Frozen foods are popular with consumers due to their convenience. In order to make packaging more sustainable, the Green project, supported by Manroland Goss and others, is researching bio-based barriers.
The popularity of frozen food is growing continuously and with it the demand for ever larger quantities of plastic. However, only around half of the resulting packaging waste is recycled. In Germany, this results in around 38 kilograms of plastic waste per person every year. The mechanical engineering company Manroland Goss therefore launched the Green project as a consortium partner, which aims to significantly reduce the use of plastics in the food industry.
At the end of 2022, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food approved the funding application for the Green project. This marked the official start of the project. Due to the relevance of the topic of making the packaging industry more sustainable, Green also founded the company Coatible. Manroland Goss holds a quarter of the shares in this specially founded company.
Plastic films are used because they provide protection for the product and its packaging. As a mineral oil and water vapour barrier, the newly developed barrier is designed to provide equivalent protection against the migration of unwelcome substances - with the key difference that plastic is saved.
The project is initially aimed at replacing the plastic film used to wrap frozen pizzas. The development of a bio-based, degradable barrier also lays the foundation for the development of food barriers outside the freezer. Specific components of the project are the development of a barrier coating, a coating process and a new type of machine for applying the coating. The marketing of the coated cardboard is not neglected. The objective was also developed from the point of view of the end consumer: The replacement of the plastic film should not result in any functional disadvantages for them.
As co-founder, Manroland Goss is realising the Green cooperation project together with GPD Foodpackaging and other technical experts. The printing press manufacturer is taking over the project management in the development of the barrier application process and in the creation of a prototype. As an expert in the printing press industry Manroland Goss is primarily responsible for analysing the barrier coatings in the application process. The company's expertise in spraying and printing technology in particular enables it to carry out complex test procedures and generate application technology of the highest quality. The aim is an integrated and automated system with a process technology that works optimally with the developed barrier.
Source: Manroland Goss
