Tony's Chocolonely Advent calendar

The customer’s request

Tony’s Chocolonely is constantly looking for ways to increase their sustainability. This includes the packaging they use. For their popular advent calendar, they were looking for a solution in which the entire calendar, both the outer packaging and the inlay, were made of one single material. The request: come up with a mono-material packaging that’s easier to process on the co-packer’s production line and which is in line with Tony’s Chocolonely’s sustainable brand vision.

The calendar was already made entirely of cardboard and was easily recyclable. The challenge lay mainly in the production process: filling the calendars required a lot of manual handling. Tony’s wanted to optimise this process with a packaging solution that improves processability on the production line and increases the efficiency of the co-packing process.

From concept to production

Soon after the initial contact at the end of February, SFA Packaging presented a complete concept for the new inlay. The technical drawings were made, 3D prototypes produced, and tests carried out so see if the proposed solution was the right fit.

During the development phase, accuracy was key. The design required extreme precision: the inlay had to match the position of the chocolates behind the doors exactly. Due to the limited discharge angle in molded fiber production, this posed a technical challenge. After multiple design rounds and prototypes, SFA found the right balance between sturdiness, discharge angle and fit, for both the large and the small calendar inlay.

Following approval, moulds were built and production started in the summer. The actual packaging of the chocolate could then start, ensuring the calendars were in shops on time.

Cooperation and results

The cooperation between Tony’s Chocolonely and SFA was constructive and positive. An innovative solution that fits seamlessly with the brand’s sustainability ambitions was developed quickly. The co-packer is also enthusiastic about the improved processability and the time savings the new packaging brings.

“This project with SFA has helped us take a great first step towards a more efficient and sustainable packaging solution. Despite scheduling challenges, we appreciate the team’s commitment and flexibility. We look forward to continuing to build on improvements for future editions together.”
Laura van Veen, Purchaser at Tony’s Chocolonely.