Inside Innovation: My week in packaging 43/2024

Welcome to my latest LinkedIn newsletter, in which I take a look at my week in packaging. ??

It’s been another busy week of packaging innovations, and we continue to track some exciting examples in ThePackHub's Innovation Zone platform. The following are five that caught my eye this week.

1. Personalised Cosmetic Packaging with ShapeUp Tube Quadpack's ShapeUp Tube has introduced some fun to the cosmetics world, allowing consumers to dispense products in custom shapes, like flowers or logos. Made entirely of PE, with up to 50% PCR content, the tube comes with various finishes and life-cycle assessments for sustainability.
2. Packaging from Onion Skins HUID, a startup based in Scotland, is transforming onion skins into sustainable packaging. This biopolymer blend, created from waste onion peels, has natural anti-microbial properties and promises to reduce plastic waste in the food industry, with onion-skin paper and flexible film prototypes already in the works.
3. Bio-based Packaging from Cooking Oil Waste A collaboration between Sabic, Lamb Weston, and Opackgroup has resulted in packaging derived from used cooking oil. This innovative solution for frozen potato products contains at least 60% bio-based polyethylene and reduces the packaging's carbon footprint by around 30%.

1. Greener Food Delivery with DoorDash and BioPak In a bid to reduce single-use plastic, DoorDash and BioPak have partnered to offer restaurant partners in Australia sustainable packaging alternatives. These compostable and recyclable solutions are setting the stage for more eco-friendly food delivery practices.
2. Market-Ready Paper Bottle with Fibre Cap Paboco has launched the first market-ready paper bottle with a fibre-based cap, weighing just 16 grams. This fully recyclable bottle showcases a significant shift towards lightweight, sustainable alternatives in packaging, with production underway and consumer availability expected by 2025.

Each of these innovations highlights how the packaging industry is evolving toward more sustainable, efficient, and creative solutions. Stay tuned for more updates!

Tuesday: Talking Sustainable Cosmetics

I had an enjoyable and informative time at in-cosmetics Global Co-Lab on Tuesday at Soho House, White City.

It was a really interesting session from The Carbon Trust team. I presented the latest sustainable cosmetic packaging innovations to an already very knowledgeable audience. There was a lot of discussion about the challenges of delivering sustainable cosmetics packaging.

Thank you to Dr Barbara Olioso (the Green Chemist) for the invitation and organisation.

(Handy that my football team QPR FC were playing just around the corner that night. ??

Thursday: Packaging Insights from Carrefour City Supermarket Visit

Whenever I travel, if I can, I make it a point to visit local supermarkets to spot packaging trends.

This time, I took the opportunity to explore a small Carrefour City outlet in central Paris.

This is what I found

• Loose Fresh Produce: A notable focus on loose fresh fruit and vegetables, avoiding pre-packaging, likely aligns with Carrefour's sustainability goals and French consumer preferences. This reduction in plastic aligns with wider European trends toward decreasing single-use plastics.
• Paper-Based Beer Collations: The use of paper for beer packaging is a positive sustainable shift. However, it’s interesting that water bottles remain predominantly shrink-wrapped, which might reflect different functional or brand requirements, possibly due to durability needs during transportation.

• Limited Refill Pouches: Observing only a few refill pouches (perhaps three) is surprising given France's regulations promoting refill and reuse. This could indicate that Carrefour City is still testing or adapting refill strategies, or that refill options haven't yet penetrated all categories.
• Plastic Skillet Sandwiches: The presence of pre-prepared sandwiches in plastic skillets may reflect a balancing act between consumer convenience and the current market's sustainable packaging options. This reliance on plastic in the food-to-go category is a notable area for potential improvement, especially as consumer demand for eco-friendly materials grows.

Friday: Workshop at Sustainable Cosmetics Summit

I ran a half-day workshop on sustainable cosmetics packaging today, marking my second cosmetics-focused presentation of the week!

The session at the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit in Paris aimed to help participants understand key sustainable packaging trends, gain insights into the latest innovations and drivers shaping the cosmetics packaging sector, identify future challenges, and explore the regulatory, environmental, and consumer-driven pressures impacting the industry.

It was an energising workshop with a highly engaged audience across the cosmetics supply chain. Participants contributed to breakout sessions, sharing valuable perspectives on their sustainability challenges and the evolving regulatory landscape. The discussions generated some excellent ideas and provided me with insights into the unique complexities they face as they work to improve sustainability in this sector.

Thank you to Iveta Kovacova of Ecovia Intelligence for the invitation and excellent organisation.

I'm currently sitting at Gard Du Nord waiting for the Eurostar train back to London. So much better than flying (environment/comfort/ease).

Have a great weekend.

Paul