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Innocent makes 100% recycled PET switch for all Smoothie bottles
Jane Ellis, packagingnews.co.uk, 29 January 2008
Drinks brand Innocent has put its full range of 10 fruit Smoothies in 100% recycled PET bottles.
The firm claimed a world first last September when it put four flavours – strawberry and banana; pomegranate, blueberry and acai; banana and coconut; and guavi, gogi and mango – in fully recycled 250ml plastic packs.
Innocent made the switch ahead of GlaxoSmithKline, which put its ready-to-drink Ribena bottles in 100% recycled PET a month later.
Innocent will change the colour and shape of its logo so that it resembles the standard recycling symbol, and put it on a limited-edition label during the last two weeks of February to celebrate switching the rest of the Smoothie range to recycled PET bottles.
Innocent sustainability manager Jessica Sansom said: "We created this special label as we really want to make everyone aware of the benefits that moving to recycled bottles has had for us and to encourage everyone out there to take a look at what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint."
The firm said its new 250ml bottle contained 20% less plastic than the original packaging and was 100% food safe.
Innocent will continue to source the recycled plastic from European producers.
The switch to 100% recycled plastic will reduce the firm's carbon footprint by 55% and save 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide this year, added Sansom.
The next step will be to source 100% recycled plastic caps for the bottles. |
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Government accused of lacking 'will' over plastic waste reprocessing
Simeon Goldstein, packagingnews.co.uk, 30 January 2008
The government has been accused of lacking the "capability or will" to do something about plastic packaging waste, after environment minister Joan Ruddock said the country had excess reprocessing capacity.
Packaging Federation chief executive Dick Searle said "national leadership", rather than operating through local authorities, was needed to put in place adequate collection and reprocessing facilities.
"The government appears to have the dilemma of wanting to be seen to give more autonomy to local areas, but there are some issues that don't make sense [to deal with locally]," said Searle.
Ruddock yesterday (29 January) responded to a parliamentary question from Liberal Democrat MP Mike Hancock by saying the UK had "excess capacity to reprocess plastic waste".
But she said much of the capacity was "too old, too small or targeting the wrong end-products".
Hancock raised the issue of non-bottle plastics to "prompt the government to doing something" about it, and said it should help "generate demand" for recycled plastics.
Ruddock said there was around one million tonnes of non-bottle mixed plastic packaging in the domestic waste stream each year. In 2006, by comparison, 132,000 tonnes of plastic bottles were collected from households and recycled. |
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Plastics study claims trace amounts of PLA ruin recycled PET
Jane Ellis, packagingnews.co.uk, 19 February 2008
Polylactic acid (PLA), even when found in very small quantities in plastics collected for recycling, could make recycled PET resin "unsuitable for most applications", a study has claimed.
The study was carried out for trade association PET Containers Recycling Europe (PETcore) by Switzerland-based PTI Europe, which specialises in PET package development and research but is not a member of PETcore.
PETcore said PTI Europe was "completely independent and has no finance or support from any PET company".
PTI Europe's initial start samples showed a higher yellowness for the PLA bottles in the neck and other unstretched areas, compared with standard PET bottles. The haze value also increased significantly for bottles made from PLA, which is derived from cornstarch.
When drying PLA flakes, PTI Europe noticed that PLA tended to stick to the metal surfaces of the dryer or to form agglomerates.
The firm said: "It seems that standard PET drying conditions are too high for PLA, which could have an effect on production efficiency."
In addition, the extrusion process "badly affected" the colour/haze of the pellets, making them "very hazy" after extrusion.
The presence of 1% of PLA resulted in opaque extruded pellets.
PETcore said the findings contradicted the views of PLA manufacturers, who had said that 0.1% of PLA in collected PET could be processed successfully.
Around 40 billion PET bottles (one million tonnes) are currently collected across the EU, but PETcore said "input purity, sorting and recycling technologies and high-quality market outlets" were vital if this was to increase.
Last November, Innocent Drinks decided to stop using PLA for its fruit Smoothie bottles because the material did not use any recycled content and commercial composting was not yet a "mainstream option" in the UK.
NatureWorks, the main producer of polylactic acid (PLA) for packaging, said last year that it would work with the industry to tackle concerns over the material's end of life, following Innocent's decision to stop using the material. |
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Plastic bags and the consumer: The search for another way to shop
Jill Park, Packaging News, 04 February 2009
If 2009 is going to be a hard year for the economy, it's also going to be tough for the humble single-use carrier bag. Supermarkets have pledged to halve their use by this spring and the national media's campaign against them has not gone away.
