Research and Development in Poland

The Polish Packaging Research and Development Centre (COBRO) is a state owned, self-supporting institution subordinated to the Ministry of Economy. It is managed by Prof. Stanislaw Tkaczyk, Ph.D.Eng. who was appointed by the Minister of Economy the General Manager of COBRO on 15 July 2001.

COBRO – the leading research and development institution in Poland in the area of packaging has been facing considerable changes in recent years, both external and internalones, which shaped its present activities and research programme.

Transformation of Polish economy, especially privatization process, development and progress in packaging industry, moreover, integration processes with the European Union has hadgreat influence on development of COBRO and implementation its present potential.

The active role of the Centre in legislative process is, among others, supported by personal union with the Polish Chamber of Packaging (KIO) managed also by Professor Stanislaw Tkaczyk. At present the KIO is grouping over 100 packaging companies in Poland.

The building of Polish Packaging Research and Development Centre (COBRO)

The activities of COBRO cover:

• Research and development works in packaging within the framework of statutory activities and to the orders of industry, other institutions and organizations
  
• Expertise in packaging area to the orders of manufacturers of packaging materials and containers and other companies,
  
• Packaging designing in compliance with environmental protection,
  
• Obligatory and voluntary certification
  
• Standardization,
  
• Collection and dissemination of technical, economic and marketing information,
  
• Advisory services.

The research activities of COBRO concentrate on 5 main areas:

1. Product/packaging compatibility tests.
   
2. Development of new packaging materials and containers as well as the assessment of their suitability for modern packaging systems.
   
3. Improvement of measuring techniques.
   
4. Research on environmental impact of packaging and reduction of the burdens caused by packaging to the environment.
   
5. Market research and forecasting of Polish packaging industry development.

Research activities aim at developing progress inPolish packaging industry, improvement of packaging quality, meeting the EU requirements and international standards referring to packaging, food, human health and environmental protection.

Research and expertise works are carried out in two laboratories, accredited according to EN 45001 Standard by the Polish Centre for Accreditation: The Laboratory for Packaging Materials and Consumer Packaging Testing (Accreditation Certificate No AB 185) and The Laboratory for Transport Packaging Testing (Accreditation Certificate No AB 184). Due to accreditation, the quality and efficiency of testing offered to packaging industry and other sectors was improved.

The Laboratory for Packaging Materials and Consumer Packaging Testing is the leading laboratory in Poland (also well recognized abroad) in:

• Testing physical and mechanical properties of packaging materials (paper, board, plastic films and laminates) and containers
  
• Testing barrier properties (O2, CO2 and moisture permeability) of packaging materials and containers
  
• Sensory analysis, sanitary and hygienic tests (global and specific migration), testing the contents of monomers in plastics materials as well as emission of volatile substances from packaging materials, foods etc.
  
• Elemental analysis (trace metal) in packaging materials and containers, foodstuffs etc.

The Laboratory has more then 10 years experience in global and specific migration testing of low molecular substances from plastics packaging into foodstuffs in compliance with the EU Regulations.

The Laboratory for Transport Packaging Testing is specialized in:

• Testing the packages for dangerous goods for the UN mark certification purposes, in accordance with RID, ADR, IATA-DGR and IMDG-Code
  
• Packaging compatibility tests, in compliance with Polish Standards, foreign standards as well as international standards
  
• Testing the intermediate bulk containers (IBCs)
  
• Testing packaging resistance to mechanical hazards during transport and storage

The Laboratory carries our interlaboratory tests of packaging for dangerous goods in collaboration with 3 other packaging institutes: IMET s.r.o. Institut Mechanického Testováni in Prague, Czech Republic, Ã-sterreichisches Institut Für Verpackungswesen Ã-IV in Vienna, Austria, Technický Skúšebný Ústav Pieštany, š.p. TSU in Pieštany, Slovak Repubic.

