DOWBRANDS IS MODERNIZING CONTAINERS

LISA A. TIBBITTS

INDIANAPOLIS -- DowBrands here is making multiple package improvements, both aesthetic and functional, on six of its brands in response to the results of consumer research. Ultra Vivid color safe bleach and Ultra Yes laundry detergent both feature pour-back caps and reduced bottle sizes.

The container shapes of Dow bathroom cleaner with Scrubbing Bubbles, Fantastik all-puspose cleaner, Glass Plus multisurface cleaner and Spray 'N Wash laundry stain remover have all been redesigned to improve top-to-bottom weight balance and offer more comfortable hand grips.

"It's an upgrade to a more modern design," said Don Janish, vice president of operations for DowBrands. "There are some functional parts of our new design too, and that also is in response to consumer needs. The ergonomics of the bottles have been greatly improved, particularly in the sprayer bottles.

"This new technology puts us in the position of being much more competitive because these are high-speed lines and we're maximizing the productivity of raw materials," added Janish.

The containers, made of high-density polyethylene, use a minimum of 25% of post-consumer recycle resin, according to Tim Millar, manager of packaging engineering for DowBrands.

They are totally recyclable, except for the bottle sprayers, which have small metal devices in them. The bottles have thinner walls, but are still strong enough to maintain their shape because less plastic is used to make them. The in-mold paper labels allow for easier recycling.

"This new technology almost totally eliminates scuffing of the label and scratching of the bottle as it's being packaged [for shipping] and there's no opportunity to cause leakers with this new process."

New design technology developed by DowBrands was used for the sprayer products. They sport a new sprayer dip tube that allows consumers to use all the product in the bottle. The sprayer dip tube inside the bottle is bent to reach to the front corner of the bottle to allow consumers to extract all the product from it. In the past, the tube did not reach the bottom of the container so users would have to throw it away while there was still some liquid remaining.

"Again, this is responding to a consumer need. The response that we got back was that people weren't really happy with the fact that they bought this product but couldn't get it out of the container," said Janish.