The grocer TruePDF 16 march 2019

AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE GROCER www.thegrocer.co.uk l 16 March 2019 l 3Coveris: Driving sustainable change across paper and plastic ...6 FSC: UK charity that advises on the use

GUIDE TO

PACKAGING

16 MARCH 2019

2 l 16 March 2019 l www.thegrocer.co.uk AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE GROCER

ANALYSIS

PACKAGING

GETS CRACKING

This constantly evolving sector is pulling out all the stops to

ensure its solutions are not just good for the planet but also

for the brand , Johanna Thomson reports

AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE GROCER www.thegrocer.co.uk l 16 March 2019 l 3

Coveris: Driving sustainable change

across paper and plastic 6 FSC: UK charity that advises on the use

of forest-based materials 8 Tetra Pak: Committed to ‘protecting

what’s good’ 9 Klöckner Pentaplast: The top user of

recyclable plastics 10 Noluma: Proves that protected

packaging pays 12 Pro Carton: Explains why cartons offer

the solutions 14 Ulma: The driving force in packaging

advancements 18

This supplement to The Grocer was published by: William Reed Business Media Ltd, Broadfield Park, Crawley, West Sussex RH11 9RT Tel: 01293 613400 Editor:

Johanna Thomson Designer: Amber Stoddart Printers: St Ives © William Reed Business Media Ltd.

There are very few areas of

grocery – or any other

industry for that matter –

that have to tick so many

diverse boxes in order to

survive Not only does packaging have to

be attractive, it also has to be practical in

terms of supply chain, be sustainable and

help sell the product

The use or overuse of plastics is still

high on the packaging agenda and even

after the horrific images of the sea of

plastic seen on Blue Planet, the use of

packaging is still growing It is estimated

there are over 150 million tonnes of

plas-tic in the world’s oceans and every year

one million birds and over 100,000 sea

mammals die from eating and getting

tangled in plastic waste A recent report

estimates that plastic in the sea is set to

treble by 2025 Something has to change

So, in December, the government

announced the launch of a £60m

inno-vation fund to accelerate the

develop-ment of sustainable plastic packaging

The funding, to be bolstered by industry

support, and delivered by UK Research

and Innovation (UKRI) through the

Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund

Busi-nesses will be able to access this funding

through UKRI managed competitions to

meet the challenge of developing smart

sustainable plastic packaging

But how can retailers help in the battle

against plastic while still meeting health

and safety regs and consumers’ demand

for convenience?

“Retailers are finding themselves in a

perfect storm of media coverage,

grass-root consumer and NGO campaigns and

governmental changes, all driving a

desire to reduce plastic and provide more

sustainable packaging options,” says Erik

Lindroth, sustainability director, Tetra

Pak North Europe

“For supermarkets, packaging isn’t

something that can change overnight,

but they can start to consider the wider

picture when it comes to the food they

stock or package themselves Solutions

that will help to keep products tasting

great and protect the goodness within,

but that are low-plastic, recyclable, and

still convenient for consumer use.”

This shift in mindset is already

For Pro Carton the important thing is

to reduce the amount of non-sustaina-ble packaging and wasteful packaging

“Every time I walk around a supermarket

I see plenty of examples of products that could be packaged in more sustainable materials,” says Tony Hitchin, general manager “Whilst many brand owners and retailers are tackling the issue with gusto there are still lots of opportunities for change

“According to our research, 89% of UK consumers would choose to shop at a supermarket or retailer that proactively encouraged more environmentally friendly packaging from its suppliers, so

it is in the interests of retailers to respond

to public opinion.”

It requires both an end-to-end approach and the need to consider food waste and the packaging/plastics post-consumer phase, believes Coveris Adam Robinson, Pack Positive centre manager, explains: “Simplification of materi-als, package size reduction, component reduction, pushing combined pack and fixture design all offer significant oppor-tunities to support packaging reduction whilst still meeting the core roles that packaging has always played.”

