PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2011 looks to future of package design.
Press Release Summary:
Part of PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2011, Project 2020: The Consumer Experience challenges design community to envision how packaging will drive consumer purchasing decisions a decade from now. Prototypes of the finalists' concepts will be displayed by EskoArtwork, the software partner for Project 2020. One concept will be named the Grand Prize Winner by a panel of judges and receive the Complete Studio Bundle from EskoArtwork. Remaining finalists will receive copies of EskoArtwork's Studio Designer.
Original Press Release:
Pack Expo Las Vegas 2011 to Look Ahead to the Future of Package Design
Design Community Envisions What Consumers Will See on Retail Shelves in Ten Years with Project 2020: The Consumer Experience
Arlington, Va.; - Ten innovative concepts will be featured as part of Project 2020: The Consumer Experience at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2011 (September 26-28; Las Vegas Convention Center). Now in its second year, this special component of The Brand Zone (Lower South Hall) challenges the design community to envision how packaging will drive consumer purchasing decisions a decade from now.
Prototypes of the finalists' concepts will be displayed by EskoArtwork, the software partner for Project 2020: The Consumer Experience, in Booth #5449.
One concept will be named the Grand Prize Winner by a panel of judges and receive the Complete Studio Bundle from EskoArtwork. The remaining finalists will receive copies of Studio Designer, EskoArtwork's 3D visualization plug-in for Adobe Illustrator.
The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on September 26, 2011.
Judges include representatives from PMMI; Julie Okon and John Lyons from media partner Package Design magazine; Andrew Dent, Vice President, Libraries and Materials Research, Material ConneXion and Maider Irastorza, Director of Consulting, Material ConneXion; and ABI, PMMI's marketing public relations partner.
The finalists are listed alphabetically below:
o Concept: Multi-Purpose Sunscreen Bottle
Submitted By: Bailey Brand Consulting
Every consumer's beach bag has multiple bottles of sunscreen so they can best protect different body parts. While a smart approach to skin care, it's impractical due to weight, the opportunity for product waste and the toll large, bulky bottles can have on the environment. To remedy this situation, Bailey Brand Consulting created a single container with modular compartments to hold lotions with different SPFs. A built-in lever allows consumers to choose their desired SPF level and a spray or pump applicator eliminates the mess associated with squeeze-style tubes. A lock feature on the applicator and permanent cap prevents leaking when the product is not in use. The eco-friendly bottle is made from recyclable materials and is refillable, so consumers only need to replace the SPFs they need.
o Concept: The Fresh Can
Submitted By: CROWN Packaging Technology
Enjoying hot, fresh and nutritious meals on-the-go will get easier for consumers thanks to the Fresh Can concept from CROWN Packaging Technology. Shelf stable ambient foods, including vegetables, pasta, soups and ready-to-eat meals, can be heated in seconds thanks to in-can steaming technology from small self-heating pucks in the base of the package or heating by induction on 'smart surfaces'. In addition to enhancing convenience, the Fresh Can offers significant quality and sustainability benefits. Steam heating provides improved taste and freshness and the all-metal construction is 100% recyclable. Metal packaging also saves energy by eliminating the need for refrigeration and freezing and reduces food waste by controlling portion size.
o Concept: Infinity
Submitted By: CROWN Packaging Technology
Based on the idea that most grocery products will be delivered directly to consumers' homes by the year 2020, CROWN Packaging Technology has created Infinity: a stainless steel container that is returnable and reusable. Well-suited to processed food as well as to fresh food, Infinity is available in a range of sizes, so it can accommodate single- or multi-serve portions. The container features an easy-open closure with a transparent sealing panel so consumers can view the product inside. Once empty, consumers can leave the containers at curbside to be collected and refilled. Antimicrobial coatings ensure refills will be as safe and fresh as the first product that was packed. The coatings also make Infinity containers easy to clean for consumers. Most importantly, reusing the container improves the already impressive environmental credentials of 100% recyclable metal packaging by moving further up the sustainability pyramid.
o Concept: ECOBAG
Submitted By: Depot WPF
This isn't your typical paper shopping bag! While the bag itself is durable for multiple uses, built-in seeds add a whole new dimension. Instead of simply recycling the ECOBAG with other paper products at the end of its life, consumers can plant the bag to generate a small patch of grass, chamomile or clover.
o Concept: 'Pounds with Portability': A Re-imagined Pet Food Container
Submitted By: Directions Marketing
Designed to bring functionality and recyclability to bulk pet food packaging, this container's interlocking triangular design and uniform size and shape make packing, shipping and warehouse storage more efficient. Accordian-type compression reduces container height as product is dispensed, and when empty, the container eventually folds flat for easy recyclability. Resealable lids and durable substrates protect product freshness and eliminate the need for consumers to transfer food from original packaging to separate storage containers. Consumers gain additional convenience from the built-in, pop-up handles and simplified dispensing, while retailers and brand owners will appreciate the elimination of extraneous packaging like corrugated shipping containers and the potential for a retail-ready display.
