P&G Offers Unique Combo Paperboard/Plastic Packaging Know-How

Procter & Gamble

"A place for everything and everything in its place" goes the old saying. Today, consumers can find a myriad of off-the-shelf storage containers and pop-up dispensers to suit every need and product.

Typically, this type of packaging falls into two categories of manufactured materials: paperboard or molded plastic. Paperboard by itself can be less than durable, making it unsuitable for some purposes, such as long-term storage needs, while molded plastic requires higher material and production costs, making it potentially uneconomical for certain consumer product uses.

Procter & Gamble, an international leader in packaged goods, has developed a number of proprietary packaging technologies to address the twin issues of package durability and cost-effectiveness. To that end, they have created two novel paperboard packages which incorporate plastics in key areas to increase durability and functionality without significantly increasing production costs. These versatile, innovative packages are ideally suited for a wide range of consumer and commercial uses, including storage, organizing, and dispensing.

Functional, durable storage containers

Perhaps the most flexible of the packaging technologies utilizes a combination of rugged, printable paperboard and molded plastic. The paperboard is used to create the basic container in virtually any size and shape, with an open end that is covered with a fitted, hinged, plastic lid. The lid is manufactured with a narrow U-channel lip that fits snugly over the container edge. In addition, the lid contains a slightly raised feature that conforms to a debossed design on the container, forming a reliable closure even under heavy use. This container design is cost-effective and well-suited for archival document storage, organizing photos and school or business supplies, retail first aid kits, even food storage. By utilizing a durable plastic lid, these containers are easily stackable for increased storage efficiency.

Efficient, unique paper-good dispensers

The second packaging technology available for licensing is P&G´s dispensing container design that incorporates a paperboard box with a clear plastic film-covered dispensing aperture, providing visual assessment of the container´s contents while enabling quieter dispensing.

Additionally, this novel container features hinged interior panel corners that form opposing inward-facing triangles. These sloping triangles serve to anchor the paper goods in position, preventing them from rotating in the box during shipping and handling so that the interlocking product within (for example, facial tissues) remains properly oriented to the dispensing aperture for easy removal.

Both of these designs feature single paperboard blanks which are converted to their respective shapes, keeping tooling and manufacturing costs to a minimum.

Procter & Gamble´s expertise in paper manufacturing, converting, treatment, and dispensing provides the licensee with a distinct advantage by reducing capital investment, material and shipping costs, and shortening time-to-market. These technologies offer unparalleled flexibility, enabling the licensee to incorporate value-added features such as moisture protection and direct-to-product printing, eliminating the need for separate label production. Both designs are currently in commercial production and available as a complete IP package, including production and manufacturing details, test results, and research findings.