Packaging Index (PAX) for nuts – 7 packages compared

In the third part of our new blog series ‘PAX’, we take a closer look at seven nut packaging solutions and compare them in terms of performance, sustainability and design. Which products perform best in these three evaluation dimensions? Who scores the highest overall, in other words, the highest Packaging Index (PAX)? And where are there weaknesses or potential for improvement? We will clarify all of this below.

A brief introduction to the three assessment dimensions

Performance: This assessment dimension revolves around performance characteristics that are relevant for retailers and consumers, as well as in terms of disposal. Eight criteria from the categories of POS performance, product protection and use are taken into account.

Sustainability: This assessment dimension revolves around sustainability characteristics that are important for recycling and environmental protection. Five criteria from the categories of material, construction and labeling are taken into account.

Design: This assessment dimension revolves around design features that serve to present the product and brand. Eight criteria from the categories of product and brand staging, artwork and structural design are taken into account.

Evaluation dimension: Performance – and the winners are…
Nut Perfect and Farmer’s Snack, each with 335 points!

Both types of packaging are stand-up pouches. The next-best packaging – the Seeberger bag – scores 290 points here. Why do we see pouch options as leading the field compared to other packaging solutions? There are two reasons: for one thing, they are particularly user-friendly. They can be opened easily and clearly, and the contents can be emptied without leaving any residue. What’s more, thanks to the large front, the pouches can be designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and informative, which in turn has a positive effect on performance at the point of sale (POS).

Further findings from the performance comparison

The market for nut products is characterized by pouches and tins made of metal or cardboard. Thermoformed packaging is another option. Around half of the nut packaging analyzed is resealable, which is a clear plus for consumers. Another practical feature: in addition to the pouches, the other types of packaging examined also offered full emptying of the remaining contents. However, none of the packaging stands out with an unusual design. This opens up opportunities for brands that decide to take a more creative approach. Unusual secondary packaging is also a rarity at the POS and thus represents another area in which innovations can generate a competitive advantage.

Assessment dimension Sustainability – and the winner is…
Nut Perfect with 312.5 points!

Second place is shared by Seeberger and Farmer’s Snack, with 297.5 points each. Once again, pouch packaging is in the lead. This is no coincidence: they are made of a single material. This makes them easy to recycle – after all, they do not require the time-consuming separation of different materials. Furthermore, the bags score points for their low weight and the fact that they can be compactly disposed of in every respect.

Further findings from the sustainability comparison

Material mixes are associated with significant sustainability disadvantages. This is clearly illustrated by the Kluth pot, for example: the packaging includes paper and plastic elements. It can only be optimally recycled if the consumer separates the two materials and disposes of each correctly. However, for reasons of convenience and sometimes also due to a lack of interest in environmental issues, many consumers fail to do so. For the sake of our planet, brands should therefore try to make it as easy as possible for consumers to dispose of their packaging.

Assessment dimension: Design – and the winner is…
Nut Perfect with 315 points!

The packaging impresses with its modern and emotionally appealing design. The successful combination of an appetizing food shot, striking integration of the brand name and creative slogan makes the packaging an invitation to buy. In addition, the brand clearly differentiates the variety and product line. Despite the generic bag shape, the overall concept stands out quite clearly against most of the other products considered. Only Seeberger, with a PAX of 300, can really keep up. The third-best packaging – the Morgenland glass jar – is relatively far behind with 232.5 points.

Further findings from the design comparison

Overall, the product and brand presentations as well as the packaging forms of most nut products are very similar. Some of the designs also appear a bit stale. New concepts with unusual materials, forms, layouts and finishes offer brands the potential for differentiation.

Overall winner of the PAX comparison of nut packaging

Nut Perfect is ahead in all three assessment dimensions. With a total of 962.5 points, the modern, user- and environmentally friendly stand-up pouch is clearly in first place. Second and third places go to the other two pouch packages in our comparison: Seeberger has a Packaging Index of 887 .5, for Farmer’s Snack the PAX is 860. While with Seeberger the points in the various areas are distributed relatively evenly, with Farmer’s Snack, which tends to be weak in design, it is primarily the top performance that accounts for the high number of points.

The cup from Kluth brings up the rear in our comparison of nut packaging with 627.5 points, just behind the metal tin from ültje with a PAX of 662.5. These two types of packaging perform noticeably worse in terms of sustainability in particular, but also only score limited points in the areas of performance and design. The peanuts in a thermo vacuum pack offered by ültje and the glass jar from Morgenland came in fourth and fifth with 745 and 742.5 points, respectively. This is absolutely logical in view of their mediocre performance in every evaluation dimension.

Conclusion of our managing director Christoph Waldau

“The Nut Perfect stand-up pouch impresses in all evaluation dimensions and is therefore the well-deserved winner of our comparison. The good design performance stands out in particular. The modern, emotionalizing design with a striking brand, tasteful product presentation and effective differentiation of varieties and product range are inspiring.

In contrast, the Kluth tub performed relatively poorly in our test. It showed significant weaknesses in the sustainability dimension due to the high material consumption and limited recycling. Bags have a clear advantage in terms of sustainability – due to the use of monomaterial, a low total weight and good overall recyclability, which is clearly highlighted on the packaging.

We are seeing that many manufacturers now understand the importance of recyclability in their packaging. Accordingly, some of them are already consistently using mono-material, thereby setting an important standard in the nut snacks sector.”