Milk Bottles go Green with New Reduced Plastic Innovation
The UK’s most popular grocery item, the plastic milk bottle, is undergoing a major overhaul with the unveiling of a ‘greener’ design being launched in retailers this summer. The new bottle, name Infini, is made by packaging company Nampak, and has been designed to use on average 15% less plastic than current milk bottles, resulting in an associated carbon saving of around 12%.
The UK’s most popular grocery item, the plastic milk bottle, is undergoing a major overhaul with the unveiling of a ‘greener’ design being launched in retailers this summer.
The new bottle, name Infini, is made by packaging company Nampak, and has been designed to use on average 15% less plastic than current milk bottles, resulting in an associated carbon saving of around 12%.
The large savings on plastic are achieved through the newly developed bottle design that does not force the material as far into each of the bottle’s corners as is the case with standard milk bottles.
A four-pint Infini bottle will weigh 35g, compared with 40g at currently being used, while a two-pint bottle will weigh 22g compared with the current 26g.
There have been an increasing number of milk packaging innovations attempting to increase the sustainability of such a popular grocery product.
Jug-It milk bags and GreenBottle, a papier maché bottle being trialled by Asda at the moment, are two examples of most recent green initiatives.
Nampak development director James Crick said he was confident his company’s new bottle would get a far wider rollout than previous green initiatives because, unlike many others, it remains a plastic bottle.
He said: “What we’re doing with Infini is an evolution of the milk bottle, not a revolution.
“The plastic milk bottle is a very successful format, and it meets consumers’ needs. We wanted to preserve that.”
Nampak’s clients currently include Dairy Crest, Arla and Robert Wiseman, and it also works with Yeo Valley.
Crick said feedback from his clients had been positive and, although he would not reveal who would be on board when Infini starts rolling out this summer, implied they were impressed by the innovation.
If it rolls out on a wide scale Infini could ultimately transform the dairy sector, allowing it to surpass its environmental targets under the Courtauld Commitment and the Milk Roadmap.
Reducing the use of plastic could also translate into raw material savings for dairy companies a key consideration given rising oil prices.
Source: Nampak
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