PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2019

CAPS & CLOSURES 21 PET planet Insider Vol. 20 No. 01+02/19 www.petpla.net Tethered closures in the USA A new bill was proposed in the state of California (AB-2779) in February 2018. This bill (if passed into law) would prohibit a retailer from selling or offering for sale a single-use plastic beverage container that does not feature a closure that is contiguously affixed (connected) to the beverage container containing water (≤ 1liter). The primary driver for this bill is the belief that closures on single use plastic bottles contribute to environmental pollution. The bill was ordered inactive at the request of the author on June 4, 2018. It remains to be seen whether the approved European SUP directive will result in a reactivation of this specific bill or a variant thereof. Regardless of these laws (enacted or proposed), Husky is developing solutions to ensure full compliance without compromising usability and the drinking experience. The lowest cost to produce and simpli- fying tooling conversions are dominant value drivers for Husky’s entire tethered closure portfolio and available closure manufacturing solutions. Matching new closure products to consumer trends/needs Water: The water segment contin- ues to demonstrate extremely strong growth globally as healthy beverage options dominate consumer prefer- ences. Global unit demand expects to remain strong through 2023 with a forecasted CAGR of 4.1% (Source: Global Data). 29/25 family Within the water segment, premiu- misation is a dominant trend. Water brands looking to position their product as a premium offering can leverage the closure as a means to differentiate. Husky’s 29/25 portfolio offers various grip heights to communicate product positioning and enhance user experi- ence. For the brand owner, there are weight savings to be realised on the entire dispensing system without com- promising the user experience. Carbonated Soft Drink (CSD) While the CSD market segment has not enjoyed the robust growth of water, it remains a very relevant bev- erage category. Global unit demand is positive through 2023 with a forecast CAGR of 1.3%.(Source: Global Data). 26mm CSD Brand owners have introduced smaller format sizes to correspond with changing consumer preferences around sugar content. These smaller format sizes provide a cost savings opportunity for brand owners to light weight the dispensing system (PET neck finish + closure). Husky’s 26mm CSD dispensing solution (neck + clo- sure) offering satisfies the strict test criteria of many brand owners while rated to a high level of carbonation (4.7% vol). This design has minimal impacts on the grip height vs 1881 (~4mm) and no impact on the drink- ing experience. Juices, sports drinks & teas (JSDT) As consumer preferences shift towards healthier beverage alterna- tives, the JSDT market segment is well positioned to lure consumers seeking beverages with natural ingredients. Global unit demand is positive through 2023 with a forecasted CAGR of 2.5% (Source: Global Data). 32mm Aseptic The 32mm neck finishes have been developed as alternatives to the widely used 38mm necks for mate- rial and cost savings opportunities. Compared to the 38mm dispensing system, material weight savings up to 30% can be realised on the neck finish and closure. Compared to the 38mm bottle, the consumer can enjoy a more pleasant drinking experience thanks to the smaller neck finish. The 32mm clo- sure offers an industry leading weight at 1.75g and passes Sidel’s strict B180 test for sealing robustness. A slightly heavier 2.35g option offers improved robustness with B180 and Capdis compliance for aseptic filling. www.husky.co