PureCycle Technologies' Recycled Polypropylene Resin in Souvenir Cups, Sourz Adopts rPET Sleeve, and AGP-Europe Uses Recycled Glass Content
See a few examples of packaging that reduce material usage from PureCycle Technologies, Sourz, and Ardagh Glass Packaging-Europe from ThePackHub’s Innovation Zone.
The souvenir cups are part of Churchill’s Run It Back product line, which is designed to incorporate up to 100% recycled polypropylene and support both reusability and recyclability.
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These initiatives highlight the ongoing efforts to innovate within packaging and recycling, helping industries to reduce their environmental impact and move closer to a sustainable, circular economy.
PureCycle Technologies' recycled polypropylene resin used in cinema souvenir cup
US-based plastic recycling company PureCycle Technologies has announced that its PureFive recycled polypropylene resin is being used in a new range of cinema souvenir cups through a partnership involving Churchill Container and Golden Link North America. The souvenir cups are part of Churchill’s Run It Back product line, which is designed to incorporate up to 100% recycled polypropylene and support both reusability and recyclability. This marks the first known use of PureCycle’s recycled resin in licensed cinema drinkware tied to a major studio film release. Golden Link, which supplies promotional concession items to cinema operators in over 80 countries, is the first in the cinema concession sector to deploy the Run It Back range. Churchill Container, located in the Kansas City region, specializes in producing durable, reusable food and drink containers for high-traffic venues like stadiums and cinemas. The company is a member of the Green Sports Alliance and integrates recycled content and waste reduction into its manufacturing operations. The cups are intended to appeal to collectors and environmentally conscious consumers, and are designed to be either retained as keepsakes or recycled through standard household or theater systems.
The redesign features a shift from conventional labeling to a sleeve format made from 40% post-consumer recycled PET, printed using flexography. ThePackHub
Sourz adopts rPET sleeve and lightweight glass for updated bottle design
Spanish packaging company Overlar has collaborated with Beam Suntory to redesign the packaging for its alcoholic beverage brand Sourz, focusing on reducing environmental impact while preserving brand identity. The updated packaging introduces a lighter-weight glass bottle, which reduces the use of raw materials and lowers CO₂ emissions during both production and transportation. A key feature of the redesign is the shift from conventional labelling to a sleeve format made from 40% post-consumer recycled PET (rPET), printed using flexography. This change supports circular economy principles by repurposing plastic waste and aligns with regulatory and sustainability targets. The sleeve includes a longitudinal pre-cut to simplify removal, aiding in material separation and proper recycling. Additionally, the graphic redesign minimises the use of titanium dioxide by limiting the printed area, resulting in approximately 60% of the sleeve surface being transparent. This approach reduces ink usage, lowers energy demand in printing, and enhances product visibility.
The use of over 60% cullet reduces the need for virgin raw materials and contributes to lower production energy requirements and carbon emissions. ThePackHub
Vodka bottle incorporates high recycled glass content
Ardagh Glass Packaging-Europe (AGP-Europe), headquartered in Limmared, Sweden, has produced a vodka bottle made with over 60% recycled glass cullet in collaboration with design agency Pearlfisherand The Absolut Company International. The bottle, named Absolut Haring, draws inspiration from artist Keith Haring’s 1986 interpretation of the Absolut bottle and is the latest in Absolut’s artist-edition series. Manufactured exclusively at AGP-Europe’s Limmaredfacility, the bottle showcases how recycled materials can be integrated into high-quality, visually striking packaging. The use of over 60% cullet reduces the need for virgin raw materials and contributes to lower production energy requirements and carbon emissions. From a design perspective, the bottle features debossed dancing figures and a yellow screen-printed panel applied to the back, creating a full-colour illusion when viewed through the clear glass. Achieving this effect required precision moulding and alignment between decoration techniques, demonstrating AGP-Europe’s technical capabilities in combining sustainability with complex design. The use of a high recycled glass content without compromising aesthetic or structural quality reflects a growing industry trend of incorporating sustainability into premium and collectible packaging formats.
The redesign features a shift from conventional labeling to a sleeve format made from 40% post-consumer recycled PET, printed using flexography. ThePackHub
