Digitally printed packaging is an emerging market that is expected to grow from $580 million in 2005 to $6 billion by 2015. There is good reasoning for this forecasted growth. When compared to conventional package printing technologies, digital printing delivers competitive, cost, and environmental advantages. It is also well suited for many packaging applications.

Digital printing can use just-in-time and print-on-demand approaches with shortened setup requirements. Digital press printing also allows for short run jobs for less expensive prices. Variable data printing capabilities also bring great value to businesses looking to add customization and personalization to their package printing.

The environmental advantages are also worth noting in regards to digital printing. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), packaging accounts for one-third of solid waste in US landfills. As sustainable packaging is expected to grow monumentally in the coming years, it could be a key driver of digital package printing growth. So what are the environmental advantages of digital printing?

On-demand production- Digital printing allows for specification on precise quantities needed in production, eliminating waste and reducing warehousing costs and energy requirements.

Electronic job ordering and submission, paperless workflow, and soft proofing- These processes reduce paper usage and boost efficiency.

Green paper- Recycled paper or paper with chain-of-custody certification that promotes responsible forestry practices works excellent with digital printing and in some cases, can sell for more.

No varnish- Varnish is required for offset printing while adding cost and environmental hazards. Offset inks take 24 hours to dry and harden so it needs a coat of varnish to seal the surface of inks. Digitally printed pieces have a dry and hard surface immediately with low risk of scratching.

Non-toxic glues- These are available for most binding techniques and eliminate the need for ventilation of toxic fumes and waste management issues.

Distribute-then-print- Digital printing lends itself to the least environmentally disruptive delivery because files can be distributed to your print center or partner electronically.

With these environmental advantages along with cost and competitive advantages, it is easy to see why the projected growth for digital printing is so positive. It definitely caters to our fast pace “need it now” business culture.

For more information on digital printing contact Sunrise Packaging!

Both Heineken and French design company, ORA-ÏTO, teamed up back in 2002 and created the Heineken aluminum bottle packaging which won a myriad of awards. Fast forward to 2010.

Back at it again, they’ve created the Icone Pure; a 100% sustainable aluminum bottle with a simple design. Heineken and ORA-ÏTO reinforce the notion that great custom packaging can be minimal and still maintain a stylish look. The bottle is covered with a white veneer and features Heineken’s iconic green logo with a minimal green dotted pattern. Truly unique- can’t say I’ve ever seen a beer bottle like this before- and it’s green.

The Heineken Pure green packaging is successful in branding the bottle as “pure” and “green” while still maintaining the aesthetic of the Heineken brand.

Like many other industries, the packaging industry has suffered through the current recession. Sustainable packaging, however, has showed impressive growth from 2008 to 2009, and has been immune to the economic downturn. Sustainability has helped companies cut costs and reduce packaging waste by using recycled and reusable materials. Europe and the U.S. represent the largest regions for sustainable packaging, together accounting for more than 70 percent of the global market.

Sustainable packaging is projected to reach $142.42 billion globally by 2015, according to a report from Global Industry Analysts (GIA). Drivers for growth include increased awareness about environmental hazards related to disposal and recycling of packaging wastes, government initiatives to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, and stringent regulations.

As eco-friendly packaging becomes mainstream, many companies are implementing green packaging as a marketing tool. Manufacturers also are under pressure to use environment-friendly materials, and adopt methods that require low-energy consumption and reduce environmental impact of packaging.

In terms of market segmentation, recycled material accounts for the largest packaging category, contributing nearly 90 percent to the total demand in the United States. However, biodegradables represent the fastest growing segment in the packaging industry. Biodegradable materials are easily decomposed by microorganisms, and reduce packaging waste, while the materials preserve food products and sustain freshness. Among biodegradables, bioplastics are garnering the greatest attention in the green packaging market. As questions loom about the limitations of bioplastics, the demand continues to swell, presenting an opportunistic market as bioplastics evolve.

Markets using sustainable packaging include cosmetics and personal care, food and beverage, food service and shipping markets, and healthcare. As an example, the study cites more than 600 new beauty products with a green label were introduced in Europe alone during the past two years, driven by consumer preference for eco-friendly plastic packaging materials.

27 percent of products at major U.S. retailers are estimated to have sustainable packaging in 2010, and by 2015, this figure is projected to reach 37 percent.

To be continued…..

Check out: Green Packaging 365

Starting in the middle of 2011, light bulbs are going to have new packaging required by the federal government. The new packaging design will feature “Lighting Facts”, modeled after the “Nutrition Facts” label that has been on food packages for decades. The reason for change is to further educate consumers about their efficiencies.

