Resealable can keeps water fresh, cool

Marketed as an eco-friendly alternative to water bottled in plastic, Aqua Planet is a line of vitamin-enhanced waters packed in aluminum cans. The first Aqua Planet product, which recently rolled onto Northern California store shelves, is a blueberry-pomegranate flavor sold in resealable 24-oz Cap Cans™ and 16-oz cans and 12-oz Sleek™ cans. All cans are supplied by Rexam Beverage Can Americas (www.rexam.com). The resealable can uses cap technology from Dayton Systems Group (www.dsgtech.com), which allows consumers to reseal the can between sips.

Aqua Planet is the brain child of sisters, Teresa Dal Porto and Renee Kordish, who came up with the idea to can water in aluminum cans during a discussion about some cities banning plastic water bottles. “We wanted to provide a package that was more environmentally friendly, and this product is because it is more likely to be recycled,” Aqua Planet general manager Chris Herrera explains. “Aluminum is twice as likely to be recycled as plastic.”

According to Power Brands (www.powerbrands.us), a beverage development co. that Aqua Planet used to help bring its vitamin-enhanced water to market, aluminum cans also improve the water's drinkability: The cans keep beverages cold longer than those in plastic bottles, and aluminum's barrier properties help protect the water's flavor and nutrients from light damage.

After Aqua Planet decided on the aluminum cans, the co. knew it had a design challenge ahead because most consumers are not accustomed to canned water. Because Rexam had an integrated graphic arts operation, Aqua Planet was confident its design work would remain confidential until the launch.

Anna Kernbaum from Power Brands designed the cans' decoration, and Rexam's graphics art facility in Elk Grove, IL, decorated the cans.