What's more, the creator of the 'I'm Not a Plastic Bag' designer bags for life, Anya Hindmarch, was given an MBE in last month's New Year's Honours list.
But while national sentiment seems to be set against the plastic bag, the packaging industry has been arguing for years that, in environmental terms, it is the least of society's problems. After all, plastic carrier bags account for just 0.2% of waste in the average dustbin, according to the Packaging and Films Association (PAFA).
They are also light, waterproof and cheap to produce - especially with the oil price falling. What's more, PAFA has argued that Ireland's decision to charge a levy on single-use carriers has backfired, leading to a net increase in imports of all plastic bags into the country.
So why are people still moving away from single-use carriers? We spoke to some of their biggest detractors to find out. |
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Co-op moves own-brand vodka to PET bottle
Liz Wells, packagingnews.co.uk, 04 March 2009
The Co-operative Group is switching its own-brand 35cl vodka from a glass bottle to PET to reduce its impact on the environment.
The Co-operative Special Dry Imperial Vodka 35cl will be re-packaged into a PET bottle from next week. The current glass bottle weighs 265g, while the PET bottle weighs 40g – an 85% weight reduction.
The change will result in an annual saving of 270 tonnes of glass, will reduce the energy needed to transport the bottles and provide a safer alternative to glass. There will also be a significant CO2 saving of around 69 tonnes.
The 35cl PET bottle has been produced by Artenius PET Packaging and was designed to replicate the glass bottle it replaces.
The technical team at Artenius was tasked with creating a bottle with proportionate height and width to maximise on-shelf presence and enable The Co-operative to retain a similar size label, which ensures that all the required legal information can be easily incorporated.
The bottle is single stage stretch blow moulded on a Nissei machine. The 30mm ROPP extra deep neck finish uses the same screw cap as the glass bottle.
The company said virgin PET was selected because it offered excellent clarity, which matched the purity of the vodka and projected a premium image for the spirit, bottled by Kingsland Wines and Spirits.
Vicky Wood, category marketing manager for beverages at The Co-operative, said: "If the introduction of the 35cl plastic vodka bottle is successful, we will look to rolling PET packaging out to other 35cl spirit bottles, as well as extending it to other sizes."
The initiative follows the launch of The Co-operative's Food Ethical Policy in 2007, based on the world's largest consumer poll on ethics. More than 100,000 members and customers said action to safeguard the environment was one of their top priorities and 97% endorsed The Co-operative's aim to reduce waste and increase recycling.
As a result of the poll, The Co-operative announced that it was dramatically reducing the weight of its own-brand wine bottles, having already introduced the world's lightest whisky bottle in 2007.
The retailer also lightweighted the glass for its own-brand ales range in summer 2008. |
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O-I returns to baby bottle production
Simeon Goldstein, packagingnews.co.uk, 26 November 2008
Glass packaging firm O-I has started manufacturing baby's bottles in the US for the first time in 20 years.
O-I said that concerns over the impact of Bisphenol A (BPA) in some plastic bottles had led to increased demand for glass bottles in North America and that a similar trend was being seen in Europe.
The sector has been keen to promote glass as packaging that makes food "taste the way nature intended" and O-I said the trend towards organic and natural foods had led some manufacturers to turn back to glass.
Dominique Tombeur, O-I Europe vice president for marketing and communication, said: "While we support breastfeeding as undoubtedly the best option, many mothers are not able to feed their baby in this way. Glass has been trusted by generations of mothers and can be safe for generations to come."
UK childcare retailer Mothercare told Packaging News that glass baby bottle sales were low – about 1% of sales – but that it had taken the view to offer choice enabling customers to make informed decisions.
Mothercare said that all its polycarbonate-based bottles comply with the current UK and European legislation on BPA levels, and it also sells polypropylene bottles that were free from BPA.
Next year, it is set to launch a wide-neck bottle made from PP, while Tommee Tippee and Avent are also due to introduce BPA-free bottles.
Mothercare has published information about baby's feeding bottles to address parents' concerns surrounding BPA via its website and a leaflet. |
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Framptons invests £1m in PET bottling line
Ben Bold, packagingnews.co.uk, 07 October 2009
Contract packer Framptons is installing a new bottling line to process PET bottles at its facility in Shepton Mallet in Somerset.
