US-based Portola Packaging has launched GreenLyte, a new line of plug-seal HDPE 38mm closures for single and multiserve, hot-fill and aseptic beverage packaging applications.
GreenLyte one-piece closures are described as a cost-effective, performance-driven alternative to traditional two-piece (closure plus liner) polypropylene (PP) types typically used for juices, ready-to-drink teas, isotonics, enhanced waters, low-acid nutraceuticals, and high-end, aseptic-filled beverage products.
“Our internal tests show that GreenLyte closures equal or exceed performance attributes offered by traditional two-piece closures,” says Roy Robinson, Portola Packaging VP business development.
“Additionally, the one-piece plug design reduces costs for brand owners due to shell lightweighting, liner elimination and material choice.”
Other features of GreenLyte include:
- Reduced resin costs for HDPE, compared to price-volatile PP (the material from which most two-piece closures are made)
- Production line efficiencies – avoiding the steaming step typically required to achieve proper application of TPE liners in two-piece closures; seal design and low coefficient of friction facilitates application over a wide range of capper settings
- Opportunity for hot-fill beverage producers still using 43mm finishes to convert straight into a 38mm one-piece plug closure, rather than from a 43mm two-piece to a traditional 38mm two-piece closure, thereby further improving their cost and environmental profile
Robinson adds that GreenLyte also brings advantages in consumer convenience: “Two-piece closures have also been known to be difficult for consumers to open,” he says.
“The thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) liner material tends to drag across the top of the finish requiring a significant amount of torque to access the contents.
“Because the GreenLyte’s plug construction eliminates the need for a liner, opening issues no longer exist.”
Based in Illinois, Portola Packaging is one of the first North American manufacturers to commercially produce linerless closures that can meet the rigorous demands of hot-fill, extended shelf life and aseptic applications.
Portola Packaging's new GreenLyte line of plug-seal HDPE 38mm closures
