The debate about single-use packaging continues as the shift towards sustainable alternatives becomes stronger. Even though not all plastic is bad plastic, shrink wrap remains one of the most difficult packaging materials to recycle and replace.
In direct response to this issue, a sustainable packaging alternative has been developed by the combined expertise of Blue Box Partners (BBP) Cart-One’s Pan-European alliance.
ECOGRIP is an ideal replacement to shrink wrap. The concept was evolved after an in-depth development process by BBP’s Pan-European team of packaging designers.
Consumers are demanding sustainable packaging and this is having an impact on brands and retailers.
Moreover, the EU’s single-use plastic (SUP) Directive, which came into force on 3rd July 2019, aims to reduce the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.
As a result brands and retailers across Europe have re-examined their focus on sustainable packaging. This has caused many brands and manufacturers to analyse their packaging strategies and seek out sustainable alternatives.
ECOGRIP eliminates the need for single-use plastic ‘shrink wrap’ when carrying multiple bottles. It provides a 100% biodegradable packaging that can be adapted to fit any type of bottle on the market.
Finding an alternative to single-use plastic
Consumers, regulators and retailers are all demanding an end to single-use plastic, and advocating for sustainable packaging alternatives:
End consumer and brand owners
People want to get engaged and contribute to the change by choosing biodegradable packaging. (Source: Open Innovation Manager -FMCG)
Regulation
From 1st January 2021, there will be a new ‘Plastic Tax’ of EUR 0.80 per kilogram of non-recycled plastic packaging waste.
Retail
Retailers are starting to reject articles with single-use plastic packaging from their stores. (Source: Packaging Engineer – FMCG)
Across the packaging industry manufacturers continue to improve recycling rates for plastic bottles and containers, however shrink-wrap continues to cause recycling issues.
Shrink wrap may be efficient to produce, lightweight and convenient, but it reportedly has a catastrophic effect on the environment when it is not recycled. Each year, hundreds of millions of tons of SUP are produced and end up in our oceans and landfill. Brand owners and retailers are moving away from being associated with un-environmental packaging. This has resulted in considerable pressure from governments, environmental groups and consumers – all of whom are demanding solutions around biodegradable packaging which is more sustainable.
Paper-based packaging is attractive to consumers (and retailers), but by replacing shrink wrap with corrugated it is important to looks at the benefits, but also the concerns across the supply chain. Any viable alternative to single-use plastic needs to be easy to transport, easy to handle and easy to store. But it also needs to be adaptable. With so many different bottles on the market, any paper-based solution has to be simple and scalable to meet demand.
Cart-One, as one of the four members of Blue Box Partners (together with Hinojosa, Klingele Paper and Packaging Group and VPK) carried out extensive customer-focused workshops and in-situ trials and testing to ensure performance. The development team harnessed knowledge and experience from all four partners to produce a biodegradable packaging solution that meets the needs of brands all over Europe.
ECOGRIP is designed to be flexible and practical. It doesn’t matter what style of bottle or cap is involved, or how many bottles need to be accommodated. ECOGRIP will be compatible. Our core message to customers is around adaptability, ease-of use and biodegradability
Fully adaptable concept designed to fit any bottle neck or cap regardless of diameter
Solutions available for single-use plastic packs of 4, 6 or 8 bottles between 0.33 and 1.5 litres
Both manual or mechanized possibilities to ensure automation and bar-code hiding (thanks to our partnership with of one of the biggest machine builders)
Ergonomic design making it easy to handle
Customizable with any kind of printing technology
Registered under a European i-DEPOT
ECOGRIP is an adaptable and sustainable packaging concept. Easy to produce at scale, it also provides several compelling benefits
Sales incentive through attractive and innovative design
Fully biodegradable packaging
Easy to grip, easy to store, easy to unclip individual bottles and easy to dismantle
Experienced team of European experts happy to work alongside customers to provide extra support
100% recycled and recyclable
With ECOGRIP, Cart-One is looking to further build on its long-term relationships with customers, brands and manufacturers. Our mission is to provide viable alternative to single-use plastic within future supply chains. ECOGRIP is truly a biodegradable packaging technology for today’s challenges: a robust, simple, sustainable product ready for application at speed and scale.
We want a world where retailers and consumers can be confident that the purchases they make are packaged responsibly, not just today, but also in the long-term.
As part of Cart-One’s Pan-European alliance, Blue Box Partners, together with Klingele Paper and Packaging Group, VPK and Hinojosa, our team offers expertise and collective intelligence, delivering local solutions to global problems. We are able to give customers a broader perspective as we are situated in countries across Europe. As an alliance, we work with brands to develop packaging solutions that not only solve their current issues around single-use plastic – but also provide environmentally-friendly, sustainable packaging solutions for the long term.
Contact customer service for more information.