Orkla ditches plastic pouches for Elopak’s D-Pak cartons across Nordic laundry lines

NORDICS – Orkla Home & Personal Care has rolled out six Klar laundry products in Elopak’s D-Pak refill cartons across Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, replacing plastic pouches with cartons containing circular and bio-circular polymers.

The collaboration brings three laundry detergents and three fabric softeners to Normal stores across the Nordic region. 

OHPC first launched Klar in D-Pak refills in 2017 in Norway, but the new line uses an updated mix of circular (recycled) PE and bio-circular polymers described as renewable. 

The 360-degree carton surface gives the brand uninterrupted space for messaging, a critical advantage over plastic pouches that have limited printable area due to seams and gussets.

Why Cartons Beat Pouches for Refills

Plastic pouches are lightweight and use less material per unit than rigid bottles, but they are difficult to recycle because multi-layer laminates combine different polymers. 

Pouches are also floppy, making them hard to merchandise on shelves and leaving limited room for branding. 

The D-Pak carton is rigid, stands upright, and provides four full sides for graphics, barcode, instructions, and promotional messaging. 

A customer comparing a floppy pouch with a sturdy carton perceives the carton as higher quality, even when both contain the same liquid laundry detergent.

Circular and Bio-Circular Materials

The new D-Pak cartons contain a mix of circular PE (recycled post-consumer plastic) and bio-circular PE (made from renewable feedstocks such as used cooking oil or tall oil). 

The bio-circular material is chemically identical to fossil-based PE but has a lower carbon footprint because it uses waste or residue streams instead of virgin fossil feedstocks. 

The circular PE closes the loop on plastic waste by turning discarded packaging back into new packaging. 

The combination allows Elopak to offer a D-Pak carton with reduced fossil-based content while maintaining the same mechanical properties that converters require.

A Study Backs the Switch

A study conducted last year showed that D-Pak cartons have a lower environmental impact than plastic pouch alternatives used for similar household care products. 

The comparison likely considered full lifecycle impacts, including raw material extraction, manufacturing, transport, and end-of-life disposal. 

Cartons are recyclable in paper streams (after removing the plastic liner), while pouches are not recyclable in most municipal systems.

Ida Marie Grimsrud of OHPC stated that the D-Pak carton format provides retailers with a shelf-ready product with eye-catching standout, and that the 360-degree carton surface gives the company the unrivaled packaging communication space to help this rebranding make a splash.

Subscribe to our email newsletters that provide busy executives like you with the latest news insights and trends from Africa and the World. SUBSCRIBE HERE