The recent series of Vision 2025 focus groups conducted by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, captured an increasingly popular sentiment throughout the packaging community: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” According to input received from more than 58 consumer packaged goods (CPG) professionals, some familiar fundamentals are fueling […]
Corrugated, Designers, Innovation
Four consumer trends to come in 2018
Mintel announces the four key trends set to impact North American consumer markets over the coming year. With surprises at every turn and vague uncertainty gripping Americans and Canadians daily, being attuned to consumer trends across transparency, value, self-care and automation is perhaps more crucial in 2018 than ever before. In the coming year, Mintel predicts […]
Corrugated, Trends
China’s paper product makers raise prices on higher raw material costs
The increase will hit products ranging from packaging boxes to toilet paper. China is likely to see price rises for paper products this year on a shortage of raw materials and imported waste paper, according to Hong Kong-listed Nine Dragons, one of Asia’s largest packaging and paper producers. Cheung Yan, the company’s chairwoman and […]
Corrugated, Sustainability, Trends
Six indicators of effectively leveraged packaging
What renders a tool effective is the skill with which it’s utilized. Packaging has great potential. However, potential always is a quality that either gets unlocked or remains unfulfilled. By Sterling Anthony, CPP, Contributing Editor It’s a given that some corporations are more effective at leveraging packaging, but what do they share in common? While not […]
Corrugated, Sustainability, Trends
3 takeaways on recycled versus virgin paper packaging
A discussion about the environmental benefits of maximizing recovered content in paper packaging versus using virgin fiber is one of those complex topics that, when simplified to make it easy to understand, might miss important details critical to really comprehending the issue. Last fall, the Forest Track at the SPC Advance conference was wrapped up with an […]
Corrugated, Designers, Trends
Packaging Materials Affect Perceived Value of E-Commerce Shipments
A new study conducted by the University of Wisconsin (UW) in Madison shows that the value perception of e-commerce shipments is significantly impacted by the materials chosen to protect them. Even a small increase in packaging material expenditures—as little as 19 cents—can make a dramatic impact (as much as 45 percent) on the perceived value. “There […]
Corrugated, Sustainability, Trends
Why Corrugated Packaging is the Future
Corrugated packaging is said to have to been born in 1817, exactly two centuries ago, in England. Since then, known by various names, the humble cardboard box has come a long way from being first used as reliable packaging for cereal boxes. I own a candy business, and only recently realized the practicality and ease […]
Corrugated, Innovation
How to handle hand holes on corrugated boxes
When the size and/or weight of the product justifies them, hand holes (also known as access holes) are designed into corrugated boxes to facilitate safe manual handling. The categories of such products are diverse, examples being wide-screen televisions, printers, windows, patio doors, garage doors, automotive body replacement parts, in addition to various multi-pack consumer non-durables […]
Corrugated, Innovation, Sustainability
The Magic of a Cardboard Box
On April 20, Nintendo released a new line of accessories for its best-selling Switch game console. Rather than being digital add-ons, they were physical ones: punch-and-fold parts engineered to turn the Switch console into a piano, a fishing rod or a robot. All are made of cardboard. On March 4, Walmart ads shown during the […]
Corrugated, Designers, Innovation, Sustainability
Johnson’s Baby brand gets global restaging
Known all over the world as the brand parents trust when it comes to baby health and wellness, Johnson’s Baby just went through a reset that included a 70% reduction in the number of bottle and closure styles. For the first time in its long and notable history, Johnson & Johnson recently re-staged an entire […]