Smurfit Kappa unveils tamper-proof Bag-in-Box tap for EU regulatory compliance

03 Mar 2023 --- Smurfit Kappa is launching a patented Vitop Uno tap, which it promotes as the first tap in the Bag-in-Box market to have attached tamper protection. 

The new tap design is compliant with the forthcoming Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD), as it does not require the consumer to remove the tamper protection. Instead, it is deactivated when the product is first used and remains an integral part of the tap without affecting the subsequent use of the Bag-in-Box product.

As part of the EU’s SUPD, it will become mandatory for caps and lids to remain attached to all beverage containers up to three liters in capacity from 2024.

The corrugated packaging company’s solution eliminates the possibility of the tamper protection plastic ending up in the environment, which can happen with detachable tamper protections. After use, the consumer can easily separate the box from the bag with the tap and send them for recycling in accordance with their country’s recycling regulations.

“We built this tap, with the prospective option of a full transition to monomaterial, to be suitable for recycling into the existing flexible polyethylene stream,” says Didier Pontcharraud, CEO of Vitop. 

“Bag-in-Box recyclability is one of the most frequent requests from our customers nowadays,” adds Thierry Minaud, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Bag-in-Box. “Our target is to offer the most sustainable solutions that can be recycled on a large scale across different countries in the near future.”Smurfit Kappa tests found that the environmental benefits of its Bag-in-Box influences purchasing decisions.

Convenience testing
Over the past year, tests on the Vitop Uno in France, Spain and Sweden have shown that the convenience of the new tap remains the same, according to Smurfit Kappa.

Meanwhile, the environmental aspect of the packaging was found to have a positive effect on consumer purchase intentions.

The new tap is patented in Europe, the USA and a number of other countries.

The company describes Vitop as the leading provider of Bag-in-Box closure solutions. It has sold over 6 billion taps worldwide.

Industrial production of the Vitop Uno is planned for the second half of this year.

Thermo-lamination technology
In 2021, Smurfit Kappa’s Bag-in-Box Ibi facility in Spain introduced bags with thermo-laminated metalized film for enhanced resource efficiency.

The M-Compact 77 solution uses thermo-lamination technology to bond individual films through exposure to heat without using the adhesives required for classic lamination.

The company claims the thermo-lamination technology has resulted in a 12% bag weight reduction and 7% fewer CO2 emissions, estimated for the 3 L bag format with the Vitop Compact tap.

“We have been developing this film for more than two years, challenging our suppliers, analyzing our film structures and applying our strictest testing protocols,” said Victor Juan, film manager at Smurfit Kappa Ibi.

“Having full control of the manufacturing processes on all steps, we can guarantee excellent performance of our new metal bags on production lines, supply security and efficient traceability for our customers, and good product preservation during transport, on shelf and at home.”

Edited by Joshua Poole