Sunday Lawn Care

100% PCR 42-ounce Custom Bottle, Helping Sunday Grow with Sustainable, Retail-Ready Custom Packaging

When Sunday Lawn Care launched as a direct-to-consumer (DTC) subscription brand, it set out to transform lawn care by offering lawn and garden products that are better for people, pets, and the planet. As demand grew, the brand expanded into retail in 2020, requiring a new packaging format to support its sustainability goals while withstanding the wide variety of weather conditions of a national launch.

TricorBraun addressed Sunday Lawn Care’s packaging needs in several ways, according to Doug Peterson, Sales Manager, TricorBraun. “First, we introduced a rigid format better suited for outdoor retail that would withstand humidity. We also recommended using 100% post-consumer recycled material to help Sunday Lawn Care meet its sustainability goals.”

Designing a Custom Solution that Balances Sustainability, Shelf Appeal, and Leak Prevention

Additionally, while many lawn care competitors used 32-ounce bottles, Sunday Lawn Care’s offering is a larger, 42-ounce format. They sought a taller, rectangular bottle shape to maximize branding on the front display panel and improve shelf presence, helping the product stand out. TricorBraun also provided guidance on enhancing the brand’s eco-conscious strategy.

“We also wanted our consumers to be able to recycle the package, so the bottle needed a sharp shoulder to hold a removable shrink sleeve while maintaining soft edges,” said Ryan Pedersen, Senior Product Design Engineer at Sunday Lawn Care.

“TricorBraun had to balance between creating a bottle design that was intuitive for the consumer and aligned with the brand’s look and feel while providing a stable base for the tall, narrow bottle,” said Harry McSteen, Industrial and Graphic Designer, Design & Engineering, TricorBraun. “We refined the design to a symmetrical rectangle with soft shoulders and a large front panel for ample space for labeling. The shelf presence was important because we wanted to convey to the customer that it was a larger size than its competitors.”

“Nothing ever goes completely smoothly, so having a partner every step of the way is critical. TricorBraun was exceptional in this regard—our problems became their problems, which isn’t always the case with other vendors. TricorBraun’s approach has given us extra confidence, knowing they are always on our side.”

– Joe Griebel

Director of Physical Product, Sunday Lawn Care

During testing, Sunday Lawn Care identified a need for a more secure sprayer fit to maintain packaging integrity during shipping. The TricorBraun team quickly delivered a unique solution.

“We developed a non-standard ratchet bottleneck finish that can secure the ratchet sprayer assembly. This will help prevent a possible leak during the filling and transportation processes while being easy enough for the consumer to remove the sprayer as needed for future use,” said Jay Lee, Product Design Engineer and Team Lead, Design & Engineering, TricorBraun. “A ratchet bottleneck finish typically has six to eight lugs to secure the ratchet sprayer intended for a non-removable fit, but we modified and reduced to two lugs.”

TricorBraun swiftly conducted a qualification review, successfully validating the modified bottleneck design to help Sunday Lawn Care stay on track with its go-to market timeline.

As the custom design took shape, TricorBraun also leveraged its vast supplier network to determine which could provide the best solution and the most competitive pricing consistent with Sunday Lawn Care’s launch goals.

A True Partnership That Delivers Sales Success

Early sales have been strong, according to Joe Griebel, Director of Physical Product at Sunday Lawn Care. Thanks to this project’s success, Sunday Lawn Care is now partnering with TricorBraun to explore a new bottle format for additional SKUs.

Griebel added that TricorBraun’s intense focus on quality was instrumental in resolving issues upfront: “Nothing ever goes completely smoothly, so having a partner every step of the way is critical. TricorBraun was exceptional in this regard—our problems became their problems, which isn’t always the case with other vendors. TricorBraun’s approach has given us extra confidence, knowing they are always on our side.”

Ryan Pedersen shared that while his team came in with a clear vision for the design, TricorBraun’s expertise truly brought it to life. “The process was incredibly collaborative. We had ideas, but it was TricorBraun’s deep understanding of manufacturing and molding processes that helped us bring our vision to life. They were upfront about what would and wouldn’t work—this is their area of expertise, and they did an outstanding job.”

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