It’s been characterized as the soft drink equivalent of the early 1990s craft beer craze. In recent years, high-end and often regionally produced natural artisanal sodas have been making their presence known in restaurants and specialty grocery stores across the country.

Now, the beverages are poised to inundate major grocery chains with brands like Boylan’s vintage soda, Cheerwine and Jones Soda showing up on the shelves of suburban supermarkets. The trend is so big that in 2010 Beverage World added artisanal sodas to its HIT list, which highlights up-and-coming developments in the marketplace.

Like craft beers, artisanal sodas are usually packaged in glass, which reinforces the image of a high-quality, high-end, natural product. “Glass is a natural fit for our brand, which contains real cane sugar,” says Tom Barbitta, Cheerwine’s Vice President of Marketing. “Glass sends a strong signal to consumers that this will be different. It’s a collection of signals that support the brand being in this package.”

Cheerwine is a long established soda brand in the southeastern U.S. that has found renewed consumer interest because of its artisanal qualities. And, like its newer cousins, Cheerwine continues to use glass bottles for its products. Similar to microbrews, artisanals are often produced locally or regionally and tend to be more expensive than the mass-produced competition because they are “hand crafted.” More

The 411 on GPI’s Partnership with Earth911

On February 1, 2011, the Glass Packaging Institute launched its sponsorship of Earth911, the country’s leading clearinghouse of recycling information. The partnership allows GPI to have its own custom content on the Glass Section landing page of Earth911, as well as regular communications with Earth911 readers through relevant stories and news.

“Partnering with Earth911 will help GPI communicate more directly with consumers about the benefits of glass packaging and glass recycling,” said Joe Cattaneo, President of GPI. “We’re a trade association for a packaging supplier industry for well-known beverage, food, and home care product manufacturers. We normally promote to the trade, so this is a great opportunity to expand our ability to reach out to consumers as well.”

“Recycling is one of the most accessible, sustainable actions that the everyday person can take,” said Earth911 President Corey Lambrecht. “The support of the glass industry…demonstrates real product stewardship, leadership, and their firm commitment to reducing waste and reclaiming valuable materials by encouraging consumers to recycle as much, and as often, as they can.” More

U.S. EPA Reports Glass Container Recycling Jumped to 31% in 2009

The U.S. EPA has released its latest report on municipal solid waste in the U.S., including new national recycling data. Results for 2009 show that 39% of glass beer and soft drink bottles were recycled, 18.1% of wine and liquor bottles and nearly 18% of other glass bottles and jars. In all, 31.1% of glass containers were recycled in 2009, up from 28% in 2008.

Glass represents 4.8% of all the municipal solid waste before recycling, down slightly from the 4.9% in 2008. Just over 9.6 million tons of glass containers were in the MSW stream in 2009, of which 3 million tons were recycled.

Overall, the report found that in 2009 Americans generated about 243 million tons of trash—8 million fewer tons than in 2008. The U.S. recycled and composted 82 million tons, for a 33.8% national recycling rate. Get the full report

PACKAGING TRENDS

Eden Takes a Bite Out of the Organic Tomato Market with Amber Glass Packaging

In January, Clinton, Michigan-based Eden Foods announced it’s now using protective amber glass 14- and 25-ounce jars to package its line of shelf-stable, organic crushed tomatoes and sauces. According to Eden, they are the only tomatoes in the U.S. packed in amber glass, protecting flavor and nutrients from light damage.

“We are moving about a third of our organic tomato crop into glass this year,” says Eden founder and president Michael Potter. Eden switched from cans to protective amber glass jars because photo-oxidation, or light damage, which is systemic in food stores with fluorescent lighting, was reducing food quality. This includes discoloration and an off-flavor of the food through chemical changes.

