Ecostretch friendly for environment, consumers
Katie Duffey
Reporter
WOLCOTT - As consumers and retailers look for more earth-friendly packaging options, Wolcott-based Witko, Inc. has introduced a high impact, PVC-free package that may soon have corn futures buzzing on the Chicago Mercantile.
The new pack is called Ecostretch™, a "next generation" carded package that provides maximum shelf appeal and point-of-purchase impact by combining a printed die-cut card with a fully compostable corn-based film called EarthFirst® PLA film.
Produced by Plastic Suppliers, EarthFirst PLA film delivers the clarity consumer products companies, retailers and consumers demand; is PVC-free and when composted, breaks down into carbon dioxide and water.
Dale Ringer, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Witko, a packaging development firm and co-packer, states the sustainable, environmentally-friendly film used for the Ecostretch package offers a number of earth-friendly advantages over traditional polyvinyl chloride (PVC) clamshells and blister packs.
"There's the obvious benefit of having no PVC, which Wal-Mart, Microsoft, HP and others plan to phase out of their consumer packaging and products," said Ringer.
"Perhaps the bigger advantage is the raw material itself. The EarthFirst PLA film using NatureWorks® PLA resin is derived from corn. Corn is renewable, sustainable resource grown throughout the United States and therefore is not subject to geopolitical events and supply and price issues like petroleum-based resins."
A major concern with PVC, according to the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, is the toxic dioxins released when PVC is incinerated. Traditional waste disposal poses a threat as well. If PVC is put in landfills - the center estimates more than 2 billion pounds of PVC-based packaging go into landfills each year - toxic components of the PVC package leach into groundwater.
Ecostretch poses none of these threats.
"The EarthFirst PLA film in our Ecostretch package can be composted with no worries about the effects on the environment," said Ringer. "Because it breaks down into water and carbon dioxide, things normally found in the environment, it's a safe, guilt-free package."
Despite the unconventional nature of the film, Witko's EcoStretch package meets stringent performance requirements. In addition to providing a clear view of the product inside the package, the film provides a flexible product-shaped cavity that shrinks tight to conform to even the most odd-shaped products and eliminates product rotation.
Tough and durable, the film minimizes damage during shipping and in-store handling. EcoStretch also is a source-reduced package. The film used is typically thinner and lighter in weight than a clamshell, yet it is extremely tough and puncture resistant, attributes that retailers want to combat pilfering.
The package also can include Witko's patented Easy Open feature that eliminates the need for scissors while not giving up the tamper evident aspect or integrity of the package. The Arthritis Foundation has recognized the feature for enhancing ease of opening for people with arthritis, and the packaging was also recognized for its original design with a DuPont Award for Innovation in Packaging Technology.
Even as environmental concerns and sustainability change the way retailers look at packaging, at the end of the day, they still need packaging that protects and sells product, according to Ringer.
"With EcoStretch, retailers have their cake and eat it too. It meets all environmental requirements and provides the 360-degree product visibility the consumer wants to make an informed purchase," said Ringer. "Equally important, the package helps keep pilferage to a minimum."
For Ringer, the choice to switch to his EcoStretch product is clear for companies, who as he believes should not underestimate the marketing benefits of a better packaging.
"With all of the attention on environmentally-friendly packaging and going PVC-free with packaging, early adopters of EcoStretch and other eco-friendly packages can use it as an advantage over their competitors when talking to retailers and to consumers," said Ringer.
"People want environmentally-safe products and safe packages - give them what they want and you've given them a reason to buy."
To learn more about PVC-free EcoStretch from Witko, visit www.witkoinc.com, or call 1-800-340-9663.
