More sustainability can only be achieved through close cooperation along the entire value chain - this approach has proven itself once again. This time in the development of a travel set for two-day short trips in cooperation between Optima and three partner companies from Sweden: Holmen Iggesund, Yangi and FutureLab & Partners.
One goal of the project is to accelerate the adoption of new sustainable premium packaging solutions for the healthcare, hygiene and cosmetics industries. "The approach shows how companies and brands are working together to find solutions to develop alternatives to their existing plastic packaging as quickly as possible. In this way, we are also setting trends in the market," explains Dominik Bröllochs, Head of Sustainable Solutions at Optima.
Low-energy production and user-friendliness
In the course of developing the bio-based concept, the partner companies have researched design optimized for the circular economy, materials, dry-forming technologies and end-of-line barrier solutions. The end result is a circular packaging solution that produces no material waste. It also combines three elements of modern travel packaging: renewable materials, low-energy manufacturing and user-friendliness. The prototype was developed within six months.
The travel kit contains three dry products: solid shampoo, body soap, as well as solid toothpaste, which simply liquefy when used. The packaging itself is made of 100% recyclable and renewable materials. Depending on the product and the product protection required, the packaging can also be designed to be biodegradable.
Optima assisted in the project with expertise on various barrier technologies to protect the products. The company tested various barrier solutions to meet different requirements.
Climate-friendly extracted wood fibers
“This all sounds so simple, but offering dry cosmetics in a travel set from renewable materials – that’s never been done before,” says Hein van den Reek, Director Future Packaging at Holmen Iggesund. The Swedish packaging manufacturer supplied the renewable wood materials used to make the Trific travel set. The company Yangi, also based in Sweden, transformed wood fibers into moldable packaging using minimal resources. “With our groundbreaking dry molded technology, we are pioneering the next generation of fiber-based solutions and reshaping the world of packaging,” says Anna Altner, founder of Yangi.
FutureLab & Partners, the third partner company, was the design partner for the Trific packaging. “Visualization and prototyping bring together what the technology can offer and what the users need,” adds Liselotte Tingvall, CEO at FutureLab & Partners, regarding the strengths of their company.
In addition to the Trific concept, Optima is presenting other sustainable packaging solutions at Interpack. These include a new sustainable can portfolio with different shapes and closure solutions, as well as fiber-based solutions for the single-serve sector.
