Kookaburra Worm Farm
FLAT BOTTOM BAGS WITH SIDE GUSSETS
Previously, fully recyclable films were not compatible with flat bottom bags due to issues with sealing the multiple gussets. With the advancements being made in the use of sustainable films, however, it will be possible for us to re-create this packaging design in a fully recyclable material in the near future, and is a consideration we will be making a top priority by the end of 2020.
Packaging Design
We chose a flat bottom bag design for the Kookaburra Worm Farms product for a variety of reasons. First, it was the closest pouch style to the clients existing carton, allowing a link to the brand while still improving the packaging with a modern concept. Secondly, the side gussets of the flat bottom bag allowed us to utilise special tooling for film perforation and provide functionality to the pouch itself, providing the required oxygen levels for the living product inside. The bag is also self-standing and rectangular in nature, which gave us optimal space-utilisation for both packing and shipping procedures compared to other formats.
Keeping the side gussets of the bag clear meant that consumers could view the product, and an added feature never sued by the client before. The brightly coloured artwork on the bag, accompanied by a double-white and reverse printing technique on the laminate, gave the bag a more vibrant finish than the previous carton. It now catches the eye of consumers on the shelf.
The flexible film provides a far superior resistance to the concurrent moisture damage common to gardening category products.
Due to the higher price-point and delicate nature of their product, consumer purchasing decisions were negatively influenced by the damaged cartons used previously.
Our pouch allowed the Kookaburra Worm Farms brand value to remain intact, and marketing communication on the pouch to remain strong. From a branding perspective, we’ve achieved a consistency of artwork throughout multiple SKUs that was not achievable on the carton, due to ink absorption and variations in raw pulp sourcing.
Packaging Functionality
We had created an initial version of the flat bottom bag design for the client, but after market testing found the side perforations were too large, and product could escape the packaging. With this information, we used smaller tooling for the second version, with 1mm diameter holes and 10mm spacing. This tooling was a learning curve in itself, as the puncture tools needed had to be created from specialised steel, ensuring they would effectively pierce the thick polyethylene film without snapping.
The structure of the polyethylene was vital to create the proper levels of pouch rigidity, not only protecting the product inside, but helping maintain an upright stance on the shelf, so making a thinner bag was not an option.
This flat bottom pouch has added tremendous value to the brand. The utilisation of space meant almost five times the quantity of product could be placed on the shelf, with an increased product facing on the warehouse shelf. It was the only product in the category using a flat bottom bag design. Kookaburra Worm Farms notified us of a 30% increase in sales since using our flat bottom bag, clearly indicating the success of the pouch in comparison to competing products.
Packaging Innovation
The original packing of this product consisted of an external corrugated carton with internal polyethylene liner, housing a secondary woven plastic bag that held the live worm product, which was then closed with a simple rubber band.
This multi-layer packaging format required extensive man hours and various steps to ensure proper packing and fastening. Comparatively, the flexible flat bottom bag format that we manufactured reduced the number of packing processes by two thirds, with this streamlined process increasing efficiency and lowering both packing and packaging material costs.
Furthermore, packing space for product transport was vastly reduced by switching to the flat bottom pouch format. There was an excessive amount of wasted space inside the previous packaging carton in comparison to the actual product volume. By utilising flexible flat bottom packaging, the client was fitting more product per packet and more packets per pallet. This helped decrease shipping and transport costs for the customer.
Sustainable Packaging Design Considerations
Our flat bottom pouch has shown excellent reduction in environmental impact, the excess packaging associated with the previous carton, liner and woven bag eliminated. The reduction in packaging waste for Kookaburra Worm Farms minimised carbon emissions and water wastage at the packaging start of life (raw materials creation and shipping emissions), mid-life (shipping emissions), and the waste at the end of product life (waste to landfill). Our client ran a life cycle analysis on their packaging and confirmed that the new design was significantly better for the environment.
Previously, fully recyclable films were not compatible with flat bottom bags due to issues with sealing the multiple gussets. With the advancements being made in the use of sustainable films, however, it will be possible for us to re-create this packaging design in a fully recyclable material in the near future, and is a consideration we will be making a top priority by the end of 2020.