Keeping on track with evolving beverage packaging trends
While cardboard clips are more eco-friendly and shelf-efficient than traditional shrink-wrapped packaging, they can also introduce new operational headaches on the production line.
Packaging is often the very first touchpoint a consumer has with a beverage, and as such it plays a vital role in shaping perception, preference, and purchasing decisions. To stay relevant, packaging must constantly evolve to reflect changing consumer tastes, rising environmental expectations, and tighter retailer requirements. This means producers are constantly rethinking how beverages are presented, bundled, and shipped – prompting a wave of innovation across materials, formats, and production processes that will ensure that not only does a product look good, but arrives at its destination without any damage.
For example, smaller multipacks, slimline cans, lightweight bottles, cardboard clips and mixed-format packs are increasingly replacing heavier, shrink-wrapped formats. These new solutions are more
24 FDPP- www. fdpp. co. uk eco-friendly and shelf-efficient, but they can also introduce new operational headaches on the production line – especially when it comes to conveying and packaging.
According to Sander Boers, Strategic Account Manager – Beverage at Regal Rexnord, what were once seen as packaging challenges are now opportunities for innovation and optimization.
“ Changes in packaging formats naturally influence how products move through the line, from handling and alignment to maintaining consistent speeds,” he explains.“ But with the right technologies and design approach, it’ s entirely possible to adapt quickly and keep lines running smoothly, even as formats evolve.”
With over 90 years of experience supporting beverage production lines around the world, Regal
Rexnord is well placed to respond. Drawing on its extensive product portfolio – which includes trusted names like Rexnord™, System Plast™, Sealmaster™, and ModSort™ – the company is helping beverage producers navigate this packaging transition with smart, stable, and sustainable conveying solutions built to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Shifting formats, shifting demands
One of the most noticeable changes in recent years is the shift toward smaller, less uniform packaging units. Where once a supermarket shelf might have been filled with 24-packs of identical cans, today you’ re just as likely to find four- or six-packs, mix-and-match bundles, or slim cans joined together by a minimalist paperboard carrier.