Companies constantly innovate and redesign their packaging to boost performance, improve marketability and enhance sustainability. Here’s a look at four packaging launches and revamps on Packaging Dive’s radar.
Soap up
Wisconsin-based SC Johnson launched its first refillable packaging system in North America for its Method and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day products, in partnership with Canadian retailer London Drugs.
A new flagship London Drugs store in British Columbia that opened May 9 features a refill station for the hand and dish soaps. Consumers can dispense the Method and Mrs. Meyer’s soaps into reusable plastic pouches. The machine is positioned near a store shelf with the products in their traditional rigid plastic packaging, which is smaller than the new pouches.
The companies say the system could help their work to reduce plastics in retail by up to 93%. “The environmental benefits of refilling and reusing containers in terms of both carbon and plastic reduction are unparalleled,” said Fisk Johnson, chairman and CEO of SC Johnson, in a statement.
The company’s most recent sustainability report indicates that nearly 25% of Mrs. Meyer’s plastic packaging already can be reused and refilled. The company’s work to expand refill and reuse options also includes more than 730 in-store refill machines in Europe for Ecover cleaning products, Mrs. Meyer’s concentrated hand soap refills with reusable glass bottles, and Method refillable aluminum hand soap dispensers.
Fiber and film friendship
Amcor partnered with Metsä Group to develop a molded fiber tray with film liner and lidding. The product is specially designed for a variety of food applications.
Metsä’s Muoto material will be used for the base, while Amcor’s high-barrier, laminated film will make up the liner and lidding. The package can be secured with a heat-sealed lid structure, according to a news release.
The product will be “recyclable in the paper stream in most markets,” with the long-term goal to develop a fully compostable solution, Ilya Syshchikov, Amcor vice president of fiber, said in the release.
The first products from this partnership are expected to be commercially available in Europe later this year.
Frisky business
A day before Amcor completed its acquisition of Berry Global on April 30, the latter announced it had collaborated with Nestlé Purina PetCare to switch the packaging for Friskies Party Mix cat treats. The 20-ounce and 30-ounce containers now will be made from 100% recycled postconsumer plastic, barring the label and lid. The material is sourced from curbside collection streams, according to a news release.
The mechanically recycled PET will eliminate more than 500 metric tons of virgin plastic annually, which saves 694 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, the company says. The material also is “widely recyclable,” according to the release.
The new canisters will become available across the U.S. this summer.
Sachet degrades away
Japan-based compostable film producer Futamura partnered with flexible packaging converter Repaq and equipment manufacturer GK Sondermaschinenbau — both Germany-based companies — to develop a compostable sachet. The sachets are certified as compostable both in home and industrial settings, according to a news release.
The product uses Futamura’s NatureFlex material and the compostable laminate includes a barrier cellulose film layer. It also has a biofilm layer to provide hermetic seals. The partners worked on the concept for two years to replace commonly used non-recyclable plastic sachets, according to the news release.
“Small-portion sachets have always been the tricky ones for recycling, so this success in compostability is good news,” Joachim Janz, regional sales manager at Futamura, said in a statement.
The sachet is suitable for small-format products including condiments or personal care creams and will be on the market soon, according to the release.
