BERICAP

The last few years have seen a significant drive for reductions in the cost of packaging across all beverages alongside an improvement in the carbon footprint of the package. Reducing the weight of packaging, of course, makes a lot of sense in a growing beverage market, in particular the still water market.

Responding to market requirements, BERICAP has developed a lighter weight closure for its customers. Called HexaLite® 29/11, it fits a 29mm/25mm neck size; the weight saving compared with a former 30mm/25mm neck and closure combination is as much as 33%.

People were initially happy to cut costs and improve the carbon footprint of their packages. Gradually, though, marketers realised that consumers were not absolutely happy with the new trend, because the height of just 11mm made it rather more difficult to open the bottles, thus reducing consumer convenience. Simply having a lightweight closure and neck was obviously not the ultimate goal any longer. The new target was defined as: "Lightweight, but not at the expense of consumer convenience".

Accepting that design challenge, BERICAP developed the HexaLite 29/13. The height of 13mm allows the same grip height already known from the previous 30mm/25mm closure generation. It is easy for the consumer to open such a closure, and the new closure design also supports a high-quality appearance.

The HexaLite 29/13 fits the lightweight 29mm/25mm neck. The weight difference compared with the HexaLite 29/11 closure and neck combination is negligible.

The closure was recently introduced in the UK and already enjoys an excellent reputation in the market.

"Lightweight, but not at the expense of consumer convenience."

As a result, BERICAP has also developed a new HexaLite 26/13 closure fulfilling the same targets as mentioned above, but for the 26mm lightweight neck. The 13mm-high closure ensures a good grip that allows the consumer to open the bottle. It can be applied onto the lightweight 26mm neck and the closure itself is only slightly heavier than the HexaLite 26/10 introduced three years ago.

Both HexaLite 29/13 and 26/13 closures are equipped with a slit flexband, supporting easy application and reliable tamper evidence functionality. Nitrogen dosing is possible where bottlers want to use lightweight bottles and need to add nitrogen to stabilise the bottle.

Both 29/25 and 26/22 neck types are standard necks approved by CETIE.