Finland's S Group has replaced the packaging of ready meal boxes sold under the Herkku label as it seeks to improve the recyclability and use of recycled raw materials in the packaging.
The new packaging, which currently features in 10 SKUs, is made of raw material with at least 70% recycled plastic and replaces black trays with a light coloured packaging.
The Finnish retailer has also reduced the amount of plastic used in several other product SKUs in the range by up to 15–26%.
The move will help the company reduce plastic use by approximately 5,000 kilograms annually, it said.
'A Radical Packaging Reform'
Product content manager Matias Taipalharju from S-Herkkukeittiö, commented, "The previous packaging was unnecessarily large, so it was not material efficient and took up more space during transport, which did not make sense from an environmental or cost point of view. We decided to carry out a radical packaging reform, which meant that we decided to invest in a new packaging line as part of the change.
"There was a lot of work and attention to be paid to the renewal of the hot kitchen dosing and packaging line, boxes, labels and labelling at the same time. This illustrates that even if the goal of more responsible packaging is clear, change does not happen overnight."
Circular Economy
S Group has pledged to promote the circular economy of plastics through an international commitment initiated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the UN.
In 2018, it signed the Ellen MacArthur commitment, and it reports its progress to the foundation annually.
According to the latest report published by the foundation, some of the world's biggest consumer goods companies, including PepsiCo, Mars and Nestlé, are almost certain to miss a target to make plastic packaging more sustainable by 2025.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest packaging news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
