Mother Parker's Coffee Converts to Sonoco's Paperboard Containers

Quality drives decision to deliver coffee in environmentally friendly packaging.

Nov 4 2010 --- Mother Parkers is converting its Brown Gold, Martinson and private label brands from metal coffee cans to Sonoco’s more environmentally responsible paperboard composite container. Switching to Sonoco’s rigid paper container increases the overall recycled content of the package and reduces material weight by 27 percent, energy inputs by 34 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent.

“At Mother Parkers, we are passionate about coffee and our passion has made us an industry leader in the science of coffee quality control,” said Lib Trombetta, Mother Parkers’ director of Strategic Global Sourcing. “When we decided to convert from metal cans to composite cans, we wanted a partner who was also passionate about quality and their product.  We found that passion with Sonoco. Not only does Sonoco meet our high quality standards, their packaging experts are active members of our conversion team.  Together we are delivering the best cup of coffee possible while protecting the environment.”

Sonoco’s rigid paperboard containers are less expensive to produce and ship than metal cans, and they perform as well as metal canisters in abuse resistance and shelf life. Four different components make up the new Mother Parkers’ composite can. Each component is produced by Sonoco and provides a complete packaging solution to Mother Parkers at filling plants in Fort Worth, Texas and Mississauga, Ontario.

The can is spiral-wound from 100-percent recycled paperboard and includes a high-barrier liner that locks out moisture and locks in product aroma and taste. Created for non-processed applications like coffee, Sonoco’s patented flexible Ultraseal membrane end creates a hermetic seal that features a unique valve to release built-up pressure in coffee packaging. Sonoco also produces and provides the metal bottoms.

“Our unique ability to deliver complete and customized packaging solutions along with turn-key project management capabilities separates Sonoco from its packaging peers. Because we are not anchored to one technology or material, we deliver solutions to our customers, like Mother Parkers, that successfully meet their cost objectives, performance expectations and sustainability goals,” said Jack Sanders, Sonoco’s executive vice president, Consumer.