Governor of South Australia Frances Adamson has toured the Detmold Group’s new LaunchPad laboratory, which includes an Australian-first dedicated bag testing facility intended for testing paper and board repulpability and medical mask functional effectiveness.
Along with Detmold Group executives Sascha Detmold Cox, acting co-CEO, R&D Manager Megan Schutte, and Chemist Sarah Bagster, Governor Adamson visited the R&D plant, which focuses on innovation, new product development and manufacturing more sustainable products for local and international markets.
The $500,000 LaunchPad facility, according to Detmold Cox, is the first and only dedicated bag-testing laboratory in Australia and one of just a handful of laboratories capable of evaluating coated paper/board packaging for repulpability, or the ability to pulp materials for recycling.
The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) has established the repulpability testing capability, the company revealed in a media release.
The LaunchPad lab also performs functional efficiency tests on medical masks in accordance with AS4381 and AS1716 standards, including filtration and blood/fluid penetration tests.
“Innovation is essential in our industry, as consumers demand higher quality packaging and medical supplies,” Cox said.
She added, “Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and want to know that their packaging can be recycled, as no one wants to live in a throw-away society.”
She noted that thanks to LaunchPad, companies in the packaging, food and beverage, and fast service industries may now choose from higher, Australian-specific testing requirements.
According to the Detmold official, the LaunchPad laboratory had developed a custom testing apparatus that mimicked the use of items in actual usage scenarios.
In order to simulate oven and refrigeration settings, the climate was additionally adjusted for humidity and moisture.
She claimed that the Governor’s visit to the Detmold Group’s LaunchPad lab was an excellent chance to recognise South Australia as the country’s hub for packaging innovation, as well as women in business and STEM fields.
“The Detmold Group is investing in South Australia as this is the ideal place for us to reach national and international markets,” Cox said.
She concluded, “We’ve also invested in our staff, including encouraging women to follow careers in STEM and we appreciate their input and the incredible intellectual rigour that they bring to Detmold and our group of companies.”
