In a world where traditional packaging limitations have held back the full potential of product marketing, a solution has emerged to transform the game. Meet Immertia, a pioneering leader in the realm of Augmented Reality (AR) in packaging. Immertia’s groundbreaking platform, Displai, shatters these limitations by seamlessly integrating augmented reality with packaging, resulting in unforgettable brand experiences that deeply resonate with consumers.

Augmented Reality Unleashed:

Augmented reality (AR) is no longer a novelty; it’s a powerful tool that bridges the physical and digital worlds. As consumers increasingly seek unique, interactive experiences, Immertia and Displai offer businesses the perfect platform to provide just that. These technologies enable product packaging to become a canvas for creativity, transforming it into a gateway to immersive brand encounters.

Immertia: Elevating the Game:

Immertia simplifies the process of implementing AR and offers key features like enhanced engagement, an improved customer experience, differentiation from competitors, and valuable user insights. Immertia caters to a variety of industries, including product packaging, the alcohol industry, and wineries. It’s user-friendly, offering a mobile app for consumers to access AR experiences and a browser-based platform for businesses to manage their content.

Displai: Where Magic Happens:

Displai seamlessly integrates AR into regular products, creating captivating and interactive brand experiences. With its intuitive web platform, businesses can easily manage and customize augmented reality content. The possibilities are limitless, from brand storytelling to activation campaigns, promotions, and marketing integration. Displai ensures your product stands out, providing multilayered, immersive brand experiences with just a simple touch on consumers’ smartphones.

A Powerful Integration:

The collaboration between Displai and Immertia provides a powerful synergy that changes the way we perceive packaging. By combining the captivating visual displays of Displai with Immertia’s ability to enhance customer experiences and provide insights, businesses can create unforgettable connections with consumers. This powerful integration caters to a wide range of use cases, from product packaging to in-store displays, trade shows, and more.

Immersive Use Cases:

Imagine a world where your favourite cereal box transforms into an interactive game for your morning entertainment or a wine label transports you to the vineyards of Tuscany. These are the possibilities that Displai and Immertia bring to life:

• Product Packaging: Your product’s packaging becomes a portal to a world of information, engagement, and storytelling. Consumers can simply point their smartphones at the package, and the brand’s story unfolds before their eyes.
• Print Materials: Print materials like brochures, catalogues, and posters can come alive with interactive elements, providing a dynamic and engaging experience.
• In-Store Displays and Signage: Retail stores can use augmented reality signage to guide customers through the store, offer discounts, or even provide information about products right on the shelves.
• Trade Shows and Events: Augmented reality adds a whole new dimension to trade shows and events. Booths can showcase products with interactive demos, and attendees can unlock exclusive content.

GPA Global Partners with Immertia:

As a leader in the world of packaging innovation, we have recognized the transformative potential of Immertia and Displai. The integration of Displai and Immertia technology is set to disrupt the packaging industry, aligning with the preferences of a new generation of consumers. Augmented reality adoption is on the rise, and these technologies offer businesses the opportunity to provide unique and memorable experiences.

In a world where innovation knows no bounds, Immertia and Displai stand as a testament to the limitless potential of packaging. They don’t require special print packaging, QR codes, or technical expertise, making them accessible to all. The future of product packaging is now, and the possibilities are endless.

For inquiries about integrating AR into your packaging solution, contact Mike Marcinkowski, our head of R&D and Material Science, at mmarcinkowski@gpaglobal.net.

The post The Era of Intelligent Packaging: Part 2 appeared first on GPA Global.

The Effects of Plastic Packaging

A Sea of Plastic Waste

Every year, a mind-boggling 8 million metric tons of plastic find their way into our oceans, posing a grave threat to marine life and ecosystems. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s report on The New Plastics Economy emphasizes the urgent need to tackle this global crisis. Plastic waste not only suffocates marine biodiversity but also burdens landfills, where it takes centuries to decompose, exacerbating environmental strain.

Climate Change and Non-Renewable Resources

The plastic industry’s annual greenhouse gas emissions of around 390 million metric tons contribute significantly to climate change. This data, reported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), highlights the link between plastic production and environmental degradation. Moreover, the extraction and processing of fossil fuels for plastic manufacturing further deplete our non-renewable resources. To combat these challenges, we must explore sustainable alternatives that reduce carbon emissions and promote the use of renewable materials.

Human Health Concerns

Plastic waste poses not only an ecological crisis but also a direct risk to human health. Microplastics, generated by the breakdown of plastic waste, contaminate our food, water sources, and even the air we breathe. Early research raises concerns about potential health issues, including respiratory and immune system problems, linked to microplastic exposure.

Thermoformed Paper: A Sustainable Game-changer

Pack360 and PaperForm™ Thermoformed Paper

Through our partnership with Pack360, we proudly introduce thermoformed paper—a cutting-edge packaging solution. Pack360 specializes in thermoformed paper packaging, utilizing a unique grade called SPS (special paper substance). By infusing SPS with moisture, it becomes incredibly flexible and allows us to create custom designs that align perfectly with your brand’s vision.

Sustainability at Its Core

Thermoformed paper is a sustainable superhero. Crafted from renewable materials like responsibly sourced wood fibres, it reduces our reliance on non-renewable resources, ensuring a greener future. This packaging marvel is fully recyclable, contributing to a circular economy and minimizing waste. By choosing thermoformed paper, brands demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship while aligning their packaging solutions with sustainability goals.

Energy Efficiency and Cost Competitiveness

Compared to traditional pulp-based packaging, thermoformed paper requires less energy during production, reducing carbon emissions. Its drop-in technology seamlessly integrates with existing heat-sealing capabilities, eliminating the need for costly equipment upgrades. This cost-effective solution empowers businesses to adopt thermoformed paper without disrupting operations or breaking the bank.

Customizable Design and Functionality

Thermoformed paper offers boundless design possibilities. Its remarkable malleability enables intricate shapes, contours, and textures that captivate customers and elevate your brand. Whether it’s a unique tray for delicate cosmetics or an eye-catching display for confectionery, thermoformed paper combines aesthetics with functionality.

Recyclability and Plastic-Free Approach

Unlike traditional plastic packaging, thermoformed paper doesn’t require lamination, making it fully recyclable without compromising quality or aesthetics. By opting for thermoformed paper, brands contribute to a more sustainable waste management system and reduce their environmental footprint. Consumers can easily recycle thermoformed paper packaging, keeping it within the circular economy.

Stronger Together

At GPA Global, we believe in the power of collaboration to drive sustainable change. Our partnership with Pack360 and the introduction of thermoformed paper PaperForm as an alternative to plastic packaging marks a significant step toward a greener future. Plastic waste is wreaking havoc on our environment, but by embracing thermoformed paper, we can combat this crisis head-on. Thermoformed paper offers unparalleled advantages: it’s sustainable, customizable, energy-efficient, cost-competitive, and recyclable. It combines functionality with aesthetics, delivering packaging solutions that protect products and enhance brand interactions.

For more information on how thermoformed paper can be integrated into your packaging solution, contact GPA’s head of Material Science and R&D, Mike Marcinkowski at mmarcinkowski@gpaglobal.net.

The post Breaking the Plastic Cycle appeared first on GPA Global.

Smart packaging emerged from a fusion of minds driven by a shared vision to unlock the hidden potential of packaging. This magical moment saw the convergence of material science and electronics, shattering conventional thinking and bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds.

Conductive ink is the secret sauce here—a special ink infused with conductive materials like silver or carbon. When applied to packaging, it creates a network of conductive pathways, transforming the packaging into a platform of interactivity.

Thanks to conductive ink, packaging can now become a smart conduit between brands and consumers. These conductive pathways enable seamless communication between the physical and digital realms, making it possible to integrate sensors, touch-sensitive elements, and data transmission capabilities. The marriage of materials science and electronics has unlocked a world of possibilities for packaging innovation.

Now, let’s introduce the star of the show—Smart Shelf technology, brought to you by GPA Global’s exclusive partnership with Touchcode, the pioneers of this cutting-edge solution. By leveraging conductive ink as a catalyst, Smart Shelf takes packaging to a whole new level of interactivity and intelligence. By embedding sensors and conductive ink into pallets and packaging materials, we unlock a myriad of capabilities that revolutionize inventory management, enhance customer engagement, and enable seamless product tracking.

Let’s dive into the exciting ways Smart Shelf technology is transforming the game:

Revolutionizing Inventory Management:

Smart Shelf technology allows businesses to give their inventory management practices a much-needed makeover. Imagine having state-of-the-art sensors embedded within shelves that track and report irregular pick rates and product movements in real-time. This means instant alerts for store security teams, keeping merchandise safe and thwarting potential theft. But that’s not all—Smart Shelf also enables live counting, monitoring pack location, and providing detailed reports on product movements and counts. This level of data granularity empowers businesses to optimize their inventory management strategies with surgical precision, minimizing stockouts and shrinkage while maximizing profitability.

Elevating Customer Engagement:

Conductive ink integrated into our packaging opens the door to captivating retail experiences for customers. With a simple touch on their smartphones or tablets, customers can unlock a world of product information, engaging videos, and a treasure trove of digital marketing materials. This immersive experience not only enhances customer satisfaction but also provides brands with a powerful platform to showcase their offerings and build stronger brand loyalty.

Ensuring Product Authentication and Security:

By integrating conductive ink into packaging, businesses gain robust solutions for product authentication and security. Smart Shelf technology enables the use of geo-tagging capabilities to track products precisely throughout the supply chain. This ensures products reach their intended destinations without compromise, reducing the risk of diversion and ensuring a seamless customer experience. Additionally, conductive ink can be utilized to implement unique authentication features like encrypted codes or hidden patterns, providing an extra layer of security against counterfeiting and safeguarding brand integrity.

GPA Global and Touchcode

At GPA Global, our collaboration with Touchcode is fuelled by a shared commitment to innovation and pushing boundaries. Together, we are empowering businesses to unleash the full potential of their packaging. By seamlessly integrating this transformative technology into our clients’ packaging solutions, we are taking their brand experiences to new heights, optimizing inventory management, and ensuring product authenticity.

Beyond Packaging. Thinking Big!

Packaging may be the last thing we do, but it holds the power to make a lasting impression on consumers. At GPA Global, we believe in thinking big and going beyond traditional packaging constraints. We understand that successful brands need captivating designs that leave an indelible mark. That’s why we invest in the capabilities necessary to deliver seamless packaging solutions without limits.

Our partnership with Touchcode and the integration of conductive ink and Smart Shelf technology exemplify our commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation. By embracing these transformative technologies, we go beyond packaging. We enable brands to elevate their customer engagement, optimize inventory management, and ensure product authenticity and security.

