Packaging and bottling machine manufacturer Krones won in the Sustainability category in the German Packaging Awards 2020.
The prize-winning entry is a beverage bottle, the design and lifecycle of which were created in accordance with sustainability criteria. Krones said both the bottle and all related technologies are already available as marketable products.
All individual elements and the entire lifecycle of the bottle were designed to be sustainable. It is made 100 per cent out of recycled PET and it itself can be completely recycled again after use.
Instead of having a label which is usually unable to be recycled, the bottle was decorated using a digital direct print. The inks used dissolve in the recycling process without leaving any residues, meaning that the bottle material can be used once again for food packaging in the subsequent lifecycles without loss.
A tethered cap was selected as the closure. This cap remains firmly attached to the body of the bottle after opening.
The technologies for the production, decoration and recycling of the bottle are already available at Krones and Dekron as standard products, according to the company.
The recycled starting material, the specially designed preform, and the container and its decoration with environmentally friendly ink are all self-produced.
The German Packaging Prize is sponsored by the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy.
According to the German Packaging Institute, the variety of submissions was the greatest ever and the quality of innovations was at a very high level. The competition is open to companies, individuals and institutions, both domestic and abroad. The submitted entries are assessed by an independent jury. The 22 members originate from the industrial, trade, branded product and research sectors.
