To aid recycling, beverage manufacturer uses CleanFlake™
Pamco Label, a Resource Label Group company, recommended CleanFlake™ based on Zing Zang’s sustainability objectives.
Do you enjoy a great-tasting cocktail every now and then? Prefer the ease of making it with a mix? Then chances are you know the Zing Zang brand. Manufactured in Chicago, Illinois, Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix is the number one and fastest growing cocktail mix in the US, according to Nielsen Scan data company. Zing Zang offerings also include Cocktail Mixes made with all natural ingredients for Margaritas, Piña Coladas, Strawberry Daiquiris, and Sweet & Sour drinks.
In 2020, the company embarked on a significant project: transitioning its top-selling, 32-ounce Bloody Mary mix bottle from glass to an unbreakable lightweight plastic made from 25% post recycled content. The materials switch promised a range of consumer benefits, including greater portability, greater durability, and greater sustainability. The switch would also make bottles cost less to produce, saving money that the company could re-invest in sales and marketing efforts.
Ensuring packaging is fully recyclable
Transitioning to an unbreakable lightweight plastic put Zing Zang in the middle of a growing trend among beverage producers: making sure packaging is fully recyclable. This can include support of and alignment with recycling industry initiatives, such as the Sustainable Packaging Coalition’s (SPC) How2Recycle program. It also can include more thoughtful selection of packaging and label materials, such as those that are fully compatible with recycling processes.
The company’s own market research indicated that consumers like the light weight and durability of plastic, along with the recyclability. But it also showed there’s some lack of knowledge among consumers regarding just what needs to be done to recycle a plastic bottle. “It’s not enough just to say that a bottle is recyclable,” says Diana Fujimura, Director of Marketing, Zing Zang. “There are additional steps by the consumer, like rinsing the bottle, replacing the cap, and removing the label. And that label removal can be a real unknown barrier for many.”
A long relationship between brand and label converter
When it comes to producing its bottle labels, Zing Zang has had a long relationship with Pamco Label, a Resource Label Group Company. Located in Des Plaines, Illinois, the company provides digital and flexographic label printing services for Chicago/Midwest companies serving a wide range of markets. Pamco Label has been Zing Zang’s exclusive label partner and provides extensive art, pre-press, printing and inventory services for multiple products and bottle sizes.
Why Pamco Label recommended CleanFlake™
For Zing Zang, Pamco Label recommended using Avery Dennison CleanFlake™ adhesive and a paper facestock. While there were many sustainable product solutions evaluated, CleanFlake™ eliminates the need for the consumer to remove the label, as the adhesive separates cleanly from the plastic bottle during the PET recycling process. The resulting pure plastic flakes can be 100 percent recycled into food-grade bottles and containers. This increases the recycling yield and the overall availability of recycled content.
“It’s important, as a partner, to really understand where the customer is headed with their brand and packaging,” says Kevin Frydryk, Regional VP Sales & Marketing, Resource Label Group. “This allows us the ability to guide choices. With Zing Zang, that understanding came about through discussions about their rebranding and plans to replace glass with unbreakable lightweight plastic. Label converters play an important role in understanding the application, and what substrate and adhesive will work best.”
Working with the SPC’s How2Recycle
Zing Zang also engaged the SPC for guidance on consumer communication. Its How2Recycle program provides brands with a standardized format for printing recycling instructions on packaging. Aligning with principles of simplicity and ease of comprehension by the consumer, the new Zing Zang label features the How2Recycle logo, and instructions to “Recycle our new unbreakable lightweight bottle featuring a CleanFlake™ label by rinsing the bottle and replacing the cap.”
“CleanFlake™ is the world’s first adhesive that cleanly separates from plastic during the wash portion of the recycling process,” says Angel Harvey, Senior Product Manager — Films. “By increasing the supply of recycled content, CleanFlake™ helps reduce recycling costs, and can help brands meet the growing demand for sustainable packaging materials.”