For inquiries about integrating Smart Shelf technology into your packaging solution, contact Mike Marcinkowski, our head of R&D and Material Science, at mmarcinkowski@gpaglobal.net.

The post The Era of Intelligent Packaging appeared first on GPA Global.

The industry is growing rapidly—from $30 billion in global sales in 2021 to a projected $55 billion in 2026. While mature markets in Canada, California, Colorado, Washington, and Oregon are stabilizing, newer markets continue to emerge and boom.

While this is certainly an exciting time, the cannabis industry is no stranger to growing pains. Not only do many people still oppose the legalization of cannabis, but growers and distributors face increased scrutiny for its impact on the planet. They’re continuously called out for straining the electric grid with indoor grows, using too much water during outdoor grows in drought-prone regions, filling the air with odor and pollution, and generating huge amounts of waste through vaping devices, cartridges, and packaging.

It’s no secret that sustainability will be the center of conversation this year at MJBizCon, and we’re excited to represent the packaging industry and offer innovative, proven solutions that promote sustainability in this space.

To take a closer look at the industry’s current challenges, wins, and opportunities for growth surrounding sustainable packaging, we sat down for a Q+A with our Vice President of Strategic Packaging, Jesse Dixon.

With almost a decade of experience specializing in THC and CBD Packaging Development, Jesse shares his inside perspective on where the industry has been, where it’s going, and GPA Global’s essential role in the journey.

What does a typical day at MJ Biz Con look like?

MJ Biz Con is the biggest B2B trade show for the cannabis industry. It’s a phenomenal opportunity for anyone in the sector to connect and explore. Whether you’re in operations and you’re looking for some new equipment, you’re a manufacturer showcasing new innovative products, you’re on the supply chain procurement side meeting your vendors, or you’re in marketing scoping out what other brands are doing—it’s a great chance to connect with your partners, collaborate with new people, get inspired, and share inspiration.

For GPA, it’s a great chance to see our clients and show the industry what we’ve been doing—what’s innovative and new. We’ve been quietly growing and doing extremely well in this sector, and our goal is to have a “coming home” party to say, “Hey, you know about us, and you’ve seen our product, you just might not know our name yet.”

What are you most looking forward to this year?

I’m extremely excited for us to showcase our growth and innovative approach to all the key players in this industry.

Our main goal has always been to help this industry work with more ethical and responsible vendors. Industries like health & beauty, spirits, and consumer electronics all have so many great options when it comes to manufacturing partners. But when the cannabis industry started booming, a lot of inexperienced packaging companies weaved their way into the mix because they saw a new opportunity.

But GPA Global has been a manufacturing partner for decades—long before the cannabis industry started booming. And this industry doesn’t have enough experienced, ethical manufacturing partners.

A lot of huge packaging companies are still a little bit iffy about joining the industry because it’s not federally legal yet. But at GPA, we didn’t hesitate to say, “We’re in.” We strongly believe this sector deserves a responsible manufacturing partner that will deliver quality packaging on time, at a high quality. And right now it doesn’t have enough of that. In that sense, we’re the unsung heroes because we’re trying to bring that to the industry and make it more accessible.

It can be hard to deliver that message through all the noise, but we’re excited to have the chance to do so. By the time we’re done with the show, we hope we’ve made some waves.

In what ways does the cannabis industry intertwine with the topic of sustainability?

I think the majority of the cannabis industry is pushing for green and sustainable initiatives. That’s true across all industries, but the cannabis industry in particular caters to a green market—it’s in their DNA to act in the best interest of Mother Earth.

As far as the packaging goes, there’s a huge initiative to make sure that the packaging itself is recyclable and/or made from recycled materials.

Are we using less water and less power when we produce our packaging items? That’s a huge initiative on our end.

So while the industry works to promise that their final packaging is recyclable and/or made from recycled materials, behind the scenes, we’re working to gather and show data that proves our manufacturing processes can help them deliver on that promise.

What sets GPA Global apart from other packaging suppliers at this trade show?

In short, in-region production.

A majority of the packaging produced for the cannabis industry is child-resistant. When child-resistant mechanisms are involved, a lot of that production takes place overseas in Asia. But at GPA, we have facilities to create this type of packaging in-region.

Outside of that, we utilize paper, soy inks, and other materials that exhibit a degradable function. I avoid using the word biodegradable because it’s become such a buzzword that’s often thrown around when it shouldn’t be. But we do use a lot of materials that have a degradable aspect to them, and certainly, a majority of our packaging is curbside recyclable.

It’s also worth mentioning that we’ve been hyper-focused on sustainability for 20+ years. This is not new for us—it’s in our roots. Since day one, our focus has always been sustainability, as opposed to some of our competitors who don’t have as much of a say in the recyclability or the sustainability that goes on behind the scenes throughout the production process.

This industry is unique because it’s not federally legal in many countries. Do you think it’s still possible to conduct meaningful research around sustainability without government funding?

It’s certainly difficult, but I think it’s coming. It’s such a new market that there’s a lot of growing to be done there (pun intended).

For example, states like New York are coming forward and saying, “Hey very soon here, we’re going to require that any single-use plastic contains at least 25% post-consumer recycled content.” So, it’s great to see individual states setting their own restrictions. But for now, it’s really up to the brands, companies, responsible vendors, and suppliers of packaging materials to make sure that the packaging is compliant.

As far as third-party organizations that are funded to help measure the impact of the companies and confirm that they’re actually doing what they say they’re doing—I don’t know if those exist or when that funding will be available. But that’s more reason for us to help motivate, govern, and measure what we’re doing and what our clients are doing. That way, we can say, “Hey, we have the data to back up our claims when so many other people don’t.”

In what specific ways does GPA Global help its clients gather data and stay accountable?

For any client who requests data, we can provide documents like a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) document that outlines the carbon emissions and environmental impacts associated with the packaging’s material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, usage, and disposal. This not only helps our clients stay accountable, but it allows for continuous improvement.

 we’re proud to offer this option to our clients, so they can share this information with key stakeholders, their internal teams, or even their consumers..

Not to mention, we’re a large organization (and growing rapidly), so we have a robust sustainability team. Many of our competitors don’t have an entire team of professionals dedicated to sustainability.

What do you think is the biggest challenge when it comes to packaging in the cannabis industry?

I think the biggest challenge for the industry as a whole is filtering through all the noise and the greenwashing to find out who’s as responsible as they say they are.

The biggest challenge for GPA Global is ensuring people see what we’re doing and accomplishing. There’s a lot of talk when it comes to sustainable packaging in the cannabis industry, and many packaging suppliers don’t follow through on their promises. But we are in the minority, and we’re actually making significant strides in this space. So our biggest challenge is really getting the brand’s attention to show them the data we have—which is substantiated and proven.

Other than that, the industry is moving so quickly—there’s not a lot of time to slow down and sift through options. I also think there’s a common misconception that sustainable processes cost more than unsustainable ones. So as brands face fast expansion (in a vulnerable economy), there’s a conflicting force between lowering costs and pursuing sustainability. There’s a fear that it’s “harder” and more expensive to lean into sustainable initiatives. But we really want to deliver the message that it can be done in a very efficient, cost-effective way, and that’s exactly what we’re here to help with.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

The key talking point for everyone at MJBizCon is sustainability. Although we’re absolutely going to touch on it, it can’t be our leading message because it will get lost in the noise.

However, we want to leave people with our message of in-region production. You know, cannabis in California has to be grown in California, so it makes the most sense if your soil, fertilizer, lights, and packaging come from California too. Because one, there are lead times associated with overseas production. And two, there are cost advantages when you’re not shipping your packaging in a container across the world. And in-region production ties into sustainability, so everyone wins.

At the end of the day, we want to do the best for Mother Nature, of course, but we want to do it in a cost-effective way. And the reality is that those two things can live together. They are not mutually exclusive.

The post MJBizCon Sustainability Q&A appeared first on GPA Global.

It’s no wonder that the race to find the most sustainable packaging option continues, and Swedish furniture mogul, IKEA, is running full speed. The company recently announced that it’s replacing all Styrofoam packaging with mushroom packaging—a compostable and biodegradable material.

In a world that’s not yet equipped to properly handle compostable packaging, we’d like to use this announcement as an opportunity to open the floor to a conversation about whether or not mushrooms are a viable solution. As IKEA’s Head of Sustainability states, the switch to mushroom packaging is a “small yet significant step towards reducing waste and conserving ecological balance.”

That might be true, but we hope it doesn’t serve as an excuse for other companies to follow suit and consequently miss other (potentially more practical) sustainable packaging solutions—especially before the verdict is in on mushroom packaging.

What is Mushroom Packaging?

Mushroom packaging is exactly what it sounds like—packaging made of mushrooms.

Once all the spaces are filled, the final product is heated to the point where active spores are killed, ceasing mold growth. This whole process takes less than a week, making mushroom packaging a hot commodity.

What Are the Claimed Benefits of Mushroom Packaging?

Mushroom packaging claims the following environmental benefits.

• Energy: It requires only 12% of the energy required to produce plastic packaging.
• Wildlife: Because it’s a natural material, it reduces adverse effects if/when land or sea animals accidentally ingest it.
• Carbon Emissions: It produces a mere 10% of the carbon emissions that emerge from plastic manufacturing.
• Decomposition: It can decompose in about 30 days. For reference, Styrofoam can take hundreds (even thousands) of years to break down in a landfill.

We emphasize the word can because composability is very dependent on the disposal method. Claiming that a material can decompose in 30 days does not mean that if you simply throw it in your garden, it will decompose within that time frame. It requires specific conditions to decompose, which is why home composting and industrial composting are the most effective disposal methods.

Remember that both of these methods require very specific conditions to ensure success—high temperatures, diverse microorganisms, and availability. At this point, many home compost heaps don’t exist under prime conditions and most industrial composting facilities actually refuse compostable packaging such as mycelium.

It’s difficult to determine how long it will (not can) take for something to decompose in less-than-ideal conditions—such as the conditions in a landfill or on the side of the road. With that being said, companies that manufacture this packaging claim that it’s completely circular, litter-friendly, and adds no environmental burden if it ends up in a landfill.

Is Mushroom Packaging Fit for Mass Production?

As a furniture giant like IKEA transitions to mushroom packaging (and countless other companies take note), it’s important to ask ourselves if this material is fit for mass production and use.

