Squaring up to ice cream
line of innovative packaging for its Carte d'Or ice cream yoghurt,
recently launched in a number of European countries.
Finnish packaging provider Huhtamaki has supplied Unilever with a line of innovative packaging for its Carte d'Or ice cream yoghurt, recently launched in a number of European countries.
Huhtamaki's square shaped DuoSmart for Carte d'Or is first of its kind on the market and proving to be successful. The 500 ml combipack consists of a thermoformed PS inner tub and a covering paper segment. The thermoformed PS lid is preprinted and tamper evident due to a sealing membrane. High quality graphics are said to convey the premium image of the yoghurt ice cream.
Unilever was looking for a special packaging solution to differentiate it from existing ice cream packaging solutions, such as paper cups, thermoformed or injection moulded plastic packaging solutions. The square shape is also reported to be remarkably better from a point of view of logistics, making transportation and retail storage more efficient.
Huhtamaki says that the concept of DuoSmart, uniting the characteristics of plastic and paper, is an important part of its offering of premium, functional and visually striking consumer packaging. The container combines a thin plastic inner tub and a cardboard outer layer.
The concept is said to be extremely flexible, allowing a wide range of applications in order to suit many different areas of packaging. The paper outer enables superb printability and the plastic inner permits, among other characteristics, heat sealing. The two layer structure means that the pack is rigid yet lightweight and its layers can be separated easily for recycling.
The DuoSmart family consists of the Classic, Comfort and Combi packs. The Classic forms the basis for both the Comfort with its outstanding marketing features and the Combi with its advanced technical benefits, the company claims.
DuoSmart Comfort is said to offer additional features for designing more distinctive packaging. Possibilities include embossing, display windows and various shapes as well as additional lid and base printing. The solution is also said to maximize the products' shelf life by offering exclusive barrier properties. The variety of paper is wider and a special cup structure can also help create an air insulation between the paper cup and the plastic liner. The solutions include an integrated opening feature with flexible film, a thermoformed or a paper lid.
