IFE Manufacturing 2023: Berlin Packaging showcases carbon-neutral spirit bottles

22 Mar 2023 --- Berlin Packaging is highlighting its carbon-neutral spirit bottles at the International Food & Drink Event (IFE) Manufacturing this week in London (March 20-22). PackagingInsights spoke with Mark Crumpton, a specialist for the company’s alcohol and beverage services, about the trend he sees in many businesses switching away from plastic and toward glass to answer consumer perceptions. 

“We’re trying to be proactive in offering renewable and sustainable options and give people the option to relook at their materials and packaging,” he says. 

The spirit bottles are roughly 70% recycled glass and are “very lightweight.”

Berlin Packaging recently took on the French gourmet F&B brand Le Parfait, for which it is showcasing products at the show. Crumpton says the recycled component of the glass range on display gives the bottles the “lovely bluish hue to them.” 

Innova Market Insights found that bottles (54%) are the leading packaging format among the alcoholic beverage launches tracked. Between 2021 and 2022, glass (53%) was the leading packaging material among the products tracked. 

Carbon neutral glass spirit bottles on display at IFE Manufacturing 2023.Refillability and renewability 
Crumpton also shares that refillability is in increasing demand as packagers seek to demonstrate environmental sustainability advances. 

“There has been some discussion around refillability aspects and offering certain closures and filling techniques. We’re very well versed within our network as it’s a very big global group, and we’re seeing lots of innovative techniques from different markets.” 

“Glass is a very energy-intensive product, and using refills creates more space,” he continues. 

Innova Market Insights listed “RenewableRebellion” one of its top packaging trends for 2023, noting that fluctuations in the prices of oil and gas, which act as substrates for manufacturing polymers, is likely to provide an impetus for companies to further explore packaging solutions made from renewable sources.

Holistic solutions to changing regulations 
As a hybrid supplier, the company is able to provide a fusion of necessary services to companies, including technical teams that can provide “sense checking” to ensure against mistakes, for which companies are increasingly at risk with rising greenwashing legislation being incorporated internationally. 

“In terms of our services, we have a whole technical team to drill down and make sure people are aware or can switch to other types of packaging to avoid additional charges and costs or materials going down the waste stream to the oceans,” Crumpton explains. 

“We understand all levels and scales of business, from the big producers right down to smaller players, and we give them as much information as possible.”

“‘They grow, we grow’ is our fundamental philosophy. We take a holistic approach and rather than just providing products and saying here you go and see you later, we like to foster relationships and see success,” he continues. 

Many international companies have been attending IFE Manufacturing, with a broad spectrum of the packaging supply chain represented at the show. 

“It's been nice to have the whole chain from primary packaging to the filling side and seeing it at the hotel or the bar zone and the gourmet section,” says Crumpton. 

By Louis Gore-Langton, with additional reporting by Elizabeth Green