Currently, light bulb packaging only gives consumers watt measurements which make it difficult to compare traditional incandescent bulbs to more efficient ones, such as compact fluorescents. A compact fluorescent bulb may be able to produce the same amount of brightness as a traditional bulb, using significantly less wattage.

In addition to wattage, the new labels will report lumens, the basic unit for measuring the flow of light. The labels also will offer estimated yearly energy costs, life expectancy of the bulb (based on three hours of daily use), and inform consumers if the bulb contains mercury.

Essentially, the new light bulb labeling will allow consumers to save money by purchasing the most efficient bulbs based on the information that is now required to be included on the packaging.

Federal Trade Commission Press Release

Wine packaging is the focus today. Why? Because wineries are getting more and more creative with their custom packaging (and because it’s so tasty). Packaging plays such an important role in selling and differentiation, especially in the wine industry. In a previous post from a few weeks back, we saw the wine label that could be folded out into a poster rubber-banded to the bottle rather than glued. Packaging for these four wines below are all similar in that they’re so unique.

Francis Coppola Reserve label focuses on being memorable and eye catching while showcasing distinctive vineyards from Sonoma’s renowned appellations.

Revelry wines from Washington State are sold in patent-pending REVELution cask. The innovative boxed design holds almost twice the amount of wine that a bottle holds, isn’t susceptible to cork taint and keeps wine fresh for several weeks after opening. It also features recyclable packaging.

Paco & Lola from Spain takes a very unconventional approach to bottling their wines giving prestige to their modern and dynamic varieties.

Vancouver Island design company, Hired Guns Creative has designed beautiful packaging for Venturi Schulze Vineyards. The design of their wine bottles needed to convey that their wines were something special; a typical wine label just wouldn’t do. A silk-screened bottle concept was created with a design that matches the quality of the wines and works with each of the 10-15 types of wine that they release each year.

One function of packaging is describing what’s inside. Here are a few fun, clever examples that demonstrate this function.

Hot Dog: A coffee shop called TrueCoffee expanded their food range to a quick bite hot dog. They wanted hot dog packaging to attract teenagers and this is what Bangkok-based designer Subconscious came up with. The unique characteristic of the food was that it’s hot all the time.

Swell Drinks: The Ruiz Company in Barcelona came up with a great way to show the fruit combination in their new line of smoothies. Simple and unique.

More clever packaging @ The Dieline

What is clamshell packaging? If you don’t know it by name, it is almost certain that you’ve seen it. It’s the clear plastic packaging that showcases an array of products from retail, food, medical, etc. The word clamshell indicates that the formed plastic package has one or more hinges. A single hinged clamshell usually includes a hanger tab so the product can hang from store pegs. Multi-hinged clamshells allow for the packaging to have a flat base so the product stand upright.

There are many benefits of clamshell packaging. It’s a wonderful way to showcase a product while being very cost effective. The clear plastic packaging provides great visibility for the consumer to see the product as it sits protected inside the clamshell. The header card can be printed and placed inside the clamshell to provide more information for the consumer to make a purchasing decision. Clamshells also allow for great display versatility. They can be hung from pegs or sat upright on a store shelf giving great flexibility for retailers to position the products to sell.

Clamshells are plastic and cause some concern about the environment. Manufacturers are using different types of plastics to overcome this. PETG is a type of PET plastic that is fully recyclable after its use. RPET is previously recycled PET plastic. Both types can work together to promote the global recycling effort.

More info:
Ask Sunrise about clamshell packaging

When researching the relationship between packaging and sustainability, beverage packaging is the trigger for lots of debate. Plastic or aluminum? Which one is more eco-friendly? The debate goes on…

All the while, schools took part in sustaining our environment by competing last fall in the 2009 Aluminum Can Counsil’s (ACC) America Recycles Day (ARD) National School Challenge. The contest lasted 12 weeks and involved 133 schools which represented over 70,000 students. Collectively, over $53,000 was raised during the competition while more than 48,000 pounds of used aluminum beverage cans were recycled.

Congratulations to all of the schools who participated! Here were the top 3 winners for further recognition:

1st Place- Twin Lakes High School, Monticello, Indiana. Teaming up with Ball Corporation’s metal beverage packaging facility, they recycled 7,092 pounds of aluminum cans (9.8 pounds per student). The school fund the band’s new uniforms with the $3,556 that they raised.

