BSDA BOTTLED WATER TECHNICAL WORKSOP PACKAGING CONCERNS David Syrett FIMMM, APgkPrf Packaging Consultant
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS • Do you have any concerns? • If so what are they, can we list them?
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS A GENERAL PERSPECTIVE Some general observations for you to consider as a starter • We are an aging population, so packaging functionality and ease of use have to be a consideration for not just new bottle and closure designs but perhaps the packaging you use for your products now?
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS A GENERAL PERSPECTIVE • We are all being encouraged to consider a healthier lifestyle and bottled water has it’s place to play and that encompasses people of all ages not just the younger consumer
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS A GENERAL PERSPECTIVE • Lightweighting has always been a key factor for bottled water packaging but are we reaching the limit to met consumer functional expectations? • Be that bottle weight reduction, 500ml @ sub 10g? • Be that closure size (diameter & height) reduction? • You need to think about older people with potentially reducing manual dexterity
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS A GENERAL PERSPECTIVE We need to consider Recycling Rates and the potential impact of deposits • The subject is becoming more of a political issue and likely to get increased publicity and prominence? • Especially where products are used out of home or on the go. Along with the collection and sorting of materials from public areas • There is a need for standardisation of domestic refuse collections for recycled materials such as bottles between councils • Is bottle to bottle recycling an economic solution or does there need to be support for other uses of recycled bottles? http://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/environment/recoup-plastic-collection-quantities-slowing-20-10-2016
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS A GENERAL PERSPECTIVE Production lines are getting faster, with increased complexity and more automated with less people on hand to deal with issues • As line speeds increase the packaging material requirements, specifications and tolerances are getting tighter • This means equipment & material suppliers along with convertors need to work more closely together and in consultation with the bottler to ensure that the development of Production lines like the one above materials and machinery requirements are are a thing of the past aligned
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS A GENERAL PERSPECTIVE • There is a need to ensure investment in new equipment and processes involves all parties in collaboration with each other and not one element doing their job in isolation • There is a potential risk that packaging materials required to the specification and tolerances to run on new high speed equipment are not commercially available in the required quantities and timescales
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS • Before looking at technical matters in a little more detail you should already be seeing a concern OIL and its potential impact for bottle waters with REFINERY WELLS both commercial and technical implications • The price of oil is on the LIQUID LIQUID rise, which will impact costs Paraxylene Ethylene Gas including those of resins & OXIDATION & PURIFICATION polymers for packaging Gas Ethylene Oxide Terephthalic Acid Fine right through the supply Powder Liquid Ethylene Glycol chain to the cost of vehicle DIRECT ESTERIFICATION (Antifreeze) HEAT ~ Eliminate Water MELT POLYCONDENSATION HEAT Monomer deliveries of stock to your Eliminate Glycol CATALYST VACUUM customers PET Chips QUENCHING/ CUTTING Injection Molding PREFORMS Courtesy of PepsiCo
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS • When thinking packaging in the widest sense are you just thinking about your primary container? • Be that a • Plastic (PET) Bottle? • Water Cooler (Polycarbonate) Bottle? • Glass Bottle? • Metal Can and / or Bottle? • Bag in a Box? • If so you are only considering a part of the packaging jigsaw puzzle that you need to piece together to ensure it all works together and delivers consumer satisfaction
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS A GENERAL PERSPECTIVE Therefore your answer should be NO • You need to think about the product packaging as a jigsaw and piece together the elements under 2 basic sections • Your Primary Packaging • Bottle • Closure • Label • Adhesive • Your Secondary Packaging • Pack Format & Materials – 6, 12, 24 Pack - Corrugated / Shrinkfilm? • Palletisation – Format / Packaging Needs / Stretch wrapping This can often be driven by your bottle design, think about it early in the design process • Labelling / Barcoding
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS Let us look at each of the technical options in a little more detail • Plastic Bottles (let’s specifically think PET) • What elements do you need to consider or be concerned about? The Bottle (Design) 1. Where are you in terms of bottle weight for each size, lightest possible or work in progress? 2. Do you have plans for further weight reduction, if so have you considered your target consumer and there requirements or is your decision driven by other factors such as cost? The Bottle (Technical) 1. Do you know what resin(s) your preforms/bottles are being manufactured from? 2. Do you have tested and approved alternatives? 3. Do you have a notification procedure in place if a change of resin is required from your supplier? 4. If you use colorants in your bottles have you tested and approved them? 5. Do you blow you own PET bottles? If so, outside of routine QC testing, have you completed legally required testing and if so on what frequency?
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS The Closure (Design) Where are you in terms of closures, thinking of changes too? 1. Design, Diameter, Weight, Use of Push Pull or Flip Closure? 2. Have you consider any impact of change on your consumer? The Closure (Technical) 1. Do you know what polymers your closures are being manufactured from? 2. Do you have tested and approved alternatives? 3. Do you have a notification procedure in place if a change of polymer is required? 4. Does your polymer contain a slip additive? If so which one and to what level, do you know if the additive was changed if this could have a direct effect on your product? 5. If you use colorants in your closure have you tested and approved them all? 6. What could the impact of change on production equipment be or if considering a new production line is your existing closure manufactured to the standards required by any new machinery?
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS The Label & Adhesive • Label materials may be down to what your equipment can handle • If you are thinking of a new line, if additional capacity to existing, could there be a impact on the packaging? • Adhesives often overlooked in terms of packaging • Do you simply use the supplier recommendation? • Are you sure that what your are using, recommended or not, has no impact on your final product when used on a plastic bottle?
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS Plastic Bottles (Large Format for Coolers) • Really similar concerns and considerations as for a PET bottle but likely to be less potential options in terms of alternative resins / materials for the bottle and closure along with other elements of packaging • These bottles are typically returnable so concerns can in included the risk of contamination had the hands of the customer, cleaning, storage, aging • Additionally bottles can be polycarbonate, although some are PET then the question of Bisphenol A may be a further concern to consider, if you use these do you know your status in terms of a BPA concern?
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS What about other primary pack formats? Glass Bottles are considered to be an inert material in terms of packaging a product, but have you considered the closure as part of the overall package? • That closure could be a Tinplated Steel Crown Cork, a Roll On Pilfer Proof Aluminium or Plastic Closure • Each will have it’s own packaging considerations
PACKAGING CONCERNS FOR BOTTLED WATERS Metal Can and / or Bottle? • If packaging water into metal cans then compatibility testing with your can supplier should be a must, otherwise the supplier will not offer you a warranty and thus they are likely to refuse supply. • You will need to revisit the compatibility testing if there are changes in your product or you switch source of supply. • You need to ensure that you know what lacquers are being used and does your warranty cover both standard and BPANI variants? • Note • Earlier this month MEP’ s moved to bring in an EU-wide ban of bisphenol A (BPA) in food contact materials (FCMs), remember this could have implications on other packaging in addition to can lacquers https://chemicalwatch.com/50185/meps-call-for-ban-on-bpa-in-food-contact-materials http://www.bpf.co.uk/article/meps-call-for-ban-on-bpa-from-all-food-contact-material-1059.aspx
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