Packaging Services

What Type of Packaging Should Your Product Have?

When you are designing a new product, one of the important things to consider is how to package it.  Depending on what the item is, there are packaging options that can protect it, make it easier to secure and also easier for customers to use. We offer a wide range of packaging services that can help suite your needs. Here’s our handy guide to the basics of product packaging and a list of our packaging services to help pick the right option.

The blister pack

The blister pack is a familiar sight around homes as many different types of products come packaged in some variety of blister packs.  Tablets and pills are two examples where blister packs are the most common option, allowing people to push the product out of the packaging easily but also ensuring that it is unopened when received – it is easy to see if it has been tampered with.

There are companies that offer blister packaging services so you don’t need to worry about having to start buying equipment to package these yourself.  You can also easily brand the packaging or the boxes that the blister packs are contained in as well as adding instructions for users.

Clamshell packaging

Clamshell packing is another easy to use system that is very effective for protecting items.  It is often seen on electrical goods such as mobile phones as well as ink cartridges and other products that are prone to theft.  The clamshell packaging is clear, so people can see what is inside and also can be branded or have instructions added.

Like blister packs, companies offer services to create clamshell packaging.  They are made as a single unit that closes around the product and keeps it safe and secure.  It is also easy to add security tags to the clamshell packs, hanging tabs to display them or to have them able to free stand.

Shrink wrap packaging

Shrink wrap packaging is a polymer plastic film that is wrapped around a product and subjected to heat.  This causes it to shrink around the product, keeping it in place and ensuring it is protected.  Many food and health products are packaged in larger numbers in this kind of shrink wrap packaging to allow transport to retailers.

When looking at a producer of this kind of plastic, consider what you want to have packaged.  For example, if you are producing food products, you want to ensure the packaging is a multilayer system that is suitable for food.  Also look for shrink wrap that is clear, so it is easy to see what is inside.

Sleeve wrapping

Sleeve wrapping is similar to shrink wrapping but works on a specific pack, rather than a group of them.  You can either wholly or partially enclose the product in the wrap and it can be plain or have up to four different colours added to it for branding purposes.  It can enhance the appearance of a plain bottle or container as well as include information about its use.

Tamper evident packaging

Tamper evident packaging tends to be used on shipping containers, wholesale goods and items where there is a risk of consequences if the item is tampered with.  Some medications come in tamper proof packaging such as plastic bottles with seals.  You can also see this kind of packaging on some electrical items to ensure that no-one has opened them before you do.

Pallet displays

As well as packaging the item, you may also want to consider packaging the pallets on which they are delivered.  Shops often have branded and attractive pallets standing in the shop, offering a simple and eye-catching way to market the product.  By working with a  company that offers this service, your items have a better chance of getting a high traffic spot as it makes it simple for retailers to display them.

Scotchgard All Purpose Twin-Pack Packaging

Twin-Pack Packaging

Quantrelle has recently re-packed Scotchgard Multi-Purpose Protector spray into a twin-pack and on top of pallet skirts, providing greater space for branding and increasing presence in store.

Scotchgard Multi-Purpose Protector forms an invisible barrier to protect your belongings from water, wine, coffee or oily stains.

Available now at all Costco UK stores.

Party Pack pallet for Costco

Party Pack Pallet

Working with Burton’s Biscuits; Quantrelle have put together a ‘Party Pack’ consisting of 2 Jammie Dodgers, 2 Original Wagon Wheels and 2 Jammie Wagon Wheels.
Find them now in all UK Costco stores.

Why Your Product Packaging Is as Important as the Product Itself

BY Joshua Conran @JoshuaConran

Your product packaging is meant to communicate a purpose: what your brand stands for and what it means for your customer.

Product Packaging

Every year, 95 percent of new products fail. The reason is simple: Most customers don’t have the time or energy to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the products in their shopping carts, so they use a shortcut to make their decision. That shortcut is your product’s packaging.

Think of Tiffany & Co. For most people, the iconic robin’s-egg blue box is more recognizable than the jewelry itself.

Packaging is powerful because it tells consumers why your product and brand are different. Apple is known for its clean, minimalist packaging. If you’ve ever watched an unboxing video for a new iPhone, you know people love Apple’s packaging.

Plenty of savvy startups are mastering the unboxing experience as well. Pad & Quill, a company that sells artisan iPhone and iPad cases, wraps its products in brown paper with friendly messages printed on the inside and a Roman seal for a distinctly hand-wrapped feel.

Great packaging is especially significant for growing startups because it can have a direct impact on sales and a company’s overall appeal. Take Trunk Club, for example. This company hand-selects clothing for men and sends its stylist-curated outfits in cardboard “trunks” that fit the convenience and style of its service. After five years in business, Trunk Club garnered Nordstrom’s attention, and the high-end department store bought the startup for $350 million.

