The Potential of Bag-In-Box Packaging for Water

At Scholle IPN, our most exciting innovations answer the most human needs—and our new water packaging solutions will change the way we consume water.

Sometimes, what seems basic is incredibly difficult and complex, requiring years of research and work to pull off. At Scholle IPN, we work on innovative ways to package products safely, and we’re thrilled to announce that one of most recent innovations answers a basic need: we’ve developed the first APR-Recognized, 100% recyclable bag-in-box that is ideal for the retail water market.

“There is no more valuable product to human beings than water—water is life.” says Kevin Bergenthun, our Regional Commercial Director and water packaging lead. “Water seems like the easiest thing to package, but it is really one of the toughest things to package because if water is done right, water should have no taste or odor. If it does, then you’re toast.”

Utilizing our already-patented 2Pure technology, we’ve been able to design a system that allows water to be shipped in a bag-in-box without picking up off flavors. It seems simple enough, but water will pick up contaminants and odors—think of when you leave a glass of water out on the counter for a few days and then take a sip. “I have run into scenarios where water ends up tasting or smelling like Christmas trees or rubber tires or whatever the truck driver hauled in his previous load,” Bergenthun says. “2Pure is not simply a plastic bag film, it’s flavor barrier technology and there’s only one 2Pure and Scholle IPN has it.” 

A Growing Sector

Selling water in a bag-in-box might seem like a challenge, but not one we haven’t met before. “It’s a paradigm shift in water, just like it was at one point with wine,” Bergenthun says. 

The value proposition for wine in bag-in-box was clear, but no one anticipated how quickly the sector would grow. In 2019, the wine bag-in-box market was valued at $1.6 billion dollars, and is anticipated to grow close to $2 billion over the next five years. 

Along with market growth, bag-in-box packaging saves on e-commerce costs and reduces freight shipping. When you ship water in rigid formats, at least some of what you’re shipping is air—bag-in-box is a more economical use of space and material. “So when folks see that they can literally take dozens of trailer loads a year off of the road, simply by getting water in a bag from Scholle IPN—that’s a big deal,” says Bergenthun. 

The impact of bag-in-box water can be felt on a small scale as well. “If you take a shrink wrap package of water for your kid’s soccer game, those bottles and packaging are going to end up literally everywhere,” Bergenthum shares. “They’re going to be left half drunk and wasted.” 

In an era where having your own water bottle is encouraged, more and more folks are looking to lighten their environmental impact by swapping out single-use cups and drinking water for reusable vessels. Water bag-in-box meets consumers where they’re at, and provides an easy value to consumers looking to make simple and sustainable swaps in their everyday life. 

A Billboard in the Water Aisle

“Anytime you use a water bag-in-box, you are literally creating a billboard for your brand.” 

A traditional water bottle only has so much space for a brand to share their story, and it’s often distorted by awkward shrink wrapping and needs to be reprinted on every single bottle. Bag-in-box provides significantly more real estate for a brand to create a visual identity that is eye-catching to consumers. “What happens with a water bag-in-box is that folks are saying, ‘Oh my goodness, I’ve got an entire billboard now that I can do anything I want with,’” Bergenthum says.

The branded packaging you’ve seen on plastic bottles are often picked off as a consumer sips, but with water bag-in-box, the message endures, and folks are constantly being presented an impactful message every time they go to get water. 

No More Half-Empty Bottles

In an era where having your own water bottle is encouraged, more and more folks are looking to lighten their environmental impact. Water bag-in-box meets consumers where they’re at, and provides an easy value to folks looking to make simple and sustainable swaps in their everyday life. 

Be Prepared

As Bergenthum mentioned, water is essential to life, and it’s often a high priority to figure out how to access clean and safe water during moments of crisis. Water bag-in-box can be stored efficiently and has a long shelf life, making it an ideal way to store water to prepare for a catastrophe.” Bergenthum says. “We call that disaster preparedness water.”

“Maybe one of the biggest benefits of water bag-in-box is to be able to ship water in bulk very quickly, very quickly,” he says. Because water bag-in-box can be shipped exponentially more efficiently than water in rigid formats, safe drinking water can arrive to areas affected by disaster quickly and can be distributed to households in bulk versus picking up a few bottles. The difference here is difficult to overstate—and is a matter of critical importance. 

“You don’t understand the value of water until there is none,” Bergenthum says. 

Find out more about our water bag-in-box and how you can make the switch from plastic bottles today!