Companies constantly innovate with technology and redesign their packaging to get better performance, improve marketability and enhance sustainability. Here’s a look at five of the recent redesigns and sustainable packaging solutions on Packaging Dive’s radar.
Wine in a line
Subscription service Vinebox gave a makeover to the packaging for its “12 Nights of Wine” Advent calendar. The 12 vials of wine now lie flat in a long box so the consumer can see all of them at the same time. Previous versions had the vials stacked in a 3x4 pattern, resembling traditional 12-bottle wine cases.
The new box also has a magnetic closure for an “elevated and easier unboxing experience,” the company said in a news release. A new informational insert provides facts about the wines’ origins, tasting notes and suggested pairings, plus the other side serves as a “frame-worthy art print.”
Padded out
Georgia-Pacific expanded its line of EarthKraft mailers to include an unpadded version for e-commerce shipments that do not need extra protection during transport, such as for shipping apparel and other soft products. Amazon is one of the key customers using this mailer.
The unpadded mailer is flexible and lightweight, which GP said can reduce freight costs. It is widely recyclable in curbside programs, according to GP, per its How2Recycle designation. It provides an alternative to the unpadded plastic mailers that are often used to ship apparel.
“The plastic mailers that have been the standard shipping option for apparel aren’t meeting the majority of consumer expectations, and brands are missing an opportunity to build loyal, repeat customers,” said Adam Ganz, vice president of commercial development at Georgia-Pacific, in a news release.
Taking root
Organic gardening brand Back to the Roots partnered with ProAmpac to launch what it says is the industry’s first soil packaging made from 100% postconsumer recycled plastic. Incorporating PCR into packaging for soil “has been a tough challenge given the unique environmental demands on the packaging,” the company said in a news release.
ProAmpac used advanced recycling, or chemical recycling, technologies to develop the PCR content. The recycled material bag is said to perform at the same level as virgin resin-based film. The recycled material received ISCC PLUS certification, a designation through the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification.
“We ultimately envision a world where our community can bring back their own reusable totes into stores to fill up with soil year after year after year; but in the meantime, we want to reduce & recycle — each bag we sell should use less and less drilled oil/gas and virgin plastic,” said Back to the Roots co-founder and co-CEO Alejandro Velez in the news release.
On the horizon
Eviosys debuted a new all-metal lid for tins, called Horizon. According to the company, this “ultra-light,” shallow metal lid is a first-of-its-kind solution for a packaging component that tends to be dominated by plastic. “Horizon has the potential to make plastic overcaps a relic of the past,” per an Eviosys news release.
Horizon is suitable for dry products packed in metal cans. The metal packaging is 100% recyclable, according to Eviosys, and will “satisfy the growing environmentally conscious mindsets of end consumers.”
Rebel, rebel
Beverage brand Rebbl redesigned its packaging to be an “occasion-based packaging design,” like “awake” and “focus,” that has “intuitive” labels yet still remains true to the brand’s original mission, the company said in a news release. “By connecting each drink with an occasion, the new packaging offers clear functional advantages and key ingredients, enabling customers to intuitively discern the best beverage that aligns with their preferences and desired experience at any time of day,” the release said.
The company says the 100% recycled PET bottles’ design revamp incorporated feedback from consumers who shared what they like most about the brand. The bottles are available nationwide this month.
