Dow said Procter & Gamble’s packaging for liquid laundry capsules, the Procter & Gamble ECOCLIC Box, was the winner of its prestigious Diamond Award for its sustainable and accessible design.
As part of Dow’s 2022 Packaging Innovation Awards, the ECOCLIC box won top honors for its breakthrough packaging design that excelled in customer experience, technological advancement, and sustainability impact.
Dow said the patent-pending cardboard packaging stood out because of its minimum 70 percent recycled fibers, its recyclability, its sustainability through allowing 50 percent more packs per pallet, and its attention to users with dexterity issues while staying child safe.
“On one hand, P&G’s cardboard box for liquid laundry capsules can be recycled in curbside streams and is also made from recycled fiber,” David Luttenberger, global packaging director for Mintel Group, Ltd., said. “On the other hand, it was designed with an important consumer insight in mind to make the product more accessible.”
Procter & Gamble tested the product to ensure accessibility, Dow said. After consumers said that dexterity issues can make existing liquid laundry packaging difficult to open, the Procter & Gamble team put the pack through testing with more than 2,000 adults, including parent, people with dexterity limitations, and consumers with sight and cognitive impairments. Testers said they liked the ease of opening, the box quality, and the reassuringly loud “click” closure.
“Consumers demand that today’s packaging will reduce waste and minimize environmental impact with innovative designs that are both user-friendly and planet-friendly,” said Karen S. Carter, president of Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “The Packaging Innovation Awards is more than just a competition. It is a source of inspiration and motivation to exceed customers’ and consumers’ expectations in all dimensions of packaging performance. The entries this year rose to the challenge and raised the bar.”
Among the other 27 winners were: the side gusseted flat bottom (3D) pouch for rice by Integrated Plastics Packaging and the 3M Scotch Cushion Lock Protective Wrap, who among the Platinum Award winners; as well as the lightweight pillow pouch for Nutramilk Soymilk by Packaging Industries Limited and the EnviroServe™ Leafy Greens PET Trays with SmartSeal® FRESH Lidding Films by Sonoco which were among the winners of the Gold Award.