Packaging innovations: Clearly Canadian’s metal multipack makeover, Oman Air’s plastic purge

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

Can-do attitude

After introducing cans for the first time earlier this year, Clearly Canadian is now offering the cans in 6-packs. The packs will be sold alongside the sparkling water brand’s iconic blue, teardrop-shaped glass bottle. The company said it made the format change based on feedback from retail customers and consumers who sought a solution less prone to breaking. Plus, multipacks are a popular format among consumers seeking value.

“Rest assured that our iconic blue glass bottle is here to stay, as it is preferred by many of our consumers. But our consumers and retail partners have been seeking multipacks and can formats for some time, and we were able to set up our manufacturing to deliver on that ask," CEO Paul Tepperman said in a news release.

The sparkling water brand that launched in the late 1980s and gained popularity in the 1990s was discontinued in 2009, but the company notes on its website that a crowdfunding effort resurrected the beverage about nine years later.

Paper from ear to ear

A flight attendant walks down the aisle of an airplane carrying a tray of earphones wrapped in paper envelopes. — Courtesy of Oman Air

Oman Air redesigned the packaging for the headphones it offers to economy-class passengers. It worked with Linstol to create the kraft paper envelopes, which replace PET foil. The envelopes are recyclable, the company said in a news release. The airline estimates this change will eliminate 6.48 metric tons of non-recyclable waste material each year.

“We believe that small changes make a big impact and we continue to look for innovative solutions in all corners of our operations,” CEO Con Korfiatis said in the release.

Last year, the airline replaced the plastic wrapping for blankets and mattresses in its premium cabins with a fiber-based alternative, which it says cuts 21.6 metric tons of plastic.

Foiled again

A close-up shot of the gold-colored foil cover on a bottle of Moet sparkling wine. — Courtesy of Amcor Capsules

Amcor Capsules worked with champagne producer Moët & Chandon to develop Essentielle, a plastic-free foil made of aluminum and paper that will be used on wine bottles. Eliminating plastic results in a 31% lower carbon footprint than complex foils, according to Amcor.

The foil contains 60% aluminum, and it will be made with texture “to allow sparkling wine players to retain the premium look of their bottles and the productivity of their packaging lines,” according to a company news release. Aluminum allows the foil to perfectly fit the bottle, Amcor Capsules notes, and the material is recyclable.

The foil product will be manufactured at Amcor Capsules’ facility in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, France, beginning in October.

Compostable cannabis containers

A stack of beige-colored packaging pods next to a blue metal tin. — Courtesy of Contempo Specialty Packaging

Contempo Specialty Packaging introduced a solution to improve end-of-life options for cannabis containers via composting, recycling and reuse. The outer child-resistant tin is all metal and recyclable, the company said in a news release. The inner sealed pod is made from a biobased resin that has been certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute as compostable in industrial settings. For subsequent purchases, consumers receive only the inner pod and can reuse the original metal tin.

“The idea of reusable packaging is great, but the cost of shipping products to sterilization facilities has environmental impacts, not to mention the water consumption in sterilization. This pod system reduces the amount of waste and other environmental impacts as well,” CEO Michael Markarian said in a news release.

GP’s TP

A person stands behind a kitchen counter where a package of Aria toilet paper has been placed next to a blue recycling bin. — Courtesy of Georgia-Pacific

Georgia-Pacific switched from plastic to paper packaging for the relaunch of its Aria brand of toilet paper. The TP product is made entirely from recycled fiber and GP says the paper packaging can be recycled curbside.

Consumers thought the original product “didn't completely meet their desired level of eco-friendliness since the product included virgin fiber and plastic packaging," Caitlin Allen, brand director for Georgia-Pacific, said in a news release.

GP invested in new equipment at its Halsey, Oregon, mill where it exclusively manufactures the Aria product.