• Evidence: It’s no secret that IKEA is one of the first powerhouses to switch to mushroom packaging, so we actually don’t know how well it will perform on a large scale. What we do know is that worldwide infrastructure already cannot handle the amount of compostable packaging that’s produced worldwide.
• Infrastructure: As a reminder, only about 15% of industrial composting facilities in the US accept some form of compostable packaging, and most of the 272 industrial composting facilities in the UK refuse this type of waste. Will mushroom packaging actually get composted? How long will it take to decompose in a landfill if it’s not properly composted? These are other factors that should be explored before beginning mass production.
• Durability: It’s important to note that mushroom packaging can only be used for packaging dry products—the material will lose its rigidity ​​when exposed to moisture. In environments below 85% relative humidity, mycelium tends to absorb low amounts of water (<6%). However, when conditions reach 100% relative humidity, mycelium’s water uptake can reach 20%, which is much higher than most other materials.
• Production: While there are many variables to consider during production, it’s undeniable that mushroom packaging is more time intensive and expensive to produce than other options such as low-grade molded pulp. We can produce molded pulp in around six hours at a low cost comparable to Styrofoam. Mushroom packaging, on the other hand, takes up to seven days to produce and can cost up to 10x as much.
• Scalability: Thus far, mycelium-based materials have achieved success in the realm of small commercial products. But the production of mycelium involves various complex, biological variables—long production cycles, contamination risk, and multi-step growing processes. Analysis shows that it’s difficult to consistently reproduce a specific material profile, which poses problems when thinking about scaling the production of mycelium. Leading producers such as EcoVative are now using genetic engineering to address some of these conditions, but it’s possible that the material is not quite ready for mass production yet.
• End-of-Life Handling: As mentioned above, the “big picture” success of this material depends heavily on end consumers’ commitment to keeping the packaging and their willingness and opportunity to properly dispose of the material once they’re done with it. When recycling rates continue to hover around 50%—and industrial recycling is generally much more accessible than industrial composting—can we truly expect proper end-of-life handling for mushroom packaging?

Instead of jumping into sustainable “solutions” for mass packaging production that have not been tried and tested on an appropriate scale, we believe in talking about—and prioritizing—solutions that are proven to deliver the intended benefits.

We do not intend to criticize IKEA’s decision to transition to mushroom packaging. We believe mushroom packaging is a step in the right direction. We’d actually like to commend and celebrate IKEA’s work in the world of sustainable packaging. After all, they’ve reduced their packaging volume by 50% over the last few years, and we believe that deserves to be a spotlight story and point of aspiration for those who view IKEA as a role model in the realm of sustainability.

As always, we believe that packaging requires a very individualized approach. While mushroom packaging could be an acceptable solution in an ideal world, we want everyone to be wary of using it as an excuse to follow big names like IKEA—instead of analyzing and discovering alternative solutions that might work better for your company and its consumers.

The post Is Mushroom Packaging The Answer? appeared first on GPA Global.

Customers continue to demand the best from watchmakers, with personalization and craftsmanship as critical components of superior luxury watch packaging designs. But, as the market evolves, the secrets to designing the right packaging solutions within this industry are evolving alongside them.

We’ve researched the demands of younger demographics, who increasingly expect custom sustainable packaging and greener initiatives from their premium brands. To further assist companies in finding the best luxury brand packaging, we’re also going to cover the logistics behind the sector, with a mind to protect premium watches throughout their entire product journey.

Presentation and Personalization in Luxury Brand Packaging for Premium Watches

The first thing luxury watch manufacturers usually think about when it comes to their particular form of jewelry packaging is how the end-user will perceive this packaging. This is because, at least in certain respects, many buyer demands within this industry are the same as they’ve always been; luxury watches continue to represent high-end, statement pieces.

For some, they’re seen as investment opportunities in their own small economy or prized collector’s items, but for others, buying a luxury watch is a once-in-a-lifetime purchasing moment and a product they’ll use for decades. Luxury brand packaging in the wristwatch industry must therefore project the exclusive, intricate nature of the products they’re encasing, with customer experience at the forefront.

Presentation boxes represent the final stage of a buyer’s journey with luxury watch purchases and need to be used to romanticize the occasion of unboxing. For collectors and regular buyers, these boxes also have a secondary use as keepsakes and are often treasured alongside their contents for an extended period of time. Because of this secondary use, companies need to be able to express the uniqueness of their brand through these boxes. Creative approaches to packaging design can achieve this, such as by mirroring certain aspects of watch designs through packaging or being able to provide personalized messages or engravings where requested.

Many brands in the industry are already considering these areas when designing their luxury brand packaging. However, new customer research continues to emphasize an unexpected move away from this ‘exclusive’ feel and more towards an inclusive, ultimately greener buyer’s journey.

Luxury Now Means Sustainability in the Watch Industry

Younger buyers no longer just want to feel a part of an exclusive club when buying luxury watches, instead, they’re also hoping to invest in premium products provided by companies that are visibly purposeful, and who share their values.

The move towards operating within a more circular economy has already been adopted by many luxury watchmakers worldwide, from designing entirely recyclable products and launching watches made from upcycled waste to embracing a more sustainable supply chain. A recent study by Deloitte further confirms this, as 72% of Swiss watchmakers reported increased investments in sustainability throughout 2021 to meet shifting customer demands.

This change shouldn’t just be reflected in product designs, but also via more eco-friendly packaging. There are several ways this can be achieved, with a core approach being to embrace alternative, biodegradable materials in luxury brand packaging designs.

Companies should also be looking to avoid overpackaging watches with unnecessary wrapping or containers. Today, it’s entirely possible to meet the sustainability demands of customers whilst also producing luxury brand packaging that exudes quality, as our team at GPA proved recently in the luxury cosmetics market.

But for luxury watches, or any form of jewelry packaging to be truly sustainable, companies also need to be assessing their entire supply and logistics chains.

Fine-tuning Logistics to Improve Premium Watch Packaging

Watches aren’t shipped from factories to distribution centers in their presentation boxes, but this more behind-the-scenes aspect of watch packaging needs just as much attention if companies are hoping to improve their operations and reduce their overall scope 3 emissions.

Bulk packaging in the luxury watch industry must also be sustainable and made from reusable eco-friendly packaging, whilst also conveying brand identity.

Providing a superior customer experience with a luxury product today means considering not just the entire buyer’s journey, but also the journey taken by the products themselves before the purchasing process even begins. Companies should therefore also be looking towards additional logistical solutions like nearshoring, which can reduce emissions whilst furthering the move towards a more circular supply chain.

Work With GPA Global to Secure Your Luxury Brand Packaging

At GPA Global, we have an extensive track record of providing sustainable, luxury brand packaging for companies in a wide variety of industries.

We’re able to produce both bulk packaging and high-end presentation boxes for the luxury watch market, whilst also assisting companies with their logistics to create a superior, more sustainable packaging supply chain.

If you’d like to find out more about how we can improve your luxury brand packaging or provide custom sustainable packaging for your watches, please make sure to contact us directly.

The post How to Craft the Perfect Luxury Watch Packaging appeared first on GPA Global.

It’s not hard to admit that there’s something that just feels good about a piece of packaging that says “This box is 100% compostable.” But what exactly does that mean? Is compostable packaging actually a viable solution to our waste problem, or does it do more greenwashing than good?

Compostable Packaging In Theory

In theory, this packaging sounds like a great solution. A box that will decompose and return to the soil as nourishment? If it’s really that simple, sign us up.

Like most things in the packaging world, it’s not that simple.

For compostable packaging to properly decompose, it must be handled in one of two very specific ways.

1. Industrial Composting: The majority of compostable packaging must be handled by an industrial composting facility since the facilities generate higher temperatures than at-home composts and have larger compost heaps with more diverse microorganisms to promote decomposition.
2. Home Composting: Only very specific types of compostable packaging can fully decompose in a home compost, such as cardboard, compostable mailers, and some bioplastic mailers. These items typically sport a “home compostable” label. Note that home composts must exist under the perfect conditions for proper decomposition to take place. These conditions include high temperatures, compost-friendly materials, and plenty of microorganisms to aid the process.

In an ideal world, after you ship your products in compostable packaging…

• Consumers would follow one of the two methods above.
• All industrial composting facilities could handle the volume of packaging they receive.
• The items would decompose as anticipated in an at-home composter.
• The packaging would return to the soil in a matter of months.

But in reality, that’s just not the case.

Compostable Packaging In Reality

Industrial Composting in Reality

It’s clear that industrial facilities play a key role in the success of compostable packaging. However, not all cities have industrial composting facilities, and the facilities that do exist often refuse packaging.

Why do most facilities refuse packaging that decomposes? Well, they prefer to prioritize food and yard waste, as it’s much faster to decompose. The food and yard waste is typically ready to be resold to farmers as compost within 90-130 days, allowing the composting facility to turn a quick profit.

Compostable packaging, on the other hand, can take up to six months to decompose in an industrial facility. These composting sites are hesitant to mix packaging with food & yard scraps since they have different decomposition timelines. When the food waste is ready to be sold as compost, the packaging waste must be filtered out and recirculated through the composter. For many facilities, this isn’t worth the trouble, so the packaging ends up in a landfill.

Not to mention, even if a commercial facility does accept it, many of the bioplastics look a lot like regular plastic. It’s common for sorters to mistake them for trash and send them to a landfill regardless. In a landfill, the conditions aren’t right for healthy decomposition, so the compostable packaging ends up lingering and creating similar problems as their fossil-fuel-based counterparts.

At-Home Composting in Reality

When it comes to at-home composting, there’s plenty of room for error. For example, if the home is experiencing lower-than-average temperatures or the compost heap is simply not thriving, the compostable packaging may not decompose as expected.

It’s also suspected that many compostable packaging items do not decompose in the suggested time frame, even under the right conditions. An ongoing investigation at UCL called the Big Compost Experiment measures the success of at-home composting by asking the public to directly report their results, finding the following:

What Can We All Do?

We don’t intend for this article to exist as an argument against compostable packaging. Rather, we hope it serves as a discussion starter about which packaging solutions are most realistic and effective at this point in time—and flexible enough to adapt to the times. To help facilitate the discussion about what we can do to improve the compostable packaging landscape, we’ve outlined some important points below. We encourage you to start with these, as we do the same.

