PepsiCo-Lipton has launched a tea drink in Central America with a bottle design exclusively for them by Amcor Rigid Plastics (amcor.com). The resulting bottle won the beverage/non-alcoholic category in the AmeriStar Package Awards Competition sponsored by the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP). The ultra-lightweight, 500ml, hot-fill polyethylene terephthalate (PET) container weighs only 22 grams and utilizes a 33mm finish that features a 50% reduction in material over a traditional 38mm finish. The leaf design of the body panels aids in the vacuum while offering visual appeal and an easy-to-grip surface. Additionally, the package’s reduced materials provide an ecological savings and reduced carbon footprint.
The new bottle also offers a breakthrough in hot-fill packaging. The new approach, according to Carlos Londono, design manager for Amcor Rigid Plastics, allows manufacturers to move to lightweight containers without making a large capital investment in aseptic filling lines. Achieving the lightweight properties which could withstand intense vacuum absorption was a big challenge. Amcor applied its vacuum absorbing base (VAB) technology to the base and ERGO technology to the body. The VAB base is a light weighted diaphragm-like structure that aids in the cooling process by helping to absorb vacuum.