Increasingly, universities find support from packaging manufacturers, retailers. . .

For manufacturers and retailers to grow their businesses, they need to find consumer-friendly—read earth-friendly—alternatives to packages and packaging processes.

Gretchen EdelbrockProducts Editor

Apr 1st, 2009

Now more than ever, these manufacturers and retailers are seeking out and supporting universities that can work on solutions from a different point of view. Topics being addressed include supply chain challenges, sustainability, biobased and biodegradable packages, and human/package interface.

FoodNavigator-USA.com

Veritas Fine Cannabis packaging QR codes lead back to a strain card on the company’s website that provides even more detailed information not included on the label.

Veritas Uses On-Pack QR Codes for its Cannabis to Provide Product Transparency

Denver-based cannabis company Veritas adds QR codes to its packaging that enable consumers to find detailed information on the specific cannabis strain and where the product is available for future purchase.

Kengos shoes’ most visually striking design element stems from the whip-stitching that mechanically attaches the sole to the upper without adhesive. That design element is reinforced in the packaging design, which is also entirely mechanical.

D2C SIOC Shoes Make Sustainable Statement

Micah Heftman hadn’t heard the acronym SIOC (ships in own container) when he designed a shoebox for his footwear. He just wanted to avoid a ‘box within a box’ experience. Only when he heard about SIOC did he realize there was a name for his pack design.

Milk-Bone Rebrand Affirms That ‘Life’s More Fun with a Dog’

Leading dog treats brand Milk-Bone refreshes its look, wrangling 80 dogs in a photo shoot to capture the most tail-wagging, smile-inducing images for its iconic red packaging.

Sustainability – No Longer Just a “Nice to Have”, Speakers from Left: Lindsay Smaron, Samantha Smith, and Kevin Kane with Moderator Jamie Pero-Parker, PhD at thePACKout.

Medical Device eIFUs: Hurdles to Overcome

Live from the[PACK]out: Regulations, regional acceptance, and validated packaging configurations all play a role. The challenges aren’t insurmountable but will require efforts from the packaging community.

At the[PACK]out, presenting 'Wicked Stability: Predicting the Aging Degradation of Materials' were speakers (from left): Dan Burgess, Henk Blom, and Rod Patch w/ Moderator Seema Momin.

KiiP Tackles Wicked Problems in Package Material Stability

What began as a chat over coffee has led to work on a hypothesis and a white paper with far-reaching potential in saving time and resources in medical device packaging stability testing. Efforts were presented at the[PACK]out's inaugural event in Austin.

5. PulseNmore ES is an ultrasound device for home use. Credit: Good Design Awards and The Chicago Athenaeum.

Good Design Awards Highlight Connected Devices

The Chicago Athenaeum 2021 GOOD DESIGN Awards Program featured designs for insulin injectors, portable ultrasound and ECGs, allergy detection, and more. The closing date for the 2022 Good Design Award applications is June 1, 2022.

Amcor Launches Lift-Off Initiative for Innovative Start-ups

Amcor’s Lift-Off is an open-call initiative aimed at supporting seed stage start-ups focused on innovative packaging solutions and related technologies. Winners will receive $250,000 as well as operational guidance, to take their ideas to the next level.

Sterling Anthony

Reducing Risk for Slack-fill Packaging Lawsuits: Part One

Here are some fundamentals regarding lawsuits alleging that the packaging contains slack-fill that misleads and deceives the consumer.

Germersheim Details 23

Smurfit Kappa UK Acquires Atlas Packaging

Smurfit Kappa UK Limited, a manufacturer of paper-based packaging products acquired Atlas Packaging, an independent corrugated packaging provider.

Bubbletree Bottles 4 (2)

Refillable Aluminum Bubble Container Goes Against the Norm

Bubble Tree launched with an aluminum bottle designed to reflect the brand’s goals of sustainability and environmental safety.

Pat Reynolds 2016 Official

Ardagh Invests in Digital Can Printing

Commercially viable since 2019 and operating more or less under the radar at first, Canada’s Hart Print is now ready for what Co-CEO and Co-Founder JP Paradis calls “our coming out party.”

One example of the vivid printing Hart is able to produce is shown here.

Digital Continues to Transform Printing and Finishing

With digital’s share of the printed label and packaging market showing impressive gains, a number of new players are entering the game—especially in the direct-to-shape space.

Prismiq Graphic For Businesswire

SEE Launches Digital Packaging Brand prismiq™

Sealed Air’s prismiq is a digital packaging brand with a portfolio of solutions for design services, digital printing, and smart packaging.

AMC Global advises that as brands update or launch new products, the online shopping environment must be considered in packaging design.

AMC Global: Top Five Packaging Design Adjustments for Selling Online

As online shopping continues to grow, AMC Global compiles the top five packaging design considerations for successfully selling your products through e-commerce.

