Fuze ignites the beverage market in PET bottles

FUZE Beverage, LLC, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, converts its iconic, glass, single-serve bottle to a custom, 18.5-oz PowerFlex™ polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle from Amcor PET Packaging (www.amcor.com).

“The signature, eye-catching graphics and the esthetic charm of our glass bottle have been captured in the new PowerFlex version to allow consumers practicality, safety and convenience in today's grab-and-go culture,” explains Bill Meissner, vp of marketing at FUZE. Available in various types of retail outlets, the PET bottle allows the beverage to enter alternative channels, such as airlines, military and foodservice, that were not possible in glass. FUZE was available in a 16.9-oz PowerFlex bottle in early 2007. The smaller container size was created for multipack and special-purpose venues such as concerts and sporting events. The success of the 16.9-oz bottle, coupled with consumer research, convinced the company that the time was right to convert its flagship size.

The PET bottle closely replicates the look and feel of the glass version. Amcor worked closely with its FUZE counterparts to make sure that not only the esthetics were achieved, but that production and filling objectives were also met. The PowerFlex bottle features a revolutionary, patented, panel-less design that withstands hot filling (185 deg F) and absorbs vacuum via a unique diaphragm within the base which draws upward as the liquid cools.