The manufacturer of a liquid foam control and carbonation aid is stepping up production at its Leeds, UK production facility in order to help businesses lightweight their plastics packaging.
CO2Sustain’s solution – called CO2Sustain – helps beverage fillers use thinner plastics in their packaging, according to the company.
Jonathan Stott (left), business manager at CO2Sustain, said: “We are helping soft drinks manufacturers all over the world to not only cut down their plastics use but also save money by using our product in their production process.
“Lightweighting is good news for drinks brands and for the planet but this creates a similar problem to using recycled plastics as the integrity of the PET walls of bottles is compromised and reduces carbonation shelf life. This has the undesirable effect of deterring manufacturers from doing it.”
The thinner the plastics bottle, the more porous it becomes and the quicker the carbonated beverage will lose its fizz. This problem is made even worse when producing and distributing in hot climates, as hotter climates exacerbate carbon dioxide loss.
Added Jonathan Stott: “In developing CO2Sustain, our scientists are able to retain carbon dioxide in carbonated drinks, making drinks fizzier and for longer. This means beverage businesses are free to produce drinks that use less plastics whilst maintaining the carbonation shelf life standard of 12 months. With no impact on taste or appearance, our non-silicone processing aid has the potential to contribute to massive waste reductions globally.”
CO2Sustain is active in 25 countries across Europe, the US and Latin America, India, Africa and the Middle East. Exports are growing at more than 300 per cent annually. The global carbonated soft drink market size is expected to reach $320 billion by 2028.
