Glass packaging innovation
Swiss glass packaging company Vetropack Group chose drinktec for a ‘genuine global premiere: the Vetropack Improved Performance Glass solution, the world’s first returnable bottle made of tempered lightweight glass with a high level of robustness and low weight.’
This bottle was developed at Vetropack's Innovation Center in Pöchlarn, Austria. Not only are they 30% lighter than conventional standard returnable bottles, they are also more durable and resistant to abrasion, says the company.
Yet the development process still continues, as Daniel Egger, Head of Innovation, explains: "We are currently working on a marking system that we can use to apply a data matrix code to the bottles. This will enable us to make each individual bottle traceable. Our long-term goal is to have a more user-friendly return and recycling system with 100% bottle reuse."
In order to achieve this and other sustainability goals, Vetropack Group is investing continuously in the modernization of its production sites. In addition to the plant in Straža, Croatia, another production facility was recently qualified for the base glass manufacturing process in Kremsmünster, Austria. In Boffalora sopra Ticino near Milan, Vetropack is currently building a state-of-the-art plant that will go into operation next year and represent a further milestone on the way to the glass factory of the future. Smart technology will support around 325 employees in production and logistics: In a fully automated warehouse, autonomous vehicles will transport the manufactured products safely from production to the storage facility and all the way to the loading ramp. Production at the new plant will be significantly more flexible and allow the production of individual small batches which responds to customer requests for unique branding capabilities.