make a big splash at the show.

To help attendees prepare, Plastics News will publish a series of special reports in print — and a lot of exclusive online coverage, too. If you're an exhibitor and you want to be included, it's time to let us know your plans.

Our survey is live now. You can also send news releases and other details directly to me.

Our first special report, on primary equipment, will run March 25. That's less than a month away. We'll cover auxiliary equipment on April 8, and materials (including recyclers) on April 15.

We'll have plenty of other opportunities too, including our award-winning issues that we'll produce daily at NPE. You'll be able to pick those up at our two exhibits this year — our main booth at S30039 plus another in W5143. And, of course, the digital editions will be available online every day.

Watch this space for some exciting new PN products for NPE.

The term "no labels" has a political connotation, but that's not my topic today. I'm highlighting a packaging story.

This month Coca-Cola Co. launched a trial "label-less" project at some United Kingdom retailers. To simplify recycling, certain Sprite bottles are being sold without labels.

"By removing the labels, we remove the need to separate them from the bottles during the recycling process. While existing labels are fully recyclable, stripping them off reduces our use of packaging materials," the company says on its FAQ page about the pilot project.

The PET bottles have an embossed logo on the front and laser-engraved product information on the back. Coke says this marks the first time that fiber lasers and laser engraving have been used in a pilot project.

The company points out that fiber lasers have been commercially available for a few years, but this trial is enabling Coke to "test an approach that increases their speed and use of space on our filling lines, and the potential to operate different lasers on one control unit."

The company is promoting the trial with the slogan "naked for now," and it's running from January to March.

In the past few weeks I've visited our three 2023 Processor of the Year finalists — PTI Engineered Plastics, Radius Packaging and Redline Plastics LLC. I'm looking forward to sharing their stories.

On my visit to PTI in Macomb, Mich., last week, I had an unexpected surprise. It just happened to be the same day as a big employee chili contest.

I have sort of a reputation as a big eater, mostly thanks to years of jokes by Frank Esposito and Earl Harris. So when I shared a photo of photographer Michael Marcotte and me in line for chili, I got a lot of comments.

"Suspicious that they planned this on the day of your visit," one of my daughters said. "Coincidence or a bribe?" added a coworker.

My reply: "I told them I am uniquely qualified to judge 16 different kinds of chili."