Atlas Packaging has collected a number of prizes for its living plants packaging concept.
The UK firm carried off the awards for ‘Best Transit Packaging’ and ‘Best Component’ in this year’s Starpack awards.
The company explained that the design for its winning creation came about after Kirton farm approach it with the brief to create a box that needed to contain live plants in fibre pots and could be posted out to customers through a new internet section of its website.
Atlas faced the challenge of how to prevent damage to the plants while travelling through the post. To tackle this it employed a tough EB flute outer, while creating a complex fitting that saw a unique cradle encasing the plants and holding them firmly in place inside of the outer.
A dedicated Paraten board, sourced from France, was added to address the problem of moisture around the outside of the pots. According to Atlas this gives the fitting a water resistance that is needed to cope with the overall dampness of the fibre pots and foliage. The high walls of the fitting mean that if the box is turned upside down the plants will still be held tightly in place.
The finishing touches were then applied in the shape of box graphics, with the air holes in the outer being adapted to match the graphics for extra visual effect.
Atlas says that the pack design can now be easily adapted to take different types and sizes of pots to suit specific customer needs.
A spokesman from Kirton farm said: “We are growing a new range of cottage garden plants in eco friendly coir fibre pots supplying both the garden centre market and our new retail website. The environmentally friendly nature of the product demanded a card packing system rather than the more usual plastic solutions to hold everything securely in transit to the retail internet customers.”
