Drinks innovations

Drinks packaging trends

By Paul Jenkins, Managing Director, ThePackHub

The drinks industry continues to evolve with packaging innovation a priority for many beverage operators.

ost of the drive in innovation is towards improving sustainability, with the majority of brands, retailers and packaging suppliers working towards challenging targets as part of plastic pacts in place in many of the major global markets. The aim is to achieve 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging by 2025.

With just over three years to go, the pace of change is accelerating despite some initial disruption created by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, pending plastic tax obligations in some markets encourage plastic packaging use with a percentage of recycled content. In the UK, due for implementation in April next year, the proportion of recycled plastic to avoid additional taxes is 30%. Inevitably, this is having an impact on the types of drink packaging initiatives coming through the innovation pipeline.

Reducing plastic Both plastic reduction and elimination have been strong themes for drinks packaging as it has been across all consumer goods categories in recent times. Switching out of plastic can be difficult for operators due to the material’s inherently inexpensive nature, as well as its versatility, strength and overall practicality. Taking plastic out of the drinks market supply chain continues to come to our attention.

An example of this, comes via Aldi. The UK’s fifth-largest supermarket has recently revealed plans to remove shrink wrap from multipacks for their own-brand cola, lemonade and tropical fruit fizzy drinks as well as across their beer and cider brands. The supermarket will use FSCcertified cartonboard instead and estimates that the initial switch will save over 90 tonnes of plastic each year. It is part of a wider movement that is seeing plastic removed from Aldi’s multipack secondary packaging and replaced with paper-based alternatives. In some cases, multipacks have been withdrawn from sale in preference to the selling of multiple combinations of single units. The change to 100% recyclable, FSC-certified cartonboard will mean that nearly 11 million Aldi 330ml own-label packs will switch to packaging that is widely recyclable throughout the UK. The complete roll-out to include all own-brand beer and cider products is estimated to save over 150 tonnes of plastic annually.

Bio-based materials There are a significant number of compostable, biodegradable and bio-based solutions both

in development and coming to market as brands look for material alternatives to fossil-based polymers.

An example of this comes from Maison Ruinart; more than two years of research and development has led the champagne brand to present a new packaging format, which will be introduced in the brand’s major Western European markets. Pressed wood-cut bowls have replaced the existing champagne cardboard packaging with the new outer packaging completely recyclable and nine times lighter. The 2021 PLD Innovation Award for sustainable innovation (see page 21) also reportedly reduces carbon footprint by around 60% and is completely recyclable. The new packaging format has been designed to hug the bottle like a second skin and consists of natural wood fibres that come from sustainably managed forests. The packaging neatly follows the lines and contours of the bottle and is distinguishable by the lack of any sharp edges. It was developed in collaboration with luxury brand agency Chic, French folding box manufacturer Pusterla 1880 and fibre packaging experts James Cropper. Another example in the wine sector is The English Vine, which has launched some of its wine in a paper-based bottle from Ipswich-based Frugalpac. The ‘Frugal Bottle’ is made from 94% recycled paperboard, with a food-grade inner pouch similar to those used in wine boxes. The English Vine states that 46% of the CO2 footprint of a glass bottle of wine comes from the packaging, due somewhat to the weight of the glass and the associated impact on transportation. The carbon footprint of the Frugal Bottle reportedly six times less than that of a standard glass bottle and is also five times lighter. The English Vine has now committed to moving all of its wine to paperboard within the next five years.

Recyclability With the majority of brands and retailers working towards targets to improve the recyclability of their packaging, we are inevitably seeing many new initiatives come to market. Recycling is multifaceted. It is the introduction of recyclable solutions – either through the switching from other materials or making the material easier to recycle (through the introduction of mono materials for example). It is also about the introduction of recycled content in packaging.

Switch to board Estrella Damm have collaborated with board and paper specialists and Innovation Zone members Graphic Packaging International (GPI) to replace all of its plastic shrink film packaging on their multipack cans with a recyclable

board alternative. The unique pack design was designed internally by GPI and features rounded corners which is hoped will give the pack a greater stand-out instore. The move will save the equivalent of 99 tonnes of plastic per annum and is part of Estrella’s ambition to move to more sustainable packaging by the end of 2021. The design of the pack holds the cans tightly together protecting them as they progress through the supply chain.

The drinks industry continues to deliver many new packaging innovations. Sustainability will continue to be the focus for 2022 and beyond, as operators aim to implement their challenging environmentally-focused targets. It is an exciting time for this vibrant industry with many new initiatives to come to market.