Fonte Margherita and Water in Gable Top Cartons
A while back we reported about the cooperation between Fonte Margherita, Galdi and its in-house start-up FILL good, which resulted in the launch of the first water packaged in Gable Top cartons in Italy.
Today we are going to give you a few more details about this innovative project.
AT THE SOURCE OF SUSTAINABILITY
Fonte Margherita strongly believes in sustainability, which is also at the core of the company's mission. Nicola Sartore, Managing Director at Fonte Margherita, recalled:
"In 2017, we decided that packaging at Fonte Margherita was to be as sustainable as possible".
The company was looking for a sustainable packaging solution, matching their deposit return scheme glass line. The container had to be:
- Light
- Unbreakable
- Optimised for transport
And of course the preferred choice was Gable Top cartons, which are made mostly from FSC paper (70%) and fully meet the above requirements.
THE FULL TASTE OF WATER IN A GABLE TOP CARTON
Fonte Margherita wanted to offer consumers a practical and eco-friendly container, but they also had another requirement. In the words of Alessia Cicchelero, Quality and Testing Manager at Fonte Margherita:
“Our waters make up the heritage of our region (...) They carry the flavour of the rocks they flow through, preserving the taste and flavour of Piccole Dolomiti, our mountains. This is the reason why the research we do on our packaging is so important, as it must preserve all the qualities and characteristics of the water at the source."
In order to offer a packaging solution that would meet the requirements and preserve the characteristics of the product, FILL good adopted a multidisciplinary approach, also involving Galdi.
Combining FILL good's expertise with Galdi's know-how, we conducted a number of filling, quality and microbiological tests, which led to the selection of the optimal packaging solution for Fonte Margherita's mineral water.
We worked with the customer throughout the installation process and assisted with the audit by the local health authorities too, with the goal of offering a full support package with a high added value.
RETAIL, HOSPITALITY, VENDING MACHINES AND MORE
It's been a year since the project was completed and now we can say that the idea of water in Gable Top cartons has been very successful.
Fonte Margherita launched two water carton lines, one each for the Retail and the Hospitality (Ho.Re.Ca) sectors. The results were really impressive, as pointed out by Mr. Sartore:
“We were pleasantly surprised at how receptive the market was, both in the Ho.Re.Ca. sector, with the product now available at many restaurants, and also through new channels, like the vending machine market, where cartons have replaced plastic bottles.”
And what are the next steps? Here is what Mr. Sartore said about the future:
"The cooperation with FILL good was so successful that, after the 500ml pack, we are now working on the 330ml version to tap into a market segment we are not reaching at the moment".
So grab a Gable Top water carton, sit back and enjoy!