Why we needed a completely new solution

Health Pak has long pushed the development of innovative recycled and recyclable packaging such as eco.logic bottles and processes such as the Back to Base soap recycling, but we also believe we now need a product that matches the reality of guests’ demands for high-quality jams & spreads that provide a great consumer experience - without the waste.

Every Ecostick uses

80% less packaging than a traditional PCU

plastic PCU take between

450-1000 years to break down

How ecostick will reduce waste

Ecostick is unique in that it’s the only paper-based material that’s able to hold our farm style jams long-term without leakage. Ecostick’s material also contains an additive which allows the super thin plastic lining to break down in landfill faster than standard plastic that can take hundreds of years.

There are three main components to how this works:

  1. The ecostick material: This is almost exclusively paper and so is able to biodegrade in landfill. The thin layer of plastic coating that’s used wouldn’t degrade in landfill because of the lack of sunlight or oxygen, so our additive is designed to a) help start the process of breaking it down, and b) work like a pheromone for microbes which then start eating it as if it was organic waste.
  2. The packaging line: The way the material is handled and filled contributes to how it is able to contain liquids such as shampoo and soap without leakage.
  3. The yummy yummy contents: Our farm style jams and sauces are all made to traditional recipies, we just do a little bit of last minute adjustments to get a very specific pH to allow them to go into a paper sachet and not leak.

ecostick will 

replace over 30,000,000 Plastic/foil PCU annually 

Guest experience compared to traditional PCU

Guests simply love the idea and the innovation behind it. Toast ecostick is seen as new and clever.

Display and functionality were always going to be of the utmost importance in bringing a new packaging product to market. Ecosticks needs to have the wow-factor when it comes to providing guests with a great experience while also providing the environmental story of why it is important and different.

The ecosticks have a QR code printed on them that directs users to healthpak.co.nz/ecostick/toast which explains the who, what and why of ecostick.