The word on everybody's lips in the PET container business right now is "lightweighting" - prompted by the limited availability of raw materials and the increasing level of environmental awareness. For mass products, like mineral water, cost leadership is imperative in the long run. This trend is reflected in the new generation of Corvaglia closures for beverage bottles.
With identical offers, the consumer will opt for the least expensive product. This results in pressure on the costs of the package and also of the closure. Yet, the best result in weight and thus cost reduction can only be achieved if bottle and closures are seen as one. Light weighting in plastic closures is only limited by the technical feasibility. Continuous weight reduction makes increasing demands on the robustness of the closure. This applies to all areas alike – from production to packaging, storage and transport to handling, conveying and filling and through to the ultimate function of the closure on the bottle in the stores and the hands of the final consumer.
The CSN 26mm BTL cap for still water -latest Corvaglia’s development in lightweighting- exhibits a performance level even better than all of the heavier versions in market place. The tamper-evident band is torn off completely before any leakage at the bottle neck can be observed. "We call this BTL - Break-Then-Leak," says Romeo Corvaglia, CEO of the Corvaglia Holding AG, "opening is extremely simple and safe, even for children and elderly people." The CSN 26mm BTL is a user-friendly closure that combines added functionality with lightweighting.
Corvaglia's CSN 26mm BTL was first launched by Ice River Springs Water Co. Inc. in Canada and followed by their US production, in early 2009. Attracted by this solution this trend was followed by Silver Springs Bottled Water Company in Florida US. The new cap weighs 1.00 gram, compared with the 1.60 grams of the original cap. The bottle neck finish was successfully reduced from 3.15 grams to 1.75 grams. With an annual volume of over 1 billion bottles and closures this lightweighting development results in a saving of over 2,000 tonnes of plastic material and a reduction in energy consumption of approximately 50% without losing downstream performance.
This successful introduction has been possible working in close collaboration with the bottling companies. They were interested in ecological cap solutions and wanted to achieve savings in packaging costs. Another important ecological consideration has been the energy saving at all stages of the production process by way of measures reducing primary and secondary energy demand. And this is where the Corvaglia neck systems and caps are making an important contribution.
