FDBusiness.com

According to national UK Statistics, the numbers of single person households are increasing dramatically in Western Europe – and there is growing demand from elderly consumers and students for consumer packaging that is lighter in weight and easy to carry.*

PET converter Esterform Packaging is helping a number of retailers and brand owners with beverage and food packaging in a move away from breakable glass – which can put the supermarket aisle of out action.

The company already produces Innocent’s 1 litre carafes along with a wide range of bottles and preforms for all types of beverage, ranging from water and sparkling drinks to dairy, juice and functional drinks.

Last year, the company introduced short neck 28mm 1881 PCO neck preforms for soft drinks and water in bottles from 250ml to 2 litres. These save on expensive PET resin and conserve precious resources – so meeting consumer and retailer demands for sustainability.

Lightweight 250-750ml bottles

The lightest preform in the range weighs just 13.6g and works well for individually embossed 250ml and ribbed 330ml bottles, and also for ultra lightweight 500ml bottles for still water. For more individually designed bottle concepts for still water, a lightweight 14.5g preform is available.

Esterform’s 18.5g perform, weighing just a little more, is a cost effective solution for 500ml bottles of sparkling and carbonated products. The 20.8g preform offers the widest range of design possibilities for 500ml bottles – both still and carbonated and for 600ml promotion packs.

The 22.3g preform is designed for lightweight 750ml bottles and is the best when it comes to material economy. For a wide range of 1 litre shapes, including champagne based table waters, the 28.3g preform works well and is also suitable for 1.25 litre promotional designs.

83% weight reduction for jars

New PET jars designed by Esterform Packaging for Sainsbury’s peanut butter packs, achieved an overall weight reduction of 83% in comparison with the original glass jars. This supported Sainsbury’s target to cut total packaging weight by one third by 2015. The jar designs in 364ml and 710ml formats reflect the original brand image for the product – but with the practicality of PET material.

On typical annual use of 4 million jars, the savings in the cost of PRNs (Packaging Waste Recovery Notes) could equate to over £2,000 for the filler and £3,000 for the retailer due to the dramatic reduction in weight. The weight reduction also reduces fuel use in transit and in material handling.

A wide choice

PET bottles from Esterform suit juices (especially fresh pressed), juice drinks, dairy beverages and smoothies. The 38mm necks are offered with 3 start and single start finishes, to match a wide range of closure options.

It is worth noting that a skilful choice of closure, label or sleeve options can convert a standard bottle into a unique pack.

Volumes include 250ml, 330ml, 500ml and 1 litre bottle sizes, with customised 28mm and 38mm neck bottles for coffee syrups, and milk shakes.

A full range of 63mm neck jars in PET, from 214 ml to 710 ml in size, suitable for plastic or metal closures are available.

Recent growth has been in 28mm neck bottles for condiments and savoury sauces, along with 38mm neck jars and bottles in PET in sizes from 190 ml to 500 ml while top down squeezy bottles are another growth sector.