Black Friday and packaging boxes: all the solutions to choose from

The materials used in packaging cardboards play a crucial role in protecting your products during transport and storage. In our commitment to offering cutting-edge packaging solutions, we have carefully selected our materials to ensure outstanding performance and a reduced environmental impact. Packaging cardboards: what materials are they made of? If you are looking for the perfect combination of sustainability, strength, and versatility, you are in the right place. Let's find out all the details in the rest of the article. Read also: “The differences between American boxes and die-cut boxes” Corrugated cardboard: the heart of our packaging Our primary material is corrugated cardboard, renowned for its layered structure that provides both sturdiness and flexibility. This lightweight material is eco-friendly, fully recyclable, and offers an exceptional shock-absorbing capacity, protecting your products from damage during transport. Corrugated cardboard is the beating heart of the innovative packaging industry, a material that combines lightness and resistance with a touch of versatility. Its layered structure is the secret to its strength, with strategically glued layers that create a protective barrier against impacts and mechanical stress. But its appeal goes beyond its strength: corrugated cardboard, as previously mentioned, is a champion of sustainability, completely recyclable and environmentally friendly. Layers and adhesives: the formula for success The resistance of our corrugated cardboard comes from the combination of different layers, each serving a specific purpose. Our manufacturing process involves the use of high-adherence glues, ensuring a secure bond without compromising the product's eco-sustainability. Sustainability comes first We are fully aware of the importance of sustainability in today's business landscape. Our packaging cardboards are made from 100% recyclable materials, helping to reduce environmental impact. Furthermore, we are constantly committed to improving our manufacturing practices to minimize waste and resource consumption. Tailor-made versatility for your needs In addition to sustainability, we understand the importance of customization. We offer tailor-made packaging solutions to meet the specific requirements of our clients. Whether it is packing delicate items or large-scale goods, we have the ideal solution for you. Our packaging cardboards are not just containers, but a commitment to a more sustainable and resilient future. Investing in our products means investing in quality, innovation, and environmental responsibility. For further information or to request a customized quote, do not hesitate to contact us. To learn more: “Food packaging: better if made of corrugated cardboard”

In our previous article, we described the key drivers of ecommerce packaging and the three main stakeholders in the value chains. Today, we will focus on e-consumers and how to create a memorable unboxing experience. We will first redefine where the term comes from. Then, we will identify how ecommerce packaging plays a crucial role during all ‘Moments Of Truth’. Finally we can make assumption about the key future trends. Please enjoy reading the piece, along with some wonderful examples of how our European teams have already started to create compelling packaging designs. Memorable unboxing experience – Why and when? “If companies want to increase their profile, specifically on social media, they must invest in the box as much as the product.” Paul Marsh, Managing Director – The Packaging Experts A memorable unboxing experience occurs when a consumer is so inspired by the packaging and the visual impact of a product they have bought online, they want to share it on social media. The ways consumers interact with ecommerce packaging – how they receive it, open it and engage with it - provide a big opportunity for brands, and can even help them go viral. But when did this new trend appear in the digital world? What is its evolution and how can we explain it? According to Google trends, people have been talking about their “unboxing experiences” for many years, but the term became widespread in 2008, as the “Unboxing Ceremony of Nokia E61” was the first to be recorded and published on youtube. Since then, the trend has grown to reach a peak in 2014, before stabilizing until 2019, and decreasing slightly in the last two years (probably due to Covid’s impact). However, most years there are substantial peaks in the month leading up to Christmas. Our role is then to co-create with our customers memorable unboxing experiences. How? By identifying the best opportunities to increase brand loyalty across the different Moments Of Truth. As we looked at in our previous article, these are shown below: Source: Google Memorable unboxing experience – A vehicle of brand image and message “If you were a customer who ordered something online, which is going to make you feel more valued: your purchase arriving in a generic