Companies constantly innovate with technology and redesign their packaging to get better performance, improve marketability and enhance sustainability. Here’s a look at four recent packaging product launches or redesigns on Packaging Dive’s radar.
A kiwi a day
New Zealand-based kiwifruit marketer Zespri International introduced “The Fruit Pillbox” to encourage consumers to eat one kiwi each day of the week. It’s inspired by traditional pillboxes that remind users to take medication daily, the company said on LinkedIn. The fiber box has seven compartments, one labeled for each day of the week, with each containing one kiwi. The boxes also are recyclable, Zespri said.
The company has been trialing the pillboxes at FairPrice Group retailers in Singapore. A survey indicates three quarters of people who purchased this packaging said it reminded them to eat one kiwi each day, according to Zespri. The company said it’s exploring bringing the box to more markets.
Pouch permutation
Capri-Sun released its first drink pouches in the U.K. that it says are fully recyclable via supermarket drop-off programs, Food Manufacture reported this month, and offer a 25% reduction in carbon emissions compared with the current pouch. The new 200 milliliter pouches initially will be used for a limited number of flavors, including orange, but Capri-Sun aims for all of its offerings in the U.K. to be sold in fully recyclable packaging by 2025, the publication reported.
The monomaterial pouches are made of polypropylene. The previous laminated multimaterial versions were not recyclable, but the new one is “certified as fully recycle-ready and externally verified by the Institute Cyclos-HTP, confirming its recyclability,” according to the company’s website.
Mailer material modification
3M introduced the Padded Automatable Curbside Recyclable (PACR) Mailer Material, which it calls the “world’s first” padded, paper-based, curbside recyclable mailer material that customers can use to automate their mailer packaging process.
The padded mailer material works in automated packaging machines for production that is up to three times faster than manual, according to a 3M news release. It’s made from a single layer of kraft paper that resists moisture and is heat sealable. The proprietary padding protects against impacts during shipping.
Bulking up
Greif partnered with flexible packaging company CDF Corp. to redesign its GCUBE intermediate bulk container (IBC) Flex, which is intended for transporting liquids and sensitive products under sterile conditions. CDF Corp. developed the enhanced aseptic liner, which has “superior evacuation capabilities, and its unique design means it opens as a square to fit the internal shape of the IBC and fills automatically,” according to a news release. Greif says the container is suitable for applications including in food and beverage, flavors and fragrances, lubricants and pharmaceuticals.
“[O]ur commitment to sustainability is reinforced by our collection and reuse or reconditioning of the entire GCUBE IBC Flex system, including the liner and outer structure, making it an ideal choice for closed-loop operations,” said Jacob Demen, sales director for Scandinavia, in the release.
The next-generation GCUBE IBC Flex is available throughout Europe, and Greif plans for manufacturing capabilities to enter the U.S. in the third quarter.
