During the riveting Connected Packaging Summit, Sriman Banerjee from Takeda Pharmaceuticals and Ryan Kiley of ePac Flexible Packaging, shared their invaluable insights on how packaging is evolving to offer not just a container, but also a personalised, sustainable, and interactive experience for consumers.
Sriman Banerjee’s Green Vision
Banerjee revealed how sustainability drives Takeda’s packaging endeavours. The pharmaceutical giant is pivoting to e-leaflets, marking a significant reduction in paper usage, especially with the successful adoption in Japan. The model’s replication in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and parts of the Middle East underscores its worldwide impact potential. Smart packaging isn’t just about the environment; it’s also about safety and patient experience. With leading food brands such as Kellogg’s and Nestle championing interactive packaging, Banerjee spoke of the potential to curb food waste. By offering insights like product shelf life and temperature needs, smart packaging equips users with precise information to manage stock and reduce wastage.
Ryan Kiley’s Digital Dive
On the other end of the spectrum, Kiley introduced the audience to AIPAC Connect – a groundbreaking platform giving every product pouch its own digital “licence plate.” This digital ID revolutionises the entire product lifecycle, aiding in everything from supply chain to consumer engagement, and even legal enforcement. Kiley spotlighted a pilot program in Switzerland that employs this tech for managing recreational cannabis, wherein each pouch reveals intricate details about the product’s properties, inventory, and its licensed buyer’s record. Beyond recreational use, the potential spills over into the pharmaceutical domain, warning patients about recalls or delivering crucial information. And it’s not just for the big players – even small businesses can harness this tech. Kiley recounted how an English hops manufacturer taps into smart packaging to keep consumers informed about their product’s chemical makeup. This approach underscores the adaptability of smart packaging to suit unique business requirements.
Kiley was particularly excited to share about a current pilot program in Switzerland that’s giving this technology a whirl in the realm of recreational cannabis. Here’s where things get interesting:
Enhanced Inventory Control: This isn’t just about numbers; it’s about specifics. For example, it can detail which local pharmacy made a sale and at what exact time.
Seamless Integration with Switzerland’s Healthcare System: Now, here’s some tech in action! The product gets registered against the person who bought it. And in Switzerland, where they have rules about how much cannabis one can buy (think of a limit like 100 grams a month – that’s A LOT, did Ryan say that or?), this digital registration ensures everyone plays by the rules.
Legal Enforcement: And in those tense moments when something’s amiss, like a stash of stolen products or an underage individual getting their hands on some, the authorities have a handy tool. By scanning the pouch, they get a full download on the product’s journey – from where it was made, where it was sold, right down to the person who bought it. It’s like having a digital detective on hand!
While these points are intriguing on their own, it’s the broader picture of the cannabis campaign in Switzerland that really underscores the transformative potential of AIPAC Connect. Beyond just recreational use, the ripple effect of such technology is bound to make waves across various sectors and industries.
Connected Packaging: The Road Ahead
The revelations by Banerjee and Kiley during the summit painted a vibrant future for the packaging industry. With sustainability at its core and the power of digital integration, smart packaging emerges as a game-changer. From bolstering consumer safety and enhancing engagement to championing eco-friendly measures and refining supply chains, the world of packaging is in the throes of a revolution. These insights promise a future where packaging does more than just wrap – it communicates, informs, and safeguards.
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In case you missed the live session, you can always catch up later! Just watch the recording on our YouTube channel or tune in to the podcast on Spotify.