Environment

VIENNA, Austria, Oct. 14, 2021 (Press Release) -
• Mondi to produce a recyclable mono-material packaging for Hau-Hau Champion, one of Finland’s most popular premium dog food brands available in grocery stores, produced by Prima Pet Premium Oy, part of Vafo Group.
• Flexible mono-material solutions replace unrecyclable plastic packs while offering high barrier protection and increased consumer convenience.
• Mondi’s EcoSolutions approach supports Hau-Hau Champion in reducing its environmental impact.

Mondi, a global leader in packaging and paper, is supplying a range of recyclable mono-material pet food packaging for Hau-Hau Champion, one of Finland’s most recognised brands in the premium dog food segment. The new packaging fulfils the pet food producer’s objective to launch a reclosable and recyclable packaging solution that does not compromise on performance and retains the strong brand recognition in stores. It also addresses sustainability concerns of end consumers that are playing more of a role in the purchasing of pet food and products.

Mondi’s customer-centric approach, EcoSolutions, helped Hau-Hau Champion find a high-barrier solution that can be reclosed, keeps food fresh and confines any smells. The previously unrecyclable multi-layer packaging contained a metallised layer which was replaced by Mondi’s recyclable mono-material packaging: a reel material for form-fill-and-seal (FFS) 1.5kg bags and pre-made FlexiBag Recyclable for bags up to 15kg. FlexiBag Recyclable is a mono-material polyethylene (PE) pre-made bag developed specifically for recycling, which means it can be deposited directly into Finnish plastic recycling streams.

The new packaging responds to consumer feedback asking for stronger carrying handles and a user-friendly reclosure to prevent kibble from going stale and thereby avoiding waste. It also features an anti-slip matt lacquer exterior and is fitted with a valve that allows air to escape for optimal palletisation.

Thomas Kahl, EcoSolutions Project Manager at Mondi says: “Through our EcoSolutions approach, we help customers find environmentally responsible alternatives without compromising on performance, ease of use, or aesthetics. For Hau-Hau Champion, this involved asking many questions to gain deeper insight into the needs of the brand and its end users, as well as collaborating closely throughout the process to test and evaluate all solutions. The new packaging also supports Mondi’s MAP2030 sustainability goal to make 100% of its products reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.”

Suvi Sillvan, Brand Specialist at Hau-Hau Champion adds: “With Hau-Hau’s brand refresh, we were looking for packaging that fully aligns with our commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of our products and operations as well as upgrades the packaging to match the high quality of the product content. Given that this is a premium product, we are especially pleased with the high-quality finish, including the printing, which retains brand familiarity on the shelf and informs consumers that they can easily recycle our dog food packs. The new packaging material also fully supports the fact that all our dry dog foods are now completely CO2 neutral through carbon emission compensation.”

Retailers are also welcoming the change, which is already on shelves but will accelerate with major rollout of the brand relaunch across Finland in October.

Hau-Hau Champion is a brand produced by Prima Pet Premium Oy, which belongs to Czech VAFO Group, a European leader in premium pet food.

HAGUE, The Netherlands, Oct. 14, 2021 (Press Release) -The French Government has announced plans to ban fruit and vegetables from being sold in plastic packaging from January 1st, 2022, as part of its anti-waste law aimed at creating a circular economy with single-use plastic phased out by 2040.

The anti-waste law was voted into effect in early 2020, with the first stage being a ban on the sale of disposable tableware, including glasses, cups, and plates, and cotton swabs in batches. In 2021, the French government expanded this law by banning plastic straws, disposable cutlery, stirrers, lids for takeaway beverage cups, polystyrene boxes, and plastic confetti.

Representing the next step in France's anti-waste law, plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables weighing less than 1.5 kg will be banned. This will come into effect on January 1st, 2022, but the Government says the law will be applied gradually up until June 30th, 2026, so manufacturers have time to alter packaging solutions. A tolerance period of six months for the disposal of packaging stocks will also be allowed, according to the French Government.

Some of the vegetables included in this law will be leeks, peppers, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, cauliflower, and squash, among others. Meanwhile, apples, pears, bananas, oranges, kiwis, lemons, melons, pineapples, and mangoes are some of the fruits that will be targeted by the addition to the anti-waste law.

For salads, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, and chicory, the deadline for phasing out plastic packaging will be shorter, with the ban expected to be complete by December 31st, 2024. A shorter deadline of June 30th, 2023, will also apply to tomatoes, peaches, and nectarines.

The new law will have two exemptions: fruit and vegetable sold in lots of 1.5 kg or more, and fruit and vegetables at risk of deterioration if sold in bulk. Raspberries, strawberries, currants and blueberries, alongside ripe fruits picked at maturity, are included in the latter category. Products like lentils and soybeans will also be exempt.

