February 2023
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Noel Alimentaria is a Spanish manufacturer of meat and meat substitute products. They have collaborated with Mondi to introduce a new paper-based food tray solution for a plant-based product range. The rebranded Verday range is now packaged in Mondi’s paper-based PerFORMing tray. This Innovative paper-based tray is designed for recycling and has passed the recyclability tests by German institute Papiertechnische Stiftung. The trays consist of 80% paper compared to the industry standard, where they are made of 100% plastic, which means the plastic content of the tray has been greatly reduced. Being formable, the trays can be moulded and adapted to a range of different-sized food products, with high symmetrical stretch and are ideal for shallow food trays. A spokesperson for Noel said that they could run the new paper-based trays on existing machinery and will now be using this solution for their range of ham and other meat products.
The switch from plastic to more paper-based solutions continues as brands and retailers aim to reduce their plastic packaging burden and meet evolving single-use packaging regulations.
This has applications in the Food sector.
February 2023
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Madrid-based Grupo Horeca, owners of the Villa Victoria coffee brand, has announced that they have made their Nespresso-compatible capsules 100% plastic-free. The coffee capsules are now made from 100% biodegradable potato starch packaging, while the carton is made from kraft board, and has no plastic coating. This board comes from sustainable forests, under certification, which allows it to be disposed of correctly, so that the board can be recycled, contributing to environmental sustainability. The new packaging was designed by Cordoba-based packaging and branding specialists Al Margen. Villa Victoria says that the potato starch capsules will take between 90 and 120 days to degrade in the right conditions, leaving no residue. Prices start at €2.99 (£2.65) plus shipping for a carton of 10 capsules, and come in four varieties, Columbia, Ristretto, Mumbai, and Decaffeinated. See also: Organic superfoods company moves to compostable coffee pods.
The coffee pod market is working hard on delivering more sustainable solutions in terms of improved recyclability, compostability and the use of biomaterials, and this is another good initiative.
This innovation has applications for Beverage products.
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Ohio-based ScottsMiracle-Gro has launched a refill pouch for its Ortho GroundClear Super Concentrate weed and grass killer. The pouch, which contains 5oz of concentrate, converts into 0.5 gallons of weed killer. The pouch is a construction of PET/PA/PE (polyethylene terephthalate/nylon/polyethylene) film and is topped with a 20-mm child-resistant cap. According to Scotts, the new packaging reduces waste by up to 90% when compared to a 1-gal refill bottle and provides a smaller on-shelf footprint for retailers. It also requires less storage space in the consumer’s home versus a standard-size bottle. The company intends to look for more sustainable options for the refill pouches. The Ortho GroundClear Super Concentrate flexible pouch refill is available in more than 850 stores around the USA, as well as online on sites that include Amazon and ScottsMiracle-Gro. A two-pack of the concentrate is priced at $18.49 (£15.02).
This innovation follows several refillable packaging initiatives being tracked and is a good way to reduce plastic use. It is good to see its applications in less conventional categories such as garden products.
Refill pouches have other applications in the Gardening sector as well as Food, Pet Care, Beverage, Household and Industrial categories.
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German vegan chocolate maker nucao is claiming to be the first chocolate manufacturer in the sector to embrace primary packaging made from paper and has been using it for its chocolate products ‘nucao fruits’ and ‘nucao nuts’ since the end of 2022. The packaging supplied to nucao is Oberkirch-based Koehler Paper’s NexPlus Advanced. NexPlus Advanced has excellent oxygen, mineral oil, and grease barrier properties, making it ideal for direct contact with food. It also has good gravure, flexographic, and digital printing properties. Compared to traditional plastic packaging, flexible paper packaging reduces the CO2 footprint significantly and provides a positive image transfer to the product and company brand. As it is 100% made from paper it can be placed in the paper recycling after use. Research from the brand shows that the majority of consumers in Europe prefer food in packaging that contains little to no plastic, and are willing to pay a higher price. See also Paper wrappers for chocolate bars trialled in Australian first.
There are several paper-based initiatives in the confectionery and chocolate categories coming to our attention in the last 18 months.
This has applications for Food sector products.
January 2023
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Nestlé, owners of the Thomy mustard brand, has announced that it is making its glass mustard jar more sustainable. A screw-top glass now replaces the previous drinking glass shape. This has caused something of a backlash on social media, as the previous mustard jars gained a cult status due to their second life. Once emptied and washed, they served as drinking glasses, which are an integral part of the crockery in many households in Germany. The company says that thanks to the screw cap, it is much easier to open and reseal than the previous version. Moving to the new jar, the CO₂ footprint is reduced, as the new Thomy mustard jars are lighter than the old mustard crystal. Recyclability of the jars has also been improved as the old glass moulds required 100% “new glass” during production. Around half of the new variants are now made from recycled glass. See also: New flip top avoids ‘glued on’ lids for German honey brand.