Managing director Ian Harvey told Packaging News that the company had invested £1m in the new line, which should be fully operational by the end of the month.
Framptons, which specialises in processing liquid foods and drinks into a range of gable-top, aseptic cartons and bag-in-box packaging, has received interest from customers looking to use the line, with one having committed large volumes.
The Federal ultra-clean PET bottling line is designed to fill a range of bottles, ranging from 200ml to 1,250ml and is targeted at the chilled dairy and juice-based drinks markets.
It can accommodate a variety of cap systems and closures and gives customers the option of shrink-sleeve, wrap-around plastic and self-adhesive paper labelling. The line can run between speeds of 220 bottles per minute for 200ml bottles and 110 bottles per minute for 1,250ml bottles.
The end of the line offers the option of tray and shrink-wrapping, with a multi-pack option.
The line is being installed at Framptons' 1,858sqm building, which the company recently started renting and which is sited alongside its existing filling hall for ESL and ambient carton packaging.
The Federal filler is the first to be installed in the new building, which has capacity for another two to three lines. While there are no plans at the moment to install more, Harvey said that new lines would be installed in the future to meet growing customer demand. |
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UK Packaging Awards 2009: Rigid Plastic Packaging
Packaging News, 05 November 2009
SHORTLIST
Blue Marlin Brand Design
Life Technologies
MeadWestvaco
RPC Containers
Sharp Interpack
WINNER
Blue Marlin Brand Design: Isklar
Blue Marlin's offices in Kensington Village are a long way from the glaciers of Norway, but the firm's designers were able to take inspiration from the stunning scenery of Norway's Hardanger region to create the PET bottle for Isklar.
The agency was asked to create the entire Isklar brand from scratch, including the pack structure and graphics, to take on established heavyweight rivals such as Evian and Buxton.
Praised by judges for its "structural integrity and aesthetics", the bottle is designed to "dazzle like the pure, dense ice of the Folgefonna glacier" according to Blue Marlin, and is also lighter in weight than traditional PET bottles.
The pack has already picked up the Best Overall Concept Platinum Award at the 2008 Water Innovation Awards, and proof of its impact came in February this year when Harrods devoted a window display to Isklar.
HIGHLY COMMENDED
RPC Containers: Resolva 24H Weedkiller
RPC's three- and five-litre containers for Resolva 24H Weedkiller are blow-moulded in HDPE and feature a trigger spray stored in a recess within the container, designed in conjunction with brand owner Westland. The technical challenge for RPC was to produce a wide, flat face with inward curved ends. The label on the finished pack partly covers the opening that contains the trigger, providing extra security and ensuring the trigger stays in place. "An excellent use of design to deliver functionality," said one of our judges.
Sharp Interpack: Tesco and Seachill fish packaging
Sharp Interpack delivered on all aspects of the design brief it received for new microwaveable packaging for Tesco and fish processor Seachill. Tasked with removing excess packaging and improving supply chain efficiencies, the Yate-based firm devised the F range of packaging, which has saved 48 tonnes of carbon dioxide and reduced truck journeys. |
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Stella Artois pushes eco credentials as bottle weight drops 7%
Jill Park, packagingnews.co.uk, 10 May 2010
Stella Artois has unveiled a new lightweight bottle with limited edition label as part of an initiative to improve its environmental performance.
The company has reduced the weight of its 284ml bottle by 7%, which will amount to a considerable saving over the 250m of the bottles sold each year.
A limited-edition label has been created for the new packs and the launch will be supported by an on-pack promotion, asking 'Is Jeannie in Your Lightweight Bottle?'.
Consumers will be able to win anything from 50p to £100,000 with each pack purchased and be given the chance to donate their winnings to a green charity.
Stella Artois's glass bottles are manufactured by Ardagh Glass, Quinn Glass and O-I.
The launch has been supported by the latest instalment in Stella's ongoing ad campaign which underlines the green credentials of its packaging. Click here for more on packaging's appearances in Stella Artois and other recent ad campaigns.
"We're very pleased to be introducing the new Stella Artois lightweight bottle," said Stella Artois marketing director for Western Europe Adam Oakley.
"As a pioneering brand, Stella Artois cares about doing the right thing for the environment, and today's announcement is another way we're taking small steps to improve our environmental performance."
