GSK Consumer Healthcare and Karl Knauer win the German Packaging Award 2021

Plastic-free toothbrush packaging for Dr.BEST and Aquafresh wins award

The new plastic-free, blister packaging based on renewable fibres, which the packaging specialist Karl Knauer used for the toothbrushes of the Dr.BEST and Aquafresh brands, shows how sustainable, effective and above all plastic-free the future will be in the cosmetics and drugstore shelves. This has a decisive advantage not only for the company, but also for consumers: The packaging can be fully disposed of in the paper waste without being separated. The company from the Black Forest, together with GlaxoSmithKline and M+C Schiffer, was awarded the renowned German Packaging Award 2021 for this packaging.

100% sustainability, 0% plastic

The pivoting head of the Dr.BEST toothbrushes that are well known from advertising will now appear behind an innovative patched window made of sustainable cellulose fibres – no longer densely packaged in a plastic cover, as is common in this segment. In this way, the globally operating GlaxoSmithKline Group, to which the international oral care brand Aquafresh and the German sister brand Dr.BEST both belong, is meeting customer demand for sustainable packaging and is also establishing a new standard in the toothbrush market. By converting this toothbrush packaging to carton blister packaging, the company group should save over 325 tonnes of plastic annually. The packaging is completely free of plastic and consists of sustainable and recycled materials. The blister card and blister cover are even made from FSC®-certified carton (FSC®-Mix, FSC® C005891). It is one of the first mainstream toothbrush packaging that can be completely disposed of in the paper waste and recycled without having to take the effort to separate it into individual parts beforehand.

"Of course we are delighted about the award from the German Packaging Institute and about the fact that the jury praised this innovative toothbrush packaging. They are affirming our work and our claim of offering our customers plastic-free, intelligent packaging solutions that contribute to the positive image of a brand and product”, states Martin Glatz, head of Sales, Marketing, Research and Development at Karl Knauer.  

Also on the shortlist of the European Carton Excellence Award

In Europe’s most important competition for carton packaging, the sustainable toothbrush packaging was able to come out on top of the nearly 100 entries and was placed on the shortlist for the public vote by the experts. You can vote for your favourite on the ProCarton Association website until the end of August. The winners of the coveted awards will be honoured in early September as part of an online gala, just like last year.

Vote now: https://voting.procarton.com/en/ecea/