• Face the facts. As both producers and consumers of sustainable packaging, we cannot blindly accept compostable packaging as an effective solution. We must face the facts to make empowered decisions about what packaging actually makes sense. The fact is, food is easily compostable and widely accepted by industrial composting facilities. Yet only about 6% of food waste is actually composted in the US. How can we expect to see better numbers for compostable packaging when only a small percentage of industrial composting facilities actually accept this type of organic material?
• Increase education and awareness. Not only should we increase public awareness about the realities of compostable packaging, we can all do our part to educate the world on the different types of this packaging, their associated disposal methods, and how to find their local composting facilities. Check out this ultimate guide for a jump start on all of these things.
• Advocate for robust composting infrastructure. You can get started by checking out the resources provided by agencies like the US Composting Council, European Compost Network, and International Compost Alliance.
• Use compostable packaging in specific situations. For products that require packaging that’s not easily reusable or recyclable (think chip bags, fruit stickers, and sauce sachets), compostable packaging may be the best fit for a circular economy—especially if these compostable packaging solutions contribute to soil regeneration and healthier food systems. Streamlined sceneries are also ideal applications—consider a large event where compostable packaging and food scraps can be thrown into a single bin without contaminating the waste stream. On top of this, companies that can supply and collect this packaging have a better chance of success.
• Make waste reduction the collective priority. Together, we can place the focus on waste reduction to move the world closer to a circular economy. As in most cases, prevention is better than diagnosing and treating.

At GPA Global, we’re committed to providing tailored packaging solutions that minimize waste (and overall environmental impact) from the start. Our designers, engineers, craftsmen, and logistical specialists work with you every step of the way to deliver a bespoke solution that makes the most sense for your brand, the planet, and its people. Whether that’s compostable packaging, recyclable packaging, or a unique combination—you can be sure our packaging solutions consider the product’s entire lifecycle, avoid unintended negative impacts, and utilize methods and materials that are backed by data.

The post Breaking Down Compostable Packaging appeared first on GPA Global.

As if that wasn’t enough, sustainability requirements add another layer of complexity to these problems. Customers continue to demand more from the brands they buy from, with sustainable packaging beginning to overtake both function and innovation as the leading concern for buyers. But how can companies overcome the above concerns while ensuring they’re not compromising on sustainability?

To help, we’ve collated direct consumer data to prove how vital eco-friendly packaging for electronics is. We’ll also cover how sustainable changes can be utilized alongside other strategies to combat some of the many industry-wide challenges companies face right now.

How Strong is the Consumer Demand for Sustainability in Packaging for Electronics?

In addition to the vital contributions sustainable packaging can make toward a greener future, the ongoing global demand for more eco-friendly packaging solutions is supported by direct customer research.

Customers are shifting their spending patterns toward companies that can evidence their green credentials. Since packaging for electronics is often the first significant touchpoint in the consumer experience, particularly for online buyers, these products must be able to use their packaging to convey their sustainability alongside their brand. That includes low-volume and high-volume electronics, from wearables and headphones to gaming peripherals.

However, sustainability can often be at odds with budgets and current operations. Consumer electronics companies today are also required to navigate significant sector-wide concerns that can compromise plans to adopt sustainable packaging.

Price Rises in the Consumer Electronics Market: Leverage Consumer Data

As with several other sectors today, price rises for essential components, as well as energy and fuel, mean the consumer electronics market is forced to operate in an increasingly volatile financial climate.

When considering more eco-friendly packaging for electronics products, decision-makers should use the data available to them. By leveraging consumer data, packaging solutions can be modified to meet the strongest current customer requests, meaning the expense of adopting sustainable approaches goes entirely towards packaging changes with a proven impact on buying patterns.

While a similarly large proportion of consumers review whether the packaging has been made of recyclable materials, by focusing spending on recyclable packaging with a design that can be easily taken apart, companies can better apply their budget to embrace a proven sustainable packaging model with clear impacts.

Material and Labor Shortages: Consider Container Reductions

Consumer electronics products are often constructed from various components, so material costs and shortages significantly impact the entire sector. Similarly, talented and experienced employees must prepare, distribute and market these products effectively to end users.

These concerns, such as the ongoing chip shortage, impact product manufacturing processes. But taking a reductionist approach to packaging solutions can be a reliable way for companies to combat some of the costs incurred by these shortages. By reducing the number of containers used in their packaging for electronics, companies can lessen the number of packaging materials used, thereby becoming more cost-effective and more sustainable.

It’s important to note that reducing containers doesn’t mean simplifying consumer electronics packaging entirely. E-commerce trends are driving more protective and individually customized packaging solutions and more complex designs that can enhance a company’s overall brand experience. Therefore, consumer electronics companies should reduce containers to tackle price rises and shortages while also considering ways of innovating their packaging designs.

Moving Goods is Difficult in Today’s Geopolitical Climate: Adopt a Hybrid Supply Chain to Meet Unexpected Demands

Tariffs, coronavirus complications, and other significant supply chain concerns continue to impact consumer electronics businesses, many of whom manufacture and assemble products in Asia before distributing them worldwide. Decision makers today should be thinking about scope 3 emissions alongside other sustainability measures, and one way to reduce these impacts can be through adopting a hybrid supply chain where production is handled in-country.

Manufacturing locally can help reduce the overall emissions of operations while enabling companies to be more responsive to adjustments like new product introductions or unexpected demand changes. This approach can also ensure companies are hit with fewer tariffs for moving goods. To help accomplish this with our packaging solutions, GPA operates three super-sites in North America, Asia, and Europe, where we source and transport packaging materials locally to reduce environmental impacts. You can find out more about this in our latest Sustainability Report.

Work with GPA to Ensure Your Consumer Electronics Packaging Meets Current Consumer Demands

These are just some of the many ways moving towards more sustainable packaging in the consumer electronics industry can help businesses navigate sector-wide problems that are primarily outside their control.

GPA Global has a track record of providing successful, sustainable packaging for electronics companies worldwide. We’ve designed innovative packaging for headphones, watches, wearables, baby monitors, and more, many of which you can review on our electronics portfolio. Our recent success stories also include reducing landfill potential by 35% and greenhouse gas emissions by 33% for one of our global clients.

Or, if you’d like to find out more about our specific packaging solutions for consumer electronics, you can contact our team here.

The post Challenges Facing Consumer Electronics Brands appeared first on GPA Global.

Every product (in our case, every piece of packaging) follows a unique journey, passing through various phases that craft its sustainability story.

These questions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding an object’s overall environmental impact. It requires getting extremely granular—you can’t just simply ask these questions, you have to quantify them, too.

Sure, it sounds daunting, but that’s what we’re here to help you with.

We have systems in place that allow you to assess your products’ current impacts, compare new sustainable packaging options, and uncover and avoid any unintended consequences down the road.

How do we do it? We utilize a trusty method known as the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

What is a Life Cycle Assessment?

Simply put, a Life Cycle Assessment is a method of measuring the environmental impact one object (in our case, one piece of packaging) has on the world around it.

It’s our attempt to understand the whole story, providing us with key metrics and indicators that allow us to evaluate and improve the sustainability of our packaging solutions. A packaging life Cycle Assessment can also highlight potential problem areas to ensure our sustainability efforts are actually producing the intended outcome.

What stages does an LCA consider? The answer is all stages, which we’ve broken down below.

1. Raw Material Extraction
2. Manufacturing Processes
3. Transportation Methods
4. Usage and Retail
5. End-of-Life Operations

In most cases, we call this a cradle-to-grave analysis, as it follows the product from its inception (sourcing of raw materials) to its disposal (landfill, recycling facility, etc.).

In an effort to move towards a circular economy, we also utilize a cradle-to-cradle analysis. This method aims to close the loop—intentionally utilizing reusable and recyclable materials to ensure sustainable packaging solutions remain in use. In other words, the product’s end-of-life becomes its inception, eliminating disposal altogether.

It’s also important to note that the LCA process follows a standardized methodology regulated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It consists of four phases.

1. Goal and Scope Definition: What do we want to analyze, and how deep?
2. Life Cycle Inventory Analysis: This is the data collection phase.
3. Impact Assessment: How far do the impacts reach?
4. Interpretation: This is where we provide the most reliable conclusions and recommendations.

This standardized approach allows us to compare apples to apples—or rather, boxes to boxes.

What do we measure in a Life Cycle Assessment, and how?

Because we’re measuring the environmental impact of each piece of our sustainable packaging, we focus on the following metrics throughout every stage of the product’s lifecycle.

1. Greenhouse gas emissions
2. Fossil fuel consumption
3. Water usage

It’s important to note that reducing the size and weight of the packaging is by far the most effective way to reduce the overall environmental impact, so this is always the first place we start. We can then evaluate material selection, transportation, and manufacturing processes (in that order) to suggest additional improvements.

Why does it matter?

While it’s true that your overall sustainability goals are macro company-wide goals, it takes micro-level data and analysis to achieve them.

LCAs are crucial in helping you (and, in turn, us) evaluate and reduce your overall environmental impact. If you’ve set carbon, water, and energy consumption targets—the quantifiable, granular data gathered in our LCAs can help you achieve said targets.

We can perform a packaging life cycle assessment on several unique options to compare the possibilities. For one of our clients, we used LCAs to compare their original packaging to two new options, lending the following compelling results. In the sustainable packaging space, it’s common to hear people “talk the talk” instead of seeing them “walk the walk.” Having these numbers on paper allows you to legitimize your sustainability claims, work towards your sustainability goals, and uncover even more opportunities for improvement down the road.

Not to mention, these metrics can be transformed into relatable messaging about your brand’s commitment to sustainability. For example, it feels great to say that your new sustainable packaging saves 300 acres of forests and 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water. It feels even better having the data to prove it.

The post Why We Care About Life Cycle Assessment appeared first on GPA Global.

The reality is that we all see the world differently – color is no exception.

When was the last time garish packaging turned you off a product? Or when the ubiquitous red of a Coca-Cola can gave you that visceral urge to take an ice-cold sip. Color dictates our buying habits all the time – and we almost never realise it.

According to one research piece[1], consumers will make a subconscious judgment about a product within 90 seconds of initially seeing it, and as much as 90% of that assessment is based on color alone. So, getting it right is key.

But color management isn’t a straightforward process. For Jamie Toms, our Managing Director in Europe, establishing clarity on color further upstream is essential. “Color should be both predictable and demonstrable early in the development cycle. This will empower brand owners to make the right material choices for their brand color.”

Variations in color amongst large packaging runs can be a major issue when those products are sitting next to each other on the shelf – potentially muddying your brand’s reputation.

How do we get it right?

“In the past, color management was a different game. When we used to work directly with artists such as Pink Floyd, it was protocol for the band to come to our factory themselves and approve the color sheet for their album cover artwork. Following that, we would then use the sample as a template for all future copies. The issue with that is over time samples fade, so you’re aiming at a target that’s moving further away by the day.”