Stella Artois has rolled out the new bottles in 15x284ml packs and 6x284ml packs at major supermarkets and wholesalers. |
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Black Tower expects dramatic impact with 'half-and-half' bottle
Simeon Goldstein, packagingnews.co.uk, 17 March 2010
German wine Black Tower is making a dramatic departure from its iconic black bottle with a half black, half clear version that will hit supermarket shelves in May.
The revamped Rivaner bottle is part of a brand overhaul that German wine maker Reh Kendermann is introducing following two years of development and customer research in the UK, US and China.
The updated look is designed to give a modern feel while retaining the iconic shape and involves a new logo and label, smooth rather than dimpled glass and a long screw cap.
Clear glass bottles have been adopted for the majority of the range, but for the Rivaner variety, the firm opted for a half black, half clear bottle that it said "stood out from the crowd with incomparable on-shelf impact at the point of sale."
Reh Kendermann managing director Nik Schritz said: "The new pack design combines the iconic black bottle with the ultimate, stand-out dramatic bottle design.
"This truly iconic, distinctive and popular wine brand is set to capture new consumers internationally and achieve even greater sales success."
To coincide with the new pack design, the firm is also introducing a 'special release' range of higher quality wines to further enhance the brand's overall image. |
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Diageo restructure 'won't damage UK bottle makers'
Simeon Goldstein, Packaging News, 06 August 2009
Controversial plans by drinks manufacturer Diageo to restructure its Scottish bottling operations are unlikely to damage the UK glass manufacturing sector, the head of British Glass has predicted.
Diageo last month caused outrage when it proposed the closure of its Johnnie Walker bottling plant in Kilmarnock and other restructuring measures at bottling facilities in Glasgow and Fife and a distillery in Port Dundas that would lead to the possible loss of up to 900 jobs.
Management has come under intense pressure to rethink the plans. Questions have been asked on the matter in Westminster and Scottish first minister Alex Salmond led a march of more than 20,000 people in Kilmarnock in protest at the plan.
Diageo has said, however, it plans to spend £86m expanding its Leven plant in Fife, creating 400 new positions there.
David Workman, director general of British Glass, played down the likely impact on British bottle manufacturers, saying that the key was for bottling to remain in the country.
He said: "If it's an exercise in streamlining and cost reduction, rather than moving filling abroad, it should not impact the sector too much."
Staff consultations on the closures are expected to last into October and Diageo has said it will consider an alternative business plan put forward by Scottish Enterprise when it is submitted later this month.
Jennie Formby, Unite national officer for food and drink, said the goal was to prevent the closures and minimise job losses. "It is possible to achieve substantial savings, that could include some job losses, and maintain the firm's presence in Kilmarnock," she said.
Diageo Scotland spokeswoman Audrey Ramsey told Packaging News the firm understood why people had taken to the streets and respected the right to protest. "We are open and realistic about what needs to be done and look forward to seeing [Scottish Enterprise's] proposal," she said. |
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PET bottles on the up, reports Canadean
Packaging News, 01 December 2006
Research agency Canadean has predicted growth in PET bottles next year, particularly in Europe, for fruit juice, nectar and non-carbonated drinks.
Glass continues to be associated with the premium end of the beer market, with PET at the lower end, mostly restricted to Eastern Europe, particularly Russia. |
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Regional Insight: Flexibles' rule rolls on Down Under
Packaging News, 02 December 2009
This month, our analysis of regional trends from across the globe focuses on the Antipodean packaging industry, comprising mature markets that are home to some of the world's biggest packaging companies
Australia and New Zealand are home to some of the world’s biggest packaging groups, including Rank, Amcor and Visy. They are also mature consumer markets.
Nevertheless, more than 8,000 new products were launched in 2009, according to Mintel’s Global New Products Database, with bakery products – mostly packaged in flexibles – topping the list. Yet this has not always been the case; in 2007, colour cosmetics and skincare products were the two biggest sources of new launches. Perhaps the recession has put the brakes on these higher-end markets.
For packaging types and materials, flexibles have been the top choice for a decade. Materials-wise, Mintel’s statistics show a move from board-based and metal packaging in the past three years towards plastics.
Soap stars soak up eco-dividend
Paul Gander, Packaging News, 03 April 2008
From washing powders that perform at lower temperatures to liquid super-concentrates that save on transport emissions, detergent manufacturers are eager to impress consumers with their concern for the planet’s well-being. This emphasis on sustainability may surface in the multinational brands’ advertising, but is it an important consideration when it comes to their choice of packaging? The general rule so far seems to be that environmentally responsible changes, such as the switch to smaller packs for the same number of washes, will be made where there is a cost benefit for the brand owner. Cutting the number of trucks on the road may reduce CO2 emissions, but clearly it also reduces the company’s transport bills.
