Sonoco Linearpak Cereal Packaging

Hartsville South Carolina-based Sonoco (SON) is the producer of the new Archer Farms cereal packaging we reported on last month.  The packaging is part of their Linearpak line and Target's Archer Farms brand is the first to use a specially designed newly created version of the packaging for cereal.

South Carolina's WBTW News 13 broke the news on Sonoco's production of the packaging.  Until the report aired earlier this week it was not publicly known who was producing the packaging though reports were circulating the producer was Sonoco.

Linearpak has been around for a while and used for a variety of packaging applications before the company's designers worked on adapting it for cereal packaging.  Whole Foods Market is using Linearpak for its own brand of dog biscuits.

“Changing out of the bag-n-box is something people have talked about for years, but people haven’t been successful in making a conversion,”  Derek Trader, Sonoco Market Segment Manager told WBTW News 13

Sonoco told WBTW the market is buzzing since the launch of the Linearpak.  “Dealing with this bag is what everybody hates, it’s either really hard to get open or you pull it open and cereal goes flying everywhere. You can never get it resealed,” said Trader.

The Linearpak eliminates the bag, comes with a built in barrier, a peel away membrane to keep it sealed and then a plastic flip top lid.

Sonoco said the new packing is also environmentally friendly.  “It’s something that was built into our business model,” said Trader. “Feeding in recycled content at the front end of the process, making the recycled board out of it and then converting it into the consumer packaging.”

It is not known whether the Linearpak cereal packaging is recyclable at the end of use.  Several readers  have contacted us with that question. 

Sonoco's new Archer Farms cereal packaging is without question generating significant interest from consumers.  It will be interesting to see how consumers react to the new cereal box design over time and if other brands follow Target's lead and use the packaging. 

photo © Target

Ecolean Packaging

Heres an interesting new packaging concept from the Swedish company Ecolean. The packaging is based on a patented material they call Calymer.

Made from 40% calcium carbonate (natural chalk) the material is similar to that of an eggshell.  It is then combined with polymers which serve as the binding agent and yield the final product.

The flexible packaging is approved for food use in Europe and the company released a study available on its web site indicating their packaging is more efficient than other dairy packaging as it reduces food waste and materials required.

Ecolean is designed primarily for the food industry.  Its competitors include traditional plastic dairy packaging and some of the Tetra Pak line of products.

Ecolean says its packaging can be recycled at end of life like a traditional plastic (PP or PE) or incinerated for disposal.

Jordans Organic Cereals Packaging

New bio-based plastic packaging for UK-based Jordans Organic Cereals is a major packaging achievement.  The packaging was recognized last month at the 20th DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation and is featured in a piece by Steve Sterling in this month's Packaging World.  Both Jordans Cereals and the packaging's producer Alcan Packaging were recognized at the DuPont Awards. 

The new packaging uses two different types of bio-based films.  The outer layer is made from Innovia's clear NatureFlex film which was reverse printed according to Steve Sterling.  NatureFlex is made from cellulose derived from non-genetically modified wood pulp.  The inner layer is made from Mater-Bi film from Novamont, according to Sterling.  Mater-bi film is made from non-genetically modified cornstarch. 

Alcan says for the first time, consumers can dispose of their cereal pack in a home or industrial compost thanks to the new packaging.  Developed and manufactured by their Dublin, Ireland plant, the bio-based films, as well as the inks and adhesives used in its conversion, have been certified to conform to the EN 13432 composting standard.

This compostable and biodegradable alternative to polypropylene structures and laminated metallic plastic films was launched following three years of research. “Alcan Packaging is always looking at new ways to expand its product offering and this innovative compostable packaging is the embodiment of our continued efforts in research and development,” said Michael Cronin, president, Food Packaging Europe.

The finished pack provides the same look and feel as a heavy-weight plastic film alternative, with a glossy, printable surface and a tactile finish.

Judges at the DuPont Awards said they felt the use of the bio-based films in the company's cereal packaging was inline with its brand identity and message.  They also commented that the use of bio-based films in packaging in the UK was a significant sustainable development as compared to in the U.S. where facilities are still lacking for proper composting of the materials.