Reducing materials to design a sustainable solution.

Carton is a highly renewable material with a relatively low eco-cost; it can be recycled 7-8 times before it loses its integrity and therefore its value. Brands of course need a canvas in which to distinguish themselves and communicate with their consumers on pack, but the use of ink printed on carton and paper material significantly reduces its sustainable benefits. ‘White is the new green’ conceptual packaging design innovation imagines an ink free carton packaging format, using embossing to maintain brand communication and to amplify the brands sustainable credentials. During manufacturing, die cutting and embossing happen as part of the same process and so no additional step or change to the line set-up is required. In addition, this ‘cleaner’ packaging design and use of white itself becomes a strong communication cue in terms of supporting the product’s proposition, a cleaner pack for cleaner laundry — simplifying the design to help amplify the impact. By removing the need for ink, we can enhance the consumer packaging experience and help brands to navigate the circular economy maze. 'White is the new green' was awarded silver in the 2021 Pentawards global packaging design competition. *This conceptual design innovation exercise has been conducted by SGK in partnership with Packadore Collective under their own initiative and is not representative of a commissioned assignment by Omo brand owner Unilever.

Reducing materials to design a sustainable solution.