Sonoco UK develops paper-based can suited to packaging vehicle oils, can be used as alternative to metal can; company working with unnamed supplier on testing product

Kendall Sinclair

LOS ANGELES , December 15, 2011 (Industry Intelligence) – Sonoco UK has developed a can that serves as a rigid paper-based alternative to metal cans used to package vehicle oils, resulting in a 27% reduction in material weight at input and a 34% reduction in energy inputs compared with the production of metal cans, packagingnews.co.uk reported Dec. 14.

The can was developed for an unnamed vehicle fluids supplier, and Sonoco has finished a 12-week trial of the product with the customer.

Sonoco’s screw-top can is able to endure the four-year shelf life of vehicle oil in addition to costing less and using eco-friendlier materials in comparison to metal cans, according to Sonoco.

The product was developed to avoid collapse in the process when the cap was screwed on to the paper can, while being able to prevent spillage or staining if that occurs during production, said Sean Cairns, general manager of Sonoco Rigid Paper and Closures Europe.

The cans were produced in the fall in Manchester, England, and based on demand, the company is slated to deliver as many as 2 million cans annually.

Sonoco UK is a division of Sonoco Products Co. and is based in Rochdale, England.

The primary source of this article is packagingnews.co.uk, Croydon, England, on Dec. 14, 2011.

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