A new product line by poultry sausage brand Gutfried is to be packaged in a material largely made from recycled plastic.
The firm said that around two-thirds of the raw materials used for the packaging comes from plastic waste, which is reconverted into the packaging.
During the chemical recycling process of mixed plastic waste, the used plastic is converted into pyrolysis oil in a high-temperature process – like fossil based raw materials, this oil is then used at the beginning of the chemical production chain, thus saving conventional crude oil. The recycled content is allocated to the chemical end products via a mass balance method. The firm said that the products have the same ‘high quality and performance’ as new products.
The bottom and top film of the packaging each consist of several layers of different polymers and are produced by the SÜDPACK, with BASF supplying the polyamide and SABIC supplying the polyethylene. Gutfried said that both components are based on raw materials that have been recycled chemically from mixed plastic waste which was not possible before.
Maximilian Tönnies, managing director of Gutfried’s parent company Zur Mühlen Gruppe, said, “The innovative packaging based on recycled raw materials is a perfect match for our new Gutfried organic chicken meat sausage. Our customers increasingly value sustainability. This of course applies to the production of our products, but also to aspects such as packaging”
Mark Vester, global circular economy lead at SABIC, added, “More than a year ago, SABIC already took a big step forward with the chemically recycled products from the TRUCIRCLE portfolio to close the waste cycle of plastics.”
Christoph Gahn, responsible for BASF’s polyamide business in Europe, commented, “Plastic products made of chemically recycled material can be recycled again after use without impacting the quality.”
