An amazing year in review

 

The year 2020 undoubtedly caught everyone off guard, in all sectors. For Cetie, it meant having to work remotely, which technically functions well, but minimises secondary interactions (body language during meetings, informal discussions to get to know people better and make progress on specific points). However, the remote collaboration, which had already been tried out occasionally before the Covid pandemic, has made the working groups significantly more agile.

 

This has resulted in an exceptional number of group meetings (71 meetings, i.e. double the number held just three years ago), some of which were convened outside of the ‘normal’ schedule to speed up an urgent matter or to entrust a sub-group with the preparation of a new document.
Furthermore, the systematic recourse to remote work facilitated participation for our new North and South American members, who found themselves on an equal footing with the geographically closer experts.
Therefore, it was possible to publish a record number of documents (three times the average annual rate). Above all, Cetie was able to translate a significant number of technical data sheets and guidelines. This translation work attests to our desire here at Cetie to reach the widest audience and allows us to begin catering for a need brought to light by the survey of Cetie document users that was conducted at the start of 2020. It also attests to Cetie’s growing international dimension. This year, we even have translations in Romanian!
The bottling guides for glass bottles have been updated and expanded to include guides for the corking of Traditional Method wines, crown or screw closures, and a method guide for bottle crimping.
The finishes for PET bottles have also been reviewed and expanded, with six publications, including two finish designs from the new “HPC” (Home and Personal Care) working group. The glass finishes are not far behind, with five publications.
In addition to this, many technical data and recommendation sheets have been created or revised,

Some new technical matters have come to fruition, such as the harmonisation work on hot-end laser coding, which was practically conducted in parallel with the development of this new traceability technology, and which is now globally defined in documents DT40.00 and DT40.01.

The work on bottling guides, which went on for several years, provided the opportunity for close interaction between glass manufacturers and bottlers, with the invaluable support of closure and filling machine manufacturers, as well as the expertise of cork stopper and cap suppliers. With this intense collaborative work now being complete, it became necessary to create a place for dialogue and discussion between glass manufacturers and bottlers. This is the aim of the new “USERS/GLASSMAKERS” group, which had its first meeting in February 2021. This group is dedicated to both the follow-up of documents written by glass manufacture experts in their designated groups (specifications, recommendations, technical data sheets for finishes, etc.), and to the drawing up of documents focused on the bottling business (good practices on the bottling line, storage of empty and full containers, etc.).
The first task the group attended to was revising the document defining the proper use of glass containers, and adding a document specifically dedicated to reusable containers. In the midst of all of the questions and ideas about return and reuse, particularly in France; this document will clarify the matter and help users and potential users of reusable bottles and jars to understand the implications of this practice, which is more complex than it seems.

The advantages of harmonised technical solutions are well known to the members of Cetie: the simplification of specifications, automatic adaptation of accessories (on a standardised finish, for example), improved control of developments and products, economies of scale, etc. Members also recognise the importance of standardising at the earliest stage possible, before every manufacturer has come up with their own solution to a problem.
With this in mind, over a period of a few months at Cetie, manufacturers in the flaconnage and perfume sector have developed new finishes designed to make refilling flacons easier, thus promoting reuse by the consumer reducing the environmental impact significantly. These finishes are a counterpart to the crimped finishes, which gives perfumers maximum assurance that they are compatible with existing accessories—pumps, closures—on snap or crimp finishes (‘FEA’ finishes). Crimp finishes now have an equivalent in twist finishes (Cetie GME40.20 and 40.25 documents), that we will call SNI finishes (which stands for Standard Neck International); a range of FEA finishes fitted with a transfer bead has also been created to respond to this issue (GME40.30, named CNI finish).
     
 

 

Whether they are members of Cetie or not, perfumers, glass manufacturers and pump manufacturers can now satisfy new demands arising from environmental concerns, using a fully validated and defined design, available to all.

Josquin Peyceré for french Magazine Liquides & Conditionement N°411