IML jar paves the way for supply chain efficiencies

Packaging is immensely important to brands, especially in a retail setting. When the private label retail brand, Oh So Heavenly transitioned to Teqal’s 500ml IML jar for its range of body creams and body butters, it not only received brand-centric packaging with huge shelf appeal but also supply chain efficiencies that have proven very helpful to the business. By Abby Vorster

Teqal Creative Packaging (Teqal) launched its 500mℓ lightweight circular cream jar with a 360° wraparound in-mould label (IML) in July 2020. Produced using a patented technology, the jar presents a game changer in packaging design, as the step in the jar – which traditionally holds the in-mould label in place – has been eliminated.

“This allows for the full surface of the jar, its full height and the base radius to be decorated with the label. The end result is a premium high-gloss or satin finish IML jar with the aesthetics of a shrinksleeve label but without the associated cost,” says Sean Kirkham, marketing and sales director of Teqal, a KZN-based specialist producer of rigid plastic packaging.

Teqal’s IML jar is also eco-friendlier than the shrinksleeve option because it consists of a combination of 99.9% polypropylene and 0.1% ink which is 100% recyclable. And when compared to self-adhesive labels, the associated high production scrap rates are reduced with in-mould labelling.

Producing sustainable packaging for the cosmetics industry is of great importance to Teqal. Globally, the industry is regarded as a major contributor to the plastic waste crisis as the majority of personal care product packaging is not recyclable.

Kirkham comments: “The only way to change the impact of plastic on the environment is at product level where the uptake of recyclable and biodegradable solutions is likely to make a meaningful difference.”

A solution for every customer

The 500mℓ IML jar from Teqal is an extremely favourable solution for locally manufactured hair, skin and body care products. This premium quality packaging is 100% home grown and it is both cost-effective and accessible to SMEs. Committed to local procurement, Teqal sources the labels from a leading South African label printer. This helps the rigid packaging producer to drastically reduce lead times with almost just-in-time supply and gives customers the freedom to order smaller quantities of labelled jars without any compromise on price.

“MOQs can be a barrier to trade for SMEs. At Teqal, we don’t exclude the small business owner as our technology allows us to service this market efficiently,” Kirkham explains. “The technology is also scalable and can go from yielding an SME’s small volume order of 10 000 units to producing 5 million jars for a multinational brand, while keeping pricing competitive. Our energy efficient injection moulding machinery is German engineered and allows us to use a high level of automation to produce the IML jars in a single step.”

The jars are 80% white (other colours are also possible) while the labels offer endless design and colour possibilities.

You could have a clear label with a satin finish and gold foiling for a luxurious cocoa butter body cream, or a green label with a clinical look for a camphor cream. Labels for fruity and floral body butters can be designed with berries or petals that disappear off the top or bottom of the jars. The beauty rests in Teqal’s patented label application technology which allows the packaging supplier to produce all of these jars in one run, in various quantities. The labels, each measuring 60µm, are stacked in sequence of production in the injection moulding machine, which switches from one variant to the next without stopping.

“The foiled IML jar is also at the cutting edge of what is possible globally and Teqal is one of the first rigid packaging manufacturers worldwide to successfully offer this decoration technique with in-mould labelling,” he adds.

Optimistic and innovative

Despite the economic uncertainty, during 2020 Teqal chose to be bullish and invested heavily in new machinery. When the hard lockdown resulted in slow sales, the company redirected its resources to focus on R&D, setting the development of its IML jar in motion. Ultimately, the invention was a great success thanks to its multi-talented and optimistic team and the company’s in-house toolroom.

“Our technology is South African designed and manufactured and protected by various patents. We place great emphasis on tooling details and manufacture our moulds in house to ensure all packaging components are of a consistently high quality,” says Kirkham, adding that innovation is a key business driver for the company.

“It is evident in all our packaging designs, from our Reflections cosmetic jar and the newer biodegradable option to our 500mℓ IML jar which features a revamped lid design. By placing a dimple in the centre of the lid, the jars can nest, enhancing on-shelf stack-ability and merchandising, which is needed in retail.”

With several new design projects currently underway, personal care brands and manufacturers can look forward to a pipeline of innovations coming from Teqal later in the year. •

BIG ON BENEFITS

Teqal’s IML jar is designed with the customer in mind. Via its patented technology, various benefits are passed onto the customer which add value to their business. These include:

• a reduction in in-house packaging inventory

• no compromise on price for smaller order quantities

• flexibility when ordering coupled with just-in-time supply

• an anti-counterfeiting solution as the IML jar cannot be copied

• the elimination of additional labelling concerns

• no cluttering on the production line

• freedom to focus internally on filling and distribution strengths

• a drastic increase in line efficiencies with far less labour.

Teqal Creative Packaging – www.teqal.co.za