San Francisco-based Method Products, PBC, the leader in eco-friendly household, fabric, and personal care products, is re-entering a category it has not been in for the past five or six years, and it’s doing it with a truly innovative package. The category is air refreshers, and Method’s line comes in a unique PET container that dispenses by way of compressed air instead of relying on chemical propellants.
“The new range of Air Refreshers is designed with revolutionary pressurized air technology,” says Method in announcing the new line. “Unlike many traditional aerosols that are powered by petroleum-based propellants, the continuous spray air refreshers are packed in an airtight chamber powered by compressed air. When sprayed, the air refreshers fill the room with a non-toxic, vibrant scent—no CFCs or dirty propellants.”
Developed by Belgium’s Airopack, this new dispensing system is essentially an injection stretch blow molded container that includes a number of other key components, most of them plastic. Airopack makes these containers in its plant in Switzerland and sends them to its plant in Belgium for filling. From there they go to the U.S. for distribution and sale in Target stores nationwide.
Among the package’s components are the container (A), the injection molded HDPE piston (B), the multi-component Pressure Control Device (C), the injection stretch blow molded upper part of the pressure vessel (D), the injection-molded polycarbonate lower part of the pressure vessel (E), and the plug (F). In its Belgium facilities, Airopack assembles all the parts in-line in a single pass on an automated system that was designed in-house.
Step one is the combination of a pre-assembly that comprises C, D, E, and F. F and E are already combined in a single unit that is laser welded to D. C is laser welded to D as well. Next, B is friction-fit inserted into A. Then pre-assembly C/D/E/F is laser welded to pre-assembly A/B. The resulting ready-to-fill units are sent to a second Airopack facility for filling on an in-line six-station Kugler filler from Optima. Then the valve/actuator piece is crimped on and the lower pressure vessel is pressurized to 8 bar. The aptly named pressure regulator controls the amount of pressure it allows into the upper pressure chamber. Consequently, this upper pressure chamber—the space between the pressure regulator and the piston—remains under a constant pressure of 2 bar.
Checkweighing and date coding are followed by application of a full-body pressure-sensitive label. Positioning is important, so Airopack developed a labeling machine that uses laser detection to locate the front part of the actuator. Once it’s located, the container is rotated so that when the label is applied, the actuator is always positioned in the center of the label graphics. All that remains is the snap-fit application of the loop/handle that fits on top.
When it’s time for the consumer to dispense product from the container, all it takes is the push of a finger on the dispensing button, which immediately releases product thanks to the 2 bar of pressure in the upper pressure chamber.
Consistent pressure
“One of the things I like about this system is that the 2 bar of pressure is always maintained, so it doesn’t stop or decrease over time,” says Rudi Becker, Senior Director of Packaging at Method. “That means the spray pattern you achieve through the actuator is always constant. This is different than bag-on-valve technology, which is what we used for the air refresher we used to make available a few years back. With bag-on-valve, the pressure in the aluminum can drops as product is dispensed.”
When asked to comment on the rather unusual fact that both container making and filling are done in Belgium while the product is sold in the U.S., Becker admits that this part of the Air Refresher picture could indeed be further optimized. But that has not been a strategic emphasis to this point.
“We have certainly been more focused on getting the product and package proposition correct,” he points out. “How do we want this to look? How can we use the loop overcap to differentiate ourselves? What kind of copy do we want on the label?”
He adds that the clear label allowing consumers to see inside the bottle is a central element of the whole design concept. Method chooses not to identify the label supplier, but Becker does say that it’s PP.
He indicates that the idea of a full-body shrink sleeve label was considered, but there were concerns about the possibility of the PET container deforming somehow when the container went through the steam tunnel for shrinkage.
Becker also points to the loop at the top of the package as kind of a Method signature.
“The loop is pretty typical of Method,” says Becker. “Call it the Method spin. The large majority of aerosols you see out there still have a traditional sort of overcap, which we felt wouldn’t bring any sort of new design language to the table. We wanted to give the package the Method design stamp, and we think the loop helps do that. It’s engaging and unique and visually appealing. But it’s functional, too, not only because it gives the consumer a fun way to carry the container but also because in shipment and distribution it prevents the dispenser from being activated inadvertently.”
Selling for $5.00 each, Method’s new Air Refreshers are available in five fragrances exclusively at Target stores in the U.S. and on Target.com.
“Consumers know and love Method for our unique, vivid fragrances,” says Josh Handy, Vice President of Product Experience at Method. “Our fans have been clamoring for us to begin making air refreshers again, so we are especially excited to be getting back into this space. Our goal is to elevate the category by giving consumers a beautiful, non-toxic product that they are actually proud to use and display in their homes.”
To see a spin + zoom 360° photo, click here.
