A liquid solution

Beverages present a particular challenge for packaging, as they must be housed in materials that are strong and watertight, yet easily recyclable and capable of being shaped and printed in an innovative way. Furthermore, such factors as convenience, particularly for children and older people, have an effect on packaging design for such applications.

Alcan Packaging, France

In a move to update the image of the Irn Bru beverage, Alcan Packaging has been working closely with the manufacturer AG Barr. This company decided to move away from traditional paper labels in favour of a modern film alternative, providing enhanced print quality, superior pack durability and improved cost efficiencies.

Produced on six-colour, flexo-printed white label film, using metallised label film for the Diet option, the new-look labels offer striking on-shelf appeal through the use of bold colours and glossy finishes. Deborah Clarke, Technical Manager, AG Barr, commented: "The decision to work with Alcan Packaging on the Irn Bru redesign was easy. The company offers the expertise and exacting standards needed to produce the overall look and quality required. Furthermore, it has the scale and experience to identify improved cost-efficiency options - such as the move to film labels."

Ardagh Glass, Ireland

Ardagh Glass is headquartered in Dublin, yet has three manufacturing plants in Poland. It has recently launched the premium celebratory UEFA Euro 2008 twist-off cap bottles in 33 and 50cl sizes for Carlsberg Breweries. The bottles, which were designed by Carlsberg Breweries and adapted by the product design team at Ardagh Glass Poland, are being filled at Carlsberg's two large Polish breweries in Szczecin and Brzesk.

Joachim Knauer, Ardagh Plant Manager in Ujecie, Poland, explained: "We have benefited throughout from the mutual trust developed via the long-standing relationship we have built up with Carlsberg. Manufacturing heavy volumes for a fixed event is always a challenge, and recent investment in manufacturing and systems technology has been invaluable in meeting these tight deadlines." Tobias Musaeus, Carlsberg, commented: "The premium bottle symbolises the importance we attach to our Euro 2008 sponsorship. The choice of embossing has proven a very effective image-building vehicle for us. Consumer research indicates that this endows the product with a strong premium quality and aesthetic appeal. Our own research and sales feedback tells us that it is liked by both our consumers and the customers."

Ardagh Glass has also worked with Coca-Cola to reduce the weight of the iconic Coke bottle by 20 per cent through its advanced narrow neck press and blow (NNPB) manufacturing process. The company has retained the trademark 'Contour' shape, despite reducing the height from 218 to 205mm and slightly widening the body. The new design annually saves 3500 tonnes of glass raw material in the UK alone, together with an estimated 2200 tonnes of carbon emissions. The new 330ml Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola Zero bottles weigh in at 210g, compared to the 263g original.

BASF, Germany

BASF of Ludwigshafen has launched two new materials for the beverage packaging sector - BX 3580 polystyrene and Styrolux HS 70. These have been combined to produce the first milk bottle manufactured from impact-resistant polystyrene (PS-I). BX 3580 polystyrene is specially optimised for this application and can be processed by injection blow-moulding and injection stretch blow-moulding on the same machines used for PET. As polystyrene has lower density than PET, material costs can be slashed by up to a quarter. Even more energy and money are saved, as injection stretch blow-moulding uses less compressed air and the polystyrene does not have to be pre-dried, unlike PET.

Styrolux HS 70 shrink film has been designed to give beverage bottles a particularly attractive design, thus making them appealing to the senses and enhancing their selling power. It facilitates shrinkage values of 70-80 per cent, equating to an improvement of over 50 per cent. Only this high final shrinkage facilitates form-fitting sheathing (also known as sleeving) of bottles with complex geometries or large radius differences, such as champagne bottles. BASF delivers this plastic as a ready-to-use product: it no longer needs to be mixed with standard polystyrene, and this is very convenient for film producers. Furthermore, Styrolux HS 70 is even more transparent than its predecessors, offers improved stiffness and can easily receive printing.

Bericap, UK

Hull-based Bericap has launched the Galileo range of closures which feature patented technology for moulding hinged closures in a closed position. This facilitates relatively high-speed moulding and does not require any additional closing operations. Furthermore, the system provides excellent tamper-evidence.

Two versions of Galileo are available. Galileo I is a single-piece version, developed for the new Bericap lightweight 38mm 'press-on' neck finish, whereas Galileo II is two-piece version featuring a hinged transparent PP overcap to realise the tear-off membrane and dispensing pourer. Galileo I is targeted at the Dairy and Beverage Industries, bringing new opportunities for packaging fresh milk, milk-based drinks and new beverages in lighter, cheaper and more environmentally-friendly packaging.

