The NIVEA CARE BOX has no plastic like bubble wrap or tape in its packaging making it 100 per cent recyclable.

Skincare brand, NIVEA, has taken a step towards becoming more sustainable through its packaging by launching its first ever e-commerce ready-to-ship pack – ‘NIVEA CARE BOX’ partnering with Amazon India.

Keeping in mind the growing need for packaging solutions that are effective and eco-friendly, these boxes have been designed by the in-house teams and are 100 per cent recyclable with absolutely no plastic using minimal material for an easy and hassle-free experience. The box embodies the brand’s value of ‘care’ going beyond the skin, expressing the brand’s responsibility to people and the environment at large.

As the demand of online deliveries increase, the challenges of product packaging also rise which lead to common issues of breakage and leakage of vulnerable goods. This ultimately results in damage of products during transit even before it reaches the end consumer.

Moreover, consumers, today, are also becoming more and more conscious about their environmental footprint and are looking for sustainable solutions and eco-friendly ways by which they can contribute to the planet. To address these issues, NIVEA has extended its care beyond skin to the end consumers and the planet to create this parcel of goodness that helps you to unbox not only hassle-free but also guilt-free.

Nivea body wash in the box

Speaking about the latest initiative, Somnath Das, Supply Chain Director - NIVEA India said, “We stand for skin care but we also care beyond skin. Sustainability is a big point on our C.A.R.E.+ agenda. Therefore, we are absolutely delighted to present Nivea Care Box that has enabled us to take a step forward in sustainable sourcing and developing alternatives that have lesser impact on the environment. Our aim is to provide solutions in the most sustainable way possible where we work together with our partners and our consumers in creating a positive change for a better future. We hope that initiatives like these, in turn, influence other partners, suppliers, and vendors to provide more planet-friendly solutions.”

The NIVEA CARE BOX has no plastic like bubble wrap or tape in its packaging making it 100 per cent recyclable. Catering to both its stakeholders – Amazon and its consumers, this minimal packaging is 10 per cent - 15 per cent lighter in weight as it comes straight from the brand house focusing on minimum damage and defect instances.

While on one hand, no extra activity is required from Amazon like adding the Amazon over-box and making it a complete ready-to-ship package, the consumer, on the other, will find it easier and quicker to open and it will reduce plastic consumption.

Nivea body lotion in the box

“We are glad to unveil the all-new hassle-free and environment friendly e-commerce ready-to-ship Nivea Care Box on Amazon Beauty. Nivea, one of India’s most trusted beauty and personal care brands, is working towards adopting new recyclable and sustainable packaging solutions, which is also in line with the sustainability initiatives undertaken by Amazon. As an online marketplace, Amazon's mission has always been to optimize the overall customer experience by collaborating with manufacturers worldwide to invent sustainable packaging that delights our customers." – Mrunmay Mehta, Category Leader – Beauty & Luxury Beauty, Amazon India.

In the initial phase, the Care Box will be executed on a limited number of NIVEA products for a limited period of time before rolling out on a broader range.

Shareholder advocacy firm As You Sow submitted a proposal requesting shareholders vote to have Amazon issue a report on packaging materials, citing the ocean plastics crisis that fatally impacting marine species and damages marine ecosystems.

“Amazon does not disclose how much plastic packaging it uses but is believed to be one of the largest corporate users of flexible plastic packaging, which cannot be recycled,” according to the proposal.

As You So alleged that Amazon has no goal to make all of its packaging recyclable and said up to 22 million pounds of its plastic packaging waste entered the world’s marine ecosystems last year.

“Shareholders request that the board of directors issue a report by December 2021 on plastic packaging, estimating the amount of plastics released to the environment due to plastic packaging attributable to all Amazon operations, and beginning with the manufacture of the plastic source materials, through disposal or recycling, and describing any company strategies or goals to reduce the use of plastic packaging to reduce these impacts.”

Amazon countered by noting its initiatives and its founding membership in The Climate Pledge, as well as its commitment that 50% of all Amazon shipments will be net-zero carbon by 2030, and renewable energy programs that “have put us on a path to powering our operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025.”

“We recognize the importance of reducing plastic waste by promoting reusable and recyclable packaging. As described in more detail below, including with respect to our goals, we have made progress in four primary areas in our efforts to reduce our use of plastics:

(1) plastics in packaging for products manufactured by other companies that we sell to our customers (where we can make the biggest impact),

(2) plastics in packaging to the extent we repackage a product for delivery,

(3) plastics in Amazon devices and our private label products, and

(4) plastics in physical stores, primarily Whole Foods Market and its use of plastic shopping bags and plastic straws.”

Amazon said it has a goal of having the packaging for Amazon devices be plastic-free and made up of entirely curbside recyclable material by 2023. “We will continue to share our efforts and progress to our shareholders and the public,” and the Board recommended that shareholders vote against the proposal.

Developed by Smurfit Kappa with 100% recyclable materials, the main advantage of the packaging design is its flexibility and the ability to accommodate different shapes and sizes of wine bottles safely, without having to use any filling materials. This design has a variety of 220 options to optimise space within the cardboard box and to accommodate different formats allowing for the wine bottle and food to fit perfectly. 

Commenting on the award, Juan Guillermo Castañeda, CEO of Smurfit Kappa The Americas said: “We are extremely pleased to receive the Product Design 2021 Red Dot Award. It demonstrates that our innovative and sustainable packaging designs are making a difference. Partnerships with businesses like Wine & Bite Box are extremely important to us. We embrace the challenge to improve and develop our packaging designs to meet the changing needs of our customers and to build on our expertise.”

With the growth in e-commerce during 2020, accelerated due to the pandemic, Wine & Bite Box saw an increase of 21% in sales and, currently, its products are being delivered across Brazil.

“The new packaging solution developed by Smurfit Kappa will ensure that my products arrive safely and securely to my customers, wherever in Brazil they may be, guaranteeing a positive experience from start to finish,” said Myriam Echeverri, sommelier and founder of Wine & Bite Box.

“Each of my gourmet tasting boxes are unique, and that uniqueness starts with the packaging. It is a great honour to receive this award together with Smurfit Kappa, as we are not only working on something that is innovative and sustainable, but also provides the best unboxing experience for customers.”

Smurfit Kappa is known for Better Planet Packaging, a portfolio of innovative packaging solutions which are designed to be more sustainable and tailored to customer needs.

DS Smith, which supplies packaging products to companies including Amazon, Nestle  and Unilever, said it plans to invest in new box plants in Italy and Poland, and expand capacity in Germany.

The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated growth in e-commerce and demand for sustainable products, as consumers stuck at home turn to the internet for shopping.

The FTSE-100 firm also said it expects to report annual results in line with expectations, as the online shopping boom helped boost its sales volumes and improved performance in the United States.

"As a purely fibre-based business, we are benefiting from accelerating consumer trends in online shopping and the drive for a more environmentally conscious life," CEO Miles Roberts said in a statement.

Meet our D-Flex™ Ecosystem. It collects treatment data at the point of care, automatically transferring it to any platform, giving controlled access to various stakeholders.

Good Design Award: The Chicago Athenaeum continues the organisation of the program to create an awareness about contemporary design and to honor both products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing that have chartered new directions for innovation and pushed the envelope for competitive products in the world marketplace. Good Design® was founded in Chicago in 1950 by Edgar Kaufmann, Jr., Eero Saarinen, and Charles and Ray Eames. Mort Goldsholl also created the iconic Good Design logo in 1950.

Contact at Haselmeier

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silvia.wilkes@sulzer.com