Innovative On the Go Sandwich Packaging

South African retailer Woolworths recently introduced a new form of packaging for its on the go sandwiches.

The previous version was made from plastic the new version is made from FSC certified cardboard with a corn-based plastic window. 

The packaging design is also innovative.  The cleverly designed box ‘unzips' into a handy, self-contained and disposal tray.

The retailer initially launched the new packs in the Western Cape and began rolling them out nationally from mid September 2008.

The new sandwich packs carry the stamp of approval of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an internationally recognized body backed by a large number of leading conservation groups including WWF-SA.

Julian Novak, Woolworth head of foods explains, “Plastic made from oil is a non-renewable resource. Our new packaging is based on renewable and sustainable resources. The cardboard is certified as coming from well-managed forests, which means we're supporting responsible forest management. We are particularly proud of this packaging because it is the first time that certified sustainable cardboard is being used in South African food packaging.”

Even better, Novak assures customers that the introduction of the new packaging has had no impact on Woolworths sandwich prices.

Sustainable Packaging Hot Topic at HBA Global Expo

Industry publication Women's Wear Daily (WWD) reported last week's HBA Global Expo in New York had a major focus on sustainable and more eco-friendly packaging.

Packaging options that companies are exploring include everything from glass containers to vegetable inks and from paper and outer packaging made from recycled materials to biodegradable or recyclable packaging.

“Last year, it was all about biodegradable plastics and I feel that this year there’s been a shift to using recyclable glass,” Taya Tomasello, senior beauty analyst at market research firm Mintel told WWD.

She also said she’s seen more and more companies do away with the outer packaging.

Italy-based Leoplast Group, which uses natural vegetable-based and renewable sources such as biopolymer produced by NatureWorks LLC, said companies don’t realize the kind of impact they can have by using more eco-friendly packaging.

The company supplied Cargo Cosmetics with its VegetalPlastic for the Plant Love makeup line, which was launched early last year.

“From using PLA [polylactic acid] packaging, you can save 60 percent [of the] fossil fuel in comparison to using traditional plastics, in addition to reducing greenhouse gasses up to 90 percent,” said Graziano Reggiani, general manager of Leoplast.

Reggiani told WWD that he finds the U.S. market is more ready to understand and explore more eco-friendly alternatives in terms of packaging, in comparison to the European market, which he said still has a ways to go.

via Women's Wear Daily

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Complete Transition to PLA Packaging

Green Mountain Coffee, the coffee division of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) unveiled new packaging for its 10-ounce and 12-ounce coffee lines including Signature, Fair Trade Organic, Flavored and Seasonal coffees.

Sustainable is Good reported extensively on the initial roll out of the new packaging. 

This latest step completes the packaging makeover that began with roll-outs of the Newman's Own(R) Organics and Single Origin lines of coffee.

The redesign includes a vibrant palette of line-specific colors and illustrations that clearly differentiate one line of coffee from the other. The crisp, contemporary look also features improved communication that identifies the roast level, grind type, Fair Trade and organic certifications, and decaf options.

Along with an updated logo, these features help consumers easily find their favorite Green Mountain coffee.

As with Green Mountain Coffee's other recent packaging modifications, these bags also offer an environmental benefit. The film contains 19.4% PLA (polylactic acid), a polymer made from plant-based renewable resources.  The company claims the use of PLA helps reduce the environmental impact of the packaging.

The packaging is made by fres-co.

Susan Cote, Director of Brand Marketing at Green Mountain Coffee, said, "We used a collaborative approach to design the new packaging lines, listening to the needs of our consumers, our wholesale customers, our sales team and our manufacturing group. Consumers will be really pleased with the strong visual shelf presence and clear product identification the new packaging provides."

The redesigned packaging is already appearing on store shelves.

Coopbox NaturalBox PLA Fresh Food Packaging

Italian fresh food packaging company Coopbox has carved a niche with its NaturalBox line of Ingeo PLA tray packaging.  Designed for fresh meats and vegetables the packaging is being used for a number of applications in Europe.

Packaging World reported Coopbox's NaturalBox packaging has been available since 2005 and is currently used for fresh meat and fish packaging throughout Europe.

The PLA tray can be wrapped with a stretch film or a PLA-based film for a 100% biodegradable packaging solution.

“When the tray is used with PLA,” Coopbox's Cesare Vannini told Packaging World, “it is possible to obtain a 100-percent biodegradable solution. The system is suitable for protective atmosphere packaging of fresh foods with a shelf life of up to 15 days.”

NaturalBox trays with PLA lidstock are currently being used for several European fresh-food applications, including organic chicken (pictured) from Bodin, the largest poultry supplier in Europe; easy-peel, jumbo, ready-to-eat prawns from U.K. seafood company Dawnfresh Seafoods; and processed meat from Fresh Concept in Belgium.

Nextgen Vending to Distribute Earthpure Organics PLA Eco-Water Bottles

Earthpure Organics, a sister company of Nextgen Vending has launched a new line of renewable, biodegradable PLA water bottles called Eco-Water bottles.

