Block-Bottom Bulk Bag Wins AIMCAL Product of the Year Award
- Published: June 15, 2021
The Association of International Metallizers, Coaters and Laminators (AIMCAL) presented its 2021 Product of the Year Award to a reclosable, block-bottom, nonwoven bag from UFlex Limited (Noida, India). Winners were honored during a virtual awards ceremony on May 19, and also will be recognized at PACK EXPO Las Vegas and the AIMCAL R2R USA Conference & SPE FlexPackCon 2021 (Oct. 17-21, Orlando, FL), co-located with ICEC USA.
Used for Ripuraj rice, the bag’s reverse rotogravure-printed, 15-micron modified polypropylene (PP)/adhesive/18-micron metallized biaxially oriented PP/15-micron extruded PP/60-gsm nonwoven PP structure replaces laminated or woven-PP substrates. The nonwoven core imparts a textured appearance, feels soft to the touch, and projects a premium image.
The all-polypropylene structure is recyclable in the PP waste stream. Convenience features include a reclosable zipper and handles for easy carrying of bulk quantities of rice and potential reuse as a shopping bag.
Members of the judging panel were reportedly impressed with how all aspects of the package evoke a premium image. They also noted this design offers several improvements over previous iterations and particularly liked the addition of the block bottom, which allows the bag to stand upright on its own.
Judges for the competition met via Zoom in a session moderated by Chris Kerscher, executive director of AIMCAL. Members of the judging panel included experts in converting and packaging: Dr. Charles A. Bishop of C.A. Bishop Consulting, Ltd. (Loughborough, U.K.); Larry Jopko, principal of Stickum Consultancy LLC (Houston, TX); Robert M. Kimmel, Sc.D., associate professor, director, packaging science program, director, center for flexible packaging, Department of Food, Nutrition and Packaging Sciences, Clemson University (Clemson, SC); Steve Lange of ProcessDev LLC (Cincinnati, OH); and Michael Ulsh, group manager, process science & engineering, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL, Golden, CO).
The AIMCAL Product of the Year Award is part of the AIMCAL Awards program, which also includes Technology of the Year and Sustainability Award competitions and the Hall of Honor.
For more information, visit https://www.aimcal.org.
