Prestone is adding a new option to its coolant packaging lineup: a 1-quart flexible pouch that uses 60% less plastic than its traditional 1-gallon HDPE jug. The new pouch, equipped with a certified child-resistant (CR) spout, is intended for top-off use cases and arrives on shelf with no additional secondary packaging.
The jug continues to serve its role for full flush-and-fill needs.
"This is a new product. It will not be replacing an existing one but complementing our current existing offer," says Jerome Dujoux, VP of marketing, branding & innovation for PFX Group, the brand owner behind Prestone. "The formulation is the same as our current best-selling Prestone iconic universal coolant anti-freeze — but in a new, innovative one-quart pouch format that has been specially designed to meet the needs of Millennials and women to make top-off easy."
PFX Group conducted U.S. market research to better understand packaging preferences among emerging consumer segments. According to Dujoux, 61% of surveyed millennials indicated a preference for eco-responsible coolant packaging, compared to 48% in the general population. The pouch format responds to concerns about plastic use while also offering easier handling for users who only need a small quantity to top off fluid levels. Dujoux notes the pouch could also be a fit for convenience retail settings.
The pouch is constructed from a three-layer lamination supplied by Zacros, consisting of a reverse-printed 48-gauge PET outer layer, a 60-gauge biaxially oriented nylon barrier layer, and a 5.5 mil polyethylene sealant layer. The adhesive layers between films are designed for chemical durability. The pouches are printed rotogravure in six colors, two-up.
Closure components include a 28-mm HDPE spout from Hoffer Plastics, heat-sealed to the pouch, and a push-down-and-turn CR closure from Amcor that incorporates an induction seal.
"The CR cap was a challenge," says Peter Jug, Prestone's senior packaging engineer. "We wanted to incorporate an induction seal, but not many CR pouch closures could do that. It took time to source and qualify the right one."
CR certification was performed to CPSC 16CFR 1700.20 standards by Bird Dog Marketing Group in Lancaster, Pa. The test protocol verifies that children aged 42 to 51 months cannot open the package, and that adults between 50 and 70 years of age can open and resecure it properly.
The pre-spouted pouches are filled through the opening at PFX’s Cincinnati facility. Filling is followed by cap application, induction sealing, and torque checks. Cases of six are hand-packed and taped using an automatic RSC taper. Each pallet is semi-automatically stretch-wrapped. Higher-speed automation is under evaluation.
The pouch was designed to be self-standing, avoiding the need for additional retail-ready or stabilizing packaging. Internal tests confirmed adequate shelf stability without inserts or trays.
"Putting another plastic pack on top would be a little bit counterintuitive to the 60% less plastic goal," Dujoux says. "The point is to try to answer a real consumer need with a real answer, not another marketing answer. Otherwise, there is no point."
The pouches will launch exclusively through AutoZone in October, available in-store and through autozone.com. AutoZone will also manage fulfillment for online orders. The smaller, top-off-oriented format may have future applicability in other retail channels such as gas stations.
Though not currently recyclable, the pouch can be incinerated. PCR content is not yet incorporated but is under active development.
"Sustainability is a journey. We're not done. We're starting in the right direction, and we're learning as we go," Dujoux says.
The pouch contains the same Cor-Guard antifreeze formulation found in Prestone's jugs.
"We didn’t compromise the formulation, the safety, or the integrity of the product," Dujoux says. "It's the same trusted product, in a more sustainable and convenient package."
The launch is part of a broader packaging and brand update planned around Prestone’s upcoming centennial. "Coolant hasn’t seen a lot of innovation in a long time," Dujoux says. "But our consumers are changing. Their expectations are changing. This pouch helps us meet them where they are." PW
