Analyst picks out drink pouch and sachet successes

Consumer and government pressure is rising to improve the eco-credentials of packaging and cut down on excess waste. The race is therefore on in the drinks industry to find new packs that achieve this goal and maintain consumer appeal.

According to Andrew Streeter, director of Pack-Track – a Datamonitor packaging research service, some new alternatives show significant promise.

Streeter said: “We are starting to see some steps forward and some of the latest innovations may well prove popular with consumers.”​

Highlighted products ​

The analyst pointed to two new finished products to illustrate the point.

The first is a Belgian product called Dolphin Smart Drinking Mineral Water that uses the SmartPack – an eco-friendly pouch.

Streeter said the interesting thing about the pouch is the spout which uses no rigid plastic.

The pouch simply opens when squeezed and closes when released. No air is sucked back into the pouch once pressure is released so the pack collapses flat when emptied.

Streeter said SmartPack is the first consumer pack to bear the “Clean Netherlands” mark – a Dutch government certification system designed to support packaging that cuts down on waste.

The second product highlighted is Rebootizer Detox Shaker, which is available in North America, France and Belgium. It is a functional drink that comes in a sachet containing a single serving.

Streeter said the interesting feature of the product is that it contains water and a powder – kept separate and then mixed together when the consumer squeezes the sachet to break a burstable seal. This allows the potency of the ingredients to be maintained and a sachet to be used in place of a bottle.