Henkel’s new Somat Excellence 4in1 dishwasher capsules will be packaged in a cardboard-plastic hybrid solution created by Greiner Packaging that contains a 50% material made from recycled PP collected from end consumer households.
The new capsules themselves use a unique technology that combines powder and three solid gel chambers, which consumers will only have seen from laundry detergent products to date.
Andreas Auinger, global senior customer projects manager at Greiner Packaging, comments: “The main challenge in developing this packaging was the product inside, as the 4in1 caps are extremely sensitive to moisture. So, the key requirement for the packaging was to ensure a perfect seal during both transport and storage.”
Greiner says that thanks to its patented tear-off system, the cardboard wrap and the plastic tub can be easily separated and recycled. Meanwhile, in addition to the PCR content in the plastic section, the wrap is made of cardboard consisting of nearly 100% recycled material.
The company uses a two-stage process for the plastic tub itself: The inside of the plastic tub is made from white virgin material, which guarantees an optimal color contrast with the colorful 4in1 caps. The packaging’s outer coating contains the rPP obtained from end consumer households.
This layer’s gray color has no impact on the packaging’s look because it comes wrapped in a printed cardboard sleeve.
Greiner Packaging also supplies the lids for these new packs. The team developed a special concept for Henkel, featuring a sealing film that is built into the lid to provide an “outstanding seal”. Plus, the opening of the tub is calibrated ahead of time with the aim of making it fit with absolute precision.
“The new packaging for the Somat Excellence 4in1 dishwasher caps stands out not only thanks to its sustainable properties and premium shelf appeal, but also because of its high degree of technical functionality,” says Carsten Bertram, senior manager for international dishwashing packaging development at Henkel.
“Based on our experiences with other similarly designed packaging solutions, we already know that this type of smart, sustainable packaging from our partner Greiner Packaging is a big hit with consumers.”
