Krones introducet ultra light bottle NitroPouch

Yet another accolade for the "PET lite 6.6" 500-ml bottle developed using Krones` "NitroPouch" process: to coincide with the opening of the BRAU Beviale in Nuremberg on 12 November 2008, the German Packaging Institute has now singled out the concept for the German Packaging Prize.

The innovative "NitroPouch" process had already won the 2008 Water Innovation Award in Gold in the "Best Packaging Innovation" category, and also the WorldStar from the World Packaging Organisation. At 6.6 grams of PET, this new bottle constitutes a milestone in the field of lightweight beverage containers. The "NitroPouch" concept, as the primary package, combines minimised material and energy consumption with maximised benefits for consumers and the natural environment.

With a mere 6.6 grams of PET, 500 millilitres of still water can be "packaged". The innovative features here include firstly dividing the bottle into different functional sections. Secondly, nitrogen is used to build up a defined pressure inside the bottle, so that it does not collapse during transport and handling. This internal pressure enables the bottle to be handled dependably and transported on normal pallets.

The mouthpiece specially developed for this bottle dispenses with the neck ring otherwise customary, and weighs only 1.3 grams; the closure, too, is sensationally light at 1.1 grams. The interaction of thread, closure, material distribution, design and the use of nitrogen was crucial in this breakthrough to achieve such a low-weight bottle.