Unique Distinctions
Unique Distinctions
🏭 Ontario, Canada
What we like about Unique Distinctions: Unique Distinctions focuses on beauty and personal care packaging like airless bottles and deodorant tubes.
Plastic bottles and jars
With options for 100% PCR and various lids like traditional pumps and airless pumps.
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Unique Distinctions has decent coverage across various types of personal care bottles for anything from lotions to serums. They have options for airless pumps, spring pumps, and pop top lids.
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Unique Distinctions offers post-consumer recycled (PCR) resins. Using recycled content is one way to minimize reliance on fossil fuels, the leading cause of human-driven climate change.
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In the US, only around 5% of plastic waste was recycled in 2021. While plastics with the resin codes #1 and #2 (PET and HDPE) have a higher likelihood of being recycled, plastic as a whole has a very low likelihood of actually being recycled.
This is due to several factors including the lack of recycling infrastructure, the number of plastic types, the sheer volume of plastic waste, and the quick degradation of the polymers in recycling. Even if plastic ends up in a recycling bin, most of it will end up in landfills or oceans.
To minimize the amount of plastic sent to landfills, use paper-based or glass alternatives, or opt for refillable or practically reusable designs.
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Use discretion when using plastic resin codes (the recycling symbol surrounding a number).
Resin codes simply indicate the type of plastic an object is made from, not its recyclability. Whether or not a plastic can be recycled depends on individual cities’ waste infrastructure. In cities where plastics are accepted, resins #1 and #2 (PET and HDPE) are most commonly permitted, unless they’re made into plastic film.
On your design, it's ideal to indicate the plastic type and encourage to look up their city’s disposal rules for that type of plastic.
Sugarcane plastic tube
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A flexible that’s pliable enough to squeeze product out. Sugarcane plastic feels like traditional, fossil fuel-based plastic.
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Bioplastics are derived primarily from renewable materials from plants or animals, instead of fossil fuels which are not renewable. Some bioplastics may have fossil fuel additives to enhance certain performance properties like flexibility.
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If a bioplastic is compostable, it’s a good idea to let customers know that the second best option is reuse. If they can’t compost or reuse the plastic, it should go in the trash.
Bioplastics look and feel like traditional plastic, but most can’t be recycled, so proper disposal information should be an important part of the design. Tossing bioplastic in with recycling just adds an extra step on the way to landfill.
You could consider a takeback program. If you can work with an industrial composter that accepts bioplastic, you can bulk compost your packaging on behalf of customers.
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Bioplastics are primarily derived from renewable materials like plants and animals, instead of fossil fuels. Some bioplastics may have fossil fuel additives to enhance certain performance properties like flexibility.
Aluminum tubes & bottles
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Aluminum bottles have the weight and feel of a beverage can, but in personal care applications, they tend to be a little thicker and more rigid.
Aluminum tubes and bottles are a recyclable alternative to plastic.
A metal “key” is often included with aluminum tubes to make for a more consistent, easy product distribution.
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Metals are a nonrenewable resource, but the upside is that metals can be recycled endlessly. Metal can be more lightweight than glass, plus it's not breakable. It also has the water resistant properties of plastic. The most common metals used for packaging are steel, tin, and aluminum.
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Since metal is a nonrenewable resource, it's crucial that it's recycled. Metals are endlessly recyclable without degradation in quality. Many metals are widely accepted for curbside recycling.
Because metals can last a long time without degradation, refill programs often use metal containers.
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Because it's endlessly recyclable, it's crucial to remind consumers to recycle metal so that this valuable material stays in the stream.
Most metals start as a silver or gold color. Your design can embrace the metallic feel, or you can explore flood coats or wrap applications to cover the shine.
Jars & Bottles
Poly Bags & Films
Trays & Inserts
Paper Mailers
Cushioning
Corrugated
Folding Cartons
Food Service
Inks & Coatings
Raw Materials
Labels
Specialty Papers
