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 revamps on Packaging Dive’s radar.
Accessible control
Sony PlayStation is releasing a controller in December designed for people with disabilities, and the packaging will be accessible, too. The packaging is designed to be opened with one hand, with loops that can be pulled from either the left or right side. Additional loops help to open the internal boxes so the user can slide out the controller. The 22 components are arranged in a single layer for easy access and identification.
The company said in a blog that the product has been in the works for five years. “We truly can’t wait to see all the creative ways the accessibility community will customize and use the Access controller to enjoy gaming,” the blog said.
Give it a squeeze
Dymapak launched a “revolutionary, 100% curbside recyclable child-resistant” squeeze-and-turn tin for CPG use, such as for cannabis products. It says the metal construction and airtight seal keep products fresher longer. The proprietary closing mechanism provides audible and tactile feedback when opening and closing to confirm the seal.
Although it is child-resistant, the tin also is designed to be accessible by customers with arthritis or other mobility conditions, the company said in a news release. Dymapak submitted the squeeze-and-turn tin “for child-resistant testing and will be evaluated in accordance with CPSC standards.”
Holding hazardous fluids
Berry Global developed large containers made with recycled content that are suitable for transporting hazardous liquids. The new additions to the existing Optimum line contain 35% recycled HDPE. Berry said the containers are lightweight and suitable for applications such as holding fluids for agriculture and horticulture, automotive care and pool care. They are also UN-approved for carrying water, wetting solution, acetic acid, white spirit and N-butyl acetate.
“We believe these new containers offer one of the highest contents of recycled material with UN approval currently available on the market,” said Rudolph Pfeiffer, general manager for Berry Global BMS, in a statement.
Including recycled content in the containers proved challenging for receiving United Nations accreditation, the company said in a new release, because the UN requires stable and repeatable processing to ensure quality, yet typical material processing can produce varying results.
Running at room temperature
Microtek Laboratories, a CAVU Group company, introduced a thermal shipper that keeps items such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices at room temperature during transport. While thermal shippers most commonly are associated with cold chain (2°C-8°C) applications, the company said managing controlled room temperature products (15°C-25°C) is just as important. The Adaptek CRT365 validated shipper provides 48 hours of controlled temperature regulation and is suitable for use year-round, the company said in a news release. It does not require active temperature conditioning.
“As manufacturers continue to introduce new products, it is imperative that logistics keeps pace to ensure their safe and affordable delivery,” Timothy Riazzi, CAVU president, said in a news release.
Perfectly compostable
UMF|PerfectCLEAN, which distributes textiles for the commercial cleaning and infection control markets, launched what it says is fully compostable packaging for its PerfectCLEAN branded line of products. The compostable packaging is derived from corn; the news release doesn’t specify any details on compostable product certification.
“More and more, our clients — be they in healthcare, hospitality, education, food services, or other industries — are elevating their own sustainability standards. Our new compostable packaging further supports them in decreasing their own environmental footprints,” UMF|PerfectCLEAN CEO George Clarke said in a news release.
The compostable packaging already rolled out for select products and will extend to the entire product line by early next year.
