UPM Speciality Papers and Fazer have jointly developed a new packaging for Fazer's oat and rice cakes. The conventional plastic-laminated packaging paper has been replaced by a paper solution that is easier to recycle and does not compromise the protection of the rice cakes inside. The packaging can already be found on the chiller shelves of Finnish supermarkets.
The new packaging for Fazer oat rice cakes is in line with Fazer's vision for sustainable packaging and UPM's Biofore strategy. The new packaging solution is the The result of more than two years of development work, to ensure the recyclability of the packaging without compromising food safety and the quality of the rice cakes.
„We work closely with the packaging value chain to achieve Fazer's goals in terms of responsible packaging. Each partner brings valuable expertise to the development work. In this project, Fazer's expertise in food production and the production process and in ensuring food safety was combined with UPM Specialty Papers“ expertise in developing sophisticated speciality papers. We are impressed with how well the new, more easily recyclable packaging protects the quality of the oat and rice patties and preserves them until the best-before date. The packaging solution works within our existing packaging process and achieves all this by reducing fossil materials."
Piia Soininen-Tengvall, Head of Packaging Development at Fazer
Food packaging has protective properties that were traditionally achieved using plastic packaging or by laminating plastic to the surface of paper. The use of plastic also made it possible to seal the packaging with heat. The packaging paper developed by UPM Speciality Papers combines both the barrier and heat-sealing properties are integrated into the packaging paper, without the need for a separate plastic lamination.
„Packaging papers have the advantage that they can be recycled within a widely established fibre recycling infrastructure. Today, more than 80 percent of the fibre-based packaging material used in Europe is recycled. Our product development is always based on the premise of ensuring recyclability in addition to product safety and the required functional properties.“
Susanna Hyrkäs, Senior Manager, Sustainability, UPM Speciality Papers
The new packaging for oat rice cakes is based on the UPM ConfidioTM barrier paper, which is heat-sealable. In the recycling test, the recycling waste of unprinted UPM Confidio paper is around one per cent, which means that around 99 per cent of the paper can be used to manufacture new, recycled products. The recycling waste of plastic-coated paper packaging is significantly higher.
Source: UPM
