Packaging

Measuring Cap Gives Slug Bait a Fresh Dose

RPC Containers UKSC and Market Rasen have joined forces to provide Bayer Garden with a pack solution for Slug Bait that includes a new bespoke measuring cap developed to prevent overdosing.

Wednesday 14. April 2010 - RPC Containers UKSC and Market Rasen have joined forces to provide Bayer Garden with a pack solution for Slug Bait that includes a new bespoke measuring cap developed to prevent overdosing.

Slug Bait was launched by Bayer Garden in response to consumers’ desire for an organic alternative to its market leading Bio Slug & Snail Killer. Fully rain-resistant, the Slug Bait pellets can be used all around the garden and children and pets need not be excluded from treated areas, while its active ingredient, Ferric Phosphate, biodegrades harmlessly in soil and is then taken up by plants, acting as a fertiliser.

The new dosing cap is an evolution driven by Bayer Garden’s commitment to providing gardeners with highly practical, safe and effective solutions. Overdosing is a common issue when using slug pellets, as some gardeners assume that the plants and garden areas requiring the most protection from slug damage should be generously dosed. But this is not the case.

RPC’s solution, developed by its Design Studio and injection moulded in PP at RPC Market Rasen, combines two components – a red base cap and clear overcap which, when joined together, lock into a complete unit. The overcap incorporates a small dispensing hole; depending on its alignment with the base cap, it can be set to ‘Off,’ ‘On,’ or ‘Dose.’

In the ‘Off’ position, the dispensing hole is blocked by a raised portion of the base cap. To use, the consumer squeezes the two sides of the overcap and turns it through either 90 or 180 degrees. At 90 degrees, the cap enables free-flow pouring of pellets; but at 180 degrees, it becomes aligned with a chamber inside the base cap that holds only the correct measure of pellets required to dose one square metre.

The cap has been developed to be child-resistant, and the design is currently CRC-pending. The new container, manufactured by RPC UKSC, joins the existing 350 g Slug Bait bottle, which won the Best Consumer Packaging category at the 2009 Garden Industry Manufacturers Association (GIMA) awards. The S-shaped bottle offers distinctive visual presence as well as ergonomic contours ideal for dispensing the pellets. The overall effect is accentuated by an all-over sleeve from CCL Decorative Sleeves that combines eye-catching visuals with clear consumer instruction.

“The benefits of the container have now been combined with the innovative dosing cap to ensure that consumers using Slug Bait get the best results for their garden,” comments Laura Varey of Bayer Garden. “This shared solution highlights the value that different RPC sites can bring in terms of specialist pack manufacture.”

Bio Slug and Snail Killer contains metaldehyde. Slug Bait contains Ferric Phosphate. Always read the label. Use pesticides safely.