Cyclos certificate for cheese packaging: Etelser Käsewerk has recently started using polypropylene monomaterial for its portion packaging, which the cyclos-HTP institute has now certified as having a maximum recyclate yield of almost 100 per cent.
Many large retail chains are already demanding food packaging that can be recycled as far as possible - a requirement that will also be stipulated by law from 2030. At the end of 2020, Etelser Käsewerk GmbH therefore decided that its portion packaging should be a monomaterial solution made of polypropylene (PP) to use. Together with Nyco Flexible Packaging and W. u. H. Fernholz GmbH & Co. KG, the project was realised: The cyclos-HTP GmbH institute tested the mono-material packaging and certified a maximum recyclate yield of almost 100 per cent.
„We have been producing high-quality cooked, processed and fresh cheese for more than 100 years. Among other things, we produce portion packs in the form of 20g to 40g rectangular tubs with a sealing plate for bulk consumers such as the catering trade, canteen kitchens and the hotel industry. Previously, this packaging consisted of a polystyrene cup and an aluminium lid plate, but due to the new requirements regarding the recyclability of food packaging, we decided at the end of 2020 to take a proactive approach and switch to polypropylene (PP) now.“ Jan Brüns, Managing Director of Etelser Käsewerk
Nyco Flexible Packaging and W. u. H. Fernholz GmbH were commissioned to develop a bottom film and a PP board. The PP board was to enable hot filling at temperatures of up to 90° Celsius and Comparable properties to the previously used aluminium board have.
„The individual materials are very different in terms of their barrier properties and machinability. Polypropylene is flexible and stretchy, which makes processing on the FFS system more difficult. Incorporating a barrier layer that does not impair recyclability but provides optimum protection for the food was a key requirement, particularly in terms of sustainability.“ Kirsten Nitzl, Technical & Application Engineer at Nyco Flexible Packaging.
Cyclos certificate certifies recyclability
In the meantime, the entire packaging has been Institute cyclos-HTP GmbH and certified a recyclate yield of over 99 per cent. „For a product with a print motif and barrier content, this is the highest possible categorisation and therefore an excellent result,“ knows Michael Roth, plant manager at W.u. H. Fernholz GmbH. However, the companies involved are not only proud of the recyclability - the packaging also stands out from the market standard and the predecessor product in terms of design, appearance, feel and practicality.
The PP top film, for example, offers excellent Properties against water vapour and oxygen, This means that the product is optimally protected and has the greatest sensory neutrality in direct contact with food. The white-coloured bottom film makes it possible, despite Complex PP-PP sealing methodology, The application of best-before dates and batch identification using a laser printer. Even the CO2-The consumption in logistics and the ecological footprint of the sealing film have been reduced by more than 70 percent thanks to high puncture resistance, a particularly low sealing temperature and a significant weight reduction compared to aluminium.
A particular advantage for customers is that the individual components of the mono-material portion packs do not have to be separated either by consumers in catering establishments and hospitals themselves or in waste processing for recycling.
Source: Nyco Flexible Packaging
