Ceepackaging

Analysis

Global Slowdown Changes Priorities for Beverage Packaging Design

Yet, as market conditions have deteriorated over the last 18 months, pressure on margins coupled with highly volatile energy and materials costs and increasing environmental pressures, have shifted the focus of packaging design more towards cost-driven factors such as weight saving, material reduction, production line efficiency, cost-effectiveness and environmental performance as well as added functionality and retained quality.

These are the key findings of a new special interest report, published by Canadean and entitled “Innovation in Beverage Packaging, 2008”.

The trend towards more cost-driven design – and light-weighting in particular - is apparent across virtually all packaging materials, types and components:

• In glass bottles, for example, the development of narrow neck and blow technology is bringing both pack and distribution costs down with 20% pack weight savings being quoted
• PET bottles are likewise benefiting from the development of new substantially lower weight standard containers – such as Sidel’s ‘No Bottle’ product and also panel-less hot fill containers which offer similar flexibility in design to hot fill glass bottles, but with substantial weight savings
• New lightweight end technology is meanwhile driving down average beverage can weights even further, whilst a move from impact extrusion to DWI-based production is boosting the presence of lighter weight beverage cans
• Lightweight closures have similarly been developed by many suppliers and are already deployed for carbonates and soft drinks
• Even label sizes are being reduced in some cases to reduce cost and improve environmental performance

Not all recent innovations in beverage packaging design are focused on cost however. There has also been a substantial expansion in the use of newer substrates (such as RPET, PLA and other biodegradable plastics, barrier films and pouches), whilst innovative packaging shapes and designs aimed at specific target consumers (e.g. shaped, sleek/slim and embossed cans), improvements in decoration techniques (such as the use of thermo-chromatic and UV sensitive inks, barrier shrink sleeves and high quality digital printing) and the introduction of value added functional features such as re-closeable can ends and pouches designed for vending applications, are all expected to continue to have an important bearing on the future market.

Taken in combination these factors mean that, in spite of the widely-expected downturn, packaging innovation and design will remain at the forefront of marketing and brand development and play a key role in determining the success or failure of new products and brands over the next 5 years.

“Innovation in Beverage Packaging, 2008” is a new, special-interest report aimed at providing a concise summary of current trends and developments in packaging design within the global beer and soft drink markets. The report is an update of Canadean’s 2007 study, focusing particularly upon developments over the last 12 months.