Beating global companies, Charpak Ltd have been announced as Winners of the Innovation of the Year 2019 at the UK Packaging Awards for their ground-breaking Twist-Loc® Tub. This latest win follows on from their success as SME of the Year 2018.
The Cambridgeshire-based packaging designers and manufacturers have hinted more new packaging developments are underway in their campaign to prevent food, product and plastic waste. Their clear goal is to develop sustainable packaging that doesn’t cost the earth.
Director of Sales and Innovation, Justin Kempson, confirmed:
“Twist-Loc® was designed specifically to replace ‘new’ plastic with a recycled product to prevent plastic waste. It’s made from up to 90% recycled PET plastic material. 100% of the packaging can be recycled and there’s no small plastic break-off-parts that can escape into the environment because the tamper-evident mechanism is integrated within the pack.
Twist-Loc® can be reused many times at home before being put into the household recycling bins. Then Twist-Loc® can be recycled (in the UK) and be re-made into something else.”
Each Tub uses 7.5g less plastic per tub than the packaging it replaced. The removable cardboard sleeve means every element of the pack can be recycled; and the Tubs can be reused by customers at home before being recycled again and re-made into another Twist-Loc® Tub, other packaging, or something else.
The Twist-Loc® Tub is on sale in Waitrose & Partners, who have reported positive customer feedback and a 16% increase in sales for their Treat Tubs.
Managing Director, Paul Smith, said
“We are delighted to be recognised for our efforts in developing new solutions that can boost recycling rates and prevent waste. We want more manufacturers and retailers to replace their hard-to-recycle packaging with Twist-Loc® Tub. For the industry to recognise us over and above far larger companies, as the Innovation of the Year 2019 Winner, we’re overjoyed.”
Twist-Loc® was commended by Award Judges for its use of highly recycled content; and the packaging design which means the pack is both easy to open and recognisable (particularly for older people or those with limited dexterity).