Amcor wins award for technical achievement and sustainability
Packaging group Amcor has been recognised in the 28th annual DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation competition for its leadership in delivering technologically advanced and sustainable solutions for the home care and pharmaceutical industries.
Amcor Flexibles captured a Gold award in the Technological Advancement and Responsible Packaging categories for Formpack Ultra, a new cold form blister packaging for the pharmaceutical industry.
Meanwhile Amcor Rigid Plastics earned a Diamond award in the Technological Advancement, Responsible Packaging, and Enhanced User Experience categories for the development of a 53oz polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle for its Method line of products, which contains 100 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) PET resin.
“We are delighted to be recognised by DuPont for our commitment to innovation and sustainability,” said Jim Rooney, vice president of sales for Amcor Rigid Plastics’ Diversified Products business unit. “Our primary objective is partnering with customers and creating unique solutions like this 100 percent PCR PET bottle which delivers major sustainability benefits for Method and reinforces its strong environmental platform.”
The 53oz transparent custom container, which delivers strong shelf appeal, is the industry’s first liquid laundry bottle made of 100 percent PCR PET. Method is well-known for its brightly coloured hand wash and all-purpose cleaning formulations showcased in clear PET bottles.
In a market that has previously been predominately limited to high-density polyethylene (HDPE) containers, PET has struggled to enter the liquid laundry detergent market due to compatibility and colour stability issues.
Initially, Amcor provided product compatibility testing with Method’s liquid formula product to ensure package stability on the store shelf. Amcor also worked through challenges with the container’s neck design, spout closure, and hand grips, ultimately creating a unique and sustainable design that could be stretch blow moulded with a consumer-appealing hand grip.
The ergonomic design allows easy gripping and pouring and comfortable lifting. The new 100 percent PCR PET container meets high standards for sustainability with the package’s life cycle energy consumption reduced by 78 percent and its carbon footprint lowered by 35 percent versus a virgin PET alternative.
Amcor Rigid Plastics has a 24/7 on-site manufacturing facility at Method’s Chicago plant to help reduce transportation costs and lower Method’s carbon footprint. Amcor is making 100 percent post-consumer recycled PET bottles for hand wash and household cleaners at Method’s Chicago plant with production aided by wind energy. This is a first for an Amcor facility, which has reduced the need for 600 trucks of bottle freight and eliminated 200 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
The awards program is an international, independently-judged competition that honours innovations in packaging design, materials, technology, and processes across the entire packaging value chain. Inaugurated in 1986, the DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation is recognized globally as the leading packaging awards program.
“We are thrilled to be recognized again with a DuPont Innovation Award,” said Andrea Della Torre, research and development director for Amcor Flexibles. “Formpack Ultra is a technical advancement and supports more responsible and sustainable packaging use across the value chain, while lowering the total cost of goods for pharmaceutical companies.
This is the second award this year for Formpack Ultra, which received an Alufoil Trophy in the Resource Efficiency category from the European Aluminium Foil Association in April.
Formpack Ultra is a cold form blister product that offers greater elongation than standard cold form solutions, resulting in cavities than can be drawn deeper and with sharper wall angles than previously achieved. This achievement enables pharmaceutical companies to design smaller blister cards or add more cavities without increasing the blister card size. Formpack Ultra’s superior elongation is possible thanks to “best-in-class” selection of raw materials, advanced manufacturing processes, and extensive quality control.
The smaller cavities enable better product protection as well as extended product shelf life and stability. In addition, the more efficient material usage of Formpack Ultra provides the benefits of reduced changeovers at the customer’s site, together with the lower associated setup waste. These factors result in a lower carbon footprint which decreases the total cost of goods.
Secondary carton packaging can also be diminished due to reduction in blister card size. Smaller blister cards also give companies the option to fit more blister packs into each carton box which contributes to optimized storage as well as fewer pallets and transport trucks. Smaller blister packaging also offers better portability, making it more convenient for a patient to bring an individual dose in a single blister card to work or social events.
For more information about Formpack Ultra go to: www.amcor.com/FormpackUltra