The packaging firm aided Oji and Hero in increasing the sustainability profile of a recent beverage line introduction by creating a 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate bottle for the product.
Demonstrating sustainability
APPE representative Silvie Willemsen said the Oji PET project demonstrates the firm’s sustainable packaging capabilities.
“The new bottle is evidence that our rPET material and extensive recycling facilities can enable a brand to meet its closed-loop recycling requirements,” she said.
Willemsen added that the rPET material fit with the beverage brand owner’s operational sustainability goals, as well as corporate environmental and social commitments. Additionally, the brand is working with packaging recycling gurus at TerraCycle, a firm that focuses on eliminating incineration and waste in packaging of food and other products.
Also boosting the product's sustainability: the bottle reportedly provides an ambient shelf life of six months for the preservative-free drinks, avoiding the energy consumption involved in keeping them chilled.
Created through teamwork
The package’s creation was the result of close collaboration among teams from three different APPE sites. The firm’s in-house design team created the preform for the 100ml bottle and also provided a high degree of creative input into the package’s look.
Hero, a brand-focused consumer-foods group, worked in conjunction with Oji and APPE for the filling and shelf life aspect of the operation.
The rPET material is furnished by APPE’s recycling plant in Beaune, France. The bottle itself is manufactured at APPE Belgium, with bottles supplied to Hero’s filling operation in The Netherlands.
The Oji beverage family includes four varieties that include different fruits and health benefits (such as antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and minerals), all with caffeine from green coffee beans.