Recent new package introductions—from L’Oréal, 7-Eleven and others—reflect the continuing prominence of sustainable and high-impact packaging designs. Our list of top articles on PackagingDigest.com in May 2018, based on page views, showcases these new packaging technologies and trends for the personal care, food and beverage markets.

We present them here in reverse order:

5. L’Oréal’s paper bottle: easy on the earth but tough in showers

Would you ever create a paper package for use in the shower? Sounds like the idea would fall apart just like the package would, right? Well…L’Oréal found a way to make it work—and work it does, beautifully.

This is a new generation of the Ecologic bottle/liner for L’Oréal’s beauty brand Seed Phytonutrients. Water-resistance is achieved by mixing proprietary minerals with the paper fibers and by using heat and pressure to bind the fibers during production of the shells.

Sustainability benefits include:

The container’s outer two-piece paper shell is made using corrugated board recycled from a L’Oréal USA distribution center.

The inner liner—which is a lightweight and thin-walled but rigid blow-molded monopolymer—is made using 80% post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and is recyclable.

The labels are paper, and can be composted and recycled directly with the bottle.

And each package has a packet of seeds inserted between the liner and the shell, giving consumers a fun surprise and highlighting the importance of preserving seed diversity.

NEXT: Outgoing packaging design trends

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Did you know? Our parent company UBM owns these popular packaging events: WestPack, EastPack, PackEx Toronto and PackEx Montreal. Click the links to learn how you can connect in person with leading packaging technology partners, expand your professional network, hear experts analyze key packaging trends and gain a better understanding of today's critical issues.

4. 5 packaging design trends on the way out in 2018

It’s déjà vu all over again. Our late-2017 article that identified outgoing packaging design trends continues to score! This article also appeared in our “Top” lists in April, March, February and January.

It remains popular because the advice and examples from chief marketing officer Pamela Webber at 99designs are on target.

Here are the five trends she says packaging designers should steer clear of:

5. Hyper-masculine packaging

4. Wasteful packaging material

3. Familiar packaging (photo above shows the opposite: unfamiliar packaging to pleasantly surprise consumers)

2. Small typography

1. Over-cluttered designs

NEXT: 8 sustainable packaging hits from last year

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Did you know? Our parent company UBM owns these popular packaging events: WestPack, EastPack, PackEx Toronto and PackEx Montreal. Click the links to learn how you can connect in person with leading packaging technology partners, expand your professional network, hear experts analyze key packaging trends and gain a better understanding of today's critical issues.

3. 8 sustainable packaging hits of 2017

At the end of 2017, we reviewed the top articles related to sustainability that Packaging Digest published during last year. It was quite an undertaking since so many packaging developments these days feature sustainability—but we came up with this impressive list (which you obviously still appreciate!):

1. 5 exciting, emerging sustainable packaging materials to watch in 2016

2. How sustainable are biodegradable and plant-based plastics?

3. Are refill stations the answer to packaging waste?

4. Ahh…Coke refreshes its sustainable packaging strategy

5. Sustainable packaging is more important than ever

6. Is 100% recyclable flexible packaging possible?

7. McCormick’s recipe for packaging that’s more sustainable

8. First fully recyclable shampoo bottle made with beach plastic points to new plastics economy (photo above)

NEXT: New self-chilling can gets on 7-Eleven shelves

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Did you know? Our parent company UBM owns these popular packaging events: WestPack, EastPack, PackEx Toronto and PackEx Montreal. Click the links to learn how you can connect in person with leading packaging technology partners, expand your professional network, hear experts analyze key packaging trends and gain a better understanding of today's critical issues.

2. 7-Eleven tests self-chilling can for new cold coffee

On May 9, Packaging Digest broke the news that, the day before, 7-Eleven debuted its new Fizzics cold coffee beverage in a self-chilling can. Using Chill-Can technology from The Joseph Co. Intl., each Fizzics can holds 8.4-ounces of coffee that consumers can enjoy cold wherever and whenever they drink it.

The Chill-Can might look familiar because, almost a month earlier (on April 12, to be exact) Packaging Digest wrote about updates to this technology in “Chill-Can presents a new twist in on-demand cold beverages.”

The difference today for the 20-year-old development is two-fold:

1. To simplify the activation process, the Chill-Can is now twist-activated instead of using the previous push button.

2. It now uses a safer activation ingredient: liquefied CO₂.

[Editor’s note: The Chill-Can technology article was among the top five articles for May 2018, but we combined it with the 7-Eleven announcement because they are related. That way we could also include the really-cool L’Oréal Seed Phytonutrients package—which is generating a lot of page views this month too—in this list.]

NEXT: Seen these packaging trends for new sweet and snack products?

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Did you know? Our parent company UBM owns these popular packaging events: WestPack, EastPack, PackEx Toronto and PackEx Montreal. Click the links to learn how you can connect in person with leading packaging technology partners, expand your professional network, hear experts analyze key packaging trends and gain a better understanding of today's critical issues.

1. Chew on this: packaging trends for new sweets and snacks

An immediate fan favorite, this late-in-the-month review of new products and packages seen at the 2018 Sweets & Snacks Expo showcases 10 noteworthy examples of product trends and packaging developments:

1. Contrasting ideas

2. Solo snacking

3. Cake bites

4. Downsized delectables

5. Multi-part munchies (photo above)

6. Same candy, new format

7. Fun with branding

8. Makeover time

9. Hip chicks

10. Rice is nice

Concise descriptions and onsite photos make this a fast-and-furious read for anyone interested in insights into consumer snacking trends.

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Did you know? Our parent company UBM owns these popular packaging events: WestPack, EastPack, PackEx Toronto and PackEx Montreal. Click the links to learn how you can connect in person with leading packaging technology partners, expand your professional network, hear experts analyze key packaging trends and gain a better understanding of today's critical issues.