My name is Eric Bunk, and I am currently a senior in the School of Packaging here at Michigan State. I will be graduating this semester; however, I will be continuing my education by pursuing a Masters in Packaging as well (also at MSU!). Previously, I have participated in two co-op programs — the first being with PepsiCo in the Chicago area. While at PepsiCo, I was part of their Discovery and Applications team and had the opportunity to work on non-carbonated beverage brands such as Gatorade, Tropicana, and Naked Juice. This co-op really helped me become familiar with a variety of beverage processes/filling operations, and the packaging requirements that go along with that. I was actually able to visit several plants and see first-hand how these operations take place. I specifically took part in a project that was introducing a new technology in Gatorade bottles to alleviate the vacuum caused by hot-filling, and I led a light-weighting initiative for a new single serve concentrate that is hot-filled into PET pods. My second co-op was with Unilever in Trumbull, CT. At Unilever, I worked on the Skin Cleaning team and worked primarily with body wash products.