PETpla.net Insider 01+02 / 2021

CAPS & CLOSURES 27 PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 01+02/21 www.petpla.net Interview with Astrid Hoffmann-Leist, United Caps Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer & Business Director APAC Understanding what the consumer wants and needs PETplanet: What trends are you observing in caps and closures for the food and beverage industry? Hoffmann-Leist: There are sev- eral key trends that we can observe: brands and consumers are demand- ing on-shelf stand-out and more sus- tainable solutions (lighter weights, bio- resins, smaller neck sizes etc). With over 80 years working with plastics these are two areas where we have differentiating capabilities. Brands in particular work with us because of our ability to develop total packaging solu- tions that integrate seamlessly into the overall supply chain. PETplanet: What role does the consumer play in a company’s decision for a certain kind of cap or closure? Hoffmann-Leist: Everything starts with an understanding of what the consumer wants and needs - the value they are looking to obtain from a closure. As a closure manufacturer that means us taking the time and making investments to understand them better. We often talk about “Close to You” at United Caps. That’s as applicable to the consumer as it is to our direct customers. A great example is our 127 Safe- TE closure for Infant Nutrition; at the very heart of that development was research that told us consumers in Asia wanted a premium solution for Baby Food containers that featured impenetrable security technologies. They wanted to be certain that the milk powder contained within hadn’t been touched since leaving the fac- tory. That’s what led us to develop our industry leading Droplock and Flexband technology. PETplanet: What can you tell us about sustainability in the segment of caps and closures Hoffmann-Leist: There are a lot of exciting things happening in the world of caps and closures with regard to sustainability. A key driver is the EU’s Single Use Plastic Directive. The appe- tite for more sustainable solutions is growing. For beverages it requires that the closure is ‘tethered’ to the bottle to help ensure they are disposed of together. We fully expect that post- Brexit the UK will implement tethering requirements and others will follow suit. California is considering it due to the impact of Chinese sanctions on the import of plastic waste for instance. Pace across different political environ- ments may vary but ultimately this is the direction of travel. PETplanet: Turning now to materi- als, is there any news regarding sus- tainability? Hoffmann-Leist: As well as tra- ditional petroleum-based plastics, we’ve developed a range of ‘Greener Closures’. They’re made from plant- based plastics, the beauty of them is CAPS & CLOSURES The EU’s Single Use Plastic Directive is certainly the key driver in the new developments that are currently propelling the caps and closures industry forward. Astrid Hoffmann-Leist shows in our interview the essential trends which also emerge when you listen to the consumer. Safety and sustainability play an increasingly important role here. that they’re devel- oped from bio-based plastics like sug- arcane or starch which absorbs CO 2 and helps to reduce harmful greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. At the same time, they behave in exactly the same way as traditional plastics, completely indistin- guishable in terms of performance. PETplanet: What are the chal- lenges for the future? Hoffmann-Leist: Different sectors will have different needs and com- petitive advantage will go to those that emphasise integration and collaboration - by that we mean positioning to per- form along the entire product journey, from in the plant to in the hand and for the planet. We anticipate an accelerat- ing trend towards sustainable design and manufacture and an emphasis on product security. Of course, ultimately the economic environment for plastics must be a circular one. PETplanet: Thank you very much!