PlantBottle expansion The Coca-Cola Co.’s Dasani and Odwalla single-serving bottles now are available exclusively in PlantBottle packaging. Single-serve Odwalla packages currently are made with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic made from up to 100 percent plant-based materials. PET bottles for Dasani are made with up to 30 percent plant-based materials. Incorporating a blend of petroleum-based materials with up to 30 percent plant-based materials allows PlantBottle packaging for Dasani to reduce potential intrinsic carbon dioxide emissions when compared with PET plastic bottles, Coca-Cola says. The PlantBottle packaging used for Odwalla is made of HDPE plastic that is created using only ethylene, which is derived from 100 percent renewable sugarcane-based ethanol. The plant-based materials for Dasani and Odwalla PlantBottle packaging are produced through a process that turns sugarcane into a key component for PET and HDPE plastic. Currently, PlantBottle packaging is made using sugarcane ethanol from Brazil.
Canned import Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Stella Artois is available for the first time in a 14.9-ounce aluminum can. The silver can features the silhouette of Stella Artois’ signature chalice glass, and is sold nationwide in four- and 10-pack configurations. The 10-pack is a space-saving, easy-to-open refrigerator pack called “Pour le Fridge,” which is French for “for the fridge.” The new can will allow beer connoisseurs to enjoy Stella Artois at outdoor occasions where glass bottles and signature chalices might not be permitted, the company says.
More rPET Deer Park 100 percent Natural Spring Water from Nestlé Waters North America, Stamford, Conn., now is available in a 50 percent recycled plastic (rPET) bottle in the Eco-Shape design. Making rPET bottles with recycled plastic reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent on average compared to making bottles from all-new materials, the company says. The bottle will have a “made with 50 percent recycled plastic” graphic icon added to the Deer Park logo, along with on-package language explaining that recycling plastic bottles can provide material for new bottles and other products. The new Deer Park 50 percent recycled plastic 0.5-liter bottle is available in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Grape appeal Birmingham, Ala.-based Buffalo Rock Bottling’s Grapico and Diet Grapico have been updated with a new look and rolled out to store shelves and coolers across the Southeast. The new packaging design, developed by Buffalo Rock’s advertising agency o2ideas, features a multi-hued purple emblem, product wording in a signature Southern block script and a cluster of purple grapes at the top. The “new retro” look brings together the nostalgic best of Grapico’s history and the popularity of the grape taste, the company says. Grapico is available in purple cans and packaging, while Diet Grapico is available in white packaging. Both feature a new purple shield. The packaging redesign applies to all versions of the soft drink, including 12-ounce cans, 12-pack cartons, and 2-liter and 20-ounce bottles.
Wine in a pouch Clif Family Winery, St. Helena, Calif., introduced the Climber Pouch, a new wine package that is portable. The ultra-light design is shatterproof and flexible, making it a natural choice for transporting outdoors, the company says. One Climber Pouch holds the equivalent of two 750-ml. bottles and its resealable, one-way plastic spout keeps opened wine fresh for up to a month in the refrigerator, the company says. Climber Pouch wines include an unoaked Chardonnay sourced from Northern California’s cooler Delta region and a Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards along California’s Central Coast. Clif Family Winery Climber Pouch wines are available in California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, New York, Vermont, Ohio, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Suggested retail price for a 1.5-liter pouch is $16.99.
