Amcor design technology was adapted to develop the PET bottles for pasteurised beer in Brazil
Image: Amcor’s new custom-designed bottles for beverage maker New Age Bebidas. Photo: courtesy of Amcor plc.
Australian packaging company Amcor has developed polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles for Brazilian beverage maker New Age Bebidas for its pasteurised beer.
The firm said that it has adapted its design technology to develop the first PET bottles for pasteurised beer in the country.
The new 600ml containers have been custom designed for New Age Bebidas’ Salzburg craft beer brand to differentiate it from standard glass bottle designs.
Featuring the beauty of a glass-like, champagne-style base, the new bottle offers the convenience of lightweight and is shatter-resistant PET.
Amcor said in a statement: “The PET containers are a replacement for glass during the filling and capping process, withstanding the internal pressure and high-heat conditions of the tunnel pasteurization process.”
Amcor-designed 100% recyclable bottle features crown metal cap
Additionally, the new Amcor-designed lightweight container features a crown metal cap which replicates the standard glass bottle.
Amcor Brazil business development director Felipe Salles said: “As the craft beer market grows, we are partnering with brewers to achieve attractive designs and cost savings with PET bottles, while also meeting shelf-life requirements.”
Amcor Brazil research and development manager Rodolfo Salles said: “PET bottles offer design advantages over glass while being lighter weight, more easily and safely portable, and unbreakable, and provide the required barrier protection.”
Compatible with existing recycling streams, the 100% recyclable bottle is also said to significantly reduce transportation costs, and energy and CO2 emissions along the supply chain.
New Age Bebidas president Fabio Violin said: “Innovation and differentiation are the name of the game in the craft beer market in Brazil.
“The flexibility of PET packaging allows us to develop a unique replacement for glass that will deliver broad consumer appeal throughout Latin America.”
The New Age’s new beer packaging format was unveiled during the Fispal Tecnologia show held from 25-27 June 2019 in São Paulo, Brazil.
The firm has undertaken a pre-market trial for the bottle in select cities in the state of São Paulo.
In June 2019, Amcor completed previously announced $6.8bn (£5.3bn) merger deal with US-based flexible packaging major Bemis in an all-stock deal.