Digital environmental protection:
Where packaging only protects and AR does the rest.
Thomas Reiner | 27.08.2019
Reducing packaging effort and at the same time increasing the (digital) added value of packaging: This goal is being pursued by an exciting concept of the Fraunhofer Prudence Institute and VIDERO AG, which separates the functions of protection, information and marketing. Its name: Vir2Pac – Digital Environmental Protection.
An important goal of the project: to reduce or eliminate packaging waste in supermarkets or online retail. But the digital added value that this approach opens up for consumers, brands and retailers is also very exciting.
At the heart of the innovative idea is packaging that is completely limited to its protective function. In this way, the packaging can be easily and consistently optimized according to the principle of design-for-recycling or can also be designed for multiple use.
Information, brand image and advertising message, on the other hand, are linked via a label that is virtually provided via an existing digital infrastructure. This content is then launched via the customer’s smartphone or the screen at the POS.
In concrete terms, this could be the case that the products in the supermarket or the electronics retailer are only packed in plain packaging reduced to their protective function. The shopper then receives augmented reality glasses at the entrance of the supermarket, through which he receives information about the product and brand-specific advertising when looking at a protective packaging.
Other services and functions could then be easily integrated. Digital value added includes, for example, displaying previous purchases, data sheets, recipe suggestions, application notes or background information on origin, production conditions or recycling.
However, in order to implement the Vir2pac concept, all actors in the product life cycle must work together: product and packaging manufacturers/designers, logistics companies, retailers, waste disposal companies and, above all, of course, the customer.
Would you like to learn more about the potentials and possibilities of packaging for environmental protection and the circular economy, digitalization or marketing? We look forward to hearing from you below.
Link:
http://www.vir2pac.com (only in German)
