What do we see?
The trend to paper packaging for household care products that was started by start-ups like smol, is now being picked up by major manufacturers. We have seen Henkel and more recently Unilever changing packaging of laundry detergents from plastics to paper and cardboard. Also smaller brands like dalli offer paper-based packaging for laundry caps since several years.
In the case of laundry pod/caps/capsules the manufacturers have found solutions to make the packaging compliant with the current CLP regulation. It demands the packaging to impede young children from opening the packaging and on the other hand for adults, allow easy regular opening and reclosing after use. Lastly the packaging needs to be designed in such a way that the aforementioned is true from the first until the last opening.
Where does it come from?
Unilever set out to Rethink Plastic Packaging, an initiative that consequentially reduce the amount of plastic packaging for their products.
Henkel declares goals on recyclable packaging and plastics reduction by 2025 in their Sustainable Packaging initiative.
Both are in line with the AISE initiative on sustainable packaging and the goals set out for 2025 therein. This initiative is the industry’s contribution to the EU Circular Economy Action Plan of 2015.
What else could it mean?
Surprisingly the new packaging formats of Unilever and Henkel display a much lower profile than the traditional packaging. While these formats allow for a good shelf impression due to their large front face, their low height makes them suitable for mailbox delivery. Just like smol has demonstrated over the recent years.
Obviously Unilever and Henkel are at least pondering the idea to establish mailbox delivery in one or the other form. Either as a mail-only SKU or as an extension to their brick and mortar distribution.
Sources
Unilever launches its most powerful and sustainable laundry capsules yet
