FIPAGO Conference Rome: Gummed Paper Tapes continue flourishing

On June 15-16  FIPAGO held its annual Conference in Rome. Participants discussed the market situation, the technical improvements of products and equipment which are mainly used for sealing boxes and bigger envelopes in the packaging areas.

The industry is optimistic that the revival of the use of gummed paper tape and the still upward trend will continue. Strong sustainable characteristics are the use of natural resources and recyclability. Its strength and also the bonding with the packaging that prevents theft of the packaged product (tamper evident) are unique properties, especially in the e-commerce activities. A substantial part of the growth stems from plastic tape substitution, confirmed by reviews in social media.

Technical improvements of products and equipment like dispensers as well as the application of an advanced adhesiveness tester were part of the evaluations in this unique industry.

A visit to a museum and a guided cycle tour offered the opportunity of maintaining informal contacts during the stay in this ancient city.

Haarlem, June 19th. 2023

FIPAGO Conference Bayreuth Germany: Gummed Paper Tapes still growing

The 2022 annual FIPAGO conference took place in Bayreuth, Germany on 29-30 of September in a very pleasant and relaxed atmosphere.

Economic situation

Members from Europe and India were present to discuss the economic and market situation and developments in their regions. Emphasis was put on the global supply chain problems in terms of lack of energy and raw materials, resulting in firm price increases. All sectors face high inflation rates. The Ukraine war causes market disturbances everywhere. These circumstances also effect the gummed paper tape markets.

Gummed paper tape markets

Members still experience an upward trend in the demand for water activated tape. An increasing number of companies invest in eco-friendly packaging and replace plastics with paper, supported by governmental measures. More and more customers are prepared to invest in dispensers, being ready for the use of proper and various applications of gummed paper tape. The demand is also positively influenced by educating distributors and customers by tests, showing them the advantages in terms of quality and environmental benefits of the water-activated tape used in carton sealing. The conference was concluded with the Amazon fulfilment centre video tour. The application of water activated tape in the e-commerce business was shown well. Despite current economic difficulties, members are optimistic about the increasing use of their products in the future.

Excursions

After the meetings, the city of composer Richard Wagner was explored. Successively there was a guided walking tour, a visit to the famous opera house and a very interesting and instructive visit to piano builder of the brand Steingraeber.

Fipago 65 years of age.

FIPAGO ( the abbreviation for Fédération Internationale des fabricants de PApiers GOmmés), founded in 1957 by a group of European producers, has grown to an international Federation of producers, converters and suppliers of gummed paper tape, serving the interests of its members from Europe, India, South-America and USA-Canada.

Haarlem, October 5th. 2022

New legislation for pharmaceuticals implies an important role for gummed paper tape

Packaging and closing tapes play a dominant role in meeting two major legal provisions for the European pharmaceutical industry: The Falsified Medicines Directive (2011/62/EU) and its derived Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/161, published this February. Especially gummed paper tape is a major contributer to fulfill the requirements.

These legal provisions supply details on how the authenticity of medicines should be verified and by whom, as well as the characteristics of the safety features. The deadline for pharmaceutical packaging compliance with the Falsified Medicines Directive is 9 February 2019 in the majority of EU member states.

A major element includes that tamper-proof sealed packaging must be used to prevent falsified medicinal products entering the legal supply chain. An estimated 30 billion medicinal packs are sold and handled annually in Europe.

Anti-tampering device has to enable verification of package tampering. CEN standard EN 16679/2014: “Tamper verification features for medicinal product packaging”, serves to define the features used for tamper verification. These features should indicate that the outer packaging of a finished product has been opened or tampered with in order to prevent the unnoticed entry of falsified medicines into the legal supply chain.

The information provided by this standard primarily serves as guidance to pharmaceutical manufacturers and relevant approval and test institutes with respect to testing the suitability of seals, and lays down the following requirements:

  • The tamper-proof seal must not impair the readability of the prescribed information
  • The prescribed packaging text must remain readable after the pack has been opened
  • The application of features to check tampering attempts may lead to an increase of the physical force required to open the packaging but must not substantially aggravate handling and opening the pack
  • The utilization of opening aids, such as special perforations or starter tabs, may be necessary.

In fact, the standard describes the scope of application, the requirements and features of tamper-proof pharmaceutical packaging, and provides specific recommendations for appropriate sealing. Gummed paper tape is the appropriate sealing method to meet these requirements.