Today, things have moved on from clients having to fly halfway across the globe to approve colors on the press – and thankfully the process has become far less time-consuming and less impactful on the environment. “Modern standards such as ISO 126747-2: 2013 have helped. We were one of the first in Europe implement it” says Jamie “and the first to become ISO certified in both Digital Proofing and Printing.

Jamie explains: “Our processes mean we can take a target color, measure it, and create a numerical value for that color. When that color is then printed either digitally or on a print output device, this numerical value can be used to measure and agree what acceptable and achievable variances are.Color management doesn’t end with the colour management team and in-house creative teams can’t be expected to hold responsibility here. It’s about having a partner who knows the pitfalls to be avoided and who will guide all the stakeholders through the process.

In an age where maintaining brand reputation is everything, it’s imperative that your packaging reflects your product and your brand – and understanding achievable colour expectations plays a major role.

Connect with Jamie on Linkedin or email him on jamie.t@gpaglobal.net if you enjoyed this article and want to get more background on managing colour.

[1] https://www.colorcom.com/research/why-color-matters

The post Color Consistency in Packaging appeared first on GPA Global.

At GPA Global, we take sustainability seriously. Since 2007, we have been pioneering innovative global packaging solutions that work for both people and planet, with the environment always being our top priority.

That is why we are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded the Valpak Packaging Certificate!

What’s Valpak Packaging Certificate?

The Valpak Packaging Compliance Scheme is the largest of its kind in the UK, and ensures that companies who handle large amounts of packaging comply with UK Packaging Waste Regulations.

We are proud to say that throughout 2021, GPA Global has met these regulations, maintaining our commitment to the environment.

What are Packaging Waste Regulations?

Packaging Waste Regulations were first introduced to the UK in 1997, as the first piece of legislation aimed at producer responsibility. These rules were put in place to help relevant producers reduce the amount of packaging waste created, reduce the amount of packaging waste in landfills, and increase the volume of packaging waste which is recycled and recovered.

GPA Global Packaging Solutions

As registered members of Valpak, we at GPA Global, ensure that we take full responsibility for our environmental impact by paying for the recovery and recycling of the packaging waste we produce that enters the UK waste stream.

But that’s not all – ever mindful of the constant need for improvement when it comes to sustainability, we also pay for Valpak’s ‘Data Insights’ service.

This service allows the experts at Valpak to collate and analyze all of our packaging data, ensuring that we do not leave a stone unturned when it comes to maximizing our protection of the environment.

This data and our yearly submission were vigorously checked by Environmental Compliance Officers, before being sent along to the Environment Agency.

Our Planet. Our Business.

We believe that taking environmental responsibility shouldn’t just end at meeting government standards for packaging.

GPA Global was founded in 2007 by Adam Melton and Tom Wang in an attempt to combat the worrying amounts of toxic waste generated by the packaging industry worldwide.

We envisaged a greener, more sustainable future for packaging, which would still provide users with premium quality products. Since then, we have consistently been at the forefront of the industry, pioneering innovative packaging solutions which prioritize sustainability without sacrificing on style or functionality.

Whether through sourcing the most eco-friendly materials, exploring renewable energy options or localizing our supply chains, we are always seeking new ways to champion sustainability.

Sustainable Luxury Packaging

Our Eco-Logic range of luxury packaging combined cutting-edge material science with our more traditional skill sets, resulting in a gorgeous line of completely biodegradable packaging. The use of molded pulp, soy-based inks, water-based glue and recyclable foils mean that the range’s eco credentials are second to none, while the elegant designs perfectly illustrate the fact that sustainable packaging solutions can also be sleek and stylish.

In 2021 we launched our Incept Sustainability training initiative, an innovative system which aimed to equip our staff with sustainability knowledge and training, while also surveying their opinions and queries.

We’ve been able to pinpoint areas where more attention is required, which has increased our ability to produce more eco friendly innovations as a result of a two-way dialogue.

We are determined to strike the perfect balance between people and planet, minimizing our impact on the environment while providing high quality products for consumers and funding community wellbeing.

And all that’s just for starters: you can find out more about our environmental targets here.

Sustainable Packaging & Innovations

As ever, sustainability remains the beating heart behind everything we do. We are thrilled to have received our Valpak Packaging Certificate for 2021, and you can bet that throughout 2022 we will continue to strive towards a greener, cleaner future for the packaging industry.

The post GPA Global awarded the Valpak Packaging Certificate 2021 appeared first on GPA Global.

Today, the average shopper is more likely to browse online from the comfort of their own home, which means – for companies big and small – carving out an online space has become the go-to method for generating revenue.

Myriad factors have contributed to the ubiquity of online shopping in the past two decades: access to faster internet and affordable devices, developments in online security and payment systems, and improved global supply chains to name just a few.

In more recent years, the spread of COVID-19 – which saw lockdowns taking place around the world – has been a significant factor. It’s thought that the pandemic contributed $219 billion to the US ecommerce market in 2020 and 2021.

As with any other market, eCommerce is one that needs to grow and adapt to changing times and in response to evolving consumer demands. One area where we’ve seen huge developments is in packaging – if you’re a business running an eCommerce site, read on to learn about some of the latest trends.

SIOC (“ships in own container”)

One of the biggest trends in eCommerce packaging right now is SIOC, pack formats that allow a product to be shipped in its own container.

These durable, specially designed packs enclose and seal around an item securely, ensuring security during transit. They remove the need for any tertiary packaging and are often slimline enough to be posted directly through a mailbox.

The benefits of this approach are far-reaching, as a pack that “ships in its own container” offers the following:

• No additional prep by the fulfilment company
• Less packaging
• Minimal damage and defects
• A more cost-effective process

With a SIOC pack, you can reduce warehouse space, shipping costs and packaging costs, and free up vital hours for your fulfilment staff. Another key benefit is an improved consumer experience – SIOC packs are lightweight and easy to handle, and mean there’s no more rooting around in oversized boxes to get to your product!

A SIOC pack can come in many different varieties offering a host of different applications.

At GPA Global, we’ve developed a wide range of SIOC formats including:

• RELF (roll end lock front)
• Clamshell
• Drawer
• Lid & base

We’ve developed these SIOC pack formats to suit the needs of all kinds of eCommerce products, including electronics and wines & spirits.

Sustainability & ecommerce packaging

Ask almost any brand right now and they’ll tell you their consumers are far more eco-conscious than they used to be – in one US consumer survey from 2020, 84% of respondents said they expected products and packages to be “easy to recycle and made with recycled content”.

While plenty of traditional eCommerce packaging materials are fit for recycling, there’s still a lot of waste that goes on when prepping products for fulfilment. If you’re looking to improve on sustainability when it comes to your eCommerce packaging, there are various approaches you can try.

SIOC (“ships in own container”) packaging is a great way to cut back on packaging materials, warehouse space and shipping costs. Another good format to work with is padded/flexible bag, as this offers huge savings on space and fuel.

You can also cut back on waste and pollution by experimenting with newly developed, eco-friendly materials, particularly those which are tailor-made for recycling or – better yet – fully biodegradable. Some new packaging materials even dissolve in water!

Here at GPA Global, we aim to work with materials that provide an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic products. Some of our favourites include:

• Molded pulp
• Crinkle paper shred
• Paper pad
• Corrugate
• Paper foam

One of our favourite innovations in recent years has been Eco-Logic, a range of biodegradable molded pulp containers specially designed to package luxury cosmetics items.

You can learn more by reading this article: A guide to sustainable packaging trends for 2022.

Custom inserts, SIOC packs & security during transit

Custom inserts can be added to ecommerce packs – and, in particular SIOC packs – to enhance security during transit. There have been countless innovations within this area in recent years, but the basic idea is to craft a fitment perfectly customized to the size of the product and ideally made from a sustainable material.

Inserts can be made from a variety of materials, including paperboard, layers of shaped corrugate, molded pulp and paper foam. The most eco-conscious brands will probably want to consider mono-material packs, in which the same material has been used for the exterior packaging and the insert, allowing for it to be disposed of within the same recycling stream.

Enhanced packaging design

Along with other technologies, print has advanced hugely in recent years, making sophisticated techniques accessible for companies of all sizes. Now, the average ecommerce site can afford to use print techniques to inject color, fun and flair into their packaging.

There may even be the potential to craft a secondary use for your pack, encouraging the end user to hold onto it for longer than they usually would. This is a great way to encourage brand loyalty from consumers who are troubled by the “throwaway” culture surrounding ecommerce packaging.

At GPA Global, we can provide simple, functional SIOC packaging with full color print and custom finishes on the interior. This gives our clients the opportunity to use otherwise “dead space” within their packs, helping to build a sense of their brand even before the consumer opens the product.

Digital packaging

“Digital packaging” is a catch-all term for e-commerce packaging that incorporates intelligent digital features such as printed electronics and QR codes. These kinds of features can be used to:

• Enhance security
• Enable easier fulfilment
• Improve product tracking

Perhaps the biggest benefit of digital packaging is that it can curate a superior user experience. Now that the average consumer has a smartphone in their pocket, digital packaging allows for enhanced interaction with the product, whether by scanning a QR code to access the product website or using augmented reality to bring a label to life.

Partner with GPA Global for custom ecommerce packaging

If you’re looking to enhance and streamline your brand’s ecommerce packaging, get in touch with GPA Global to find out what we can offer. We are a truly international business, with facilities, warehouses and offices across North America, Europe and East Asia, and we have expertise across every major sector.

Our sophisticated eCommerce packaging solutions are tailor-made to reduce costs, save time and space, and deliver an enhanced experience for the end user that will have them returning to your website time and time again.

Contact us today to learn more.

The post The latest trends in ecommerce packaging appeared first on GPA Global.

As the world opens up again, we are thrilled to announce that we have a very exciting event in our calendars: PCD 2022.

PCD (Packing of Perfumes, Cosmetics & Design), is one of three trade shows which will take place during Paris Packaging Week, alongside PLD (Packaging of Premium and Luxury Drinks) and ADF (Aerosol and Dispensing Forum). This exciting event provides the biggest brands in cosmetics and fragrance with the opportunity to discover new and innovative packaging solutions for their products, develop networks and business connections, and discuss the future of luxury packaging with experts in the field.

Our team will be in attendance at the event, which will take place at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles on the 29th and 30th June. If you are planning to attend, be sure to come and visit us at stand E64.

We will be exhibiting examples from a variety of our cosmetic ranges, such as our stylish collaboration with fashion label Kith. For this we created a statement branded make-up case, beautifully designed to house ‘The Generational Beauty Kit’ , an exclusive collection of iconic Esteé Lauder make-up products.