The new 16.9 oz. water bottles will be distributed nationally by Nextgen Vending. 

Nextgen Vending specializes in delivering organic snack and beverage products to schools, hospitals, airports, fitness centers, corporate facilities and other retail markets via custom vending kiosks.

The Eco-Water bottle is made from a renewable resource, corn based PLA,  that is also fully offset with EPA/ BEF (Bonneville Environmental Foundation) wind power “Green Tags” – the bottle is fully biodegradable, recyclable, and fully carbon offset.

“We are extremely proud to be the first vending operator in the United States to offer a socially responsible choice for water bottles” says Paul Frantellizzi, managing partner of Earthpure Organic.

“This corn-based PLA bio-bottle with the addition of a 100% carbon offset commitment, is a compelling first step toward resolving growing concerns about petroleum based bottles overwhelming our landfills”.

Earthpure's Eco-Water bottle joins North Carolina's Primo Water as the only two known companies using PLA for individual water bottle packaging in the US.

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.

REI Corn Based PLA Gift Cards

Washington-based outdoor company REI is using new biodegradable gift cards made by NatureWorks. The gift cards are made from PLA which is a corn-based bio-plastic.

The new cards replace the company's previous designs and are available across the country.

REI's move to the PLA cards follows similar offerings from Target and Toys R Us who have each offered some type of more eco-friendly gift card options to their customers.

Primo Water Ingeo PLA Bottle

North Carolina-based Primo Water launched earlier this month and becomes the only US bottled water company to use bio-based material for its singe serve 16.9 fl.oz bottles.

Now defunct, Colorado-based Biota used to be the only company in the US selling bottled water in PLA packaging.

Primo's water bottle is made from Ingeo PLA (formerly NatureWorks) from NatureWorks LLC. Ingeo is a corn-based bio-plastic. The single serve bottles are sold nationally in 18-count multi packs.

“We're proud to bring consumers a more environmentally-friendly bottled water,” said Billy Prim, CEO of Primo Water Corporation. “Not only does Primo give consumers the great taste, convenience, everyday price value and availability that they've been looking for in a bottled water, it also helps them to leave a better world for their children.”

Primo Water attracted attention earlier this year when it was featured in the green room of the first “green” Grammy awards in Los Angeles

Dyne-A-Pak Nature Bio-based Foam Meat Tray Packaging

Dyne-A-Pak Nature is a new bio-based foam meat tray made from NatureWorks bioploymer, a non-petroleum based polymer.   

The new form of meat packaging is made from plants using 65% less fossil fuel energy in its production and generating fewer greenhouse gases, compared to conventional petroleum based polymers.

The company says their foam trays are comparable in density and performance to standard foam trays meaning meat producers or consumers should not see any tangible difference between the new packaging and traditional foam meat trays.

Read more about what companies are doing with foam meat trays - the Murrays Chicken new eco packaging completely eliminates the foam tray. 

Noble Juice PLA Packaging

Noble Juice was the first premium juice company to use Natureworks PLA corn-based plastic for its packaging. 

In addition to the bottle Noble is also using Earthfirst PLA for the shrink sleeve label. 

The company debuted the PLA packaging back in September 2006 and thanks to distribution by Wal-Mart the company's juice products still represent the only PLA bottle packaging available to some consumers. 

In addition to Wal-Mart Noble juice is also carried by Publix, Kroger, Stop & Shop and Giant Eagle.  We were able to find Noble Juice at a local Wal-Mart store.

At the launch of the new packaging Noble Juice president Wade Groetsch said, “With NatureWorks polymer we are also stimulating the mind of our consumer by making our product available in an eco-friendly bottle made 100 percent from an annually renewable natural source.”

Dani ECO Collection

Oregon-based Dani Bath has added new ECO products to its popular line of candles and diffusers.  The new products debuted last month and feature a number of eco-friendly characteristics including packaging made from NatureWorks PLA.

The new ECO pure soy candles feature cotton wicks and use 100% biodegradable soot free soy wax.  The candle's come in a small attractive glass container with a recyclable aluminum lid. After the candle is spent, the glass container can be cleaned with soap and water and reused as a glass, vase or simply recycled.

The food grade soy wax used in the candles is made from US soybeans and is pesticide & herbicide free.  The candles are 100% biodegradable containing to paraffin, petroleum or genetically modified materials.

The ECO natural reed diffuser oil also comes in a glass container and offers consumers a safe alternative to incense sticks.  The diffuser oil comes with natural reeds in the package and will distribute all natural fragrance throughout a room.   

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Launches New Packaging for Newman's Own Organics and Single Origin Coffee Lines

 

Vermont-based Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) recently introduced new packaging for its popular Newman's Own Organics line of coffees.  The new packaging features both structural and cosmetic improvements in the coffee bag.

