COBRO Packaging Testing Laboratory

COBRO supports packaging industry with research potential

Polish packaging industry represents a share of around two percent of GDP. An increase in competition and the introduction of new legislation within environmental protection, healthcare and consumer protection in compliance with EU requirements, has led to qualitative changes in the Polish packaging sector, which for the most part has achieved international standards.

The high quality and attractiveness of packages introduced in Polish market has been reflected, among others, in prizes awarded in the international packaging contest WORLDSTAR, organised by the World Packaging Organisation. See pictures presented below:

Winners of the World Packaging Competition WorldStar

WorldStar 2006 Awards

Glass jar for a chocolate and jam „Lowicz Czeko Dzemi" Manufacturer: OWENS ILLINOIS Polska S.A. Jarosław User: AGROS NOVA Ltd., Warszawa	A presentation and sales packaging for luxury tie hangers Manufacturer: Zakład Produkcji Opakowań MAX-BOX S.C. Zakład Pracy, Chronionej, Warszawa
Glass bottles of "Flame" series, for toilet waters and parfumes Manufacturer: Heinz Glas Działdowo Ltd., Działdowo	Corrugated fibreboard packaging - insert to the shopping trolleys Manufacturer: Goodwell Polska Ltd., Gryfice

WorldStar 2004 Awards

Folia „Lean Cover Carbon Black" film (LCCB), made of composite of polyethylene with minerals Distributor: ECOLEAN POLAND Ltd., Jaworowa Raszyn	Paper pulp packaging for fresh eggs iMAGICTM Manufacturer: HARTMANN POLSKA Ltd., Gorzów Wielkopolski
Heavy duty valve type polyethylene sack for granulated and dusty mineral fertilisers Manufacturer: MARMA POLSKIE FOLIE Ltd., Rzeszów

WorldStar 2003 Award

Box for a set of cosmetics cut from one piece of carton without gluing
Manufacturer: ZAKŁAD PRODUKCJI OPAKOWAŃ MAX-BOX S.C. Zakład Pracy Chronionej, Warszawa

COBRO Packaging Testing Laboratory

There are more than 5000 packaging companies in Poland, but about 200 of them dominate with a market share of around 75 percent. Based on the estimates by the Polish Packaging Research and Development Centre (COBRO), packaging production and consumption accounts for nearly three million tons in volume terms (ca. 78.5kg per capita). According to the PIRA International Ltd./World Packaging Organisation report "The Future of Global Packaging" packaging consumption in Poland in 2005 was estimated at ca. €3.6 billion in value terms (ca. €94.2 per capita). While packaging consumption in Poland is still low in comparison with other EU countries a further growth at a rate ca. 5%-6% annually by quantity and 13% by value is predicted in the coming years.

Likewise in the Western European countries, the structure of packaging consumption in Poland has been changing in recent years, with the increasing share of rigid and flexible plastics in total packaging materials consumption opposite to the share of glass, metal and wooden packaging, which has been going down. See Table 1.

Research offered by Polish Packaging Research and Development Centre

Polish packaging industry is supported by academic establishments, including: The Poznan University of Economics (Faculty of Commodity Science), The Higher School of Logistics in Poznan, Warsaw School of Economics (Department of Quality Management), Cracow University of Economics (Faculty of Commodity Science), Gdynia Maritime University (Department of Commodity and Cargo Science, Department of Technology and Organisation of Nourishment), Warsaw University of Technology (Faculty of Production Engineering), University of Łodz (Faculty of Management), Academies of Fine Arts and others, which provide studies and training in packaging technology and design, packaging materials manufacture and usage, logistics etc.

The important support comes from specialised packaging scientific and research institutions, with the leading one - Polish Packaging Research and Development Centre (COBRO).

COBRO, operating since 1958 (to 1973 as Polish Packaging Centre), supports national packaging sector, mainly SMEs in introducing progress and innovation as well as increasing competitiveness in packaging field. It offers high-tech test laboratories, accredited by the Polish Accreditation Centre according to PN-EN ISO/IEC17025:2001 standard and employs a number of highly experienced specialists.

