Although the paper bottle is not a new innovation, being part of a longer-term bid to eliminate plastic from packaging entirely, its popularity is increasingly on the rise amongst brands and industries, many of whom have pledged to eradicate plastic waste by 2025. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which is behind the campaign, said if current trends continue, there could be more plastic than fish in the seas by 2050. The Foundation’s vision is that no plastic should end up in the environment and that landfill, incineration, and waste-to-energy are not long term solutions that support a circular economy.¹
There are various companies behind the ongoing development of a FSC-certified, paper-based bottle. Part of the challenge has been to create a structure capable of withstanding the pressure exerted by carbonated drinks, and the temperatures required for hot fill. In addition, the paper needs to be mouldable, to create distinct bottle shapes and sizes for different brands, and have decoration capabilities that ensure shelf appeal, differentiation and a way of applying variable information.
As a leading global Photonic Printing solutions company, delivering revolutionary inkless printing solutions for products and packaging, the paper-based container represents a unique opportunity to apply our ground-breaking technology. Providing an alternative to shrink sleeves, labels or embossing, our laser reactive pigment can be integrated directly into sustainably sourced wood pulp during paper-based container manufacture, or surface printed as a coating. Lasers on the production line thereafter activate the pigment or coating, allowing brands to directly apply high contrast, graphics and variable information to the surface of the paper-based container, which in turn helps to enhance the natural beauty of the substrate.
As a sustainable alternative to print and apply labels, our coding solutions offer a range of advantages for brand owners and production environments alike, including:
- 360 degree printing achievable
- Real-time marketing capability and personalisation
- Late stage customisation and the flexibility to make fast changes
- Allows packaging to become truly connected
- Reduces SKU’s – variable information can be printed alongside generic artwork
- Minimises material used such as labels, backing film or shrink sleeves
- Removes consumables such as labels or ink from the production environment
Over the years, DataLase has been able to maintain an enviable track record of creating technically advanced solutions to support ongoing packaging innovation. The ongoing development of the paper-based container, potentially offers an innovative and sustainable solution to the plastic problem, to which our coding and marking solutions are entirely complementary.