Most Eden products are sold in natural food stores throughout North America, including Whole Foods Market, and company sales total about $50 million a year. Eden’s canner in Ontario, a business not owned by Eden, invested about $1 million to set up the new packing line. More

O-I Expands Line of Lightweight Wine Bottles

Glass container manufacturer O-I is launching its lightest-ever North American wine bottle, which is up to 27% lighter than similar wine bottles. Manufactured at the company´s California facilities, the new bottles weigh just 11.6 ounces. The company is also launching a 13-ounce 750 mL claret bottle, available to customers on the East coast. The first customer receiving the new 13-ounce container is wholesaler L.D. Carlson Co. The new line of 750 mL lightweight claret and burgundy bottles is part of the O-I Lean+Green® initiative designed to create strong, durable, yet lighter bottles using advanced manufacturing techniques. More

Luxury Closure Boosts Premium Appeal on Polaner Glass Jar

B&G Foods Inc. has introduced a new line of Polaner Fancy Fruit with Fiber All Natural Fruit Spreads that features a black twist closure to attract health-conscious consumers, and still remains in its signature 12-oz. glass jar, supplied by Anchor Glass.

The closures, supplied by CROWN Closures Americas, are printed with gold and white text that works with high-quality images of flowers and leaves to frame the product name. Product information is printed around the closure skirt in the same shade of gold to consistently relay the premium quality of the product from every angle.

"The closure is often the first thing a consumer sees when looking down at a product on the shelf, giving us a strategic opportunity to deliver brand messaging and distinguish ourselves in a very crowded category," explains Marvin Schwinder, marketing director for B&G Foods Inc. "That premium identity is carried through when the consumer takes the product home and hears the reassuring ‘pop' that guarantees safety and freshness." More

Environmentally Conscious Wineries Choosing Verallia's ECO Series™ Bottles

Since introducing the first eco-conceived wine bottle in North America two years ago, Verallia has sold over 200 million ECO Series™ bottles. Although the primary intent of the ECO Series™ bottle was to provide customers with a high-quality bottle with less overall impact on the environment, over 300 environmentally conscious wineries are capitalizing on the sustainability characteristics of the bottle and widely-accepted marketing appeal the bottle has with consumers.

“We have had an overwhelming response to the ECO Series™ from our wine customers, both large and small,” said Bob Parise, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Wine Sector for Verallia North America. “In 2009, we introduced the bottle as part of a company-wide sustainability initiative. Although we knew the wine industry already had a deep commitment to the environment, we learned very quickly the industry has a keen ability to market that commitment to environmentally conscious consumers.” More

Survey Finds Australians Prefer Milk in Recyclable Glass Bottles

A recent survey commissioned by O-I and conducted by Ipsos Australia shows 50% of all white-milk buyers and 51% of flavored-milk buyers find the concept of milk packaged in glass bottles appealing, with 42% of white-milk buyers saying they thought milk would taste better in glass. The survey also found 58% of plain-milk buyers said the fact glass could be recycled was a benefit and 46% of flavored-milk buyers said glass would keep milk colder for longer.

"For some time we have recognized there is a gap in the milk market in terms of the packaging available," said O-I Australia general manager Brian Slingsby. “Australians love a comeback and we expect to see the application of glass packaging across a number of milk brands in the near future.” In response to the research O-I has launched a 750ml glass bottle for the milk industry. More

Vitro Supplies Glass Bottles for New Tequila Valentón

A new product joins the catalogue of Casa El Viejo Luis, Jalisco, Mexico, a company that produces and markets tequila. The new tequila, called Valentón, is packaged in a one-litter glass bottle manufactured by Vitro. Its launch in the market is part of a growth strategy in the number of products from Casa El Viejo Luis. The one-liter bottle is “focused on a market segment that has a great potential both in Mexico and in the USA and at very competitive prices”, explains Edgar Romero, Vitro Glass Containers Western Region Marketing Manager. More

LEGISLATION

House Committee Hosts First Congressional Hearing on EPA Regulations

The House Energy and Power Subcommittee held hearings on a discussion draft that would prevent the U.S. EPA from regulating greenhouse gases from stationary sources (including glass container facilities) and power plants. These regulations, which began phasing in on January 2nd, are being administered under the EPA's Clean Air Act, which was originally developed to regulate criteria pollutants.

