From the outside in, the ABS pouch consists of polyethylene terephthalate/foil/polypropylene. At the contract packaging plant where the cans are filled for Zotos, the valve/pouch assembly is inserted into the aluminum can, the can is sent through a gasser/crimper, and then the product is filled through the valve. To dispense, the user simply presses the valve. The constant pressure exerted by the carbon dioxide upon the pouch causes product to flow from the valve. The gel is sold through hair salons for about $12 each. According to Zotos' Terry Farillo, part of the package's appeal was that it's very different from the other two options that were available for this kind of product, i.e. a pump or a conventional aerosol can. As any marketer knows, product differentiation achieved through packaging is always a plus. But there were other, more functional advantages compelling Zotos to choose the ABS. "It's a safer kind of dispensing system than a conventional aerosol," says Farillo. "The carbon dioxide that acts as the propellant is non-flammable for one thing. And because the product is isolated inside its pouch, you never have to be concerned about anything in the can affecting the product." This is a clear advantage over conventional aerosol cans, where the product and the propellant are combined in the one vessel. "It's a very nice system," concludes Farillo.
