Plastic-free Tootbrush Packaging

Awarded this year’s German Packaging Prize and the European Carton Excellence Award 2021: the plastic-free toothbrush packaging from GSK Consumer Healthcare and its partners Karl Knauer KG and M+C Schiffer, produced on ILLIG HSU 35b packaging systems.

The award-winning full-cardboard toothbrush blisters with viewing window made of cellulose fibers of the Dr. Best and Aquafresh brands can be completely recycled into the paper-waste cycle. By converting these toothbrush packages to cardboard blister packs, more than 444 tons of plastic are saved annually, according to a release from Illig. As a machine and tool manufacturer, Illig uses Circular Thinking to support its customers in implementing sustainable packaging solutions.

According to the manufacturer, the HSU 35b series packaging system is suitable for safe and sustainable blister packaging made of cardboard-plastic-cardboard combinations (double card blisters) or solid cardboard for packaging non-food products for presentation at the point of sale.

The economical and efficient HSU 35b is designed for variable blister heights and can be configured with up to 12 transport pallets for any application, he said. He added that the packaging system adapts to the individual requirements of packaging manufacturers with numerous equipment features. „Examples include automatic product feeding, product presence control, inlay (product fixation in the carton blister), inserts for brochures, a wide variety of labeling systems, code readers and blister lifters. Illig packaging systems are modular, flexible and efficient.“