DS Smith Slovenia is working in partnership with Panvita Group, a chain of food processing companies, to reduce plastic across its Ave meat product line by more than 1.6 million pieces of packaging a year.
The DS Smith Easy Bowl comprises a corrugated cardboard tray laminated with a thin layer of plastic and sealed using flexible materials. DS Smith explained the solution is designed to replace up to 85% of plastic with lightweight cardboard from renewable raw materials, and the tray is made from recycled paper and is itself recyclable.
The external corrugated cardboard tray and inner protective film are said to be ‘ideal’ for keeping meat, fish, and prepared meals fresh with barrier resilience while simultaneously enhancing food safety and shelf life.
The DS Smith Easy Bowl has been developed in partnership with MULTIVAC, a packaging line company with thermoforming machines and tray sealers.
The ‘robust’ barrier properties of the film are designed to ‘guarantee’ equal shelf life when compared with conventional MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) packaging for fresh food, and DS Smith added that the diversity of shapes, sizes, and constructions possible for the solution allows for adaptability within existing production equipment.
Michal Zawistowski, general manager, DS Smith Slovenia, said, “We see DS Smith Easy Bowl as a sustainable packaging solution for a wide range of meat and other food products that are currently packed in styrofoam or plastic trays. We’re talking about millions of pieces of plastic packaging that could be replaced with sustainable corrugated cardboard solutions and reducing plastic consumption by 85%, depending on the dimensions and version of the packaging.”
According to research commissioned by DS Smith, 50% of European consumers are more actively separating and recycling waste than they were five years ago, and 50% are also proactively seeking out products made from recyclable materials.
