Bausch + Lomb (B+L) makes a fresh departure from the white HDPE bottles traditionally used to package contact lens solutions by relaunching its renu fresh solution in clear PET bottles. This change enables contact lens wearers to see how much solution is remaining, which can help them decide when to repurchase product.

The new bottle is the result of a multiyear packaging development project: B+L worked with tool/mold manufacturer R&D/Leverage (www.rdleverage.com) to develop the clear PET bottle with rounded shoulders, and with bottle supplier Amcor Rigid Plastics (www.amcor.com), to optimize the bottle’s wall thickness and dimensions to provide a comfortable feel and proper squeezing capability for users.

A clear, polyolefin p-s label replaces the previous white label and enhances the appealing see-through look. A special texture was added to the bottle design to facilitate high-speed production and to enhance end-user ergonomics.

The renu fresh bottles are blow-molded using a healthcare-approved grade of PET, which the co. says has the added benefit of being easily recycled in many U.S. communities. Recycling is further eased by the elimination of white colorant from the packaging material.

The PET bottle is available in 2-, 4-, 8-, 12- and 16-oz sizes and features a snap-on cap. The blow-molded bottle will be a key element of Bausch + Lomb’s new renu lens care portfolio, and B+L plans to use the clear PET bottle as a platform for future lens care products.

Daryl DuLong, global product manager, lens care, Bausch + Lomb remarks: “With R&D/Leverage’s and Amcor’s support, we are changing the industry, which has long been dominated by contact lens solutions packaged in that ubiquitous white bottle and white label—packaging that has grown stale.”

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