Weekly Roundup: Coca-Cola turns back clock with Hutchinson bottle Signature Mixers launch

10 May 2019 --- This week in packaging, Coca-Cola launched its Signature Mixers in retro Hutchinson glass bottles in a nod to the silhouette of the first ever Coca-Cola bottle. With the demand for paper-based packaging on the rise, Smurfit Kappa invested in its Roermond Paper Mill in the Netherlands, while Stora Enso announced plans to start recycling used paper cups on a large scale at its Langerbrugge Mill in Belgium. Also this week, the University of Plymouth, UK, was forced to revise a study into the compostability of high street bags after widespread criticism of its failure to recognize that the “compostable” bags examined are only designed for industrial composting facilities, not the natural environment in which they were tested.

In brief: New launches
Coca-Cola launched a new line of flavored cola mixers, Coca-Cola Signature Mixers, developed with the help of leading mixologists and designed to be mixed with dark spirits. As a nod to the silhouette of the first ever Coca-Cola bottle, the new launches come in a sleek Hutchinson-style bottle. It is a unique type of antique bottle that had a wire stopper inside the neck and blob. The silhouette pre-dates the iconic Contour model which was introduced in 1916. The Hutchinson bottle was first used by Coca-Cola in 1894 when the product was bottled rather than served at a soda fountain. Each batch is stamped with the signature of the mixer’s co-creator.

Origin Pharma Packaging announced a new sister brand called Lifestyle Packaging. It will offer “a complete solution in unique bottle design, innovative child-resistance and sustainability.” Lifestyle Packaging designs and manufactures glass and plastic packaging for caps, closures and accessories, and measuring devices for a range of consumer products, including cannabidiol (CBD); eLiquid/Vape; Aromatherapy; Home Fragrance; Personal Fragrance; Body Care; and Skincare.Sidel's new EvoFill Glass beverage filling machine.

GEA unveiled two vertical packaging innovations designed to enable meat and poultry manufacturers to increase production uptime. Announced during this week’s IFFA trade fair in Frankfurt, GEA’s SmartPacker CX400 packaging machine, available in both sanitary and standard configurations, is now equipped with induction sealing capabilities that can reduce changeover times to less than two minutes. The upgrades have been developed based on direct customer feedback from producers of fresh and frozen meat and poultry products.

Sidel launched its new EvoFill Glass beverage filling machine. EvoFILL Glass boasts a number of features which are designed to guarantee a high-quality bottling process. First, the filling level is controlled by level probes, ensuring high accuracy and flexibility. This is made possible by managing a wide range of filling set points without any adjustment or replacement of parts. In addition, by using swirling in the product deflection into the bottle, low foaming is secured, therefore contributing to production efficiency.

In brief: Sustainability action
The University of Plymouth corrected its study into the biodegradability of “biodegradable” and “compostable” high street bags. The study – which found that “compostable” high street bags could still hold a load of shopping after three years in the marine environment – was criticized for its failure to recognize that bags labeled “compostable” are only designed for industrial composting facilities. “The irony is that no one selling compostable plastic bags ever claimed this [that the bags would biodegrade quickly in the natural environment]. They simply claimed that these bags should be composted. Simple,” stated a spokesperson for Novamont, an Italian bioplastics company.

Waitrose & Partners' reusable bags, made from recycled plastic bottles.Stora Enso announced plans to start recycling used paper cups on a large scale at its Langerbrugge Mill in Belgium. Based on production trials, Stora Enso possesses the technical feasibility to recycle paper cups for use in other paper applications. Stora Enso is now looking into partnerships for the collection and sorting of used paper cups to ensure that this high-quality fiber material is captured and given a second life. “With efficient recycling processes, food service companies using wood fiber-based cups can improve their environmental footprint,” says Annica Bresky, Executive Vice President of the Stora Enso Consumer Board Division. “Recycling must be made easy for consumers – that is why we want to invite partners and customers to jointly develop business models for collecting paper cups.”

Smurfit Kappa invested in its Roermond Paper Mill in the Netherlands to meet the growing demand for paper-based packaging. The Roermond Paper Mill has made a series of upgrades to its Paper Machine 1 (PM1) during the last two years including rebuilding the winder, the press section, the drying section and the film press. Speaking about the investment in the mill, Laurent Sellier, COO of Smurfit Kappa Paper Europe, said: “The investment in the Roermond Paper Mill has significantly strengthened its capabilities as a leading provider of lightweight recycled paper grades. There has been a growing demand for paper-based packaging as a sustainable alternative to plastic and it is used widely in both the e-commerce and retail sectors.”

Waitrose & Partners, in partnership with Jutexpo – a leading manufacturer of reusable bags – and designer Emma Bridgewater, created a new exclusive reusable bag made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, which raises money for the Marine Conservation Society. In shops starting this week, the jute-style bag is created using the material from 12 plastic bottles and the handy fold-away pouch bag is created from four plastic bottles. The process involves turning the plastic into a durable and practical fabric called rPet, short for recycled polyethylene terephthalate, which looks like jute, but with a wipe-clean coating.

By Joshua Poole