2011 August | Sunrise Packaging Blog

Archive for August, 2011

A Bike Make Entirely From Recycled Plastic

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

The Frii is a bike made exclusively out of recycled plastic. This snap together sensation is both lightweight and durable- a true innovation for green design. Mastermind Israeli designer Dror Peleg came up with the concept and design for this recycled 1-speed bike that’s intended for quick trips through the city streets.

Production of the Frii entails using recycled plastic that is melted and injection molded to form each unique part of the bike. The body of the bike is the largest component where at the bottom sits a pedal crank that runs a belt to the rear wheel hub instead of a chain. There are no external brakes- just a BMX style brake system where peddling backwards causes the bike to stop.

Forks to the 20-inch plastic wheels are kept short for added strength. Solid tires are injected over the rims during the manufacturing process. The seat does look uncomfortable but the Frii is not for long, smooth rides. And of course, the colors and modular design are electrifying.

Tags:bicycle, Eco-Friendly, injection molded, pedal bike, recycled plastic
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New T-Shirt Company Uses Packaging To Show Originality

Monday, August 29th, 2011

So what’s with the picture above? Looks like a typical deck of cards right? Wrong. It’s t-shirt packaging for the recently launched Burn Card Clothing.

This company wanted to capture originality in their packaging to make their quality, originally designed t-shirts stand out that much more. The shirts are packaged in old school boxes that look like a big deck of cards. On the inside a tag is attached to the shirt itself that tells its size and has the look of a playing card. All around, the shirts and the packaging are truly unique creating a positive out-of-the-box experience for their customers.

Tags:Boxes, burn card clothing, clothing, package design, packaging, t-shirts
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More Evidence of Green Packaging Growth

Friday, August 26th, 2011

World demand for green packaging is expected to rise 5.7% per year to $212 billion in 2015. We’ve been tracking these projections for a couple of years now. Without becoming redundant, it should be noted that these growth numbers have been consistent. A lot of speculation rose over the green packaging market a few years ago that is was a passing fad. But surviving a terrible world economy is a tell tale sign that the demand is real.

This new growth projection for green packaging comes from a new study by the Freedonia Group. The study shows recycled-content packaging as being the largest product type by far. However, recycled-content packaging will see the slowest increases due to the maturity of products such as metal cans and glass containers. Reusable and degradable packaging will experience above-average growth with degradable packaging in particular seeing double digit annual growth rates. Though degradable packaging’s demand will increase significantly, it will only make up approximately 1% of the overall green packaging market by 2015.

The largest regional green packaging market in the world will remain Asia/Pacific at $79 billion because of its large food and beverage industries. Asia will see some of the fastest growth in India, China, and Indonesia. Other countries such as Russia, Turkey, Brazil, and Mexico will see healthy gains as well.

Accounting for 23% of the green packaging market in 2010, the US has the largest market share by a long shot. Other mature markets can be found in Germany as well as Japan though Japan’s growth is expected to slow down quite a bit.

Stay tuned…..although at this point we can predict the same type of story in the next study.

Tags:biodegradable, Eco-Friendly, green packaging, recycled, reuse, sustainable
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Ford and Toyota Team Up To Build New Hybrid Engine

Wednesday, August 24th, 2011

Ford and Toyota are teaming up to make a gas-electric hybrid engine to power pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. The signed deal has both companies sharing development costs to make a hybrid engine that is more affordable to bring it to the market faster. Hybrid automobiles have been the talk of the auto industry since gas spiked in 2007 but because of how expensive the options are, American consumers have yet to buy in. And whose to blame them in the middle of the biggest recession since the Great Depression?

Another reason that hybrids have not grown popular in the US is because Americans find trucks and SUVs necessary- more so than other countries. And hybrid options up to this point for trucks and SUVs have been underwhelming. That is the main reason that this deal between automobile giants has been struck. Toyota’s Executive Vice President for R&D, Takeshi Uchiyamada, said about hybrid technology for trucks and SUVs “Those kind of models are indispensable to American customers. And providing them with our hybrid technology will help conserve energy and reduce output for greenhouse gas here in the US”.