GPA has particular expertise in creating luxury packaging for cosmetic companies, as highlighted by our collaboration with popular beauty brand Bourjois. At the request of their parent company, Coty, we created a luxurious yet understated gift box which would house all 18 colors of the Bourjois Velvet Ink range. Gorgeously finished with a red design, gold embellishments and a jewelry-box feel, this product perfectly demonstrates our capabilities when it comes to creating chic and premium packaging.

We will also be showcasing our eco-logic range, a carefully designed collection of packaging which can boast true sustainability, without sacrificing on style.

At GPA, we are committed to creating environmentally friendly solutions which compliment the exquisite designs of our products, and have developed expertise in working with innovative new materials. The use of such materials, including moulded pulp, soybean ink and aluminum transfer papers, truly makes our eco-logic range the biodegradable luxury packaging of the future.

2022 has been a busy year for the GPA Global Team, and it just keeps getting better. We can’t wait for June – see you at stand E64!

The post We’re exhibiting at PCD Paris this June appeared first on GPA Global.

In the past few years, we’ve made huge steps forward with our sustainability mission – just recently, we launched Eco-Logic, a range of fully biodegradable luxury pack formats for the cosmetics sector.

Now, we’re proud to present another eco-friendly packaging innovation, this time from the laminate film experts at Nobelus. The new product in our offering is EcoElement CLS, a biodegradable film that ticks every box for functionality and sustainability. Read on to learn more.

What is EcoElement CLS?

EcoElement CLS is a bio-based thermal laminate film made with sustainably sourced wood pulp. Unlike traditional plastic films, EcoElement CLS is fully biodegradable and suitable for home composting.

Features:

• 1.4 Mil thickness
• Matte and gloss finishes
• Adheres to most substrates
• PEFC Certified wood pulp
• ISO 14001 Certified
• BPI Certified

What applications does EcoElement CLS have?

This sustainable laminate film can be used across a variety of packaging formats and styles, including:

• Folded carton
• Secondary cosmetics packaging
• Wines & spirits packaging
• Luxury packaging
• Electronics packaging
• Consumer goods packaging
• Flexible packaging

What GPA Global can offer

We know that for many of our clients, sustainability is a number one concern. That’s why we’ve partnered with Nobelus to become an official beta test site for this exciting new product.

Our team has been busy testing out the varied applications offered by EcoElement, and we’re now ready to make it available to our eco-conscious clients. This versatile laminate film is an excellent alternative to traditional plastic materials and can be used in countless ways, from wrapping card stock to creating window effects on pulp parts.

Whether you’re crafting a simple folding carton, a flexible pouch or a luxurious secondary pack, EcoElement is the material you’ve been waiting for.

To find out more, get in touch with the GPA Global team today.

The post Introducing EcoElement: the new eco-friendly film from Nobelus appeared first on GPA Global.

Here at GPA, we’re always looking for ways to operate more sustainably, and to help our clients achieve their sustainability goals. For our latest project, we’ve created a new range of biodegradable packaging made from molded pulp to demonstrate our capabilities within the luxury cosmetics sector.

This is Eco-Logic, from GPA Global.

Butterfly

The first pack in our range is Butterfly, a container box designed to store multiple cosmetics items.

We used wet-press technology to craft the moulded pulp insert for this telescoping pack. In brief, this means that we applied wet pulp to heated moulds, where it was pressed and dried, resulting in superior dimensional accuracy and an exceptionally smooth finish that evokes the look and feel of thermoformed plastic. Unlike thermoformed plastic, however, this material is 100% compostable.

We wrapped the exterior of our Butterfly pack in black paper, embellished with a pink and gold floral design. Further embellishments include gold foil piping around the edges of the lid and a pattern of spot UV butterflies, which continues onto the base of the pack.

All inks used on this pack are sustainably made from soybeans. Compared to traditional petroleum-based ink, soy-based ink is accepted as more environmentally friendly. The adhesives are all white glue, which is water-based, and all foils are recyclable.

Upon lifting the lid, the user is presented with the complex inner fitment, which is topped with a layer of gold card and can hold a variety of cosmetic products. On the inner face of the lid, we added aluminum transfer paper embellished with the same butterfly pattern as the exterior. Unlike regular silver cards, this transfer paper isn’t coated in a polypropylene film, which means it remains 100% biodegradable.

This eco-friendly cosmetics packaging is the ideal solution for gift sets, influencer kits, and limited-edition product launches.

Leaf

The second pack in our new range is Leaf. Based on a shoebox design that is similar to Butterfly, this elegant pack was crafted using the same wet-press moulded pulp technique and utilizes soy inks, water-based white glue, and recyclable foils.

We wrapped the exterior in FSC-certified paper printed with a stylish, modern botanical design, and once again added subtle embellishments with gold foil. The base of the box is grey with a subtle spot UV leaf pattern.

Inside we inserted the molded pulp fitment, which has been fashioned to hold a small selection of cosmetics products and topped with matte grey card. As with Butterfly, we added biodegradable aluminum transfer paper to the inner face of the lid.

This is another example of pulp packaging that has countless applications with cosmetics.

Peacock

Our third pack, Peacock, has a different style to the first two, although it is also been constructed from wet-press molded pulp and utilizes eco-friendly materials like water-based white glue and recyclable foils. We crafted this as a standing box with a hinged door that opens to reveal three fitments.

The most distinctive aspect of this pack – aside from the striking purple Peacock design on the front – is that it is coated in a deep blue, suede-like material delicately embossed with various patterns. We continued this material onto the interior of the pack, using it to coat the molded pulp fitments that hold the cosmetics.

This ingenious material was sourced from Winter & Company and is called Suedel® Luxe Recycled. Not only is it fully biodegradable, but it also offers an efficient solution to the problem of material wastage in cotton production. Winter & Company collects, cleans, and processes cotton waste before applying it to a recycled paper base, thereby helping to “close the loop”.

For luxury cosmetics brands seeking a heightened textural aspect for their packaging, this material is a fantastic option.

Get in touch with us to learn more

If you’re a brand in the luxury sector – whether you work within cosmetics, spirits, or jewellery – GPA  is here to help you bring your most ambitious briefs to life.

Our team has over two decades experience within the luxury sector and has bagged some of the biggest industry awards – including Luxury Supplier of the Year at the Luxury Packaging Awards.

If you have a project that requires our expertise, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

The post Eco-Logic: our range of luxury packaging with sustainability at the heart of the design appeared first on GPA Global.

California-based brand Heavy Hitters is celebrating its 25^th anniversary by releasing HVY Grand, the world’s first liquid trichome cannabis tincture. Promising a full-body high and flavor profile of legendary Acapulco Gold strain, it was important that the packaging had as much impact as the product itself.

HVY Grand is designed for the cannabis connoisseur, as such the packaging was designed to appeal to high-end tastes. The GPA Global packaging team was able to bring their unique experience and understanding of cannabis primary packaging and combine it with the expertise of years manufacturing spirits packaging for the world’s most famous spirits brands.

“Combining cannabis industry knowledge with GPA’s track record working with luxury brands in sectors including liquor and perfume, resulted in a knockout limited edition gift box for HVY Grand. The packaging sets a new benchmark in the marketing of high-end cannabis products.” Said Jesse Dixon, of GPA Cannabis

The GPA team worked hand-in-hand with the HVY team to elevate the packaging standard to meet the discerning customer’s expectations. With unboxing an essential part of the user experience, a tactile, black, soft-touch paper with UV print and laser foil was selected for the outer box. Fastened by magnets to keep the outer cover closed when standing on shelf, the box itself will be displayed long after the tincture has been finished.

The inside cover features some of Erik Christiansen (@EricNugshots)’s incredible magnified cannabis trichome imagery.

The elegant, 90 per cent opaque, super flint glass bottle sits securely in a custom cut-out. The dark glass was selected for both elegance and to reduce the impact of UV light on the tincture. The bottle is finished with a striking rainbow foil HVY logo. The child-resistant lid is custom silver-plated with an embossed logo.

A soda lime Rocks Glass in black transparent painting and a stainless-steel Jigger with matte black painted finish and laser-cut Heavy Hitters logo complete the set.

The set has been given a limited initial distribution in California and is expected to become a must-have for dedicated cannabis enthusiasts.

Contact us for more information about our cannabis packaging solutions.

The post GPA’s packaging is helping companies in the Cannabis market break the mould appeared first on GPA Global.

According to this report from Deloitte, respondents questioned about their consumer habits over the past 12 months reported the following:

• 61% had limited their use of single-use plastics
• 39% had reduced the number of new products and goods they were buying
• 34% were choosing to actively buy from brands with environmentally sustainable practices and values

Perhaps most notable is that 28% reported they had stopped buying from brands where there were concerns about ethics or commitment to sustainability.

This trend appears to be even stronger amongst younger demographics – in 2015, almost 75% of millennials stated that they’d be willing to spend more money on sustainable brands.

The takeaway? Brands across every sector need to start putting more time and resources into sustainability if they want to ensure that they’ll maintain a loyal customer base in the coming years.

Luckily, the technology surrounding eco-friendly materials has come a long way from its early days. Today, cosmetics brands – and particularly those in the luxury sector – have a vast array of options when it comes to sustainable materials, including moulded (or molded) pulp.

At GPA we view paper pulp as one of our core product offerings, alongside carton board and rigid box.  With production sites in the US and Asia – and a site in Europe to follow – we’re able to significantly improve your brand’s sustainability credentials by coordinating your global packaging requirements via our local supply bases. Read on to learn more.

What sustainability challenges does the cosmetics industry face?

Within the cosmetics industry, beauty products themselves can be an issue as many are made with polluting chemicals, or using ingredients or methods that are harmful to animals. However, a significant part of the problem is the packaging. The cosmetics industry alone is responsible for 120 billion units of packaging each year – a large proportion of which ends up in landfill due to complexities over recycling.

Cosmetics brands that want to reduce the impact they’re having on the environment should concentrate on finding ways to reduce the amount of, and the style of, the packaging they produce.

How can cosmetics brands improve their packaging?

Reduce packaging

The best way to reduce waste from packaging is to reduce packaging altogether. Many beauty brands have already begun leading the way on this – LUSH has even opened shops entirely free of packaging.

Of course, within cosmetics, it’s not always easy to cut back on packaging. Makeup containers tend to be small and self-contained, requiring airtight and watertight seals to ensure the product within isn’t compromised.

One option is to focus on reducing the secondary and tertiary packaging. Slimming and lightweighting a cardboard carton for lipstick may seem insignificant but these kinds of small changes add up over time, reducing transportation and storage costs and, in the process, creating less of an environmental impact.

