Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

Loblaws Generic Packaging Design: Simple is Effective

Here are some great examples of simple packaging design - that transform a supermarket generic product line into a cohesive group of products. 

All of the products are part of the generics at Loblaws a Canadian grocery chain that also includes Atlantic SaveEasy, a chain of grocery stores in the Canadian Maritimes where these photos were taken.

The visual effect of all the stores generics in the same basic yellow color scheme is amazing and makes the products easy to identify for consumers.  I love how the packaging looks - esp the white vinegar.  

Images via nick haus

Amazon.com Announces AmazonBasics Line of Products in Minimal Packaging

Amazon.com, Inc. announced the launch of AmazonBasics, a new private-label collection of consumer

electronic "basics" aimed at value oriented consumers.  The new line is exciting from a sustainability standpoint because it uses minimal packaging.

The AmazonBasics line currently includes audio video cables and blank DVD media, with additional accessories and other items to be added in the coming months.

"We saw an opportunity to create a line of consumer electronics basics that combine quality and low prices for an overall focus on value," said Paul Ryder, vice president of Consumer Electronics for Amazon.com.

"We drew on our history of developing other private-label brands and combined that with our mission to
give customers the ultimate in selection and value. AmazonBasics is the result. We will continue to gather input from customers and evaluate opportunities for new products under the AmazonBasics brand. We aim to offer our customers as wide a selection as possible, and we think AmazonBasics makes a great addition to the brands we already carry."

The AmazonBasics line currently features a growing assortment of blank DVD media, cables and accessories, which are available now in the U.S. on www.amazon.com, with plans to introduce the line on Amazon`s international sites over the coming months.

All AmazonBasics products ship in Amazon.com`s Frustration-Free Packaging, which is easy-to-open and made from recyclable cardboard, alleviating plastic clamshells, wire ties and excessive packaging.

Sustainability Solution: Recycled Waste Market Innovation

BY DENNIS SALAZAR

Call me old school but I still believe that recycling remains an important component of an overall green strategy in packaging. Many others focus on green design or engineering, with a sincere belief we will be able to invent ourselves out of this environmental problem. “Science will fix it,” some think as they look to the men and women working in labs to develop a new, quick, and low cost solution to a very large and old, problem.

Waste Handling Processes

It seems lately the attention has shifted to how we manage and handle waste. There is even talk that the new administration will offer tax credits for companies creating ways to better handle the paper, glass, plastics and other usable and potentially valuable waste we all help to create.

While I agree with the idea of improving the way we process waste, collecting it is not the problem, at least not yet. Our greatest recycling problem is that not enough people are doing it. Depending on who you talk to and what waste we are talking about, as a society we are likely recycling no more than 40% of what is recyclable.

What we need as soon as possible, is mandatory recycling and if that happens we will indeed have to innovate better ways of dealing with it. However, before we get to that point, we have to come up with a good answer for the most obvious of questions:  “OK, we collected it. Now what?”

So Much Waste, So Little Demand

That is the question no one seems to be answering. Let’s assume we get everyone recycling up to 60% of the waste that is recyclable, thereby increasing the recycled waste stream by as much as 50% of what it is today? What happens then? 

I am going to guess we will be swimming in it and the market for it will evaporate. Even though there has been a recent slight rise in recycled waste prices, we have seen how the corrugated, plastic and even aluminum markets nose dive when more is available than can be consumed.  We have to create a market for the waste we recycle because that is what will bring commodity prices up and will fuel and finance innovation, etc.

As ridiculous as this example is, please bear with me and you’ll see the basis of my argument is correct. Let’s say that we discover that recycled corrugated is excellent, healthy and inexpensive pet food. People would start buying the pet food, creating a demand and the price of recycled corrugated will rise sharply and quickly. That rise in cost will suddenly make corrugated worth recycling and worth processing. It is really quite simple: no demand, no incentive. Great demand, great incentive.

Advice To Our New “Green” President

President Obama has an excellent opportunity to become what his supporters expect him to be – the administration able and willing to help save the environment and the planet. Certainly we can all agree that the timing could not be better for him in terms of need or of political capital.

His administration should take a closer look at what some very smart, fast growing companies are doing with waste by up-cycling which is making waste something better and more valuable than it was before. There are even better ideas out there waiting to be perfected and marketed, and in my opinion, that is where our tax dollars should be spent. 
 
If President Obama is serious about creating jobs as well as long term solutions, he should offer tax credits and incentives for innovation and design of recycled waste use, not for collection or storage processes. If the demand for this waste grows, the rest will follow naturally.

I doubt very much our government has ever created a market, but customer and application focused innovation has yet to fail us. 

Dennis Salazar is the president of Salazar Packaging, Inc., a certified MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) company specializing in packaging products, equipment and solutions. With over thirty years in the packaging industry, he is known for his tongue in cheek sense of humor as well as his sustainable packaging passion and expertise.   

To contact Dennis, please visit his web site: www.salazarpackaging.com

 

Ludacer to Perform Songs About Packaging atop Fresh Kills in NYC

Packaging Designer Randy Ludacer of Beach Packaging Design will be performing (solo) atop a capped garbage mound at Fresh Kills on Saturday, September 26, at noon.

With the support of The New York City Parks Department and a grant from COAHSI (The Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island), Ludacer, a local musician & package designer will be singing some “Songs About Packaging” on top of what was formerly the world’s largest landfill. Serenading, in effect, the decades of discarded packaging buried beneath.

