Packaged water: from glass/plastic to Gable Top cartons

All over the world, bottled water manufacturers used to packaging water in glass or plastic are increasingly choosing to integrate their production with a line for water in Gable Top cartons.

As manufacturers of packaging systems and lines, we’ve had the privilege of assisting a number of customers in the transition to this new package type and packaging mode, including Fonte Margherita (first boxed water in Italy), Theoni (first Gable Top water in Greece) and Metropolitana Milanese.

This is also thanks to the consulting services for water manufacturers provided by the specialists at FILL good, our in-house start-up.

In this article we share some basic facts about carton water, highlighting the differences from glass and plastic in terms of packaging materials and processing systems.

In many countries, the introduction of Gable Top boxed water in the market has been met with interest, generating positive feedback.

This is in part because this type of packaging has always been associated with wholesomeness and premium products, and is also perceived by consumers as low-impact and eco-friendly.

Gable Top cartons are also visually appealing on shelf. Furthermore, the large printable area allows you to explain in detail the reasons for choosing the new package, giving you valuable "billboard space" for brand messaging.

Compared to glass or plastic, the capacity of a Gable Top packaging line for water ranges from 3,000 to 6,500 cartons/hour.

The line is compact in size and can complement your bottling plant, enabling you to diversify your offering with a new package made from natural material.

The same Gable Top filling machine performs operations that would require different machines in a glass or plastic packaging plant - e.g. for rinsing (in the case of glass), bottle blowing, filling and labelling.

In other words, a single machine delivers a finished, ready-to-ship product.

Besides requiring a smaller investment and reduced floor space, you can also rely on a single supplier.

Galdi offers full support during the process of designing and manufacturing your Gable Top packaging line for water, thanks to Artema Pack's services, including their plant layout expertise, and the expert consultancy in the areas of packaging development and microbiology provided by FILL good.

Gable Top cartons are:

• Unbreakable (making it an ideal application for the vending, retail and catering markets)
• Light for transport
• Square, an optimal shape for secondary packaging and palletizing (they take up less volume vs. plastic bottles for the same weight)
• Both primary and secondary packaging are made from renewable materials, promoting both consistent packaging sourcing and brand image.

By their very nature, Gable Top cartons require different transport, secondary packaging, and palletizing solutions.

For end-of-line packaging Wrap around and shrink-wrapping machines are used.

With their long experience in the industry, Galdi and Artema Pack can support customers in creating optimal palletizing patterns based on specific transportation and distribution requirements.

For food manufacturers, it is paramount that both the system and the package used for filling protect the quality of their product, all the more so in the case of water.

Galdi and FILL good offer packaging systems built around your product. On top of that, we constantly test our systems to guarantee that the integrity and organoleptic properties of the food/beverage inside are maintained throughout the process.

FILL good offers highly specialized consulting services, including:

• Sensory tests
• Shelf life validation
• Packaging testing on machines
• Regular checks, comparing different packaging/materials

Gable Top cartons are fully recyclable, as they are made of:

• paper (75%), a renewable material from responsibly managed sources (FSC);
• polymers and biopolymers (21%), 100% recyclable and/or renewable materials;
• aluminium (4%), 100% recyclable, mostly from certified suppliers complying with environmental and social standards throughout the manufacturing process.

More and more businesses use the materials recovered from recycled beverage cartons to make home and personal hygiene products, as well as gadgets, household accessories, industrial components and street furniture.

We manufacture complete packaging lines. Providing all-round support, working with customers to help them develop their projects, is our top priority.

Besides supplying the full machinery for a Gable Top packaging line for water, we can make a range of resources available to you:

• Consultancy on the most adequate plant layout
• Dedicated Project Manager and System Integrator for complex projects
• Support in choosing your packaging and the relevant supplier
• Support during installation
• Technical and microbiological consulting on cleaning cycles, tests, as well as general plant management
• Microbiological analyses and sensory tests

Interested in packaging water in Gable Top cartons? Need more info on line and layout requirements? Contact us!