Less Plastic from Unilever Collaboration, Fragrance Bottles, and More Beauty Packaging News and Launches for Late April 2014

Unilever announced Dove Body Wash bottles will contain at a minimum 15% less plastic as a result of a newly developed packaging technology launched by the company. And Unilever intends to widen the availability of this technology to be used more broadly across the industry. The MuCell Technology for Extrusion Blow Molding (EMB), which will be first featured in Dove Body Wash bottles in Europe, was created in close collaboration with two of Unilever’s global packaging suppliers, Alpla and MuCell Extrusion. It uses gas-injection to create gas bubbles in the middle layer of the bottle wall, reducing the density of the bottle and the amount of plastic required. And all packaging with this technology will remain 100% recyclable.

Henkel and Ball Corporation collaborated to launch a new, lighter weight industrial aluminum aerosol can for the beauty care brand Fa.

East Hill Industries, Inc. is now providing faster delivery for customers with in-stock tubes. By maintaining an extensive inventory of various sized tubes East Hill can deliver ready-made multi-layer COEX tubes much more quickly. In most cases, they can ship within 24 hours of the order.

Matlet entered into a strategic partnership agreement with LaserPrint to form Matlet LA in Latin America. This marks the company’s first international production facility, which will be key to serving its global brand customers, as well to quickly developing Latin American markets. Matlet LA will offer both digital and conventional print platforms and is located in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

Pacific Packaging Components (PPC) won National Association of Packaging Distributor awards for two of its projects. It won a gold in the Personal Care category for its work on Drunk Elephant Skin Care, including a custom square-shaped airless component, and a bronze in the Novelty category for its work in Shaman Elixirs, which uses PPC’s Last Drop Bottle.

People News

Quality Resourcing Services (QRS) announces the appointment of John Pyrzenski as executive vice president of sales and marketing. Pyrzenski earned his degree from the University of Connecticut and has held several positions in the packaging industry, most recently as director of sales for HCT Packaging. His experience and insight in solving the packaging needs of his customers is both an ideal fit and a welcome addition to the QRS team.

New on the Shelves

The new men's fragrance by Spanish perfumery brand Armand Basi, Wild Forest, reflects the balance between the urban cityscape and the natural environment. The packaging, developed by Quadpack company Technotraf, places a glass bottle within a wooden container crafted from a single, solid block of ash, complemented by a matching ash cap. A rectangular window gives a view of the bottle and the fragrance inside. The bespoke design was created by design studio Estudi Arola, and the fragrance bottle has a rectangular shape, with a vertical column that juts out along the left-hand edge on the front face. The outer surface is tinted and finished to highlight the grain pattern, making it not only visible, but also perceptible by touch. The branding is pad printed in minimalist black lettering, and a small square wooden cap emphasizes the pack's austere lines.

The Pochet Group and the Centdegrés design agency teamed with Maison Cartier for the bottle for its La Panthere fragrance. Highly sophisticated, the bottle features the iconic feline sculpted inside the bottle with a wealth of detail, making it appear mysterious, elusive and engaging. It was developed with know-how from Groupe Pochet, associated with the signature of the Centdegrés agency and the artistic supervision of Maison Cartier, and the design does not compromise on the bottle's technical performance. Its inner shape is designed with as much freedom as its outer shape.

New Launches

Lumson launched the Collezione De Luxe, designed to offer a high-end cosmetic packaging solution with strong innovative and technological features. The new collection includes two extra thick based TAG Techno Airless Glass bottles (15 and 50 ml) using Lumson’s patented Airless Pouch Technology and a thick based 50 ml glass jar. The glass bottles’ extra thick base is specifically designed to enhance the beauty of the glass and a newly designed Pearl Actuator aids in better dispensing. The glass jar is available in either aluminum or PETG, and it was designed as a glass jar with a PP container inserted inside, allowing the jar to have a greater size impression.

M&H Plastics, part of the RPC Group, developed a method of printing Braille characters directly onto plastic packaging. A high-build varnish is used to print the Braille dots directly onto the product using extremely accurate control measures to ensure the height of the Braille alphabet remains uniform throughout the packaging run. And, although developed for Braille, this process can also be used in traditional screen printing allowing customers to highlight specific design features by using an embossed effect.

Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials introduced its Select Solutions Tag Stock portfolio, featuring bright white, pressure sensitive tag constructions suited for apparel and bedding, cosmetics, point-of-purchase and other applications that require sturdy, removable labels. The Tag Stock portfolio delivers flexible and easy converting and dispensing, working well using screen, offset and solvent- or water-based flexo printing. The company also continued its Select Solutions rollout with the introduction of the Piggyback portfolio. This unique portfolio features multi-layer constructions in which a removable self-adhesive label covers a second label that remains fixed to the original surface. The label-on-label construction can be used for promotion, inventory management and work-in-process applications resulting in faster handling and lower cost compared to other label-on-label processes.