From Research to the Shelf - March 2020

Monthly showcase of packaging solutions to communicate, protect and distribute commonly used products.

Frozen in Ecobag. The minestrone from the Valle degli Orti di Frosta gets to our freezers in a paper-based bag: composed of cellulose and a minimum amount of PE, Ecobag is an all-Italian technological innovation.

The paper is raw and not bleached, which minimizes the environmental impact of the production processes. In the inner layer, a thin plastic film to protect the product but in a minimum percentage, which enables one to stay within parameters foreseen for disposal in the “paper” fraction and which, in the recycling phase, is separated through specific processes.

All production phases are certified by ATICELCA (Italian Cellulose and Paper Technical Association), which assesses the degree of recyclability of materials and products with a prevalence of cellulose. 

The reduction of the environmental impact of the new packaging is significant: -70% of plastic and -40% of CO2 produced compared to previous packages (totally PET / PE). 

Ultra-light and recyclable for fruit and vegetables. SORMAPEEL is a patent pending solution developed by the Romagna based group Sorma (which also builds packaging machines), which offers concrete advantages to the entire fruit and vegetable sector, from the packer to the final consumer, up to those who deal with the recovery of plastic and paper.

The innovation lies in the introduction of a “peel-off” paper band (hence “Sormapeel”) and easily removable by the consumer, who can therefore separately recycle plastic and paper. Hence giving strength and protection, the paper band allows you to use a plastic film 70% thinner than normal. The plastic component is completely recyclable: it is in fact single-material (either all in PE or all in PP), to make recovery even easier. In concrete terms, the 1 kg format of Rosapack and Sormabag (2.79 g and 2.22 g respectively) is even lighter than clip nets that weigh 2.88 g and are not recyclable. Specifically, the 1 kg Sormabag weighs less than a 1 cent coin.

Cardboard laminated to new barriers. Stora Enso offers new cellulosic materials for different types of food packaging, equipped with special dispersion barriers: Aqua™ and Aqua+™.

Without fluorine chemical compounds and without the traditional plastic layer, the former resists greases while the latter offers both a barrier to fats and liquids. 

Two supports are available, both printable and convertible on normal machines already in use:

  • CKB Nude Aqua™ natural havana kraft cardboard for applications intended for the packaging of dry or quick-consumption foods, such as those sold in fast-food restaurants;
  • Cupforma Natura Aqua+™ for the production of paper cups, available with a dispersion barrier on one side (for containers of hot drinks) or on both sides (for cold drinks and ice cream cups).

 

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