ALPLA presents small 100% rPET bottle for coconut drink

2024-12-05 1:44 min Bottle development and design

ALPLA Hard, Austria

Wild & Coco is all about coconut for health. It provides its powers through yogurts, coconut water and the so-called “Cocofirs”. Pureed pulp, coconut water and fermentation make them as thick and energy rich as kefir. They are just as popular as a snack between meals as they are for refining muesli. With Cocofirs, the Prague-based start-up Wild & Coco offers a lactose-free and vegan alternative with organic coconuts from sustainable cultivation. The coconut all-rounders are now also available as “Cocoguard Shot” in a compressed shot, either pure or with a hint of mango or cocoa – and packaged safely, lightly and sustainably in a 100 percent rPET bottle from ALPLA.

The Cocoguard Shot fits 120 milliliters of coconut drink in a plastic bottle. Six of these make up one pack. With the bottle made from recycled PET material, Wild & Coco minimizes energy and CO₂ consumption during packaging, replaces glass and aluminium with lightweight and shatterproof material and thus creates a convenient and transportable solution for everyday use. Like the bottle, the tethered cap is also made of plastic. Marek Grueber, Sales Manager at ALPLA in Bystřice, talks about the successful replace project.

What makes the small bottle stand out?

Clearly the recycled material. The customer target was a smaller bottle made of 100 percent rPET. Switching from glass to plastic and halving the volume from 250 millilitres (glass) to 120 millilitres (PET) also reduced the weight from 145 grams to 13.5 grams. We obtain most of the material from our own plants at ALPLArecycling.

How long did it take from the idea to the market launch?

The project took about a year – including product development at Wild & Coco, label design, packaging testing and the acquisition of a new filling line.

How much CO₂ does the pure plastic packaging solution save compared to the glass-metal cap combination?

The carbon footprint is significantly lower – and not just because of the smaller packaging. We save around 80 percent of emissions per bottle. The 120-milliliter bottle made of 100 per cent rPET with a plastic cap emits 44 grams of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e). For the glass bottle twice the size with a metal cap, it is 215 grams.

What challenges did ALPLA and Wild & Coco overcome from development to series production?

We had to find a bottle with a suitable shape, size and neck finish for the viscous consistency of the Cocofir filling. For the start, we opted for a standard version – a customised design could follow in the future. And, of course, we supported Wild & Coco with our expertise during the changeover to PET filling technology.

Are further formats planned for larger packaging?

The smaller packaging solution was developed precisely for the market requirements. Wild & Coco’s product portfolio offers further options for the future, such as for glass bottles in larger formats.

www.alpla.com

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