Belgian sports drink marketer WCUP brings a new packaging concept to beverages in Europe with a 300-mL hybrid bottle made largely of flexible film. The company says the bottle structure answers sustainability demands with a carbon footprint 50% smaller than the PET container it replaces.

Minimal material uses, says bottle supplier Aisapack SA, translates to less processing energy and lower transportation costs. The three-part container includes a reclosable threaded cap. The three parts are a molded bottom and shoulder and a three-layer film lamination.

Bottle assembly resembles the tube-making process, in which the body is cut from rollstock and formed into a tube before having top and bottom pieces welded in place.

WCUP's isotonic drink is available in cycling shops, fitness clubs, and football clubs in much of western Europe. Company CEO Anita Van Genechten is so impressed by consumer response that she has completely replaced the line's PET containers.