Mono Material Success

BACKSTORY

Today’s omni-channel marketing environment is strongly guided by digital content. However, consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies that can put their products and promotional materials directly into the hands of consumers stand to build an unrivalled level of connection and consideration. As the name suggests, SampleSource provides sample-sized product promotion services for tier 1 and 2 CPG companies.

Companies trust SampleSource for their targeting database to identify key consumer target markets and consumer behaviors. The more precise the profiling of those potential consumers, the more likely a consumer becomes a buyer and the more positive the ROI. Their ‘Try Before You Buy’ mantra has proven highly effective for clients to reach their target audiences for over a decade, and positions SampleSource as the largest mailer of samples through Canada Post.

MONO-MATERIAL VS MULTI-MATERIAL

SampleSource distributes its product samples – think detergent samples, instant coffee mixes, foods and beverages, and skin cream just to name a few – to households across North America. While it has a wide array of packaging alternatives to offer, the company has long been ahead of the curve on promoting mono-material plastics – as opposed to multi-material – which positions it well to serve companies looking to incorporate more sustainable choices into their promotions. Mono-materials use a single type of material, which can be produced in layers to enhance durability.

The dilemma of multi-material packaging is that for all the variety available and the diverse applications it can serve, it does not necessarily suit the circular economy ambitions that many companies now practice. This packaging has the capacity for higher calibre performance, but by including polymers/copolymers or coatings such as metalized films or foils, its recyclability is strictly limited or merely non-existent. That’s precisely why SampleSource has chosen mono-materials as the better alternative.

Given the broader movement towards making plastics more circular, mono-material plastic structures are gaining greater profile compared to the multi-material flexible plastic packaging. They provide the performance, convenience and safety assurances that companies require, plus the latitude to include branding elements on the packaging. The compatibility of mono-materials with the packaging machinery is another consideration that SampleSource has managed to accommodate, as well.  

IMPLEMENTATION

SampleSource is already well established in providing clients with environmentally sensible packaging options. They’ve anticipated the changes by converting multi-material flexible plastic packaging to mono-material plastics, such as High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and Polypropylene (PP).

For the company, the polypropylene option offers several benefits. It pairs the tensile strength they need for dependable packaging with the environmental standards that they’re looking to promote in its product mix. In addition, SampleSource uses vegetable-based inks and recyclable materials to give clients the sustainable solutions they want. Naturally, the mono-material used depends on the type of item being sent, the marketing budget allocated and how fragile the sample may be for shipping.

OUTCOMES

The sheer range of CPG companies that SampleSource serves is testament to the company’s proven success and its ability to apply the appropriate mono-material for shipping samples. That simplified construction of the material ensures it’s easier to recycle and it reduces the amount of waste that’s produced.

While SampleSource has enjoyed great success in shifting to mono-materials, the company continues to explore new substrates, including compostable materials. Further to this, it is developing smaller packaging options while also enhancing their recycling and waste separation practices.