Take a trip down memory lane with Kayla’s 2011 Packaging Countdown

take-a-trip-down-memory-lane-with-kaylas-2011-packaging-countdown<p>2011 was quite a year. <a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pipTwjwrQYQ>Charlie Sheen went crazy</a>, millions said goodbye to <a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y57sYHIDP_Y>Harry Potter and the Hogwarts crew </a>and <a href=http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44669671/ns/today-entertainment/t/justin-biebers-titanic-date-selena-gomez/#.Tx7EfYF8Tk8>Justin Bieber rented out the 20,000 seat Staples Center for a date</a>. That's right, madness ensued. Thankfully, die-hard packagers aren't fazed by any of that nonsense. Catch up on what's really important and read my countdown of the hottest packaging developments to come out of 2011.</p> <p>Here's my two cents on packaging innovations and interesting products that changed the face of the industry throughout 2011. Picks range from products packaged in clear containers to some that take up residence in fiberboard cartons. Looking back on the past year in packaging proves one thing for sure, 2012 has large shoes to fill. <b> </b></p> <table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <tbody> <tr> <td><a href=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0nogzG_y6fA/Tx8Oz_8QMCI/AAAAAAAAAQw/NB2cBncbzsY/s1600/SVG0156-0692864X_free_clear%255B1%255D.jpg><img src=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0nogzG_y6fA/Tx8Oz_8QMCI/AAAAAAAAAQw/NB2cBncbzsY/s200/SVG0156-0692864X_free_clear%255B1%255D.jpg alt= width=158 height=200 border=0 /></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Image courtesy of Seventh Generation</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><b>Best Packaging Material Award: <a href=http://www.seventhgeneration.com/4X-Laundry-Detergent>Seventh Generation 4x Laundry Detergent</a></b><br /> This isn't the old reliable laundry detergent that your mom has been using for decades. It may be a mean, stain-fighting solution but it's the product's body that I love. Forget the likes of clear containers (for this example that is, CPS has great <a href=https://www.containerandpackaging.com/catalog/plastic-bottles/7/?c=Clear>clear containers</a>!); this miracle mix is packaged in fiber bottles, made from recyclable rigid paper, lightly blanketed inside with a PET coating. This revolutionary packaging (which uses 66% less plastic than a typical detergent bottle) not only communicates the values of the company but it encourages consumers to, by using their product, move toward leading a greener lifestyle as well. Good job, Seventh Generation, way to think out of the box, so to speak. <b> </b></p> <table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <tbody> <tr> <td><a href=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-__y8wLCRiNY/Tx8PRTBjqqI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/jJRhsAVXc0U/s1600/popcorn.png><img src=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-__y8wLCRiNY/Tx8PRTBjqqI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/jJRhsAVXc0U/s200/popcorn.png alt= width=166 height=200 border=0 /></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Image courtesy of ConAgra Foods</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><b>Best Packaging Refresh Award: <a href=http://www.orville.com/pop-up-bowl.jsp>Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn Pop-Up Bowl</a></b></p> <div>Is it just me or is anyone else flabbergasted that it took Orville Redenbacher Popcorn over forty years to make this packaging change? Better late than never, right?</div> <div></div> <div>Popcorn has never been something you merely eat, it's always a counterpart to an experience; munching on kettle corn as you walk through the country fair, tossing the bowl full of popcorn over your head while watching a scary movie with friends, doing some old-fashioned popping over the campfire on a weekend campout. Clear containers are a classic packaging go-to, but they weren't the answer to this issue. The Pop-Up Bowl has literally revitalized the experience of popcorn. The easy access (thanks to the PET cover) and shareable build are huge pluses, and watching it pop in the microwave is more fun than ever before. Redenbacher Popcorn hit the nail on the head with this solution, by eliminating greasy packaging and allowing people from every angle to dig in. <b> </b></div> <table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <tbody> <tr> <td><a href=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FpyFZHgmzo/TyAP7CO2e3I/AAAAAAAAARI/aX80dXUEqFU/s1600/PomArils.jpg><img src=http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FpyFZHgmzo/TyAP7CO2e3I/AAAAAAAAARI/aX80dXUEqFU/s200/PomArils.jpg alt= width=200 height=170 border=0 /></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Image courtesy of POM Wonderful</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><b>Best Packaging Functionality and Portability Award:<a href=http://www.pomwonderful.com/products/freshfruit/pom-wonderful-arils/> Pom Poms </a></b><br /> Who doesn't love a great pomegranate? Especially when it's already prepped for consumption, with no seeding or rinsing work required. Pom Wonderful's Pom Poms Fresh Arils offer the lusciousness of pomegranates, without the hassle. Aesthetically pleasing and convenient to handle, the deep cup, clear container packaging leaves the fruit on display but also allows for easy access. There's nothing worse than grabbing a treat to-go but forgetting the spoon. No worries; Pom Poms is outfitted with an attached utensil, that way you're always covered. <b> </b></p> <table cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <tbody> <tr> <td><a href=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V66V6CVxtsE/Tx8PsX-K02I/AAAAAAAAARA/DJvDBQPTanA/s1600/guacamole.jpg><img src=http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V66V6CVxtsE/Tx8PsX-K02I/AAAAAAAAARA/DJvDBQPTanA/s200/guacamole.jpg alt= width=140 height=200 border=0 /></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td>Image courtesy of Frontera Foods, Inc.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><b>Best Packaging Flexibility and Creativity Award: <a href=http://www.fronterakitchens.com/shopping/category/products/guacamole-mix/>Frontera Guacamole Mix </a></b><br /> Frontera used to package their Guacamole Mix in clear containers made of glass. This packaging was striking, but not functional and feasible for store presentation (obviously, clear containers made of glass are more difficult to display and break easier). That's when the company drastically altered their packaging and embraced a new form, pouches. Other brands said goodbye to clear containers and hello to polyester and LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene) pouches in 2011, including <a href=http://blog.containerandpackaging.com/2012/01/sunkists-clear-container-gets-makeover.html>Sunkist</a>. Not only does the guacamole's new appearance catch eyes but it also allows for more convenient shelf storage.</p> <p>Plastic bottles, clear containers and jars will always be the staples of the packaging industry. Yet, through design ingenuity and creativity new packaging solutions are being born each day. 2011 introduced game-changing insights and seemingly unreachable packaging characteristics (like a hot-fill pouch?!) that came to pass. May 2012 be as bold and prosperous!</p> <p><b>What packaging trends do you expect to see in 2012? Post a comment.</b></p>