The box with no magnets

Sales and Marketing Director and sustainable packaging specialist Michael McLaren said,

“Magnets have been used by drinks brands for decades to securely and neatly close their presentation boxes, but they add enormously to the carbon footprint of each bottle of spirit. They are often sourced from the other side of the world, create toxic waste through their manufacturing process and make a box harder to recycle.”

“We have developed an innovative new, more sustainable and secure, box called the “LocBox” – a top loading box that locks the lid in place with no need for expensive and environmentally damaging magnets. This has been developed through our Blue Box Design department and we are currently awaiting the patent on our unique design to be granted.”

Not only does the LocBox maintain the satisfying ‘click’ on closure of a magnetised lid, but through rigorous testing at Scotland’s first drinks packaging testing lab, PackSure, the LocBox lid has been proven to be four times more secure than the traditional magnet closure.

While magnets make for a fuss-free way to close a box, they are made from non-renewable resources such as rare-earth metals, with an energy-intensive and environmentally damaging production process.

Michael McLaren added,

“An ongoing focus of our work is exploring alternative box styles that eliminate the need for hard-to-recycle components like magnets. These small elements can account for 20% of the carbon emissions linked to the manufacturing of a box. This is the latest in a series of innovative packaging designs by McLaren that offer the drinks industry a way to reduce the carbon footprint of their products.”

Improving the sustainability of products is core to the McLaren Packaging approach. Their strategy is specifically aligned to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 12 and 13 around climate action, responsible consumption and production. McLaren Packaging's goal is to achieve Net Zero in its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2025.