Ecolean believes that the global packaging industry needs to adapt to the shift in customer and consumer behaviour and their increasing demands for sustainable alternatives. Lightweight packages allow the brand owners Ecolean works with to reduce both costs and environmental impact, while maintaining the structural integrity and safety of their products.
Consisting of a range of flexible stand-up pouches with air-filled handles, Ecolean’s portfolio is suitable for both chilled and ambient distribution. The pouches have a very high product-to-packaging ratio, ensuring the least amount of material is needed to provide optimal protection and functionality for a given amount of product. The result of their innovative production method is a pouch that weighs 50-60% less than a conventional liquid food carton or bottle.
“We believe that we can make a difference by aiming at optimal packaging – which balances food safety with low environmental impact and consumer convenience,” said Hanna Jeppsson, communications director at Ecolean.
Companies are demanding solid sustainability credentials from their packaging suppliers, not just in the products they offer but also the way they conduct their business. Earlier this year, Ecolean was awarded Platinum Medal Recognition by EcoVadis, an independent provider of business sustainability ratings. Ecolean was placed in the top 1% globally of 90,000 assessed companies from 160 countries and 200 industries.
Furthermore, to help liquid food producers understand the life-cycle impact of its packages, Ecolean publishes Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for its entire product range. These open up the possibility to compare the environmental impact results for different packages. As the first packaging supplier in the world to review the whole system with detailed analysis and description in EPDs – encompassing the lightweight packages as well as filling machines – Ecolean is raising the bar to let its customers get the full picture.
“This means that if all packaging companies were to perform EPDs rather than just their own LCAs [life cycle assessments], brand owners would be able to compare the impact from one package to another. This is an extremely demanding process today, since everyone is using their own set of scope and it is hard to obtain the data in the first place,” said Jeppsson. “We believe that transparency is crucial for the future of packaging and in line with this, we are publishing the footprint of our packages on our website for everyone to use in comparisons.”
The only thing a liquid food brand operating in the ever-evolving FMCG world can fully control in the store is the packaging type and the design on the packaging. A standout package can certainly be the difference between failure and success.
The Ecolean package has proven very efficient when it comes to taking consumer eyes by storm. Ecolean’s unique jug-format stands out on the shelf and the surface has a generous face display for print.
Going forward, Ecolean believes industries, categories and companies looking to make a difference – for their consumers as well as the planet – will adapt and incorporate lightweight packages into their portfolios.
Ecolean’s range is suitable for applications such as water, juice, iced tea, lemonade and a variety of liquid dairy products. While its packages have helped customers reduce their plastic use by up to 70%, brand owners are also benefiting from an improved environmental profile, brand image and company reputation.
Ecolean’s approach to packaging is light, to the benefit of both consumers and the environment. Ecolean was founded in 1996 in Helsingborg, Sweden. The concept of using a minimal amount of raw material to produce a unique flexible lightweight package and efficient filling system was established by people with great knowledge and long experience within the global packaging industry.
Today, Ecolean is a fast-growing and globally expanding business that offers its unique lightweight packages for liquid food to some of the most well-known brands in the industry in well over 30 markets worldwide.
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