Shrinking Footprints in Packaging
Smaller package sizes are no surprise these days and smaller often means less product in the container. But some companies are still delivering a full volume of product while shrinking the size of their packaging and enhancing sustainability.
A fresh redesign of its 18-fluid-ounce shampoo bottle is estimated to save pet care icon Hartz Mountain about 220,000 pounds of polymer across some 10 million bottles. The new bottle also allows for a more efficient pallet pattern, which reduces the number of trucks needed to move product to distributors and retailers.
This is part of Hartz’s ongoing commitment to sustainable packaging, says Hartz spokesperson Nicole Tom. The Hartz packaging team is also working on additional products that improve the company’s waste management pawprint. Its dog treats, for example, will soon be sold in recyclable bags.
Meanwhile, Cardinal Health has reduced the size of its surgical glove packaging at least 30 percent and uses 15 percent less cardboard, mostly by just folding the gloves in half. According to Cardinal, the new format lets them help customers reduce their environmental footprint and minimize waste.
Inside the box, Triflex powdered surgical gloves and Protexis powder-free surgical gloves are contained in individual pouches made of a paper-based materials. According to Cardinal, over 95 percent of the company’s surgical gloves feature wrap materials made from renewable resources and are recyclable.
Together with Kimberly-Clark, Johnson & Johnson and Waste Management, Cardinal Health is one of the founders of the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council, which focuses on developing recycling and packaging innovations for medical products.
