Made from a newly-developed “paper” material, the “combidome” packaging aims to combine the best features of a carton pack with the best features of a bottle. In design terms, combidome looks like a bottle, and features the conventional shape, stability and pouring action of a bottle.
However, in its basic structure, the product is more akin to a carton pack in terms of product protection, environmental and economic considerations. The entire carton pack – from the base to the dome – is manufactured from a paperboard composite.
Markus Boehm, chief market officer (CMO) at SIG Combibloc: “With combidome, we have created a carton pack that offers a new dimension in differentiation and convenience, and brings with it all the proven environmental benefits of the beverage carton.”
The carton pack consists of two sections: a carton body, which is composed from the base to the dome of paperboard composite, and the screw cap. Inside the combidome filling machine, the two components are assembled into the finished carton pack, aseptically filled and securely sealed. The single-action so-called domeTwist screw cap is positioned in the centre of the package’s top, and is easy to open.
“At 28 mm, the inner diameter of the closure is particularly large, ensuring smooth pouring and enabling consumers to drink conveniently straight from the carton pack. In an initial stage, combidome is designed as a packaging solution for non-carbonated soft drinks. The protective composite structure of the combidome carton is composed primarily of raw paperboard and polymers,” the company explained in a statement.
“At around 75%, paperboard is the main ingredient of this composite structure, and gives the carton stability. The inner polymer layers form a liquid barrier for the beverage; the outer layer keeps moisture out. Added to this is a thin aluminium layer, which protects the product from light, oxygen and external odours.”
