Consumers can easily and intuitively separate the materials to enable recycling thanks to the K3 packs’ lightweight PP plastic cup encased in a removable cardboard sleeve with a proprietary tear-tab.
“Our Udon’noodles were previously packaged in a cardboard pot, which was double-laminated and hence non-recyclable,” explained Katrina Burrows, packaging change manager at Itsu Grocery. A plastic cover, also recyclable because it was created from new plastic, was included. Consumers see plastic packaging unfavourably, especially if it is not manufactured from recyclable materials. Changing to a widely recyclable foil cover eliminates the stigma and makes it evident to the consumer that the product may be recycled.
The Greiner brand’s new packaging also features more conveniently located directions: “We have used the printing reverse of the wrap to clearly show to consumers where to fill the boiling water to” (as part of the preparation instructions). Once upon a time, this was required to be printed on the exterior of an opaque cup, making it difficult to gauge how full it actually was.
This was our first project with Itsu, and it was evident from the start that they were on a quest to better their sustainability story,” said Rachel Sheldon, manager of sustainability and innovation at Greiner Packaging. Therefore, the K3 pack is an ideal option because it is eco-friendly and easy to recycle.
