Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

Apple's New Gift Card Packaging

We reported last week Apple has introduced a new plant-based gift card made from Ingeo bio-plastic for its popular iTunes music service.  The company has also patented a new design for gift card packaging. 

The design is referred to simply as gift card "carrier" under patent application number 20080116088.  According to Apple's patent application their vision for the new packaging covers three areas.

The first aspect pertains to a gift card carrier that also operates as a greeting card. In a first folded configuration, the gift card carrier presents the gift card for purchase.

In a second folded configuration, the gift card carrier acts like a greeting card that encloses the gift card, and possibly supplies a greeting or message.

A second aspect pertains to a gift card carrier with a depression for receiving a gift card therein.  The depression may make the gift card appear as if its flush mounted within a panel of the gift card carrier.

A third aspect pertains to a gift card carrier with an image of hardware device that includes a display, and a gift card that includes an image associated with the hardware device.  The gift card is positioned over the display region of the hardware device image making it appear as if the gift card is the display, and the image thereon is being displayed.   In one particular embodiment, content that can be purchased and played on the hardware device as for example media items such as audio and video is disposed on the gift card.

The patent application is worth a look - like most its complex and extremely detailed.  Clearly Apple hopes to develop its gift card "carrier" into a key aspect of their integrated marketing.

Apple iTunes Ingeo Gift Card

Apple has introduced a new prepaid gift card for its popular iTunes music service made from plant-based plastic.  A reader spotted the new card at a Best Buy store and sent us a scan.

The new Apple iTunes card is made from Ingeo plant-based plastic made by NatureWorks LLC.

Wal-Mart Canada to Eliminate PVC Plastic in CFL Light Bulb Packaging

In the latest packaging reduction from Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart Canada announced it will eliminate the use of PVC in CFL light bulb packaging sold in its stores.

The retail giant is working with suppliers to switch to a new more eco-friendly cardboard based packaging.  The change is estimated to save 150,000 pounds of PVC plastic.

Over 65 percent of the new cardboard packaging is made from 100 percent recycled material and 30 percent is printed with vegetable based inks Wal-Mart Canada said.

One of Wal-Mart Canada's largest CFL suppliers is Globe Electric. According to the company they have developed new packaging for the Globe enersaver line. "Traditional clamshell packaging, which requires large amounts of plastic, has been replaced with packaging made primarily from paperboard.  The new packaging is sleek, refined and leaves a much smaller environmental footprint," the company said in a statement.

“Just eight percent of Wal-Mart Canada's environmental footprint is related to our own operations,” said Guy McGuffin, vice president and sustainable packaging network leader at Wal-Mart Canada. “The remainder is linked to the products we sell, so we've been working for some time with suppliers and challenging them to make products and packaging with the environment in mind.”

Target's Terracycle Retote

Target has teamed up with Terracycle to produce a new type of reusable bag called Retote. The new bag is made from an entirely different process and is truly unique in the reusable bag arena. 

Retote proves that sometimes a simple solution to a problem is the answer.  Made directly from used Target shopping bags unlike other reusable bags made from recycled content, Retote bags are made through a process known as fusing.

Target has had a relationship with Terracycle for several years selling their liquid fertilizers.

Their relationship with the small NJ-based company grew this year when they formed a unique partnership.  Terracycle developed the process for making the fused reusable bags and approached Target with the idea.

The new bag concept developed into a major promotion for Target last month.  The promotion itself was also a new concept and involved inserting a special mailer into the green themed, April 14 issue of Newsweek. The mailer instructed readers to fill it with used Target bags and return it postage paid to Terracycle.  Each customer who sends bags to Teracycle will receive a coupon redeemable for a Retote bag at Target later in the summer.

The Target Retote bags have lots of people excited.  Target stores had an initial supply of Retotes in stores when the April promotion was announced.  The bags quickly sold out said Target's Amy von Walter. Target will have the bags in all stores later this summer von Walter said. 

von Walter told Sustainable is Good the Target Retotes are totally different than other offerings because they made from material which is up-cycled as opposed to recycled.

The up-cycling process requires far less energy than recycling plastic bags and yields much higher amounts of usable material said Terracyle's Albert Zakes.

“The fusing technology requires a very small amount of heat, combined with a large amount of pressure.  The combination causes the bags to fuse together,” said Zakes.

“Standard recycling of plastic bags is horribly inefficient.  The process requires a large amount of heat to melt the bags down entirely plus a very small amount of usable plastic is recovered in the process making it hardly worth the energy or the cost involved with recycling the bags.”

Terracycle's fusing process is different.  It uses just enough heat to help them fuse together.

