Greener packaging with 80% less plastic

30 July 2021

A European manufacturer of meat and sausage products has been helping to boost its sustainability credentials with the use of GEA FoodTray – a combination of cardboard tray and plastic film – for safely packaging marinated meat.

Both cardboard tray and plastic film are automatically handled and produced on the GEA PowerPak PLUS thermoformer and can easily be separated after use for disposal.

FZ Neumuenster GmbH & Co KG has relied on GEA packaging machines for many years. Dirk Stemke, production manager at FZ, takes up the story: “For several years, we have been exploring all areas for increasingly green and recyclable packaging materials. We set the bar high in terms of new packaging solutions. Containers or films used to package fresh products must not only be robust and hygienic but also offer good protection.”

When FZ opted to replace an old tray sealer to respond more rapidly to fast-paced consumer market demands, its requirements included boosting flexibility in the packaging process while reducing the quantity of plastic used. GEA’s FoodTray presented a compelling and environmentally friendly cardboard and film composite solution.

The FoodTray combined solution, comprising a cardboard tray lined with film, reduces the quantity of plastic by up to 80%. Materials made from fossil resources are replaced by renewable fibres which have the potential to be fully recycled. Consumers can easily separate the cardboard and film before disposing of them in the appropriate recycling stream.

After deep drawing the film on a GEA PowerPak PLUS thermoformer, it is sealed directly to the inside of the box. This is followed by the customer-specific packaging process.

MAP packaging heights range from 20 to 60mm with skin versions reaching between 20 and 42mm.