French sugar brand Cristalco has replaced its previous plastic container with a Sonoco cardboard container fitted with a polypropylene (PP) sprinkler, which it claims makes the pack fully recyclable.
Aiming to reduce the carbon footprint of its packaging, Cristalco redesigned its 500g Daddy Sugar icing sugar sprinkler container, previously consisting of a polyethylene (PEHD) body covered by an oriented polystyrene (OPS) sleeve and a PP lid. The company claims to have conducted six technical studies and multiple life cycle analyses, and is now introducing Sonoco’s new cardboard packaging, reportedly containing 80% less plastic.
Said to consist of 68% recycled fibre, the new design comes with a PE film inner liner to preserve the contents and limit sugar caking by protecting it from humidity. The lid is produced by Rovip, and has two openings - one with six small holes for sprinkling, and a wider opening for pastry-making.
Julie Moréac, head of packaging development and technical support at Cristalco, said: “We wanted the lid to be as eco-designed as possible, while still retaining its core functionalities. It needed to offer easy dispensing, opening and closing, and a tamper-evident seal.”
Moréac adds: “The lid, meanwhile, had to retain its shape and not “ovalize” despite us reducing the amount of material use to form it. The lid is held in the can, without glue, to prevent potential contamination and to keep the amount of materials used to a minimum.”
The new Sonoco rigid paper containers were released on supermarket shelves in June, under the both the “Daddy” and “Erstein” brands.
In related news, Sainsbury’s intends to save 694 tonnes of plastic annually by selling its own-brand chicken and fish lines in kerbside recyclable cardboard trays, with a new on-pack logo directing consumers towards products sold in reduced plastic packaging. Throughout the summer, Sainsbury’s intends to apply the new packaging to seasonal chicken products, including breaded goujons, schnitzels, and other products in its finger food and BBQ range.
Mars Wrigley and Tesco recently announced the trials for a new display made from waste cocoa bean shells and recycled paper, apparently negating the need for virgin tree fibres and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of conventional cardboard by 30%. The Cocoa Cardboard corrugated card fibre is also said to reduce land usage by 94% and water usage by 59%, according to a full life cycle assessment (LCA).
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