“Less plastic, more communication”: Sealpac launches eTray for MAP at IFFA 2019

13 May 2019 --- Sealpac has launched its latest addition to the modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) market: the eTray. The new product is a cardboard tray with a plastic inlay that contains up to 40 percent less plastic compared to common MAP trays. The concept is a sustainable solution for meat and convenience products packaging. Sealpac launched the pack at IFFA 2019, a trade show for the meat industry, held last week in Frankfurt, Germany.

“The popular tray size of 190 x 144mm for modified atmosphere packaging of fresh meat used to weigh around 18g in the year 2004. In close cooperation with leading tray manufacturers, we have already been able to reduce the weight to just below 10g in 2018. With the launch of eTray, we are once again achieving a significant plastic reduction,” says Marcel Veenstra, Marketing & Communications Manager at Sealpac International.

Plastic materials for vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging, especially in the fresh meat segment, are essential to pack products hygienically and according to the requirements of the industry. However, with the impending European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy, increased recycling and the development of more sustainable packaging solutions will become primary targets for the industry.

According to the latest regulations, all plastic food packaging in the EU must be recyclable by 2030. The ability to separate individual packaging components has, therefore, become extremely important. To generate more sustainable packaging, the company says that its motto, with regard to plastic, can only be “as much as necessary, as little as possible.”

“Less plastic, more communication” 
With eTray, SEALPAC presents a solution aimed at meeting market requirements. The trays are pre-fabricated using a special thermoforming process, during which the thin plastic inner layer is added to the cardboard carrier. This layer serves purely as a sealing and barrier medium. After use, the cardboard carrier and plastic inlay are easily separated. The solution results in significantly less waste while allowing for sustainable disposal and recycling.

Based on one of the most common PP tray sizes in Western Europe, 190 x 144mm, 40 percent of plastic can be saved. Both the inside and outside walls of the cardboard tray are suitable for high-quality printing, providing plenty of space for branding and design. There is the additional option of integrating see-through windows for an enhanced view of the product. 

Due to the highly stable, uninterrupted sealing edge, each tray is hermetically sealed under MAP on all of SEALPAC’s A-series tray sealers, hence ensuring the safest packaging process, says the company. It also adds that the eTray is just as reliable as a conventional plastic tray, suitable for denesting and allows for smooth transport across the packaging line. 

Sealpac has long been working to reduce the levels of plastic in packaging solutions. Last year, Sealpac’s FlatSkin pack combined extended shelf-life and enhanced design appeal with a plastic reduction of up to 75 percent. Danish seafood processor Vega Salmon A/S was one of the early adopters of the FlatSkin packaging system for its hot-smoked salmon products. The products are manufactured on a Sealpac A10 tray sealer with 8-impression tooling for cardboard carriers measuring 260 x 130mm. Each carrier has a double-sided print and hanger hole, which, combined with Sealpac’s unique OnTrayCut system, allow for an attractive vertical presentation at retail. 

Earlier this year, Sealpac collaborated with Norwegian company MatBørsen for its foray into the ready meal sector. The companies launched a click-on soup tray that has been stocked at Norwegian retailers Meny since 2017, for which MatBørsen invested in a line solution primary based on Sealpac equipment. The concept delivers an extension in shelf-life for the soup, as well as a convenient for on-the-go end product for the consumer.