Recognized in the Food/Beverage category, Berry Global Group, Inc. received a Technology Excellence Award from The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI) for its Proxima tethered closure with tamper-evident band. This innovative packaging solution cuts down on waste by securing the closure of the bottle and improving recyclability. 

“To help our customers meet the growing sustainability demands of today and tomorrow, we develop new products and materials that are designed to advance a pathway to circularity,” said Jean-Marc Galvez, President of the Consumer Packaging International Division at Berry Global. “As we push the limits of innovation with creative, sustainable packaging solutions, it is an honor to be recognized by our peers and other packaging experts.”

Announced at PACK EXPO International in Chicago, Illinois, this PMMI award winner was chosen by attendees and packaging expert panelists:

From the Food/Beverage category, Berry’s Proxima tethered closure offers beverage companies an innovative design solution that helps reduce plastic litter and encourage closure recycling. Maintaining a convenient and comfortable user experience, the closure design features a special tamper-evident band that, once broken, does not impact the closure's ability to remain attached and is positioned out of the way for drinking but can easily be reclosed. Because the closure is designed to remain intact with the bottle, it is less likely to be littered and more likely to be recycled – given that PET bottles are the most recycled plastic package type.

This is the first year Berry dedicated its PACK EXPO International booth to showcase how the company is collaborating across the value chain to drive environmental sustainability. Launched at the EXPO, Berry’s “More Together” campaign encourages employees, customers, and partners to share their personal passions for creating change using the hashtags #Bmoretogether and #WhatsYourMore.

The campaign highlights how Berry is working with others to advance the circular economy and lead the plastics industry away from its dependence on fossil fuels. Among many others, key collaborations to date include: achieving a 59% reduction in carbon emissions in comparison to the same bottle made from virgin material by making McCormick’s new food color bottle with 100% recycled plastic; securing bio-based resin made from responsibly sourced sugarcane for Raw Elements’ natural Face + Body sunscreen tube; transitioning Wendy’s from paper to more recyclable drink cups made with 20% ISCC-certified, recycled plastic (on a mass balance basis); and improving recyclability of Conagra Brands' Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa line by switching their original packaging made from three different materials to a widely recyclable, polypropylene container.

Learn more about Berry’s commitment to sustainability at https://www.berryglobal.com/en/sustainability.