GMCR is using new coffee bag technology from industry leader fres-co.  Like the bag Sustainable is Good reported Jim's Organic Coffee is using (also made by fres-co), the new Newman's Own Organics bag contains an inner layer of 19.4% PLA - a NatureWorks polymer made from corn.  GMCR said, "The introduction of PLA helps reduce the environmental impact of the packaging while maintaining the necessary barriers to moisture and light that keep the coffee at its freshest."

The bag uses fres-co's Corner Seal technology which allows the packaging to maintain a crisp shape on the store shelf and increases the amount of visible printable surface for graphics.  "The deeper, shorter bag fits better on the shelf and has increased functionality for both shipping and displaying."

The graphic design on the new packaging has been completely reworked to give the coffee bags a premium look.  "The bags' premium look and rich copper color are a reflection of the high quality coffee within," the company said.  Graphic design for the new packaging was done by GMCR own design department. 

Nell Newman, president of Newman's Own Organics said, "I love the look of the new packaging and think it will draw more coffee devotees to our products so they can experience what a distinctive and varied selection of coffees we have.  The packaging is an expression of the care and attention that Green Mountain Coffee Roasters puts into sourcing and roasting these coffees for us."

The new Newman's Own Organics coffee packaging is currently available to consumers across the country.

GMCR has also created new packaging its own premium Single Origins line of coffees.  The new packaging will also incorporate the 19.4% PLA lining.  The graphic design for this line has also been updated to reflect the change, vaguely resembling the Newman's packaging without the metallic look to it.   

The new Single Origins packaging is being sold to into stores now and should be more widely distributed in the Jan/Feb time frame according to Sandy Yusen, Director of Public Relations for GMCR. 

When asked whether we could expect to see similar changes to the packaging of other GMRC brand coffees, Yusen said, "We are looking at other ways to make our packaging materials more environmentally friendly and hope to incorporate these innovations into other products in our line."

Jim's Organic Coffee Greens its Coffee Packaging

Massachusetts-based Jim's Organic Coffee has introduced a new greener coffee bag made by fres-co.

The new 12 oz. bag will serve as the company's consumer retail packaging and incorporates green components never before used in a coffee bag. 

The bag is the result of efforts by fres-co to produce a coffee bag that retains the ability to keep coffee fresh while using greener components.  The new bag is the first generation of a coffee bag made with renewable resources on the concept of working to replace petroleum-based components in its old coffee bag with renewable ones.

Jim's Organic Coffee is the first coffee company using polylactide (PLA) resin in its bag.  The new bags are made of 19% PLA used in a layer that replaces 48-gauge polyester in the old bag.  The PLA used in the bag is from NatureWorks LLC, a stand-alone company owned by Cargill.

Made by fres-co, who makes coffee bags for a number of major brands, the bags are a major step towards the development of a green coffee bag. 

Jim Cannell, founder of Jim's Organic Coffee told Sustainable is Good, "Any way we can move in a more sustainable direction without compromising quality is always a good thing.  For us, this comes from simply asking our vendors what is new and, in this case, it was something a vendor had been working on for about a year."

"The rest of the bag is a foil laminate (plastic and aluminum foil).  We have always felt that the greatest justice we can do for the organic movement is to provide great coffee.  These are the best way to bag coffee if it is to stay fresh," Cannell said.

Cannell looks at the larger picture when assessing the greenness of his packaging. "If higher quality coffee moves people to purchase more organic then, yes, we consider it green," he said.

Jim's Organic Coffee's new packaging also received a face lift from well known graphic designer Edgar Stewart.   Stewart's work is no stranger to packaging he's done work for Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and Nantucket Nectars Juice among others.

"Edgar Stewart did the design working with my pictures and experiences," said Cannell.  The graphic design works well with fres-co's matte finish select finishing which helps present the graphics in a unique and aesthetically pleasing fashion. The layout of the graphic design is also well done with the trail of steam from the coffee cup on the front of the bag ending right at the bag's one-way valve.

Jim's Organic Coffee's new packaging is currently available, the company sells direct to consumers through its web site.  Its products are also available through a number of retailers and restaurants.

The new bags carry text on the bottom identifying their greenness, "This bag is the first generation of sealed, stay fresh coffee bags to include renewable resources in its design.

Cargo Lipstick Packaging Biodegradable; Turns into Wildflowers

Innovative packaging from Cargo Cosmetics for its PlantLove line of lipstick actually turns into wildflowers when water is applied to it.

The outer packaging for the lipstick is made of a seed infused recycled paper embedded with real flower seeds.  Customers simply moisten, plant and wait for a bouquet of wild flowers to grow.

The lipstick containers themselves are made from NatureWorks PLA a corn-based plastic.  NatureWorks is owned by agricultural giant Cargill.  Cargo is the first lipstick manufacturer to use PLA for its lipstick cases.

Cargo's president Hana Zalzal worked for several years on developing the product and its packaging.  The cases are injection molded NatureWorks PLA and according to Zalzal ended up costing the same as a traditional petroleum-based lipstick case.