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Send to KindlePerrier sleeves 1-gal PET bottles
The container’s attributes are emphasized on the printed sleeve labels. On the label front a violator declares “New! Clear Bottle Crisp Taste.” Side panel copy states “Taste the Clear Difference” along with the following text (for Poland Spring):
1. New clear bottle locks-in and protects the natural freshness of Poland Spring Water.
2. Clear package retains crisp clean refreshing taste.
3. Contoured handle means it’s comfortable to hold and easy to pour.
The jugs are topped with a color-coordinated 43-mm linerless polypropylene closure with a breakaway tamper-evident band from Kerr Plastics (Lancaster PA). Just beneath the closure is a bail-style UniPak® handle injection molded of HDPE by PakTech-OPI Inc. (Eugene OR) with finger-fitting scallops.
“The handle provides an ergonomically comfortable grip for carrying” Gruver points out. “The jug weighs more than eight pounds filled so the finger grips make it a little more comfortable to carry. Versus our competitors’ molded-in handle jugs your fingers are going to be less sore with ours.”
Gruver says the PET jug was designed with consumers in mind: “A large population of water drinkers prefer PET especially people on the go. And they’re accustomed to drinking water in PET already in ½- and 1-L sizes. There’s also a segment that wants to have larger sizes available. We’re constantly receiving feedback from consumers wanting a larger PET container.”
Gallon HDPE bottles however will remain part of the mix. Gruver says the capital equipment costs for a full conversion to PET involving injection molders blow molders handling and application equipment would be too steep to justify at this time especially when so much of the water market is so price driven.
Corrugated savings
Despite the price premium of PET compared to HDPE and the added handle Gruver says overall costs were close. That’s because Perrier was able to save “significantly” by converting from a 6-count double-wall case with a double-wall divider to a 6-count B-flute corrugated without a divider.
“The PET jugs have good top load strength so we were able to save money on the corrugated by lightweighting” says Gruver. He adds that the overall packaging material costs for PET were only marginally higher than those for HDPE. The new jugs retail between $1.39 and $1.49 compared to the HDPE water containers’ 99¢ to $1.29 pricing.
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