Seven British food retailers have opted for the self-separating cup from Greiner Packaging and are now using it for their own-brand instant porridges. The companies that have switched to the sustainable K3 r100 cup include Waitrose, Greggs, Morrisons, M&S, Tesco, Lidl and Asda.
The K3 r100 cup is regarded as an innovation in the field of sustainable packaging, as it enables a recycling rate of up to 98 per cent - without any active involvement on the part of the consumer. In contrast to conventional cardboard-plastic combinations, where the cardboard wrap has to be manually separated from the plastic cup, with the K3 r100, the materials are separated automatically even before they reach the near-infrared detection system of the recycling plants. This ensures precise identification, sorting and recycling and maximises the ecological efficiency of the packaging.
„We are delighted that so many UK retailers are recognising the benefits of our self-separating packaging solution. This follows the success of Symington's, who last July became the first UK food manufacturer to launch the K3 r100 for its Oatburst instant porridge brand.“
Rachel Sheldon, Sustainability and Innovation Manager at Greiner Packaging UK & Ireland
From the idea to innovation
The K3 r100 is the latest development of the original K3 cardboard-plastic cup, which Greiner Packaging developed over 40 years ago. The cup was developed back then, to reduce the amount of plastic in the packaging. Nowadays, thanks to a special tear tab, consumers can intuitively separate the cardboard sleeve from the lightweight K3 plastic cup and support recycling.
With the latest innovation, the K3 r100, this separation now takes place automatically before the packaging reaches the near-infrared detection system of the recycling plants. This ensures optimum sorting and recycling. K3 r100 makes it possible, Feed cardboard and plastic into the correct material streams during the initial sorting process and can therefore be recycled efficiently.
In October 2023, Greiner Packaging was awarded the Austrian Green Packaging Star Award award - for the use of the self-separating K3 r100 packaging by Berglandmilch as the first company in Austria. In January 2024, the K3 r100 also received the prestigious World Star Packaging Award. In addition, the K3 r100 was awarded the Packnews special prize in November 2024 as part of the Packnorth Awards 2024 honoured.
Source: Greiner Packaging