Last year, according to research firm Mintel, the laundry detergent sector was worth a bubbly £1.2bn in the UK alone. On this scale, even small adjustments to the supply chain can translate into potentially massive savings. But growth of only 4% since 2002, partly determined by fierce price competition between different brands and retailers, means that the marketing benefits of any particular innovation are unlikely to be so important.
Plastics converter Alpla claims to have the biggest market share in these types of household product. According to Mike Taylor, sales manager at Alpla UK, the choice of more traditional materials, such as HDPE, costlier options, such as PET, or newer grades, such as contact clear PP, will still usually be determined by relative pricing.
Every three or four years, says Taylor, most brands undergo a review where decoration techniques as well as basic pack formats will be reassessed. “So from in-mould labelling, which was popular several years ago and designed for long product runs with few changes, there has been a move to labelling and sleeving. It tends to go in cycles,” he says. “Now direct printing is coming back.”
In the conditioners market, says Taylor, the growth of clear PET has been strong, just as it has with washing-up liquid, although some premium products will opt for a pearl effect on HDPE.
Among Interpack exhibitors with an interest in the sector, carton manufacturer Mayr-Melnhof provides packaging for the leading brands of powdered detergent. Like Alpla in plastics, it has its headquarters in Austria, but boasts a network of converting operations across Europe that closely shadows its multinational customers.
Detergents business unit director Georg Rau outlines some of the trends. “Powder will become more concentrated and compacted, both for environmental and cost reasons,” he says.
Rau cites the use of laminated silver foils, UV printing and clear windows among recent enhancements to detergent cartons. But he explains that innovation has been relatively modest, even where there may be good reasons to justify it in terms of shelf stand-out and convenience. “This is mainly due to the difficulties in running such packaging efficiently on production lines,” he says.
The cost of differentiation could be another deterrent. Rau explains: “In Europe, a complex of recycled grey board, PE and white paper is generally used for bigger detergent packs.” Recycled content can be as high as 95%, but this is unlikely to be for sound sustainability reasons. Asked whether long-fibred kraft board is ever used for strength, he says: “Kraft board is possible, but not very popular due to the higher cost.” Rau points out: “Customers would like to omit PE from the structure, but there is no real alternative for providing a moisture barrier of the same efficiency.” The PE component does not affect the packs’ recyclability, because it is below 5% of the total weight, according to Rau.
Another physical requirement is high compression strength. On their own, the short fibres of the recycled board are unlikely to provide this, Mayr-Melnhof explains, so brands tend to use a corrugated inlay for their larger cartons.
One of the companies providing the various grades of corrugated inlay is DS Smith Packaging. Sales director Mike Alvis explains: “The carton converter could probably provide the service of combining the board with the inlay. But it is more cost-effective to deliver the cartons flat to their destination and complete them in a local assembly operation.” That is one logistics saving that is less likely to appear in a detergent brand’s consumer advertising.
The dishwasher detergent market has more sparkle than either laundry or hand washing-up products. According to Mintel, its value grew by 12% to £199m in 2006 alone, up 50% on the 2001 total. With its Electrasol, Finish and Calgonit brands, Reckitt Benckiser dominates internationally and has some 50% of the UK market. But Procter & Gamble’s (P&G) Fairy brand has challenged the market leader and now has a 16% share in dishwasher detergents.
New products, same packaging
Brand owners have experimented with new formats in the detergent itself, from standard powders and liquids, to gels and multi-function composite tablets. They have also, as in the laundry detergent sector, spawned a mass of ancillary products, from rinse agents and dishwasher cleaners to glass corrosion protectors. But the packaging around those products has remained, by and large, fairly conservative. Packing line optimisation could again be the key here.
In industrial and commercial dishwashing powders, Interpack exhibitor STI Group has introduced a four-sided corrugated pack to replace cylindrical drums. It has integrated a child-proof closure, which requires pressure on four separate pressure points for opening.
Mayr-Melnhof says it can provide child-proof closure options, such as the Z-Klick system, but says there is currently no demand for such mechanisms.
If it wanted to, the detergents sector could put on much more of a show of environmental responsibility. Alpla’s Taylor says the company is already putting recycled content into PET and HDPE bottles. He adds: “It is becoming more of a focus, but brands are not pushing it too hard. And of course, if everyone decided they wanted recycled content at the same time, we simply wouldn’t be able to supply them.”
