Have you met Nosco’s latest carded packaging product, StretchPak? Through this packaging innovation, customers are able to protect their products and promote their brand with a strong and flexible blister pack and clamshell alternative.
Due to the announcement of new and expansive plastic packaging waste reduction commitments earlier this year, Walmart kicked off a new phase in its longstanding leadership in environmental sustainability. Key priorities of the program include reducing unnecessary plastic waste, and increasing plastic recycling. However, most notable is their goal to eliminate PVC in general merchandise packaging by the end of 2020. While much of the focus will be on the 30,000 private brand products sold at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores, Walmart has also challenged its national brand suppliers to make similar packaging commitments.
One form of packaging that is clearly in the target zone of the new Walmart program, is the PVC clamshell. While clamshell packaging is a well-recognized format, offering many important functional benefits, including product protection, shelf presence and theft resistance, there are numerous challenges associated. In addition to the cost and large amount of rigid plastic used, clamshell packaging has routinely been identified as a leading issue with consumers in regards to ease of use, overpackaging, sharp edges and the like.
THE CLAMSHELL ALTERNATIVE
In addition to offering many of the same functional benefits of blister packs and clamshells, Nosco’s StretchPak offering gives customers a competitive advantage through:
- Sustainability: Through a primarily paperboard construction, StretchPak uses only a small amount of flexible plastic film – drastically reducing the amount of plastic used. Additionally, each component can be deposited directly into most waste paper streams,
and options for recycled paperboard materials / non-PVC films are available.
- Shelf Presence: With the main structure of the package being printed paperboard, StretchPak provides superior shelf appeal with a broad variety of decorative print options available compared to clamshell packaging. Options include foil stamping (hot or cold foil), UV coating and embossing.
- Cost: All things equal, the total delivered cost of StretchPak typically delivers savings of about 20%, compared to clamshell packaging. While fulfillment of the package requires special equipment, Nosco can facilitate introductions to a number of contract packagers with the ability to support third-party fulfillment needs, or equipment manufacturers that supply StretchPak fulfillment equipment.
- Simplified Supply Chain: With StretchPak, the printed information and plastic film are single integral components. Because of this, manufacturers need to manage only one
item in the supply chain compared to the separate plastic and printed components of standard blister packs and clamshells.
As the undisputed leader in the supply of StretchPak to the industry, Nosco is well positioned to serve your needs in the face of this new sustainability challenge put forth by Walmart. ◊
For more information, or to arrange a meeting to discuss your specific needs, please contact:
KEN BERTRAM
Business Development Manager
KBertram@Nosco.com
