Graphic Packaging International unveils paperboard multipack carrier for PET bottles
09 Mar 2021 --- Graphic Packaging International (GPI) is launching a recyclable paperboard packaging solution called Cap-It. The solution is currently in commercial use in Asia.
Cap-It is an innovative clip with neck rings for multipack PET or recycled PET (rPET) bottles. The paperboard clip, made of renewable materials, is an alternative to traditional shrink film packaging, increasing overall pack recyclability to 100 percent.
Cap-It joins GPI’s earlier KeelClip launch, adopted by Coca-Cola in Ireland, the Netherlands and Poland. KeelClip is a minimalist paperboard solution for multipack cans.
“Graphic Packaging’s wide range of sustainable paperboard beverage solutions work well with multiple can, glass bottle and PET bottle configurations,” says Roxanne McSpadden, director of marketing and beverage new product development at Graphic Packaging.
“Cap-It is our latest innovation for PET bottles that replaces traditional plastic multipack solutions, such as rings and shrink films.”
“With Cap-It, customers are guaranteed a 100 percent recyclable package that aids the circular economy by providing fibers that can circulate multiple times through the recycling chain and becoming new packaging.”
On-shelf differentiation
Commonly used to house four- to eight-count bottles, the Cap-It clip uses minimal paperboard while enhancing on-shelf differentiation.
Product branding can be consistently viewed in full from all angles. The unique design provides integrity throughout the supply chain and offers a comfortable handling experience for consumers.
“Our multi-award-winning solution, KeelClip, has helped our customers achieve environmental improvements via clip-format application throughout 2020, and we continue to innovate with solutions such as Cap-It to ensure our customers have tailored packaging that suits their individual needs,” continues McSpadden.
Graphic Packaging has a long history of providing both cartons and automated machinery systems to drive innovation and provide support for high-speed filling and those working to get started with a sustainable paper-based solution.
The portfolio takes into account operational requirements and delivers consumer benefits with designs that are easy-to-handle and convenient to use.
Fiber-based secondary packaging
The Graphic Packaging Vision 2025 aims to make 100 percent of its products fully recyclable by 2025. The appetite for fiber-based solutions is apparent in the rapid uptake of shrink wrap and ring-replacement secondary packaging.
In 2019, Budweiser grabbed headlines with the adoption of Graphic Packaging International’s (GPI) recyclable paperboard KeelClip for can multipacks, while Corona was the first global beer brand to trial plastic-free six-pack rings the year before.
Last year, Coca-Cola adopted WestRock’s CanCollar paperboard ring technology for multipack cans in Spain and GPI’s KeelClip in Ireland, the Netherlands, and Poland.
In February, Smurfit Kappa completed its paper-based TopClip portfolio with a packing system for smaller brands, first implemented by Czech beer brewer Pivovar Clock on 500 ml cans.
The TopClip is a plastic-free carrier designed to replace typically unrecyclable plastic shrink wrap. The larger brand TopClip system was first brought to market by Dutch brewer Grolsch last year.
Innova Market Insights recently flagged “Fiber-based Frenzy” as a top packaging trend for 2021.
By Joshua Poole
