23/12 CIPHER Glasses

Check out these CIPHER glasses from RELOGIC design and innovation. These prints that look like splattered dots of paint actually reveal a message when the vessel is filled with colored liquid. This could be applied to PVC shrink labels for packaged beverages as well. VERY cool!

Minute Maid NEW Package Design

Coca-Cola sells over 1,200 juice products all over the world, with over about 120 brand names in their portfolio. Thier most poplar brand in the US is 'Minute Maid' and they have just enjoyed a long awaited design overhaul.

Duffy & Partners were contracted for the job, taking over what they set in motion back in 1995 with the initial Minute Maid package design. It seems Coca-Cola is taking a fresh approach to product packaging all across the board with design and raw material process. Check out the new Minute Maid designs ready for launch in the US December 2009!

NAYA Spring Water x 100% Reycled PET Bottles

Naya Spring Water said it is the first bottled water company to use 100 per cent recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) in its containers, as it prepares to roll out the product in the United States.

The Canada-based company said it had overcome a number of challenges to bring the bottle to market after investing seven years in its development.

Finding a supplier to develop the technology to make a container of partial and then total recycled plastic had been the first hurdle, a Naya spokesman told FoodProductionDaily.com. Ensuring sufficient supply once the technology was in place and obtaining health certification from various Government agencies had been two more challenges. The final test had been to secure enough retail orders to make the product commercially viable, he added.

Daniel Cotte, president of Naya Waters, said: “We are proud to be the first major spring water brand to introduce 100 percent recycled plastic bottles, which is a win for the environment as well as for consumers who enjoy bottled water and want to reduce their impact. This innovation is another demonstration of our commitment to put the environment at the heart of Naya's company strategy."

While there is an ever growing need for packaged beverages, it is good to see that companies are finally taking the initiative to source more environmentally friendly packaging. The main problem is that there are few cost effective alternatives to PET.

Kabbalah Vodka x Christian Infants

A short time ago the company “EZ Protocols” announced a start-up of vodka brand that is called “Kabbalah vodka – with Christian infants” – the newest quality benchmark on the super premium segment of the Russian market. The vodka is expected to have a distinguished wheat flavor. Special water, enriched in silver, gold and platinum ions along with neat and stylish design will bring anyone back to the best traditions of a ritual table. As a present, every bottle has a unique handmade infant inside, which is made of fortified glass.

In its first day of launch KABALAH vodka set a record selling 13,000 5L cases of Vodka. The 'Christain Infants' have also very quickly become collectors items. To keep them exclusive each design does not see more than 3 production runs.

What is the connection between this Vodka and the Kabbalah? I have not idea, but the type for the logo is set to Kabbalh Sefirot and the back of the bottle features some text excerpts from the Kabbalah.

Vegetable Based PET by Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola has committed themselves to using 30% vegetable based PET preforms for their plastic bottle production. Is this a log term environmental solution that other beverage packaging companies can adopt? What is the cost benefit? Check out the full scoop below.

Coca-Cola Co yesterday announced the selective global roll-out of its new PET bottle made from up to 30 per cent plant materials such as sugar and molasses.

The drinks giant said its PlantBottle containers were beginning to hit retail shelves across the world, with a planned production target of two billion by the end of next year.

Hailing the move as a “major step along our sustainable packaging journey”, chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent said Coke was the first to bring to market a recyclable PET plastic bottle made partially from plants.

Variable plant content

But company said the level of plant material in the bottle differs from country to country.

“While the bio-based component can account for up to 30 percent of the resulting PET plastic in PlantBottle packaging, the percentage varies for bottles that also contain recycled PET,” said a Coke statement.

In Denmark, the bottle also has recycled content, meaning its combined plant-based and recycled elements make up 65 per cent of the material; 50 percent coming from recycled material and 15 percent from plant-based material. In the US and Canada, some 30 percent of the content in the PET plastic comes from plants.

The bottle is currently available in Denmark in 500ml and 2 litre sizes, with a December launch earmarked for Western Canada for Coca-Cola, Sprite Fresca and Dasani, as well as in Vancouver for next year’s Winter Olympic games. The PlantBottle will also be available in some parts of the western US from January 2010. Future launches next year are being planned in other markets, including Brazil, Japan and Mexico and China, said the company.

Sugar and Molasses

The bottle is currently made by turning sugar and molasses into a component in PET plastic. The company said its ultimate goal was to use non-food, plant-based waste, such as wood chips or wheat stalks, to produce recyclable PET plastic bottles. The container is 100 per cent recyclable and initial research has indicated it had a smaller carbon footprint than conventional PET bottles, said the company.

Kate Krebs, director of sustainable resources for the climate group, said: "While Coca-Cola is just beginning to bring its plant-based PET plastic into the mix, this is a revolutionary solution that has the potential for long-term, meaningful benefits."

Source: Beverage Daily