AR Packaging reduces Picard’s plastic footprint with carton-based ice cream box

21 Jun 2021 --- AR Packaging has created a carton-based ice cream box with an integrated lid for Picard, saving 16.5 tons of plastic annually to support the French frozen food company’s plastic reduction goals. 

The box contains approximately 95 percent sustainably sourced cartonboard, making it recyclable in many countries’ paper recycling streams.

Meanwhile, the thin inner layer of polyethylene ensures product protection and pack integrity.

“Our main motivation is to find alternatives to plastic packaging when the product and its environment allow it,” says Gilles Lapique, project manager for packaging at Picard.

“We were looking for an innovative cartonboard solution, which would allow us to find harmony in the complete ‘Le Petit Marchand de glaces’ range.”

“Our desire was to adapt a box-style casket, easily automated by our packers and guaranteeing all the functionality of an equivalent plastic packaging.”

Challenging conventional designs
The development team at AR Packaging’s plant in Cholet, France, created an easy-to-use alternative to the 500 ml plastic tub.

The box is supplied to Picard’s various ice cream producers as an erected tray with an integrated lid and a re-closable option.

A smart construction with a special flap helps prevent product leakage. Moreover, the lid can be provided as two options: either to be formed manually after filling or mechanically in the filling and packaging line at the customer facility.

“The new ice cream packaging for Picard is one more example of how we challenge the conventional and develop more sustainable solutions without compromising product quality, consumer convenience and industrial efficiency,” says Pierre Guillebeau, sales director for food and consumer goods at AR Packaging.

“This fiber-based packaging can be used for many other products than ice cream, for example, frozen foods and chilled ready meals, and support brand owners to substantially reduce their packaging carbon footprint.”

In May, Graphic Packaging agreed to acquire AR Packaging, reportedly Europe’s second-largest producer of fiber-based consumer packaging, for approximately US$1.45 billion in cash.

Fiber-based frenzy
Innovation in plastic-replacement fiber-based solutions is booming as brands explore plastic waste escape routes and new connections with the enlarging eco-conscious consumer base. 

More stringent regulations are driving the transition from single-use plastics to fiber-based alternatives.

Notably, the EU’s Plastics Strategy requires all packaging to be recyclable or reusable in an economically viable way by 2030, while its recently introduced plastics tax imposes a €0.80/kg (US$0.95/kg) levy on non-recycled plastic packaging waste.

According to Innova Market Insights, 71 percent of global consumers believe paper-based packaging has “excellent” or “good” recyclability.

PackagingInsights recently explored the ice cream packaging market with experts from Huhtamaki, Mondi, Stanpac, Ben & Jerry’s and others.

Edited by Joshua Poole

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