Already well-established in southern Africa as a specialist in money transfer packaging and release films for the tyre industry, OCC|Plasto-Sac SA hit the ground running in July 2012 with its impressive flexible packaging portfolio, garnering new contracts with local FMCG manufacturers and export customers.
All OCC|Plasto-Sac SA’s packaging materials are meticulously manufactured by Israel-based PlastoSac, which boasts ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14000 accreditation and BRC/IOP certification, a prerequisite for companies supplying branded food products.
Established in 1982, the group is aligned with like-minded partners, MOR Plastic and Cargal, both well established in the worldwide film market and the three combined form a multi-pronged film and packaging enterprise.
‘Popular trends in the South African market include stand-up, flat and retort pouches and pre-made bags and lidding, as well as multilayer printing and laminating,’ remarks André. ‘Feedback since our media splash in August 2012 has been phenomenal. Several enquiries have turned into positive contracts and we’re impressing brand owners with our service promise,’ he declares. ‘Additionally, our South African website, officially launched in October, received more than
12 000 hits in the first month alone!’
Appealing to consumers
Andre maintains that there’s much more in store for brand owners looking for packaging that meets consumer needs.
‘Firstly, consumers expect a package to protect the product. It must also deliver a strong visual impact and be functional. Lightweight and inexpensive materials are preferable and recyclability is a must for many consumers,’ he explains. ‘As a result, our focus this year will be on consumer-friendly packaging, specifically quality, service and pricing, and we’ll continue to invest in the very latest technology and techniques to deliver premium-grade products manufactured from the highest quality raw materials.’
PlastoSac Israel’s recent developments include the introduction of inline duplex, triplex or quadroplex lamination line with instant electron beam (EB) curing.
EB is a heat- and solvent-free ink-curing technique that’s becoming increasingly popular as a way to improve barrier properties in flexible packaging in order to extend shelf life. According to Andre, laser scoring is another technology that’s proving effective for brand owners looking for easy-open resealable retort pouch packaging.
‘Our scoring process delivers a controlled score depth for easy-open packaging while maintaining the film’s barrier properties,’ he remarks. ‘It improves
the aesthetic appearance of bags or pouches
because film propagates down a well-defined line,
in registration with the print on the package. Whether horizontal, diagonal or vertical, laser scoring can be used in a variety of packaging designs, providing consumer satisfaction, product safety and brand identification.’
Quality packaging at its best
Already popular in the European flexible packaging market is PlastoSac’s pioneering range of Paper Match heavy-duty bags.
Specially designed for use on high throughput form-fill-seal lines and, based on multilayer films, Paper Match bags are suitable for 10 to 25kg units and can be tailor-made to specific requirements.
‘As the name implies, Paper Match has a paper-like feel and appearance, with the additional strength of plastic,’ André explains. ‘It has excellent printability and is grease, oil and humidity resistant.’
Paper Match’s environmental accreditations include 100% recyclability and a low carbon footprint. It’s also compliant with direct food contact regulations. Main applications include industrial packaging for chemicals, agricultural products, fertilisers, powders and raw materials, and retail food packaging such as salt, flour and sugar. It’s also proving popular for pet food packaging, offering a quality look and feel to brands in this fast-growing market.
‘Consumer-friendly packaging has never looked so good and we’re continuing our drive for excellence by asking brand owners: “Isn’t it time your packaging reflected the quality of your product?” Our commitment to service satisfaction has always been exemplary and we’ve certainly proved our ability to adapt and evolve in a fast-moving marketplace,’ André reports.
Many more potential customers will have the opportunity to discover OCC Plasto|Sac SA’s packaging and printing capabilities at next month’s Propak Africa. ‘Visitors will be able to view our entire product range and discuss packaging materials and processes with our qualified and experienced team,’ remarks André.
‘As the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and once they discover just what we can do, they’ll see why we’re set to make a lasting impression in the Southern African flexible packaging sector,’ he concludes.
OCC|Plasto-Sac SA
T +27 011 8803030
www.occsa.co.za