Packaging can continue to influence a company’s sales as it grows larger, too. MillerCoors’ sales slumped last year, but the Miller Lite retro can bumped sales by nearly 5 percent. MillerCoors didn’t change its beer; it just changed the can it came in.

Poor packaging can have an even more dramatic effect. Australia recently instituted a plain packaging law for cigarettes. The government’s removal of packaging branding rights aimed to discourage young people from smoking. Not only can Marlboro not use its logo, but it also can’t use its typeface. The packages, covered with health warnings and graphic images that deter smoking, resulted in the biggest smoking decline Australia has seen in 20 years.

How to Design Packaging That Makes an Impact

All startups want to achieve the instantly recognizable status of Apple and Tiffany & Co., and that type of brand power starts with a product’s packaging. How can you make your packaging stand out from the competition?

  1. Know your demographic. Stark white and robin’s-egg blue won’t work for every brand. Consider Lowe’s Home Improvement and Home Depot. Their rugged brands speak for themselves with distinctive, masculine colors. Don’t be afraid to go bold.
  2. Make cheap packaging look chic and personalized. Good packaging doesn’t have to be expensive. Stephanieverafter, an online hair accessory boutique, packages its bows on simple cards in muted colors with stylish typography. It’s an inexpensive solution that gives each item a high-end feel.
  3. Make the package part of the experience. Part of the reason it’s so fun to unbox a new Apple product is that its packaging reflects the sleek, user-friendly experience of the product inside. One startup that’s mastered this is Back to the Roots, which produces kits to get kids and parents interested in growing their own food. Its mushroom kit’s kid-friendly packaging is designed to jump off the shelf and convey the fun, hands-on experience the brand provides.
  4. Consider eco-friendly options. Packaging that’s recyclable or reusable is always a reason for a consumer to choose your brand over your competitor’s. In fact, 52 percent of people around the world make purchase decisions partially due to packaging that shows a brand making a positive social and environmental impact.Puma has made great strides with its eco-friendly packaging that doubles as a reusable walking billboard for its brand. There are plenty of creative ways to go easy on the earth and differentiate your brand in the process.

Remember, your product’s packaging is meant to communicate a purpose: what your brand stands for and what it means for your customer. Don’t miss this opportunity to create a lasting impression on the shelf and in the minds of your customers.

Putting Quantrelle on the map

Quantrelle Packaging Solutions has been included in BCMPA’s map of UK contract packers, as reported in Packaging News online magazine.

‘The British Contract Manufacturers and Packers Association has launched the BCMPA UK Contract Packers Map, a new feature of the Association’s website.
Members are flagged on the map enabling brand owners to locate contract manufacturers or packers in their area.
By clicking on a flag, the identity of the packer pops up and by clicking again, the client is then linked to the BCMPA member’s profile page which provides information on the services provided by the company and full contact details.
“It’s an exciting new development which will be welcomed by clients looking for outsourcing partners in their locality” says Rodney Steel, BCMPA chief Executive.’

See the map at www.bcmpa.org.uk/map-of-members

New Recyclability Tool Available Online

By British Plastics & Rubber,

Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE), Europe’s plastic recycling industry body, has launched a new tool that it says can help packaging manufacturers improve the recyclability of their products.

During the group’s conference, entitled ‘Let’s work together on plastics packaging design’ at the InterPack Trade Fair in Düsseldorf, Germany, PRE explained that the ultimate aim of the tool is to improve the design of plastics packaging in respect to its recyclability.

In a video message from the European Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potočnik stated that: “Recycling starts in the product design phase. The key to more sustainable plastics is better design of plastics and plastics products.”

“RecyClass is based on the existing recycling guidelines, the functioning of today’s recycling markets and the experience of the plastics recyclers,” said Paolo Glerean (PRE Board Member). “The users of the tool can instinctively understand how to improve the recyclability of their packaging,” Glerean added.

Dr. Michael Scriba (PRE Board Member) said: “This tool is an opportunity for the industry to work together, learn mutually and improve the position of plastic packaging on the EU markets.”

The RecyClass tool enables assessment of any kind of plastic packaging, claims PRE. Users are said to be able to obtain information on how environmentally-friendly their packaging is, and provides improvement ideas for packaging design. It is now available online (www.recyclass.eu) in English and German languages for a free trial period of six months.
The conference was attended by plastics converters, recyclers, packaging designers and brand owners.

To see the full article from British Plastics & Rubber, click here.

Vegware Revamp Green Britain Compostable Cups

By Packaging Europe,

Vegware, the UK’s first and only completely compostable food packaging company, have launched their revamped Green Britain cups. The compostable 8oz and 12oz double-wall cups are lined with low-carbon cornstarch not plastic, and feature a green Union Jack heart.

