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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Eco-Closure (Eco-Smart Twist & Pop Closure System to Control Bubbles in Carbonated Beverages)

Teaser

Summary

For decades, the Caps & Closures packaging sector has used various systems that do not comply with current market requirements. For instance, every year hundreds of millions of bottles of wine are tainted by trichloroanisole (TCA) â€“ a fungus that forms on the surface of the cork â€“ giving the wine an unpleasant taste (â€˜cork taintâ€™). Another example of the enormity of the problem can be illustrated by the millions of crown caps that are thrown away each year after the second fermentation during the disgorgement step in the traditional mÃ©thode Champenoise. Furthermore, it is no secret that millions of metal caps used in beers and carbonated soft drinks bottles end up in the landfill after consumption. Additionally, to address the carbonated beverages producerâ€™s needs to tackle the plastic pollution crisis in this sector, we must move away from the current linear take-make-dispose system.
Therefore, C&Cs global suppliers are looking for products that can be 100% recyclable and with 100% reusable packaging, greener solutions that produce lower carbon footprint, reduce weight of their products, etc. Meanwhile beverage producers are looking for reducing raw materials by reducing weights in their closure and container systems, trying to increase waste valorisation, etc. Similarly, consumer demand for sustainable products has greatly increased globally in recent years. It is extremely important to recycle caps and closures for the environment as well as to be able to re-seal bottles to maintain the quality and preserve the taste of the drinks for longer.
From GOMEZ CAO INNOVATIONS & INVENTIONS (GCI&I), we have developed an innovative closure system that will offer to the desperate eco-conscious consumers an easily to be recycled closure, as well as a practical and efficient solution for their sparkling wine, carbonated soft drinks, and beer bottles: The TWIST&POP.

Work performed

Within the technological feasibility study, we have analysed the TWIST&POP closure systemâ€™s stage of development and defined its final specifications based on real market needs for each segment application (sparkling wine production and expedition, and Beers & CSDs expedition). We have established our technology roadmap to achieve the biggest impact in the market, developed specific designs for each type of carbonated beverage we target, and made prototype moulds for advance testing. Moreover, we have assessed the market attractiveness by quantifying and segmenting the C&Cs market. We have identified the needs and benefits of each product type sector (sparkling wine, CSDs, beers) including barriers to market entry. A benchmarking and competitive products assessment (including prices and drawbacks) has been carried out. We have collected letters of intent from four potential customers that confirms the willingness to pay for our innovation. According to the business model, we have defined a two folded business model based on FizzyCAPS exploitation, depending on its final application, and we have analysed the best pricing strategy according to market assessment outcomes. We have also analysed the existing competitive and substitute products extensively, and we have identified the main risks, their impact, probability, and designed a contingency plan. In relation to our IPR protection, we have extended it by applying a National Phase of our PCT patent. Additionally, we have drafted the work plan for the Phase II project including work packages, deliverables, milestones, interdependencies, and Gantt chart. Finally, personnel effort has been sized, and hiring needs defined.

Final results

The current C&Cs technological solutions for the carbonated beverage industry available in the market can be grouped in three segments, clearly differentiated: i) Sparkling wine production, ii) Sparkling wine expedition, and iii) Beers and CSDs expedition.
Based on current solutions within the SoA, we have conducted a strong competitive analysis, focused on the comparison between our FizzyCAPS and other systems available into the market for each product application range. Our FizzyCAPS outperform all current closure solutions, and at a very competitive price!
Our overall objective within the ECO-CLOSURE project is to complete the development and optimization of TWIST&POP closure technology to reach TRL9, introducing into the market a novel range of closures that meet todayâ€™s stringent Caps & Closures requirements with improvement on mechanical properties (allowing weight reduction), excellent impact property (while being 100% recyclable and reusable), and ultimately more sustainable: our FizzyCAPS.