Little Spoon Babyblends purées AFTER the redesign

Rebrand for Little Spoon Baby Food Reflects Fresh Approach

Organic baby foods company Little Spoon redesigns its packaging for a more cohesive, impactful look across its range of products and to work better in the D2C environment.

Essentra Packaging, Advanced Material Development Announce Smart Packaging Collaboration

Essentra Packaging and Advanced Materials Development (AMD) are developing a new generation of time temperature indicators, an accurate and cost effective smart packaging technology for the pharmaceutical sector.

Qr Cover Image Square

Unleashing QR Codes’ Potential in Healthcare

QR codes can link consumers and patients to dynamic engagement, education, authentication features and more. Here are 12 examples of how brand owners can unleash the potential of QR codes for life science and personal care applications.

A Healthy Try at Simplifying Food Labels?

At the risk of overdramatizing, the food label is a continuing cauldron of controversy.

Tee Packaging (front Back) 02

Compact Bra Alternative Gets Luxe Packaging with Detailed Printing

Nuudii System offers grab-and-go 'boobwear,' or bra alternative, that gives women an option between wearing a bra and going braless.

Applying pressure to the Packlock blister card and creating the rectangular prism is required to open up a space between the backing of the card, allowing the user to push a pill into the space and have the pill drop down.

Johnson & Johnson Chief Medical Officer Highlights Unit Dose Packaging’s Role in Preventing Accidental Ingestion

Dr. Ed Kuffner: “Every day in the U.S., we have about 150 children—about four busloads of kids—coming into emergency departments because of accidental unsupervised ingestions… Packaging innovations can reduce these risks.”

More in Package Design

Irish Spring Rebrands, Emphasizing Products’ ‘Smell from a Nice-Smelling Place’

Looking to appeal to a younger male consumer, Irish Spring updates its look, with a sleek new bottle shape that provides a canvas for travel poster-like images highlighting the refreshing destinations of Irish Spring.

Sustainably Minded E-Commerce at Your Front Door

U.K. sustainable packaging expert Paul Jenkins of the PackHub and Packaging World’s Matt Reynolds discuss real-world applications of e-commerce packaging focused on sustainability available today.

Dhl Packaging In Warehouse

DHL Supply Chain AI OptiCarton Solution Promotes Cost and Emissions Savings

DHL's solution helps optimize the filling volume of boxes and suggests the splitting of an order into several consignments to make individual shipments more cost effective or reduce their carbon footprint.

Materially Changed: It's All About the Bottle

See examples of paper and pulp bottles, 100% PCR aluminum Bottles, and wine in aluminum bottles, from ThePackHub’s April Packaging Innovation Briefing Report.

In March, Colgate-Palmolive launched its new Palmolive Shake & Clean Dish Soap product, which features a packaging system made up of a reusable bottle paired with a flexible pouch refill.

Colgate-Palmolive and Walmart Shake Up the Dish Soap Category

New Palmolive Shake & Clean Dish Soap features a reusable bottle and a concentrated gel packaged in a flexible pouch for 75% less plastic waste.

Spirits Bottle’s Elevated Shape & Decoration Runs on Existing Equipment

Michigan’s Iron Fish Distillery says that it’s the state’s first farm-based distillery.

Functional Water Label Design Zigs Where Category Zags

Graasi Barley Water is a new line of RTD organic waters available in three flavors: Citrus Mint, Cucumber Lime, and Lemongrass Ginger. The launch of Graasi Barley Water marks the return of a functional beverage consumed by ancient civilizations.

This bag immediately draws attention with its vibrant colors and captivating image of a blue-and-gold macaw, and a see-through window allows shoppers to ensure the product is fresh and pest-free.

Digital and Flexographic Printing Create Appealing Birdseed Package

Creating a fresh, pest-free seed product can be a challenge since insect eggs and larva can be hard to detect when seeds and grains are being harvested and then packaged. A window in this pouch lets a consumer know that the contents are indeed pest-free.

Unilever, Kao Corp., and Uni Devise Unique Reusable Body-Care Packaging Systems

Sustainability, ease of use, elegance, guaranteed lifetime use, and whimsical product dispensing are just some of the features found in four new reusable packaging systems for body care.

3 D Neopac Tube Image

3D Neopac Makes Major Technology Investments

The company has recently implemented several technology upgrades in production and is bringing a variety of EcoDesign solutions for its signature SpringTube™ and plastic tubes.

Five unisex products make up the Uni line: (from l. to r.) a shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body serum, and hand wash.

Uni Refillable Body-Care System Provides Guilt-Free, Luxury Experience

The new Uni line of high-performance, reef-safe body and hair-care products uses a two-part reusable packaging system made up of a simple elegant aluminum shell and an aluminum refill bottle, both created by renowned designer Marc Atlan.

Juno makes good use of vacuum conveyor transfer to bring unprinted cans down from the overhead depalletizer.

‘Home-grown’ Direct-to-Shape Printing

The self-described ‘super nerds’ who launched Juno DTS a few years back have come up with a modular and scalable way of digitally printing aluminum cans at 400/min.