o Concept: The Virtual Grocer
Submitted By: Directions Marketing
This concept completely re-imagines the consumer shopping experience in the year 2020. Instead of going to a retail store and making buying decisions in front of the shelf, consumers will go online to shop and upload their grocery list for fulfillment at a partially-or wholly-automated warehouse facility. Their order would be picked, packed and made ready for consumer pick-up, enhancing convenience and saving time. In this scenario, product packaging would also change dramatically, as there would be no need for the differentiation that we see on store shelves today. Instead, products would be packed in homogenized containers that emphasize functionality, recyclability and space/cost savings. All of the containers would take on a uniform size and shape, making shipping, storage and stacking more efficient. Accordian-type compression reduces container height as product is dispensed, and when empty, the container eventually folds flat for easy recyclability. Built-in, pop-up handles enhance portability, especially for large or bulky items, and resealable lids and durable substrates protect product freshness and encourage consumer re-use.
o Concept: The Laundry Bottle of the Future
Submitted By: Ecologic Brands
Designed as an ecological alternative to traditional laundry containers, Ecologic Brands' hybrid bottle consists of a sturdy molded fiber shell and an inner pouch and spout. The shell, which is comprised of 70 percent old corrugated cardboard (OCC) and 30 percent old newspapers (ONP), can be recycled up to 7 more times or composted. The interior pouch and spout is made from #4 LDPE plastic and fully recyclable with plastic grocery bags at retail drop-off bins. Consumers simply split open the shell's side to separate and recycle components. The addition of a drain back spout and dosing cap delivers the same functionality that consumers expect with rigid plastic bottles.
o Concept: Reusable Flow Bottle with Green Refill
Submitted By: Pack Flow Concepts
The Flow Bottle consists of a reusable outer container with an easy-to-load, compostable refill that helps to reduce shipping costs and the product's environmental footprint. The refill is manufactured empty and shipped on trays in its collapsed format. At the filling location, the tops of the refills will be lifted for application of the liquid product, such as detergents, liquid cleaners, food and industrial oils, and then sealed. Sold in packs of two or four, consumers purchase the refills and load them into the squeezable outer container which can be printed with the same familiar decoration and product information to relay brand messaging during every use. Once the contents of the interior pack have been used, the refill can be easily disposed of and replaced. Other versions of the Flow Bottle provide Zero Waste Dispensing for limiting exposure to air. A third version is for pouring beverages.
o Concept: Collapsible, Biodegradable Bottles
Submitted By: Alex Silva, Independent Designer and WESSCO International
Created to reduce the amount of PET plastic bottles that end up in landfills each year, these refillable, collapsible bottles encourage reuse and enhance portability. Composed of flexible, plant-based biodegradable plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, the 8oz. bottle is capable of collapsing to 1/3 of its original size, enabling it to easily fit into pockets, purses and backpacks. Bottles are shipped in a collapsed state, enhancing efficiency and minimizing environmental impact. The bottle also features a wide mouth for easy filling and drinking and a screw cap for resealability.
o Concept: The Recycler
Submitted By: William Fox Munroe
This multi-purpose box design will make recycling PET bottles easier and more convenient for consumers by serving not only as a delivery and dispensing system but also as storage for empty bottles. With the outer box made from InCycle® sheet, a recycled and expanded PET substrate from MicroGREEN Polymers, Inc., consumers no longer need to separate the box from the bottles when recycling. They simply open the dispenser mouth of the box, enjoy their favorite beverage and place the empty bottle in the recycler opening. A scored inner wall collapses as product is dispensed and acts as the barrier between full bottles and empty bottles ready for recycling. In addition, the label on the bottle is printed on InCycle® sheet(TM), which adds additional insulating properties to keep beverages cold longer. When all the bottles are empty, consumers can recycle the whole box of empty bottles as one.
For more information about PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2011 or to register, visit www.packexpo.com or contact PMMI's Show Department at 703.243.8555 or expo@pmmi.org.
About PMMI
PMMI is a trade association of 560-plus member companies that manufacture packaging, processing and related converting machinery in the United States or Canada; machinery components and packaging containers and materials. PMMI's vision is to be the leading global resource for packaging, and its mission is to improve and promote members' abilities to meet the needs of their customers.
PMMI organizes the PACK EXPOtrade shows: PACK EXPO International, PACK EXPO Las Vegas and EXPO PACK México, connecting participants in the packaging and processing supply chain with their customers around the world. Coming Up: PACK EXPO Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Convention Center Sept. 26-28, 2011.
Learn more about PMMI and the PACK EXPO trade shows at PMMI.organd Packexpo.com.
