Designing Sustainable Club Packaging

When adding products to club stores, such as Costco and Sam’s Club, bigger is better and expected. However, without thoughtful design, bulk packaging can quickly lead to an increase in single-use plastic waste in landfills. Recognizing the environmental impact of larger packaging, P&G engaged our team at Design Central to flip this narrative. Together, we reimagined club packaging with sustainability at the core. Along with developing 100% recyclable packaging solutions for Febreze Plug refills and Power Mop pad refills, the results demonstrate how sustainability can be combined with a high-quality user experience, pallet organization efficiency, and a positive in-store impact.

Febreze Plug Refills

The new Febreze Plug refill packaging in clubs has eliminated the previously used blister pack, a packaging method commonly used to ensure product security and product visibility. The challenge with eliminating a blister pack is that it reduces shoppers' understanding of their purchase value, a necessary storytelling element in a club store where it’s imperative that the monetary value for bulk quantities is immediately communicated. To combat this hurdle, our team designed a display window that showcases all five refills without increasing the risk for tampering.

The design process combined multiple layout explorations, rapid prototyping, and rendered graphics, allowing P&G to evaluate both function and shopper perception early in the development process. Our design process also explored dual-purpose packaging solutions to answer: 

• How to stack and organize the product for pallet optimization?
• How to offer a neat storage solution for consumers to keep refills organized while at home?

Power Mop Pad Refills

The Power Mop pad refills proposed a different challenge, adopting sustainable change without introducing confusion. The refill pads and batteries are packed inside the overall Power Mop club package, but if not designed carefully, they risk being thrown away mistakenly. Therefore, the packaging communication was a critical endeavor to avoid consumer dissatisfaction and unnecessary waste. Through rapid prototyping concepts, our team ideated an easy-to-grab pad cutout design utilizing 100% recyclable materials and suggested packaging dielines that both secure and reveal the included batteries. Manufacturing efficiency was also enhanced through the incorporation of an auto-locking bottom.

Packaging as an Asset

Beyond the refill packs, Design Central collaborated with P&G on the overall Power Mop club packaging, another testament to P&G’s push toward sustainable packaging. To help the Power Mop’s market introduction flourish, especially in clubs, our team evaluated product window solutions, maximized billboard space, and optimized pallet/tray configurations, as well as tested internal layouts/weight distribution to avoid remaining products from tipping as each unit is removed from the pallet. 

This collaboration demonstrates how strategic sustainable packaging design can transform club packaging into an asset that drives both environmental and business goals. Explore our overall contribution to the Power Mop development here.  

Ready to Rethink Your Packaging?

At Design Central, we partner with brands to deliver protective, efficient, and memorable packaging. Whether launching a new product or revamping an existing line, we can help you turn packaging into a strategic asset. Contact Tim Friar to explore how we can transform your packaging strategy.