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Packaging

Today, biopackaging can be found in many European supermarkets. A start has therefore been made in the largest application segment for plastics. It was the supermarkets – Sainsbury in the Uk may be cited as a pioneer – who first recognised the opportunities for compostable plastics packaging. In Europe, these products can now be found on the shelves almost everywhere, even if you sometimes have to look hard for them. Supermarket chains such as Delhaize (Belgium), Iper (belonging to the Carrefour group; Italy), Albert Heijn (Netherlands) and Migros (Switzerland) are actively placing their trust in biopackaging.

At the present time, biopackaging is employed mainly for organically produced foods but also for converntional fruit and vegetables as well as bread  and bakery products. Nets, trays and flowpack – from PLA, cellulose and starch materials – are all being used. Leading fruit and vegetable retailers  such as The Greenery or Eosta in the Netherlands are pursuing strategies to convvert the whole range.  Last year for the first time, two manufacturers with PLA water bottles were sighted on the market which opens up a rich field of opportunity for beverage bottles. Not only has the range of products widned but the number of manufacturers, distributors and users has also increased. Bioplastics packaging is becoming increasingly popular.

Functional properties are often crucial in the user decision. The environmental aspect or image concept and the very high consumer acceptance are additional selling points. Bioplastics each have a type specific profile which sometimes differentiates them significantly from converntional plastics in terms of properties such as gloss, barrier effect , antistatic behaviour, printability and touch. This may either limit their use or prove to be an advantage. For fresh – i. e. perishable foods – bioplastics offer packaging advantages. The most important is the possible increase in the shelf life of fresh products. Intelligent exploitation property profile is the key to market success.

Specialised packaging for bread keeps the good longer fresh © Innovia Films	Flowpacks and trays for vegetables © European Bioplastics	Flowpack bags for vegetable packaging. © Natura

 

For supermarkets, it is also an enormous advantage to be able to compost unsaleable pershed food products cheaply together with their packaging rather than have to separate the contents from the packaging at considerable cost. Food residues do not interfere in the slightest with this recycling. The same applies to compostable service packs, such as trays, plates, cups or cutlery. These products are increasingly to be found on delicatessen or snack-bar counters or at major events.