3 minute read
Organic fertilizer buckets get the natural look with IML
Customer case
Organic fertilizer buckets get a natural look with IML
Kekkilä-BVB is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of growing substrates, fertilizers and other garden products. To market a new range of 100% organic fertilizers for its Hasselfors Garden business in Sweden, the company looked for packaging that would accurately match the green credentials of the product. The solution was a bucket with lid and handle made entirely from Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) plastic, decorated with recyclable IML labels from MCC Verstraete.
Stijn Quintyn, Regional Sales Manager Europe at MCC Verstraete
Using PCR plastic in packaging is a great way to meet sustainability targets, but high levels of PCR content can impose limitations on the color choice and the color consistency from batch to batch. To ensure the best result for its organic fertilizer launch, Kekkilä-BVB pulled in the support of Netherlands-based injection molding specialist Dijkstra Plastics and IML expert MCC Verstraete to develop a series of square buckets with PP IML labels.
“Kekkilä-BVB chose an environmentally friendly cappuccino-colored bucket made from 100% recycled material that not only measures up to those made from virgin material in terms of strength and quality but also looks great on shelf with color consistency across the range and high-quality printed graphics,” said Remco Meijer, Area Sales Manager at Dijkstra Plastics. “The PCR bucket fulfils the wish to lessen the impact on the environment without compromising on style and substance. This is a beautiful solution on every level.”
Durable high-quality decoration
Once the bucket material had been decided upon, the next step was decoration. Kekkilä-BVB wanted a natural look and artisanal feel to reflect the ‘100% organic’ element, but also needed to convey the high product quality as well as ensure the durability of the labels to protect the brand integrity.
In mold labels (IML) offers the best solution for rigid plastic containers as they are heat, humidity and scratch resistant, and won’t crack or wrinkle. And because the plastic label is fully fused with the container and printed with offset quality graphics, the product looks great not only on the store shelf, but all the way into the home – and in this case, the garden.
For the Hasselfors Garden fertilizer range, MCC Verstraete supplied IML decoration to complement the brown color of the 3 -and 10-liter buckets. Designed to appear slightly textured, like untreated kraft paper or cardboard, the labels were printed on standard PP coated with a protective varnish. They also feature bright colors and crisp clear text on all sides of the bucket itself and on the lid, with dependable color consistency guaranteed for both long runs and multiple SKUs.
Green partnerships for success
Finding project partners that shared the same sustainability goals was important for Kekkilä-BVB. This rang true for MCC Verstraete, which is a pioneer within the MCC Group and the wider industry due to its strong dedication to continual improvement of its environmental credentials. Through a series of green initiatives, the two Belgian production sites have reduced their overall carbon footprint to zero and have been awarded the carbon neutral certificate by an independent third party.
“That fact that all our injection molding labels are produced in a CO2 neutral environment was crucial for Kekkilä-BVB because they wanted every aspect of the project to be as green as possible,” said Stijn Quintyn, Regional Sales Manager Europe at MCC Verstraete. “While some brand owners only pay lip service to sustainability, Kekkilä-BVB has taken a holistic approach with these products and included the whole packaging production process in its analysis for the best possible outcome.”
Remco Meijer, Area Sales Manager at Dijkstra Plastics
