Abstract:

The authors describe the development, over a period of four years, of a research programme for a new container designed to offer an alternative to glass bottles and metal cans for beer and carbonated soft drinks. The new container is the ICI 'Merolite' pack, which offers a low-energy alternative to traditional containers for these important consumer products. There were, however, many problems associated with educating consumers to accept the containers' novel appearance and handling characteristics.