Overview

Opal customer NPC Performance Clutches (NPC) is a family owned and operated business located in Brisbane. One of Australia’s leading suppliers of performance clutches and flywheels, NPC serves customers both nationally and abroad. Due to their considerable weight, the distribution of clutches requires a serious packaging solution to ensure both the protection of the product and that the integrity of the box remains intact throughout long distance supply chains. Historically, suppliers have used expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) inserts, which do not meet APCO’s 2025 packaging targets and are very difficult to recycle leading the vast majority being sent to landfill.

Opportunity

In an effort to understand our customer’s needs and demonstrate Opal’s innovative approach to collaborating to deliver superior, fit for purpose packaging solutions, our team members from Opal joined NPC to identify their sustainability goals and brainstorm packaging solutions made from a renewable source – cardboard. NPC were inspired by their customers to identify packaging solutions that eliminated plastic derived foam, in favour of a more sustainable cardboard corrugate insert that could still secure and protect their product.

The need to meet APCO’s packaging targets and the Queensland Government’s Plastic Pollution Reduction Plan were also a driving factor for NPC.

“We approached Opal with the task of creating an environmentally friendly option for our product packaging as we wanted to move away from the use of foam inserts to secure our products in cardboard boxes, that are also produced by Opal, said James Chambellant from NPC.

“We also wanted a packaging solution that could be recycled once it could no longer be used”.

Execution

Opal suggested using a paper corrugate packaging solution to replace the undesirable expanded polystyrene foam inserts. Once NPC approved this approach, Opal’s designer began prototyping. After testing multiple samples, Opal produced a high quality print (HQP), fully recyclable paper-based carton that met NPC’s specifications and successfully achieved their sustainability targets.
NPC are extremely happy with the sustainable solution that Opal provided and have received great feedback from their customers.

James from NPC highlighted that, Opal was quick in designing a custom cardboard template that would ensure our products remained well protected within the box.

“We were extremely happy with Opal’s customer service and dedication to delivering the right solution for us. The finished result is high quality, and we can trust that our products will remain well protected and secure in their new packaging as they are delivered across Australia and internationally. Opal has always been ready for a challenge and very efficient when we approach them with any new packaging innovations”, said James.

Before & After