But the sector could turn a deeper shade of green, given sufficient determination and a huge amount of supply-chain co-operation. Alpla supplies Ecover with some PET, but principally HDPE with a touch of masterbatch to give it a distinctive cloudy translucence. Own-label sub-brands such as Sainsbury’s Cleanhome are trying for a similar positioning and appeal.
However, it is not Ecover’s packaging as such that is attracting the most environmentally aware consumers. Unlike the bigger labels, the brand owner offers them the opportunity to refill their detergent and washing-up liquid bottles at independent stores. The company says they can be reused up to 50 times.
The day when P&G persuades Sainsbury’s or Tesco to install in-store tanks and dispensers for its liquid detergents may still be a long way off. But the day when brands and own-label products are more actively differentiated on environmental as well as convenience criteria could be a lot closer. |
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Riverside picks up bottle order
Packaging News, 01 October 2006
South Wales-based bottle firm Riverside Plastics has created 250ml and 500ml bottles for a new range of anti-bacterial handwashes being produced by Yorkshire-based soap manufacturer John Drury & Co.
The 250ml bottle is from Riverside’s standard range, while the 500ml bottle is a new shape and design for the firm. Both bottles have been extrusion blow-moulded in natural high-density polyethylene (HDPE), using pumps supplied by Bespak for the 250ml and Seaquist for the 500ml. Labels come from SA Labels of Keighley, Bradford.
John Drury will supply the handwashes to be sold as own-branded goods by Morrisons and Booker under the Happy Shopper label. |
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World Design: Bright ideas and fruity formats
Packaging News, 07 May 2009
In this instalment of Mintel's round-up of new packs from around the globe: a cosmetics pack with added bite, a shining example of adding value to a haircare product and a hot new way of serving sauces
The Hershey Company chocolate gift pack
Under the Hershey’s Kisses brand in China, the company has produced an excellent rigid box for its Fantasy mix. The box has a vacuum-formed insert, which contains two chocolate varieties in plastic pouches (160g). As we often see with packs from China, the box has a fold-over lid that clings magnetically to the litho-printed box.
Ghirardelli chocolate souvenir gift box
From Ghirardelli in the US, a very clever pack for a selection of chocolate bars. Each bar is wrapped in a foil/LLDPE laminate and a litho-printed paper overwrap. The five varieties are colour-coded and slide into a cartonboard folder, which in turn has a wraparound sleeve printed litho on white lined cartonboard. As the sides remain open, the pack creates the impression of a library of books. Very effective.
DFI Brands pomegranate body lotion
From Singapore under the Guardian brand, 400ml of yoghurt body lotion is contained in an extrusion blow moulded PVC custom-shaped bottle. The screw-on lockable pump dispenser is injection moulded in polypropylene. Front and back labels are printed flexo on self-adhesive polypropylene. |
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Vetroplas wins UK distribution rights for Mino Gaillard
packagingnews.co.uk, 13 November 2008
Vetroplas Packaging, a supplier of packaging to the cosmetics and personal care market, has secured the UK distribution rights for Mino Gaillard, the French manufacturer of acrylic jars.
Mino Gaillard has more than 30 years experience in injected plastics and currently supplies many of the top French cosmetics companies including Lancôme, Decleor, Givenchy and Orlane, as well as many L'Oreal and Shisheido group companies.
John Anderton, managing director of Vetroplas, said: "When we set up Vetroplas our aim was to carefully select partners from outside the UK and where possible from Western Europe who had attractive, good quality packaging, coupled with style, flair and innovation.
"Mino Gaillard is a great addition to our portfolio and perfectly complements our existing partners - Eurovetrocap, a supplier of high quality glass and plastic components from Italy and CTL, one of the leading and most respected flexible tube manufacturers in Europe."
Vetroplas Packaging's range includes glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, jars and caps, aluminium bottles, caps and pumps, flexible tubes and a wide range of accessories such as customised lotion and spray pumps, droppers and collars. |
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Rieke targets haircare market
Jill Park, packagingnews.co.uk, 27 August 2008
Rieke Dispensing is tackling the retail and professional haircare markets with the launch of the RS5 and Airless range of dispensers.
The shower-proof RS5 is available in three styles of head, the standard, palm and extended style for wall-mounted containers.
