The Art File has just completed a six month sustainability research, development and testing in readiness for its 2020 everyday product launches.
In addition, the Nottingham-based publisher is also preparing to run some pilot trials with selected retailers to test new packaging approaches on its Christmas boxes and packs.
“The environmental impact is one of the most significant and important challenges the industry and the planet has to face,” Ged Mace, managing director of The Art File told PG Buzz. “Defining our environmental strategy is not something we have taken lightly as we needed to work closely with customers, understanding their concerns and issues in regard to both the durability and merchandising issues.”
Having successfully launched its first two ‘naked’ greeting card ranges at PG Live in June – namely Emily Brooks and Snap to Grid – their distribution in retailers large and small provided The Art File with learnings that have fed into the company’s new environmental strategy, acknowledging that some retailers face some barriers in stocking completely unwrapped cards.
As James Mace, The Art File’s sales and marketing manager reveals while all “10 of The Art File’s brand new everyday launches for January 2020 will be supplied unwrapped (or nested) as standard”, the publisher is also making them available clasped or cellowrapped, though the latter two options “will require a few extra days lead time”.
Although the plan is for existing ranges to transition to unwrapped (or nested) as standard, these are continue to be wrapped for the time being.
In addition, the company is to introduce the wording ‘I’m wrapped for a reason’ on the backs of the cards on at least two ranges. “We are using a special uncoated board which would mark if handled so we took the decision that this would incur more wastage,” explains Ged.
The publisher’s explorations are extending to its Christmas packaged collections.
“We are running pilots with some retailers across new approaches to all three of our Christmas ranges which will track the impact of making some plastic-free while others will see the plastic element reduced,” said Ged. “It is about striking a balance, minimising unnecessary plastic packaging while still offering a premium product that it practical for a retailer to display.”
These new formats will be trialled in 2020.
Top: The Art File’s pilot testing for new approachs to Christmas card packaging will include its award winning Form range.
