Are Trayless Multipacks the Future of Beverage Packaging?

Should drinks packaging include a tray?

Historically, multipack beverage packaging has generally included a cardboard tray. This was essentially to guard against damage during transit, ensuring multipacks arrived at retailers damage-free.

But are packaging trays still necessary for today’s retail environment?

Our first request to remove the trays in the co-packing process came from one of our largest clients, on the basis that shelf stackers were removing the wrap but not the tray from multipack beverage packaging when placing on shelf.

Our initial solution had been to add printed instructions for in-store staff, specifying that the retail ready packaging trays should be removed, but we quickly found that multipacks were still being left in the cardboard trays rather than placed directly on to shelf. 

Are corrugated trays essential for packaging drinks for retail?

No, corrugated trays are not automatically needed for drinks in retail stores. While they provide a solution for transporting and displaying drinks, by simply using a wrap they can be removed, reducing overall packaging use and avoiding on shelf branding issues.

Prism supplied retailers with millions of cans co-packed in multipacks with no tray for retail ready packaging, delivering significant sustainability and financial benefits.

What are the issues with cardboard trays for multipacks?

If beverage multipacks are left inside their shelf ready packaging trays, they are much harder for the customer to remove than if they were sitting directly on store shelves. If the customer is looking to quickly grab their multipack and move on, the additional difficulty presented by the tray could even prevent a sale.

Additionally, if multipacks are left in retail ready trays, this could detract from the branding on the beverage packaging, potentially making a brand less visible than competitors whose products are directly on the shelf. Damage to trays can also impact on the visual impact of brands on shelf and direct a consumer to other products which are more visible.  

What are the benefits of trayless packaging for multipacks?

Removing the tray from multipack beverage packaging makes shipments quicker to pack, as it allows us to automate the case wrapping process, and cuts packaging use and costs.

Removal of trays represents a significant overall reduction in packaging. This is especially important in light of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy, which requires producers to keep a detailed report of all packaging materials and how they are disposed.

Whilst cardboard is generally classed as ‘Green’ under the policy’s Recycling Assessment Methodology (RAM), it will still incur EPR fees as part of Governmental efforts to cover the cost of collection and recycling. Alongside reducing the amount of overall packaging, removing trays also reduces the weight of packaging products and therefore the costs and energy in their transportation. 

For the last three years, Prism has supplied retailers with millions of cans packed in multipacks with no tray for retail ready packaging. This translates to significant sustainability and financial gains to the client, with virtually no downside.

If you’re considering how you can streamline your beverage packaging with trayless solutions, get in touch here.