Food Packaging

For over 30 years, Riverford has been growing organic produce across England and France, providing customers with ethically responsible food that supports the environment, farmers, and local wildlife. The company currently uses 82% less plastic in its food packaging when compared to mainstream supermarkets and has a precise aim of ensuring all its packaging meets its environmental agenda.

TINE has converted the packaging for two of its Rømme products and one of its sour creams from polystyrene (PS) to PP pots with 50% recycled material, calculated using the mass balance approach, certified by the International Sustainability & Carbon (ISCC PLUS) system.

TINE’s head of sustainability Bjørn Malm said: “At TINE, we want all our packaging to be made of renewable or recycled material by 2025. Our new packaging solution for Rømme and sour cream is an important step towards our goal.”

Olivier Muquet, Chief Marketing and Sales Officer explains the plastic-free solution sees cellulosic materials, such as paper, cardboard or moulded cellulose, coated with a thin layer of alumina.

"What makes us unique is the fact we have a process that brings gas barriers to all types of cellulosic materials, whether they are in rolls or have already been shaped as objects, such as trays while maintaining a high rate of cellulose after treatment. Our materials are still 99.9% cellulose after having been processed by us.”

A Thin-Film Deposition Technique 

At Mars, they want to contribute to a circular economy where packaging material never becomes waste. Mars Wrigley China has taken a series of actions since 2019 to reimagine and redesign its packaging, making sure it is reusable, recyclable or compostable through innovation and advocacy. In 2023, Mars Wrigley China will make further progress in sustainable packaging innovation. We have launched our first package containing rPET in the Chinese market via a local chocolate brand, Cui Xiang Mi (CXM). The 216g canister lid of CXM is made from 100% rPET.

• Sainsbury’s has announced it is removing traditional plastic tray packaging across its entire beef mince range and replacing it with a vacuum-packed alternative
• The packaging format, which uses a minimum of 55% less plastic, is the latest move in a series of initiatives from the retailer as it works towards its goal of halving its use of plastic packaging in Own Brand products by 2025

A supermarket-first, the new packaging will result in a minimum 55% reduction in plastic per product.

A new breakthrough by sustainable plastic innovator Polymateria in partnership with Indian plastic manufacturer Toppan Specialty Films (TSP), has seen plastics commonly used in the packaging industry biotransform in under 4 months and return to nature in just 176 days, leaving no microplastics or toxins behind. It’s the fastest-ever full biodegradation of biaxially oriented (flexible) polypropylene which is used in food and cosmetic packaging.