A Real Glass Act

One often hears of manufacturers switching packaging from glass to plastic because of environmental benefits.” Plastic is unbreakable and because it is lighter it reduces the brand’s “carbon footprint” by allowing more product to be loaded onto trucks and rail cars, using far less energy to ship in the process, they like to say. Yet in my opinion, there is no packaging more beautiful – and environmentally friendly – than glass. This view really came to light last month when I was asked by the Glass Packaging Institute to be a judge at their annual Clear Choice Awards glass packaging competition. This year’s contest attracted 72 entrants. Many were in the liquor and alcoholic beverage categories, as well as cosmetics and cologne, but there were also a number of unusual packages for items that one would not normally consider putting in glass, like yogurt and butter. My fellow judges – Paul Koning, instructor, School of Packaging, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.; Angelica Sbai, national director of wine and spirits at Palm Restaurant Group in Washington, D.C.; and Jarad Slipp, estate director at RdVineyards in Delaplane, Va. – and I met at the Washington offices of Fleishman Hillard and were given clipboards and asked to rate each entrant on a score of 1 to 5 on three criteria: innovation, design and shelf impact. There were seven categories: Beer, Wine, Distilled Spirits, Food, Non-Alcoholic Beverage, Fragrance/Cosmetics/Other, and Conversion Recognition (switched to glass from an alternative packaging material). To be honest, the judging was not easy as each product stood out in its own special way. I would say the most unusual glass packaging may have been the Traders Point Creamery yogurt, which is packaged in glass “honey pot” baby-food style jars. I had never seen yogurt packaged in glass before, although I remember the time when it was nearly all packaged in environmentally-friendly waxed paperboard cups. But on their entry form Traders Point officials noted that yogurt has been packaged in glass jars in Europe for years and that American consumers were also clamoring for it. Likewise, Hildebrand Farm Dairy packaged their specialty sea salted butter in a wide-mouth glass jar with a plastic lid. Nestled among the yellow boxes of Land O’ Lakes and red or blue tubs of Breakstone how could that not score a 5 for shelf impact? Honey turned out to be another sweet spot for glass packaging. This year’s nominees shunned the traditional Teddy bear and hive-shaped bottles in favor of really innovative vessels that were more akin to those used to hold precious bourbon or expensive balsamic vinegars. In fact, Tru Bee Honey bottles its Barrel-Aged Honey in recycled glass bottles that are an admitted nod to a Prohibition era when bourbon was bottled in flasks and was “something to be valued and savored until the last drop is poured” – just like their honey. Tru Bee also had another offering packaged in long-neck bottles with their necks coated in beeswax. They looked like elegant dinner candles from a distance. Some of the most beautiful packaging was in the alcoholic spirits category. Moreno BHLV Fine California Sparkling Wines tout their exclusivity with a large M on the label made with genuine Swavorski crystals. Others, like Arbor Mist, use shrink wrap films to create vibrant colors that truly pop off the shelf. I found one of the most beautiful to be the 1.75 liter Seagram’s Distillers Reserve Gin. While most gins are packaged in clear glass bottles, Seagram’s Distillers Reserve stands out because it is in a smoky gray waffle-weave print bottle that will definitely add a touch of elegance to any home bar or liquor cabinet. The waffle-weave print is certainly popular this year and showed up on several other tequila and rum bottles. It adds a classy touch that makes the bottles look more like a Waterford decanter one would find in the crystal department at Bloomingdale’s rather than on the spirits shelf at Safeway. We certainly had our work cut out for us and since we each judged at separate stations we do not know how the other voted. Fleishman Hillard officials are tallying the scores to determine the winners. They will be announced at the Pack Expo convention November 4 in Chicago. Be sure to check the Trade Talk section of our December issue to read about the winners.