Ardagh Group is celebrating the wide recognition gained by its “breakthrough” Nemo can across the packaging industry in Europe in 2013.
In early November, the Nemo can – a new lightweight metal container developed for Bonduelle, Europe’s leading canned and frozen vegetable brand – was awarded the ‘Best in Metal’ Supreme Gold Award 2013 by the Metal Packaging Manufacturer’s Association.
Commenting at the time, MPMA director and chief executive Nick Mullen said: “The sheer technological brilliance of the Nemo can highlights the continuing evolution, innovation and sustainability of metal packaging.”
Launched in April 2013, the Bonduelle Nemo can is the result of ten years’ research and development and represents a “significant advance” in DWI (drawn, walled and ironed) can production and processing technology.
Employing nitrogen dosing techniques, similar to those used in the beverage industry, for the first time in food canning, the new 400g Nemo can enables a 15% reduction in material usage and “an astounding” 43% reduction in the can wall thickness.
The new technology has enabled the removal of the beading on the can, to form a more premium look and feel, and the sleek surface of the can therefore allows for premium label application or direct printing onto the can.
Also in November, Nemo won the ‘Can of the Year’ award at the annual Canmaker Summit, where it also won the highest accolade of Gold Award in two of the individual categories Sustainability and Food Two-Piece.
Earlier in 2013, Nemo was also awarded ‘Metal Pack of the Year’ at the UK Packaging Awards, and the top prize in the Metal Category at France’s premier packaging awards, L’Oscar de l’Emballage.
Bonduelle’s commercial and marketing chief Agnes Dion, comments: “This new concept contains so many benefits for the consumer, and is a true success story for sustainable metal packaging.”
