As a result of the pandemic, consumers now place significantly more value on food safety and hygiene and see sustainability as increasingly important as we emerge from the crisis, according to a recent McKinsey survey1. ProducePack Punnet offers growers and retailers the opportunity to cater to increased consumer demand for hygiene while also prioritizing sustainability.

Designed with optimum operational efficiency in mind, ProducePack Punnet can be top-sealed at speeds equivalent to traditional plastic punnets. The sustainable solution works with existing machinery and tooling for plastic trays, meaning that minimal investment is required for packers looking to make the switch to paperboard.

For brands and retailers, the pack has been proven to offer equivalent shelf life to plastic for certain produce items while reducing the potential for food waste. A range of board and barrier options is available, which have all been selected to ensure the package remains robust in cold storage and throughout the supply chain. ProducePack Punnet can be supplied formed or flat, the latter offering CO2 reductions in transit due to higher punnet tray volume per truckload.

In line with Graphic Packaging’s Design for the Environment (DfE) approach, its features can be customized to suit various markets and potential applications. From tomatoes to berries and more, the unique solution ensures sustainability is at the forefront at each stage of the manufacturing process. ProducePack Punnet can also be graphically printed to maximize branding opportunities without the need for additional labelling.

Elodie Bugnicourt, sustainability manager at Graphic Packaging International, said: “ProducePack Punnet delivers a 90 percent reduction in plastic when compared to polypropylene or polyester trays, and a 100 percent reduction if a barrier coating is not necessary for the application. It is expected to provide carbon footprint reduction versus standard fossil plastic trays and a much greater circularity with an average paperboard recycling rate of more than double that of plastics, on average, in most countries. The interest we received in ProducePack was extraordinary following its launch earlier this year. ProducePack Punnet now extends the range to new applications such as berries, enabling our customers to reap the environmental benefits of paperboard packaging in a wider variety of fresh produce applications.”

Ricardo De Genova, Graphic Packaging’s SVP, global innovation and new business development, added: “As growers and producers look to move towards recyclable fiber-based solutions, they can count on our expertise to deliver value-added innovation as well as like-for-like functionality versus traditional plastic trays. Aligned with our Vision 2025 and DfE methodology, this launch is another example of how we can partner with customers to accelerate the transition to a more circular economy.”

People with disabilities are the largest minority group in the world. In the United States alone, one in four people have a disability, yet beauty and personal care products often overlook their challenges and needs. As the world’s no.1 antiperspirant and deodorant brand, Degree is taking action to change this. Degree – also sold as Rexona, Sure and Shield in different countries – believes movement has the power to transform lives and that everyone should be able to experience the incredible physical, mental and social benefits it can bring, whoever you are and however you move.

Limited sight or arm mobility can make twisting a deodorant cap, turning a stick or pressing a spray a challenge, and sometimes fear of sweating without antiperspirant protection can prevent people with disabilities from moving as much as they would like to. That’s why Degree has worked with a diverse team of experts to put the specific needs of consumers with disabilities at the forefront of a new concept: Degree Inclusive, the world’s first adaptive deodorant.

Features that put accessibility first

Degree Inclusive’s hooked container is designed for one-handed usage. Enhanced grip placement and magnetic ‘click’ closures make it easier for users with limited grip or sight to remove and replace the cap. A larger roll-on applicator means the product reaches a greater surface area per swipe. The label also includes instructions in braille.

In partnership with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, non-profit organisations Open Style Lab and The Lighthouse Chicago, and a panel of engineers, designers and occupational therapists, Degree invited 200 consumers with a range of physical disabilities to trial its prototype roll-on. Their feedback will be applied to help improve the product for its future commercial launch.

“As a brand that’s committed to inspiring confidence in everyone to move more, Degree believes no one should be held back from breaking a sweat and enjoying the transformative benefits of movement,” says Kathryn Swallow, Global Degree Brand Vice President.

“More than 60 million people in the US live with a disability, yet products and experiences are still not designed with this community in mind. With Degree Inclusive, we hope to inspire bold action across the industry to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal playing field.”

To learn more about Degree Inclusive and the brand’s long-term commitment to equitable access to movement for all, visit www.degreedeodorant.com.

Created for Irish farm potato business Meade Farm Group, the packaging has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

The packaging is the result of close collaboration between the three companies over a period of two years.

It uses Mondi’s speciality kraft paper and biodegradable Sustainex coating, water-based ink and corn starch-based netting.

