One of the challenges with recycled packaging is that the eye-catching finishes, essential to make products stand out on retail shelves, are often more challenging to achieve because of more limitations on the number of finishing techniques that can be used.
For the Neal’s Yard packaging, M&H was asked to come up with a line that was both recyclable, but also highlighted the company’s signature midnight blue colour branding.
PCR PET plastic
The challenge was to design and manufacture the transparent midnight blue 200ml hair care and shower bottles in 100 per cent PCR PET.
PCR stands for Post Consumer Regrind material, which M&H says has been reprocessed and re-used in the packaging to provide an efficient environmentally-friendly alternative to materials that often end up as redundant waste on landfill sites.
Likewise, the company also points out that as part of the manufacturing process, PCR PET plastic uses up less energy and also replaces the need for primary extraction processes required for plastics that are manufactured from scratch.
X-Press closure
As well as featuring recyclable packaging for the body of the packaging, the bottles also feature M&H’s patented single wall X-Press Closure, which is an injection moulded 3 component PP cap that has a twin button configuration for a defined open/close action.
M&H has also produced a 150g tube for body and sun care products, manufactured to the same trademark blue colour and also using recyclable materials.
According to Shaun Catchpole, from M&H Plastics, the project with Neal’s Yard underlines a clear move towards sustainable packaging that is being driven by consumer demands for more environmentally-friendly products.
“M&H is pleased to offer a range of sustainable packaging solutions that can not only be manufactured in recycled plastics, but also materials that have been recovered from the waste stream, post consumer use,” he said.
Focus on flexible tubes
Aside from its focus on recycled packaging, M&H recently announced a significant investment in its flexible tubes packaging division in response to growing demand.
The investment will see the expansion of the existing facilities in Beccles, Suffolk, as well as incorporation of new technology to improve the decoration capabilities of the plant.
Along with enhanced printing and decoration effects, the new facilities will also offer co-extrusion up to five layers, which will improve barrier properties as well as allow for different surface finishes such as matt, metallic, or soft touch.