The Cap-it eco-friendly paperboard beverage multipack from Graphic Packaging Intl., Inc. (www.graphicpkg.com) has earned the inaugural Eco Award, in the 66th annual Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC, www.ppcnet.org) National Paperboard Packaging Competition. Selected by a jury of industry experts, the Cap-it multipack was cited as the paperboard package having the most positive impact on product differentiation, merchandising, and sustainability among the 87 competitive entries.

“We appreciate the industry’s recognition of the Cap-it concept, which we believe can reposition paperboard as a competitive alternative to plastic rings and shrink film,” says John Best, vice president, Product Development, Graphic Packaging. “Cap-it paperboard multipacks demonstrate that designing for sustainability all along the supply chain can deliver more value compared to conventional plastic choices.”

The Cap-It design was introduced in 2008 as a six-pack carrier for 24-oz Pepsi beverage products bottled by Alabama-based Buffalo Rock. According to Graphic Packaging, the Cap-it multipack provides structural integrity, billboard space, and portability while outperforming plastic solutions like rings and shrink film in sustainability and supply-chain economics, including distribution and warehousing.

Converted from 18-pt SUS® beverage board with tear- and humidity-resistance, the Cap-it beverage carrier includes a comfortable hand hole and uses the shoulder strength of the bottles to enhance carton stiffness, creating a more secure handling experience and lowering the risk of accidental drops. Route drivers found that Cap-it multipacks offer better pallet stability and sturdiness compared to some other carriers, as well as the efficiency of repairing packs during distribution and reducing warehouse returns. Route drivers also liked the fact that they could quickly rotate bottles to showcase the brand label when stocking shelves—something they cannot do with plastic rings.

According to Graphic Packaging, the Cap-it design uses less fiber and allows consumers to view the bottled beverages for quality assurance. The billboard is adequately sized for branding and promotional graphics, backside printing, product traceability codes, and onserts. The short and long sides of the billboard also adapt more easily to retail shelf-space limitations and provide differentiation when multiple brands are displayed side-by-side in small spaces.

Graphic Packaging also says that the economics of its Cap-it system surpass that of plastic rings or shrink film. The multipack requires only die-cutting and can be shipped flat to improve truckload packout. Energy consumption for manufacturing and delivering Cap-it multipacks is measurably lower than the energy used for plastic rings, the company says.

Cap-it multipacks are available for bottles in a range of sizes from 12 to 32 oz. The packs are supported by a redesigned second-generation packaging machine capable of running up to 150 packs/minute for higher line efficiency.