Linerless packaging design for kiwi fruit rebrand

Global kiwi supplier Zespri has collaborated with Tesco for its new kiwi packaging design. The pack refresh was designed to boost consumer engagement and sales, and uses Ravenwood’s linerless technology.

The primary focus for the new packaging was to transition away from plastic flow wrap, with the aim of introducing a fresh design that would be both sustainable and fully recyclable.

A linerless Fruit Lid and carton board tray has been approved for use in individual kiwi packs. When combined, the lid and tray create a fully integrated food-grade packaging solution that is designed to eliminate the need for the plastic flow wrap that was previously used for the fruit.

For the first time, Tesco is showcasing a branded kiwi product in store, moving away from its traditional private label branding. The design and branding has been applied to both the linerless lid and tray. The graphic design features vibrant shades of orange and yellow, and speciality tooling was used to die cut sections of the lid to resemble ‘sun rays’ that feature Zespri’s logo. The tooling was necessary for die cutting and removing waste at high speeds, making the product commercially viable for larger-volume runs.

Unlike traditional labels, linerless labels do not require backing paper on the reel. Instead, they stick to themselves with corresponding strips of adhesive and silicone applied to the label’s underside and surface. By removing the liner, the technology is designed to minimise material usage and waste.

With a speed capacity of 70 packs per minute, a Ravenwood Nobac 5000L linerless applicator was used for applying linerless Fruit Lids to the carton board trays. In addition to sleeving fixed weight, the applicator can link to weigh scales from a range of manufacturers for variable-weight products, as well as checkweighing.

Zespri and Tesco have reported that its summer marketing campaign, which included the packaging revamp, has resulting in increased sales.

Fruit Lid and carton board tray packs:

• Carton board tray supplied by: Smurfit Westrock
• Wholesale box supplied by: Smurfit Kappa
• Linerless label technology: Ravenwood Packaging
• Tray and label graphic design: ProPrint Group
• UK linerless label printer: ProPrint Group