The US-based company announced it has become the primary stocking supplier for the patented eco.bottle that is targeted for use across a raft of applications in beverage and personal care.
An innovative designs means that the outer shell of the container can be split off the side and separated from the inner liner. The fibre halves, made from old corrugated board and newspaper, can be recycled up to seven times, said Berlin. It added that the #4 (low density polyethylene) inner pouch and closure can be recycled in the same waste stream as plastic shopping bags.
The eco.bottle line is available in a 38mm spout suited for orange juice and dairy products, as well as being suitable for applications such as juices and non-carbonated beverages. It has also been designed for a range of personal care and detergent applications.
The bottles will be available starting January 2012.
Material and freight savings
"Consumers have proven again and again that they not only embrace environmentally-friendly packaging, but also reward those marketers who offer them,” said Glenn Scott, company VP Product Development and Strategic Sourcing for Berlin Packaging. “We believe the eco.bottle will hold strong appeal to all classes of consumers and will be useful in both product launch and rebranding opportunities."
The firm acknowledged that the eco bottle was currently more expensive but said it believed it would become more cost-competitive over the next 12-18 months as automation and capacity expanded.
The containers can be supplied fully assembled, which meant that minimal filling line modification was required.
Unassembled bottles can also be supplied to the filler which permits nine times more packaging to be shipped per truck than empty blow molded bottles, which provides “significant inbound freight savings”, said Berlin.
It added that assembled and filled bottles had passed International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) performance testing.