Create refillable packs

An increasingly popular option for beauty brands is to create refillable packaging. Within the makeup sector this might involve lipstick tubes and eyeshadow palettes that can be refilled with a new insert – usually for much less money than a replacement would cost.

Many luxury cosmetics brands are leading the way on this front, including Estée Lauder, Dior, Charlotte Tilbury, Kjaer Weiss, M.A.C. and Guerlain.

Make recycling easier

Recycling cosmetics packs has always been notoriously difficult. Bottles, tubes and tubs are often made from multiple plastics and can contain complex components like pumps, which are difficult or even impossible to recycle. Mascara wands, lipstick tubes and eyeshadow palettes can be even more tricky to dispose of in an environmentally friendly way.

The good news is, recycling schemes dedicated to cosmetics waste are starting to crop up around the UK and the rest of the world. Many big cosmetics brands have partnered with TerraCycle, a scheme that allows consumers to recycle their makeup waste – either by dropping it off at an in-store recycling station, or sending it away in a prepaid box.

Cut back on plastics

Most cosmetics products come packaged in some form of plastic, whether it’s a bottle, tube, lid, cap or film. While not all plastics are equally polluting (some can be very efficiently recycled), cosmetics brands should be looking for ways to step away from virgin plastic usage wherever possible.

Some brands are finding inventive ways to revitalise their approach to plastic. REN released a range of bottles made from 80% recycled plastic and 20% recovered ocean plastics. Others are turning to plastic alternatives such as moulded pulp.

What is moulded pulp?

Moulded (or molded) pulp is a highly sustainable packaging material that is made from renewable and biodegradable resources like recycled paper. Depending on the raw materials used, the moulded pulp will have a different colour, surface texture, strength and overall finish.

There are multiple applications for moulded pulp, as it can be shaped and finished in a variety of ways, making it a good option for brands in the luxury sector.

For environmentally-conscious consumers, moulded pulp has far greater appeal than plastics.

How is moulded pulp made?

Moulded pulp is made by blending water with recycled paper or natural fibres. Together, these substances form a slurry which can be easily formed with custom tools that bind the fibres together into the desired shape. The next stage is pressing and drying.

Dry press involves taking the product directly to a heater or air drying it to remove moisture, then pressing it into shape.

Semi-wet press involves putting the product through a drier then through a hot press transfer moulding process – this helps achieve a smoother surface.

Wet press enables the smoothest and most refined finish, comparable to plastic. The product is taken through a thermoforming process during which it is dried and smoothed in a mould.

Finally, any protruding edges are trimmed and recycled back into the pulp, along with any other waste materials.

Why is moulded pulp sustainable?

Moulded pulp is 100% recyclable and can be made from fully recycled materials, or – depending on requirements – a mixture of recycled and virgin materials. At GPA, we make sure the pulp we manufacture ticks the following boxes:

• Fully compostable and biodegradable
• Zero waste as scrap can be re-pulped in the slurry
• Uses renewable “tree-free” resources which have a quick harvest turn-around and a short grow time

We use a few different sustainable materials to make our moulded pulp, including:

• Bagasse, fibrous waste from sugarcane or sorghum plants after they have been juiced to create other products
• Shredded bamboo, which has fibres similar in strength and length to softwood
• Wheat straw, the stalk of the wheat plant left over after the grains have been removed
• Newsprint (ONP)
• Corrugated cardboard (OCC)
• Paper

Which packaging formats can be made with moulded pulp?

The beauty of moulded pulp is that it can be adapted to a variety of packaging formats. For cosmetics brands, it can be an excellent material for the following:

• Interior cushioning
• Liner trays
• Exterior/secondary packaging

What colours and finishes are available with moulded pulp?*

For cosmetics brands, and particularly those in the luxury sector, there may be some concern about the appearance of moulded pulp. Traditionally, it has had a rough, brown, “natural” appearance which lends itself well to tertiary packaging or food products, but not to high-end and high-value items.

However, the technology surrounding moulded pulp has advanced hugely in recent years, meaning that clients now have a wide range of options when it comes to the colour, texture and finish of their moulded pulp product.

At GPA we offer a wide range of options, ensuring that our clients get the look and feel they want from their product every time.

Thermoforming for a “plastic smooth” finish

Our thermoforming wet press technology offers an incredibly refined finish resembling plastic. This style is well suited to secondary packs such as cartons and cases.

Different fibres for different finishes

We can achieve a variety of finishes with moulded pulp, simply by changing the mix of raw materials. Some of the smoothest finishes can be achieved with bagasse and bamboo, or a combination of the two. For a less refined, more “recycled” look, 100% OCC (corrugated cardboard) is a good option.

Colour options

Moulded pulp can be colour-matched to any Pantone shade, ensuring your packaging aligns perfectly with your branding and product.

Varied coatings

The final finish on your moulded pulp can range from natural – unbleached grey or brown – through to an oil-based coating that looks and feels like plastic.

We also offer:

• Soft-touch coating for a matte finish
• Spray-on coating for a semi-gloss finish
• Film laminate for water resistance
• Textured paper laminate
• Wood grain laminate
• Flocking for a velvety finish

Embellishments

We can add a variety of embellishments to your moulded pulp product, including:

• Emboss/deboss
• Silk screen printing
• Hot foil stamping

*Although at GPA we are constantly searching for sustainable coating options, some of the above may affect the recyclability of the pack.

Partner with GPA Luxury to meet your sustainable luxury needs

If you’re a cosmetics brand looking for ways to improve on sustainability, a partnership with GPA Luxury could help. Having worked with some of the most high-profile cosmetics and spirits brands in the world for the past twenty years, our expertise within the luxury sector is unparalleled.

With the support and international reach of our parent company GPA Global, we’re able to offer a fantastically advanced level of technological capability, as well as a firm commitment to sustainable ideals.

We can provide cutting-edge moulded pulp packaging, as well as a variety of other sustainable pack formats and materials – and we’re proud to say that there are further exciting innovations and developments on the way. Take a look at our sustainable cosmetic packaging from GPA Global.

The post Is moulded pulp the answer? appeared first on GPA Global.

Here at GPA Luxury, we have a long history of working with Irish Distillers brands – and in particular brands like Redbreast, which are the focus of this new video series, Grain to Glass. Each episode examines a different aspect of the whiskey manufacturing process – from farming right through to sustainable luxury packaging – putting specific focus on sustainability.

In Irish Distillers own words, “the story of our whiskeys is one of craft, care, excellence and a respect for the world around us”.

In our episode, Linda talks through the GPA approach to crafting premium packaging without compromising on sustainable ideals. As she explains, luxury packaging for whiskey was once all about the elaborate details – but now the discerning consumer is more interested in whether it ticks those all-important boxes for eco-friendliness.

As Linda explains in the video, we’ve adapted our approach to meet this new demand and “the techniques we employ, whether it’s using cutting-edge paper technology or ethically-sourced wood, have already had a huge impact on our sustainability journey, helping reduce plastic use and protect our forests.”

Watch the video for the full story – and don’t forget to share on social media!

The post Our bespoke, luxury packaging is the perfect fit for Irish Distillers premium whisky appeared first on GPA Global.

Even within healthcare, we’ve seen a huge shift towards the digital – a trend made possible by the greater availability of fast, reliable broadband, and precipitated by the unique challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

Today, healthcare providers are able to capitalize on this trend with at-home medical tests that can be ordered online, delivered directly to the consumer, and processed in a lab space, all without the need for face-to-face interaction.

A growing home medical test kits market

The coronavirus pandemic has introduced a new market for healthcare & pharmaceutical companies incorporating masks, hand sanitizers, and – most significantly – at-home tests. Current forecasts predict that the COVID-19 sample collection kits market alone will reach $16.56 billion by 2028.

We’ll also continue to see growth within the blood testing market, which was valued at $73.9 billion in 2020 and is set to expand at a fast rate within the next seven years. Overall, the infectious disease diagnostic market looks set to balloon to a worth of over $40 billion by 2027.

But it’s not just healthcare services that can profit – companies that specialize in genealogy products are also enjoying healthy expansion, and have already been valued at over $12 billion.

Supply chain delays

If you’re a company that specializes in at home test kits, you may have encountered delays in the supply chain – recently, the CDC warned of shortages of rapid COVID-19 tests. The reason for this is simple: demand for reliable at-home test kits for COVID-19 has exploded, leaving manufacturers with a backlog of orders they simply don’t have the time or resources to fill.

The good news is, other manufacturers are stepping in to fill the gap. Here at GPA Global, we have begun designing and manufacturing our own range of collection devices for medical test kits, which have been carefully developed and rigorously tested to ensure suitability across every relevant sector and application.

If you’re a company working with home test kits – whether for COVID-19, STDs or genealogy mapping – you could benefit from our comprehensive service.

GPA Global’s turnkey manufacturing solutions for medical devices

Our team brings decades of combined expertise within the packaging sector to the new challenge of manufacturing legally compliant, industry-certified collection devices. We understand the complexities of producing kit and devices within the healthcare & pharmaceuticals sector, and can guarantee compliance with all regulations.

Beyond manufacturing, our standard offering also incorporates the design and production of packaging materials and documentation, as well as global logistics. With sophisticated production sites around the globe, we’re able to offer regional supply chain solutions, reducing costs – both financial and environmental – for brands situated in Asia and North America.

What’s included in our home medical test kits

Engineering of collection devices

Our approach to the engineering of our collection devices is methodical and comprehensive. We begin by addressing regulatory aspects, to ensure that the product is fully compliant with local legislation.

The next step is design. What are the needs of this particular client? How should the device perform and how do we make it easy and safe for the end user? With a product brief finalized, we use rigorous testing and risk management techniques to ensure that the collection kit checks the boxes for functionality, usability and reliability and that any potential problems are safely mitigated.

Injection molding techniques

We use advanced injection molding techniques to manufacture our medical-grade collection kits and devices. Within healthcare & pharmaceuticals, injection molding is a highly effective approach, as it offers the following:

• Cost-efficiency
• High level of accuracy
• Durability
• Resistance to contamination

Once manufactured, our devices are sterilized to ensure safety and efficacy.

Stabilization fluid

An essential component of collection devices for at-home blood or saliva tests is stabilization fluid. We manufacture the stabilization fluid, and carry out the process of injecting it into the collection device, which is then securely sealed.

Design and production of packaging materials and documentation

When it comes to at-home medical test kits, the packaging and documentation are just as important as the device itself. This is because home test kits rely on two things:

1. Correct collection of the sample
2. Safe delivery to the lab environment

We print instruction booklets and other accompanying material to aid the end user in collecting their sample correctly and safely. We also print additional inserts that allow the user to package up and post their sample without risking contamination, leakage or breakage.

