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PACKAGING GUIDE
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INLINE PLASTICS
42 Canal Street, Shelton, CT 06484 P: (203) 924-5933
W: inlineplastics.com
Inline Plastics Offers Increased Automation Solutions as Labor Challenges Grow
The economy is buzzing. Unemployment is at record lows, and the minimum wage continues to increase in cities and states across the country. This is great news for employees. More people are working and earning higher wages, which in itself stimulates more growth in the marketplace. However, for retailers and food processors, the resulting higher labor costs leave many in need of solutions to control costs while simultaneously meeting the increasing packaging and processing demands. Inline Plastics offers the solution.
Inline recognized the value of automation 30 years ago and has spent the last three decades becoming industry experts. In addi- tion to providing an experienced automation team that designs a comprehensive pack- aging operation, complete with CAD draw- ings, Inline also offers equipment, including denesters, loading conveyors, closers and labelers, specifically designed for its Safe-T- Fresh,® SureLock® and other product lines. Integration with existing equipment, as well as ongoing maintenance and support, round out the automation services this company makes available to customers.
For retailers and processors currently with two or more dedicated staff and processing more than 2,000 packages in an 8-hour shift, Inline Plastics offers a full line of automation solutions that can streamline the process to get more products into the package, labeled and onto shelves with fewer human resources.
A FOCUS ON INNOVATION
Innovation is key to continued growth and success in any business. Inline’s automa- tion services are an innovative way retailers and processors are addressing labor chal- lenges. But it’s not limited to automation. Inline continues to roll out new product lines and packaging options that give packagers, retailers and processors greater variety and versa- tility. And all of the company’s containers are compatible with Inline automation equipment.
Last year, the company launched the
38 / MAY 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS
PagodaWare® line, the uniquely shaped container with a 360° clear-view. Since then, Inline also has expanded its SnackWare® offerings to include more multiple-compart- ment containers for various products. Yet another new product is in the works — the new SquareWare SnackersTM — which will be launched within the next few weeks.
An extension of the Safe-T-Fresh Square- Ware® family, SnackersTM are mini containers available in four small, popular sizes: 2, 4, 6 and 8 oz. Snackers are ideal for snacks and single-servings, portion control as well as providing convenient packaging for dressings, sauces and spices. Snackers are compact, durable, and perfectly sized to make the most of your merchandising spaces.
A COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
More than a decade ago, the company made the concerted effort to transition its product lines to a more environmentally friendly PET material. And since then, Inline has continued to work with its raw material supplier to refine, develop and integrate into its prod- ucts DPETTM (direct-to-sheet) as its primary substrate sheet. DPET is the lowest carbon footprint plastic sheet in the market today.
Compared to traditional PET, DPET requires less energy-intensive production phases. It further allows for more precise thermoforming that results in less waste. There is no reduction in quality as it has a superior gloss, unmatched clarity and uniformity, and is more resistant to cracking. Overall, DPET reduces the carbon footprint by 68% compared to PET. No plastic is left to waste, as Inline reuses any excess sheet produced that are recycled as rPET or post-industrial DPET and entered back into the marketplace.
These environmental innovations on the production side of the equation are matched with a determined effort to educate and inform consumers on their role in the sustainability chain. All Inline products are 100% curbside recyclable, making it easy for consumers and
municipalities to dispose of and recycle pack- ages in the most convenient way possible. Additionally, the company’s research has shown that many individ-
uals do not understand
some of the recycling
symbols. To make it
simple and straightfor-
ward, all Inline Packages
now include a “Please Recycle Me” message on every container along with the standard PET recycle symbol.
From automation operations to new pack- aging designs with greater versatility and shelf appeal to sustainability initiatives, Inline Plas- tics is the industry leader in providing inno- vative solutions for today’s food packagers. Being a leader means recognizing the chal- lenges, creating the opportunities and setting the standards to which others should strive to meet. This is a company that understands the marketplace and is a step ahead with solutions that retailers and processors need.