Ecolean is officially making its U.S. debut. Country Pure Foods is the first U.S. company to use the lightweight, flexible packages to launch its Essential Pour branded line of ambient, high-acid, ready-to-drink fruit juices and concentrates.
Country Pure Foods, a producer of various juice-based products and a contract packaging solution for other beverage companies, is adding aseptic flexible packages from Ecolean to its product offering because of the package’s unique conveniences, shape and low environmental impact. Country Pure Foods, based in Akron, Ohio, will use 1-liter (33.8 oz) Ecolean Air Aseptic packages for its apple, orange, cranberry and grape juices.
Ecolean packages are lightweight, almost half the weight compared to many traditional packaging formats, and contain up to 35% chalk. Using fewer raw materials from the start saves energy during production, transport and waste handling.
The lightweight Ecolean packages are ideal for both retail and the foodservice industry. The packages can be heated in the microwave for beverages or products typically served warm, since no aluminum is used. In addition, the packages are easy to use as they are opened with a simple tear, poured by holding the air-filled handle, and can be reclosed with a SnapQuick closure if needed.
“Ecolean packages are ideal for Country Pure Food’s Essential Pour line of juices because the convenient shape and the low environmental impact challenges how the entire beverage industry typically thinks of packaging,” said Joe Koch, vice president of Marketing, Country Pure Foods. “Not only do Ecolean packages feature a unique shape that stands out on the shelf, but they use fewer raw materials overall, which helps save energy and resources during production, transport and waste handling later. This not only make the Ecolean Air Aseptic an ideal choice for our foodservice segment now, but also for our retail products in the future.”
Ecolean’s filling equipment is also efficient and uses minimal resources. Ready-to-fill packages arrive at customer plants already sterilized, without the use of chemicals, hermetically sealed and on reels from Ecolean plants, bringing a considerable part of the complex sterilization process from the producer back to Ecolean. The new EL3+ filling machine also features a 25% increase in capacity to fill up to 7,500 family-sized packages per hour, all within the same footprint of the previous EL3 version.
“We keep it simple and lightweight in every part of the process,” said Andreas Jeppsson, regional director, Americas, Europe & Africa, Ecolean. “All Ecolean packages arrive ready to use from our factory and we take the complexity of sterilization away from the producer helping them focus on the quality of the product and efficiency of their operations.”
