Pails in Comparison Thanks to Bespoke Wet Wipe Design

RPC Containers Oakham has developed a new lightweight 3 litre plastic pail designed to meet growing demand from the wet wipe market.

Although specialists in containers for paints and DIY products, RPC Oakham has long supplied its pail range to the healthcare industry, as the format is ideal for hospital environments where large quantities of wet wipes are used. RPC Oakham has traditionally customised the lid with the inclusion of a fitment for easy dispensing of wipes – manufactured by RPC Market Rasen – but until now the pail design itself has remained unchanged.

With the market continuing to grow, RPC Oakham recognised the potential to develop a bespoke design that better suited the requirements of the market. “The stresses on the walls of a 3 litre container differ depending on the contents,” explains Mark Seddon of RPC Oakham. “Our standard range is designed to withstand the weight of heavy products such as paint, but for wet wipes there isn’t the same need for that level of durability.”

New tooling was developed to optimise the pack design based on RPC’s knowledge of fillers’ and end users’ requirements. A substantial amount of the container material (PP) has been removed, offering lighter handling and significantly improved logistical efficiencies during transit. At the same time, the height of the container has been increased to suit the industry’s filling and lidding processes, while superior nesting enables the stacking of more units per pallet.

The convenient fitment remains the same, but RPC Market Rasen has added a tamper-evident tab on the lid to provide further product security.

As with its standard pail range, RPC Oakham offers various decoration options to ensure eye-catching appearance and brand differentiation. Both in-mould labelling (IML) and dry-offset printing are available, the handle can be supplied in plastic or metal, and the lid and fitment can be specified in a range of colours.

RPC Oakham believes that the new pack design – without the fitment – could be used for other sectors where lightweight contents are packed into pails, such as drinking powder, catering snacks and many other low density products.