The Zork wine closure, an alternative to traditional cork closures, has been designed to differentiate the aesthetic appearance of a wine bottle. The product has a high quality, satin finish. The unique design means Zork does not require the added cost of a capsule to finish the packaging presentation once the closure has been applied. The multi-component, injection-moulded, tamper-evident closure, developed by ZORK Pty in Australia, features a good oxygen barrier, and an integral tamper-evident tear band. It is available in a range of colours and can be printed or de-bossed to add further brand identity.
Zork is made of three parts, of which the polyethylene cap provides a tamper evident clamp that locks the closure onto the CETIE band of a cork mouth bottle, the aluminium foil, welded between the inside of the cap provides an oxygen barrier equivalent to a screw cap and finally the polyethylene plunger, clipped into the inside of the cap and welded to the foil. The plunger creates the 'pop' on extraction and reseals the bottle after use and features an Oxygen Transmission Rate (OTR) of <0.0078cc/day.
All materials, 100% recyclable and coded to international standards are approved by the American FDA and European EEC. Only the plunger is in contact with the wine. This polyethylene based material has been independently tested to ensure it has no negative affects on the wine. Flushing with inert gas (CO2) immediately before capping is recommended. The Zork will withstand an internal bottle pressure up to 150kPa.
To open the Zork, the consumer simply breaks the seal and removes the tear tab and pulls it out. To reseal the closure can be pushed back in. No corkscrew needed.
The top of ZORK is available for pad printing in a single spot colour. The print area available is within a 24.0mm circle concentric with the centre of the top of the cap.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Satin-finish Cork Alternative
- The trend of using alternative closures, such as ZORK, with satin-finish aesthetic appearance, provides an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the wine industry.
- Multi-component Tamper-evident Closure
- The trend of developing multi-component closures, like ZORK, with tamper-evident features presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the packaging industry.
- Recyclable and FDA/EEC Approved Materials
- The trend of using recyclable and FDA/EEC approved materials, as seen in ZORK, creates an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the sustainability and food packaging industries.
Where This Applies
- Wine
- The wine industry can explore the use of satin-finish cork alternatives, like ZORK, to differentiate their product packaging and enhance brand identity.
- Packaging
- The packaging industry can adopt multi-component tamper-evident closures, such as ZORK, to improve product security and offer unique packaging solutions.
- Sustainability
- The sustainability industry can leverage the use of recyclable and FDA/EEC approved materials, like those used in ZORK, to promote eco-friendly packaging solutions.
