P&G company changes from traditional clamshells to a tear-resistant combination structure.

Now a division of Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble, Gillette remains a household name around the world. Since 2000, its razors have been packaged in RF-sealed clamshells whose large dimensions make it difficult for bad guys to pocket product and walk out without paying for it.

Unfortunately, the clamshells are problematic due to the sharp edges that are formed when opening the package with a knife or scissors. Moreover, the clamshell's exterior is entirely plastic, which creates issues around sustainability as many manufacturers are trying to reduce the amount of plastic they use in their packaging.

So recently Gillette replaced the traditional clamshell format with the BlisterGuard package from Colbert Packaging (www.colbertpkg.com). It consists of two pieces of 18-pt Everest® Safe-Pak™ solid bleached sulfate paperboard from International Paper (www.internationalpaper.com) and a clear blister of recycled PET. The SBS paperboard is reinforced with Valeron® (www.valeron.com) strength film, which is described as a high-strength, cross-laminated, tear-resistant, high-density polyethylene structure. It keeps in-store thieves from tearing open the pack and pocketing the contents. But at home, an ordinary pair of scissors lets consumers open the pack easily and safely.

According to Gillette senior engineer Michael Marcinkowski, adjustments to packaging machinery involved little more than tooling modifications when the switch to the new package format was made. An RF seal traps the RPET blister between the two pieces of paperboard. Marcinkowski chooses not to discuss the cost of the new package compared to the old, nor does he identify the packaging machinery on which the BlisterGuard pack is produced.