Graphic Packaging International partners with Spanish food producer for paperboard potato trays

Graphic Packaging International has partnered with Elaborados Naturales, a producer of refrigerated potato products, to introduce its PaperSeal Shape paperboard tray to the Spanish retail market.

The paperboard manufacturer says the product is the first commercialized round-shaped design of the PaperSeal Shape tray for use in ovens, microwaves and medium-sized air fryers and offers improved consumer convenience. 

The tray replaces a traditional plastic tray and contains less than 10% plastic, making it compliant with the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. It can be recycled in household recycling streams without the need to remove the barrier liner. 

Pierrick Van Hoorde, head of sales, tray & cup solutions at Graphic Packaging, says: “Our goal is to make transitioning to paperboard trays from plastic trays operationally simple and commercially successful while minimizing investment.”

“We want to help brands and retailers meet their sustainability goals, adapt to upcoming legislation and delight their consumers with packaging that is more circular, more functional and more convenient. We truly believe that PaperSeal Shape and our whole paperboard tray portfolio are game changers in this regard.”

“Working in close collaboration with our friends at Elaborados Naturales, we have optimized the tray to meet their exacting standards for food safety, quality, and packaging circularity. This launch showcases what is possible through true collaborative innovation. I thank the team at Elaborados Naturales for their passion and commitment to our shared vision.”

Minimizing material and waste

The Graphic Packaging team worked with Elaborades Naturales to engineer the hermetic seal to meet the seal integrity standards required by the company, ensuring the finished pack would keep the content as fresh as in the plastic alternative. 

The double-flanged structure of the PaperSeal Shape tray provides superior rigidity, allowing it to travel through the supply chain and reach the consumer in good condition, minimizing food waste.

The tray’s structural design and material selection allowed the development team to optimize material usage and enable the tray to run on the customer’s existing packaging lines, minimizing capital investment.

The new solution packages two SKUs. The first, Patatas Kebab, was launched in the Valencia area at the end of August and is now set to be rolled out nationally. The second, Patatas Bravas, launched nationwide in November.