Some of the packaging and documentation materials we can supply include:

• Bio bags to hold the sample
• Return mailer boxes to post the sample back
• Stickers for sample bottles
• Postage labels
• Absorbent pads

Serialization

Serialization is the process of assigning a unique number to a product which corresponds to information about its origin, batch number and expiration date.

Within healthcare & pharmaceuticals, serialization is the best way to guard against counterfeiting. It’s also an essential practice when manufacturing at-home medical test kits, as it allows each individual test to be traced.

This is an aspect of our collection of devices that we take very seriously, always ensuring it is part of our turnkey offering.

ISO 14385 and FDA approval

All our medical collection devices meet the International Standard for Quality Management Systems for Medical Devices, as set out in ISO 13485:2016. We also ensure that all our devices are approved and authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when they are being manufactured and distributed within the United States.

Kitting and fulfilment

The final part of the process is kitting and fulfilment globally. Our team will assemble the varied components of your testing kit and distribute it wherever it needs to be.

Case studies

Client 1

We produced a saliva collection kit to enable DNA testing for a leading genealogy websites. In addition to the saliva collection device and stabilization fluid, we also manufactured the following:

• Winged kit box
• Kit box tray and claim code label
• Blister pack sub-assembly
• Return mailer box and label
• Bio bag
• Absorbent pad
• IFU and IFU activation code label

Client 2

We produced a saliva collection kit to test for COVID-19 for a patient-centric genomics company that is based in California. The SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test kits we manufactured are authorized by the FDA and allow for simple, painless and non-invasive sample collection, reducing the risk of mistakes by the end user.

Client 3

This client is a biotechnology company based in Georgia that specializes in developing innovative new methods for blood and plasma collection and testing. We manufactured a blood plasma collection kit, complete with a finger-prick device and secure pouch for sending the sample back to the lab.

Contact GPA Global today

If you’re a company working with any kind of at-home medical device, get in touch with the GPA Global team to find out about our healthcare packaging.

The post We’ve created game-changing collection devices for home medical tests appeared first on GPA Global.

We’re pleased to announce that we have just been awarded Best End-to-end Packaging Solutions Company USA for 2021.

Organized by Acquisition International, the Business Excellence Awards have been running for eight years and were set up to honor the hard work of companies of all sizes from across the globe. This year, the awards have specifically recognized companies that have shown “perseverance and determination” throughout the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

As always, we’re proud to have received recognition for our hard work, and we’d like to thank everyone in our North American team who has made 2021 such a success – in spite of the many hurdles! Keep an eye on our social media for more of these exciting updates.

Contact GPA Global if you would like to work with an award-winning packaging team!

The post We Won a Business Excellence – Acquisition International! appeared first on GPA Global.

From our early days, turnkey solutions have been at the heart of our offering – we don’t just manufacture your product, we design, engineer, test, manufacture, handle warehousing, and organize shipping to locations around the world.

GPA Global has a creative HQ in Shenzhen, China with over 400 professional staff as well as our US HQ in Bellevue, Washington.  We have manufacturing capabilities on both coasts able to offer packaging solutions and supply chain management based entirely within North America.

For US brands seeking a more cost-effective and sustainable approach to manufacturing and logistics, partnering with GPA Global is a game-changer.

What are supply chain solutions?
The supply chain is the chain of actions involved in bringing a product to market. It incorporates:

• Design, engineering, development
• Material science and a design for manufacturability
• Testing
• Manufacturing
• Storage of the product in a warehouse
• Distribution to the retail distribution center or direct to consumer

Most companies that offer supply chain solutions only specify in one or two points along the supply chain.  GPA is experienced across every aspect of the supply chain, and are well-equipped to take on the responsibility for overseeing all of these aspects, right until the product is delivered into the retail space and made available to the consumer.

For brand owners, outsourcing the management of their supply chain is a great way to keep a very lean overhead and focus on making the best possible product for the market, while outsourcing everything else to GPA.

What are the benefits of a regional supply chain?

According to McKinsey 2019, the typical consumer company’s supply chain creates much greater social and environmental costs than its own operations. Supply chain impacts account for more than 80% of greenhouse gas emissions and more than 90% of the impact on air, land, water, biodiversity and geological resources.

A local or a regional supply chain manufactures everything within the geographic region where the products are sold, or ships products in bulk (to reduce freight costs) into the geographic region to postpone the packaging process to the last mile specific to the retailer or on-line sales channel.

This postponement model helps reduce logistics costs, aids speed to market, reduces inventory exposure, lowers payment terms and frees up cash-flow, and is good for the environment as it drives down carbon emissions.  GPA is laser focused to help our clients build a more sustainable packaging supply chain and drive costs down.

Which regional supply chain solutions are offered by GPA Global in the US?

The GPA team offers a range of regional supply chain solutions to brands based in the United States. We manage and oversee transportation, design & manufacturing of the packaging, warehousing, and JIT pack-out & fulfilment. In short, we can oversee the entire development of your packaging supply chain.

What kinds of facilities does GPA Global run in the US?

We have multiple manufacturing facilities, offices and warehouses across the US and in Mexico, all of which have contributed to our expanding supply chain capabilities.

Across our facilities we can offer the following:

• Design, engineering, testing, prototyping
• Production across mixed materials
• Logistics support & value-add fulfillment

Our state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities include but not limited to:

• Offset & flexographic printing
• In-line foil transfer
• Liquid ink technologies
• Hot foil stamping
• Embossing & debossing
• Fluted corrugated litho lamination
• Die-cutting
• Windowing
• Gluing
• Plastic thermoforming
• Automation support

Our North American facilities have a particular specialism in folding carton packaging, however we’re equipped to offer a wide range of packaging styles, suited to every sector, from food and beverage through to electronics.

Chatsworth, California
This facility is based in the heart of Los Angeles and very close to the Long Beach port of entry, giving GPA a highly strategic location to service the West Coast.  We have the latest printing technology for folding cartons as well as commercial printing needs.

Mansfield, Massachusetts
GPA acquired the 103-year-old printing legacy HUB Folding Box factory in Mansfield, Massachusetts, just south of Boston. This 300,000-square-foot, 10-acre facility has operated as a family business for three generations, and now has the support of GPA Global as a parent company. It’s home to the latest in print technologies and folding carton equipment.

HUB boasts highly qualified service departments, including a creative studio, mechanical packaging and engineering, and custom tool making.

Las Vegas, Nevada
We are currently in the process of opening a brand new North American site, based in Las Vegas. This will be a state-of-the-art facility, specializing in two eco-friendly materials: wet and dry press paper pulp, and bio-resin. From here we’ll be able to manufacture a range of sustainable packs and packaging components, including trays, jars, bottles, bags, films and utensils.

What are the benefits of partnering with GPA Global?

Go green
GPA Global has made a commitment to cutting back on waste, pollution and emissions, and finding innovative new ways to manufacture exceptional packaging that pushes the industry forward for sustainability.

Our regional bases within North America and our comprehensive supply chain capabilities allow us to reduce the environmental costs traditionally associated with manufacturing and transporting materials.

Avoid shipping disruptions
In recent months, shipping disruptions have created huge problems for manufacturers who source raw materials and goods from China and other east Asian countries. A regional supply chain that operates within one area doesn’t have to factor in the potential delays associated with transporting goods across thousands of miles of ocean.

Keep costs down
Transportation costs can be sky-high when shipping overseas. By sourcing locally you can cut costs without cutting corners.

Sustainability is at the heart of GPA Global’s US supply chain solutions

Sustainability is central to our packaging solutions, which is why we’re always looking for ways to improve our eco-credentials. Providing a local supply chain and reducing transportation emissions is a key facet of our commitment to sustainability, however we consider all elements of the process, including space utilization, materials management and recyclability.

In the past few years we’ve partnered with big-name brands to manufacture innovative sustainable packaging along these lines.

Our recent work for Jameson Irish Whiskey and RAIN involved crafting mono-material packaging from recycled paper and soy inks – the resulting packs are not only highly functional, but incredibly easy to recycle.

New innovations from GPA Global

Exciting developments are currently in the pipeline at GPA Global. At our new facility in Nevada we’ll be taking our sustainability mission even further by manufacturing products from paper pulp and bio-resin. The ultimate aim is to cut back on – and even eliminate – the use of the plastics in our packaging.

Our paper pulp products are made from sustainable wood fibers, recycled fibers, and sugarcane and bamboo waste fibers, while our bio-resins are 100% compostable. And because we can add a variety of colors and finishes to these products, our clients can rest assured that there won’t be any loss of quality or aesthetic appeal.

Contact our team to learn more.

The post Our US regional supply chains are giving companies a practical and sustainable edge appeared first on GPA Global.

What is sustainable packaging?

For global brands, the hottest buzzword of the moment is “sustainability”. Regardless of what sector you work in, it’s likely that your recent strategy meetings have focused on how you can revamp your business processes to be more eco-friendly.

The post Keeping it green: understanding sustainable packaging and what goes into it appeared first on GPA Global.

You can look–and you can touch! The latest trend in the packaging world appeals to customers’ fingertip touch sense of touch rather than sight alone. A recent article on Packaging Word points out that while the visual appeal is important, it leaves the other four senses in the dark.

Despite marketers’ best creative efforts, options for developing original and enticing visual marketing strategies are dwindling. The top marketing teams in the industry are refreshing their strategy by using packaging that invites touch.

Touchable packaging helps your customers have a positive emotional reaction to your product. In order to gather information about the world around them, humans use their five senses: sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. When packaging entices customers through real or suggested sensory elements, marketers have the opportunity to appeal to customers from an additional angle.

Using tactile elements, instead of verbal or visual elements alone, can give you another avenue to develop your personal brand. Adding a unique touch element is a powerful way to distinguish your brand from competitors.

With advancements in digital printing, it is easier than ever to add tactile elements to your packaging that will make your brand more appealing!

Touchable packaging helps your customers have a positive emotional reaction to your product. In order to gather information about the world around them, humans use their five senses: sight, sound, taste, smell and touch. When packaging entices customers through real or suggested sensory elements, marketers have the opportunity to appeal to customers from an additional angle.

Using tactile elements, instead of verbal or visual elements alone, can give you another avenue to develop your personal brand. Adding a unique touch element is a powerful way to distinguish your brand from competitors.

With advancements in digital printing, it is easier than ever to add tactile elements to your packaging that will make your brand more appealing!

Find out more about our packaging solutions.

The post Our tangible packaging range is a sensory treat that can make all the difference appeared first on GPA Global.