Hybrid trucks will help automakers meet stricter government regulations into the future. In the US, the fleet of new cars and trucks will be required to average 56.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

It will take a year for Ford and Toyota to figure out who will do what research and about 2-3 years before a system can be developed. No speculation yet as to how gas mileage their engine will get.

Tags:automobiles, cars, environment, Ford, green cars, Greenhouse Gas, hybrid, SUV, Toyota, trucks
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Libraries Nationwide Experiencing Growth

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

Speculation of the demise of public libraries has been a talker over the last handful of years. With everything going digital (music, movies, books) it was at least clear that if libraries were going to make it through this transitional period, they would have to be willing to change with the times. The widespread opinion by many was that libraries wouldn’t survive long term but would start to see a decline in overall patronage. If that is the case, we’re not seeing evidence of this yet.

Take Wethersfield Library in Connecticut for example. According to their library director, overall patronage last year increased. More than 193,000 people visited the library in 2010- an average of 550 visitors each day. That’s a 4.5% increase from the previous year. Quite an astonishing number considering what libraries are apparently up against. In addition to their physical visits to the library, 180,500 people visited the library’s website.

In the past year, Wethersfield Library also had 54,800 questions to reference staff (18% increase from the previous year) and borrowed 363,900 items from the library to patrons. 17,00 people attended programs offered by the library, ranging from job-hunting support groups to children’s reading events to movie screenings.

The increased use is similar to increased patronage in other libraries nationwide. The American Library Association has noted that since the recession began, libraries across the country have seen increased use by people who have fallen on hard times or who are seeking jobs and visit libraries to use the free computer to look for work and apply online.

Seemingly, the recession has had a big hand in these nationwide increases for libraries. For example, people have been dropping magazine subscriptions to save money while going to their local library to borrow magazines. While the economy might be a temporary explanation for these increases, it will be very interesting to see where the state of the public library is in another 5-10 years, assuming we climb out of the recession.

Tags:books, economy, libraries, music, public library, reading, recession
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California Eliminating Polystyrene Foam Takeout Packaging

Friday, August 19th, 2011

Approximately 1,369 tons of polystyrene foam goes into U.S. landfills daily. By volume, polystyene foam takes up 25 to 30 percent of total landfill area. These figures make it one of the most environmentally unfriendly types of waste around.

Big cities in California such as San Francisco, Oakland, and Huntington Beach have banned the use of polystyrene foam takeout packaging. You can now add Salinas to the list. Salinas city council banned the containers at a 6-1 vote on August 16th which will officially go into effect February 12, 2012. The law also extends into banning all disposable food serviceware including plates, cups, bowls, trays, cup lids, straws, utensils, etc. The law will apply to all establishments that sell or provide prepared food for takeout.

There are a total of 39 bans on polystyrene takeout packaging in California. Los Angeles has bans in place at citywide facilities and events. A bill will be voted on by the state on August 25th that looks to phase out polystyrene takeout packaging statewide by 2016.

Various cities up the West Coast including Seattle and Portland have also banned these containers. If packaging companies are slow to evolve into the new world of sustainable packaging, they most likely will be forced to by law to help preserve the environment. It’s no question that our eco-conscious society is changing the dynamics of the industry.

Tags:environment, foam, Food Packaging, polystyrene, Styrofoam, sustainable, takeout
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Pacific Perfumes Fuses Culture and Sustainability in Packaging

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Pacific Perfumes of New Zealand creates solid perfumes that capture the essence of the South Pacific. Their perfumery takes special skill blending botanical essences of flower, wood, fruits and resin, producing unique fragrances. Perfumes from Pacific Perfumes have never been tested on animals and ingredients are all from the plant world.

Elegant perfume needs elegant packaging, sustainable packaging in this case. Pacific Perfumes went with a design by Mike Peters that ended up winning the HBA’s International Package Design Award (IPDA). Lets explore….

The perfume itself is packaged in a simple wooden pot that is compact and beautiful to touch. A clever snap-to-system carved in the wood keeps the lid secure. The wood is made from sustainable Beech sourced from certified sustainable New Zealand forests. For every tree that is logged, another one is planted in its place.