Laboratories are well equipped with modern apparatus. Taking into account arising problems concerning environmental protection, COBRO established in 2001 a new unit – the Packaging and Environment Section, which developed the activities focused on:

• Packaging design in compliance with environmental protection
  
• Analysis of the influence of packaging and packaging waste on the environment, and also issuance of opinions and certificates of packaging compatibility with the requirements of European standards within environmental protection
  
• Elaboration of programmes for packaging waste management, taking into account recycling technology and collection systems.

The Packaging Certification Centre in COBRO obtained The Products Certification Body Accreditation Certificate (No AC 016) issued by the Polish Centre for Accreditation, which authorizes to carry out certification of:

• Packaging for dangerous goods for the UN mark, according to the international regulations: RID, ADR, IMGD-Code, IATA-DGR
  
• Certification of packaging and packaging materials for the safety mark „B” and conformity with the requirements of other standards and normative documents
  
• Certification on the recyclability of packaging and packaging materials,
  
• Certification of packaging machines for the voluntary B security mark and conformity standards

COBRO has applied to the Ministry of Economy to receive notification for the assessment of products conformitywith the requirements of EU Directives: No 98/37/EU Machinery, No 94/62/EC Packaging and Packaging Waste, No 90/128/EEC Plastics Monomers (Directive relating to plastics materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs).

COBRO acts as a Secretariat of the Technical Committee 133 “Packaging” which activities embrace preparation of standards for terminology, marking for shipping and testing methods related to all kinds of packaging, co-operation with Technical Committees of International Standardization Organization ISO, European Committee for Standardization CEN and Polish Standardization Committee PKN.

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

• Databases of manufacturers and users of packaging materials, containers and packaging machines in Poland, packaging services providers as well as companies dealing with packaging waste recycling
  
• Consultations and advisory services
  
• Specialized publications, conference materials, training materials, instructions etc.
  
• Access to the professional library
  
• Access to the Packaging Show Room.

COBRO collaborates withmany scientific, industrial and commercial organizations and companies all over the country and abroad., among others through partnership in Polish Chamber of Packaging (KIO), World Packaging Organization (WPO),International Association of Packaging Research Institutes (IAPRI) and Polish-Lithuanian Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Markets.

In 2001 the Board of IAPRI entrusted COBRO with honourable task of organizing the 12th IAPRI World Conference on Packaging.

The Conference, took place in Warsaw on 18-20 June 2001. It gathered over 150 participants from 25 countries, representing scientific and research institutions, packaging manufacturers and users, government agencies and international organizations dealing with packaging. The IAPRI Conference - first time organized in one of the Central and East European countries was of great importance for the representatives of packaging sector in Poland and other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, who had an occasion to exchange views and experience in packaging field with specialists from all over the world.

The meeting of the CEN Working Group TC/194/SC1O in Warsaw in May 2000 was another important international meeting organized by COBRO in recent years. About 40 leading specialists fromEuropean laboratories and institutes participated in this event had a chance to get acquainted with the research and testing potential of COBRO.

In 2002 COBRO brought back to life the Polish National Packaging Competition under the name PakStar to promote innovation and progress in packaging sector and also to enable Polish packaging designers, manufacturers and users to take part in the international packaging competitions EUROSTAR and WorldStar.

COBRO offers a wide programme of seminars and training in packaging area in 2002, among others concerning packaging and packaging waste management in compliance with EU requirements, packaging for foodstuffs, packaging designing, package marking, testing and certification of packaging, etc.

The Centre disseminates also publications on packaging, e.g. “Catalogue of Packaging Companies in Poland” as a book and on CD-ROM (in Polish and English language), Polish Packaging Market 2000-2005 (in Polish and English languages) and other studies in Polish language.

Detailed information on present COBRO’s activities, organized training and seminars, National Packaging Competition PakStar, 12th IAPRI Conference as well as publications on packaging – is available on COBRO’s web site.

COBRO closely collaborate with Vortal, dealing with packaging sector on Polish market. This partnershipcollaboration significantly extend through internet our contacts with packaging national and international companies.