Packaging Testing services

COBRO services to the packaging sector include:

• Research and expertise;
• Packaging engineering design in compliance with the EU directives
• Certification of packaging materials, containers and packaging machines;
• Packaging standardisation;
• Databases on technical, economic and marketing information;
• Advisory and training services;
• Promotion in Poland and abroad of packaging and design in this field through the biennial National Packaging Competition PakStar;
• Assistance in establishing contacts and development of collaboration with other research and scientific institutions, as well as business partners in Poland and abroad.

Research and expertise activities, geared to needs of industry and market and also environment protection, health care and safety requirements, concentrate on:

• development of new packaging materials and containers, including biodegradable ones as well as packaging systems
• interaction between product and packaging
• impact of packaging and packaging waste on the environment
• strength and functional properties of packaging materials and containers
• mechanical and climatic hazards during transport and storage
• packaging management and forecasting of Polish packaging industry development

Testing of the emission of volatile substances from packaging materials and containers	Testing of oxygen permeability

COBRO carries out inter-laboratory tests in collaboration with well known European packaging institutes as well as international research projects.

In recent years COBRO implemented in cooperation with Swedish Packaging Research Institute STFI-PACKFORSK and selected Swedish and Polish packaging manufacturers and users three research projects in the frame of EUREKA Programme:

• in 2003 a joint project CANBA "Safe metal packaging for foodstuffs", the aim of which was to achieve higher level of packaging and food safety by minimising the migration of dangerous substances (BADGE compounds) present in the coatings of metal cans. Elaborated in the frame of this project methods of determining contents of monomers, harmful for health in packaging materials - were a base for preparing by the European Standardisation Committee CEN standards concerning determination of contents of these monomers in lacquered coatings based on epoxide resins, generally used in beverage cans. They also allowed to optimise production of epoxide loacquares.
• in 2004 a joint project EUROTEST "Testing methods of goods protection during distribution in Europe" focused on the analysis of hazards occurred during transportation by road and protection of goods, especially valuable and damageable household equipment and consumer electronics;
• in 2005 a joint project "Shopping Basket" aimed at the improvement of packaging used by selected food manufacturers in both countries, to comply with ecological, economic and logistic requirements of the European Union.

Moreover, the fourth EUREKA project entitled "Multilayer packaging materials from renewable resources", conducted in cooperation with Centre of Polymer Chemistry of Polish Academy of Science as well as with the manufacturer of multilayer packaging materials - UNIPAKO Ltd. and their converter - KB Folie Ltd. was implemented. The main aim of this project was manufacture of multilayer renewable packaging materials composed of the papers with coatings made of new generation of biodegradable polymers. As a result the application for patent concerning „Biodegradable multiplayer packaging material and a manner of its manufacture" was submitted to Polish Patent Office.

Packaging Laboratory Research Projects

At present the following research projects, important for Polish economy and packaging sector development, are carried out at COBRO:

• Three-year research project entitled „A Model-Based Tool for Ensuring High Quality Corrugated Board for Packaging from Alternative Raw Materials", implemnted in 6 Framework EU Programme (Horizontal Research Activities Involving SMEs);
• Five-year research project entitled „Packaging as a stimulus for economic growth in the region and improvement of the environment protection on the regional scale", implemented in the frame of Norwegian Financial Mechanism

Drop tests	Leakproofness tests

Packaging Certification

COBRO - Packaging Certification Centre is a Notified Body with No 1581 under the Directive 98/37/EC Machinery. It had obtained The Products Certification Body Accreditation Certificate No AC016, issued by the Polish Centre for Accreditation.