“The lower cost of fusing instead of recycling plastic bags is a huge motivator for large companies.  Why spend more money on a process that is less advantageous and won't increase your environmental responsibility,” asks Zakes.

Sustainable is Good had the opportunity to test a sample of the Retote and we were all highly impressed.  The fusing process actually allows you to see your old Target bags “fused” together with each other into something new. Its this direct connection with the product and material for the consumer that make this bag design so interesting.  A Target shopper can actually see their old bag become something new – it becomes an exciting tangible object.

The Retote is also highly functional and durable with a solid feeling texture.  The bags will be re-launched at Target stores nationwide later this summer and will sell for $5.99 said von Walter.  The Target/Terracycle/Newsweek promotion will continue through the end of May.

The Retote is an example of a reusable bag that is a win-win for everyone involved.  Target's foresight to go forward with this new concept bag is very telling and speaks volumes as to their commitment to staying on top of technology and design to make a better more eco-friendly product. 

We've seen a large amount of reusable bag designs become available on the market over the last year and hands down Retote is the most unique.  Retote shows us that simplicity and sustainability go hand in hand and together can create something great.

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.

Ball Corporation Recognized for Painted Turtle PET Wine Bottle

Ball Corporation (BLL) received two Sustainable Packaging Leadership Awards for its 750mL PET wine bottles for Painted Turtle wines from Artisan Wine Company of British Columbia.  Ball received the Canadian Packaging Magazine Best-of-Show Eco-Choice Award, as well as the bronze award in the international branded package category. 

The awards were presented by the Packaging Association of Canada in conjunction with Wal-Mart Canada and Canadian Packaging Magazine to recognize companies that have demonstrated sustainable packaging leadership.

"The objective of the Sustainable Packaging Leadership Awards is to accelerate the progress of the packaging industry to environmental, social and economic sustainability," said Jim Downham, president, Packaging Association of Canada.  "These awards recognize and honor packaging industry leaders that compete with the best-in-class on a global scale daily."

According to the judges, Ball's PET wine bottle was selected for the Eco-Choice award because "it has the potential to launch a whole new trend and change the way that wine is packaged.  The decrease in greenhouse gases related to the transportation of this lightweight container -- compared to glass -- is a huge plus for sustainability, while the colorful, well-designed label is certain to attract consumers to the product, ultimately drawing attention to the environmental merits of this highly functional package."

Ball's 100% recyclable, 750ml PET wine bottles offer consumer convenience and weigh only 54 grams, providing savings through the supply chain. Ball is the only PET bottle manufacturer in North America to offer SIG PLASMAX, an ultra-thin, commercially proven, transparent, internal silicon oxide barrier coating technology that protects the wine inside the bottle and is easily removed during the PET recycling process.

Pepsi Redesigns Packaging

PepsiCo. (PEP) announced the release of its lightest 16.9 fl oz bottle to date. The PET bottle will be used for flavored non-carbonated beverages like its Lipton Ice Tea, Tropicana juice drinks, Aquafina FlavorSplash and Aquafina Alive.

The new bottle features a twenty percent reduction in PET plastic which the company estimates will save twenty million pounds of waste.

In addition to the reduction in plastic the new bottles will also feature a ten percent reduction in label size and a five percent reduction in the shrink wrap filmed used to wrap 12-pack multi-packs of the products.

“The challenge was to deliver significantly lighter packaging that would provide the same shelf life as the heavier bottle, withstand the manufacturing and distribution process yet not compromise aesthetics,” said Robert Lewis, vice president of worldwide beverage packaging and equipment development, PepsiCo.

Pepsi's new bottle design was chosen from over thirty proposed designs in consumer testing conducted by the company. After the final design was established a team worked on making it the lightweight package soon to be available to consumers.

The new bottles are expected on store shelves this month.

Curtis Packaging Offering over 100 FSC Certified Stocks

Connecticut-based Curtis Packaging has increased its range of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paperboard stocks to over 100. The company is a leading provider of more sustainable packaging solutions catering to a wide range of companies.

As Sustainable is Good reported Curtis is producing the FSC certified Mixed Source packaging for Target's Archer Farms Organic cookies currently available at Target stores nationwide. 

Curtis produces packaging for a number of cosmetic and personal care companies who value the company's focus on sustainability.  Two major companies Curtis has done FSC certified packaging work for are Origins (Estee Lauder) and Crabtree & Evelyn.

A member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, Curtis uses renewable energy to power its operations and is the first printing and packaging company in North America to be carbon neutral.

FSC is one of the most reputable and recognized “green” certifications. We expect FSC certified packaging to become increasingly in demand in 2008.

Target's use of FSC certified packaging for its Archer Farms Organic cookies was one of the first nationwide main stream uses of FSC packaging in a food product.