PKN presents The Packaging Innovation Edit, a curated selection of standout global packaging innovations. Produced in exclusive collaboration with ThePackHub, this series highlights innovations advancing packaging design and function.
This edition puts design for recycling, reuse and consumer convenience firmly in the frame. From an Australian-developed monomaterial produce pack and a resealable can closure to fibre-based beverage packaging, reusable cocktail glassware and a dual-chamber haircare bottle, the five innovations take different approaches to simplifying materials and extending packaging functionality.
Monomaterial onion net eliminates metal clips
Italy’s REV Packaging Solutions has collaborated with South Australia’s Mitolo Family Farms and Australian and New Zealand distributor Propak Industries to develop a monomaterial packaging solution for onions. The new format simplifies the construction of traditional onion net packs by eliminating the copper clip typically used to secure the plastic net.
Instead, the pack is thermosealed using REV Packaging Solutions’ P-Pack system, allowing the net, integrated handle and product label to be manufactured from the same polymer. Removing the metal component eliminates the need for material separation during recycling and is intended to improve compatibility with existing plastic recycling systems.
The concept was developed, tested and validated with Mitolo Family Farms for commercial onion packing operations, while retaining the product protection, transport and display functions required for fresh produce.
ThePackHub’s View: The monomaterial design demonstrates how simplifying packaging construction can improve compatibility with established plastic recycling systems while maintaining the functionality needed for fresh produce distribution.
PKN Comment: This Australian application shows the value of tackling the less obvious components that can complicate recycling. Removing a small metal clip may appear an incremental change, but simplifying the complete pack to a single polymer is precisely the kind of design-for-recycling thinking the industry needs.
Brand: Mitolo Family Farms | Supplier: Propak Industries, REV Packaging Solutions | Market: Food | Innovation type: Material reduction, Material substitution, Product protection, Recyclable | Substrate: Plastic
Resealable closure adds functionality to beverage cans
Germany’s Re-Cap Solutions has developed CanShield, a resealable closure system designed to be applied to aluminium beverage cans after filling, allowing manufacturers to add resealability without modifying the can body or making significant changes to existing filling lines.
The closure combines several functions, including resealability, a hygiene barrier and carbon dioxide retention for carbonated beverages after opening. It also provides a non-metal drinking surface and helps protect the can opening from insects, dirt and other contaminants during use.
CanShield is manufactured from a bioplastic derived from renewable resources. The system is designed so the aluminium can is able to continue through the metal recycling stream, while the closure can be separated for the appropriate plastic stream. An optional tear-tab configuration is available to facilitate separation after use.
ThePackHub’s View: The CanShield system demonstrates how additional functionality can be incorporated into conventional aluminium cans without requiring substantial changes to existing filling operations.
PKN Comment: Adding resealability to the can without requiring major filling-line changes addresses a practical barrier to adoption. The key consideration will be ensuring consumers separate the additional closure correctly at end of life, so convenience does not come at the expense of the can’s well-established recycling pathway.
Supplier: Re-Cap Solutions | Market: Beverage | Innovation type: Bio-packaging, Ease of use, Easy open, Product preservation, Recyclable, Resealability, User convenience | Substrate: Bio-materials, Plastic
Paper-based bottle concept targets bottled water
AUM Premium, headquartered in New Delhi, has announced plans to introduce a paper-based bottle for its Himalayan spring water by the end of 2026, as it looks to reduce reliance on conventional plastic packaging.
The proposed bottle combines responsibly sourced paper with a food-grade barrier layer designed to protect the water while minimising the amount of conventional plastic required. While AUM describes the development as a step towards a 100 per cent plastic-free bottle, the current concept incorporates a barrier component to maintain product integrity and meet the functional requirements of bottled water.
Its lightweight construction is also expected to improve transport efficiency. Alongside the packaging development, AUM Premium has partnered with Delhi-based waste management company Scrapbuddy to support collection and recycling of used bottles as part of a broader circular packaging strategy.
ThePackHub’s View: The concept demonstrates continued development of fibre-based beverage packaging aimed at reducing dependence on conventional plastic while maintaining the barrier properties required for bottled water.
PKN Comment: Paper-based bottles continue to attract development effort, but the barrier remains central to their environmental proposition. For concepts such as this, the important questions will be how the complete structure performs at scale and, crucially, whether it can move effectively through the recycling systems available in its target markets.
Brand: AUM Premium | Supplier: Scrapbuddy | Market: Beverage | Innovation type: Lightweighting, Material substitution, Recyclable | Substrate: Paper
Cocktail pack becomes reusable drinking glass
UK ready-to-drink cocktail brand Kocktail has developed a packaging format that turns the primary container into a drinking glass designed to remain in use after the cocktail has been consumed. Rather than treating the glass as single-use packaging, the design deliberately gives it a second life as household glassware.
A peel-off label is engineered to come away cleanly without leaving adhesive residue, while the closure is similarly designed to leave a clean finish after opening. Branding is kept to a minimum, with an embossed logo on the base, allowing the container to sit comfortably alongside other glassware rather than retaining the appearance of branded packaging.
The glasses are also stackable to reduce storage space and can be reused for cocktails or water, or repurposed for other household applications.
ThePackHub’s View: The reusable glass packaging demonstrates how design features such as clean label removal, stackability and minimal branding can encourage consumers to retain packaging for repeated use.
PKN Comment: Reuse does not always require a return system or dedicated infrastructure. Here, the second life is designed into the pack itself, with seemingly small decisions around labelling, branding and stackability making it more likely that consumers will actually keep and use the glass.
Brand: Kocktail | Market: Beverage | Innovation type: Material substitution, New format, Reusable packaging, Shelf stand out, Upcycling, User convenience | Substrate: Glass
Dual-chamber bottle combines shampoo and conditioner
Dubai-based PacPac Studio has developed DUET, a haircare packaging concept that combines shampoo and conditioner in a single dual-chamber bottle while keeping the two formulations completely separate until dispensing.
The custom bottle contains two independently sealed chambers accessed through a shared closure system, allowing consumers to dispense each product without cross-contamination. Designed for haircare ranges targeting normal, dry and oily scalp types, its elongated form is intended to provide comfortable handling while consolidating two complementary products into one pack.
Combining the products reduces the overall number of bottles, caps and labels required compared with conventional paired formats. The slim profile is also designed to improve efficiency in bathroom storage, on retail shelves and during transport, while the distinctive silhouette provides differentiation through structural design.
ThePackHub’s View: The dual-chamber bottle demonstrates how structural packaging design can consolidate complementary products into a single container while maintaining separate dispensing systems.
PKN Comment: Combining two complementary products in one pack is a neat proposition for convenience and shelf differentiation. The material-efficiency case, however, ultimately depends on how the dual-chamber structure compares with two conventional packs – and how readily the complete format can be recycled at end of life.
Supplier: PacPac Studio | Market: Health & Beauty | Innovation type: Ease of use, Material reduction, Material substitution, New format, Product preservation, User convenience | Pack type: Bottle, Container
We're bringing The Packaging Innovation Edit to you LIVE at APPEX 2027, from 16-19 March, at the MCEC in Melbourne. ThePackHub CEO Paul Jenkins will be attending in person, with daily talks and innovation from around the globe on display.
