Knoll Packaging Celebrates a Year United Together

During unprecedented times, we look back at a year of innovation, sustainability achievements, milestones and more

December 14, 2020

As we look back on 2020, we were faced with an unprecedented year with tremendous challenges and change across our planet. It is our ongoing commitment to protect our people and planet, and through our toughest times, we are truly United Together.

LEADERSHIP IN SUSTAINAIBILITY

Throughout 2020, we took many measures to reduce our overall C02 output, including size and weight reduction of packaging, implementing sustainable products like Knoll Ecoform® that require less C02 during production, and offering alternative transportation methods for shipping goods. Through this global effort, and with Knoll's partnership to plant trees in Jubilación Segura, Peru with Pur Projet, we've been able to achieve Carbon Neutrality in 2020.

The San Martín region was heavily deforested in the 1980's as Peru experienced a strong increase in illicit coca cultivation and many Amazonianregions were ruled by drug traffic. As a consequence, soil productivity and ecosystem services have decreased in an area recognized as a hotspot of biodiversity. Local cooperatives were created in this context, to develop alternative cultures. The cooperatives gather families of small-scale fair-trade and organic cocoa and coffee farmers, who plant trees following forestry models, on degraded and unused lands, and also on cultivated plots where they develop agroforestry practices. The project also developstree planting in the Amazonas Region which has faced high deforestation due to the extension of cattle ranching.

This year, we were also honored to receive EcoVadis Gold, which places Knoll in the top 4% for sustainability, as assessed by their team. We value metrics in validating sustainable business practices. For this reason, we deeply value EcoVadis and its ability to provide our company and industry benchmarks to achieve. Over the last year, we have seen a tremendous amount of implementation and success with our CSR initiatives, so it is an honor to advance to the Gold ranking. As EcoVadis continues to increase their own standards each year, so do we, and we are thrilled to now be ranked in the top 96th percentile.

Perhaps one of our biggest highlights this year, particularly as we navigate through a global pandemic, was being named a United Nations Global Compact LEAD for the second year in a row. To be included among a small list of 41 global organizations, and the only SME in the packaging industry, is a demonstration to our on-going commitment to the Ten Principles. A commitment to sustainability is truly tested during these periods, and the Global Compact has been invaluable in connecting organizations and creating dialogues to find meaningful solutions.

At the end of 2020, Knoll will be 100% FSC certified, ensuring greater control of our supply chain and cementing our commitment to producing only FSC certified goods.

INNOVATION & SUSTAINABILITY

2020 saw the development of some of the most exciting projects ever produced at Knoll, all of which were driven by sustainability and innovation.

Introducing KnollLuxe™ Premium Board Platform, a newly developed recyclable and sustainable packaging solution, which features all finished edges and cavities to hold a product. The prestigious platforms can be seamlessly wrapped for decoration and has the most upscale appearance.

Soleil Lalique Crystal Edition

The design imagined by the Lalique House is an exceptional masterpiece, an oval-shaped metal coffret sprayed in the Living Coral and Gold colors of Soleil Lalique.

The fascination starts with the discovery of the gold sunrays from the round gold center round plaque on the outside lid. Once the lid is removed, the coffret opens like a fan to reveal the flacon, mirrored by a gleaming backdrop of Art Déco-style sunrays in shiny gold, matte gold and shiny silver. The overall coffret is lined with suede-finish coral fabric and creates a perfect finish when the Crystal Flacon is displayed.

Its specific shape and spectacular size make this masterpiece another highly sophisticated case in the history of perfumery. The opening system with the deployment of the two wings, was a long engineering effort due to the heavy weight of the doors. The variety of materials, including steel, wood, mirror and fabric, required several color-matching tests and prototype developments.

Jo Malone Home Candle Trio

This Holiday 2020 Home Candle Trio is a very elegant set that holds three candles in black molded vegetable pulp platforms (Knoll Ecoform®) in a rigid board box and cover. The coffret is hand wrapped in the iconic Jo Malone Wibalin Natural paper with holiday hot foil stamping decoration inside the base. This set can be easily disassembled after removing the three pulp platforms and reused by the brand's customers.

