Packaging design: AriZona Iced Tea now in lighter weight bottle

AriZona Beverage Co. is getting the benefit of an improved carbon footprint from a new proprietary lightweight barrier PET bottle, which is currently being introduced as an upgrade for the AriZona Iced Tea 16-oz bottle. Supplied by Graham Packaging, the new Slingshot™ bottle is 20-percent lighter than AriZona Iced Tea’s old  bottle and packs nearly 350 more bottles to a pallet. “That translates into a truckload that carries more than 7,650 additional bottles, yet weighs more than a thousand pounds less,” says Mark Leiden, vp of global marketing and PET business manager for Graham Packaging. “The space, weight and fuel savings accrue both to AriZona and to the environment. The consumer also gets a lighter bottle that’s easier to handle.” The reduction in carbon dioxide equivalents by using the new bottle is estimated at more than 3.3 million pounds per year, according to Leiden.
 
The Slingshot™ bottle features an amber color to protect the natural antioxidant properties of the beverage and a barrier technology to prolong the fresh taste without preservatives.  The Slingshot™ technology eliminates the need for vacuum panels in the label area, which allows for a sleek cylindrical design. This also makes the bottle easier to handle and label during filling and creates a package that provides a more ergonomic feel in the consumer’s hand. Silgan Corp. (www.silgan.corp.) supplies the caps for the new bottle and Inland Label & Marketing Services (www.inland label.com), the labels.

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