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

Bumble Bee Seafood Multipack

How Bumble Bee Seafood is Transitioning Multipack Shrink Wrap to Recyclable Cartons

The company produces 26 million multipacks each year, and saw an opportunity to transition to more readily recyclable packaging through a partnership with R.A Jones.

Designs are inspired by flowers from different areas in France: Paris Magnolias, French Alps Globe Flowers, and Provence Lavenders.

UV Screen Printing Further Differentiates Yoplait's Glass-jarred Oui Yogurt

Oui by Yoplait introduced the French Florals Collection, consisting of three limited-edition, designed glass pots inspired by flowers from France.

Packaging design can have a major impact not just on perceived value, but on the flavor and product experience as well.

The Sweet Taste of Packaging

Taste test-like consumer studies show that when designing your product’s packaging, you should consider not just how much it will cost, but how materiality and design strategy influence consumer behavior as well.

Another Instructive Court Case, This One a Victory for Food Packagers

A recent federal court decision gave a big boost to the FDA’s Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) rules. As with last month’s column, this one will examine this single case for its unique lessons.

Water soluble and biodegradable mailer bag.

E-Commerce Innovations: Biodegradable Mailing Bag and Reusable Food Delivery Containers

See two examples of innovative sustainable e-commerce packaging from ThePackHub’s October Packaging Innovation Briefing Report.

Handled with care: Your cookies and crackers deserve the best!

Handled with care: Your cookies and crackers deserve the best!

They are a delight around the world – and a challenge for manufacturers everywhere. The guide provides an analysis of the market trends and the corresponding requirements focusing on handling and infeed technology.

Pringle's Holiday Cans

Getting Noticed: Holiday Pringles, Wine Pouches, and Tony's Chocolate

The importance of creating impactful and noticeable packaging continues to create a point of difference. See a few examples from ThePackHub’s October Packaging Innovation Briefing Report.

What One Court Case Can Teach

A recent court decision will help us understand the recent scourge of private lawsuits brought against food packagers over the information on their product labels.

Rohrer Corp. Acquires Coburn Carton Solutions

Rohrer Corp., a retail-packaging designer and manufacturer, acquired Coburn Carton Solutions, a printer and folding carton converter.

Be Ready for Gen Z

Brands and CPGs reinventing themselves and their packaging isn't just window dressing. It's essential to stay relevant to Gen Z, with it's unique set of behaviors and wants.

OLIKA hand sanitizer

The Rise of Refillable

Michael Rutchik, Creative Director of the OLIKA brand of hydrating hand sanitizer, answers PW questions about his brand’s pivot to durable, refillable packaging.

Handled with care: Your cookies and crackers deserve the best!

Handled with care: Your cookies and crackers deserve the best!

They are a delight around the world – and a challenge for manufacturers everywhere. The guide provides an analysis of the market trends and the corresponding requirements focusing on handling and infeed technology.

Mondi sees great potential for this bag-in-box format in the pet food sector.

New Formats for Pet Food Sector

Sustainable packaging initiatives were front and center at the booth of Mondi Consumer Flexibles in North America as the firm highlighted three new sustainability-driven packaging innovations aimed specifically at the pet food market.

David Clark, Vice President of Sustainability at Amcor

Packaging’s Future is Environment's Solution

The packaging industry is moving toward design for recyclability, to continue protecting products while lowering greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring less plastic waste.

Ray Woder, Global Industry Business Consultant at Dassault Systemes,

Packaging Virtual Twin Technology: Where Sustainability Meets E-Commerce

Recently, e-commerce has converged with sustainability, creating a perfect storm of opportunity to innovate solutions for the packaging waste crisis using virtual twin technology.

Both Starview and Rohrer are excited about the PACK EXPO Las Vegas debut of this All-Paper Blister Pack.

The Debut of an All-Paper Blister Pack

A highlight of the Starview PACK EXPO booth was the All-Paper Blister Packaging Machine, an initiative that has been developed jointly by Starview and paperboard converter Rohrer.

A holographically printed, tamper evident label with external QR code and die-cut tear strip spans the gap between shipper sidewalls and top.

Nutricosmetics’ Tamper Evident Label Takes QR Path to Smart Features

HEBE LIFE’s D2C nutricosmetic products use a label with a QR code that delivers on consumer engagement, geolocation and tracking, anti-counterfeiting and brand protection, not to mention product authentication.

