Companies constantly innovate with technology and redesign their packaging to get better performance, improve marketability and enhance sustainability. Here’s a look at five recent product launches or redesigns on Packaging Dive’s radar.
Sky-high substrate switch
Delta Air Lines is switching to paper cups on its flights, which it says will eliminate nearly 7 million pounds of single-use plastic annually. This month, Delta began trialing the new cups on all cross-country domestic flights and some others, marking the final phase of testing, which is expected to finish in spring 2024. The airline said in a news release that it has spent years prototyping and testing paper cups, and it worked with “multiple suppliers” to develop the best design.
Cups used in flight must be able to withstand both hot and cold drinks while also holding up to the dissolving properties of alcoholic drinks, according to the airline. In addition, they need to stack in galley carts but easily separate when flight attendants serve customers. The company says the cups are compostable and recyclable at airport facilities.
Tethered top
TriMas Packaging’s affiliate Affaba & Ferrari, an Italian caps and closures business, will release a new tethered bottle cap designed for Coca-Cola. The 38 mm cap remains tied to a bottle after it is opened to aid recyclability. The company says this design features a wide opening angle for easy access to the beverage. This cap will launch in mid-2024, according to TriMas, ahead of the European Union’s directive requiring that all single-use beverage containers up to 3 liters include tethered caps by July 2024.
Butter barrier
UK-based packaging company Sirane Group developed Earthfilm Butter-Wrap, a paper-based packaging option for butter. The paper has a 100% plastic-free, heat-sealable coating. The company says the barrier protects against grease, oxygen and moisture, and that the packaging can be recycled in paper streams. The paper also can be used as a cover for spreads sold in tubs.
Taped up
Blue Lake Packaging released a plastic-free alternative to standard single-use clear wrapping tape. The Ecolife Plastic-Free Tape and Dispenser is made from wood and cotton fiber, and the tape reportedly has the same sticking power as competing products. The tape is wrapped around paper cores and the entire kit — containing one reusable dispenser and four rolls of tape — is wrapped in plastic-free packaging that the company says can be recycled with other paper products.
“We went through numerous iterations of design changes, just to prioritize recyclability in every piece of the product while making the whole user experience right,” said founder Ying Liu in a press release.
Lettuce increase PCR
Emerald Packaging developed a plastic bag for D’Arrigo California’s Andy Boy romaine hearts that contains 30% postconsumer recycled content, up from the 5% PCR it had been using since the beginning of this year. Circulus Holdings mechanically recycled the low-density polyethylene material, which received a U.S. Food and Drug Administration non-objection letter. The company worked with Emerald for more than a year to create the packaging. D’Arrigo California will transition to the new bags starting this month.
