Eastman Embrace™ HY Copolyester Gives Upbeat Protein Drink Bottles Enhanced Recyclability, Premium Finish

Kingsport, Tenn., Nov. 22, 2013 /3BL Media/ — Looking for a premium finish to reflect its new on-the-go beverage product, U.K.-based The Good Whey Company turned to Eastman Embrace™ HY copolyester material to use for its labels. These labels — supplied by CCL Label Decorative Sleeves, also based in the U.K. — are used on bottles of Upbeat, a high-protein dairy drink. Embrace HY was selected because the material offers the bottles a soft-to-the touch feel, matte look, 360-degree billboard effect and sustainability benefits.

Meeting consumer needs   

One reason Eastman Embrace™ HY copolyester was considered by The Good Whey Company for the Upbeat product is because the recyclability of the bottles was important to the company.

“Eastman Embrace™ HY copolyester is an innovative sustainable packaging option for brand owners, offering a 30 percent lower density than other copolyesters and requiring less material for the same demand,” said Anthony Sammut, EMEA specification sales and marketing manager, Eastman. “By using Embrace HY for its labels, The Good Whey Company was able to use a custom-designed clear PET bottle — which is recyclable — with a tapered waist, instead of having to use a pigmented bottle with a shrink label.”

The twin perforation on the label enables the end user to easily tear and remove it. When a label is removed, the bottle can be more readily detected in the recycling stream, increasing the probability the plastic will be used for a new bottle. The product also was made more recyclable on account of the bottle being clear rather than colored PET, unlike many other dairy products.

“Working with Eastman Embrace™ HY and using the twin perforation allowed for an easily and cleanly removable sleeve, therefore encouraging consumers to remove the labels and enhancing the probability the bottle will be recycled without the fear of contamination,” said Jon Cowan, sales director, CCL Label Decorative Sleeves. “These subtle perforations do not detract from the visual excellence the sleeve offers in terms of 360-degree decoration.”

Desirable Attributes
Eastman Embrace™ HY copolyester provides products a distinctive on-the-shelf presence with a wraparound, 360-degree billboard effect that forms tightly around highly contoured containers. The material is naturally white colored, eliminating the need for printed white flood coats. The Good Whey Company also selected Embrace HY because of the material’s matte effect and that it feels soft to the touch.

“The Upbeat packaging requires a premium finish to reflect the high quality of the product inside the bottle, and using Eastman Embrace™ HY copolyester has allowed us to do just this,” said Susie Hignett, brand manager, The Good Whey Company.

A team effort
The Good Whey Company selected CCL Label to produce the Upbeat labels because of the company’s technical knowledge and skills and because of the group’s effective customer support during the project’s development. In turn, from previously working with its products, CCL Label knew Eastman had just the right material. 

“When we were approached by The Good Whey Company for a product label that would be attractive and eye-catching, we immediately identified Eastman Embrace™ HY material as the ideal solution,” Cowan said. “All companies worked through the development phase to achieve an attractive final package design.”

Upbeat is sold at Tesco Extras and Superstores, Holland & Barrett and at select Waitrose stores and Moto Services in Berkshire, Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire in the U.K. Find specific stores at www.feelingupbeat.com.

For more information about Eastman Embrace™ family of resins, visit www.eastman.com/embrace.

About The Good Whey Company
The Good Whey Company is part of the Volac Group, a privately owned business based near Cambridge, U.K., that has been producing high-quality nutritional dairy products for more than 40 years. The company has eight production facilities where high-quality dairy nutrition products are manufactured and supplied to the global market. The company plays a leading role in the dairy industry and is ambitious for its future growth and prosperity. Volac’s products encompass three areas: high-performance whey protein for healthy lifestyle and sports nutrition markets, lactose-rich dairy ingredients for food manufacturers and advanced animal nutrition products and systems for improved productivity. For more information, visit www.thegoodwhey.com.
  About CCL Label Decorative Sleeves
CCL Label Decorative Sleeves is a subsidiary of CCL Industries, Inc. CCL Label is a leading European supplier of shrink sleeves to the food, beverage, dairy, and home and personal care industries with an enviable portfolio of global blue chip clients. CCL Label has four European shrink sleeve manufacturing plants, offering all available print technologies including rotogravure, offset gravure, offset flexo, UV flexo, CI flexo and digital. For more information, visit www.ccl-label.com/decorativesleeves. Boiler Plate Content ​About Eastman Chemical Company
Eastman is a global specialty chemical company that produces a broad range of products found in items people use every day. With a portfolio of specialty businesses, Eastman works with customers to deliver innovative products and solutions while maintaining a commitment to safety and sustainability. Its market-driven approaches take advantage of world-class technology platforms and leading positions in attractive end-markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. Eastman focuses on creating consistent, superior value for all stakeholders. As a globally diverse company, Eastman serves customers in approximately 100 countries and had 2012 pro forma combined revenues, giving effect to the Solutia acquisition, of approximately $9.1 billion. The company is headquartered in Kingsport, Tenn., USA, and employs approximately 14,000 people around the world. For more information, visit www.eastman.com.