In May, some consumers across the U.S. may have believed that Procter & Gamble's Crisco-brand oils had just become available in 64- and 128-oz sizes. The truth, however, is that they've always been available in those sizes; it's just that now the high-density polyethylene bottles have been redesigned to look like the highly recognizable, chevron-bedecked 32- and 48-oz bottles in the rest of the line. "When consumers buy these, it looks like the Crisco they're used to buying in the smaller sizes," P&G spokesperson Lisa Hulse Jester tells Packaging World. "From a brand standpoint, that's a real benefit." Previously the larger sizes were packaged in a generic, teardrop shape. The main reason for the redesign, according to Jester, was to reflect the familiar look of the smaller sizes in the line. However, an important secondary benefit was lightweighting: The 64-oz bottle now weighs 65 g and the 128-oz bottle weighs 105 g. Both represent about a 25% reduction over their previous weights. P&G estimates the redesign keeps 1.2 million lb of plastic out of the waste stream each year, according to Jester. Jester declined to share how P&G achieved the reduction in weight, except to say "there are proprietary ways to maintain the overall rigidity of the bottle." However, it is believed that no new radical technology was used. Rather, it's more likely that the bottles were simply redesigned from the ground up to meet the lower weight targets set by P&G's packaging engineers. The chevrons and diamond shapes may also be part of the answer, since they likely reinforce bottle rigidity and add top-load strength while permitting thinner sidewalls. P&G acknowledged the new bottle also results in faster cycle times for its extrusion/blow-molding vendor(s), which it declined to identify. P&G elected to remain with HDPE on the larger sizes despite the fact that the material can't match the clarity of polyethylene terephthalate used in the smaller sizes. However, PET would have likely required more material in order to achieve the strength required for the larger sizes.
Crisco goes on a diet
Larger bottle sizes of Procter & Gamble's venerable Crisco oils now have the proprietary shape of the rest of the line, and they weigh 25% less than before.
Aug 31, 1998
How AI is reshaping CPG manufacturing operations
Today’s CPG companies are faced with mounting challenges in their manufacturing operations. You have the data that could help you, but can you turn that data into knowledge? See how artificial intelligence can help. Learn what’s working for Pfizer, Post, and Smithfield.
Read More