BfG warns of loss of freshness due to PPWR requirements
According to vegetable growers, the lack of exemptions could lead to reduced shelf life, loss of freshness and increased food waste.
Read more " 
A cooperation between the Australian food packaging manufacturer Confoil and BASF has resulted in a compostable paper tray for ready meals. The trays are suitable for the microwave and oven as well as the fridge and freezer, and are certified and industrially compostable.
Confoil and BASF have jointly developed a certified compostable, microwave and oven-safe paper tray for ready meals. The inside of the tray is coated with ecovio PS 1606, a partially bio-based and certified compostable biopolymer from BASF, which is specially designed for the coating of food packaging made of paper or cardboard. was developed.
The trays with the name DualPakECO are designed according to the Australian standard AS4736-2006 certified and approved for food contact in accordance with international requirements. They can be used for ready meals such as lasagne, curries or stir-fries, which are available cold or frozen from the supermarket. The trays are industrially compostable and can be collected together with organic waste in organic waste bins be used. At the same time, they are grease-repellent, impermeable to liquids and odourless.
"We wanted to develop a paper-based food tray that meets all the requirements of the food industry and is also certified compostable. With BASF's certified compostable biopolymer ecovio PS 1606, we have found the ideal component to add sustainable solutions to our portfolio and help our customers achieve their sustainability goals. The joint development represents a shift towards paper-based and compostable packaging materials - in line with the Australian Government's National Plastics Plan 2025, which aims to reduce the impact of packaging on the environment."
Alison Buxton, Managing Director of Confoil
Composting tests have shown that the DualPakECO trays can be composted under industrial composting conditions within Decompose into water, carbon dioxide and nutrient-rich compost in four to six weeks.
Sustainable alternative to plastic
The cardboard from which the DualPakECO trays are made can be easily moulded and printed. The material is light, but stable enough for the Processing in conventional production facilities. It also ensures reliable sealing on different film substrates and machines. The cardboard is coated with ecovio PS 1606 in a single-layer extrusion process. Thanks to its barrier properties, the BASF biopolymer also enables the Use of recycled paper for food packaging.
"Composting is the most resource-efficient process for recycling food waste. This packaging solution supports the circular economy and helps to reduce the amount of food waste and contaminated food packaging that ends up in landfill or incineration plants. In this way, associated greenhouse gas emissions are avoided. The PET food trays currently available are not reusable; mechanical recycling is often difficult and uneconomical. For this reason, they often end up in landfill sites or incineration plants. In Confoil, we have found the ideal partner for the development of food packaging that demonstrates that sustainability can go hand in hand with technical performance."
Rowan Williams, from Market Development Biopolymers at BASF
ecovio PS 1606 is suitable for applications with chilled and hot contents as well as for trays and plates that have to hold dry, solid, liquid or fatty foods. BASF offers different ecovio grades for extrusion coating and lamination. Depending on the ecovio type and type of paper Solutions for home composting or for industrial composting plants possible.
Source: BASF
More news on food packaging
Anuga FoodTec presents key theme 2027
The trade fair works closely with the German Agricultural Society (DLG) to organise the content.
Read more " 
Researchers develop compostable food packaging
Researchers at the University of Maine have developed a new type of packaging material based on mycelium and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF).
Read more " 
Dry forming goes industrial: Yangi starts fibre tray production
With its Cellera technology, Swedish company Yangi is launching production-ready, dry-formed fibre trays for meat, fish and ready meals onto the market for the first time. The dry-forming process enables precise high-volume production with short cycle times of 4-6 seconds and is designed to overcome the limitations of wet-formed fibre packaging.
Read more " 
Printing inks for packaging hold their own in a weak market environment
The VdL expects the total sales volume of printing inks to fall again in 2026.
Read more " 
One.five supplies high-barrier paper for vegan cheese
Vanozza is introducing Bluemorph recyclable high-barrier paper from One.five for its vegan ‚Old Italian‘ cheese, replacing non-recyclable packaging made from composite materials.
Read more "