Cranswick Country Foods is benefiting from a new fully recyclable, recycled-content, food-safe barrier film supplied by Yorkshire Packaging Systems (YPS) for use across the firm’s poultry range.
Following a pilot project engineered by Dow and Bollore Packaging Films, YPS has launched the OXBTEC_RCB in the UK. The product enables the use of recycled content in food-contact packaging applications which can be recycled after use.
Partially formulated with recycled polyethylene, YPS explained 30%+ of the blend in the film derives from a certified feedstock recycled (PCR-rich) resin made from 100% mixed plastic waste developed using advanced recycling technologies. To achieve this, mixed used plastics are broken down into their basic chemical elements and re-granulated into the equivalent of virgin plastics. YPS added that the production of these circular polymers ensures hard-to-recycle plastics can be processed and re-used.
OXBTEC_RCB meets the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) criteria by ensuring a precise volume of recycled content is present in every batch of film for traceability and transparency. This use of circular polymers also renders the film exempt from the upcoming Plastic Tax.
OXBTEC_RCB can be used for both shrinking and lidding applications. Designed to preserve fresh food products in particular, the barrier film is said to prolong the shelf life of foods, for instance by ‘doubling’ the use-by date of poultry from seven to 14 days. The film has been awarded BRC accreditation from manufacture through to distribution.
David Garbutt, head of procurement at Cranswick, said, “We’re pleased to be leading the way with the introduction of this innovative film for our poultry packaging. It satisfies our circular goals whilst being technically outstanding in terms of freshness preservation and in the presentation of our products.”
Josh Gibson, sales director at YPS, added, “This film represents the holy grail for MAP food applications and is the result of much research, development and stringent testing by DOW and Bollore.”
