SPAR Austria claims to have saved 14 tonnes of plastic annually by switching from a traditional tray-and-lid system for meat products to a flowpack solution developed by CRYOVAC that uses 70% less plastic by weight.
The companies report that a packaging pilot undertaken, in response to the PPWR, at SPAR Austria’s TANN facility in Marchtrenk also showed that the new pack reduce CO₂ emissions by roughly 70%. Further experimentation is currently taking place with the aim of rolling the new solution out to other TANN plants and SPAR sites across Europe.
In the pilot, the companies say that the pack, based on CRYOVAC’s MonoPP Flowpack format, matches the previously-used solution’s barrier performance while maintaining the same shelf-life. CRYOVAC says that the solution is certified as recyclable by Cyclos-HTP Institute and can integrate with existing recycling infrastructure in countries with established PP recycling streams.
Meanwhile, an output of 44 packs per minute was reportedly achieved, with no increase in waste or reject rates – meaning that associated warehouse operations now require 176 fewer pallets per year.
Markus Zavec, Sales Director for Austria, Germany and Switzerland at Sealed Air, comments: “SPAR Austria’s conventional tray-and-lid system was linked to escalating costs, including environmental, operational, and financial. The packaging consumed substantial material, required intense warehouse operations, and complicated recycling pathways. The pilot was a decisive and early move to address these challenges.
“In addition to reducing packaging material usage and CO₂ emissions, CRYOVAC® brand MonoPP Flowpack has also delivered wider brand benefits for SPAR Austria. Two-thirds of shoppers responded positively, appreciating the product visibility and ease of opening delivered by Sealed Air’s packaging solution.”
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