From ultra-light PET bottles and recyclable closures to label-free laser coding, drinktec 2025 in Munich showcased how next-generation technology is reshaping beverage packaging – smarter, lighter and more circular than ever before. Dominique Huret of Cape Decision filed this report for PKN.
Held from 15 to 19 September 2025 in Munich, drinktec once again lived up to its billing as the world’s premier showcase for beverage and liquid-food technology. More than 1000 exhibitors and 58,000 visitors from 164 countries filled the Messe München halls, exploring solutions that will define the next decade of production, packaging and processing.
Global beverage consumption continues to rise, with a compound annual growth rate of 3.2 per cent projected through 2029. Bottled water remains the fastest-growing category, forecast to climb 3.5 per cent annually and exceed 350 billion litres by 2029. This growth – driven by urbanisation, tourism and on-the-go lifestyles – comes as regulators worldwide tighten restrictions on single-use plastics. The challenge for suppliers and brand owners alike is to balance consumer convenience with sustainability and resource efficiency.
This year’s edition of drinktec provided a clear snapshot of how the industry is responding: through lightweighting, mono-materials, recyclability, and digitalisation that delivers both transparency and traceability.
Labelling re-imagined – or removed entirely
Across the exhibition halls, one major trend stood out: packaging designed to communicate more with less material.
CCL Label presented EcoShear, a breakthrough adhesive technology for single-use glass bottles. Conventional labels often compromise recycled-glass quality by adhering too firmly to shards during sorting; EcoShear allows residue-free removal in the recycling process, reducing glass waste to just 1.5kg per tonne and increasing yield of high-grade cullet for closed-loop reuse.
Sidel highlighted partial labelling as part of its wider sustainability programme. Its EvoDECO modular labelling platform can apply pre-cut paper or pressure-sensitive labels on PET, HDPE or glass containers across multiple formats, using only half – or less – of the standard 360-degree label area. Depending on the configuration and adhesive type, the system operates at speeds between 6000 and 81,000 containers per hour, with the PSL variant reaching 66,000 cph in optimal conditions. Reduced label coverage cuts both material use and transport weight while retaining full brand visibility.
Coding and traceability have also advanced. Domino Printing launched its DX Series CO2 laser coders, a new generation of high-speed systems engineered specifically for the beverage sector. The units deliver up to 30 per cent faster coding speeds while maintaining sharp, durable print quality – even on lines running 70,000 to 90,000 bottles per hour. A proprietary algorithm optimises beam control, increasing marking speed without distorting substrates. The 60W model handles complex applications such as large-format coding or reproducing full label content directly on PET and glass, supporting the rise of label-free bottle initiatives.
Krones pushed the concept further with DecoBeam, a laser-based system that etches mandatory and decorative information directly onto PET bottles – including those made from 100 per cent rPET. Using either CO2 or fibre-laser technology, it creates white or black markings for text, graphics or QR codes, completely eliminating label material. Servo-controlled rotation allows precise multi-laser operation, while sealed housings and extraction ensure operator safety. Krones also demonstrated inkjet printing on closures, turning the bottle cap into an additional communications surface for variable data, promotional designs or high-contrast barcodes.
Ultra-light PET – performance meets precision
PET lightweighting was another dominant theme. KHS introduced the Premium LITE, a 0.25-litre PET bottle weighing just 6.2g with a 29/25 mm neck, made entirely from rPET. Co-developed with Husky Technologies, it leverages KHS’s InnoPET Blomax Series V stretch-blow moulding platform. Precision heating and material distribution enable consistent wall thickness and structural stability at top filling speeds. With PET resin costing around €1.25 per kg, the design’s 1–2g material saving per bottle delivers tangible cost and carbon reductions.
Sidel’s StarLITE-R STILL base also targeted rPET performance. Specifically designed for still-water bottles, it provides a high-clearance base geometry with venting channels for deformation control during filling and cooling. By lowering blowing pressure to 16 bar, it cuts energy use and CO2 emissions by up to 20 per cent compared with standard operations. It accommodates bottles from 0.25L to 2.5L and weights as low as 7g for a 500 ml format, running at speeds up to 2700 bph for single-serve and 2400 bph for multi-serve formats. The base is compatible with Sidel’s EvoBLOW, Universal and Series 2 blow-moulders, making it an easy retrofit for producers scaling rPET output.
Aluminium enters the PET line
Beyond plastics, metal packaging made a strong impression. US-based Belvac drew attention with its Carrier Ring Bottle, a development that enables aluminium bottles to be processed on existing PET filling lines without mechanical overhaul. The innovation lies in an integrated carrier-ring transport system that mimics PET bottle handling, allowing full compatibility with conventional grippers and conveyors.
Manufactured using drawn-and-ironed (D&I) aluminium technology, the bottles combine lightweight strength with complete recyclability. Production speeds reach 600 containers per minute, exceeding those of traditional impact-extruded aluminium bottles. After several years in development, Belvac’s aim is clear: to let beverage producers diversify into aluminium formats while maintaining operational continuity and protecting capital investment.