cardboard box, or in attractive, bespoke packaging?” Beth Owens – Marketing Strategist Online purchasing is a completely different experience to shopping in physical premises. All of the touchpoints within the customer’s journey are changed, with ecommerce packaging replacing the role of traditional primary packaging. Let’s start with the arrival at the doorstep, which marks the start of the Second Moment Of Truth. At this stage, the ecommerce packaging is the first thing a customer sees, and is therefore responsible for carrying a brand’s key messages, including its sustainability policy. In the below example, developed by the Blue Box Partners’ Alliance, the packaging design generates a great first impression. It provides fantastic incentive to open, and promises to deliver a memorable unboxing experience. According to Dotcom Distribution, 40% of online shoppers would share an image of their purchase on social media if it came in branded packaging . Memorable unboxing experience – The Ultimate Moment of Truth or the way to go viral! A great unboxing experience is like the cherry on the cake: the final thing that makes something perfect! Ecommerce packaging can prolong the consumer’s exposure to a brand’s vison and allow a wider scope for positioning and storytelling. As they open the box, consumers will continue their journey, offering the brand further opportunity to display coherent and homogeneous messages. At the same time, brands can propose additional services, and further information on how to reuse their packaging. In the first example, parents can build a baby mobile for their children: This is similar to Amazon’s initiative in July 2020, “Less packaging, more smiles” which encouraged consumers to upcycle the boxes into pet houses and robot costumes. Or this example below, where online shoppers are invited to reuse the box to sell items of clothing on Vinted! In both these examples, you can clearly see that packaging design enhances the brand narratives. It is not just “a box”, but a chance to take customers on a journey,which is vital for inspiring repeat business. And, according to Forbes, acquiring new customers can cost up to five times more than retaining your existing base. Ecommmerce packaging – Reusability and returnability features to ease sustainable behaviours The next example raises curiosity and awareness of after-use recycling possibilities. Research shows 62% of online shoppers are more likely to purchase from brands using sustainable packaging. Moreover, “Returnability” features are key: they simplified life for the consumer by using glue tapes to reclose and resend the original product. These examples, all made out of corrugated cardboard, a mono-material solution that enhances recycling rates. Using sustainable products and communicating about it allows brands to cultivate an image of strong ethics and social responsibility. It has become a global concern, clearly shown by an increase in searching results of 140% within the last 12 months. Finally, as we discussed at the beginning of the article, the concept of the “unboxing experience” started with electronic products. Let’s close the loop with another example from that industry. First of all, consumers today are equipped with more electronic devices than ever before. The average UK household owns 9.16 devices. Secondly, society is increasingly concerned by the impact of so many electronic devices on the environment. Therefore, we are seeing a huge demand for reconditioned products that are delivered online. To avoid shipping the original box inside a new box, we can offer a packaging design solution with a retention system that overcomes logistic strains while minimising resources and void. To conclude, Packaging design has become a powerful tool that can have an impact throughout the customer journey. Not only does it help to engage and inform consumers, it can help to retain them too. As a result, packaging plays an important role throughout the act of purchasing, where consumers are influenced not only by a product, but by the entire memorable unboxing experience – resulting in the Ultimate Moment of Truth. Seduced by unexpected extra offers or benefits within the ecommerce packaging, the consumer will be keen to share the moment with others, creating viral content that will increase eWOM (e-Word Of Mouth), and become the Zero Moment Of Truth (ZMOT) for another consumer looking online for the same or a similar product. What can we expect for the future ecommerce packaging? As technology continues to evolve, and advancements such as AR (Augmented Reality) or IoT (Internet of Things) become commonplace, the concept of a memorable unboxing experience becomes even more important. Companies will need their brand perception to evolve alongside their products, and packaging design has a crucial part to play in promoting both consumer engagement and sustainability. If you need support in designing packaging for e-commerce, our team is at your complete disposal: contact CART-ONE for a personalized consultation.

