Coveris and Berry Gardens reveal 30% recycled fruit film lidding ahead of UK Plastics Tax
08 Apr 2021 --- Coveris has partnered UK fruit producer Berry Gardens to launch a printed lidding film containing over 30 percent post-consumer recyclate (PCR).
The new recycled PET (rPET) film is sealed to the existing rPET tray to offer a solution with peelable functionality for reuse and improved storage.
Speaking to PackagingInsights, Sian Bates, marketing manager at Coveris, says the collaboration faced technical challenges in maintaining food safety requirements when creating the new film.
“The key technical challenge in switching from any virgin to recycled plastic is to maintain functional and shelf life performance in line with existing product requirements.”
“For a high-volume, short shelf life product like fresh berries, this has required extensive technical validation, which Coveris is strategically positioned to support through our innovative, forward-thinking structure.”
Coveris has a network of centers, including a Film Science Lab, Food Science Lab and Pack Innovation Centre, which are vertically integrated to develop, test, validate and manufacture sustainable materials for optimized inline and on-shelf performance.
The first-to-market, food-safe PCR film is now available nationwide in the UK across all major multiple Berry Gardens lines, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and other stone fruit.
Barriers to 100%
The new recycled film reduces carbon impact by “significantly” offsetting virgin polymer requirement, says Coveris, removing around 53,000 kilograms from the supply chain annually.
Besides the 30 percent standard film now on offer, a 50 percent option is also available.
The PCR film complies with forthcoming UK Plastics Tax demands.Bates says that while achieving a film with 100 percent PCR is a long-term ambition, it is focused on optimizing its current developments.
“Price and availability of recycled content in addition to functional and aesthetic performance currently limit the inclusion of 100 percent PCR. Given that the UK Plastics Packaging Tax requires 30 percent in all products going forward, achieving this consistently throughout a wider product offering is a priority.”
“As recycling infrastructure and technology evolve following tax implementation in 2022 and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in 2023, we expect PCR content to increase both in terms of availability and inclusion.”
The UK’s Department of Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) recently launched a consultation on implementing an EPR scheme.
The visual clarity challenge
Coveris says the film offers like-for-like performance inline and on-shelf and currently presents no cosmetic difference on previous non-PCR designs.
“There is zero visual difference on 30 percent rPET film, but more content may indeed impact on visual quality. However, in other industries, we are seeing brand owners use this to their advantage to create customer awareness of recycled plastic.”
Using Coveris’ award-winning Freshlife perforation technology, the sustainable packs work to maintain more than four days of shelf life via improved moisture management in-pack. Integral anti-mist properties also offer added clarity and optimal performance, he says.
“Moving to the rPET film on our punnets will allow us to have the same transparency and technical properties as virgin material, but with reduced carbon impact and significant plastic reduction from the supply chain,” says Siobhan Parks, head of packaging at Berry Gardens.
Looming UK Plastics Tax
The collaboration comes ahead of the UK Plastics Tax, which will enforce a £200 (US$275) per ton tax rate for plastic packaging with less than 30 percent recycled plastic produced or imported into the UK. The tax will be implemented in April 2022.
Bates says the tax will be sufficient in achieving its aims of driving a circular economy and increasing resource efficiency if appropriately used.
“If the tax is used correctly to support a UK-wide collection and recycling scheme it will be effective, given the key challenge is a lack of coordinated waste collection and sorting.”
“Though it is a plastics packaging tax, the aim is to move toward a circular economy which requires an industry-wide, whole supply-chain effort which should include citizen education and engagement to drive recycling at a consumer level.”
By Louis Gore-Langton
