Description
The project’s objective is to develop and implement new green packaging, palletizing and manufacturing technologies. These new green technologies are intended to increase the company's productivity by decreasing manufacturing, logistic costs and saving materials (90 % of plastic for packing and 20 % of PET material savings are planned) and energy consumption. The implemented new technologies will have a positive impact on the environment by decreasing carbon emissions and promoting ecological and environmental friendly behavior of consumers. Companies using new green environmental friendly technologies are likely to stimulate other market players to change their manufacturing technologies to more ecologic ones. The project partner will take part in all the project activities during the project and follow up the project activities by consulting in fields of adaptation developed and implemented technologies to Scandinavian market and usage of green innovations in company’s activities and social environmental programs implementation. The project has received funding for additional activities in order to acquire and install the additional innovative technologies, which will ensure the maximally efficient integration of the stripe packaging and the stripe package palletization technologies into the current line of water production.
Summary of project results
According to the European Commission, plastic production is growing globally annually. 15% of plastic production comes from the European Union (EU) countries. For decades the plastic is used for building, electronic devices, agriculture and automotive industry, but the largest part even 40% – in the production of packaging. Realizing the consequences of this situation, Lithuanians also contributed to the EU policy of promoting plastic reduction: JSC “Akvavita” implemented innovative, environmentally-friendly bottle packaging. The project „Green Packaging and Technological Process Innovations in Akvavita”, which lasted for almost three years from 2014, was implemented by the company with a partner from Norway – Berg Holding. Research and calculations have shown that this innovation can reduce other costs, significant both for manufacturers and for the state. For strapped packaging, there is no need to use a special heat tunnel, which reduces energy consumption by as much as 63%. In addition, it is possible to place more strapped bottles on the palette than before, covering them with a film. Thus logistics costs should decrease by about 12%, CO2 emissions – 12%, air pollution – about 11%. According to the project implementers, the packaging method used up till now to cover the bottles with a solid plastic film was a rather convenient solution for transportation, but not ecological. Finding another way to conveniently pack water or soft drinks bottles, reducing production costs and the amount of plastic used, was a challenge even for international university researchers and researchers who collaborated on the development of the project. Prototypes and attempts to reduce the use of plastics were used earlier, but binder packaging and palletizing are the first technology used in the industry. Studies have shown that by replacing bottle pack wrapping technology to bottle pack strapping technology, the plastic will be reduced by 90 percent.The replacement of non-organic plastic films is expected to be recognized on the market and then adapted internationally. The project received funding for additional activities in order to acquire and install the additional innovative technologies. Additional activities allowed to ensure the maximally efficient integration of the stripe packaging and the stripe package palletization technologies into the current line of water production.
Summary of bilateral results
The project partner participated in implementation of all project activities, during the project and provided consultations in fields of adaptation developed and implemented technologies to the Scandinavian market and usage of green innovations in the company’s activities and social environmental programs implementation. Partners working together developed technologies replacing bottle pack wrapping to bottle pack strapping.The partner’s participation in the project and shared know-how in implementation of green inovation projects helped JSC Akvavita to reach the goals stated in its business plan and contributed to successful and well-timed project implementation as well as effective use of requested support.