Companies constantly innovate with technology and redesign their packaging to get better performance, improve marketability and enhance sustainability. Here’s a look at three recent product launches or redesigns on Packaging Dive’s radar.

Pivoting to paper 

British grocery chain Tesco changed the packaging for multi-packs of its own-branded pocket tissue from plastic to paper. Both the individual tissue packs and the multi-pack outer wrapping shifted to paper, which the company says is recyclable. Tesco estimates the switch will save more than 55 million pieces of soft plastic annually.

“Unlike boxes of tissues, the pocket version tends to be used on the go and can all too easily become litter. The new paper packaging works just as well as the old plastic wrap but is more sustainable,” said Courtney Pallett, Tesco campaigns manager, in a statement.

Single substrate

Mars China launched a new Snickers cereal bar contained in a monomaterial polypropylene wrapper. The product was designed for recycling, the company says, and it “can be easily recycled in designated channels.” It also says the design aligns with requirements in the Flexible Plastics Reborn project, an initiative of Mars China and partners including Dow, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble and the Green Recycled Plastic Supply Chain Joint Working Group. The project aims to “explore a sustainable flexible plastic packaging collection and recycling closed-loop system in China” that addresses challenges with design, collection and recycling.

Mars China noted that flexible packaging is widely used in the food industry for its light weight and moisture and grease resistance, but that it’s typically constructed from multiple layers of different materials, making recycling more difficult than it would be for monomaterials. The company says consumers can drop off the monomaterial Mars wrappers at designated collection points. 

Last year, Mars launched several pilot programs in alignment with its sustainability plan, including trials of recyclable monomaterials. Plus, it introduced a pilot in the United Kingdom for Mars bars wrapped in recyclable paper instead of plastic, and it began shifting to paper wrappers for Mars bar, Milky Way and Snickers products in Australia.

That’s about the size of it

Flavored water brand Lemon Perfect is introducing larger single-serving bottles across its product line. New 15.2-fluid-ounce bottles will replace the 12 fluid ounce size. The new bottles also have a slightly different shape than the original, specifically near the neck. The company says the new size and shape will “help Lemon Perfect increase its visual presence in retail outlets.” The company says it made the change in response to consumer demand for more beverage per bottle.