A Clean Sweep For Recycled Tubbies
By Canadian Packaging Staff
Sustainability Aquados Eco Plastic tubsAn eco-friendly product naturally deserves an eco-friendly packaging to go along with it, and U.K.-based laundry detergent manufacturer Aquados says it left no stone unturned in its quest to find the perfect match for the company’s fast-selling Simply Laundry washing powder—the first detergent brand to have been awarded the European Union’s Eco label recognition for manufacturing sustainability.
“Since launching our products we have tried to identify a more eco-friendly packaging solution for our products,” says Aquados director of operations Alex Thompson.
“We have tested a number of potential solutions, including alternative raw materials, but these containers did not live up to our quality requirements,” Thompson adds.
Undaunted, Aquados continued its search—ultimately settling on a brand new range of award-winning containers manufactured by the Danish plastic packaging supplier Danfos.
Made from 100-percent post-consumer waste, the fully-recyclable UniPak Eco plastic tubs gained worldwide acclaim earlier this year by winning one of seven Winnning Breakthrough awards of the 20th annual DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation competition.
According to Superfos, a combination of several environmental improvements incorporated into the new tubs—including reduced weight and energy usage, use of natural fillers, transportation efficiencies, etc.—has yielded a 74-percent “carbon footprint” reduction for the new tubs.
“The Eco line is the result of an ongoing focus on reducing the CO2 footprint of our products,” remarks Annette Gottsche, corporate communications manager for Superfos.
“Several years of product innovation have already resulted in weight reduction, optimized pallets, and significant savings on raw material and energy consumption.”
These attributes made UniPak Eco an irresistible option for the ,em>Simply Laundry brand, which is retailed throughout the U.K. by leading supermarket chains such as Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Coop.
“The right solution emerged through our co-operation with with Superfos,” reflects Thompson. “Now, our eco-smart washing powder can be sold in a tub made from 100-percent post-consumer waste plastic.
“The tub is still 100-percent recyclable,” he says, “and it possesses the same air-tight quality and long shelf-life that we are used to.”
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