Less plastic - Sustainable packaging for berries also convinces in shelf life test
Following the successful launch of the new sustainable basket for berries, Munich-based berry specialist Früchte Widmann will soon introduce further basket variants for other berry products. In addition, the Topseal closure has been successfully tested and can be launched gradually from March 2020.
The first fruits in the new sustainable look were mixed berries and peeled physalis. Starting in April 2020, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries will also gradually switch to the new sustainable packaging.
To this end, Früchte Widmann is working closely with berry growers in southern Europe and Germany to ensure that sensitive fruits are put directly into the new packages at source. The aim is to win over other producers for sustainable berry baskets in order to significantly reduce the amount of plastic used.
In order to be able to use different weights for the berries, the company says that other sizes will soon be available.
"For even greater flexibility in the supply chain, we are expanding our packaging station in Munich with a new Topseal machine," announces Dr. Hans Widmann, managing partner of Früchte Widmann. "With this machine, we can now offer not only the standard flowpack, but also the new sustainable packaging with heat-sealed lid. This guarantees a further reduction in plastic waste". Already in January 2020 Früchte Widmann was able to avoid around three tons of plastic waste thanks to the new peel.
With the new tray sizes, additional items and additional producers, the disposal of plastic waste will be further significantly reduced in the coming months.
MAIN FEATURES
- sustainable alternative to plastic packaging for berries
- optimal product protection
- improvement in product shelf
- reduction of plastics by between 75% and 86% compared to current packaging
- all packaging components are recyclable
- annual reduction of 35,000 kg of plastic corresponding to 1.75 million packs
- the cardboard comes from FSC certified sources, i.e. it comes from a forest and a responsibly managed supply chain.
NUMEROUS SHELF-LIFE TESTS
With the introduction of the sustainable packaging for berries , numerous shelf life tests were carried out. Andreas Kreuzmair, Quality Manager at Früchte Widmann, explains that the new bin for berries has a very positive effect on shelf life: "In our shelf life tests with mixed berries, we were able to determine that the shelf life is around 25% longer than with the plastic packaging previously used. In addition to the enormous reduction of over 75% in plastic packaging, this also significantly reduces losses in the supply chain."
In addition to the company's own studies, the Weihenstephan University of Applied Sciences is currently carrying out an independent, scientific evaluation of the sustainability of Widmann's basket berries . The first results will be available in May 2020.
Source: Weniger Plastik - Nachhaltige Beerenschale überzeugt im Shelf-Life-Test (FH 06/2020)
