Passengers travelling through Lagardère Travel Retail stores from the middle of this month are being invited to discover a preview of Maison Ruinart’s new eco-friendly packaging – dubbed ‘the second skin case’.
Starting with Paris, France in Buy Paris Duty Free shops, this new disruptive product from the LVMH-owned Champagne house will be only available through Lagardère Travel Retail shops until the end of the year.
The result of two years of research and development, the innovative packaging is 100% made of paper, entirely recyclable, and offers a 60% reduction in carbon footprint compared to the former gift box.
“Innovative, authentic and environmentally conscious, the second skin case crystallizes our commitment to sustainability,” said Maison Ruinart President Frédéric Dufour.
Ruinart, building on its historical pioneer approach status (it was the first established Champagne house, having been founded in 1729), is also the first Champagne Maison to offer such an innovative yet environmentally responsible packaging.
The second skin case, the fruit of seven prototypes, is easily identifiable by its unique shape, moulded to the curves of Ruinart’s hallmark bottle, whose roots date back to the 18th century.
The elegant finishes and a 100% paper closing system are the result of a dedicated waterjet cut technique, while its particular texture evokes the Crayères, Ruinart’s historical cellars in the Champagne region.
In an effort to support craftmanship and to preserve historical knowhow, Maison Ruinart chose a family-owned papermaking factory, founded in 1845, to produce the second skin. Made of natural wood fibres, the skin began its life in the UK, on the edge of the Lake District National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
While designed to reduce waste and recycle materials, this new case, available for all 75cl qualities also guarantees not to distort experience or taste. It achieves that by perfectly preserving the precious Champagne bubbles from light, Ruinart said.
The design of the case reinterprets the elegant gestures of gastronomic establishments and is inspired by the manner in which maîtres d’hôtels wrap a white serviette around bottles of Champagne.
“We wanted to go as far as possible to lessen our environmental imprint, thus challenging finishing touchings, aesthetics and uses,” commented Maison Ruinart Director of Marketing & Communication Violaine Basse.
In this continuous effort to bring together aesthetics, authenticity and goodness, Maison Ruinart said it is striving to craft, at all levels, a more sustainable French art de vivre and conscious luxury.
“Today, Moët Hennessy Global Travel Retail and Ruinart are shaking up the norms, exclusively at Lagardère Travel Retail,” it noted.