Constar's DiamondClear PET Bottle for ConAgra Foods' Hunt's Ketchup Named Top Sustainable Package of 2007

DiamondClear provides glass-like clarity, a real breakthrough for an oxygen scavenging material that is blended directly into PET.

18/01/08 With growing demand for packaging that supports a greener, more energy efficient world, Constar International scored a major victory when its DiamondClear PET bottle for ConAgra Foods' Hunt's Ketchup was recognized by the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP) as the top sustainable package of 2007.

Today, the IoPP announced Constar as the recipient of the prestigious 3M Sustainable Packaging Award, one of the overall awards of the AmeriStar competition in 2007, and the only one recognizing sustainability. Constar also won the 2007 AmeriStar Food Category Award for the same package. ConAgra Foods converted its 46-ounce Hunt's Ketchup product to Constar's DiamondClear PET bottle in 2007, a revolutionary package that offers exceptional clarity and barrier performance in a lightweight PET bottle, and other sizes followed shortly thereafter.

Commenting on the award, Constar CEO and President Mike Hoffman said, "It is tremendously gratifying to be recognized by our industry in this way. The AmeriStar 3M Sustainable Packaging Award is a tribute to ConAgra, who saw the value of our technology, and to our people, who pushed the boundaries of materials science and engineering to bring DiamondClear to life. It is a privilege to be able to offer a package that meets the goals of sustainability, product protection, and merchandising."

The winner of the 3M Sustainable Packaging Award is selected from all entries to the annual competition. Scoring is based on efficient energy usage, recycling efforts, effective use of packaging materials, and/or eco-friendly raw materials. Constar's DiamondClear PET bottle for Hunt's Ketchup was selected from more than 100 entries, earning high marks for being lightweight and compatible with current recycling practices. PET is among the easiest of all plastics to recycle and reuse.

The DiamondClear material is an active oxygen scavenger that is blended directly into PET in a monolayer structure. The technology, in this application, was a replacement for multi-layer PET with EVOH, a passive barrier material. The monolayer structure of Constar's DiamondClear PET has a number of advantages over multi-layer PET including better integrity (no delamination), as well as lower manufacturing complexity and cost.

DiamondClear PET facilitates light weighting of a package through a combination of factors. Its high capacity for scavenging oxygen allows for thinner walls without appreciable loss of barrier. At the same time, the reduction in wall thickness can be realized without risk of delamination, an important factor for any bottle, but especially a squeezable ketchup bottle. For Hunt's 46-ounce ketchup bottles, these factors provided a weight reduction of nearly 12 percent, a significant sustainability gain.

DiamondClear provides glass-like clarity, a real breakthrough for an oxygen scavenging material that is blended directly into PET. Its exceptional barrier performance preserves the vibrant red color and flavor of Hunt's Ketchup, while delivering optimum presentation on the shelf. Once the product is gone, consumers can place the empty bottle in a curbside-recycling bin.