PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2011

BOTTLE MAKING 15 PET planet insider Vol. 12 No. 06/11 www.petpla.net 187ml single-serve bottle gains favour with American wineries New wine in new (PET) bottles Leading wineries in the USA are making increasing use of Amcor Rigid Plastics 187ml single-serve barrier PET bottles for their convenience, lower cost and ease of handling. American wineries such as Fetzer, of Hopland, Calif., and Cecchetti Wine Co., of Sonoma, Calif., are increas- ingly moving to PET as a lightweight option that provides glass-like clarity, portability, sustainability advantages, and reduced cost. According to Amcor Rigid Plastics, these and other wine companies are reporting consumer acceptance of these convenient, alu- minium screw-cap bottles. The pack- ages also provide the companies with entry into public venues that do not allow glass, because of the potential for breakage. As well as the conveni- ence, a key feature is a unique barrier coating technology developed by KHS GmbH, which provides extended shelf life. The KHS Plasmax Silicon Oxide (SiOx) barrier coating seals the con- tainer from the inside to protect the contents from oxidation. Plasmax is an FDA-compliant enhanced passive bar- rier for oxygen-sensitive products. This ultra thin (less than 100nm) material is transparent and resistant to cracking, abrasion, and delamination. Moreover, it doesn’t degrade over time nor limit the storage time for empty bottles. The barrier coating is easily removed during the recycling process and does not contaminate the recycling system. Fetzer is the 10 th -largest winery in the U.S. and also provider of co-packing services. The company bottles its entire 187ml line of white zinfandel, merlot, chardonnay, and cabernet wines in PET containers for sale at retail and chain stores. The bottles preserve the look of glass containers and run on the winery’s existing glass filling line, with minor adjustments. As they are one-sixth the weight of glass bottles, trans- port costs are significantly reduced. Cecchetti Wine Company supplies its Redtree brand of wines to Air Canada, British Airways, and now also to Continental Airlines. The convenience, cost advan- tages, supply chain efficiencies and sustainability of the barrier PET bot- tles fit well in the 187ml wine category, according to Kerry Drewry, sales man- ager for Amcor Rigid Plastics. “We expect continued growth for barrier PET containers in not only 187ml but a range of package sizes for wine,” he says. Cecchetti is also targeting retail distribution in the Midwest and will explore the viability of 1l barrier PET bottles for its wine brands. Amcor is continuing to work with other wineries seeking alternative packaging and its acquisition of Ball Plastics Packaging Americas means that the company now has full capability in-house for InnoPET Plasmax coating. PET bar- rier technology is also being targeted at other markets for oxygen-sensitive products. www.amcor.com Development Plastics-compatible design and injection-moulding simulation High Cavity Moulds The patented z -slides® -closure-mould-technology breaks the sound barriers of conventional cycle times and puts - as a modular system - new scales in ease of maintenance and operation of moulds. Multi-component Injection Moulds In the high-performance sector Technology Centre Plastics technology Production Support After Sales Service z -moulds a brand of z -werkzeugbau-gmbh Competent – professional – inspiring Hoechster Strasse 8 · 6850 Dornbirn, Austria · T +43 5572 7272-720 · www.z-moulds.com BARRIER PET BOTTLES