Iceland has partnered with Parkside to replace the LDPE bag for its frozen seafood range with a recyclable paper pouch, which features water-based coatings that reportedly break down during the re-pulping process.
The new packaging solution was developed for Iceland’s Northcoast range of frozen seafood. The previous LDPE bag has been replaced with a recyclable paper pouch in what the companies claim is one of the first successful applications of paper flexible packaging for frozen food.
According to the companies, the heat-sealable paper solution is designed to withstand frost and moisture in a freezer environment for prolonged periods of time. The paper pouch reportedly utilises a range of water-based coatings, which the companies say offer high barrier performance for grease and oil resistance while being designed to break down when the pack is re-pulped in the paper recycling process.
Mark Armstrong, packaging specialist at Iceland, comments: “As everyone knows, we are loud and proud about our forward-thinking ideas and commitment to plastic-free packaging across our products. We previously worked with Parkside in a successful bid to reduce food waste via a lidding film solution in 2017.
“But we know we can do more. As consumer sentiment continues to grow for circular solutions, it is the perfect time to collaborate once again in a bid to reduce unnecessary plastic in our packaging.
“Bag sealing was a challenge, as was ensuring the material had the necessary barrier properties. We also wanted the print to match the existing LDPE bag and therefore a lot of time was spent in artwork and repro to give us the best possible result.”
Mark Shaw, sales account manager at Parkside, adds: “Until recently, achieving a high level of grease and oil resistance and heat seal ability for frozen food has been extremely challenging. Typically, a plastic layer such as Polyethylene would need to be extruded or laminated to the paper, which would then need to be removed when recycling post-consumer use.
“Our leading technology removes the need for the plastic and gives a truly recyclable paper solution with the added benefit of high barrier functionality.”
Iceland has previously replaced some of its frozen food packaging with Mondi’s functional barrier paper, which is reportedly recyclable in existing waste streams.
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