It is compatible with 24mm and 28mm standard neck finishes and dosing options from 1ml to 5ml.
Rieke will adapt the RS5 valve system depending on the viscosity of the product inside.
The company offers the Airless dispenser range in 50ml and 100ml with a slim line bore and 50ml, 100ml, 150ml and 200ml with a wide bore.
Rieke can alter the dosage of the Airless range to 0.5ml, 1ml, 1.5ml and 2ml.
All the pumps in the Airless range have a suck-back feature to ensure clean dispensing.
Rieke Dispensing managing director Mark Box said the pumps were designed to "combine style and on-shelf impact" with "maximum convenience and practicality".
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Simon Duffy and his co-founder set out to create a range of natural male grooming products that would appeal to men without using the standard packaging designs. “We chose the name Bulldog because it is masculine in a laid back, lazy way that is the antidote to the effeminate, polished David Beckham image.”
Bulldog products, which launched in 2006, use natural ingredients and are free from parabens and artificial colours and fragrances. “Natural brands have their own design language, often with flowers and a homemade look to the packaging,” says Duffy.
This works for a niche, predominantly female audience, who are looking for natural products, but Bulldog wanted its products to appeal to a broader range. “We went for white because it is a mainstream cue for purity and absence of badness, and it makes the packs different from other men’s toiletries,” he adds.
However, he discovered, from focus groups, that men weren’t picking up on the natural message. The packaging is currently being redesigned and the new look is expected to hit stores in July.
The words ‘natural grooming’, currently sandwiched between the logo and the product description, are being picked out in a vivid green band farther down the packs, with more information about the products’ natural benefits highlighted in the same green on the back. |
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Soft-soaping the tough guy
Catherine Dawes, Packaging News, 07 May 2008
Sex sells. And nine out of 10 men think that cosmetics give them more pulling power than a car, according to research by Boots before the launch of its No7 For Men skincare range. It seems men are buying in their droves; sales of male grooming products have trebled since 2002, with £781m spent in the UK last year.
The most obvious example is Lynx, which, according to the brand’s owner Unilever, combines “coolly seductive fragrances and packaging with cutting-edge technology to give guys serious pulling power”. Millions of teenage boys hope a squirt will bring hordes of screaming girls running in their direction.
Even products aimed at a slightly older male audience play on this desire. German supermarket chain Aldi wanted to give its range of men’s toiletries more shelf standout. Storm Brand Design used an eye-catching red speech bubble with the word ‘excite’ to capture men’s attention.
When Holmes & Marchant was asked to design the packaging for Lynx shower gel, the design agency tried to find out what else matters to teenage boys. It gave men and women aged 18-21, in four countries, a questionnaire and a disposable camera with which to answer the questions. The project produced images of girlfriends/boyfriends, family, celebrities, gadgets, cars and lots of trainers. Chairman Andrew Doyle explains that trainers were chosen as a cross-cultural aesthetic. The shower gel bottle produced has a rubberised look, with grooves and bumps to resemble trainers.
“The adolescent market is very unsophisticated,” says Nick Verebelyi, head of 3D structural branding and packaging at Design Bridge, which has worked on projects for Lynx and Brylcreem. “They are impressed by gadgets and technology, and like to be able to open the bonnet and look inside.” He gives the example of Calvin Klein’s men’s fragrance Crave, which is packaged in a translucent bottle with the pump and mechanics clearly visible inside.
Comfortable colours
Verebelyi says that men, when shopping in unfamiliar territory, are unadventurous. As men’s toiletries expand into new areas, the challenge for designers is to make traditionally feminine items appeal to men. To do this, many brands have resorted to a stock palette of ‘male’ colours. “Men have a limited repertoire of colours they are comfortable with. The men’s section of a clothes shop will have much less variety than the women’s,” he says.
He gives the example of men’s suits, which are predominantly black, grey or navy blue. “Men will wear a flash of colour, in the form of a tie or the suit lining, rather than being overtly colourful. Men’s toiletries echo this, predominantly coming in black, grey and blue packs with a little bit of accent colour,” he adds.
However, Pearlfisher creative director Jonathan Ford thinks progress is being made, with more interesting designs appearing on more niche products. Pearlfisher designed the packaging for Waitrose’s Skintools men’s range, launched in 2006. The bottles have an industrial look, without using the standard male colours. “I think brown is the new graphite grey,” says Ford. The aftershave balm, face wash and moisturiser are packaged in transparent brown PET containers with chunky black pumps.
