Cleaning Up with Sustainable Packaging

Cleaning Up with Sustainable Packaging

In a bid to reduce environmental impact, many brands are developing sustainable packaging solutions. We are seeing a shift away from plastic towards recycled and recyclable packaging materials, including corrugated cardboard. One of the latest shifts has come from the laundry industry.

Lowering the Carbon Footprint of Laundry

Keeping our clothes clean used to require a block of soap, a washboard and a lot of elbow grease. As technology advanced, washing machines and powders made things a lot easier. Then pre-measured liquid laundry capsules were developed. Convenience made these an instant hit, but there was a flip side.

Laundry capsules are supplied in plastic tubs, rather than cardboard powder boxes or paper-wrapped soaps. With households typically running several washes a week, this was not a positive development for the environment.

Developing Sustainable Packaging Solutions

Then in 2018, a disrupter entered the market. Not one of the leading brands, but a new business with a fresh approach; SMOL. This company was on a mission to offer high-performance cleaning with minimal chemical content. The brand also wanted to greatly reduce the plastic used, without compromising convenience.

They had spent 2 years developing their laundry capsules and a recyclable cardboard packaging solution. To meet industry standards, the product had to deliver cleaning excellence and the packaging had to include a child-proof lock. Both requirements were achieved. What’s more, the boxes of 24 capsules are letterbox friendly, so they are delivered to your home for optimum convenience.

Since 2018, customers switching to SMOL (which also offers other household cleaning products in recyclable, refillable and returnable packaging) have saved over 877 tonnes of plastic, 2,429 tonnes of chemicals and 13,604 tonnes of carbon from entering our environment.

Following in the Footsteps of a Low Carbon Footprint

SMOL has shown the big brands how it is done and they are now responding. Ariel is now launching their laundry capsules in newly developed Ecoclic cardboard boxes. Made from 70% recycled cardboard and 100% recyclable, these feature a clickable child safety lock.

In their bid to lower the carbon footprint of laundry, the company has also developed a product that can reliably remove stains in a cold wash. Setting our washing machines to 30 degrees also helps to lower energy bills, which, as prices soar, is welcomed by customers.

The Ecoclic boxes will also be adopted by the Fairy Non-bio, Bold and Daz brands. Collectively, this sustainable packaging will save thousands of tonnes of plastic being used and discarded across Europe.

Unilever has also been on a mission for positive environmental change. They are using plant-sourced active ingredients to reduce the chemicals used in cleaning. The new Persil (known as Skip, OMO and Surf Excel in other countries) laundry capsules will also be sold in cardboard boxes with a child safety lock.

Using cardboard boxes has proven to lock out moisture more effectively than plastic containers, meaning the tabs don’t stick together. The first boxes will be on the shelves in France in September, with a wider rollout across Europe and the UK in 2023.

Inspiring Sustainable Change

It is great to see that a start-up business can not only challenge the norm but also lead industry giants towards positive change. SMOL has shown that sustainability doesn’t mean compromising on cleaning power, convenience or price. They are a brand with environmental values at its heart and its approach has built an impressive customer base.

If you want to discover more about SMOL, they offer a laundry capsule free trial, delivered to your door.

Switching to Cardboard Packaging

If your brand is keen to switch from plastic to cardboard packaging, Aylesbury Box Company can advise on the best options to meet your specifications.

We are an FSC® certified packaging manufacturer who can help you evidence supply chain sustainability. Manufacturing is undertaken in our on-site warehouse in Buckinghamshire and we offer a wide range of print and finish options for branded boxes.

To discuss sustainable packaging with a member of our team, please call 01296 436888 or email enquiries@abcbox.co.uk.