Despite some consumer concerns about reduced reuse opportunities, this pack delivers an improved consumer user experience as well as being better for the environment.
This innovation has applications for glass-packaged Food products.
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Swiss-American is a Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization (CDMO). The company helps people achieve healthy skin by developing and manufacturing topical skin and wound care products. They have now formed a partnership with LiquiGlide, the inventors of the EveryDrop dispensing platform, a breakthrough non-toxic slippery surface technology that eliminates the friction between solids and liquids, resulting in zero product waste for consumer packaged goods. The technology is made from materials classified as safe by the FDA, meets rigorous safety and regulatory standards, and has been commercially launched in Europe, North America and Asia in other packaged goods categories. Research conducted by LiquiGlide indicates that more than 50 billion packages sold yearly will be discarded worldwide, with enough product remaining inside to fill 110,000 semi-trucks. The agreement means that Swiss-American is the first CDMO offering LiquiGlide’s technology to the global skincare market.
Previous developments in this area such as Non stick coating developed for personal care use have yet to realise their potential commercially but there is no doubt this product delivers consumer convenience and reduces waste.
While the method has obvious implications for industrial Food and Household packaging, it could have use in the Pharmaceutical industry.
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A collaboration between Italian glassmaker Bormioli Luigi, and the French beauty packaging specialist, Texen has resulted in a redesigned, refillable glass airless solution for fashion designer Stella McCartney’s skincare line. The recyclable and refillable packaging has been designed with the aim of reducing the environmental footprint by at least a third. The bottle by Bormioli Luigi currently contains 15% recycled material though they hope to increase it to 40% in 2023. The refills are produced by Texen from a decorated and recyclable multilayer film, ensuring all the barrier effects required for the optimal protection of the new formulas. These refills are made from ISCC+ certified renewable sources, predominantly from wood waste, using the mass balance principle. All components are recyclable. When empty, the pouch and cap can be recycled in their respective recycling streams, while the pump kit and bottle or jar can be reused many times. See also Skincare brand introduces refill stations.
The range of products now available for refill continues to expand, and this is another good example.
This has applications for Health & Beauty products.
January 2023
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Oregon-based Laird Superfoods, which was launched in 2015 by surfer Laird Hamilton, has launched a product called Bright Cups, as its own sustainable version of individual coffee pods. These commercially compostable single-serve coffee pods are made with plant-based materials and share the taste of coffee with that of the brand’s best-selling Focus mushroom. Bright Cups is one of the only single serve BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) certified compostable coffee pods available. Laird Superfood is on a mission to reduce the amount of single-serving waste that ends up in landfills, especially as around 12 billion single-serving capsules were reportedly purchased last year. As part of its sustainability drive, the company has been moving to solar power in its new facilities and is constantly identifying ways to reduce its carbon footprint with an employee-led sustainability committee.
The coffee pod market is working hard on delivering more sustainable solutions in terms of improved recyclability, compostability and the use of biomaterials, and this is another good initiative.
This innovation has applications for Beverage products.
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Distriplast is a manufacturer of corrugated PP (polypropylene) products based in Dunkirk, Northern France. They produce Diplast PP products for signage and building products, but they also manufacture corrugated boxes and protection products such as layer pads and top sheets. Diplast sheets can be easily die-cut, folded and glued with Corona treatment for printing on request. Ultrasonic or hot air welding fixtures allow for the making of highly sophisticated boxes. Being made from PP, these lightweight and cheap products are easily recycled. Diplast products are available in a wide range of dimensions, colours, thicknesses, weights and treatments. Distribox corrugated boxes can be easily customised for brands with inline one colour flexo printing. Aside from boxes, Distriplast is also able to manufacture protective internal dividers and trays. See also New twist for reusable e-commerce packaging.
The use of PP plastic makes these boxes even more suitable as part of a reuse packaging strategy.
This has opportunities primarily for E-Commerce products.
January 2023
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British supermarket chain Tesco has formed a partnership with international independent organisation Keep Sea Blue, which will mean that the plastic packaging for its fish products will contain a minimum of 30% Recycled Seaside Plastic (RSP).This is recycled coastal plastic collected from beaches, coastlines, and coastal communities within 10km of the Mediterranean Sea. A network of collectors across the region, including local authorities, non-profits, volunteer groups, and the private sector, collects the plastic, at which point the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) packaging will be sorted, ground, washed, and recycled to be utilised in food-grade packaging materials. The recycled PET will be used in trays to pack Tesco’s salmon, haddock, cod, and sea bass lines. A spokesperson for Tesco said that where they can, they are reducing the amount of virgin plastic they use in their business. See also Malaysian noodle packaging contains 30% ocean bound plastic.
Ocean-bound plastic initiatives have increased over the last 18 months or so, and this is another good example.
This has opportunities Food products.