The most innovative feature of this packaging is the shift from using a non-sustainable material, EVA black foam, to a fully sustainable Knoll Ecoform material. This move allows the package to be far more sustainable and recyclable than before.

The technical challenges involved were determining the correct way to properly grab and hold the candles in place using a molded pulp platform. Given there is draft on the molded pulp, the component had to be properly molded to ensure a good fit, that prevented the candles from shifting, but not overly too tight that they could damage the candles.

Jo Malone Home Candle Trio won Best Fragrance & Cosmetics Coffret at Formes de Luxe

Penhaligon's Advent Calendar

The British perfume House Penhaligon's created the ultimate luxury gift this year is the "Brilliantly British" Advent Calendar. Shaped like the Penhaligon's iconic fragrance, this all-cardboard structure is made of two split round cylinders and round tops as the bottle cap.

The Fragrant Holiday Countdown reveals 24 fragrant treats hidden behind doors. Printed in the custom Penhaligon's color, with a combination of 4 color printing, hot stamping and embossing, its festive graphics feature the Penhaligon's van delivering scented gifts around the city streets escorted by Coldstream Guards. The final touch is a tied and removable Union Jack bow, which makes this Holiday seasons "Brilliantly British" Penhaligon's advent an absolute must-have for the brand's fans.

Thanks to its know-how, Knoll was able to take up the challenge of making the coffret entirely out of cardboard and optimizing the format in order to successfully integrate the multiple perfumes and ancillaries inside. The quality and rigidity of the materials, and Knoll's expertise in hand paper lining, make this new shape of packaging a real performance.

Acqua di Parma Advent Calendar

Shaped like a hatbox, this coffret unfolds in four parts to reveal compartments housing miniature Colonia or Blu Mediterraneo fragrances, and other delights for the body and face. The 24 windows reveal a surprise for each day, and the brand's iconic yellow decoration is made festive with illustrations from the Chinese artist Oamul, who is known for his surreal outlook of the world. This coffret posed many technical challenges, including the registration of the decoration, alignment of the different doors in the structure, and the resistance of the three hinges over time.

The overall Advent structure is made of recycled grey board, wrapped with FSC printed paper. The signature brand logo is printed on a removable and reusable magnet plaque. The two EVA foam platforms which hold the heaviest products are removable and instructions are given to consumers on how to reuse or recycle the coffret. After the removal of the EVA platforms and the logo plaque, the Advent is recyclable in the paper stream. Due to its perfect finish, and rigid and strong construction, the Acqua Di Parma advent is intended to be kept and reused by the consumers.

The 2019 Acqua di Parma Advent Calendar won Silver at the Pure Beauty Awards and Limited Edition of the Year at the UK Packaging Awards.

CONTINUING TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE AND PLANET

The work doesn't stop, and as a continued effort to expand our impact, each of Knoll's global offices have partnered with a charity to support this year. Learn more about these incredible organizations.

Linda Drew, General Manager of USA, shared, "Every $1 donated helps City Harvest rescue and deliver fresh, healthy food for three New Yorkers for a day. They bring fresh, nutritious food to communities across the five boroughs, free of charge, to help feed New Yorkers. It is incredibly important for our team in New York to help support these communities, especially as so many are currently experiencing greater food insecurity due to Covid-19. They are a wonderful organization and have been doing incredible work for nearly 40 years in our city."

Lillian Chan, General Manager of APAC, shared, "The mission of Food Angel is "Waste Not, Hunger Not, With Love" and they have been able to do that to act fast and help lots of hungry families in Hong Kong. Especially during the holiday season, there is nothing more important than a healthy meal to keep you fueled and energized, and we are thrilled to support an organization that is helping to get these meals to underprivileged communities in Hong Kong."

Florence Dancoisne, General Manager of Europe, shared, "Chance 4 All is an remarkable organization that support kids who are out of the schooling system in Zambia. Through an ongoing collaboration, these children are enrolled into school and then mentored as they continue their education. These communities have been greatly impacted by Covid-19, especially when schools were closed for 6 months, and these children fell into even higher risk. We were able to provide meals to nearly 200 families for over a month as schools began to re-open and these kids transitioned back into their education systems. Gaining access to education and food are so incredibly important, and Chance 4 All has done an amazing job with their efforts."