Orkla first to launch soap refills in cartons

New refills for hand soap and detergent reduces plastic.

Orkla Home and Personal Care (OHPC) in Norway has introduced new refill cartons for both its hand soap and laundry detergent on its brand, Klar.

The company already uses recycled plastic bottles for many of its products, but with the new refills, Klar takes a step forward to provide more environmental packaging made entirely from renewable materials.

A first for Norway, Orkla has worked with packaging partner Elopak to produce a package with all the sustainable and convenience benefits of the gable top carton, and to develop the filling technology to make this new step a reality.

The carton for this new segment has a front flap label that covers the screw cap of the carton, and that way clearly differentiates the non-food contents. The carton is branded D-PAK™.

“Our goal is help consumers reduce their carbon footprint without having to compromise on quality, fragrance or ease of use,” says Anne Marheim Støren, Head of Marketing & Innovation Sustainable Living from Orkla OHPC. “The carton is made from renewable materials and can be sorted for recycling with other cardboard and paper such as milk cartons and newspapers. It is volume efficient, saving both weight and space in transport.”

“Cartons are used for many products such as milk, juice and other liquids – so we thought why not for soap too?” adds Anne. “By introducing the carton, we avoid unnecessary plastic production, using only natural raw materials already found in nature such as wood.”

The refill is easy to use; consumers simply pour the carton’s contents into the original bottle. Test launched in 2020 through selected retailers and online, Klar asked consumers to provide feedback on the new and different refill packs..

“Consumers told us that the new carton refill is easy to use and is an easy, convenient and great solution,” adds Anne. “All our soap products are vegan, made with carefully selected ingredients and are Nordic Swan labelled, so the new refill pack made from board is an ideal solution to help further reduce plastic waste.”

With the success of the first launch and the development of the new filling solution, Orkla decided to keep the new carton refill format on the market, as the latest product in their portfolio.

The Klar hand soap is a gentle and nurturing hand soap with carefully selected ingredients. It has a mild and exciting scent of gooseberries and green tea, is dermatologically tested on sensitive skin.

The gentle Klar laundry detergent is tough on dirt and stains, also containing selected ingredients and is dermatologically tested on sensitive skin and Nordic Ecolabelled.

“The concept of the refill pack is the optimal solution for both consumer friendliness and an overall reduced footprint,” says Andreas Weselka, Key Account Manager, Elopak Norway. “In this new era of consumer awareness about packaging, we are bringing the natural packaging solution of the beverage carton to new sectors.”

“In our further efforts to accelerate the conversion to a sustainable fibre-based package and to reduce the overall use of plastic, Elopak has developed a system and concept that is offering an end-to-end flexible package solution,” adds Andreas. “With this now in place, we are decisively re-entering this product segment and expanding our potential non-food markets.”