Creative closures
Aptar Closures, long recognised for its expertise in sport caps, unveiled two recyclable tethered designs combining user convenience with robust performance. The Rocket GME 30.40 is a three-piece sport closure featuring a wide drinking aperture, advanced spring-back hinge and integrated tamper-evident band that remains attached to the cap after opening. It offers enhanced comfort, improved hygiene and visible assurance of product integrity.
Its counterpart, the NexTE 29.25, is a sleek, low-profile closure designed for both ambient and dry-aseptic filling. It enables one-handed operation and includes a flexible, non-detachable tamper band that meets EU-wide tethered-cap regulations. Both closures demonstrate Aptar’s focus on merging regulatory compliance with user experience and full recyclability.
Meanwhile, Bericap expanded its mono-material range with the Monet and Biarritz sport caps for on-the-go drinks. These closures deliver ergonomic, one-hand use while meeting child-safety standards and fitting all major neck finishes, including the GME 30.40. Together, they represent the new generation of lightweight, lifestyle-driven closures designed to enhance sustainability without sacrificing functionality.
Producing a cap in PET is challenging due to the material’s high shrinkage, low stiffness and need for precise thread and tamper-evident features. Maintaining dimensional accuracy, sealing performance and consistent quality during moulding add to the hurdles. So after nearly a decade of research, Husky showcased HyCAP SecuRE+, a closure forming technology that allows bottles and closures to be made entirely of PET, creating a fully circular, mono-material package. Key benefits include a novel tamper-evident design, improved capping performance, compatibility with complex/tethered closure geometries and CETIE neck finishes, and lightweighting opportunities at the dispensing system level.
Cans with character
Metal packaging also brought a burst of creativity. Candy Can, in collaboration with Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP), launched a special edition to celebrate Pac-Man’s 45th anniversary. The 33cl Sleek cans – in sparkling orange and cherry flavours – feature a matte finish and 45 unique lid artworks created using AMP’s award-winning H!GHEND technology. Designs range from pixelated Pac-Man characters to the iconic ghosts, turning each can into a collectable pop-culture item. The collaboration not only celebrates nostalgia but also demonstrates how decorative innovation can add marketing value to fully recyclable metal packaging.
Technology powering tomorrow’s lines
Drinktec also reaffirmed the central role of integrated engineering in driving sustainability gains.
KHS highlighted its InnoPET FreshSafe QuadBlock, a complete PET solution that integrates stretch-blow moulding, filling and labelling with a barrier-coating module. Using Plasmax nanocoating, it applies a wafer-thin glass layer to the inner bottle wall, protecting contents from oxygen ingress and CO2 loss. Shelf life can be extended up to six-fold, while the system achieves outputs of 46,000 bph across bottle sizes from 100ml to 1.5L.
Krones presented Ingeniq, an AI-driven PET line built on modular, standardised components with robotics and self-optimising control. The system delivers flexible throughput, simplified layout and predictive maintenance, while its PET-Line 4000, developed via Netstal Maschinen, produces ultra-light 6.9g preforms using a 144-cavity MHT tool with self-cleaning hot runners and optimised cooling.
Sidel’s EvoBLOW Laser introduced laser heating to replace halogen lamps, with up to 36 narrow heating lines enabling fine thermal control. The technology supports 100 per cent rPET, reduces preform waste by up to 50 per cent and requires no warm-up or cool-down cycles, cutting energy consumption and downtime.
SIPA’s Isotronic G monobloc is an “one line, all bottles welcome” solution. This isobaric electro-pneumatic level filler is designed for glass, single-use PET, and refillable PET (RefPET) bottles. It handles screw tops, crown caps, and a variety of still or carbonated beverages. It operates with 20–100 valves and achieves outputs of up to 50,000 bottles per hour, filling glass and PET bottles of the same height without mechanical adjustments. Bottle handling occurs on a single flat plane, with neck-based handling for PET and base handling for glass, eliminating vertical movement and reducing wear. Filling levels are adjusted in real time via a mobile vent tube, while air is separated from the product path to preserve quality. The monobloc includes fast, tool-free neck changeovers, easily sanitised centering cups, built-in burst protection sensors, and minimal gaskets. This provides a compact, high-performance and fully automated solution for mixed-material beverage production.
Outlook
From laser-etched PET bottles to tethered sport closures and hybrid aluminium formats, Drinktec 2025 showcased a sector brimming with creativity and technical excellence. Every solution pointed toward the same goals: resource efficiency, recyclability and smarter use of data.
As drinktec 2028 approaches, expectations are already high. The next wave of beverage packaging will likely bring even deeper integration of AI, modular automation and closed-loop material systems. For now, the message from Munich resonates across the industry: the future of drink technology, borrowed from a KHS slogan, is being “engineered with heart and filled with passion”
This article was first published in the November–December 2025 print issue of PKN Packaging News, p38
