Label-free, the next wave of packaging innovation?

What is unlabeled packaging? That is, the bottle body does not use plastic film or paper labels to print the brand logo and product information
.
At present, there are processing technologies for in-mold embossing to form relief, and there are also methods such as laser marking
.

De-labeled bottles enter the recycling system without the need for additional label removal, making bottle recycling more efficient
.

Recently, major bottled water brands have launched unlabeled PET bottles, aiming to further realize the simplification of packaging materials and avoid increasing the difficulty of recycling PET bottles due to the different label materials and bottle materials
.

Let's take a look at what creative packaging for label-free bottles has been launched by major brands
.

Coca-Cola launches label-free PET bottle again

This month, Coca-Cola debuted a label-free PET bottle called "Coca-Cola Contour Label Free" in South Korea
.

To differentiate original and Coca-Cola Zero, different cap colors are used
.
Coca-Cola also specially designed the bottle with an iconic outline shape to help consumers easily recognize the Coca-Cola brand
.
The move aims to align with South Korea's environmental protection requirements, adapt to the industry's no-label trend, and eliminate labels on plastic bottles to improve the recyclability of plastic bottles
.

So far, Coca-Cola's soda brand sea gram's, bottled water brands PyeongchangSoo and Vio Soonsoo, and beverage brand Toreta have launched label-free packaging in South Korea
.

Jung-Hyun Kim, head of Coca-Cola Japan and Korea, said: "We want to do more than just remove the label, but combine convenience, innovation, environmental sustainability and branding to differentiate our products
.
Coca-Cola It has also changed consumer preference for unlabeled products, and we were looking to see if we could strengthen the preference for the Coca-Cola brand
.
"

According to The Korea Herald, Korea's largest English-language comprehensive newspaper, there is currently a high level of interest and demand among Korean consumers for unlabeled products
.
Some data show that environmentally friendly unlabeled bottled water accounts for more than 14% of the total sales of bottled water in supermarkets
.

Last year, Coca-Cola also launched 100% label-free recycled bottles for its drinking water brand I LOHAS in the Japanese market
.

100% rPET bottle of Hong Kong Feixue brand

The label-free bottle of Bonaqua, produced by Swire Coca-Cola Hong Kong in Hong Kong, is made of 100% recyclable rPET plastic
.

The company said the new bottle was inspired by rivers
.
It is designed to provide higher recycling efficiency simply by eliminating label material
.
When designing the packaging, the company also drew on sustainability practices from Japan's Coca-Cola Company
.

Bonaqua will cooperate with Baguio Waste Management & Recycling Ltd, a Hong Kong-based waste recycling company, and Hong Kong Ferris Wheel AIA Vitality Park for long-term recycling operations
.
All PET bottles collected will be shipped by Baguio to New Life Plastics Ltd - Hong Kong's first food-grade PET plastic recycling plant, which will start operations in summer 2021
.

The drink is currently sold on multiple online platforms
.

Evian's first label-free rPET bottle

The Danone Evian mineral water brand has launched its first label-free, 100% recyclable rPET bottle in Singapore in a 400ml bottle
.

The material of the cap on the Evian bottle is different from the rPET used in the bottle, which is made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and oriented polypropylene (OPP), both of which are recyclable
.

In addition to the embossed Evian brand logo on the bottle body, there is also the basic information of the product, and the entire bottle body has been completely de-labeled
.
According to the head of Evian, the 400ml bottle took two years to develop
.

Shweta Harit, Vice President of Evian Global Brands, said: “This move positions Evian as a pioneer in sustainable design solutions and is a real testament to our commitment to be a circular brand by 2025.

For us, now Providing consumers with natural mineral water in a more sustainable way is more important than ever
.
”

Suntory unlabeled green tea packaging

Suntory has launched a limited-edition label-free green tea packaging.
There are no stickers on the bottle packaging, only a small label on the bottle cap
.
This design also won the 2020 "JPDA Japan Packaging Design Competition" award
.

Left: before revision; right: after revision
.

Although the unlabeled beverage bottle is a bit monotonous, it looks very transparent, and consumers can directly feel the freshness and cleanliness of the brown color
.
It is said that after Suntory launched the bottled green tea, sales increased by 50% over the same period
.

How does an unlabeled bottle reflect the brand and message?

After the launch of "label-free" bottled water, comments were mixed, with some people calling it "creative", "environmentally friendly" and "easy to recycle"
.
So, how exactly does unlabeled bottled water reflect brand and label information? How to sell?

Take Evian's unlabeled bottle as an example, its brand LOGO and basic label information (such as capacity, etc.
) are stamped and engraved into the bottle body in the plastic bottle
.

Since there is no product barcode on the bottle body, bottled water cannot be used in retail channels such as ordinary supermarkets and convenience stores, but it can be sold in packages, with product information and barcodes printed on the outer packaging
.
Evian mainly promotes channels such as hotels, restaurants, and reception occasions
.
Evian said the new bottle is also suitable for e-commerce packaging that does not require barcode labels, which is also a sustainable solution
.

Although this kind of bottle is currently sold in Japan and South Korea, but with the advancement of global recycling measures and the introduction of more favorable policies, it is believed that more countries and regions will promote such bottles in the near future
.