The Dual-, Two-in-One-, Twin- or Kangaroo-packaging

Whatever you want to call them, the Dual-, Two-in-One-, Twin- or Kangaroo-packaging is a packaging holding two separate containers with two different products, which together form one entity in packaging as well as in product. I am not talking about promotional packages in terms of “pay two, get three” or whatever the promotion, nor am I talking about some extra bonus packed with the original product.
No, in this post I like to highlight the innovative creations of Kangaroo-packages (I like this word as it gives an exact definition of the matter), where the one product belongs or depends on the other product and brought together to form one product to serve a mutual goal.

Without doubt packaging history shows early examples of the Dual-, Two-in-One-, Twin- or Kangaroo-packaging. I remember, in the sixties of the last century being the beginning of packaging development in Europe after World War II, the tin packaging of Struik Conserven (in these days Struik Foods Europe) for the first experiments with complete ready-to-eat meals. Struik already had a reputation for its innovations in product and packaging. The one-litre tin had a “double bottom”, as the rice or something similar (I am not sure about it anymore) could be reached by opening one side and the prepared sauce by opening the other side. Two compartments in one tin, requiring the customer to open both sides.
As young packaging engineer I thought it was a remarkable innovation. It was primitive, in today’s terms, but then with such a limited choice of material and technology available, it was tremendous. At that time Struik used the same argument, Conagra is using (see later in this post) today: Separately prepared and packed products maintain their integrity in flavour, colour and nutrition values.
It took me years before I discovered another real dual of kangaroo packaging and I always wondered why, particularly, the food industry did not explore this innovative solution for quality and flavour with all the technology advances in materials available at this moment.

My chronologic overview starts in 2006 without having the arrogance to be complete.

Struik Conserven dual-tin-packaging - Italy’s Pasta Barilla dual packaging - Jekyll & Hyde twin packaging - EcoLab’s kangaroo packaging - Zhen Bao Fang Liqueur’s big brother, little brother - Wonder Tablitz’s empty dual-bottle - Sambuca con mosca’s bottle-in-a-bottle - The kangaroo bucket of Avlon - bio2TONIC’s dual packaging - Dawn Simple Pleasures’ two-in-one bottle - Double Down’s twin bottle - The Conagra Two-in-One Pack

Continue reading and see in detail the packages designed with special ingenuity.

What Are We Going To Do with Polystyrene and PET Trays

More and more supermarkets and food service companies prohibit suppliers to use polystyrene and/or PET trays following their policy to show ‘green’ involvement to their customers. Wal-Mart, took the lead in 2006, in cooperation with the Oppenheimer Group of Vancouver, Canada, a supplier of fresh produce, by introducing the compostable packaging from EarthCycle Packaging Ltd, in the Wal-Mart Stores.

Palm Fibre trays for Wal-Mart's fresh produce
The packaging - used for organic kiwi fruit and tomatoes - is a moulded, food approved, palm fibre tray, wrapped in cellulose-based NatureFlex film from Innovia Films and labelled with a compostable, pressure sensitive paper label from Reynders, Belgium.

The tray is made from a renewable source: palm fibre from long-established palm oil plantations in West Malaysia. This agricultural biomass waste, which occurs when the oil from the palm fruit is pressed, was always burned or taken to a landfill.

The tray and film degrade within 90 days, meeting the ASTM D6400 standard. The tray is not printed, but is .......... continue reading with more about:
CycleEarth’s palm pulp packages for mushrooms
SilvaPak’s shaped wood pulp trays
RPET-trays for frozen food