Environmental packaging advantage

Abstract

A recyclable package for retail product contains two major parts: a receptacle section, containing a receptacle for the packaged product, and a tray section. The two sections are assembled and mechanically held together to form the package for the product, but are readily separated by a recycler. The two sections are formed of different kinds of packaging material, such as transparent plastic for one section and corrugated cardboard for the other. Each section may be treated separately for recycling, making recycling of the materials possible.

1 . A package for a product sold at retail comprising: 
 a receptacle section and a tray section;    said receptacle section including a receptacle for receiving and housing a product for retail sale, said receptacle including an entrance;    said tray section including a holding device for holding said receptacle section inside said tray section whereby access to said entrance of said receptacle is blocked and removal of product housed in said receptacle is inhibited, said holding device being manually releasable to permit separation of said receptacle section from said tray section.    
   
   
       2 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 1 , 
 wherein said receptacle section comprises an open box-like container comprising a base and side walls bordering and upstanding from said base;    wherein said receptacle is inverted and includes a bottom side that is elevated above said base and an open entrance located on the underside of said base;    wherein said tray section comprises a box-like container, said box-like container including a base and upright side walls bordering said base;    wherein said holding device to said tray section comprises side-wall extensions to said upright side walls;    said side wall extensions extending from respective ones of said side walls of said tray section and joined to the outer edge of said respective ones of said side walls by respective fold lines;    each said side wall extension being folded over a respective side-wall of said receptacle section and extending downwardly along side of said respective side wall to capture said respective side-wall of said receptacle section between a side-wall extension and the side-wall of said tray section from which said side-wall extension extends.    
   
   
       3 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 1 , 
 wherein said tray section consists essentially of a corrugated cardboard material; and    wherein said receptacle section consists essentially of a plastic material.    
   
   
       4 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said plastic material is a member of the group consisting of: polyvinylchloride (“PVC”), polypropylene (“PET”), and polystyrene  
   
   
       5 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 2 , 
 wherein each side wall extension contains at least one tab, said tab extending from an outer edge of the respective side wall extension;    wherein said base of said receptacle section includes at least one slot underlying each said side wall extension and is aligned with said tab of said respective side wall extension;    wherein said base of said tray section includes at least one slot underlying each said side wall extension, said slot in said base underlying a respective side wall extension being aligned with said tab of said respective side wall extension;    each tab in said side wall extension extending through a respective slot in said receptacle section and into a slot in said tray section to hold the side wall extensions in place in the folded-over position and lock the receptacle section to the tray section.    
   
   
       6 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 2 , 
 wherein each side wall extension contains two spaced tabs, said two spaced tabs extending from an outer edge of the respective side wall extension;    wherein said base of said receptacle section includes a pair of spaced slots underlying each said side wall extension, with said two spaced slots being aligned with said two spaced tabs of said respective side wall extension;    wherein said base of said tray section includes a pair of spaced slots underlying each said side wall extension and said spaced slots in said base of said tray section being aligned with said two spaced tabs of said respective side wall extension;    each tab in said side wall extension extending through a respective slot in said base of said receptacle section and into a slot in said base of said tray section to hold said side wall extensions in place in the folded-over position and lock the receptacle section to the tray section.    
   
   
       7 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 6 , 
 wherein said tray section consists solely of a corrugated cardboard material; and    wherein said receptacle section consists solely of a plastic material.    
   
   
       8 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 6 , 
 wherein said tray section consists essentially of a first packaging material;    wherein said receptacle section consists essentially of a second packaging material;    each of said first and second packaging materials being of sufficient rigidity in characteristic to maintain a shape in which formed; and wherein said second packaging material is sufficiently different in physical properties from that said first packaging material to require separate recycling to reclaim the respective packaging materials.    
   
   
       9 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 6 , 
 wherein said base of receptacle section includes a plurality of upwardly extending posts, each said post being adjacent and in such proximity to a downwardly extending side wall extension sufficient to require said side wall extension to be forced into place in front of said post to attain said folded-over position.    
   
   
       10 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 6 , 
 wherein said underside of said base of said receptacle section includes a plurality of spaced strips downwardly projecting from said underside and defining an area underlying a shallow region on the underside of said base, said shallow region, including said entrance to said receptacle;    a cover member, said cover member positioned between said base of said tray section and said bottom of said receptacle section and being sized to fit in said defined area and serve as a barrier to said entrance to said receptacle.    
   
   
       11 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 9 , 
 wherein said underside of said base of said receptacle section includes a plurality of spaced strips downwardly projecting from said underside and defining an area underlying a shallow region on the underside of said base, said shallow region, including said entrance to said receptacle;    a cover member, said cover member positioned between said base of said tray section and said bottom of said receptacle section and being sized to fit in said defined area and serve as a barrier to said entrance to said receptacle.    
   
