PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2021

8 NEWS PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 03/21 www.petpla.net After more than 20 years, Austrian brewery is withdrawing PET bottles In 2000, Austrian brewery “Mohrenbrauerei” introduced beer in PET bottles. Now the single-use container is being taken out of the product range. The main reason for this is the change in consumer behaviour due to the critical discussion about plastic packaging. The Mohren Brewery sells 97 per cent of its beverages in returnable containers, 3 per cent in aluminium cans, disposable glass and plastic bottles. Four varieties – Pfiff, Radler Sauer, Zitrone Naturtrüb and Grapefruit – were previously available in 0.33 l PET non-returnable bottles. After more than 20 years, bottling in plastic bottles is now being discontinued. In 2000, the Mohren Brewery introduced beer in PET bottles and was thus a pioneer on the Austrian market. Later, the bottle size was reduced from 0.5 to 0.33 l and the closure was further developed several times. The brewery even built its own machine to seal the bottles. “The critical public discussion about plastic is leading to declining consumer acceptance. This also affects our technically innovative PET bottle,” says Managing Director Heinz Huber. The prospect of a pandemic-related slow carnival season also contributed to the decision of the Dornbirn-based company. PET bottle sales were traditionally above average during this season. “We originally introduced the PET bottle as a niche product for on-the-go or for events,” explains co-man- aging director Thomas Pachole. In future, the aluminium can will remain in the range as a lightweight, disposable container. www.mohrenbrauerei.at Award for Kirin’s thin film deposition technology Kirin Holdings Company, the Packaging Innovation Labora- tory, has developed a new thin film deposition technology for PET bottles using a hot wire CVD technology for an environmentally- friendly package. In recognition of the results of this development, on January 7, 2021 Kirin Holdings was one of the Worldstar Winners in the Beverages category of the Wolrdstar Packaging Awards 2021 organised by the World Packaging Organization (WPO). The technology was also selected as a Diamond Finalist presented at the Dow Packaging Innovation Awards 2020, organised by Dow Chemical Company in the United States on November 11, 2020, as well as winner of the 44 th Kinoshita Award in September 2020. The technology is expected to contribute to resource con- servation by forming a colourless, transparent and recyclable gas barrier film on PET bottles, which prevents oxidation and degradation of the content liquid while reducing weight. This technology uses special ceramic rods to form a thin film on the inner surface of the bottle that prevents the permeation of oxygen and other substances. By devising the type of film material and the conditions under which the film is formed, it has become possible to fill the bottles with a variety of clear and colourless beverages. In addition, the bottles are recyclable in accordance with Japan’s Voluntary Design Guidelines for des- ignated PET bottles. www.kirinholdings.co.jp