On 25th August, the German Packaging Institute announced the German Packaging Award 2020 winners. Both Krones and its subsidiary, Dekron, can look forward to receiving an award in the ‘Sustainability’ category. The prize-winning entry involves a beverage bottle, the design, and the lifecycle, which were comprehensively created following sustainability criteria.
With the “3 Circles” bottle, all of the individual elements and the entire lifecycle were designed to be sustainable. According to Krones, it is made 100% out of recycled PET, and it can be completely recycled again after use. Instead of having a label that is usually unable to be recycled, the bottle was decorated using a digital direct print. The inks used here dissolve in the recycling process without leaving any residues, meaning that the bottle material can be used again for food packaging in the subsequent life cycle without loss. A tethered cap was selected as the closure. This cap remains firmly attached to the bottle’s body after opening and thus meets the requirements of the EU directive 2019/904.
Marketable overall concept from tried and tested technologies
The leitmotif of ‘sustainability’ is also reflected in the artwork displayed on the bottle print and – in a slightly more subtle manner – in the bottle body’s design. For the globally recognized recycling icon provided the inspiration for the idea of the tripodal base. The same rings true for the shoulder area, which is the shape of three rounded-off triangular areas. Krones said, it generates a connection between the bottleneck and body area, which is very unusual for PET bottles, but which remains harmonious.
Krones said that the technologies for the production, decoration, and recycling of the bottle are already available at Krones and Dekron as standard products. The recycled starting material, the specially designed preform, and the container and its decoration with environmentally friendly ink are self-produced. “3 Circles” is thus a marketable all-round concept for the sustainable packaging of beverages for commercial use in the beverage industry, it says.
European performance showcase
The internationally advertised German Packaging Prize is sponsored by the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy. It is viewed as being Europe’s most significant showcase of performance in the field of packaging. 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.
