Loop, the award-winning bottle from Bonafont in partnership with Valgroup

The Loop – or Naked – bottle from Bonafont is made 100% from post-consumer recycled (PCR) PET. Launched in late 2020, the bottle is made from the brand’s own 10L and 20L gallon Re.torna – another Bonafont initiative in favor of the Circular Economy.

So that the label could be left aside, all the writing elements on the bottle, even the legal texts, are embossed and the bar code was printed on the cap. The result is a bottle of modern and bold design, with presence at the POS, and one that meets all the technical criteria in a 100% circular form.

How was the transformation process for the 100% PET PCR bottles?

Loop also arose from Danone’s ambition to be 50% RPET by 2025 and 100% by 2030. The project was developed in partnership with Valgroup , responsible for transforming the raw material into Food Grade Resin and for the production of 100% PCR preform. Transforming the gallons into PCR resin avoids the material from being discarded, giving it the chance to be reused in a new format, in this case, the bottles. This is the circular economy being put into practice.

The process involves milling the gallons, and hot washing to produce the flakes. Subsequently, the flakes are extruded, submitted to high temperatures to transform into a liquid state to be filtered, resulting in amorphous pellets after cooling and granulation.

Finally, the crystallization and polymerization phases took place to obtain the Salmon PCR PET Resin, which was used in the preforms. Everything was done under the strictest quality control to be in compliance with legislation on plastic materials for contact with food, as well as in compliance with the quality standards of Danone Water.

Awards won by Loop

The result was recognized by the market and earned Loop several important awards:

• Winner in the Beverage category of the WorldStar Global Packaging Awards 2022, the main award for the packaging sector worldwide, promoted by WPO – World Packaging Organization.

• ABRE Brazilian Packaging Award, winner in the category Non-alcoholic Beverages – 2021

• Winner of the 15th edition of the Grandes Cases packaging Award promoted by the Embalagem Marca magazine.

• Silver in the PENTAWARDS 2021 in the category Beverages Water 2021, one of the most prestigious design awards in the world.

Commitment

Bonafont’s initiative with the Loop bottle is part of its commitment to sustainability, which has set the following goals for this decade:

– To collect and recycle 100% of the plastic it puts into the the market;

– Reduce the use of virgin plastic in its products, reaching 50% of PET PCR in its bottles by 2025 and 100% by 2030.