Amcor creates inclusively designed lightweight cap for Wattwiller

Amcor has unveiled a lightweight, ergonomically designed closure for Wattwiller, a premium water brand sold in France. The new customised tethered cap is a collaborative project with the brand’s owner Spadel.

Wattwiller is a natural mineral water with zero nitrates and low sodium, a combination that gives it a neutral and balanced taste. The brand is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and in 2020 became the first French SME in the water market to achieve 100% carbon neutrality across its entire lifecycle of products. From production and packaging to bottling and distribution, the company continues to take action to reduce its impact on the environment and the new cap is part of Spadel’s commitment to developing packaging with an ever lower environmental footprint. 

Amcor and Spadel worked on the innovative closure for a year. Manufactured from HDPE, the closure is recyclable with PET bottles and lighter compared to the previous design. In addition, Amcor switched to a smaller 26 mm neck, which also reduces weight. The closure is made at its Frankental, Germany facility.

‘Compared with the previous solution, Amcor’s closure is lighter and better aligned with Spadel’s sustainability goals,’ said product line director Sarah de la Mare. ‘The project leveraged our strengths in research and development, design and lightweighting.’

As well as its lightweight design, the closure promotes inclusivity, helping consumers with limited dexterity such as the elderly or people with disabilities. The flower shaped cap combines smooth and ribbed surfaces for enhanced grip and ease of opening. The result is a more premium closure than standard versions in the still water segment, that reflects Wattwiller’s commitment to quality, sustainability and accessibility.

‘Collaboration was central to this project,’ added Sarah. ‘To work with Spadel closely meant that we were able to successfully identify the challenges and demonstrate that not all tethered caps are the same. Amcor’s are an innovative, forward thinking packaging solution as well as being practical and user friendly.

‘In addition to highlighting Amcor’s strong track record of working with partners and ability to create bespoke solutions to meet very specific needs, the closure ideally demonstrates how inclusive design can be achieved alongside sustainability goals.’

‘We are proud of this collaboration with Amcor,’ said Julian Schmitt, marketing manager at Spadel. ‘Its expertise has helped deliver an innovative closure that showcases not only our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment, but also our desire to demonstrate accessible design in our packaging.’