Tony's Chocolonely Advent Calendar

The customer demand

Tony's Chocolonely is always looking to optimise sustainability, so too for the packaging they use. For their popular advent calendar, they were looking for a solution where both the outer packaging and the inlay are made of a single material. The wish: a mono-material packaging that is easier to process on the production line at the co-packer's and is in line with Tony's Chocolonely's sustainable brand vision.

The calendar already consisted of fully cardboard packaging 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 improved processability on the production line and made co-packing more efficient.

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From concept to production

After initial contact at the end of February, SFA Packaging quickly presented a complete concept for the new inlay. Technical drawings, 3D prototypes and fit tests were then carried out.

During the development phase, accuracy was key. The design required extreme precision: the inlay had to exactly match the position of the chocolates behind the shutters. Due to the limited release angle within moulded fibre production, this posed a technical challenge. With several design rounds and prototypes, SFA found the right balance between sturdiness, release angle and fit for both the large and small calendar inlay.

After approval, moulds were built and production started in the summer, after which actual packaging could start and the calendars were in shops on time.

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Cooperation and result

The cooperation between Tony's Chocolonely and SFA was constructive and pleasant. In a short time, an innovative solution was developed that fits seamlessly with the brand's sustainability ambitions. The co-packer is also enthusiastic about the improved processability and time-saving benefits of the new packaging.

"With this project, together with SFA, we took 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 together on improvements for future editions."
says Laura van Veen, Buyer Tony Chocolonely.

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