PETpla.net Insider 06 / 2021

BOTTLE MAKING 31 PETplanet Insider Vol. 22 No. 06/21 www.petpla.net KHS and Eckes-Granini launch bottles made of 100% rPET From 25 to 100% rPET Since the middle of May Eckes-Granini’s 1 l Hohes C juice bottle has consisted entirely of rPET. KHS’ Bottles & Shapes experts in Hamburg were responsible for optimising the bottle. The new containers will continue to be produced on the InnoPET FreshSafe block. ity of the design with the help of labora- tory tests and simulation. In the case of Eckes-Granini the specifications were clear: switch to 100% rPET while main- taining the homogeneous quality of the container. According to Eckes-Granini, the changeover of the 1l Hohes C bottle to rPET will save over 4,000 metric t/a of virgin PET. This in turn means that the bottler will cut its carbon emissions by about 8,000t/a. Challenges and solutions Finding ways of saving on resources was not the only focus of the project. The ability to do so on the KHS InnoPET FreshSafe block in operation at Eckes-Granini since 2017 also had to be investigated. “One of the concerns was whether either the preforms or machine needed adapting,” explains Dr Matthias Kruse, head of PET Technol- ogy at KHS. “We thus assessed the quality of the recycled PET material. This is crucial, for large variances in colour, molecular length and inhomo- geneity quickly reduce the efficiency of production.” The fact that Eckes-Granini pro- cures its preforms from two different suppliers presented an added chal- lenge, Kruse says. The geometry of the preform is essential for efficient processing, especially when a high percentage of rPET is used. Through extensive testing it was established that both makes of preform function soundly on the block system. All that was needed for optimum bottle production were minor adjustments to the heater on the stretch blow moulder. KHS’ NIR or near infrared technology especially provides a wide processing window for rPET, allowing preforms to be heated prior to the stretch blow moulding process with pinpoint accuracy, for example. No major changes to the machinery or geometrical properties of the preforms were required. PET bottle with barrier properties Eckes-Granini will continue to ben- efit from FreshSafe PET barrier protec- tion also after converting to 100% rPET. The company has relied on this system from KHS since 2006. The oxygen bar- rier of chemically pure glass, a wafer- thin coating on the inside of the PET bottle, is not only claimed to protect the juice from oxygen pickup but also to be fully recyclable. The coating can be washed off bottles during the recycling process. By the end of 2022 Eckes-Granini Deutschland intends to only use PET bottles made entirely of rPET for all brands, saving approximately 9,000 metric t/a of new plastic by doing so. www.khs.com Dr Matthias Kruse, head of PET Technology at KHS Eckes-Granini has been using 25% rPET in its Hohes C PET juice bottles since 2018. “Bearing the EU’s plastic strategy in mind and the increase in recyclate quotas this prescribes, we’ve now decided to switch to using recy- cled PET only. We want to be a pioneer as regards the circular economy and set a good example for the beverage industry,” states Hermann Naumann, plant manager for Eckes-Granini in Bad Fallingbostel, Germany. Europe’s lead- ing producer of fruit juice beverages has pursued an ambitious sustainability strat- egy for years, Naumann continues. “We aim to continue steadily reducing our carbon footprint in production and in our packaging. This means not only cutting down on the amount of material used but also closing the recycling loop.” In the KHS Bottles & Shapes consultancy program, bever- age producers state their preferences regarding the weight, shape or stability of the container, for instance, upon which the systems supplier assesses the feasibil- Since the middle of May the 1l Hohes C juice bottle from Eckes-Granini comes in 100% rPET. (Source: Eckes-Granini) An InnoPET FreshSafe block from KHS has been in operation at Eckes-Granini since 2017.