Marie Redding, Associate Editor02.14.13
One of Method's new bottle designs, by fashion designer Orla Kiely. |
Fashionable Prints by Orla Kiely
Method's new limited edition collection, available exclusively at Target, was designed in collaboration with fashion designer Orla Kiely. This is the second time the brand has collaborated with the designer. The plastic bottles are decorated with Kiely's new patterns, printed on shrink sleeves.
Similar graphic prints by the Irish-born designer also adorn her ready-to-wear collection. "Working with Orla and her team was a natural fit given the mutual love of color, patterns and design shared by both our brands," said Sally Clarke, creative director of Method.
Clarke and her team collaborated with Keily on the look of the collection, and its decoration.
Method's product development team used Kiely's patterns as a starting point when creating the new scents: white nectarine, cloudburst, honeysuckle, and tomato vine. The limited edition collection includes hand wash, dish soap, and all-purpose cleaner.
New Fragrances
Method is also launching two new fragrances for its classic line – Fig + Rhubarb, which is purple; and Poppy, a bright blue. The products are packaged in clear bottles, made from recycled plastic that contains 100% post-consumer resin (PCR).
One of Method's new fragrances, Poppy. |
The Ocean Bottle
Another recent launch – and a breakthrough in sustainable packaging – is Method's two-in-one Dish + Hand Soap. Launched last fall at Whole Foods, the bottle is made with "Ocean Plastic" - and a large hangtag around the bottle's neck lets consumers know that the bottle is the first to be made with a mixture of recovered ocean plastic and post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR).
The bottle’s look is different as well. Rather than providing a bright pop of color, Method chose to leave the plastic in its natural state. Its gray shade is a result of processing the recovered plastic – and the necessary chopping, washing and blending that occurs. Inspiration for the package texture was drawn from a sea urchin, with small ridges running the length of the bottle.
The plastic was recycled from several tons of brightly colored opaque plastic that was hand-collected on the beaches of Hawaii, by volunteers from Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii and the Kokua Hawaii Foundation. A portion of the product’s proceeds will go to these two Hawaiian organizations as part of Method’s efforts to establish an ongoing business model and supply chain for collecting and sorting plastic marine debris.
Method's Ocean Bottle, made with pastic recovered from the beaches in Hawaii. |
"Our goal with ocean plastic packaging is to show that the most viable solution to our plastic pollution problem is using the plastic that’s already on the planet. Method’s ocean plastic bottle demonstrates in the extreme that recycling is possible,” said Adam Lowry, Method co-founder and chief greenskeeper. "By recycling and reusing plastic to make our bottles, we turn off the tap of plastic flowing into our oceans and take the first, most important step toward solving the ocean plastic problem."
Scientists estimate that several million tons of plastic make their way into the oceans every year, polluting the environment and hurting marine populations. Through this new use of recovered ocean plastic, Method hopes to demonstrate how business can tackle environmental problems, and that there are smarter ways to make plastic rather than using virgin material.
Method's Iconic Packaging
Method has been known for its eco-friendly mission – but it is its modern bottle shapes and innovative designs that first attracted attention, transforming the look of the home and personal care aisles at Target stores.
Josh Handy, Method's vice president of industrial design (who is also Sally Clarke's husband), engineers the bottle shapes. Handy first worked with Method years ago when he was at Karim Rashid's design agency. Back then, Handy was the designer at Karim Rashid who designed Method's now iconic bottom-dispensing dish soap bottle.
Method's fun look will no doubt continue to inspire innovative designs for personal care products - and the brand hopes to continue to make a difference when it comes to sustainability issues as well.