Easy Engineering: How was 2021 for your business, a short summary?
ZACROS: A disruption in the supply chain caused a very challenging year for many packaging manufacturers, including ZACROS. Many brand owners are shifting their packaging material sourcing to domestic/local, trying to reduce freight costs and better control and respond to disruptions in the future. Even though this shift drove many businesses, many packaging manufacturers did not have enough infrastructure and human resources to support the demand. In addition to this shift, material shortage and shipping delays of equipment parts and raw materials made 2021 a tough situation.
Despite the difficulties, ZACROS achieved a significant milestone by introducing recyclable flexible liquid stand-up pouches, MONOSOLUTIONS™ Flowpack. MONOSOLUTIONS ™ is a ZACROS original brand name for monomaterial flexible packaging series. One of the MONOSOLUTIONS™, CUBITAINER®, has been in the market for over 60 years, serving up to 20L bulk liquid applications. ZACROS added the MONOSOLUTIONS™ Flowpack to provide a wide range of monomaterial product options for more comprehensive applications. The MONOSOLUTIONS™ Flowpack PL was selected as one of the Technology Excellence Awards finalists in the PACK EXPO Last Vegas 2021. Additionally, P&G Japan adopted our MONOSOLUTIONS™ Flowpack PL as their first-ever recyclable refill pouch for their hair care product launched last September.
Overall, ZACROS saw many opportunities and advancements in technology in 2021. We continue to promote innovations for a better future with our customers.
E.E: What new products/services will be launched this year?
ZACROS: ZACROS has one of Japan’s largest refill pouch manufacturing sites serving Asia regions. Now, ZACROS is expanding the flexible pouch manufacturing capability in the United States to support the Americas and EU markets. The US site will manufacture sustainable flexible pouches, including the MONOSOLUTIONS™ Flowpack; monomaterial stand-up pouches. Our focus applications are home, personal, and beauty care products. These applications typically use chemicals, unlike food and beverage. Therefore, understanding chemical compatibility and packaging material structures become very critical. ZACROS group has been manufacturing flexible pouches for home, personal, and beauty care products for over 25 years. We are bringing manufacturing capability and knowledge and experiences to the Americas and EU markets.
E.E: How did the market change in the last year?
ZACROS: E-commerce and sustainability were two key factors that continued to shape the packaging industry in 2021. These trends will likely continue to be essential elements in 2022. As we enter the next “normal,” consumers are more concerned about sustainability than before and at the beginning of COVID-19. This shift in consumer behavior pushed the packaging industry to foster innovations around sustainability. ZACROS introduced and expanded the monomaterial packaging series, MONOSOLUTIONS™, to support the growing demand for recyclable flexible packaging.
In addition to the two key factors that shaped the industry, manufacturers’ approach to innovation continues to evolve. We have witnessed vertical and horizontal collaborations within the industry to create solutions. As more trade shows and conferences happen virtually, connecting among companies that endorse global collaborations is now more accessible.
E.E: What sector of business do you think is expected to grow this year?
ZACROS: Especially in North America, we expect to see growth in the flexible pouch business. There are tremendous growth opportunities in countless applications, from beverage to cosmetics. Many brand owners adopted flexible pouches as one of the sustainable packaging solutions. A refill pouch is a great example. Switching to a refill pouch is one of the fastest ways to reduce environmental impacts. We believe that this refill trend will continue in the future. What ZACROS is bringing in the North America market aligns with the market demands. We are ready to support the needs for any level of sustainability requirements.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2022?
ZACROS: ZACROS focuses on creating innovations that promote sustainability and flexible packaging. There is not a single answer to sustainability. In addition to recyclable packaging, we are developing other sustainable solutions such as paper or biomass-based flexible packaging and wood plastics. Moreover, ZACROS will expand the unique fitment innovation, FPS (Functional Parts System) series, to improve the performance and usability, supporting the flexible packaging market.
Along with the innovations, ZACROS proactively works with material suppliers as well as recyclers and recycling-related associations globally to enhance the circularity of flexible packaging.
E.E: A short message for collaborators for the beginning of the year.
ZACROS: ZACROS is a flexible liquid packaging manufacturer for liquid applications. We use customer-driven innovation to develop unique customized sustainable packaging solutions to meet each sustainability and performance requirement. We are looking forward to creating a more sustainable society together with you.
Zacros America, Inc.
220 Lake Drive
Newark, DE, 19702, USA
customerservice@zacrosamerica.com