“We wanted to create a timeless apothecary feel that would convey trust,” he says. The majority of the front of the labels is taken up with instructions about dosage, what to do and the end result. “Men’s products tend to be more copy-driven. Men want to know what it is and what it’s for. Women might be disappointed by that level of bluntness, they are happier to interpret symbols,” he adds.
Dr Tim Denison, retail psychologist with market research company SPSL, believes that men’s shopping habits may also have a role to play. “There are clear differences between the way men and women traditionally shop. Men are on a mission to seek out the product they are after as quickly as possible and get out, whereas women enjoy the leisure experience.”
Although this is starting to change, many men still display a grab-and-go mentality, particularly in areas such as toiletries where they may not want to be seen loitering. “Men are likely to pass store shelves at speed, so strong blacks, blues and reds are necessary to stand out. Clearly coloured products also help men recognise what they are looking for quickly,” says Denison.
The difference continues when an initial selection has been made. According to Denison, when women are evaluating a product they will pick it up and look at it closely, and may turn it around and read the back or open it up, so this makes the feel of the packaging more important. “Women are much more tactile,” he says. In contrast, men take a step back to view the product from a distance. As a result, bolder graphics that can be viewed from farther away, as well as placing information that would normally be on the back of a pack on the front, can make a big difference to the way men see an item on-shelf.
However, Denison says this is made more complicated by the fact that a lot of men’s products are bought by women for their partners. A survey by market intelligence provider Key Note into men’s toiletries and fragrances found that 22.7% of men left the decision over which products to buy to someone else in their household. Almost 40% of men who were married or living as married claimed they never shopped for toiletries.
Unisex appeal
Some of the success of the ‘for men’ versions of existing women’s ranges, such as Nivea For Men, is attributable to women shopping for themselves and their partners at the same time. Pack designs need to make the new products look masculine, while capitalising on the success of the female versions.
Design Bridge’s Verebelyi points out that many brands, such as Nivea, have a rigorously applied brand colour that has to remain consistent. This leaves shape and structure as the major tools for designers to use to differentiate male and female products. Pearlfisher’s Ford argues that as the category develops, there is likely to be a greater transference of equity from female products, to create a more androgynous look.
One brand that has been positioned very successfully as unisex is Original Source shower gels. Gus Desbarats, creative director at Alloy Total Product Design, which designed the structure of the packaging, says the original intention was not to achieve a unisex appeal. “It was about having a no-nonsense appeal and showing the powerful and clever ingredients. Off-the-shelf formats weren’t doing anything for them, so they needed custom packs,” says Desbarats. He adds that the square-sided bottles and bold black caps were designed to achieve shelf-standout rather than appeal to a part-male audience.
Desbarats says that the future of shower gel packaging will involve generating loyalty, taking a leaf out of razor manufacturers’ books. “Men’s product loyalty is practical. If they like shampoo A and it is easy to find they will buy A. If they are somewhere that doesn’t stock A, they will buy B. But if you have razor handle A and you can’t find the blades you don’t buy brand B.”
He believes that if you can create a shower gel that comes in an effective dispenser and refill format, you start to build loyalty. “Shower gel is only nice when it is foamed. We haven’t nailed the customer experience factor yet.” He says attempts to create ready-foaming gels have either failed or been too technical, so gel relies on the user to lather it up. “The shape of the bottle can make a strong impact on shelf, but shower gels need a stronger performance story to ensure customers keep coming back.”
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Lendlock Group acquires Nekem
Jane Ellis, packagingnews.co.uk, 23 July 2008
Plastic packaging manufacturer Lendlock Group is undergoing a "multi-million pound" expansion following the acquisition of glass packaging supplier Nekem Partnership.
Chester-based Lendlock supplies products to the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and toiletries industries and had a turnover of £13.4m in the year to 31 July 2007.
The Nekem Partnership, based in Hull, was founded in 1963 and specialises in glass and plastic packaging for the pharmaceutical, healthcare and cosmetics markets.
The company also supplies caps, closures, pumps and sprays and offers bottle and closure decoration.
Lendlock Group chairman Mike Duffell said: "The acquisition of Nekem Partnership is part of our ongoing strategic plans and will secure a strong future for the ongoing business of the group."
Lendlock will now employ more than 250 people at its plants in Bootle, Chester, Burnley, Dorset and Hull.
The deal was funded by Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank's Merseyside Business Centre. |
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