Processed meat firm cuts plastic use
Processed meats firm Bell Germany plans to remove 35 tonnes of plastic from its supply chain each year with the launch of recyclable packaging for its sliced ham range.
The new packaging, developed in partnership with Mondi, will be used for more than 30 products – including Seranno, Prosciutto and Savoy sliced ham – and uses 37% less material compared to standard modified atmosphere packaging.
It will also lower waste disposal fees for Bell Germany and meets the design for recycling guidelines of leading retailers.
Mondi EcoSolutions Project Manager Thomas Kahl said: “Our aim is to create packaging that is sustainable by design. It should be better for the environment, while protecting the food, and standing out on shelves to represent the Abraham brand.
“Our unique EcoSolutions approach takes all these elements into consideration – we worked closely with Bell Germany at every stage to ensure that this was the best solution for all their products.”
World’s first Aluminium Stewardship Initiative certified beverage cans
Barcelona-based brewer Damm has launched the world’s first beverage cans to be approved by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI).
All of Damm’s cans will be certified according to ASI’s Performance Standard for responsible production, sourcing and stewardship. The certification covers packaging and storage of beer in cans, plus related activities including design, packaging and storage of finished products, waste management and storage and the recovery of waste, including consumer packaging.
The certification also acknowledges Damm’s work in raising awareness of aluminium recycling, through the 349 can compactors it places along the Mediterranean coast each year.
Ball Beverage Packaging president of EMEA Carey Causey said: “Today’s announcement represents a landmark moment as we bring together our customers’ ambitions to contribute to a genuinely sustainable economy, with the circular potential of the aluminium beverage can, the world’s most recycled beverage package.”
100% recyclable packaging launched for frozen food
A new 100% recyclable packaging product designed for use in frozen food applications has been developed by FFP Packaging Solutions.
FFP has developed a mono material polyethylene dubbed ‘FFPE’ that can be recycled by returning to larger supermarkets and recycling with carrier bags, as classified by OPRL.
According to FFP, the new packaging material can be used with existing lines, eliminating the need for processors to invest further in packaging machinery.
The packaging can be used for frozen vegetables, potato products, fruit and berries, seafood, meat and poultry.
FFPE is available in reel form, as stand-up pouches, pre-made bags and sachets. Fully printable, the material is reverse printed with the print sandwiched between the material layers to eliminate the risk of print rubbing off.
Nestlé cuts down share bag plastic
Nestlé UK & Ireland has redesigned its confectionery sharing bags to use 15% less packaging on average, claiming that would remove 83 tonnes of virgin plastic from its supply chain annually.
From April 2021, treats such as Milkybar, Aero Bubbles and Rolo will now come in narrower pouches, saving about one million square metres of packaging – equivalent to the area of 131 football pitches.
Nestlé has also announced plans to make it easier to recycle plastic wrappers that are not currently collected at kerbside through a partnership with recycling firm TerraCycle.
Cheryl Allen, head of sustainability for Nestlé Confectionery said the move would save on the amount of virgin plastic consumers use each year. It would also have significant benefits throughout its supply chain in the UK and Ireland, she added.
“For example, we can now pack more sharing bags at a time, which means fewer lorries are needed to transport them. In total, we will be able to take the equivalent of 331 lorries off UK roads every year, saving 71,472 road miles and 130 tonnes of CO2 emissions.”
Moy Park continues plastic packaging reduction
Poultry processor Moy Park has reduced plastic packaging by 10% in the past year as it continues to move towards 100% recyclable rigid packaging by 2022.
The manufacturer’s latest efforts follow a 5% reduction of plastic used in packaging by the company in 2020. Moy aimed to make all its packaging recycle-ready by 2025.
Matt Harris, Moy Park’s head of packaging, said these milestones were a result of research and collaboration initiatives across the business and with partners.
“When launching the strategy in 2019, we purposely set targets that would deliver tangible results for our customers, and ultimately consumers,” he added.
“The campaign has inspired our teams right across the business, with cross functional initiatives delivering innovative solutions that reduce our reliance on plastics. R&D has also been key to this, and we work closely with academics and supply chain partners to investigate how to elevate our product packaging.”