ELK GROVE VILLIAGE, IL - Clear Lam Packaging has won a Silver Flexible Packaging Achievement Award for Technical Innovation for Kar’s Second Nature® Wholesome Medley PrimaPak™ package. This award will be the fourth earned globally for Clear Lam’s PrimaPak™ technology. 

The Flexible Packaging Association recognized Clear Lam and a group of the Association’s Achievement Award winners at March 3rd’s award ceremony in Naples, FL. Recipients were evaluated by an independent panel of experts for their industry-changing advancements in packaging materials and structures with significant consumer benefits and/or sustainability features.

Developed by Clear Lam’s Co-Packing Division, the new product is currently being tested in a limited market to determine the optimum size for the product’s PrimaPak™ cubed design. Second Nature® Wholesome Medley snacks are 100% natural, premium snack mixes developed by Kar’s Nuts to meet the demands of consumers that seek naturally healthier snack options with nutritional value. Kar’s selected the Clear Lam’s PrimaPak™ System for its retail and club store markets based on the packaging’s merchandising potential, cost effectiveness, sustainability, and consumer convenience. 

The PrimaPak™ package is flexible, stackable, and reclosable. It can replace rigid cans, jars, stand-up pouches, and other traditional packaging. The technology improves package cube by 30%or more in weight compared to round composite cans or blow molded PET jars.

“It’s tough to stand out in the club store and retail environments. The PrimaPak™ shape and design create a billboard effect for better merchandising,” said Roman Forowycz, Chief Marketing Officer for Clear Lam Packaging. “Traditional packaging often has multiple components requiring more warehouse space and truck shipments during the manufacturing process. The PrimaPak™ System combines all components into one roll of film, providing opportunities for cost savings and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions throughout the supply chain.”

According to a press release, Clear Lam has made a significant investment in the PrimaPak™ System, including a new co-packing facility and innovation center at its plant near Chicago. The facility produces PrimaPak™ packaging for test markets, regional rollouts, seasonal items, and nationally distributed products. According to the research firm Smithers Pira, the global market for sustainable packaging is expected to reach $244 billion by 2018. 

For the Kar’s application, a proprietary film with strong barrier properties was developed from a single roll of flexible film enhanced with an exo-skeleton label and Peel and ReSeal lid system on a custom vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) machine. The finished package weighs 70% less than traditional plastic jars with similar serving sizes. According to the company, for every 10 million packages, the Kar’s Second Nature branded PrimaPak™ saves over 2 million pounds of plastic and reduces CO2 emissions by up to 65% compared to PET jars.

“This new package design offers great potential. We are testing the concept and believe in the significant performance and sustainability benefits without all of the hassle and cost associated with preformed containers,” said Scott McKinnon, Vice President of Sales for Kar’s Nuts. “We see this as a real value proposition for consumers and our retail customers who want better use of space, easy recloseability, stackability, and less plastic waste.” 

For nearly a decade, Clear Lam has invested extensively in research and development through its Project EarthClear™ initiative to commercialize new packaging technologies that minimize the impact on the environment. These efforts include packaging materials made from renewable plastics, materials that incorporate recycled content and lightweighting technologies designed to reduce weight and enhance cubing.

Clear Lam Packaging