2nd Place- Collins Intermediate School, Conroe, Texas. They also teamed up with Ball Corporation’s metal beverage packaging plant in Conroe to recycle 3,845 pounds of aluminum (7.44 pounds per student). The school contributed their earnings of $2,832 to the school’s Parent Teacher Organization.

3rd Place- Academy of St. Rose Phillipine Duchesne, St. Louis, Missouri. They teamed up with Metal Container Corporation in St. Louis to recycle 6.7 pounds of aluminum cans per student.

While packaging companies look for eco-friendly packaging options to provide to consumers and businesses, we must also look beyond that and focus on what else we can do to make an environmental impact. We commend the schools who participated in the recycling challenge. They brought their “Can-do” attitudes forward and made a great statement in enviromental sustainability.

More info:
Aluminum Can Counsil
Packaging Digest

Polypropylene is a plastic used in a wide range of products like food containers, water bottles, furniture, and car bumpers. It’s also used as a strong, durable packaging solution that gives products a very distinct look.

Currently, it’s the second most widely used thermoplastic with a global consumption of 44 million metric tons in 2008. The market has been growing increasingly and is estimated to be $66 billion. Growth is based on projections that consumers and recycling regulations will drive demand for environmentally-friendly packaging.

While polypropylene is primarily derived from oil, a recent research partnership will be developing a large scale production of polypropylene from sugarcane. While oil is limited and expensive, this green initiative is great news and could mean a big change for the plastics industry. Initial development will run for at least 5 years. The plastic is to be identical to traditional polypropylene except that it is made from sugarcane. Customers will be able to switch to the bio-resin without changing their production machinery or processes.

So who’s partnering up? Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in Latin America, and Novozymes, the world’s leading producer of industrial enzymes. Both companies have a strong devotion to a bio-based economy.

Braskem was the first company in the world to produce a 100% certified green polypropylene on an experimental basis. They’re currently building a green polyethylene plant in Brazil with ethanol and sugarcane as the raw material. The plant will produce 200,000 tons per year.

Novozymes is the world leader in bioinnovation. They use biotechnology to improve the use of resources in more than 30 industries around the world; the biofuel industry is one of them. Currently, they’re producing enzymes to turn agricultural waste into advanced biofuels.

Did you know that you link scents with memories?
A single smell can bring a flood of memories. We connect smells with people, places, and feelings, so it’s no wonder people are willing to pay up to $100 for 3.4 oz. of perfume. (Actually the most expensive bottle of perfume is a whopping $215,000!)

So why pay $100 for a few fluid ounces? It’s a combination of fragrance, brand, and you may have guessed it – packaging.

Why does it matter who makes the perfume or what bottle it comes in?
Because consumers buy perfume that reflect their personality. Daring, Classy, Flirty, Fun, Sweet, Sexy, Cute, High Class – all of it is said through the  fragrance and packaging. As Christian Dior said, ” A woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting.”

Take Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue
Its packaging is simple, clean, chic. It catches a consumer’s eye because it looks classic.
Combine a timeless look with a trusted name and you have a best seller. Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue was introduced in 2001 and has been at the top of women’s perfumes best sellers lists since.

Another trend that has exploded since entering the market is celebrity fragrances.
Everyone from David Beckham to Avril Lavigne has a line named after them.

Although celebrity scents don’t necessarily have the longevity of classics like Chanel No. 5, celebrity scents sell very well. Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Hilary Duff, and Sarah Jessica Parker have experienced enormous success with their lines.

One of my personal favorites has probably caught your eye at the department store too. It has unique packaging you can’t pass up.

(Click to view larger image.)

Harajuku Lovers by Gwen Stefani, which carries five different scents in five doll-decanters. The cute bottles appeals to a young adult age group. Stefani also personalized it to appeal to her fans. (Her backup dancers are called Harajuku Girls.)  She made it more personal for each buyer by giving them the option of choosing the doll that reflects who they are. Stefani also launched the perfume in limited edition packaging called “Sunshine Cuties” and “Snow Bunnies.” Sunshine Cuties is set to release Spring 2010.

(Click to view larger images.)

Harajuku Lovers has only been on the shelves for two years but  it appears it has found a permanent place in buyers’ hearts.

Here are more perfume bottles for you to check out – maybe you’ll find your new signature scent. (Click to view larger images)

The following perfumes are:
(Row 1) With Love by Hilary Duff, Live Luxe by J.Lo., Can Can by Paris Hilton, Vera Wang Princess
(Row 2) Clive Christian No. 1 Imperial Majesty ( the $215,000 bottle of perfume), Daisy by Marc Jacobs, Flower Bomb by Viktor & Rolf,  and Be Delicious by DKNY.