Sacma launches compostable grass-based paper bags with Futamura liner for oven foods
23 Jan 2024 --- Sacma is expanding its B.Life range with B.Life Gaia, offering a renewable and compostable alternative to packing hot products. The new bags combine FSC-certified grass paper with a NatureFlex cellulosic inner liner from cellulose-based film provider Futamura. The resulting product is a “highly” technical solution for the rotisserie segment.
The new Gaia bags are said to be “ideally” suited to pack hot products such as cooked chicken. The NatureFlex heat sealable inner layer ensures that the bags are leak-proof for juices and grease-proof to protect the consumer.
According to Robert Pellegrino, sales and export manager at Sacma, “the new heat sealable Gaia bags provide the technical performance of conventional plastics laminated to paper, as well as valid end-of-life options after the packaging use. These renewable bags are an exciting addition to our product range and are gathering real market interest.”
The materials are resistant to high temperatures, so they can be used in ovens and hot cabinets or in the microwave to reheat the product. Sacma also tested the bags for usage at temperatures around -40 degrees Celsius to confirm their suitability for freezing. The bags are available with a paper look or a transparent window so consumers can see the product.
Recyclable and compostable
The Gaia bags were found to provide the pack performance required from the rotisserie aisle and are certified to the OK Compost Home standard for backyard composting, meaning they can be composted after use at home or industrially. Gaia bags are also certified recyclable with paper by Aticelca.
Andy Sweetman, sales and marketing director of EMEA at Futamura, adds: “We are delighted that our new NatureFlex NVO film has been considered for this food-to-go application. Packaging that has been heavily contaminated by food is impractical to recycle mechanically — having the option to compost the packs enables a valid end-of-life solution.”
Italian paper bag manufacturer Sacma has been producing paper-based single-use flexible packaging for over 55 years. In 2007, Sacma moved to new premises to reduce its environmental impact and enhance self-sufficiency. In 2023, the company obtained the ISO 14001 certification and is now actively pursuing ISO 14064 to become carbon-neutral in the next few years.
Edited by Natalie Schwertheim
