This eco-friendly packaging is befitting of the sustainable community it represents.
Developed by Dewitt Carolinas, The Exchange Raleigh is a mixed-use complex of office buildings, residential towers and boutique hotels, which they describe as “a vibrant modern community rooted in local culture, health and wellness, and intentionally balanced living.” When they reached out to DATAGRAPHIC to help them design and produce some eco-friendly packaging for a promotional honey giveaway, we were immediately buzzing with excitement.
Located about 5 miles north of Downtown Raleigh, the The Exchange offers residents of this dynamic southern city a chance to “reconnect to mindful living with city conveniences and restorative wellness-focused amenities.” Dewitt Carolinas conceived of the entire development with sustainability in mind, from the LEED and IBWI WELL certifications (currently in progress) to the lush 4-acre greenspace that will feature, among other natural amenities, an apiary that is home to a colony of local honeybees.
Honoring honeybees with an eco-friendly packaging design.
At first glance, one might think this eco-friendly packaging was simply a way to sweeten up a promotional item. The unique hexagonal design with its embossed honeycomb texture has been a popular giveaway at The Exchange’s events that also featured cocktails made using the locally-produced honey. However, The Exchange’s honeybees actually play more than a symbolic role in the development’s overall commitment to local culture and the health and wellness of its community.
Partnering with local beekeepers, Buddha Bee Apiary, The Exchange Raleigh has established a resident colony of locally born and bred honeybees that are adapted to Raleigh’s climate and ecosystem. Once their colorfully painted hives are settled into their final home in a pollinator garden, these bees will help pollenate the lush vegetation across their entire greenspace and beyond, providing an essential function for maintaining life on our planet. And, naturally, they’ll continue to produce all of that delicious honey.
Our in-house creative team designed this sweet, eco-friendly packaging.
The Exchange honeybees were housed on a nearby community-focused farm while construction was being completed on the first office building and its adjacent park. As they do, the bees went about making honey in their temporary environment. So, The Exchange decided they wanted to create some custom eco-friendly packaging for the special harvest that they couldn’t wait to share with their community.
Leaning into the creative prowess of DATAGRAPHIC’s in-house design team – not to mention our nearly 100 years of printing and materials expertise – The Exchange Raleigh expressed their desire for the packaging to to not only look great, but also to compliment the ongoing sustainability practices that are at the core of the development’s ethos.
How we crafted this unique eco-friendly packaging.
We’re huge fans of the versatility of NEENAH Papers’ Folding Board, frequently using it in a wide range of custom packaging projects we produce. But, what sealed this paper choice for us was the fact that it is made from 100% post-consumer content. We knew this high-quality recycled stock would satisfy from an aesthetic standpoint as well as meet The Exchange’s sustainability requirement.
With a brightness of 92, the folding board in 100 PC White provided a bright canvas for us to letterpress The Exchange Raleigh’s logo onto. The forgiving surface left a slight impression after an initial hit of PMS Gray and then again after we added a hit of tinted varnish to achieve the logo’s muted deep green hue. This deceptively rich color sinks beautifully into the uncoated, eggshell finish of the NEENAH folding board. The neutral tooth on this versatile stock provides just enough texture to impart a natural, unpolished feel to the piece, which is fitting for a product that is born from nature.
The expertly gilded honeybee raising up from the box’s lid was produced using a few different techniques that involved gold foil stamping as well as perfectly-registered, sculpted embossing that gives one the sense that this bee might just fly right off the lid.
We knew we wanted to work a honeycomb pattern somewhere into the design of the packaging, but felt it should be subtle in order to not dominate the piece. We decided that the NEENAH folding board was a perfect substrate for blind embossing, which would add both a touch of class as well as a tactile feature that interplayed nicely with the other raised and relief elements.
To finish off the thematic look-and-feel, we gave the boxes a hexagonal shape, further emphasizing the contents within and allowing for some fun and creative display options.
Why DATAGRAPHIC excels at producing eco-friendly packaging.
Being a proud FSC® Certified printer, we’re experts in sourcing sustainable materials and are qualified to satisfy even the strictest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) requirements. From 100% post-consumer waste to hemp-infused options, today’s sustainably-produced papers are available in a wide range of finishes, colors and weights that enable businesses to reduce their footprint while not compromising on quality.
Are you considering eco-friendly packaging for your next product? Reach out today and let us show you the amazing possibilities that sustainably sourced materials have to offer.
(NOTE: This project was featured on the NEENAH Papers Idea Shop.)