PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2019

JUBILEE PET planet Insider Vol. 20 No. 06/19 www.petpla.net 32 A holistic approach to PET packaging design can maximise its potential to add value across the entire supply chain, from concept to consumer and beyond: starting from the raw materials through package design and production, unto the point- of-sale to reaching the consumer and beyond, given the increasing focus on recyclability. Reducing raw material use The cost of the raw material used to make a PET bottle can account for as much as 70-80% of a bottle’s cost, so it is understandable that the industry is undergoing a move towards lightweighting of all new bottles. To help put this into context, estimates suggest that savings of over 1.3 bn €/a could be made in water and carbonated soft drinks (CSD) produc- tion alone by adopting the increas- ingly innovative lightweight bottles that are now being developed. The typical weight of water bottles con- taining 1.5 l of still water, for instance, has fallen from 42 g to 22.5 g over the last 23 years. During that same time, the rate of manufacturing those bottles has increased from 1,000 bph to 2,250 and more. As lightweighting technology and understanding contin- ues to increase, the typical weight is expected to fall to below 20 g. However, today’s solutions are not just about lightweighting. They are also about “right” weighting to pro- tect the product, the consumer and, ultimately, the brand. The cost savings along with the contribution it makes to the sustainability agenda will ensure that weight reduction continues to be a focus. Rightweighting, though, takes into account the fact that reducing the weight of a bottle must not be at the expense of performance. Maintain- ing a bottle’s resistance so that it can survive the challenges of the supply chain, ensure product quality, and also present a good experience for the con- sumer when they handle the bottle and consume its contents, must always be a primary factor in a bottle’s design. Optimising package development This combination of technical and design expertise should be adopted for all projects as well as for all packaging, formats, lightweighting, line conver- sions and energy saving possibilities. From the initial conceptual sketch, three-dimensional drawings can be produced addressing technical consid- erations such as finished volume and weight. Computer-generated images are then developed to give a closer simulation of the actual product. At Sidel, the bottle’s mechanical performance is calculated through the company’s finite element analy- sis. Samples are then produced with full container qualification, which then Creating value from concept to consumer PET and the Point of Sale co e t t by Vincent Le Guen, Vice President Packaging, Sidel A number of factors undoubtedly contribute to the decision making process well in advance of the consumer reaching the point of sale: brand development, advertising, sales promotion, personal recommendations and previous experience, to name but a few. Although very important, attractiveness and consumer experience are certainly not the only value that great packaging design can create: even long before a product reaches the shelf, the design of the bottle can create value throughout the supply chain.