The “Guidelines for facilitating the recycling of paper packaging” is a document created thanks to the collaboration between the research group of the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta” of the Politecnico di Milano and the professionals of COMIECO. The content offers a complete overview of the specifics of paper packaging and the different types of materials that make up the packaging, and it is part of the Pensare Futuro project which includes a series of initiatives on the prevention of the environmental impact of packaging developed by CONAI. Click the link to read the entire document: Paper Packaging Recycling Guidelines Paper packaging classification and functionality Packaging has always responded to the human need to transport and preserve goods to keep them for as long as possible. If in ancient times we moved from the simple leaf to other materials such as wood, glass, fabrics, ceramics, and paper, the history of packaging as we know it today began in the second half of the 19th century with progressive industrialization, also assuming a value linked to corporate branding. Over time, this need has grown stronger. Today, the perspective of environmental protection requires us to transform packaging with a view to eco-sustainability. According to Legislative Decree 152/06, Art. 218, packaging is defined as “the product, composed of materials of any nature, used to contain specific goods, from raw materials to finished products, to protect them, to allow their handling and their delivery from the producer to the consumer or user, to ensure their presentation, as well as disposable items used for the same purpose”. Packaging must therefore perform four functions: Containment of the product to be used by the consumer; Protection of the content from external factors to keep its quality intact over space and time; Handling of goods among the various users that make up the distribution network (from manufacturer to consumer); Presentation of the good to the consumer, thus fulfilling a communicative function thanks to the transfer of information from the producer to the user. Classification of packaging While until recently packaging was mainly focused on the function of protecting contents from external contamination, currently the use of functional materials and new technologies has allowed the generation of a new category of packaging defined as smart packaging: these are packs that, thanks to the integration of digitally printed electronics, acquire functionalities that go far beyond the simple containment of a product. We distinguish and classify in detail the existing types of packaging: 1. Sales packaging or primary packaging: packaging in contact with the product that constitutes a sales unit for the user/consumer (e.g., shoe box, egg carton, bread bag, and fruit juice bricks) 2. Grouped packaging or secondary packaging: packaging designed to group a certain number of sales units (e.g., boxes used for e-commerce, supermarket displays, and shopping bags) 3. Transport packaging or tertiary packaging: packaging designed to facilitate the handling and transport of goods and aimed at minimizing transport-related damage. Depending on their composition, packaging can be: Monomaterial: consisting of a single material; Multimaterial: consisting of components made of different materials that can be separated manually; Composite (also called laminated or multi-layer): composed of two or more materials that cannot be separated manually. The Directive Directive 94/62/EC recognizes the fundamental social and economic function of packaging. Specifically, Directive 94/62/EC asserts that packaging must be designed to allow the recycling of at least a certain percentage of the materials used in compliance with the regulations in force within the European Community. The parameters tested concern all stages of the packaging's life according to logics belonging to the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Recyclable materials in a percentage higher than 60% should be preferred, limiting lamination with other materials. The packaging must also offer the possibility of completely minimizing the risk of product residues inside the container, to prevent the residue, for example food, from contaminating the recyclable waste. It must not be forgotten, for example, that paper and cardboard, although characterized by numerous advantages such as breathability, flexibility, and lightness of the final product, are at the same time materials susceptible to humidity and water, not suitable for packaging greasy products unless laminated with barrier materials. With equal performance, it is therefore appropriate to opt for cellulose monomaterial packaging, so as to minimize components of different materials. If, however, it is impossible to avoid adopting the latter solution, it is necessary for such packaging to be easily separable by the end user. Design for recycling: how should packaging be designed? To talk about design for recycling, it is important for the designer to know and take into account the different processes that make up the end-of-life of packaging, in order to be able to design alternative solutions aimed at optimizing the recycling of paper and cardboard packaging products. The packaging must, for example, be made with inks that are easily washable during the recovery phase. For example, UV inks are not easily removable and their use can compromise the purity of a batch sent for recycling. To obtain recyclable packaging, it is also advisable to limit the use of PVC adhesive tapes or fixing staples, which are difficult for the end consumer to remove and would simultaneously create a residue within the processing of the product to be recycled. CART-ONE has always been at the forefront of implementing corrugated cardboard production strategies for the creation of sustainable packaging. Contact us for more information on our proposals for creating high-quality customized packaging.