Unlabeled bottled water is launched in Japan and South Korea one after another

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
.
Instead, it adopts the processing technology of in-mold embossing to form relief, or laser marking
.

In this way, the de-labeled bottle enters the recycling system without removing the label, and can be recycled together with the bottle body, making 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

Coca-Cola launched its first 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
.

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 AIA Vitality Park, Hong Kong Ferris Wheel, 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
.

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
.

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
.

So how does the label-free 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 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.
At the same time, Evian said that the new bottle is also suitable for e-commerce packaging without 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
.