CCL Decorative Sleeves, Canada

Shrink sleeve labels from CCL Decorative Sleeves, headquartered in Toronto, have been specified to enhance the aesthetics of the new Fanta Splash Ball bottle from Coca-Cola Ireland, the latest addition to the Fanta range for the Irish market.

Supplied from the UK office in King's Lynn, Norfolk, the innovative shape of these distinctive custom-designed ball-shaped bottles rendered sleeves as being the only practical labelling method. CCL Decorative Sleeves was selected because of its long-standing relationships with Coca-Cola Ireland and the Beverage Plastics company, which applies the sleeves.

Comprising UV flexo-printed on PET, the new shrink sleeve features the iconic blue and orange Fanta logo, internationally recognised as one of Coca Cola's favourite brands. This is clear at the bottom to replicate the effect of the wrap-around label used on other Fanta bottles.

Crown Holdings, USA

Leading metal packaging manufacturer Crown, headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, has collaborated with the Cott Corporation, one of the leading soft drinks manufacturers. Capitalising on the television series 24, the company has introduced 24 CTU, a new citrus-flavoured stimulation drink brand, now being marketed in the UK.

Manufactured by Crown Bevcan Europe and Middle East, the new drink comes in 44cl cans, being a new size for the energy drinks market in the UK. It features the 24 CTU graphic, reproduced with shimmering intensity. Printed on two distinctively coloured cans for diet and regular versions, the packaging also had to address the particular needs of 20th Century Fox, producer of the television series.

Carl Lumbard, SVP & Managing Director of Fox Licensing and Merchandising, Europe, commented: "Brand synergy within a partnership is key to the success of a product, and it's essential to focus on making that partnership right. Here we see the all-action, intense nature of the 24 series matched with an energy-inducing stimulation drink."

Crown thus used the 'High-quality Print' solution, its new printing technique that considerably advances the print reproduction process. This uses special, high-resolution printing plates, resulting in improved dot separation and leading to superior print reproduction of complex images on the cans. As such, the innovative process is particularly suitable for reproducing finely detailed images, such as human or animal faces, fruit and fine text.

EskoArtwork, Belgium

EskoArtwork, headquartered in Gent, Belgium, specialises in innovative design, pre-production and collaboration solutions for the packaging and commercial printing industries. Its Cyrel Digital Imager (CDI) 2530 recently provided the technical advantage that enabled Ball Packaging Europe and Coca-Cola Ireland to create a limited edition of Diet Coke cans, comprising four black and white designs, earning the Gold Award at the Can of the Year Ceremony. The awards criteria were based on the artistic design, excellent optical effects and subsequent brand differentiation opportunities.

Ball Packaging Europe is headquartered in Ratingen, Germany, being one of the leading beverage can makers in Europe. Coca-Cola launched the first cans featuring high-definition graphics, realised using the new Esko CDI technology, as part of a promotional campaign in Ireland in August 2006. Alexandra Phelan, Brand Manager, Diet Coke, commented: "The finished creations are really beautiful and celebrate individuality and confidence through the medium of design. We feel each design embodies the essence of the 'Diet Coke Do Your Thing' campaign. Ball Packaging Europe has produced six wonderful cans which are daring, fun and creative."

The company has also supplied its high-definition graphics technology to InBev, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, used to create a special black and white can design for Beck's beer. This can was introduced to the Romanian market in October 2006. This year, Ball Packaging raised the bar even higher by evolving six full-colour designs, with a million cans being printed with each design.

Mailway Packaging Solutions, UK

Mailway Packaging Solutions of Bradford, West Yorkshire, has been selected by Mars Consumer Drinks to package the Galaxy and Maltesers branded hot chocolate drinks. The drinks feature Mailway's aseptic microwaveable cup-in-cup packaging, which keeps the outside of the hot drinks comfortably warm after microwaving, whilst the drink inside is piping hot. Meanwhile, the M&M's and Twix super thick shakes incorporate small packs of branded confectionery, which are added to the drink before consumption, together with specially-designed telescopic straw spoons.

National Adhesives, UK

Slough-based National Adhesives is focusing on adhesives for labelling applications. National's Eticol range of natural polymer, casein-based glues are ideal for glass bottle labelling. As casein is milk-derived, it fulfils all food contact requirements and is completely biodegradable. All Eticols are devoid of synthetic polymers and heavy metals, resulting in less contamination of beverage containers and wastewater during the washing and refilling process.