The bag is designed to maintain strength when handling while providing barrier properties to keep the produce fresh. It has so far been launched in Ireland, Poland, France and Germany.

Mondi Poland extrusion solutions and speciality kraft paper sales manager Jan Murzyn said: “The bags need to withstand very heavy weights while providing a solution that is kinder to the planet.

“Our EcoSolutions approach means we work very closely with our customers to reach their sustainability goals and create a bespoke solution that represents the best possible option for the customer, the consumer and the environment.”

SILBO business development manager Marcin Śpiewok said: “The hybrid solution combines the excellent strength of speciality kraft paper and the tailor-made barrier and heat-sealing properties of compostable materials.

“Mondi’s speciality kraft paper in combination with our net, water-based print and unique technology was a long-sought solution in the food industry and allowed us to substitute the conventional combination of plastic and mesh.

“We created the worldwide first compostable form-fill-and-seal potato bag with net window to deliver strong, durable, breathable, eco-friendly packaging for Meade.”

The solution will enable Meade to replace hard-to-recycle plastic with paper in line with its sustainability targets.

The company aims to make its product packaging reusable, recyclable, renewable or compostable wherever possible.

Meade sustainability manager Jeni Meade said: “This new potato bag is an excellent example and was integral in our winning the Best Sustainable Packaging Strategy at the Green Food and Beverage Awards.

“By changing from the previous plastic pillow pack to this bag, we completely eliminated hard-to-recycle plastic.

“In addition, when compared to a traditional block bottom paper bag of similar size, our compostable paper pillow pack reduces the paper usage by 34%.

“As a food producer, our company focuses on supplying the best-tasting potatoes to our customers, and as a packaging user, we are committed to reducing the climate impact of our packaging for the wellbeing of the planet.”

In January, Mondi developed sustainable packaging for Norwegian branded consumer goods company Orkla.

The packaging solutions were for the Swedish launch of Orkla’s Frankful Tex Mex range of plant-based tortilla wraps, tortilla crisps and taco spices.

Sabic’s bio-based polypropylene (PP) resin, part of its TRUCIRCLE portfolio, will be used for producing the jars of Beiersdorf’s Nivea Naturally Good day and night face creams. The new Nivea packaging will be phased in at point-of-sale outlets worldwide from June 2021 onwards and make a major contribution to help Beiersdorf reduce its use of fossil-based virgin PP.

The new product is playing into Beiersdorf’s ambitious Sustainable Packaging Targets 2025 to reduce fossil-based, virgin plastic for its cosmetic packaging products by 50 percent. The new sustainable Nivea jars pay into the Sustainability Agenda CARE BEYOND SKIN, by which the company is targeting a significant reduction of its carbon emissions and environmental footprint.

The agenda has set three major packaging goals to be achieved by 2025 as compared to 2019: make all of the group’s packaging 100 percent refillable, reusable or recyclable; increase the share of recycled materials in plastic packaging to 30 percent; and reduce the use of fossil-based virgin plastics by 50 percent.

“We are excited to implement this important change in the packaging of our Nivea brand products and to be the first in the skincare mass market to use polypropylene made from second-generation bio-based feedstock on a global basis,” said Michael Becker, Head of Global Packaging Development at Beiersdorf.

“Together with Sabic, we have taken a major step forward in transforming conventional fossil-based packaging in the cosmetics and skin care segment towards fully sustainable material alternatives.”

Abdullah Al-Otaibi, General Manager of Engineering Thermoplastics & Market Solutions for Petrochemicals at Sabic said: “Innovative cosmetics packaging using our certified renewable polyolefins can be instrumental in minimizing fossil depletion across a wide range of further consumer mass product markets, and Beiersdorf’s new Nivea packaging can serve as a role model in this quest.” He continued: “Our materials from renewable sources facilitate the change-over from existing fossil-based applications without compromises on purity, quality, safety or convenience. Sabic is determined to help its collaboration partners benefit from this potential.”

Converting the packaging to renewable plastic not only has the advantage of conserving fossil resources, but also reduces CO2 emissions. According to Beiersdorf, approximately 76 g of CO2 are saved per jar produced, a reduction of around 60% compared to the fossil-based jar. The project therefore also contributes to Beiersdorf’s climate target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% absolutely across the entire value chain by 2025.

Derived from second-generation renewable feedstock, such as tall oil waste from the wood pulping process in the paper industry, Sabic’s certified renewable polymers (PE and PP) are not in direct competition with human food production sources. – TradeArabia News Service

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.