Seeing is believing: Amcor develops PET glass-look-a-like bottles for dairy transparency

18 Apr 2019 --- In response to the growing demand for transparent dairy packaging in Latin America, Amcor has developed clear polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles that have no strips and resemble glass in appearance. Designed for Brazilian dairy brand Letti, the bottles also use a screw cap, rather than the traditional foil seal barrier found on HDPE bottles.

Research by the global packaging company reveals that Latin American consumers are increasingly attracted to transparent dairy packaging that connotes freshness and premium quality. In response, dairy companies are increasingly using clear PET bottles that provide durability and let consumers see dairy products before they purchase them.

“Brand owners are drawn to transparent dairy packaging because it connotes freshness and premium quality. Consumers enjoy seeing what is inside of a package. They link the transparency to freshness, safety and a great tasting product,” Daniel Figueiredo, Commercial Director for Amcor’s Latin America Dairy Segment, tells PackagingInsights.

In Brazil, leading dairy brand Letti is the first to adopt transparent one-liter PET bottles for its Lettico A2 fermented milk products. These custom containers made exclusively for Letti by Amcor, replace the traditional white, opaque high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottles that have dominated the market.

Figueiredo describes how Amcor worked closely with Letti to develop a transparent package with high shelf-appeal that would showcase the quality of the milk inside.

“This project was a conversion from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to clear PET. Thus, the level of transparency achieved with PET was far better than HDPE, which was a white color. PET is naturally transparent so there was no enhancement. The key challenge on the technical side was to develop a robust package with a vintage design without strips and provide the appearance of a glass bottle,” Figueiredo says.

“The edge of the PET package has a more precise design, which facilitates pouring and prevents the remaining product from staying inside the package after consumption,” he adds.

Results from Amcor’s recent consumer focus group in Brazil also uncovered consumer preference for a simple, new bottle cap system. For the Lettico A2 fermented milk bottle, Amcor has eliminated the foil seal barrier, which is typically found on HDPE bottles, and added a screw cap to communicate inviolability.

The one-liter PET bottle also features an optimized base for improved bottle structure. Thicker wall sections help to avoid deformation, maximize drop resistance and permit the use of heat-shrink labels without the need for horizontal ribs in the bottle design. To protect the contents, the container includes a 38-mm finish and an ultraviolet (UV) blocker.

“The consumer appeal of transparent packaging for dairy products has unlocked many new opportunities for us,” notes Eduardo Eisler, Associated Partner for Letti. “We are receiving positive feedback about our new clear PET packaging on our communication channels, and we are very happy with these results.”

In Latin America, Amcor is working with other leading dairy companies to convert a range of products into clear PET packaging. The development of PET dairy bottles plays into Amcor’s overall sustainability goals of ensuring all packaging is recyclable or reusable by 2025. It is also committed to increasing the use of recycled materials in its packaging.

Amcor has hit another sustainability milestone with the US launch of Genesis – a new high-performance laminate that offers in-store recyclability. The all-polyethylene (PE) laminate looks and feels like traditional oriented polypropylene (oPP)/PE and oriented polyester (oPET)/PE laminates and can be used to package a variety of consumer goods. Genesis is “complementary” to AmLite, Amcor’s polyolefin-based film that can be used for ambient and retort high-barrier applications, which launched in September 2018.

By Joshua Poole

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