Although the deadline for the Bill Zito scholarship is quickly approaching, you still have time to tell a packaging student you know about this fabulous opportunity. Bill pioneered the induction cap sealing product line for Enercon and taught us all the ins and outs of the sealing process.

I was fortunate to learn from one of the best in the industry and am excited that another student of packaging will get the opportunity to learn because of him. If you know someone who might be interested, the details are below.

Contact our friends at PMMI to apply. The Bill Zito Scholarship was established by Enercon and it is administered by the PMMI Education & Training Foundation. This one-time $2,100 scholarship will be awarded to a student enrolled in a two- or four-year program at any of PMMI’s Partner schools.

When applying for the Bill Zito scholarship, students must:

• Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Be majoring in packaging engineering or a related area
• Demonstrate a commitment to excellence in the packaging industry
• Be currently enrolled in the program
• Have a financial need
• Demonstrate extra-curricular involvement, such as athletics
• Have a recommendation from faculty

Students wishing to apply for this scholarship should submit an essay describing their interest in the packaging field, and their career goals.

The deadline to apply for this scholarship is November 25, 2011. Any students planning to enroll in the 2012 spring semester are encouraged to apply.

For additional information, please contact Danny Martinez, PMMI Education Coordinator by Phone: 571-612-3204, Fax: 703-243-8556 or by e-mail at danny@pmmi.org.

As a consumer I love the convenience of a dispensing closure. Whether I'm pouring out a salad dressing or shaking a spice, dispensing closures by folks like Weatherchem and Gateway Plastics continue to grow in popularity and functionality.

I recently ran across a new innovation by our friends at Meyer Seals in Germany. They've added a new technology to their arsenal that allows them to laser cut dispensing features into an induction seal. In addition they can also provide these special heat induction seals that have reseal capabilities. Check out more on this new innovation in induction cap sealing on WebPackaging.com

I'm in the process of working my way back to Milwaukee from Charlotte where I attended the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers' (APR) Fall Meeting. OK, I admit not your typical cocktail party conversation, but let me tell you these guys are doing some great things to increase the amount of plastic being recycled.

The days of only being able to recycle those products with a resin code of #1 or #2 are fading in most communities. It is a growing trend to be able to throw all plastic containers & closures into your recycle bin. In addition tubs & trays, such as yogurt cups are becoming more commonly accepted. APR has made a concerted effort to help make this happen.

Another push which will likely increase recycling rates is the push to a single stream for recyclable materials. As with the broadened range of resin codes accepted, single stream if not currently in your community is likely coming soon.

My visit to the APR's meeting was in combination with the Closure & Container Manufacturers Association (CCMA.) One of CCMA's major efforts right now is to find ways to increase cap & closure recycling. We've found there are a lot of mixed messages out there. Do you leave the cap on the bottle or do you take it off before recycling?

The message for years said take it off. In reality, that's the exact opposite thing we should be doing. Whether it is a polyethylene or polypropylene closure, there is a market for recycled closures.  You'll be seeing a big push in the coming months to Leave the Cap On!

Next time you recycle a plastic bottle, be sure to screw that closure back on top & throw it into your recycle bin.

Looking for a way to add a little pizazz to your package? We're all used to opening up an induction sealed packaged and seeing the familiar silver or white seal. Ever wished you could do a little more with that real estate?

Well, the creative folks over at Selig Sealing Products recently introduced a new technology that adds a bit of wow to the heat induction seal. If you haven't seen the new materials they've come up with, be sure to check out this technical paper which demonstrates all the exciting things you can now do to promote your brand under the cap!

When we launched the Super Seal Touch in Las Vegas two years back, the response was fantastic! The features the Super Seal Touch systems bring to the table are first of their kind on induction cap sealers. Since it's debut, packagers have been thrilled with the performance and features the Touch provides.

Next week we'll be debuting our new Super Seal Touch 500 at Pack Expo Las Vegas. The new system has all the features of our original Super Seal Touch, but is designed for applications at lower line speeds. Be sure to stop by booth C3430 to learn more.