The lightest bottles in the Romanian market
Rio Bucovina, the Romanian producer and distributor of natural mineral waters and soft drinks, reduced energy usage by 47% by installing a Sidel SBO10 Universal 2eco blow moulder at its production facility in Vatra Dornei. At the same time, it also collaborated with the Sidel services packaging team on a stylish new bottle design for its still water. Through developing the new design, which included adopting the international 29/25 short-neck bottle standard across the range of sizes, the weight of the bottles was reduced by 45%.
Rio Bucovina is now producing the lightest bottles in the Romanian market.
In Romania, bottled water is in demand because it is inexpensively priced and is perceived as a ‘natural’ soft drink. It is also seen as a much healthier and reliable option in comparison to the quality of tap water generally available throughout the country, especially in Bucharest and other large cities. Domestic manufacturers, most of whom have been supplying the country with bottled mineral water for decades, dominate the market through tradition, brand recognition and affordable pricing.
Sales of water have been undergoing an annual growth of around 5% over the past two years, which has mainly seen the consolidation of leading brands. This moderate growth is the result of penetration into households of all income levels. Although carbonated or ‘sparkling’ water has a larger, established consumer base, mostly through the heavy consumption of traditional ‘spritz’ – the combination of carbonated water with wine – still bottled water has moved ahead in terms of volume growth over the past couple of years. However, the decrease in Romanian consumers’ spending power has led to their growing acceptance of cheaper water.
