New packaging ‘pumps up’ sales of oxygen-sensitive product

New plastics packaging has been commissioned for a range of men’s grooming products that allows for oxygen-sensitive products to be used.

The packaging for the new b.men moisturiser for Potter & Moore and Superdrug has been manufactured by M&H Plastics, part of the RPC Group of companies, and uses the company’s ‘Vega’ range of ‘AirFree’-branded packaging and an ‘Ecosolution’ pump.

‘AirFree’ is based on the co-extrusion of a multilayer parison, which is blow-moulded to create a pouch and a bottle in one process. The pump creates a vacuum, the pouch collapses, but the bottle keeps its external shape intact.

A combination of the co-extruded blow moulded bottle and injection moulded pump gives superb barrier qualities, says M&H, which prevent air intake and therefore reduce formula oxidation.

The Vega range is said to be unique in that the pump it takes is both reduced in the number of pieces it contains (this pump has only four pieces compared to 10-11 pieces for a more ‘standard’ pump) and more importantly, says M&H, all the pieces are made from plastic (most standard pumps will have metal in them – springs, ball bearings etc), so this makes the pack 100 percent recyclable in the plastics waste stream. 

Leigh Melton, Packaging Manager from Potter & Moore commented: “M&H offered the perfect solution to Superdrug customers, who are actively seeking more natural products with fewer preservatives and this innovative pack enables the product to stay fresh whilst offering environmental benefits over existing formats. Sales have been surpassing all expectations since it launched a few weeks ago.”