The Centre carries out certification on:

• packaging for dangerous goods for the UN mark, according to international regulations: RID, ADR, IMGD-Code, IATA-DGR
• packaging materials and containers for the safety mark „B" and conformity with standards
• recyclability of packaging materials and containers
• packaging machines for the safety mark „B" and conformity with standards

Standardisation

The Secretariat of ISO Technical Committee 133 "Packaging" is located at COBRO, which activities embrace:

• preparation of standards in the field of packaging, especially intended to come into contact with foodstuffs and in the area of packaging and environment
• cooperation with the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)
• cooperation with other technical committees of Polish Committee for Standardisation (PKN)

Advisory, education and information in packaging

COBRO collects and disseminates professional information as well as promotes technical and scientific progress in the field of packaging through:

• Data bases, including:
  • INFOPAK (manufacturers and users of packaging materials, containers and packaging machines in
    Poland, packaging services providers as well as companies dealing with packaging waste recycling);
  • BIOPAK (biodegradable materials and their manufacturers);
  • Certificates on UN mark.
• Consultations and advisory services, seminars and conferences.
  
  COBRO gives opinions on the innovation of new investments in packaging field, provides information on
  packaging market and companies acting on this market, organises conferences and seminars. In 2001 COBRO organised 12 IAPRI (International Association of Packaging Research Institutes) Conference on Packaging - the first in Central and Eastern Europe, and in 2005 - International Third Packaging Conference of Central and Eastern European Countries. COBRO organises seminars on different current subjects like: sanitary and hygienic requirements for food packaging in the light of the EU directives; new legislation within the packaging and environmental protection; testing and certification of packaging for dangerous goods in compliance with changing international regulations; recycling and recovery of packaging waste in printing industry.
  
  Moreover, COBRO has organised training on environment problems and packaging waste management for teachers, representing primary and secondary schools in Mazovia region, based on the agreement with local authorities.
  
  
• Access to professional library
• Access to Packaging Show Room
• Organisation of the National Packaging Contest PakStar and Student PakStar , which aim is to stimulate innovation and promote modern design, production and application of packaging, moreover to enable the winners - packaging designers, manufacturers and users, acting on Polish market - participation in the international competition WorldStar and also students of artistic schools and Academies of Fine Arts - to take part in the competition World Student Star Contest, organised by the World Packaging Organisation WPO.
• Organisation, in cooperation with Polish Chamber of Packaging, stands and visits to international exhibitions and fairs for groups of packaging companies, first of all to: International Fair TAROPAK in Poznan, International Packaging Exhibition PACK EXPO in Kiev, Ukraine, International Packaging Exhibition ROSUPAK in Moscow, Russia, Packaging World in Minsk, Belarus, EMBALLAGE in Paris, France, INTERPACK in Dϋsseldorf, Germany and other.
• Collaboration with scientific, industrial and commercial organisations and companies all over the country and abroad (among others membership in the Polish Chamber of Packaging (PIO), World Packaging Organisation (WPO), International Association of Packaging Research Institutes (IAPRI) and European Packaging Institute (EPI); collaboration with packaging associations and research institutions from East European Countries, including Belarus, Latvia, Russia and Ukraine).
• Publications - COBRO specialists are authors of distinctive branch publications e.g.: „Foodstuffs Packaging"; „Transport Packaging - Handbook"; „Polish Packaging Market"; Catalogue „Packaging Companies in Poland"; „Packaging Legislation"; „List of Polish Standards concerning Packaging and Packaging Materials"; "Packaging Waste"; „Biodegradable Packaging", „Recycling of Packaging Waste" and others;

Packaging Research and Development Centre Overview

Over the last decade Polish packaging sector has developed its potential and achieved considerable progress in qualitative and quantitative terms. Generally, production output is sufficient to cover the expected demand. Quality of domestic packaging is comparable with the average world standard, however, continuous its improvement, as well as assortment diversification and widening should constitute important tasks for future, especially in view of increasing competition on the market, changing requirements of final packaging users, moreover, development of international cooperation and trade.

Polish Packaging Research and Development Centre is ready to assist Polish packaging companies in adjustment to the requirements of domestic and European Union legislation within environmental protection, consumer protection and health care, certification and standardisation as well as developing packaging in compliance with the achieved progress in the said area and changing consumers' needs and habits.