Sustainable Christmas Packaging
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With Christmas fast approaching, many of us are starting to think about giving gifts, delicious food at Christmas Markets, Advent Calendars and of course, Baileys Hot Chocolate… I mean spending time with family.
However, one of the biggest concerns during the holidays is increased waste, especially from packaging. The good news is that many brands are now offering more sustainable options. In this post, I’ll explain some of the exciting new developments in sustainable Christmas packaging.
New Quality Street Packaging
Reducing plastic waste.
Quality Street, one of England's favourite chocolate brands, is taking a major step towards sustainability with this year's packaging update. Quality Street was previously known for its signature shiny plastic wrappers, but paper is now used for many of their chocolates.
By doing this back in 2022, Quality Street removed almost two billion pieces of packaging material from the brand's supply chain (wow!). This is an important step towards reducing single-use plastic waste during the Christmas season and sets a good example for other snack brands.
The new wrapping paper, designed by Smurfit Westrock, is fully recyclable and made from sustainable materials. This change shows that even in small decisions, like enjoying a sweet treat, we can help reduce the environmental impact of Christmas packaging.
Rigid and Carton Advent Calendars
A Cosmetic Revolution.
Chocolate Advent calendars are a big part of Christmas (unless you eat them all in one day, which we’ve all been guilty of), and now they are becoming more prominent in the beauty and cosmetics industry. However, many traditional advent calendars contain magnets or non-recyclable materials, like vacuum formed plastic, making them difficult to dispose of sustainably or separate for household recycling.
Fortunately, a growing number of cosmetic brands are now offering rigid and carton advent calendars that are magnet-free, making them much easier to separate for recycling.
Not only are these calendars eco-friendlier, but they also maintain a luxurious look and feel, proving that sustainable packaging doesn’t mean sacrificing quality or aesthetics & are sure to still impress influencers and their following in unboxing videos.
Image: OTO Gift of Dreams, packaging design by Pillbox Design.
What Have We Done & What More Can We do?
Chocolatey Clare and Her Fully Sustainable and Recyclable Packaging.
An ethical chocolate brand that has committed to a fully sustainable product and packaging. Their beautifully designed chocolate bars come in eco-friendly packs, which were created by Pillbox Design.
Pillbox worked closely with Clare to ensure that every part of the packaging, from the outer box to the inner wrapping, is almost 100% recyclable. An approach that nearly eliminates the need for plastic, reduces waste, and aligns perfectly with the growing demand for sustainable consumer products (& the vegan chocolate is super tasty too!).
Image: Chocolatey Clare Chocolate Bar Pack, Structural Design & Artwork by Pillbox Design.
Production Accurate Prototypes for Advent Calendars & Christmas Gifting
If you're a business looking to make your holiday products more eco-friendly, Pillbox can help. One of our specialties is designing and making fully functional production prototypes which include Christmas advent calendars and other Christmas packaging.
Whether you're in the confectionery, beauty, or other retail industries, Pillbox can create custom packaging solutions that are tailored to your brand and customer needs. Our team of experts can work with you to develop unique designs that reduce waste, use eco-friendly materials, and still stand out on the shelf.
Plus, with our ability to produce working prototypes, you can be confident that your final product will look, and function exactly as intended before going into production. Sometimes seeing something in person can make all the difference in final decision making.
Image: Production Accurate Prototype Made For Todhunter.
The Importance of Sustainable Packaging for Christmas
The shift towards sustainable packaging for Christmas is more important now than ever. The festive season traditionally leads to a significant increase in waste, from wrapping paper and decorations to the packaging of gifts and advent calendars. By choosing products with recyclable, biodegradable, or reduced-plastic packaging, we can all contribute to reducing our environmental footprint.
It’s encouraging to see brands like Quality Street, Chocolatey Clare, and cosmetics companies leading the way in creating sustainable packaging solutions. And with companies like ours offering bespoke packaging design services, there’s limited excuse for businesses not to make the switch to eco-friendly alternatives this and future holiday seasons.
Image: OTO CBD Christmas Stars, packaging design by Pillbox Design.
If you want to find out more about how we can help bring your packaging ideas to life, fill in our contact form or give us a call on +44(0)1509 323001.