During our stay there, we were asked time and time again, “What do you do and why are you here?” Whether we were exhibiting at our booth, meeting others during a networking function or simply walking to grab a beverage or a snack the same question came up. It never occurred to us that packaging wasn’t on the top of all the attendees minds last week. It seemed so obvious to us that what we do and why we were there would be the biggest no-brainer at the conference. Even though we had a sign stating what we do, people still asked. What was really interesting was the reactions we got after explaining our work. Most people attending, who stopped to “look us over” stated that they didn’t have anything for us in regards to packaging. When we finished presenting our story and showing examples of our sustainable packaging, many of these same people exchanged business cards with us and realized that they did have some possible opportunities to work with us. We quickly realized that most people do not understand the many facets of sustainability and what role it plays in packaging.

And the best experience we had was hearing what so many other companies do and why they were there. It was truly an education for us as we saw and learned quite a bit from a vast and global group. The experience was a success and it helped us immensely get a better understanding of our role in the sustainability world.

Next week we will be exhibiting at the Sustainable Brands Conference in San Diego, California. The Sustainable Brands Conference is ground zero for sustainability, brand and innovation professionals who come together from around the world to be inspired, engaged and equipped to succeed by building the better brands of tomorrow, while building a network of like-minded colleagues who can help.

Although we didn’t make it on the speakers list, CTI was asked to come and exhibit to show such a community how sustainable packaging can be created and the role it plays in the retail community of brands. We’ve packed up a load of examples and look forward to meeting with brand leaders to discuss sustainable packaging for their products. During the time we spend there, I hope to add some postings here about the experience to share with others. There will be a number of seminars in session during the week along with a variety of exhibitors and hopefully I can sort through all the information to make some cohesive and meaningful posts.

So I look forward to attending and sending out what I learn as the week goes by.

Last week I had the honor to participate in the AmeriStar Packaging Awards in the role of judge. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity of judging package designs in the Student Category and I must say I was impressed. When we work in package design we consider numerous points and cover a lot of details. The result may appear to some as just a “pretty graphic” solution or as some would phrase it, “a very clever idea”. Back when I was in school a friend of mine told me how envious he was of me because I got to sit around all day and draw pictures and listen to music. I’m sure that description, or some form of it, still gets put out there today to students by their friends, but we know better. When we studied all the core classes that came with design we pushed to sneak into working studios to see first hand how it all came together. We were anxious and studied with high expectations. That hasn’t changed but the amount of knowledge acquired by design students today far surpasses what I remember from years past.

When I viewed the entries I first read through the design brief that posed the problem (or challenge) at hand. After reading it, I reviewed the design solution. The visuals varied in degrees of both presentation and conceptualization. As I found the solutions interesting I was more impressed with the amount of data the students provided that justified (or led them to) their solutions. Issues about construction, material, manufacturing, prototypes,recycling, sustainability, logistics and price points were common throughout the entries and actually a pleasure to see. Now these area of design may seem boring to some but they are extremely key elements in the design process of packaging.

So after reviewing the submissions I cast my votes knowing that solutions for packages in the future were in good hands. And I also look forward to both seeing those solutions and hoping to be a part of them, working with these students when they become professionals. Good work.

At CTI, we’re always looking at packaging problems as opportunities and regularly seek partners to work with us.

Chuck Miller, www.ctipack.com

I came across this recent article in the BBC about retro packaging stating the following:

“A new trend in Portugal is seeing shopkeepers stock their shelves with products and packaging which deliberately hark back to the designs of previous decades. Toys, perfumes and foods with a vintage look are proving particularly popular with tourists and are helping revive the country’s flagging economy.”

I’ve seen quite a bit of retro packaging here in the U.S. and after reading this brief article I began to wonder if the retro look really helps in sales or if it just briefly disrupts the consumer into purchasing products. I think the bigger question is wondering if this pulls in long-term consumer loyalty.

As memories can be triggered back to more pleasant times, does this effort really raise sales? Today, as I see more and more of the retro look, I notice that it is being used with new companies and their product offerings. With that said, what will be their look when they revert in the future to their retro look? Is a retro look just a style fad or a bona fide and viable tool?

Chuck Miller http://www.ctipack.com

A recurring question I discuss with clients now is about what they should tell their consumers when it comes to their packaging. Do they claim that their package is now recyclable and environment friendly? Is the sustainability factor something they want to plaster on their package to brag about? If the package is compostable should they state it?

Sometimes confusion sets in as the brief states that the issue of sustainability needs to be addressed but do we tell the consumer it is happening and results in a package that is better for the environment? Will the consumer find the product and manufacturer more favorable? Does brand loyalty rise when this happens? What if the consumers don’t get told of the efforts made to create such a package?

