Greiner Packaging’s square-shaped cup format is designed to be space-efficient and stable in transit and on the shelf, with up to 35% more units shipping per pallet than round alternatives.
The Cubo format is available in PP, PET, and rPET versions, among others. An in-mould label sample is now available.
With its strong base and reduced height, the pack is expected to reduce stackability, boost stability, and avoid extra material consumption – generating less waste in the process.
Up to 35% more Cubo cups are expected to fit on a single pallet than their round equivalents (95mm diameter, 480ml volume). This is said to boost transport efficiency; upscaled to an annual production of 25 million cups, customers could reportedly save around 160 truck journeys every year.
In turn, the design is anticipated to lower CO2 emissions in transit and reduce warehouse space requirements. Transporting more units per pallet is also hoped to simplify goods receipt for retailers, reducing handling and rearrangements while streamlining logistics.
Furthermore, a square-shaped cup is set to unlock space efficiency on supermarket shelves and in home storage, with retailers and consumers alike able to neatly and securely stack their products.
Round cups are prone to accidental spinning, which can hide on-pack branding. The Cubo cup is designed to avoid this problem, remaining stable and displaying the preferred design at point-of-sale.
Customers can also decorate their Cubo cups via sleeves, in-mould labelling, or Greiner’s K3 cardboard-plastic combinations. Its flat surfaces offer additional space for on-pack branding and product information, with less risk of distortion than a rounded surface.
Greiner suggests that pairing Cubo with its Click In sealing lid would unlock resealability, prevent leakages, and negate the need for aluminium foil seals – helping customers reduce their material consumption further.
Using the PP version of the Click In lid would create a mono-material pack that can be fully recycled at end-of-life and support sustainability goals, Greiner adds.
The company previously announced that it would introduce mechanically recycled polystyrene into its K3 cups, inserting recyclate between virgin layers in an ABA structure. This approach was expected to achieve a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions without compromising food safety or packaging quality.
In other news, Borealis and FSG Returnables have helped the Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust circulate mono-polypropylene Zero Waste Cups through a reusable cup system at its hospital cafés.
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