Pentel unveils plastic-free packaging

To solve the problem of how to show products most effectively Pentel has created cardboard packs featuring an angled aperture that allows consumers to see how many products are in each pack and to identify the ink colour of products.

With strong Pentel branding and prominent key messages about recycled product content and refillable items, the new packs are designed to attract attention and generate swift purchasing decisions.

Wendy Vickery, Pentel Marketing Manager said, “moving away from conventional blister cards, with their single-use plastic, is the right thing to do for the environment, but it’s not without its challenges.  The obvious benefit of the plastic bubble is that it affords full product visibility to the consumer, which is a real advantage in those precious few seconds at the point of sale.”

The range includes products such as the EnerGel pen family, the P200 mechanical pencil series, Hybrid Dual Metallic pens, and products in the Pentel Arts range, including pocket and water brush pens.

Wendy said, “the launch of our new all-cardboard retail packs is the next step in the journey we embarked on in 2006 when we launched the Pentel Recycology range of products made with a minimum of 50 per cent recycled material.  At the time there were few if any, products in our industry made with recycled materials, but 15 years later the picture is thankfully very different.  And we know that over the last few years especially packaging has been scrutinised in an unprecedented way, with buyers and consumers seeking to make more environment-friendly purchasing decisions to avoid the creation of unnecessary waste.

“For decades our office packs of loose products have been made using recycled or recyclable board.  Now, we’re delighted to offer retail customers hanging packs made using board from sustainably managed woodland.  Our new retail packs combine high-impact visibility with environment-friendly credentials for maximum on-peg appeal.  And the other good news is that this important development won’t affect planograms, as our new packs are the same size as our previous blister cards.”

Pentel’s new plastic-free retail packs will be on display at the London Stationery Show from 5th to 6th October on the Pentel stand.