GlassRite Food, FAB (Flavoured Alcoholic Beverages) & Soft Drinks, launched last August, invited food retailers and brands to take part in a series of trials aimed at lightweighting glass containers. In the first trial success to be revealed Mars, working with its glass packaging supplier Ardagh Glass and project manager Faraday Packaging Partnership, has succeeded in reducing the weight of its Uncle Ben ambient sauce jars by 6% – from 258-243g. Mars says the 450 tonnes of glass saved annually equates to a 1,215 tonne reduction in CO2 emissions.
The new jar, of which 30m will now be produced annually at Mars’s Netherlands factory, can be manufactured on the company’s existing production lines. Its successful creation entailed the creation of new moulds and a slight increase in the diameter of the label recess area to create a smoother design, coupled with a slight reduction in container height.
For more information on GlassRite Food, T: +44 (0)113 284 0214; E: mark.richmond@faradaypackaging.com
The latest Uncle Ben's glass jars (right) are 6% lighter than their predecessor (left)
