Essel Deutschland, a leading manufacturer of tubes, has recently made its entrance into the beverage market creating tubes for a vodka product and an energy drink brand.
The European Tube Manufacturers Association hailed its work in the development of the Vodka-X-one laminate tube as an example of how imagination and the versatility of the tube has protected the sector from the economic storm clouds of the past year.
Safe and cool
Gregor Spengler, ETMA secretary general, said: “For festivals, discos, etc., the laminate tube offers a cool alternative to bottles, e.g. for Alco pops, and with so many people moving around in such a small space, it is significantly safer.”
Jean-Francois Gosset, sales and key account manager at Essel, said the potential of tubes does not just extend to alcohol and the party scene.
Essel has worked with sports food brand Sponser to package an energy drink. For sportsmen who want to drink on the go, Gosset said the tube has the advantage of being easy to carry and collapsible.
He added that these practical features could make the tube an appealing choice for the airport travel market as well.
From a technical point of view, the Essel spokesperson said developing a tube for the beverage market does not present any particular challenges.
As for toothpaste and foodstuffs, a tube that is destined to contain a drink needs to have a “top seal” to prevent leakage and tampering. This is a PET cap that is welded on to the tube with metal.
While Gosset said tubes have room to grow in the beverage market, he said they are unlikely to ever take anything more than a small share.