Communications Director Lucy Frankel explains, “Our original Green Britain cup was hugely popular in summer 2012, with UK caterers keen to show their green credentials to international visitors. We like to keep things fresh and last year we discontinued the design. But our clients had other ideas and kept demanding it. We gave in and revamped the design, with the green flag now in a heart shape. With Vegware the UK’s 30th fastest growing company, we see it as a celebration that the UK really does love all things green. And it’s a very pretty summer cup!

These cups are made in the British Isles from two layers of sustainably sourced EU board. The cornstarch lining has a carbon footprint 51% lower than a conventional plastic lining, quantified by Vegware’s Eco Audits for any order quantity. Like all Vegware, these cups are completely compostable and designed to be recycled with food waste, and their free service foodwastenetwork.org helps any UK business set up food waste recycling. This cup won Best New Product in the first ever Climate Week Awards.

A subtle line of text by the join reads: ‘Completely compostable cup made in the British Isles by @vegware. Lined with cornstarch, not plastic, because green tastes better. Caution – green is HOT!’ These special edition cups come in packs of 25 or cases of 500.

From the three cutlery items offered five years ago, Vegware’s range has grown to over 200 completely compostable products, including many award-winning innovations resulting from the firm’s active R&D programme. All Vegware’s catering disposables are made from renewable or recycled eco materials and are completely compostable – so unlike most foodservice packaging, Vegware can be simply recycled after use.

To see the full article from Packaging Europe, click here.

Click to see Quantrelles Eco-Pack range of products.

Dell Invests in Carbon-Negative Packaging Solutions

By Heather Clancy,

Dell continues to raise the bar for the high-tech industry when it comes to innovative packaging choices and groundbreaking recycling initiatives.

This week, its sustainability team is disclosing details about two specific industry “firsts”, both of which are the result of close, collaborative sustainable business partnerships born in its supply chain.

First, Dell has become the second high-profile company to announce a deal with AirCarbon, an innovative plastic material from Newlight Technologies created by pulling carbon out of the air. Newlight, which last year got a $4m grant from the Department of Energy, recently announced a relationship with Sprint, under which it is making “carbon-negative” iPhone accessories.

Dell’s initial plan is to use AirCarbon for sleeves to protect new Latitude series notebooks. It connected with Newlight after a conversation with another supply chain partner, said Oliver Campbell, director of worldwide procurement at Dell.

In addition to the Newlight deal, the technology giant is turning to long-time manufacturing partner, Wistron GreenTech, to pull off another big breakthrough: becoming the first company in the IT industry to earn a closed-loop recycling validation from UL Environment.

Dell’s forthcoming OptiPlex 3030 All-in-One desktop computer (due out by June) will be the first to contain a minimum of 10 percent post-consumer recycled plastic, collected through Dell’s ongoing electronic-waste recovery processes, the company said. The recycled e-waste material is specifically used to make parts such as the stand and the backing for the computer, according to an infographic from Dell.

“We have a long-standing commitment to conduct our business responsibly,” said Dell CEO Michael Dell, in remarks prepared for the Fortune Br
ainstorm Green conference where the initiatives were disclosed. “AirCa
rbon packaging and closed-loop recycled plastics are terrific innovations and big steps forward as we work with our customers and partners toward our 2020 goals.”

To see the full article from BusinessGreen, click here.

Tracking Consumer Attitudes Towards Packaging

By Jim Johnson,

Steve Kazanjian says, is not surprising: packaging helps determine what consumers purchase.

But the vice president of global creative for MeadWestvaco Corp., also has this to add: packaging, now more than ever, helps determine a consumer’s relationship with a product far beyond that decision to make an initial purchase.

“It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that the role that packaging has played in that brand/consumer relationship has changed irrevocably over the last 20 years, 10 years and even 5 years,” he said during a recent presentation at the Packaging Conference in Orlando.

“At one point, when we thought about packaging, we really just thought about the various functional aspects of the package. So storage and convenience, breakage, temperature, loss, security, things like that. Getting it from the manufacturer through the supply chain and into the retail chain,” Kazanjian said.

While those considerations are just as important as ever, modern consumers view packaging through a larger prism.

“There’s also this new role in packaging. And this new role in packaging that we’ve seen over last five or 10 years has been the emotional role of packaging, the consumer side. The role that packaging plays past retail through use and into the end-of-life,” he said.

MeadWestvaco is out with its second annual Packaging Matters study of consumer attitudes toward packaging.

It’s an important topic for the Richmond, Va.-based company, which gets 83 percent of its $5.3 billion of annual sales from packaging, including those made from plastics.

“Packaging influences purchasing behavior. This really isn’t any new spoiler alert for any of us. We know this. However, there’s some other interesting things that are going on with this as well. Packaging during use also influences repurchase behavior in ways that we couldn’t even dream of,” Kazanjian said in Orlando.

Packaging satisfaction, he said, helps drive product satisfaction that helps drive brand preference that helps drive repeat purchasing behavior.

To see the full article from PlasticsNews, click here.