Although the PET bottle has experienced increased popularity for brewing applications, National's Eticycle 850 product complements PET recyclability. Traditional hot melt adhesives used in PET labelling only result in a 12-30 per cent removal from the bottle, whereas Eticycle 850 dramatically increases this to 89 per cent. It disperses in hot, caustic water, thereby ensuring that clean PET flakes are collected out of the recycling process.

O-I, UK

Located in Harlow, Essex, O-I has launched a 315g pint beer bottle to complete its full range of lightweight standard glass containers for the alcoholic beverages sector. The one pint (568ml) bottle can be manufactured from amber, clear or green glass. It sits alongside the 250, 275, 330 and 500ml standard containers. All bottles are manufactured using the NNPB lightweight glass production process, pioneered by O-I in the UK.

Lightweight glass is proving very popular as drinks brand owners seek to improve their environmental performance. There is a 'right weight' for almost every container, especially those that hold carbonated liquids. Such containers optimise performance whilst reducing logistics costs for drinks manufacturers and cutting the amount of energy and material needed for production. The 'bullet' shape of O-I's new container reflects the preference for this kind of design from many leading cider brands. The new container is around 10 per cent lighter than most one pint cider bottles.

PET Engineering, Italy

PET Engineering of San Vendemiano has collaborated with the Russian bottling company Baltika Breweries to launch its new Party Mix, a cocktail based on beer with mango-orange and peach-passion fruit flavours. The litre bottle uses a standard preform, incorporating a solid central grip to facilitate easy handling, whilst giving body and structure to the pack and making it particularly resistant to palletisation.

PET Engineering undertook every element of this project, from design to engineering, bottle development and choice of preform, up to the supply of 16 moulds to the plant. The Russian company specified that the bottle should be aimed at a young, metropolitan consumer group. The subsequent bottle has a petal-shaped bottom. It is resistant to filling, handling and transportation, with a strong visual impact ensured by a pronounced silhouette, raised pattern and a bright label, highlighting the logo.

Pavel Biryukov, New Product Development Manager, Baltika, commented: "Beer-based cocktails are gaining ground fast in Russia. Baltika already has Indiana Juice in its portfolio, and the Party Mix launch marks our expansion in the low- alcoholic drinks market. The product features innovative packaging and unique positioning."

Rapak, UK

Located in Rugby, Warwickshire, Rapak (part of DS Smith Plastics), is one of the world leaders in liquid packaging, particularly focusing on bag-in-box concepts. Already established in Northern American and Asia Pacific territories, bag-in-box has been experiencing increasing success over the past few years in the European liquid food and drink industries. Increasing numbers of food and drink manufacturers and processors are changing over to this modern liquid packaging solution, which provides several advantages over alternative packaging forms, including an enhanced cost/performance ratio, greater efficiencies during transit or storage, high levels of hygiene and extended shelf-life. Packs are available in a wide range of sizes, with bags ranging in capacity from 0.75 to 1400 litres.

Rapak offers a comprehensive range of liquid packaging products, including bags, boxes, filling machines and dispensing systems, all of which have achieved ISO Certification for quality and reliability. Rapak's systems enable customers to design an ideal liquid packaging solution. The customer can either purchase a stand-alone filling machine, or select a solution that incorporates in-line carton erection, conveying, closing and palletising.

One of the characteristics of bag-in-box packaging is its versatility and suitability for any liquid or semi-liquid product. The Rapak filler range includes aseptic and non-aseptic bag options with a wide range of dispensers. Customers can choose semi- or fully-automatic filling systems, according to the output required. Rapak offers a wide range of dispensers, incorporating caps and taps, tube dispensers, tamper-evident closures, connectors and valve systems. The company also benefits from the expertise of its sister company, Worldwide Dispensers, specialist in the plastic closure market and designer of the press-tap, widely used in the wine market.

Rexam, UK

Headquartered in London, Rexam is a leading supplier of wine cans. It has recently been commissioned to manufacture wine cans for the Dutch-based Wild Pelican brand. A newcomer to the growing canned wine market, Wild Pelican offers high-quality wines from across the world in Rexam's 20cl aluminium cans. Unlike the majority of wines currently available in cans, Wild Pelican is a still wine. The range comprises Spanish, South African and French wines for the red, white and rosé markets, respectively. A sparkling white wine and a second red wine will be launched later this year.

