Packaging & Sustainibility: What’s his Role?
A recent European study commissioned by Pro Carton – the European Association of Carton and Cartonboard Manufacturers – on European consumer packaging perceptions study tells us that packaging has become more than just a container for consumers: it’s a recurring opportunity to assess the environmental impact of a brand and it’s able to increase the sustainability perception of a product – second only to the production methods aspect of the product itself with almost half of those questioned strongly agreeing that COVID-19 has made us more sensitive to environmental issues.
Packaging stays in the consumer’s eye longer than any other marketing tool: often the packaging design communicates the product before its content and creating value and customer trust.
The importance of packaging to the environment is also demonstrated by the fact that six out of 10 Europeans say that the environmental impact of a product’s packaging affects their purchasing decisions: almost two thirds say they changed the products they buy because of concerns about packaging.
For this reason, many brands are committing many resources to researching materials and technologies to reduce packaging pollution.
Wrap, carry, cook and Eat food
Thanks to the Know-how on innovative materials and to the study of the market by the R&D Team of LIC Packaging, an innovative corrugated board specific for the direct food contact has been born HT Board, a revolutionary material as nature intended.
HT Board was born from the need and conviction to offer solutions in pure virgin paper not only able to pack food but also to carry, cook and eat food in a single pack.
5HT BOARD DIFFERENT HT BOARD QUALITIES FOR CUSTOM SOLUTIONS
Thanks to this unique material and to the experience and industrialization capacity of the production department, today ECO&FOOD business unit of LIC Packaging designs and manufactures custom solutions to meet the customers’ needs belonging to different food sectors and their different product characteristics.
ECO&FOOD Team developed 5 different HT Board compositions that allow to increase and improve both the performance of barrier to fats, oils and liquids in general and as non-stick material.
These features combined with the fact that the paper is by its nature breathable, often greatly reduce the moisture during cooking thus optimizing the process and consequently improving the quality.
It therefore results in a better uniformity and a potential reduction of cooking times. In the various compositions there is also the choice to use the Grass paper as raw material in the HT Board production with the logic to reduce its environmental impact in the world.
The Grass Paper contains up to 40% of grass fibres and to produce 1 TON of raw material there is a Co2 emission reduction of 75% in the atmosphere, energy savings up to 4500Kw/h and water savings up to 5000L because it takes only 2L. Moreover in the grass fibre production no chemicals are used.
Recyclable and Compostable HT Board is totally recyclable in the paper chain according to Aticelca 501/2019 and received the biodegradability and compostability certification according to EN 13432.
Certified Tests
With a view to selling HT Board packaging especially in the ready meals and take-away sectors which are constantly growing due to the changing customer LIC Packaging has carried out various tests to verify their direct food contact conformity by an accredited laboratory simulating different test conditions in order to assess their correct use and functioning.
The cooking or heating test of food directly inside the HT Board trays were applied to refrigerated and frozen different types of products.
The stress test results were excellent and the trays strength even aesthetically was optimal:
– In traditional oven up to 60’ at 220°.
– In microwave oven up to 15 minutes at 900W
Conclusion
Really Eco-Friendly solutions, performing and food certified: with the HT Board material the ECO&FOOD line reached the goal of being the only cardboard packaging able to enhance food, both preserving it during transport and enhancing its cooking and heating.
The FSC certified raw materials combined with the paper knowledge allowed LIC Packaging to develop this winning project.
