Packaging News You Can Use

by JoAnn Hines Packaging Diva

I’ve seen quite a few recent posts touting the use of nature’s own package design in products such as coconuts and bananas. I love fresh coconut. How about you?

via Inhabitat.com

And yes, this is  an example of natures perfect package (that is in nature). It even ships well without much additional protection. In fact you can even label and mail a coconut (true).

But have you ever tried to get into a coconut? It’s akin to opening a plastic clamshell and certainly will generate its own amount of “wrap rage” natural that is. I’ve also seen it wrapped to protect freshness. So while in theory its sounds good one must look at the bigger picture and how you can incorporate natures design in to your own.

I love this example mimicking the coconut package itself with coconut water inside.

Coconut Water from the Dominican Republic via Toxel

But joking aside. A banana but itself has it’s perfect package too, but how does it get to you undamaged and ready to consume? In a package of course. Most people don’t see this part of the process unless you happen to see bananas being stocked at the store from a box or on a truck such as this one.

Transfer of boxes from refrigerated truck
The point is that even though the banana is perfect what makes it accessible to you and me is more packaging.   Can natures perfect packaging be improved? These people think so by extending it’s shelf life through some type of modified atmosphere packaging.  Bananas typically become overripe very quickly and then are no good to anyone.  Keeping them at a perfect stage of ripeness is good business.

Chiquita To Go™ label.

Breatheway technology packaging extends the shelf life of bananas by 7 days.  Ready when you are.

or

Image from USA Today.

Providing healthy and safe foods to consumers is what you have come to expect. Packaging is what makes it happen and although consumers want to see less packaging they sure don’t want to pay higher prices due to food waste. It’s a fine line between too much (excess) and too little packaging. One that continuously is improved and monitored with new and improved packaging.

Without packaging products like this couldn’t exist.

I love this nature inspired packaging.

Naoto Fukasawa has created a series of creative banana juice packages with the look and feel of the fruit they contain.

So take a lesson from nature and use its very best concepts and make them work for you. Whether it’s biomimicry or just great package design what packaging lessons can you learn?   How about your comments on these insights? Please let me know what you think and how we can turn packaging problems into packaging success. At the very least show me that you care about packaging by “liking” this post please.

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