Smart aluminum strips instead of plastic cover
Sometimes all it takes to achieve greater sustainability is a little “twist”. Reduction can be achieved not only by replacing materials and hybrid solutions, but also through smart product design.
Like the winner of Packaging Europe‘s“Sustainability Awards 2024“, the canned tuna can from John West Foods, which was developed in collaboration with Schubert Packaging Systems and CC Label. With a special “Smartstrip” sticker made of aluminum, 5 individual products can be connected to each other. The sticker is perforated and, as it is made of the same material, can be disposed of and recycled together with the can. To separate the cans from each other, all you have to do is twist and pull. The new design made it possible to dispense with the PET shrink film and cardboard packaging that had previously held the products together. The manufacturer claims to be able to save 65 tons of PET film per year as a result.
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As part of the redesign, the can itself was also redesigned, saving around 4g of material. In addition, the amount of sunflower oil and water used for preservation has been reduced. As a result of this measure, 200 fewer container loads will be shipped than before – which should save a considerable amount of CO2 on the route from Ghana or the Seychelles to the UK. A successful all-round move that saves resources without compromising consumer convenience.