Melbourne-based packaging innovator Onpack has joined forces with fast-rising hydration brand Rippl to deliver a sustainable, fast-turnaround packaging solution that merges high-quality digital printing with fully recyclable aluminium cans.
With direct-to-can digital printing, Onpack is enabling agile, sustainable and visually striking packaging for hydration brand Rippl – making high-mix short-run production achievable at scale.
Founded in 2023, Rippl offers high-alkaline, mineral-rich still and sparkling water in slimline aluminium cans designed for full custom branding. With a focus on providing low-MOQ, premium hydration for events, corporates and retail activations, the brand is positioning packaging as both product and marketing tool.
“From day one, we set out to disrupt the water industry by offering the most cost-effective way to put your brand directly into your customers’ hands, while also being healthy and sustainable,” said Rippl CEO Bade Hilton. “That vision demanded more than just great mineral water – it required packaging that could carry a brand.”
To meet this vision, Rippl partnered with Onpack, leveraging its Hinterkopf D240 digital direct-to-can printer – the only one of its kind operating in Australia with dual varnish units for gloss, matte, and textured finishes. The result is a packaging solution that delivers sharp, seamless 360° graphics with no need for shrink sleeves or self-adhesive labels.
Since the partnership began, Rippl has created 716 unique can designs and delivered more than 300,000 cans to customers across Australia. Each production cycle includes up to 70 SKUs, printed in just 48 hours, then filled and shipped within days – a model that demands both agility and precision.
“Because our process is entirely digital, we can transform a blank can into a fully branded product within 24 to 48 hours,” Michael Nankervis, managing director at Onpack, told PKN. “There are no plates, no setup costs, no waste – and that makes it viable even for one-off campaigns or limited editions.”
Onpack’s production workflow is powered by Hybrid Cloudflow and CERM MIS – systems originally developed for the pharmaceutical sector – enabling version control, digital asset management and real-time scheduling across high-mix, low-volume runs.
This level of automation and integration has enabled Onpack to establish a new business division focused on direct-to-object printing, contributing to a 200 per cent revenue increase over two years.
Nankervis said, “We were the first label converter globally to pivot into digital can printing. It was a calculated risk, but it allowed us to build a new market – and a more sustainable future for packaging.”
With plans to expand capacity, reduce lead times to seven days, and launch new formats for beverage and FMCG sectors, Onpack is well positioned to lead the next phase of digitally printed, sustainability-driven packaging in Australia.
