Lately, we have been discussing the effects of COVID-19 on packaging and how that would influence the sustainable packaging market in the future. We want to take a step back and look at the present; what are companies doing now to their B2C products that are environmentally friendly? At Pioneer Packaging, we want to keep you informed about what is going on within the industry.
P&G’s Sustainable Efforts
P&G deodorants brands would traditionally be in a plastic tube, which customers would discard at the end of use. Now, they just introduced a new tube made out of 90% recycled paper for their brands Secret and Old Spice. P&G made this product to attract the attention specifically of Generation Z, however, not limiting their reach to just them. In fact, the underlying reason they rolled this out is because P&G as a whole, has a goal to make their products 100% sustainable and cut down their petroleum based plastic products by 50%. With this aggressive goal, they needed a partner to help get them there. Wal-Mart also has similar sustainability goals for their company as well. This is why the companies teamed up and decided that these new deodorant products would be rolled out in 500 of the Wal-Mart stores as a trial run to see if they resonate well with consumers.
Additionally, a new, more sustainable alternative that just came out is from a Japanese based company named Kao. They have a mission to make products more clean and sustainable by 2030. A product they recently rolled out was their shower products, including shampoo, conditioner, and hand wash, in a flexible wrap that cuts down on plastic by 50% per bottle. This type of flexible packaging allows consumers to get all the product out of the bottle hassle-free. When consumers are ready to throw their bottle away they can do so with peace of mind. Kao has partnered with a company by the name of TerraCycle that helps recycle their waste. TerraCycle’s Loop program allows consumers to have their empty bottles picked up at the door and switched out with a new product.
These bottles follow a similar tactic that P&G also did a couple years ago with their Dawn dish soap. They used flexible packaging as well and won an award for their design.
Sustainable Labels
Another aspect of sustainable packaging that sometimes may go unnoticed is the labeling on each bottle. A complement to a sustainable bottle is an environmentally friendly label that is made from 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. The clear and white printing is made from recycled-content polymers that “deliver virgin-like resin feedstock,” according to the company.
Keeping Produce Fresh
Moving into the produce industry, there is always a challenge to prevent spoilage in the food packaging industry. With that, there is a huge push to be sustainable, while still maintaining a level of quality with packaging. In India, 40% of their produce went bad before even reaching the market shelves, which is a very big ethical and financial issue. BioFreshPack was invented to keep produce from spoilage as well as being compostable within 180 days. There is no need to refrigerate produce either ad the BioFreshPak is a film that is breathable and made of sustainable polymers and waste starch. The film slows ripening while keeping produce at a reasonable temperature and it’s designed to reduce spoilage while in transport.
At Pioneer Packaging, we know that company wide sustainable goals may be hard to reach. However, we take a partnership approach with all of our clients to figure out how to make their sustainable packaging goals attainable and Imagine it… Done! Contact us today to learn more about sustainable measures you can take.