PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2019

JUBILEE PET planet Insider Vol. 20 No. 06/19 www.petpla.net 34 itself to engage with their consumers – PET bottles are also allowing users to see the content inside, thanks to their transparency. Easy to open and handle, it is a functional and conveni- ent type of package leading to a great consumer experience. As market demands are quickly changing, shifting from standard bottle size towards smaller packages, PET offers sheer endless possibilities to enhance production flexibility with simple and easy changeovers on the production line while refreshing the brand of a complete bottle family from large to on-the-go formats to answer every need. Another important factor in this context is, of course, the bottle’s label. Labels have long been recognised by marketing departments across the world as a vital interface with the end user, assisting in creating brand identity and reinforcing or furthering its position in the market. As a consequence, sleeve labelling is growing faster than any other labelling technology as it provides significant branding opportunities and advantages when it comes to making a product stand out to consumers. Consumer experience and meeting consumer trends Ultimately, it is the brands which do achieve a positive experience for the consumer and, in turn, thrive and grow through repeat purchases. The design of the bottle is an integral part of this experience, from adding to the brand values and ensuring the all-important safety of the product through to the level of satisfaction for the consumer in ‘using’ the product. The overall consumer experience is shaped by a number of factors: the ease with which the cap can be unscrewed, the actual feel of the bottle in the hand, reducing the poten- tial to accidentally spill the beverage (sometimes a result of excessive light- weighting) and the liquid flow through the neck. All of these aspects need consideration when designing a bottle with extensive experience and exper- tise in bottle design proving invaluable in achieving the optimum solution. Moreover, consumers also expect packaging to reflect their changing lifestyles. Smaller, individual ‘on-the- go’ formats are better suited to the demands of today’s ever more mobile generation, while larger ‘multi-pack’ formats are ideal for the separate habits of bigger families. One direct result for bottlers and drinks producers is the need to increase the number of formats provided to keep retailers sup- plied with sufficient stock-keeping units (SKUs) to satisfy these changing con- sumer habits, while at the same time maintain the brand and associated designs across these multiple SKUs. Recycling and future sustainability Apart from its light weight, the recyclability of PET is one of the material’s major attributes and is a significant factor in its increasing adoption as the material of choice for packaging. As consumers grow more and more environmentally aware, they increasingly understand the need to recycle goods and materials in order to preserve natural resources. They also appreciate the need to be con- siderate of our environment and to reduce waste - especially the packag- ing from commercial goods. As everyone is aware, there is a rather negative image around plas- tic packaging. This is particularly fueled by evidence of marine litter, itself caused by a mismanagement of waste. Technologically and industri- ally, PET, can and glass can all be recycled. There is also an economical value of doing so: the value of a bale of PET bottles can range between 300 and 600 €/t, depending on its quality. An essential pillar of circular economy is recycling. Recycling means no land filling, no marine litter and less natural resources depletion. The limiting factor today – affecting also the carton, glass and aluminium industries – is col- lection: indeed, recycling technology is available and the demand for food grade rPET is outperforming the offer. We know our customers want to use recycled PET; consumers are happy to recycle their PET packages; and we are seeing a shift in attitudes towards how PET is recycled. The EU directive on single-use plastics will, among other things, force the collection rates to go up to 90%, allowing recycling to develop further. However, for any recycling initia- tive to be successful, it needs the right scheme and the backing of local govern- ment and policy makers. Legislators are now realising that to keep PET and other packaging materials in the value chain, an infrastructure for collection and reuse is needed. For PET bottlers, aiming at sustain- ability is usually also a strive for optimum cost-effectiveness. This means high- speed production lines bottling large volumes of packaged beverages in short times. Flexibility of line conversion, to introduce a new bottle design or product quickly and efficiently, can also be impor- tant. A thorough appreciation of these market drivers and how to achieve them is therefore essential when designing any new PET packaging solution. Meeting the challenges A great package does much more than attracting the attention of the consumer and protects the product it contains, though these are undoubt- edly important factors in and of them- selves. It unlocks value at every step of the process, turning supply chains into value chains, from the raw materials used in the bottle production through to the potential to recycle the bottle post- consumer and contribute to a closed- loop sustainable packaging supply chain. It helps speed up time-to-market, saves costs and increases efficiencies in production, withstands the demands of distribution, looks good at the point of sale, offers a safe and great consumer experience and can be easily recycled. To unlock the true value of PET, a holistic approach to the packaging design and development process is required that looks at every step of the supply chain, both individually and col- lectively, with the aim of achieving sev- eral goals simultaneously. www.sidel.com