Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
What are the pros and cons of cellulose-based plant-based capsule closures for bottle sealing, and what are the regulatory and retail listing implications?
Cellulose-based plant closures are a plastic-free, compostable sealing option, but they come with handling challenges and significant retail compliance risks. **Suppliers and product specifics:** - **Viscose** — the main UK supplier mentioned. They produce cellulose capsules made from wood pulp fibres that are plastic-free and compostable (decompose in soil within four months). They're supplied "moist" in bulk containers (described as "commercial-sized baked bean tins"). Several members have trialled these successfully. **How they work:** - Shrink naturally at room temperature as they dry, or you can use a heater to speed up the process - Require careful handling — "not the easiest to handle" but deliver good results when managed properly **Critical retail compliance issue:** - **Major Tesco red-list problem:** These capsules are on Tesco's packaging red list (their exclusion list for suppliers wanting listings). Tesco flags them as a contamination risk to recycling waste streams because they are neither traditional plastic nor certified compostable in their systems. This is a significant barrier if Tesco listing is a business goal. - Members who discovered PLA versions were also red-listed moved to rPET alternatives from Viscose instead **Key takeaway:** Cellulose closures work well operationally but check Tesco's current packaging requirements (2024) before committing if retail distribution is planned.
What's the correct way to generate barcodes for drinks products?
Members strongly recommend using **GS1** for barcode generation, particularly if you plan to sell through major retail channels like Amazon. **Why GS1 matters:** - GS1 barcodes are internationally recognised and provide a dedicated company prefix for all your products - This is essential for Amazon Brand Registry and prevents rejection issues - Non-GS1 barcodes (including reconditioned/resold codes from other sources) have been rejected by Amazon and other retailers **Alternative option:** - **buybarcodes.co.uk** was mentioned as another source, though members noted problems with non-GS1 codes from similar sites leading to retailer rejections **Key warning:** Several members reported that buying cheaper barcodes from non-GS1 sources resulted in Amazon rejections. Investing in a proper GS1 account upfront prevents costly listing issues later.
What are the barcode margin requirements for outer case scanning at major retailers like Booker?
Members have reported that outer case barcodes (ITF-14 format) can fail to scan at Booker due to insufficient margin space around the barcode. - **Booker scanning requirements** — One member experienced barcode scan failures at Booker, despite the same barcodes scanning successfully at Sainsbury's, Waitrose, and Ocado. The issue was identified as the margin size around the ITF-14 barcode being too small relative to the barcode itself. The barcode must sit within a clear box with adequate margin space around it for reliable scanning. **Caveat:** The discussion doesn't provide the exact margin specifications (e.g., mm measurements) that Booker requires. Members should contact Booker directly or their account manager to confirm precise margin dimensions before printing outer case labels, as this appears to be a common issue that can prevent stock from being scanned into their system.