Every brand is different as is every package. We address the goals and concerns with our clients as the degree of communication this information varies. Some express the issue in a more outwardly manner than others and our job as package designers is to assist our clients in expressing their message the best way possible.

So look closely at the package and see just how much information about the package is being expressed next time you’re in the store.

The other day I was with my wife as she was out shopping for a new cell phone. After she made her choice, two things caught my attention. The first was when the clerk assisting her was setting up the phone. My wife  opened the package to look for instructions and while doing so, she commented on the design. She exclaimed, “This is quite a nice package for a phone.” I just smiled and observed as she proceeded. The second point of interest was when she told the clerk that she would also need a Bluetooth headset. We followed the clerk to the aisle containing accessories and looked for the proper headset. I looked at all the packaging and then the brands and finally the prices. The clerk looked for the brand that carried his preferences and pointed to the corresponding package. My wife expressed her preferences, looked at his recommendations and then the price.

The product, package and price all worked together and the sale was made. I wondered though how much the package comes into play when a clerk gets involved. As a designer, I spend a large amount of time creating a package that reflects a brand in order to help sell products yet can be undermined at any time by a clerk and his or her preferences. We hope that the brand we work for has built quality and a positive reputation that rings true with clerks all over but I’m not sure if there is a way to measure this activity or to prepare for it accordingly.

I have my doubts with using focus groups on this situation and feel that some detective work or ethnographic research needs to come into play here. I guess I’ll just have to get out to the retail environment and do some digging.

- Chuck Miller, www.ctipack.com

With sustainability issues rising everyday, we find it more challenging to create an intelligent package that meets all the demands put on it today. I am giving you a link to view a package that both contains and sells a product but then simply “goes away”.

The designer for this package is from Montreal and his name is Simon Laliberte. The product is a toothbrush called DISSOLVE and the package is amazing.

Wish I had done this one and glad to share it with you.

Take a look and see. http://vimeo.com/slaliberte/dissolve

And when you get a chance, visit us at www.ctipack.com to learn about our sustainability initiatives.

We thought we would share some pictures of products at the show in their packaging for you to view.

Enjoy!

1.    In today’s packaging, how much emphasis is placed on form and how much on graphics? Is one more dominant than the other?
It is dependent on the client’s way of working. Some follow a process while others harbor a secret desire to be designers. The results are usually obvious.

2.    Has the focus on sustainability in packaging leveled off or will it continue to rise?
I think the focus will be there but shifting from just a noticeable one to more invisible. By that I mean you may not see a huge size difference in the package of a recyclable look but the process and materials and other factors may push the sustainability levels higher than in the past.

3.    With the growing number of products entering the market, what are the expectations of companies in regards to sales performance based on package design and do you feel they are realistic?
They can and should be higher than previously. However the stakes may be higher but the responsibility needs to be recognized and delegated properly.

4.    Do you find budgets for package design growing or shrinking?
It depends again on the client and product. Start ups are usually low in the budget whereas big corporations can push more funds into such a project. With that said, we have run into more than our share of big corporations loking to put little money into the design end of packaging and just a bit more into the manufacturing of the package.
5.    When designing a package, how connected are you to the manufacturing and fulfillment segments?
We design, manufacture and fulfill – so we can be connected as much as we are allowed.
6.    How often have you bought a product based on the package?
Yes – too many times in fact.
7.    Have you ever purposely designed a package to have a life (or use) past the product it contains?
Yes. And some clients appreciate that effort.
8.    Many consumers complain about clamshell packaging due to the difficulty in opening one. Since that feature is in place to deal with theft, how would you counter or improve that part of the clamshell design?
All I can do at this point is make it look appealing enough to drive the consumer past the unpleasant event of opening a clamshell. Remember, clams and oysters themselves aren’t fun to open, but once they are, the rewards are well worth the effort.
9.    What package would you like to design?
A watch case.
10.  What is your favorite package?
One that makes me smile before and after opening it and the one that drives me to keep the package.

Katherine O’Dea joined GreenBlue in July 2007 as a Senior Fellow with over 18 years of experience in sustainability in both the private and nonprofit sectors, and she has recently become the Director of Advisory Services. Katherine’s work at GreenBlue is multifaceted; she currently leads the Advisory Services program and contributes to various Sustainable Packaging Coalition projects (including the Sustainable Packaging Indicators and Metrics Framework), and also plays a principal role in strategy development and investigating new program opportunities for the organization. Katherine was previously Executive Director of INFORM, Inc., an environmental research and education nonprofit, Chief Operating Officer for the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Vice President of Business and Environment Programs at Business for Social Responsibility, where she managed BSR’s Apparel Working Group and launched the Clean Cargo Working Group, as well as Founder and Principal Consultant of Ecologistics. Over her career, Katherine has worked on numerous sustainability projects for leading organizations such as The Coca Cola Company, Dell, Dow, DuPont, Ford Motor Company, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s, Nike, and SC Johnson, among others. Katherine holds a BA in Philosophy and English from Emmanuel College and has also completed graduate work in Philosophy and Organizational Psychology at Harvard University and earned a certificate from the Prince of Wales’s Business and Sustainability Programme at the University of Cambridge. When she’s not traveling for business, Katherine finds time to boogie board almost every day from May through October.

