Packaging is the ultimate vehicle for design: industrial, graphic, and typographic design are all put to the test to create an impression so meaningful that it converts currency into consumerism. This ...
For decades, consumers have faced a dire choice in purchasing detergent, kitty litter, lawn and garden products, and pet food. They could either make several trips to the store buying small quantity packages, or make one trip—and end up lugging a heavy, cumbersome, and energy-wasting plastic pail back home.
“That isn’t much of an option,” says Brian Steinwagner, Hood Packaging’s Northern Region sales manager, “Not only is the pail heavy, but the handle cuts into your palm. Pails are difficult to carry as the weight is all to one side, which is not good for anyone with back problems. Beyond that, when they are used up, what do you do with them? Most end up sucking up space in landfills. Pails are a problem for consumers and anyone who cares about resource conservation.”
At Hood, Steinwagner was asked to head up a team to see if customers could be offered a better choice. “Our goal was to find a solution to the problem of ‘How do you create a bulk package that’s attractive, economical, portable, pourable, and storable?’” he explains. After lots of research and trials, Steinwagner’s team found the answer: ‘The Total Package.’
“The Total Package is a laminated bag with several unique advantages,” says Steinwagner. “First, it features outstanding process print of up to ten colors, either glossy or matte, to enhance shelf appeal and maintain brand identification throughout use. Next, our unique patent pending handle system allows consumers to lift the bag easily from the waist, which is the safe way to do it. As the weight of the package is evenly distributed, it is much easier to carry—which is especially important to women, who are the majority of purchasers of pet food products and detergents.”
The bag can be designed to accommodate any weight, from 10 to 50 lbs. The advantages of The Total Package carry into the home. “Not only is The Total Package easier to get to your house,” Steinwagner continues. “It is also more convenient once you’re there. It has a resealable slide zipper and is easy to pour and store. Once you are done with it, disposal is simple too, since it takes up far less space than pails.”
Steinwagner reports that The Total Package has big pluses for packagers and the environment. Since The Total Package weighs far less than the pail, less energy is spent on transport costs. That translates into dollar, energy, and greenhouse gas savings. Beyond that, pails take up lots of space—when empty you end up transporting a lot of air, plus excessive transport packaging. Hood Packaging can ship as many packages on two pallets as can be shipped in a truck full of empty pails. The Total Package cubes out better than a pail, and also has better product-to-package ratios. For more, visit www.hoodpkg.com.
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