A test launch at ski resorts in the French Alps proved successful. The stylish cans, which feature a matt varnish, will become available in the UK, Scandinavia and Benelux in Spring/Summer 2008, with availability in both on- and off-trade channels. The cans are also ideal for airlines and mini-bars. Christiaan Huisman, Vinovation International, brand owner of Wild Pelican, commented: "Our aim was to differentiate Wild Pelican from the wine in cans already on the market. The creation of Wild Pelican originated from a love for wine and by taking a consumer perspective. We have developed a brand that allows the consumer to explore some of the best wines the world has to offer, whenever and wherever. Working with Rexam has been a seamless, enjoyable process; they have been on hand to support us from start to finish."

The cans have a 360° print area, being emblazoned with a wide variety of different textures, inks and varnishes to create a bold statement for exciting brand-building opportunities and improved shelf impact. Much thought has been put into the Wild Pelican brand. Its positioning and clever can design set it apart from other wine brands. The aluminium can is the perfect single-serving package. It is efficiently transported and stored, due to its lightweight and compact form. Furthermore, it is quickly chilled, retains its coolness and is totally recyclable.

RPC Bramlage-Wiko, Germany

RPC Bramlage-Wiko (part of the RPC Group), Europe's leading rigid plastics packaging manufacturer, is producing a new closure developed by Gizmo. Injection moulding of the plastic components will initially be undertaken at RPC Bramlage's specialised design and manufacturing facility in Lohne, Germany.

Invented and patented by Gizmo Packaging, the Gizmo is a unique closure that instantly releases and mixes active ingredients at the point of use. When opened by a simple turn, the pressure in the closure chamber drives a jet of additive into the base product to create a vigorous mix which can deliver, for example, a dramatic colour change, a burst of aroma or a fresh taste. In all cases, it serves to generate a product that is ready for immediate use.

The new closure provides a host of product and marketing USPs. Together with the 'Wow Factor' of consumer participation, other major benefits include freshness, where the ingredients are only mixed at the point of use or consumption; accurate ingredients dosing; product protection and an extended shelf-life. The active ingredients are totally protected from UV light and oxygen.

Furthermore, the Gizmo facilitates the incorporation of active ingredients, thereby opening up myriad new product development opportunities. The chamber is tailored to hold the precise required volume of colours, flavours, vitamins, minerals, herbs or concentrates. Product integrity for every ingredient is assured. The Gizmo can be used with a wide range of container shapes and sizes, manufactured from either plastic or glass. It can also be utilised to imbue such value-added concepts as a creamy head to coffee or beer or new tamper-evidence.

Stora Enso, Finland/Sweden

The leading liquid packaging board producer Stora Enso is now offering Natura Platina board for demanding, high-end products. This is a bleached liquid packaging board coated with a shiny, metallised BOPP film. The board incorporates aluminium foil to achieve the required barrier properties.

Natura Platina board is currently being used by Tine, the Norwegian dairy company, which packs its Mana Fruit Juice in litre cartons manufactured by Elopak. According to Elopak, the European extended shelf-life (ESL) market is growing rapidly, as consumers continue to demand high quality and convenience. ESL technology is expected to significantly affect the future development of these dairy segments. Packages made of Natura Platina can be recycled like other beverage cartons, with the fibres being used to produce other fibre-based products. Aluminium and plastic fractions of the package can be fully recovered using an appropriate process.

Tetra Pak, Sweden

Tetra Pak, headquartered in Lund, achieved record sales of €8.7bn (£6.8bn) during 2007, equating to an increase of 6.1 per cent on 2006. On the other hand, sales of processing solutions reached €911m (£714m) in 2007, up more than 12 per cent from the previous year. This growth can be attributed to cost-effective innovation and Tetra Pak's strategy of working closely with its customers to enhance operational performance.

In 2007, Capsa, the largest dairy in Spain, became the first dairy customer to adopt the Tetra Gemina aseptic packaging solution for its Asturiana white milk range. Ten new TGA lines were installed in nine months, which was a record for the company. Tetra Pak has recently launched the Tetra Top packaging solution for high acid ambient distribution. Manufacturers can now produce, distribute and sell high acid still drinks, such as juices and energy drinks, without using the chilled distribution chain.

