STI Group launches fiber-based Click-Box for laundry pods with child-resistant snap-lock, water-based barrier

GERMANY – STI Group has launched a fiber-based Click-Box for laundry pods, featuring a child-resistant snap-lock, tamper-evident opening, resealability, and a water-based barrier coating that enables full paper-stream recyclability.

The solution aims to respond to cost pressures, child safety requirements, and sustainability demands in personal care packaging. 

The design can provide two separate internal compartments if required, and its flat-pack delivery saves space and logistics. 

STI Group states that with the Click-Box, the company has developed an innovative advancement of existing packaging concepts that meets diverse requirements in a significantly simpler, more sustainable, and cost-effective way.

Solving the Laundry Pod Packaging Challenge

Laundry pods are hygroscopic, they absorb moisture from the air and will dissolve if exposed to humidity. Traditional packaging uses multi-material laminates or plastic tubs with foil seals to create a moisture barrier, which are difficult to recycle. 

The Click-Box’s water-based barrier coating provides an effective water vapour barrier without plastic lamination, while the corrugated board structure maintains rigidity. 

The child-resistant snap-lock mechanism prevents accidental opening by young children, a critical safety requirement after years of public health warnings about pod ingestion injuries.

A Single Material, Fully Recyclable

Unlike plastic tubs (which may be made of polypropylene but often include incompatible components) or composite cartons (which combine paperboard with plastic liners), the Click-Box is a mono-material corrugated board structure. 

The water-based coating is designed to be removed during the paper recycling process, allowing the fibre to be recovered. 

After use, the packaging can be disposed of in the paper recycling stream and fully recycled.

Cost and Logistics Advantages

The flat-pack delivery means empty boxes ship flat to the filling site, reducing transport volume and cost compared to pre-formed rigid tubs. 

At the filling line, the boxes are erected, filled with pods, and closed in a continuous process.

The absence of separate labels for tamper evidence reduces material and assembly costs. By replacing plastic tubs with corrugated board, the Click-Box also reduces weight, lowering shipping costs for finished products.

When Safety and Sustainability Converge

A child-resistant package that is also fully recyclable is not a trade-off, it is an upgrade. 

STI Group’s Click-Box proves that the laundry pod category can move from plastic tubs to paperboard without compromising safety, moisture protection, or line speed. For brand owners, that convergence is not incremental; it is a category reset.

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