United Caps, an international manufacturer of caps and closures, reported that, despite the challenges of the pandemic, the company continues to harvest from its rich product pipeline, developing and launching new products that will help its customers be more productive and have more sustainable packaging. These announcements were publicly made during “United Virtually”, an interactive virtual event held in lieu of the many industry in-person events that have been cancelled or postponed during the pandemic.
Benoit Henckes, CEO of UNITED CAPS
“While all of us are taking necessary steps to control and ultimately put down this awful pandemic, at the same time, we must continue to move forward as an industry to ensure that products reach consumers in a safe and timely manner, and that jobs are protected as much as possible,” said Benoit Henckes, CEO of UNITED CAPS. “In light of that objective, we at UNITED CAPS have continued to invest in our research and development efforts with the resulting announcements we are making at UNITED VIRTUALLY, where we shared this news in seminars to ensure full understanding of their benefits among attendees.”
One area of discussion during UNITED VIRTUALLY was the first look at the progress UNITED CAPS has made toward enabling customers to meet the EU regulations regarding tethered closures. “At UNITED CAPS we talk about being BETTER UNITED,” Henckes added. “That obviously is a reference to our quality, but it also speaks to our understanding that collaboration is a core component of our success. Our development process for tethered closures included extensive feedback from both our customers and consumers which greatly enhanced the end result.”
UNITED CAPS views the EU directive regarding tethered closures as an industry-wide challenge that requires a holistic industry-wide solution that would have as little impact as possible on bottling lines and other parts of the supply chain. To that end, the company spearheaded the formation of the Alliance for Closure Tethering (ACT) to bring together segment leaders in the packaging industry to conduct an impact assessment of various tethering solutions on existing finishes and to determine finishing changes that might be required. The goal was to come to agreement on the best industry-wide approaches to tethered caps and closures and to support better integration into the supply chain with a united, rather than standalone, solution.
The result is a broad portfolio of UNITED CAPS tethered closures (UCTC) that were born ready for the market, meet the new EU regulatory requirements, and have been widely accepted by UNITED CAPS customers. The company has published an informative white paper on its collaborative approach to developing tethered closures in a white paper, which can be downloaded at https://www.unitedcaps.com/company/united-caps/uctc-report/. “It is our hope that wide distribution of this white paper will encourage customers to engage with us on converting to these mandated closures as early as possible to avoid unnecessary non-compliance risks,” Henckes stated.
R&D efforts drive both product updates and new product development
New to the UNITED CAPS product portfolio is its 29 FLIP ON edible oils closure which enables fast, clean pouring of liquids with drip control. It is easy to open and features a non-detachable tamper evident band that makes the product more sustainable. A variety of branding options and colours are available. Keeping the TE band and closure intact boosts opportunities for recycling.
One example of UNITED CAPS’ dedication to continuous improvement is to continually update already successful products to make them even better is the launch of PROLINE 2, a closure for still beverages. This closure, which weighs just 3 grams, performs like a much heavier closure and is suitable for use on aseptic lines. It is available in a recycled material, improving its sustainability footprint, but can also be produced in more traditional materials upon request. As with many UNITED CAPS products, PROLINE 2 is available in a wide variety of colours for a premium look and on-shelf standout. Its venting feature improves end-user safety, venting pressure in the case of spoiled contents, and its advanced design offers exceptional grip. This innovative solution offers increased efficiency and improved productivity in the filling of sensitive beverages, such as juices and milks.
UNITED CAPS also presented its robust line of caps and closures for Edible Oils & Vinegars that offer Everything You Need, Nothing You Don’t, including its award-winning DOUBLEFLOW and a family of closure solutions for 26mm necks that provide lightweight options without compromising performance. The company continues to enhance this product portfolio as well as part of its R&D efforts.
“We are pleased to be able to bring these new and improved products to market during this difficult time,” Henckes concluded, “to help the industry continue to move forward and to stay in compliance with important government regulations. But we are not stopping here. Stay tuned over the next weeks and months for additional innovation news from UNITED CAPS as our talented R&D team continues its important work.”