   
       12 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said base, side walls, fold lines, posts, strips and receptacle of said receptacle section are vacuformed from a single piece of plastic material to produce a unitary one-piece structure.  
   
   
       13 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 11 , 
 wherein said tray section consists essentially of a corrugated cardboard material; and    wherein each of said receptacle section and said cover member consists essentially of a plastic material.    
   
   
       14 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 13 , 
 wherein said receptacle section and said cover member consists essentially of a plastic material and wherein said plastic material of said receptacle section is transparent.    
   
   
       15 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 3 , 
 wherein said said plastic material of said receptacle section is transparent.    
   
   
       16 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said plastic material is a member of the group consisting of: polyvinylchloride (“PVC”), polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”), polypropylene (“PP”), and polystyrene.  
   
   
       17 . A package for a product sold at retail comprising: 
 a receptacle section, said receptacle section comprising an open box-like container comprising a rectangular base and four side walls bordering and upstanding from said base and said rectangular base including a receptacle for receiving and housing a product for retail sale, said receptacle being inverted with a bottom side that is elevated above said base and an open entrance located on the underside of said base;    a tray section, said tray section comprising a four sided rectangular box-like container, said rectangular box-like container including a rectangular base, four upright side walls bordering said base, each of said four upright side walls being joined to said base by a respective fold line, and a holding device for holding said receptacle section inside said tray section to block access to said entrance of said receptacle and thereby inhibit removal of a product housed in said receptacle, said holding device being manually releasable to permit said receptacle section to be separated from said tray section;    said holding device further comprising four side-wall extensions, each of said side-wall extensions extending from an outer edge of a respective one of said four upright side walls and joined thereto by a fold line;    each said side wall extension being folded over a respective side-wall of said receptacle section and extending downwardly along side of said respective side wall to capture said respective side-wall of said receptacle section between a side-wall extension and the side-wall of said tray section from which said side-wall extension extends;    each side wall extension including two spaced tabs, said two spaced tabs extending from an outer edge of the respective side wall extension;    said base of said tray section further including a pair of spaced slots underlying each said side wall extension and each of said slots in said base underlying a respective side wall extension being aligned with a respective one of said two spaced tabs of said respective side wall extension;    said base of said receptacle section further including a pair of spaced slots underlying each said side wall extension and each of said slots in said base of said receptacle section underlying a respective side wall extension being aligned with a respective one of said two spaced tabs of said respective side wall extension;    each tab in said side wall extensions extending through a respective slot in said receptacle section and into a slot in said tray section to hold the side wall extensions in place in the folded-over position and lock the receptacle section to the tray section for preventing access to the entrance of said receptacle and confining any product received within said receptacle;    wherein said base of receptacle section further comprises a plurality of upwardly extending posts, each said post being adjacent and in close proximity to a downwardly extending side wall extension sufficient to require said side wall extension to be squeezed into place in front of said post to attain a folded-over position;    wherein said underside of said receptacle section includes a plurality of spaced strips downwardly projecting from said underside and defining an area underlying a shallow region on the underside of said base of said receptacle section, said shallow region, including said entrance to said receptacle; and    a cover member, said cover member positioned between said base of said tray section and said bottom of said receptacle section and being sized to fit in said defined area and serve as a barrier to said entrance to said receptacle.    
   
   
       18 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 17 , wherein 
 said tray section consists essentially of a one-piece unitary assembly formed from a single piece of corrugated cardboard material, said receptacle section consists. essentially of a one-piece unitary assembly formed from a singe piece of plastic material, and said cover member consists essentially of the same plastic material used in said receptacle section.    
   
   
       19 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 17 , 
 wherein said tray section consists essentially of a corrugated cardboard material; and    wherein each of said receptacle section and said cover member consists essentially of a plastic material.    
   
   
       20 . The package for a product sold at retail as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said receptacle section is transparent.  
   
   
       21 . A recyclable package for a product sold at retail comprising: 
 a receptacle section and a tray section;    said receptacle section including a transparent sheet of plastic material vacuformed into a panel and a receptacle integrally formed in said panel, said receptacle being of a size for receiving and holding an article packaged for sale in said recyclable package, said receptacle having an entrance on an underside of said panel for inserting said article therewithin, said panel portion containing side walls bordering the periphery of said panel, said side walls folded up perpendicular to said panel;    said tray section comprising a folded sheet of corrugated cardboard material, said sheet comprising a base portion underlying said panel portion, said base portion being slightly larger in size (length and width dimension) than said panel portion, a plurality of fold-up side walls bordering the periphery of said base portion, each of said side walls being integrally attached to said base portion by a fold line;