The system uses a retractable device which is held briefly against the surface of plastic or glass packaging.

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The companies involved read like a Who's Who of industrial America: high-value, energy-intensive businesses like steel, aluminum, plastics, glass, vehicles and packaging.

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"If you think about it from the standpoint of a winery, you can get the same amount of wine in 40% fewer trucks in our packaging, compared to glass bottles, " explains Ed Klein, Tetra Pak's VP of public and environment affairs.

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Monti killed that deal on a theory called conglomeratization: By buying a maker of machinery that produces rival plastic bottles, Tetra Laval could in a few years leverage its lead position in cartons to also control plastic alternatives (glass bottles and tin cans are the packaging products still out of Tetra Laval's reach).

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That year the company brought in bleached wood and etched glass for its counters, a new blue for its packaging and more androgynous models who glowed with energy and health.

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Despite Boisset's reluctance to give up on glass entirely, the company is largely seen as the leader in embracing alternative packaging for wine.

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