Berry Global’s Agile Solutions (NYSE: Bery) leveraged their design expertise and manufacturing versatility to swiftly develop and launch a fully recyclable 150ml bottle for M&S Food’s X ZOE Gut Shot. This innovative food and drink packaging solution exemplifies the company’s commitment to sustainability.
This new shot, a collaboration between M&S Food and nutrition science company ZOE, blends ZOE’s scientific research with M&S’s premium ingredients. The result is a delicious daily drink that offers over five billion live cultures derived from 14 different strains of bacteria—showcasing the benefits of food and drink sustainable packaging.
Yeo Valley Production Ltd., known for producing Yeo Valley Organic, the largest organic brand in Britain, was chosen to manufacture the shot. The company had previously sourced 250ml and 500ml bottles from Berry and now required a 150ml bottle designed similarly, featuring a 38mm wide neck and a three-start UCS (Uncarbonated Soft Drink) to facilitate seamless filling with their existing lines.
By collaborating closely with Yeo Valley, Berry’s design team swiftly customized the existing bottle shapes into the new 150ml version, ensuring timely development to meet M&S’s strict deadlines. Impressively, the timeline from the initial discussions to the consumer launch was compressed into just four months.
“A speedy turnaround was critical for this project,” said William Gledhill, Packaging Buyer for Yeo Valley. “Berry provided an exemplary service, pulling out all the stops in creating a high-quality bottle that met all our requirements.”
Berry utilized an existing preform tooling for the 38mm neck, which accelerated the development process by necessitating only one new mould. As a testament to the company’s agility, Berry also developed 3D models of the bottle prior to production, providing samples for the M&S marketing team for their promotional photography.
The white PET bottle, recyclable in areas with suitable collection schemes, incorporates 50 percent post-consumer recycled (PCR) material. It is equipped with a tamper-evident tethered closure that allows for easy opening and closing, ensuring maximum convenience for consumers.
“The project is an excellent demonstration of our collaborative approach to new pack development,” commented Joe Horton, Sales Director at Berry Global.
“Close liaison and an open working partnership with all parties were crucial to its success. Moreover, our comprehensive design and manufacturing capabilities enabled us to ensure an on-time launch for this exciting new product.”