Tetra Pak has also launched a joint engineering network to speed implementation of Tetra Pak's industry-leading Tetra PlantMaster plant automation solution. This has been undertaken in partnership with ABB, a global leader in power and automation technologies. This engineering network is now available to customers in northern Europe, including Sweden, Denmark and Ireland.

Viscose Closures, UK

Crawley-based Viscose Closures has supplied aluminium caps to Balliol Ltd for its Cream Cutie liqueur. Sold in 187ml coated PET bottles, Cream Cutie is the first all-natural chocolate orange wine-based cream liqueur. Viscose Closures are providing 22x30 ROPP aluminium closures in a vivid red colour. Anne Hempstock, Brand Owner, Cream Cutie commented: "Viscose Closures provided me with great local service and a great price. I am now looking forward to working with them again on our next launch, Fruitie Cutie."

Worldwide Dispensers, UK

A unique new tap that will extend the shelf-life of unopened bag-in-box wine by over 100 days has been launched by Worldwide Dispensers, headquartered in London. ViniPlus incorporates a greatly improved oxygen barrier that is more than four times more effective than the standard wine taps currently used in the market. Tests with various wine types have indicated that ViniPlus can extend shelf-life by up to 140 days.

The patented ViniPlus system features an ergonomic front push design, combined with a low-profile back end to maximise performance at optimal cost. The barrier is created by the application of a barrier film at the rear of the tap, which is pierced during first use.

The new tap is designed to optimise consumer convenience. A self-closing, one-handed front push button facilitates precise control of the direction and flow of the wine, and the tear-away cap around the button provides effective tamper-evidence. Furthermore, a special valve seals the outlet after every use, preventing hang-up in the spout

Concluding remarks

This is a time of innovation in the beverage packaging world. Manufacturers of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are specifying packs with a unique on-shelf presence, achieved via shaping and graphics. However, they also want to reduce transportation costs through lightweighting, yet simultaneously extending shelf-life. Naturally, recycling is also playing a role. The new generation of beverage factors combines all these factors, making the sector one of the most dynamic in the packaging world.Beverages present a particular challenge for packaging, as they must be housed in materials that are strong and watertight, yet easily recyclable and capable of being shaped and printed in an innovative way. Furthermore, such factors as convenience, particularly for children and older people, have an effect on packaging design for such applications.

The new label for the Irn-Bru bottle comprises six-colour, flexo-printed white label film, manufactured by Alcan Packaging Irn-Bru stands out Ardagh Glass Poland has developed the premium celebratory UEFA EURO 2008 33 and 50cl twist-off cap bottles for Carlsberg Breweries Celebratory or comiseratory beer? Ardagh Glass has worked with Coca Cola to reduce bottle weight by 20 per cent Lighter, yet traditional Bericap has launched the Galileo range of closures which feature patented technology for moulding hinged closures in a closed position A different type of closure CCL Decorative Sleeves have enhanced the aesthetics of the new Fanta Splash Ball bottle from Coca-Cola Ireland Handy Fanta time Crown Bevcan Europe and Middle East has developed this 44cl can, featuring the 24 CTU graphic, reproduced with shimmering intensity A cliffhanger of a can Mailway's packaging solutions for Galaxy, Maltesers, M&M's, Twix and Moment du Chocolat microwavable hot drinks Microwaveable and chocolatey National Adhesives' biodegradable Eticol range of natural polymer, casein-based glues are ideal for glass bottle labelling Biodegradable glue O-I's new pint standard container is around 10 per cent lighter than most comparable bottles A lighter pint BASF has combined BX 3580 polystyrene and Styrolux HS 70 to produce the first milk bottle from impact-resistant polystyrene Impact-resistant milk PET Engineering created the packaging for the Russian cocktail Party Mix, manufactured by Baltika Breweries Cocktails in the Kremlin The Gizmo closure, manufactured by RPC, is a unique closure that instantly releases and mixes active ingredients at the point of use A handy Gizmo The Stora Enso Natura Platina board is being used for Tine Mana Fruit Juice cartons Mana from Stora Viscose Closures has supplied aluminium caps to Balliol for its Cream Cutie liqueur A cutie of a cap The Viniplus wine tap incorporates a greatly improved oxygen barrier that is more than four times more effective than the standard versions Boxed wine comes of age Rexam has been commissioned to manufacture 20cl cans for the Dutch-based Wild Pelican wine brand Canned wine - a handy summer package EskoArtwork's CDI 2530 recently provided the technical advantage that facilitated the development of Diet Coke cans emblazoned with high-definition graphics The landmark Coke can