Greiner combines square cup and sealing lid

Greiner Packaging is combining its CUBO square cup with the Click In Sealing Lid to create a food packaging system designed to reduce material use, improve logistics efficiency and simplify the overall pack structure.

The concept brings together two separate innovations within a single solution. CUBO uses a square geometry to improve space utilisation, while the sealing lid replaces the conventional combination of sealing foil and overcap with a simpler two-component system.

Square geometry improves pallet efficiency

The CUBO format has been developed as an alternative to conventional round cups, with its square footprint allowing containers to be packed more tightly throughout warehousing and distribution.

According to Greiner Packaging, the format can fit up to 30% more 400 ml cups on a pallet compared with an equivalent round cup. This corresponds to four additional layers and can significantly reduce the number of pallet positions required across high-volume operations.

Transport requirements can also be reduced

The improved stackability and lower overall height can deliver benefits beyond warehouse utilisation. Based on an annual volume of 25 million 400 ml cups, Greiner estimates that the format could eliminate up to 160 truck journeys.

Reducing transport movements can lower logistics costs while also decreasing the carbon footprint associated with distribution. This highlights how packaging geometry can influence environmental performance even when the amount of product being packed remains unchanged.

Click In lid removes additional sealing foil

The Click In Sealing Lid simplifies the primary packaging structure by replacing the traditional combination of sealing foil and snap-on lid. The pack therefore consists only of the container and the sealing lid.

An integrated mechanism creates a tactile and audible click when the lid is securely closed, helping consumers confirm that the pack has been properly resealed after opening.

Mono-material PP supports recyclability

When both the cup and lid are produced in polypropylene, the solution becomes a mono-material PP structure. Eliminating the aluminium or plastic sealing foil reduces the number of components that consumers need to separate before disposal.

This simpler material structure can support recyclability while also reducing overall material consumption, particularly in applications that currently use both a foil membrane and an additional rigid lid.

Resealability supports product protection

The lid is designed to provide leak-resistant performance while allowing repeated opening and closing. Secure reclosure can help preserve food quality after first use and make the packaging more suitable for products consumed over several occasions.

Greiner positions this functionality as an important part of the wider packaging system, combining consumer convenience with material efficiency rather than treating them as competing objectives.

Decoration remains flexible

CUBO can be produced through injection moulding or thermoforming and is available in PP, with PET and rPET also possible depending on requirements. Decoration options include in-mould labelling, sleeves and Greiner’s K3 cardboard-plastic solution.

The square surfaces also create flat areas for branding and product communication, potentially improving shelf visibility compared with conventional round containers.

Packaging innovation targets the full value chain

The combination demonstrates how packaging design can create efficiencies across production, storage, distribution, retail and consumer use rather than focusing exclusively on material reduction.

CUBO and the Click In Sealing Lid have also been selected as a finalist in the Food & Beverage category of the 2026 Technology Excellence Awards at PACK EXPO International, reflecting growing industry interest in packaging systems that combine operational efficiency with simplified material structures.