Packaging Manufacturer Guala Closures Launches Blossom Range of Sustainable Closures
A new comprehensive range of closures, based on four key eco-design models, carries forward the Group’s environmental strategy as well as meeting market needs
Guala Closures Group has launched a new range of sustainable closures under the umbrella brand name, Blossom™. With sustainability as a fundamental pillar of Guala Closures’ strategy, which aims to use 35% recycled material worldwide by 2025, the Group aspires to offer the largest variety of state-of-the art sustainable closures for wine, spirits, water, beverages and olive oil with the only dedicated closure range of this kind for all these markets. These closures use different materials and will undergo a process of continuous development, for future market needs.
The name Blossom™ was chosen to evoke the idea of “naturalness”. A graphic customization of the “B”, through the representation of a butterfly, reinforces the reference to the values of the brand and, indirectly, flowers. Both are intended as symbols of lightness and low environmental impact.
Creating the range of Blossom™ sustainable closures is a major step in meeting Guala Closures’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) goals and the result of the long-term commitment to the design of sustainable solutions. Such actions can help to meet consumers’ expectations, market needs and local regulations, it believes. Each new closure follows one of the four design-to models defined in the Group’s eco-design guidelines.
Photo: Guala Closures Group
Guidelines for Sustainability
Within the newly launched Blossom™ range, the avant-garde Greencap® is receiving a lot of interest due to its benefits in the recycling process. It is a fully removable and disposable aluminium screwcap meeting the Group’s Design to Revive eco-design guideline criteria which is based on recovering and recycling the materials used in the closures.
The Design to Change guideline – based on adopting recycled materials or materials produced from renewable sources – includes a luxury T-bar closure made of 100% recycled ABS plastic and agglomerated cork. Plus a new aluminium closure for water, Spring Blossom, which has a tamper evident ring produced from completely bio-based polymers, as well as screwcaps with internal liners produced from renewable sources.
Elimination of anything not necessary and reducing the use of finite materials and resources meets the Design to Reduce guideline. The bio-agave based closure for tequila, made from a bio-based composite resin using 30% agave fibres (from waste generated during tequila distillation) and 70% polypropylene is a perfect illustration of the Design to Reduce model.
Finally, Design to Fade has the main purpose of creating completely biodegradable closures. Compostable closures in industrial and home composting conditions are under development, with the target of a closure that is completely biodegradable in all conditions.
Commenting on the launch of the new Blossom™ range, Guala Closures Group R&D Director, Fulvio Bosano, said, “We are continuously searching for new sustainable materials and experimenting to find new solutions. It is pleasing to have successfully created a new family of closures which meets our four eco-design models. All our R&D centres are committed to the eco-design principles of sustainable solutions for all markets and customers, as well as supporting CSR commitments.”
Collaboration and Leadership
The company has created a partnership to manufacture closures made with recycled plastics recovered from the sea and so reducing pollution. Also, it is developing other sources of material, including elements recovered from obsolete electrical appliances. Additionally, the company continues to participate in existing collaborative projects with industry organisations and local authorities, to promote best practice and efficient, uniform systems for the collection and recycling of packaging.
Violette Montagnese, Group Marketing Director at Guala Closures Group, explained, “As a leading producer of closures worldwide, the company’s role is to lead the way in bringing to the market solutions for the spirits, beverage, water and olive oil industries. This enables the company to meet and anticipate both clients’ and consumers’ expectations in terms of sustainable packaging, as well as offering great performance and style.”
The Group is now launching an ambitious global awareness campaign to promote its Blossom range of sustainable closures.
