Set to hit the market in early 2021, Swiss luxury watchmaker Breitling has unveiled what it says is the industry’s first 100% recycled and recyclable watch box that is both foldable and reusable.
Breitling called on packaging supplier Dahlinger for its new watch box made entirely from recycled plastic. Ocean waste PET bottles were used to create each component – from the fabric to the push buttons that hold it together and serve as the opening mechanism. In addition, the number of packaging elements were reduced from an average of 12 to just three: the box, the pillow and the user guide. The pillow benefits from a double usage; it can be removed and used as a travel pouch.
Breitling can ship the new boxes – which can be delivered flat – directly to its markets, cutting down on the average distance traveled by each case by almost 30%. The watchmaker says that compared to its original watch box, transport-related CO2 emissions have been reduced by more than 60%. The box can be recycled to be fed back into the RPET cycle.
“We started working on a sustainable packaging concept with the goal of optimizing the impact on the environment, and it has evolved into a positively disruptive element that has impacted many different aspects of our packaging, ranging from material to transport and even to how customers will use the box,” comments Breitling CEO Georges Kern.
This is not Breitling’s first foray into the sustainable packaging realm; the watchmaker previously created a case said to be about half the size of the industry standard. This new box, in the brand’s signature blue and yellow and adorned with Breitling’s logo on the facing, is again said to be about half the size of its current pack.
Consumers can opt for the original box, but will be encouraged to offset this choice by making a voluntary contribution to SUGi, an organization that aims to restore biodiversity and regenerate ecosystems.