1.    Will sustainability concerns in packaging level off or continue to rise?

I don’t think I would characterize it as “concerns” per se, but I think a focus on and opportunities for packaging sustainability will continue and likely increase.  Packaging is a very consumer facing aspect of commerce.  Most products come (and need to come) in packaging.  Therefore, it will continue to be ubiquitous and making it, as well as the product it is designed to protect, as sustainable as possible will be key to managing dwindling resources over the long haul.

2.    With package manufacturing going overseas, do you see a decline in this activity?

A decline in the transition of packaging manufacturing to overseas production facilities?  No I don’t think this will decline, unless there is first a return of product manufacturing to the U.S.  Overseas packaging production is, to a large extent, simply following overseas product production.  In many cases/sectors, there are economies of scale to be gained/leveraged by packaging the product in the same location it is made.  On the other hand,  components of some complex products are produced in multiple countries, shipped to the U.S. and then “assembled” here.  So I don’t think it is likely that we will see a wholesale shift to overseas packaging production by any means.

3.    Do you see the package to product size relationship getting closer?

Of course, in some cases.  However, I don’t think this is exactly the right question to ask.  While rightsizing – ensuring there is sufficient packaging for it to do its primary job of protecting the product without using more materials than necessary is a smart strategy.  Downsizing, just for the sake of downsizing or for decreasing the package to product ratio, may be ill advised.  If the package fails and the product is damaged,  all potential sustainability gains and more (given the amount of resources embedded in a product) have been lost.

4.    What one trend do you see rising in package manufacturing today?

Recovery, recovery and recovery.  I think there is an increasing focus on 1) designing packaging to be more recyclable, 2) optimizing the use of recycled content, and 3) improving recovery/recycling infrastructure to increase the amount of all types of materials for reuse, recycling or in a waste-to-energy scenario.

5.    Is recycling of packaging more successful today than 10 years ago and what do you see for the future of recycling?

I don’t think there has been dramatic change and certainly not sufficient improvement, but I think there has been a trending  in the right direction.  I also think the upward trend in recycling will continue, but I don’t think it will get to where it needs to be without 1) some significant investment in our collection infrastructure and technology, and 2) a movement towards more standardized collection systems, locally, regionally and nationally.  I think we also need to see a significant growth in the market(s) for recycled materials.  It seems like we are beginning to see demand drive supply, but international markets and prices (to date) have sometimes resulted in a disconnect between local demand and availability.  The globalization of commerce and socio-economic shifts in demographics is and will continue to be a critical factor.

6.    Are we better off trying to recycle packaging or design it for repurposing?

I don’t think this is a zero sum game.  I think both are important.  Designing a package either for recycling or repurposing should depends on a variety of factors that can vary across the life cycle and the value chain.  For, example, which option is “better” could differ depending on what is being packaged, where it is being shipped (and how), into what market(s) (foreign, domestic, urban, rural, remote) it is being sold and more.

7.    Is sustainable packaging financially affordable or not?

If it is not affordable,  that is to say not necessarily cheapest/least expensive, but able to meet market expectations – it is not sustainable.  Sustainable anything – packaging included – has to balance economic, environmental and (social) equity considerations.

8.    How much involvement should government have in regards to packaging?

As much as is required to facilitate a more sustainable system of commerce.  If the commercial/corporate sector can’t or won’t figure it out, from my perspective, the government has a responsibility to step in.  That said, I think there is hope and it is feasible that the commercial/corporate sector will innovate and implement more and more sustainable product/packaging system options that address sourcing, production, transport/distribution, use and end-of life management.  This is why I have worked with organizations that engage directly with the corporate sector to “make products (and packaging) more sustainable.”

9.    If you could see one thing disappear today from packaging, what would it be?

We need to see more than one thing disappear from packaging.  Some things that I, personally, would like to see disappear – in no particular order of priority since the level of concern varies based on packaging format, application, etc. –  are:  use of PVC, BPA, phthalates that have been identified as carcinogenic or mutagenic, and polystyrene.

10.  And if you could see one new thing today in packaging, what would it be?

I think we need more materials innovation.  Biopolymers are promising but not (yet) a panacea.  Mushroom packaging is awesome for some applications.  I’d also like to see a more “precautionary principle” approach to the use of additives and coatings.