Square SunnyD Bottle Reduces Carbon Footprint

Iconic brand Sunny Delight has released a new bottle with improved ergonomics.

The company partnered with Product Ventures to create a new square shape bottle that is more comfortable to lift and stores easier in the fridge door.

More imperatively, the new design helps reduce the beverage business' carbon footprint.

Product Ventures CEO Peter Clarke said that an opportunity was discovered to improve the problems with the existing bottle. The new shape composes a more efficient manufacturing process as well as a better handling experience.

"As a packaging designer, I find it gratifying that SunnyD's new advertising focuses on the ‘easy to pour - easy to store' bottle, and places the packaging itself as the centerpiece of the campaign," Clarke said. "This is an excellent example of the power of packaging and how it has become the true tangible ambassador of the brand."

Square SunnyD Bottle

Rick Zimmerman, head of VP, Marketing & Innovation found, "Both consumers and retailers prefer this new bottle since it is easier to pour, and fits in refrigerator doors and the shelves of stores." He said that consumers found it easier to use and store, and more easy to access by children if the bottle is stored in the fridge door.

"For retailers, the new design enables them to fit an additional row on the shelf, reducing the number of times they need to re-stock. And the squared-up design has the label always facing forward, versus the previous round bottle's random facing label - so branding is enhanced," he continued.

As for Sunny Delight Beverages Co (SDBC), "we have seen a volume increase in our gallon business from the new design."

According to the company's sustainability report, the new design has resulted in an annual decrease in packaging saving 9.7 million pounds per year. They saved 12 million pounds on corrugate, as the new bottle needs less support in transport. They were hoping to require even less corrugate with the new shape, but retailers reported some pallets as unstable. By the end of the year, SDBC hope to have brought the project to its full potential back tackling this issue.
As the brand's biggest selling bottle, they saw the change as a "big risk and big opportunity", but are pleased with the results and feedback.

Image Copyright Product Ventures