76-Year-Old Company's First Use of PET Delivers Glass-Like Appearance, Reduced Breakage, and Lower Cost
MANCHESTER, Mich., Oct. 6, 2011 – Mrs. Griffin’s Barbecue Sauce in Macon, Ga., a well-established Southern food brand and one of the Southeast’s most popular barbecue sauces since 1935, has converted its 12oz and 32oz products from glass to lightweight polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles from Amcor Rigid Plastics, the world’s leading producer of rigid plastic packaging. The packaging change represents Mrs. Griffin’s first use of PET bottles in its 76-year history.

Conversion from glass to the 12oz ring neck and 32oz decanter PET bottles has resulted in a major reduction in freight costs and a significant reduction in breakage/damaged goods charge backs from retailers, according to Roland Neel, president and CEO of Mrs. Griffin’s. “We’ve been in business 76 years so our move from glass to plastic was made only after careful deliberation and research,” explained Neel. “In the end, lightweight PET not only delivered a huge savings in terms of transport costs and breakage but also gave us the glass-like appearance and shelf life appeal to maintain Mrs. Griffin’s brand image of premium quality.”

Neel also noted that PET meets the growing sustainability requirements of the packaging and retail industry by providing a reduced carbon footprint, recyclability, and reduced...