Industry News: Will Beauty Companies Soon Favor More-Secure Mass-Market Packages?
MeadWestvaco’s Natralock blister package is designed to provide ultimate protection but is also easy for the consumer to open.
A study conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF) determined that there were $41.6 billion in losses last year due to theft. “Retailers have surveillance equipment and sensors, but these are a reactive approach to theft. Product manufacturers can—and should—take on a more proactive role in helping to prevent theft with a more-secure package,” says Jeff Kellogg, vice president and general manager of Natralock Security Packaging, MeadWestvaco Corp. (Glen Allen, VA). Kellogg spoke to attendees of NRF’s 2008 Loss-Prevention Conference & Expo in Florida in June.
“We haven’t found a standard definition of a secure package to date, so we spent a lot of time with retailers and their loss-prevention groups in order to develop our own definition,” says Kellogg. Some of the questions he asks when determining whether or not a package is secure are: “Does it take longer than 6 seconds to open the package without a tool? Will the entire package fit into a shirt pocket? Does the package provide any barrier to theft?”
Kellogg said that MeadWestvaco’s Natralock package was designed with a trap-seal system. Tear-resistant paperboard is heat-sealed around an APET or RPET plastic bubble. “The entire package is sealed with our proprietary bonding system. Other types of trap-seals may not allow a proper bond to the blister, thus causing the package to fail and the security to be breached. Natralock is designed to prevent this from happening,” says Kellogg. This special seal also allows consumers to easily tell if the product has been tampered with in any way.
Sometimes a package can be too secure, causing consumers frustration when trying to open the package at home. “All you need is a pair of scissors to cut the [Natralock] board easily. It won’t cause ‘wrap rage,’ which is often the case with clamshells,” says Kellogg.
Most of Kellogg’s customers are now in the electronics industry, but he’s seeing an increased interest from beauty companies. “We have several projects that we are working on right now with personal care product manufacturers,” he says. “Once everyone understands the benefits this type of package brings, I believe that more companies will want to switch from clamshells. Since it runs on existing sealing and production equipment, there’s no downside to converting,” he adds.
If you’re wondering how green this package can be, the paperboard is made from a renewable source. It also uses 50–60% less plastic than clamshells, according to Kellogg.
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