Parkside equips Mintons with home-compostable food pouches from Futamura’s laminate
20 Jan 2022 --- Specialist packaging provider Parkside is adding a fully compostable pack design to its portfolio as part of a collaboration with health food wholesaler, Mintons, in the UK.
The pack consists of duplex compostable laminate – manufactured by Futamura – which guarantees food safety and is designed to break down within 26 weeks in a home composting environment.
Minton will replace its current non-recyclable plastic packaging for its pulses, beans, cereals and dried fruits range with the new compostable pack.
Roger Watkins, managing director at Mintons says: “We are a healthy foods brand, and our customers are environmentally conscious, so it makes sense that we progress our business model by adopting [environmentally] sustainable packaging for our products.”
“The pack created by Parkside has aligned a significant portion of our offering to both our business and consumer ethos. Parkside are industry-leaders in [environmentally] sustainable packaging, so they were always our go-to partner for this venture.”
According to Innova Market Insights, 28% of UK consumers consider compostable packaging to have the most environmentally sustainable end of life disposal, ranking second behind biodegradable packaging (29%).
The pouch is designed to break down within 26 weeks in a home composting environment.Plastics debate rages on
Watkins says with the current plastic debate showing no signs of slowing down, the company’s new innovative packaging solution is beneficial both for the environment and as a powerful marketing tool for reaching environmentally-conscious consumers.
Innova Market Insights discovered that more than half of UK consumers (58%) believe consumer behavior is a major contributor to the global plastic pollution crisis, followed by packaging suppliers (54%).
Pandemic alters consumer concerns
Meanwhile, Paul Lenihan, new business development manager at Parkside, has noticed a shift in consumer concerns throughout the pandemic. However, environmental sustainability has remained at the forefront of consumers’ minds.
Relatedly, Innova Market Insights’ top 2022 trend indicates peoples’ concern for the planet is overtaking concerns for their own health. The so-labeled “Shared Planet” trend indicates consumers today are more ethically and environmentally conscious than in the past and make planet protection their number one priority.
However, despite being concerned about the increased usage of plastic packaging, 39% of UK consumers see the material as an undesirable necessity at this time to prevent current health risks, the market researcher also found.
By Natalie Schwertheim
