Innovation Zone

ThePackHub Innovation Zone Snapshot

Welcome to this week’s Innovation Zone snapshot from ThePackHub.
6000 up!

ThePackHub collates more than 100 new packaging innovations every month for our unique Innovation Zone platform. We now have 6,000 searchable initiatives listed. We have selected four new ideas for you today.

More information on our Innovation Zone packaging database – https://www.thepackhub.com/the-innovation-zone/

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Watch our recent
Recyclable Packaging Innovations Webinar

Catch up on the latest recyclable packaging innovation trends with this whistle-stop tour of the latest initiatives. We will cover many recent in-market and developmental examples to inspire you and keep you up to speed.

Any questions about the innovations discussed or ThePackHub’s Innovation Zone, please contact paul.jenkins@thepackhub.com.

#1 Cheese pack redesign with side opening reduces packaging use

Saputo Dairy UK has announced that it is moving its market-leading cheddar cheese to a side-opening format, in a move that it claims will save 40 tonnes of plastic annually. The dairy giant is in the process of moving its Cathedral City cheddar to the new format across the entire range. The innovation is said to reduce plastic content by 6% per pack. Research carried out by the company suggests that over 60% of consumers preferred the new side opening format. The side opening is claimed to give consumers the ability to slide the cheese in and out of the pack without touching the bare cheese block, so they can slice or grate it straight from the packet. The research also says that 73% of consumers felt the zip lock would also keep their cheddar fresher and would be easy to open and reclose multiple times.

 

#2 Plastic-free paper soap pack makes Brazilian introduction

A Brazilian manufacturer of personal care products has announced that it is moving its bars of soap into plastic-free paper packaging. Luky is switching its range of Nips All Day soap into Gualapack Brazil’s Green Pack paper-based packaging. It uses plant resins to make the wrap waterproof and effectively seal the packs without the use of plastics. This eliminates the traditional plastic layer usually required for sealing and moisture resistance and means that the packaging is compostable and recyclable. The paper-based packaging will be used on Luky’s Fennel and Green Tea soap products. Gualapack announced the acquisition of Brazilian packaging company Teruel Embalagens – Papéis Amália Ltda, producers of Green Pack and specialists in flexible paper solutions, in September 2021. Green Pack is also suitable for food products, across various packaging formats, including flow wraps, pouches and sachets.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#3 Foamable PP touted as viable expanded polystyrene alternative

Texas-based multinational oil and gas corporation Exxon Mobil has announced the launch of a foamable PP (polypropylene) product as an alternative to EPS (expanded polystyrene). Achieve Advanced PP is said to be an affordable alternative to EPS as less raw material is required to produce the final product, thanks to what Exxon Mobil claims is its excellent structural integrity at low densities. The company also says that Achieve Advanced PP runs well on modified polystyrene foam equipment. It also offers excellent thermal insulation at a broad range of temperatures. Achieve Advanced PP allows post-industrial and post-consumer recycling, (where appropriate collection and recycling facilities exist), reducing footprint and cost without compromising product integrity. It utilises PP product attributes to resist moisture, grease and common detergents for long-lasting performance. Suggested uses include insulated food and beverage packaging such as cups, tops, clamshells and trays, produced on modified polystyrene foam equipment.

More info in The Innovation Zone.

#4 Individual beer labels created to celebrate Pride Week

Digital print continues to be used to create engaging and differentiated content. The technology has been adopted to create some packaging noise in support of Pride Week in Israel. BeerBazaar have launched BeerColada, which is a sweet beer with coconut and pineapple flavour hints and has been released in eye-catching special edition packaging. Each pack has a different character on each label to help celebrate the versatility and beauty of the week. The So B What You Wanna B(eer) campaign has been brought to market via digital print heavyweights HP. Each beer label is unique and denotes a distinct character with different skin tone, clothing, earrings, glasses, hairstyle and facial hair ensuring that no two designs are the same. It has been achieved using the randomisation technology of HP Mosaic. Incredibly, it is reported that the labels took less than one week to create. They were printed at Israel-based Kinneret Press.

 

Packaging question of the week

If your packaging states that it is compostable, what do you do with it? Vote and comment on LinkedIn now. 

Last week, 66% were confident that they know what household packaging they can recycle.

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