Tuesday 23 July

Anchor lightproof bottle misses out

The anchor lightproof milk bottle won’t be one of the 8 finalists in the worst packaging category of the 2013 Unpackit awards.

Unpackit spokeswoman Sue Coutts said Anchor’s new lightproof bottle caused a furor when it went onto the shelves in April with the bottle receiving 161 nominations for the worst packaging award. 287 nominations were received for the worst category in total.

Ms Coutts said despite Anchor’s new lightproof bottle receiving a record number of nominations, it didn’t make it on to the worst packaging shortlist because it is recyclable, clearly labeled and similar in weight to the bottle it replaced.

“There will be some people who are very disappointed the bottle has not made it on to the shortlist but based on our criteria it was a long way from the worst product on the list.” said Ms Coutts.

“Consumers were confused about the benefits of the new bottle.” said Ms Coutts. “The flood of nominations shows people are becoming much more aware of the environmental issues associated with packaging choices. They are starting to hold companies to account for the decisions they make about the packaging they put on the shelves.”

“Recyclers were frustrated. The recycling industry only finds out about changes to packaging when it hits the shelves. Long term contracts and tight margins mean changes to packaging can have a dramatic effect on bottom lines” said Ms Coutts.

“Recyclers are a critical link in the chain. Companies depend on them to deliver on the promises they make to their customers about recyclability, yet they don’t involve them at the product development stage.”

“It’s a real shame that a major NZ company like Fonterra, putting a new product out onto the market, wasn’t competing for the top prize in the best packaging list.” said Ms Coutts “The bottle has the potential to reduce food waste, but the change has increased the financial pressure on recyclers. It shows we still have a lot of work to do to connect the dots in our supply and recovery chains.”

Ms Coutts said Fonterra were very quick to respond to public and recyclers concerns about the new bottle.

Nic Bishop, Fonterra Brands Environmental Manager says that on top of the new bottle providing Kiwis more nutritious, better tasting milk, Fonterra has worked hard to ensure the bottles are easily recyclable right here in NZ.

The 16 finalists in the Unpackit people’s choice best and worst packaging awards will be announced on Friday 26 July. The winners of the Unpackit Packaging Awards will be chosen by public vote.

Wanaka recycler Pete Phillips checks out the recyclability of Anchors Lightproof bottle

ENDS

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