Borealis, Paccor and Froneri unveil “first” PP ice cream tubs from certified renewable feedstock

15 Jun 2022 --- Borealis, in partnership with Paccor and Froneri Finland, has developed “the first” PP ice cream packaging manufactured with certified renewable feedstock. Inspired by Finnish nature, the tubs come as part of the Everminds initiative to accelerate the conversion to plastic circularity and reduce carbon impact.

The ice cream tubs and lids will be used by the Aino brand. The companies use renewable feedstock certified by mass balance accounting under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification Plus (ISCC PLUS) scheme, to produce these containers. They are molded in Bornewables PP by Borealis. 

“Compliance with the ISCC PLUS standard ensures complete transparency in production, maintaining high-quality standards for our ice cream packaging products,” explains Andrzej Olszewski, plant manager at Paccor Bydgoszcz. 

The feedstock for the Bornewables PP from Borealis is made from a stream of second-generation biomass, waste, and residues that does not compete with the human food chain.

Supporting responsible purchasing
Moreover, brand owners can document the certified renewable content with a representative label or molded-in information on the new ice cream tubs, helping consumers make a more responsible choice in their purchase.

Froneri is switching to renewable energy as part of its environmental sustainability mission.Recent data by Innova Market Insights shows that around 40% of consumers worldwide strictly pay attention to environmental sustainability claims on packaging, and 45% state that being able to follow the traceability and transparency of the product is an important factor in their choice of purchase.

Froneri is the first ice cream company to receive the reputable ISCC PLUS certification in this sensitive packaging market segment and, as a result of this success, is planning to extend the use of the Bornewables polymers to more labels across the European market.

Inspired by Finnish nature
Living in harmony with the environment is second nature for most Finnish people and Borealis says Aino ice cream is closely associated with the environmental sensitivity of products in Finland.

“[Environmental] sustainability is very important to us, with the core of it embedded in our local factory and production,” says Charlotta Lindberg, senior brand manager at Froneri. 

“At our ice cream factory in Turenki, we make continuous improvements and take practical actions both small and big to become more [environmentally] sustainable, for example, by switching to renewable energy, such as wind-based electricity, biogas and carbon-neutral heating.”

“Furthermore, wherever possible, our packaging is FSC-certified, and the cocoa used in our products is Rainforest Alliance-certified,” adds Lindberg.The cocoa used in Froneri’s products is Rainforest Alliance-certified.

Not forgetting functionality
The Aino ice cream tubs and lids are injection-molded from Bornewables PP by Paccor in an integrated process with in-mold labeling decoration. This process makes the monomaterial packaging 100% recyclable. 

Moreover, the renewable material is used as a drop-in solution, helping partners reduce their carbon footprint by not requiring any further modifications to the manufacturing and packaging lines. 

At the same time, the functionality of packaging must not be compromised for greater environmental sustainability. Some 40% of consumers globally agree that packaging’s functionality and environmental credentials should not be mutually exclusive, according to Innova Market Insights. 

Taking this into consideration, the partners state that the Bornewables material meets all functional requirements: it enables durable and protective packaging fit for freezing, while at the same time catering to the increasing consumer demand to reduce the impact packaging products can have on the climate and fossil depletion.

“By using renewable raw material, we have been able to substantially reduce our CO2 emissions without changing the manufacturing process, which is a significant accomplishment and another important step being taken to reduce oil dependence within our group,” concludes Olszewski.

By Mieke Meintjes