After the can packs, it is the water bottles that mobilize the producers of cardboard packaging. In recent years, several groups have proposed different cardboard solutions to eliminate the plastic that bundles the aluminium bottles. And until now, only Smurfit Kappa has proposed a new system for water bottles (read Innovation: the plastic film of the bottles replaced by cardboard ). But Blue Box Partners announces in its turn to enter this market.
The pan-European alliance of Belgium's VPK, Germany's Klingele Paper and Packaging Group, Spain's Hinojosa and Italy's Cart-One has also developed a corrugated solution to replace the shrink film in bottle packaging.
Called Ecogrip, this recyclable solution is compatible with packs of plastic bottles from 330 ml to 1.5 litres. Its design would allow easier handling of the packs, as well as easier storage. And the corrugated cardboard can be customized by different types of printing technologies.
"Every company is now focusing on sustainability." said Armin Höttges, Managing Director of Blue Box Partners, which has a turnover of ?2.8 billion. "While we continue to see improvements in the recycling rates of many packaging products, secondary packaging, such as shrink packaging, falls into the category of single-use plastics that create problems if not disposed of responsibly. The result is considerable pressure from governments, environmental associations and consumers, all of whom are demanding more sustainable packaging. The launch of Ecogrip now offers a solution for brands that want effective multi-packaging."
