Latin American dairy companies are increasingly using clear PET bottles to showcase freshness and premium quality. The cold-fill bottle contains 20% PCR content and is designed to drive consumers from aseptic packages to the chilled section of the grocery store. The breakthrough bottle follows the October 2019 launch of Mastellone’s shelf-stable, ultra-high temperature (UHT) white milk in aseptic, white-colored PET bottles also from Amcor.
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(Photo credit: Amcor)
rPET milk bottle
Fresh milk in Amcor's clear PCR/PET bottles is a first in Argentina
Amcor has broken new ground in the Argentine dairy market developing the first fresh milk bottle made of transparent post-consumer recycled (PCR) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin. The custom-designed 1-L container for leading dairy maker Mastellone Hnos, Buenos Aires, supports the positioning of the La Serenísima Original milk brand as a natural product while also delivering optimum shelf life and increased sustainability benefits.
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“In a market that has remained stagnant for several years, we’ve broken the rules by developing an entirely new format offering for fresh milk,” said Martin Darmandrail, Amcor’s Specialty Containers Director (Argentina). “We’ve shaken things up with a unique fresh milk package with the durability, freshness, performance, and sustainability benefits of PET.”
The container includes a 38mm finish and a HDPE screw cap from Bericap North America (a joint venture between Amcor and the Bericap Group). A key technical challenge was limiting light exposure and preventing damage to the product. To preserve the contents, a special barrier was developed to help extend shelf life.
“Mastellone wanted to align its grass-fed sourced, ultra-pasteurized fresh milk product with Amcor’s clear plastic bottle. Amcor responded to the challenge with a distinctive transparent solution combined with an effective barrier to preserve our premium product,” said Gaston Dominguez, Manager, R&D Packaging for Mastellone. “Along with meeting key functional requirements, we were also able to reduce our impact on the environment.”
PET, which has rapidly become the world’s preferred packaging material, is lightweight, shatterproof, reclosable, resealable, reusable and infinitely recyclable*. In addition, PET bottles often have the lowest carbon footprint and their production results in up to 70% less greenhouse gas emissions than other packaging materials, according to Amcor’s Asset Lifecycle Analysis. In the midst of today’s hygiene concerns, capped and sealed PET bottles keep beverages protected from pathogens like viruses and bacteria. They are also sealed to combat contamination and re-sealable for ongoing protection.
In Argentina, the new fresh milk product will be available in select metropolitan areas with broader distribution later.
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