This solution, which goes in the direction of a concrete and tangible circular economy, avoids that paper or plastic labels have to be removed. Among the advantages of a packaging development that does not include labels, we find in the first place the savings on their purchase, storage and handling, and then the gluing by means of special machinery.
In fact, Danone thought it was worth a try. That is why it partnered with SIPA to develop and produce unlabeled bottles for Żywiec Zdrój spring water in Poland. SIPA was responsible for the engineering, all prototyping and production of special molds for SIPA's 12-cavity stretch-blow molding platform used by Danone. A limited-edition 400-mL bottle for Żywiec Zdrój still water has come onto the market in April 2021. It is a triumph of bottle design and production engineering.
The development of this highly eco-friendly rPET bottle presented a formidable challenge for SIPA, since the information and decoration normally found on the label had to be integrated into the body of the bottle. In addition, the bottle shape and size were conceived to save as much as possible on the pallet in order to save transport and handling costs. Furthermore, the bottle is made from 100 percent post-consumer PET, as well as being highly recyclable.
The surfaces of the mold cavities created by SIPA incorporate a combination of embossments and debossments – raised and recessed designs – that are mirrored in the surface of the finished bottles. The extreme quality of the molds, together with the precision in the blow molding process, is a precondition for obtaining detail on the bottle that is attractive and – for the lettering – legible.
“Considerable work during prototyping went into ensuring the visibility of the logos,” says SIPA’s Packaging Development Manager. “This is not only necessary from an aesthetics point of view, but also because the law requires that information relating to water quality is clearly visible on the bottle.”
As for the customer, Danone’s Żywiec Zdrój brand manager Maria Uszyńska says: “We are glad to present the first bottle on the Poland market without a label and made of 100% recycled plastic. This is another step of our company towards closing the plastic cycle.”
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