PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2016

PRODUCTS 31 PET planet insider Vol. 17 No. 01+02/16 www.petpla.net Amcor Rigid Plastics wins WorldStar 2016 Packaging Award for Hot-Fill PET bottle Amcor Rigid Plastics has been honoured with a packaging award at the World Star 2016 Packaging Awards Competition, sponsored by the World Packaging Organi- zation (WPO). The award was in recognition of Amcor’s devel- opment of an ultra-lightweight, hot-fill PET container, which was designed exclusively for PepsiCo- Lipton’s tea drink brand in Central America. Competition winners were selected by representatives from 19 WPO member associa- tions, who judged 293 packag- ing entries from 35 countries. Amcor’s Latin America design team, based in Miramar, Fla., worked in partnership with PepsiCo-Lipton to develop the new container, which gives regional consumers a lighter, more functional bottle. The 500ml package weighs 22g and utilises a 33mm finish that features a 50% reduction in material over a traditional 38mm finish. The leaf body panels have practical functions in supporting the vacuum and providing a gripping surface for the consumer, while offering aesthetic appeal by adding visual interest. Amcor says that the bottle enables manufacturers to achieve aseptic filling packaging weights without prohibitive investment, while offering a more eco-friendly option. Weighing in at just 22g, the new bottle is approximately 30% lighter than standard 500ml heat-set PET containers, which weigh about 34g. The material reduction increases the bottle’s recyclability, cuts the energy needed for its production and thus reduces its environmental footprint. Greenhouse gas emissions are cut by 26%, energy use is reduced by 23%, and water consumption is decreased by 24%. The new container also results in a 26% reduction in the amount of waste that could potentially end up in a landfill. The new hot-fill bottle is designed to run on existing filling lines with minimal changeover. Along with the ultra-lightweight container, Amcor and Bericap, in cooperation with PepsiCo, developed a 33mm, 3.7g tamper-evident finish/closure for hot fill. The new closure incorporates a built-in seal that eliminates rubber liners or induc- tion seal foils, thus reducing overall materials use. It is made of HDPE rather than PP, as previously. The new product was initially launched in El Salvador and has since been introduced in Mexico and other Central American countries. In addition to the award for the PepsiCo-Lipton container, sister company Amcor Flexibles was recognised with three World Star awards for pharmaceuti- cal, medical, and wine packaging solutions. www.amcor.com www.bericap.com info@hasplastik.com Tel: +90 212 695 50 00 Fax: +90 212 694 97 24 100815dmyR .com