Luxury packaging supplier IPL Packaging has developed a champagne pack made from injection molded paper foam. The company came up with a sophisticated design that hugs the contours of the bottle.
To address the market's growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions, IPL Packaging created an eco-friendly champagne case as part of an NPD exercise. The shell-type pack is made using BioFoam. “BioFoam, or stash injection molded paper foam, is a biopolymer based on industrial starch derived from potatoes or sugar cane and/or bamboo cellulose fibers, produced via an injection molding process,” explains LB Odendaal, Head of Design at IPL Packaging.
The lightweight material is said to have excellent insulation and high shock absorption properties, as well as being resistant to UV rays. Biodegradable and compostable, the supplier notes that it can be recycled in traditional recycling streams. Suited to both molded parts and cut products, BioFoam can be used for outer packs and inner fitments and parts.
“In this particular application, we designed the body or ‘shell’ of the pack to be shaped to the bottle and constructed entirely of BioFoam,” details Odendaal. Channels or ribs on the inside of the shell keep the bottle in place, while the pack is held closed by removable silicone bands positioned on the base and neck. The pack's cut-out detail has a dual function: reducing the amount of material used and affording glimpses of the product within.
In terms of decoration, a subtle debossing was used for the branding. Embossing and high-level relief are also an option, and the supplier is testing the feasibility of foiling and printing.
While the concept was developed with the champagne market in mind, the design is “universally adaptable”, according to IPL Packaging, who is currently working on several developments.