The French Government says it expects a 1 billion reduction in packaging per year as a result of the ban. Currently, it estimates that 37% of fresh fruits and vegetables are packaged in plastic.

In a bid to encourage reuse, France’s anti-waste law urges consumers to bring reusable containers into retail stores to purchase items, as long as the container is clean and suitable for the products purchased.

As part of its Climate and Resilience Law, implemented in August 2021, the French Government is aiming for 20% of medium and large products to be sold in bulk by 2030, reducing or eliminating the need for plastic packaging. This complements the anti-waste law’s targets for 5% of packaging to be reused by 2023, and 10% by 2027.

Further changes to the anti-waste law are expected in 2022, including non-biodegradable plastic tea and herbal tea bags being removed from supermarket shelves in France. The country’s food service industry will also be impacted: the distribution of plastic games with meals will be banned in 2022 and, from 2023, restaurants will be required to replace disposable dishes with reusable ones for meals and drinks served on site.

Press publications and advertisements will also be shipped without plastic packaging from 2022, in accordance with France’s anti-waste law.

Governments in Europe are taking varied measures to address the challenge of plastic waste. Another initiative implemented by France is the HolyGrail 2.0 project, which may see the country have digitally watermarked products introduced to store shelves in the first half of 2022, if the current semi-industrial trial taking place in the City of Copenhagen is successful.

Meanwhile, representatives from the plastics industry recently called on the European Union (EU) to set a recycled content target of 30% for plastics sold on the European market by 2030, although this has been criticised by some for not sharing responsibility across the value chain.

LONDON, Oct. 15, 2021 (Press Release) -DS Smith has designed and manufactured the first ever fibre-based solution using its pioneering Circular Design Metrics, to support a COP26 initiative led by Toast Ale that highlights the role of food waste in climate change. 

The Companion Series, led by drinks company Toast Ale and in partnership with 25 breweries across the UK and Ireland – including Guinness and Adnams, is a limited-edition collection of beers brewed with surplus bread to prevent food waste. With one third of the world’s food never being eaten, the initiative is working to reduce food waste so that the land and resources used, and greenhouse gases emitted, are not wasted.  

There will be 2,600 Companion Series boxes available to purchase today, being manufactured and supplied by leading sustainable fibre-based packaging provider DS Smith. The boxes have been produced using their Circular Design Metrics for the first time, together with DS Smith PACE principles which ensures fit-for-purpose packaging and minimum use of fibre through supply chain optimisation with limited CO2 impact. 

Dave Ellerington, Head of Design & Innovation and Business Development at DS Smith Packaging UK & Ireland, said: “Design is one of the essential elements of the Circular Economy and we are thrilled to put our design principles and unique circular design metrics into practice for the first time, in the FMCG industry. 

“By employing these metrics, the figures show how well-designed packaging can be pivotal in reducing overall environmental impact, helping companies in a wide range of sectors to reduce waste and pollution, keep materials and products in use for longer and have a clear view of their packaging designs circularity performance to deliver on their sustainability promise.

Adam Platts, Director of Sales, Marketing and Innovation at DS Smith Packaging, UK & Ireland said: “We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with Toast Ale on its important initiative to reduce food waste, and the partnership is testament to our commitment to supporting the drinks industry with their sustainability targets and accelerating action towards to goals of the Paris agreement and the UN Framework convention on Climate Change.” 

The limited-edition Companion Series is available for purchase on Toast’s website from today, with the aim to raise £65,000 for conservation and regenerative agriculture organisation to protect 3.25 million trees in threatened tropical rainforests and sequester 360 tCO2 in agricultural soils. 

The rollout of the Circular Design Metrics follows the launch of the Circular Design Principles last year which were developed in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. All of DS Smith’s 700 designers have been trained on how to apply the principles to design packaging solutions fit for the Circular Economy.

About DS Smith:

DS Smith is a leading provider of sustainable fibre-based packaging worldwide, which is supported by recycling and papermaking operations. It plays a central role in the value chain across sectors including e-commerce, fast moving consumer goods and industrials. Through its purpose of ‘Redefining Packaging for a Changing World’ and its Now and Next sustainability strategy, DS Smith is committed to leading the transition to the circular economy, while delivering more circular solutions for its customers and wider society – replacing problem plastics, taking carbon out of supply chains and providing innovative recycling solutions. Its bespoke box-to-box in 14 days model, design capabilities and innovation strategy sit at the heart of this response. Headquartered in London and a member of the FTSE 100, DS Smith operates in 34 countries employing around 30,000 people and is a Strategic Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Its history can be traced back to the box-making businesses started in the 1940s by the Smith family.