Another piece of sustainable Beech is used to hold the wooden pot of perfume inside of a recyclable paperboard box. It is also a little gift. The shape of a Nikau tree (Palm tree that is native to New Zealand only) pops out, as pictured, of the Beech perfume holder to further symbolize the culture of New Zealand.

Tags:green packaging, New Zealand, paperboard, perfume, recyclable, sustainable, wood
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5 Super Creative QR Code Designs

Monday, August 15th, 2011

You probably know by now what a QR Code is because they’re showing up everywhere- on the television screen, product packaging, etc. They’ve become so popular in the past few years due to the extremely high growth of smartphones. QR (Quick Response) Codes are a new approach to content delivery for marketers to connect consumers with a brand. They are great for marketing because they’re free to create, scan fast, have a very high error tolerance, and can link to content in many different ways to interact with consumers. QR Codes are already widely used in Japan, the Netherlands, and South Korea while the rest of the world is now adopting the technology to a larger degree.

When focusing on the high error tolerance that QR Codes have, 30% tolerance in readability, designers and developers are now taking this technology to the next level. By creatively designing QR Codes, you make your 2D barcode stand out. Further, it adds a human element to the otherwise cold and techie appearance. Here’s five clever examples of designer QR Codes.

TRUE BLOOD

M&M’s

HELP JAPAN

MAGIC HAT BREWERY

AYARA THAI RESTAURANT

Tags:android, creative, design, Marketing, QR Code, Smartphones
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iPad Cases Made From Bernie Madoff’s Clothing

Friday, August 12th, 2011

Frederick James designs and manufactures fashion iPad cases made out of luxury rescued and vintage fabrics such as Cashmere, Silk, Rayon, Organza and Wool. Now, they’re taking these recycled iPad cases to the next level- using Bernie Madoff’s salvaged clothing. Yes, that’s right…..Bernie Madoff’s salvaged clothing.

The iPad case collection called “The Bernie Madoff” uses a limited number of personal clothing items belonging to the notorious felon, Bernie Madoff. After his arrest, US Marshalls seized and auctioned thousands of items from his New York homes. Each iPad case is one-of-a-kind and they range in price from $250 to $500…..Wait, how much does an actual iPad cost? $500? Ok… Founder John Vaccaro warns purchasers that the cases are strictly for fashion use and should not be trusted to keep an iPad safe in the case of a drop.

And if you’re wondering “Who is that guy?”, Bernie Madoff is the admitted operator of what has been described as the largest Ponzi scheme in history. He was sentenced to 150 years in prison in 2009.

Tags:apple, clothing, design, fashion, iPad, recycled, reuse
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Hey Marketers, Don’t Overlook The Power of Packaging

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

I recently ran across an article that addressed the “Power of Packaging” written by packaging expert Steve Kazanjian. As I’ve tried to put the importance of product packaging into words, I couldn’t say it better than Steve. The article, published on Ad Age, was a slam dunk. Here are some excerpts:

“Packaging is far more that a product’s vessel; it is the physical manifestation of a brand experience. Because of this, packaging should be a critical piece of a brand’s integrated communication strategy”

This is a profound statement regarding packaging. Steve goes on to explain that 100% of a brand’s purchasers interact with the packaging. They touch it, hold it, open it, store it, and dispose of it. At each point of interaction lies an opportunity to create a brand impression. A few examples Kazanjian uses are a follows:

1. The cork bottle stopper for Grey Goose Vodka cues the customer into a connoisseur experience which drives a high price point for the product. Would Grey Goose’s brand be as effective with a screw cap? Definitely not.

2. Lets look at orange juice. When packaged in a clear bottle, it communicates freshness. When orange juice comes in a carton, it says “Pasteurized”. Never thought of it before but I agree 100%.

In 2011, marketers are focusing heavily on social media to create highly personalized brand experiences while overlooking the effectiveness of packaging. Meanwhile, consumers are seeking rich experiences with brands and packaging. Subtle visual and emotional cues that good packaging can provide earns customer loyalty. Packaging is powerful and pays huge dividends to companies who utilize it effectively.

Follow Steve Kazanjian on Twitter.
Follow Ad Age on Twitter too!

Tags:brand identity, branding, communication, customer loyalty, Grey Goose, Marketing, packaging
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