Subcommittee Chair Ed Whitfield (R-KY) supported the discussion draft, which was introduced earlier this month by Committee Chair Fred Upton (R-MI). Along with the draft, there are also a handful of similar bills in the House and Senate that would restrict the EPA's ability to regulate GHG emissions from stationary sources. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson defended her agency's proposals at the hearing this week. Get the discussion draft

Container Deposit and EPR Bills Introduced in 11 States

Several state legislatures have introduced bills that seek to increase beverage container recycling. Connecticut, Hawaii, New York, and Vermont all have proposals on the table that would expand their existing container deposit laws to include water and other non-covered beverage containers.

Legislators in Colorado, Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Washington have proposed legislation that would put in place new beverage container deposit laws. With the exception of Colorado's bill, which excludes aluminum from participation, all of the major beverage container types are included.

Maine and Vermont legislators have also introduced what are called "Extended Producer Responsibility" (EPR) bills, which would place the bulk of funding for recycling programs in the state on beverage producers and brand owners.

GLASS RECYCLING

Single-Stream Recycling Collection Now in 64% of Communities

According to a new study conducted for AF&PA by R.W. Beck, single stream recycling collection is on the rise. Single-stream recycling, where all paper fiber grades and recyclable containers are collected commingled in one compartment on the collection vehicle, has been a growing trend for the past 15 years.

Since 2000, the growth in single-stream recycling has steadily increased. In 2005, only 29% of the population with recycling had access to a single-stream program. By 2010, that number jumped to 64%. The study looked at single-stream programs that include glass bottles as well as those that do not. See the study chart for details

Rumpke to Invest $2.5M in Glass Recycling

Rumpke Recycling will invest $2.5 million in new machinery at its Dayton, Ohio plant to more effectively and economically process glass collected through its residential and commercial recycling programs. It will partner with glass manufacturer Owens-Illinois, headquartered in Perrysburg, Ohio, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, to build enhanced technology to process glass. The new system will create a product suitable for the glass container industry to manufacture new glass bottles.

Installation of the equipment will begin April 2011 and will be completed by mid-August 2011. State-of-the-art optical scanning technology will make recycling glass containers used by consumers, as well as bars and restaurants, easier and more economical. Simultaneously, as the program evolves, job growth is expected throughout the state. More

North Carolina Study Shows Strong Growth in Recycling Jobs

According to a new study, private sector recycling jobs have increased by 4.8% since 2008 in North Carolina, accounting for nearly 15,200 jobs and a payroll of $395 million.

Recycling businesses continue to show strong growth in jobs in the state despite the effects of the recent recession. Of the recycling businesses surveyed, 48% anticipate creating more jobs during the next two years. And 25% of businesses survey report manufacturing a product using recycled materials. Recycling businesses target a wide variety of recyclables for collection, processing or use in manufacturing. No single recycling commodity dominates the market.

This study is a follow-up to previous studies conducted by the North Carolina Recycling Business Assistance Center in 1994, 2000, 2004 and 2008 demonstrating the ongoing contribution of recycling to the state's economic growth. A complete copy of 2010 Employment Trends in NC's Recycling Industry can be found online

Hawaii Recycler Now Pays for Non-Deposit Glass Bottles

Starting January 2011, Reynolds Recycling, Hawaii’s largest beverage container recycler, will begin purchasing non-deposit glass bottles and jars from the public, in addition to taking the HI-5 deposit beverage containers.

“This is an exciting expansion for us, as this makes glass recycling so much easier for the public. Instead of throwing these into the rubbish, or curbside bins, people can take their empty glass jars and bottles to any of our 31 Oahu redemption centers and get money for them. It means that they can take care of their glass deposit and non-deposit containers at the same locations”, says Terry Telfer, President of Reynolds Recycling.

Reynolds Recycling is paying 4 cents a pound for non-deposit bottles and jars. This includes wine and liquor bottles, as well as jelly and cosmetics jars. More

1000 WORDS

Canada’s Bringing Back the Glass Bottle

In Canada, 70% of glass bottles are returned for recycling. And now their new campaign, "Bring Your Bottles Back," has a goal of raising that to above 90%. Watch how the bottle comes back around