The launch of the Smartbatch Frost Collection from PolyOne (Avon Lake, OH) gives marketers a distinctive look on-shelf: the translucent color series for PET and recycled PET (rPET) bottles mimics frosted and etched glass to enhance the bottles’ perceived value.
The Collection was developed in response to increasing demand from regional brands in China for greater product differentiation, especially in health, beauty and personal care packaging for greater product differentiation, shelf appeal and environmental responsibility. The collection of color and additive formulations can also bring benefits to molding operations by streamlining production and reducing manufacturing cost.
“We’ve developed the Frost Collection to enable brands to create high-end, sophisticated, and engaging bottles in a wide range of color options that also expand design freedom and cost effectiveness,” says Say Eng Lee, general manager, Color & Additives Asia at PolyOne.
The collection is now available globally several months after the initial launch into Asian markets.
Six things to know about the Smartbatch Frost collection
Besides the obvious visual impact, there's other benefits for molders, consumers and the environment.
- It’s a one-step process to use and is added to the PET/rPET resins during the injection stretch-blow molding (ISBM) process.
- The additive eliminates the need for secondary processes such as sprays, painted-on effects or full-sleeved labels, thereby helping to reduce costs and increasing speed to market.
- It provides a soft, cool, and icy look with better slip-resistant performance than typical PET bottles.
- The Smartbatch Frost Collection is available globally in liquid and solid form, depending on the molder’s tooling, according to Sandrine Reboux, senior industry manager, Beauty & Consumer Products, Colors & Additives, EMEA at PolyOne.
- Every color in the collection can be recycled. In addition, colors can be combined with toners when used with rPET to offset any color changes from the recycled material. They can also be tinted to match a particular fragrance or package branding and can be formulated with UV-resistant additives to help protect bottle contents.
- No equipment adjustments are required to process products.
“Brand owners continually strive for visual and tactile differentiators in their packaging to increase consumer engagement, enhance shelf appeal, drive brand awareness and increase sales,” Reboux tells PlasticsToday. With our Smartbatch Frost Collection, we collaborate directly with our customers to develop a customized solution that embodies the exact look and feel they want while delivering the properties they need for their specific application. Our goal was to enable aesthetics to meet functionality.”
Reboux notes that products using the Collection are already in the market, though she was unable to divulge any customer names at this time.
