Weekly Packaging Design Wrap-Up: Spring-loaded cap controls flow of milk, pharmaceutical pack reveals expiration message for consumer safety, beer bottle cap made easier to open for older generation

Kendall Sinclair

LOS ANGELES , August 9, 2013 (IndustryIntel) – Spring-loaded cap controls flow of milk



Topster is a spring-loaded cap that can screw on to most milk bottles to control the flow of milk when pouring. The consumer presses down on the spring-loaded lever to open the spout, which makes pouring easier for children and the elderly without the need to repeatedly screw and re-screw the plastic bottle top, according to the company. The Topster is available in three colors and fits most plastic milk bottles. Complete Core Business Solutions was recently contracted to distribute the product for an expected 150,000 units this year at retailers including Asda, Tesco and Lakeland.

The primary source of this information is Topster and Packaging News, Coyden, England.


Pharmaceutical pack reveals expiration message for consumer safety



The Self Expiring is a pharmaceutical packaging concept that displays a time-released visual message to indicate that the medicine has expired. The blister pack features two layers of information: a foreground layer with the medicine label and a background layer that has a hidden expiration message. The two layers are separated by multiple sheets of diffusible material that break down over time to show the background layer and reveal the expiration message to the consumer. The two designers note that the visible expiration message would provide enhanced consumer safety and prevent retailers from selling expired medication for profit. The design was awarded a 2012 Red Dot Design Award.

The primary source of this information is Red Dot Design, Essen, Germany.


Beer bottle cap easier to open for older generation



The Heineken Easy Star Bottle concept features a twistable cap designed for easier opening by older generations. Created by designer Nathan Gabriele, the foil-covered cap covers the length of the bottle’s neck, allowing consumers to grip it with their palm for more leverage. The neck also features threads at its base, allowing the consumer to reseal the bottle and save the beer for later. The concept was presented to the Heineken Ideas Brewery, a competition inviting innovators to develop a better drinking experience for the 60- to 70-year-old generation.

The primary source of this information is Heineken, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

* All content is copyrighted by Industry Intelligence, or the original respective author or source. You may not recirculate, redistrubte or publish the analysis and presentation included in the service without Industry Intelligence's prior written consent. Please review our terms of use.