UFlex targets premium sustainability at CMPL

UFlex showcased a new generation of decorative and sustainable tube solutions at CMPL this year, with senior vice president and business head of tubes Subrata Bose outlining an ambitious roadmap that spans hyper nano, mono-material formats, PCR integration, and international manufacturing scale-up.

Speaking at the show, Bose confirmed that while premium metallisation and decorative effects remain central to the company's proposition, the focus has broadened significantly to encompass what he described as "premium sustainable beauty."

"We are now incorporating post-consumer recyclate into our laminates," he said, adding that UFlex has established a dedicated greenfield PCR facility as part of its backward integration strategy. "That gives us direct access to PCR to integrate into the tubes, rather than relying on external sources."

Mono-material and holographic advances

Alongside PCR-integrated laminates, UFlex is presenting a complete polyethylene mono-material tube offering, one that Bose stressed does not require any compromise on decorative performance. The company is also pushing further into holographic effects, both for aesthetic enhancement and anti-counterfeiting purposes.

This year's development in that space is the introduction of hyper nano. "We are essentially staying ahead of the curve," Bose explained. "Every technology has a lifecycle and the market eventually catches up, so hyper nano represents the next level." Improvements to lensing effects within the holographic layer are also being rolled out, and Bose indicated that the pipeline of customers adopting holography with anti-counterfeiting features is expected to grow meaningfully over the coming quarter.

Oval format gains momentum

UFlex has also been investing in oval tube capacity, responding to growing market demand for the format as brand owners look to differentiate on shelf. Bose outlined three drivers behind the shift from cylindrical to oval: a larger visible decorative area, improved ease of handling for consumers, and more efficient shelf utilisation for retailers.

"In oval format you have much more visible area to decorate, that's number one," he said. "But it also reduces the occurrence of stockouts because you can keep more units in the same shelf footprint."

Raw material pressures bite

Bose did not shy away from current market headwinds, noting that polymer price volatility is creating pressure across the supply chain. In some categories, prices have risen by as much as 60–70%, and UFlex is in active discussions with customers around cost pass-through arrangements.

"The first priority is to ensure there is no shortage of supply, a customer not getting material and therefore not being able to sell is the worst outcome," he said. The company is working closely with customers on demand forecasting and is moving to secure forward positions on raw materials where possible.

"We are reviewing it on a weekly basis because the volatility is that severe. But we believe our scale gives us a higher level of supply assurance compared to smaller converters who are finding access to polymers genuinely difficult right now."