Being introduced in the one-quart size, the Eco Ultra FlexPak is constructed using a polyethylene barrier that provides superior burst and seal strengths required for the rigors of oil, Wesley said. A larger, 5.1-quart FlexPak will be available next year.

Peter Fox, vice president of marketing and retail sales for Universal Lubricants, noted that the company was developing a consumer product for the first time in its history. It has sold Eco Ultra for the past three years to the installer market, including quick lubes and car dealerships. As a marketer, it really became a challenge of how can we cost effectively bring a product in this environment and at the same time gain as much attention as we could in a cost effective manner, Fox told Lube Report. I and our team here looked for alternatives. Star Packaging of Atlanta came to Universal and suggested the FlexPak packaging.

Universal will debut Eco Ultra in the new one-quart FlexPak later this month at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo in Las Vegas, Nev. According to Universal, Pouch-packed engine oil products already have earned consumer acceptance in many countries around the world. Fox said other companies marketing similar packaging in the consumer market in other countries include Bardahl De Mexico SA de CV, which markets a product called Bardahl Bios in a stand-up pouch; Roshframs, which markets a similar product in Mexico and Latin America; and Valvoline, which offers a 2-stroke motor oil in a flexible pouch in India.

Fox described the FlexPak packaging as a marketers dream. Half the battle is getting the consumers attention, he said. At the point of sale, when you walk into a store, its a sea of sameness up there. The only thing that changes from quart to quart is the color of the bottle. This really stands out.

Rather than coming out with a green bottle that screams environment, its our position that we first and foremost need to convince the consumer that were worth putting into their car, Fox continued. Theyre not going to do that if they dont feel this is a brand they can trust. Performance has to be sold first, and environmentally friendly is sold second.

Fox described the manufacturing of the FlexPak pouch as a three layer assembly operation. To guarantee integrity, its thicker than most bags out on the market place for that reason, he noted. It needs to withstand the rigors of an oil change.

When its made, the pouch is run through rollers and completely flattened, so there is no air in it. One of the benefits of if youre a manufacturer is that it takes 26 trucks of empty [high density polyethylene] bottles to equal one truckload of empty pouches, Fox pointed out. So theres a tremendous benefit from supply side to manufacturer. And when this product is filled with oil, thats when it begins to expand. So theres still isnt any air in this product after it is capped and sealed.

Innovative Packaging Network, headquartered in The Netherlands, engineered the pour spout that prevents the traditional glugs and bubbles from bottles that can cause splatters and spells.

Fox noted there is only a small air pocket at the very top of the pouch. So when you open this thing, its very flexible – you can put your finger over it and manipulate this bag in any way, and not spill a drop, Fox explained. As soon as you take your finger off, it pours like a hose. It evacuates very quickly.

Universal did extensive consumer and installer testing for the FlexPak. We took it to many different shops in this area and other parts of our business platform, he recalled. They really liked it, for two reasons – it evacuated quickly, and when they were done with it, disposal was minimal in terms of what space it took up. Before, they were emptying trash cans every day, several times a day, and they dont do that with this product, so they really liked it.

He noted the lone criticism was from a quick lube operator who needed to change the oil in less than 10 minutes and liked to walk away and do other work while waiting for an engine oil bottle to empty. This flexible pouch will not do that, but there is a funnel thats on the market today where you could drop it inside this funnel and everything would be fine. That was the only criticism we received, and it was otherwise very positive, Fox said.

Universal Lubricants rerefinery in Wichita, Kan., processes used motor oil and produces 12 million gallons per year (about 783 barrels per day) of Group II base oil for direct sale or blending into the companys Universal ECO Ultra line of product, which is an American Petroleum Institute licensed line of automotive and industrial lubricants. Eco Ultra meets Original Equipment Manufacturers’ specifications and Society of Automotive Engineers requirements. The company has acquired land and received engineering approvals for a second rerefinery that would be operational by late 2013 to early 2014, but has not yet disclosed the location.