Eventually, Fresh Kills Park will be New York City’s largest new parks expansion since the 1890s, but since it is not yet open to the public, this performance can only be attended by those who sign up for it via the NYC Parks Department website or on Ludacer's site.

Transportation to the location will be provided by the same bus(es) that are used for the regular tours of the Fresh Kills site.

There is also a recorded 7-song “Songs about Packaging” CD in the works—which will be distributed for free to all those who attend this event. The CD packaging will be handmade from used packaging. (From the artist’s own personal recycling bin: frozen food carton, pasta & cereal boxes, etc.)

Check out Ludacer’s blog, box vox for more about packaging & culture. 

Pizazzcrew uses EcoHangers for its Shirts at Wal Mart Stores

A small socially responsible apparel company, Pizazzcrew is using EcoHangers with its shirts on sale at Wal Mart stores in the Northwest. 

We've covered EcoHangers before and are pleased to see them being used in a consumer retail application at Wal Mart. 

Its a great pairing.  Pizazzcrew makes certified fair trade apparel made from bamboo and organic cotton.   "Eco-hangers are a good fit for me because most of my apparel is organic, sustainable, or has a socio-economic benefit," said Pizazzcrew's Terri DeVenuto.

She said the Eco-hangers have received a great response from store managers at Wal Mart.  "I think they also reinforce our message and commitment, and there's room to print a little something about all of that, on the hangers, with vegetable ink, naturally."

Pizazzcrew shirts were sold at Wal Mart stores in Washington and Idaho and were popular.  The company hopes to continue to produce lines for the retailer.

"As a new vendor at Wal Mart, Terri (the owner of Pizazz Crew) really hated the idea of shipping her shirts on plastic hangers," said Adam Stave of EcoHangers. 

"The shirts arrived at Wal Mart 'pre EcoHangered' and customers were provided the EcoHangers to take home with purchase.  The feedback from both the store managers and customers were tremendously positive.   We look forward to working with additional mass market retail apparel vendors," said Stave.

SIGG Acknowledges Trace Amounts of BPA in Bottle Lining: Offers Consumers Exchange

SIGG makers of popular reusable aluminum water bottles have acknowledged trace amounts of the chemical bisphenol-A (BPA) in the lining of their water bottles produced prior to August 2008.  The company previously would not disclose the content of this proprietary lining and assured consumers it was safe. 

As a result of the disclosure the company is offering customers a voluntary exchange program though October 31, 2009.  Customers with water bottles that have the old lining can return their bottles to the company for recycling and a coupon for a new bottle.  Customers will have to pay to have their old bottles shipped back to SIGG.

The old lining is easy to detect (see photo above) - it has a copper/golden bronze color on the inside of the bottle.  SIGG's new lining used after Aug 2008 is safe the company says.

Melitta Bamboo Coffee Filters

 

I came across these Melitta Bamboo coffee filters at a Sobey's in Canada a couple weeks ago.  I haven't seen them here at grocery stores in the US. 

The filters are made of 60% bamboo and are available at a number of retailers online including Amazon.com  Worth checking out. 

Beach Packaging Design Shines in Packaging Design Magazine Makeover Challenge

Packaging Design Magazine is holding a really neat contest - its sixth annual Makeover Challenge where four design teams are competing to redesign the packing of Casa Visco - a brand of gourmet all-natural spaghetti sauces, mustards and marinades.

Check out the August issue of Packaging Design magazine for the design submissions of all the contestants - the submissions are also available to view online.

After reading the August issue there is one design which I think clearly stands out - the submission from Beach Packaging Design in New York.  Beach is a joint venture between Randy Ludacer and Deborah Davis and their design is just perfect in my view for the brand.

Their design is simple and very clean but packed full of little touches which seal the deal.  Their overall design reminds me of some of the clean clear design work in the food sector we've seen out of Europe for a few years now.  Its reminiscent of something from Sainbury's of Innocent Juice or even the home organic brand of Safeway here in the US.   Clean and pure - with a lot of shelf appeal is how I'd describe their design.

The team from Beach jazzed up their submission with clever additions including a window design on the spoon so the consumer can see the sauce inside and visualize it on their own spoon at dinner - very cool.  They also incorporated a charming little enhanced design on the back using the UPC code.  Their overall packaging design is made complete by photography done by Davis - and included on the lower right hand side of their packaging design.

I could easily see this brand in a store like Whole Foods, Dean & Deluca or some charming grocery - let alone a normal more conventional grocery store.

The design from Queue Marketing Communications Group in Chicago is also appealing.  I think their submission is highly effective visually and elevates the feel of the brand significantly.  While I don't think using a Tetra-Pak is a bad idea - I am not sure how effective it would be to consumers - it would certainly stand out on the shelve however in a market dominated by glass or plastic consumer acceptance may be an issue.

I was not a fan of the designs submitted by Rex Design in Sao Paulo or Estudio Ray in Phoenix.   I felt both were too busy and were visually confusing.  The submission from Rex resembled a holiday theme and made me think the products were seasonal.  While the southwestern hints present in the Estudio entry and the complex container choices seemed to limit the reach of the product significantly.  The Estudio container choices also seemed over the top to me and the least sustainable of all the submissions.

The team from Beach - took a delicious brand and completely updated their packaging in a modern yet subtle way - never losing sight of what makes the brand great - their products.  Well done! 

Randy also writes box vox - a blog I've enjoyed for several years now - where he covers interesting often obscure packaging and design ideas.

More images of the design from Beach Packaging Design