A “Method” to their madness: The application of spouted stand- up pouches for liquid-product refills marches on via the latest example—San Francisco-based Method's liquid hand-soap package (below).

The stock pouch, converted by Winpak (www.winpak.com) of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is translucent to not only show off the product's colors but match the line's translucent rigid bottles that consumers initially purchase, says Method spokesperson Katie Molinari. Other liquid soaps will be available in the pouch next month.

The refill uses 83 percent less plastic than a similar-sized PET bottle and, in turn, needs less energy to produce. The flexible container also ties in well with the overall environmentally-friendly slant of Method's household- and personal-care products, which are biodegradable, plant-based and non-toxic.

A new plastic jar for CanGro Foods, Inc., a Canadian processor of canned fruits and vegetables under the Del Monte brand, gets topped off with an innovative closure featuring a converted, flexible seal (at right).

Neck threading on the container, supplied by Graham Packaging (www.-grahampackaging.com) has been removed and incorporated into the three-part closure system from UK-based Bapco Closures, Ltd. (www.bapcoclosures.com). An overall, flexible-foil membrane is completely welded into position. The foil creates a secure vacuum seal, providing a tight, leak-resistant package, CanGro says. An easy-to-use pull ring lets consumers remove the foil membrane.

The new 82-mm closure system is exclusive to Bapco Closures and saves about 20 percent of the previous container's weight. The original CanGro package was a first-generation in moving from a metal can to plastic, notes Moe Fedyszyn, Graham Packaging sales director for Canada.

Symphase® technology, developed by The Netherlands-based Stamicarbon BV (www.symphase.com), has begun licensing its new, patented process to apply transparent, oxygen-barrier layers to flexible materials via vapor deposition of melamine. Viewed as having applications in key markets such as flexible packaging, Symphase is branded as Freshure® Coatings, particular for food products.

To protect packaged foods and liquids from oxygen ingress, plastic films for food packaging are typically provided with barrier coatings—some of which have limitations in terms of clarity, cost-effectiveness or environmental issues. As a reportedly environmentally-benign material, melamine is conventionally processed as an ingredient for liquid adhesives in manufacturing wood and paper-based products. Symphase is said to offer a genuine alternative for creating oxygen barriers. Freshure-Single Coat is available as a stand-alone, high gas-barrier coating or as Freshure-Top Coat—a top layer for oxide-coated or metallized films.

“We're extremely familiar with the properties and handling characteristics of this material,” says Shahab Jahromi, Symphase business manager. “We have partnered its obvious benefits—sustainability, the transparency of the coatings, the high-barrier values and its cost-effectiveness—with the markets where we see real openings.” One US film producer has already taken a license and invested in dedicated equipment for the process, he adds.