Zero Co Forever Containers

Refill Revolution

Refillable and reusable packaging continues to come through the innovation funnel. See a few examples from ThePackHub’s September Packaging Innovation Briefing Report.

The 250-mL aluminum bottle is a stock package from Trivium that is direct printed in up to six colors and is topped with a silver screw cap. Photo Credit: Sue Rice @suericecreative

Pelee’s Aluminum Wine Bottles Blossom

Pelee Island Winery expands its packaging options with a 250-mL aluminum bottle for its Lola series that mimics the grace and beauty of its glass bottle counterpart.

Jones Soda has brought its packaging to life with a series of limited-edition augmented reality bottle labels that showcase 15 extreme athletes and edgy artists in action.

Jones Soda Bottles Come to Life with AR Labels

Reflecting on the fact that its labels are the original user-generated content, for its 25th anniversary, Jones Soda relies on content creators to take its labels to the next level with augmented reality.

More in Package Design

Included in the line are three clean-ingredient, vegan deodorant varieties—Cucumber Sage, Citrus Vetiver, and Coconut Jasmine—a body balm stick in a Coconut Pineapple scent, and a body lotion stick in Lavender Coconut.

Grove Collaborative is First with Plastic-Free Refillable Deodorant Pack

Company expands its Peach line of clean, vegan personal care products with deodorant and body lotion packaged in a 100% aluminum ‘forever case’ with refills in 100% aluminum cartridges.

Gdusa Inhouse Design 9 13 12 Final 2

Packaging Design Award Showcases ProAmpac’s Collaborative Innovation

ProAmpac received a packaging design award from Graphic Design USA for its design of the Jungle Juiced pouch as well as recognizing its collaborative innovation process.

Aluminum Cans For Coffee Beans

Getting Noticed: Standing Out on Shelf and In-Hand

A package’s first impression can be the difference between success and failure in an ever-increasing competitive marketplace. See a few examples from ThePackHub’s September Packaging Innovation Briefing Report.

Novvia New Name Press Release Final 9 9 2021 1

Regional Packaging Companies Form the Novvia Group

A group of leading regional packing companies backed by Kelso & Company including Inmark, C.L. Smith, Silver Spur, and Container Supply united to form The Novvia Group, a high-quality packaging solutions company with domestic and international customers.

After a semester of helping students craft packages for design competitions, I ask them to create a budget for their package.

Budgeting Bliss: Package Design Students Prepare Estimates

A successful package is more than just a snazzy design, a whole lot more, but even the best design won’t make it to the shelf if it costs too much to make.

New Food Safety Blueprint: Threat or Opportunity?

There’s an old expression that says, “Those who anticipate the future can see threats, but also opportunities.” Well, anyway, there ought to be. Here’s an example.

Inclusivity Needs Packaging, and Packaging Needs Inclusivity

The first Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) was founded as an organization in the UK back in 1946. While much has been done since it’s founding through many universities and some companies, more is needed.

Sterling Anthony

Good Reasons for Package Redesign

Since reasons can include the questionable and the capricious, it’s worthwhile to know some good ones.

WPO Announces Packaging Training Courses for 2021

WPO (World Packaging Organisation) Vice President Education, Henky Wibawa announced five new packaging training programs for the second half of 2021. The first was recently held in Kenya.

Vital Farms’ Egg Bites use a unique packaging and processing approach, baking the product in-pack prior to MAP sealing.

As Café-Hatched Egg Bites Hit Retail Shelves, Vital Farms Reimagines Pack Design, Function

The foodservice channel gave us the egg bites trend with sous vide, but Vital Farms advanced it with a new retail pack format allowing for in-pack baking in CPET trays at the production facility. Consumers simply microwave the MAP trays at home.

Remington iLight IPL3500VDN for Costco Canada—Gold Award in the Innovative Structural Design Consumer Focus category and a Gold Award in the Best Application of Spot or Full Label category.

Vanguard Companies Wins Gold and Silver in the Box Manufacturing Olympics

Vanguard won two gold awards and one silver award in the first-ever 2021 Box Manufacturing Olympics. TAPPI’s CorrPak Competition and AICC’s Package Design Competition joined forces to create the new competition.

Brushing up on Toothpaste Packaging Innovations

Take Five video: To reduce the number of toothpaste tubes ending up in landfills each year, both multinationals and startups in the oral care industry are engineering new packaging that is not only recyclable, but in many cases, eye-catching as well.