CHANGING MINDS

It is fair to say that it must work both ways when it comes to reducing waste and it is not just up to packaging produc-ers and retailproduc-ers – consumproduc-ers have to alter their expectations too

The 5p charge on plastic bags has been

a phenomenal success and proves that, whether we like it or not, money talks It

is now quite normal to see shoppers pull-ing out old plastic bags or uspull-ing a bag-for-life at the till It is no longer seen as being

a cheapskate, it’s seen as responsible Pro Carton carried out a Packaging Perceptions consumer research study that suggested shoppers would pay a small premium for more environmen-tally-friendly packaging

“Over 5000 of the 7000 people we inter-viewed said they would be prepared

to pay more if the packaging was more environmentally friendly,” says Hitchin

“Clearly, attitude and behaviour may differ, but it shows the strength 4 ❯ ❯ ❯

happening and Tetra Pak cites a Budg-ens in North London that has become the first supermarket in Britain to intro-duce a plastic-free zone Waitrose is now selling tomatoes in punnets made of leaves and Iceland has an Indian micro-wave meal range packaged in plant-based paper pots rather than plastic food trays

“There is no simple answer,” adds Lindroth “Limiting plastic usage must

be complemented by actions to address the overall environmental impact – like ensuring it comes from sustainable sources, and that once recycled, it can be turned into new products.”

❝ For supermarkets, packaging isn’t

something that can be changed over night ❞

CONTENTS

4 l 16 March 2019 l www.thegrocer.co.uk AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE GROCER

ANALYSIS

of feeling on the issue.”

To get past the initial intuitive,

emotional and embedded responses

consumers have to product and

packag-ing, they need to take a more considered

view according to Coveris Robinson

adds: “Providing consistent, correct

easily understood information about

packaging, the role it plays, its

recycla-bility and broader sustainarecycla-bility factors

is critical to this.”

Tetra Pak is of the opinion that

con-sumer behaviours are shifting in tandem

with packaging and retailer’s efforts

“Consumers expect their food and drink

to be consistent in taste, colour, texture

and nutritional value,” Lindroth “While

retailers’ priorities have been to provide

this in the most convenient and

cost-efficient way possible, there is now more

pressure to ensure these packages are

sustainable, and for consumers to think

about the impact their waste has on the

environment Consumer behaviours are

therefore shifting in tandem, as interest

in ‘doing their bit’ to help the

environ-ment becomes more front of mind.”

KEY TRENDS

Unsurprisingly, all packaging producers

agree that the main trend is towards

sus-tainable packaging formats Labelling on

pack to inform shoppers about the

recy-cling credentials of a product are also

becoming increasingly important

FSC Rosie Teasdale, executive director,

says: “The vast majority of consumers

are now saying they want information

on-pack and demand more

informa-tion about the environmental status

and implications of their products and

packaging

“However, there is also a perception

that companies don’t communicate

honestly about their environmental

and social responsibility Therefore,

inde-pendent certification adds credibility to

ethical and environmental claims It’s

likely, therefore, that we’ll see an increase

in the number and prominence of

certifi-cation labels on pack

“Using FSC- cer tif ied packaging

ensure that you are not contributing to

global deforestation and trust in FSC

is high A global survey found that 82%

of FSC-certified companies agree that FSC certification helps them to create a positive corporate image The FSC label and associated marketing assets enable businesses to communicate about their responsible sourcing of paper, board and other forest-based products and packag-ing in a way that is both meanpackag-ingful and attractive.”

Due the limited options for films that are recyclable in the UK, Polyethylene Film (PE Film) that is defined as recy-clable with an On Pack Recycling Label,

is expected to grow This is driven by impending changes to UK Producer Responsibility taxation and the UK Plas-tics Pact along with consumer pressure

There is also an ongoing interest in compostable materials “But it remains

to be seen whether this becomes a trend due to the lack of post-consumer collec-tion and composting infrastructure,”

says Coveris’ Robinson “We also see increased interest in our paperboard products as retailers look to reduce the level of rigid plastic packaging across their product range.”

Fast food is also moving into more paper-based solutions and the grocery trade is doing likewise Pro Carton’s Hitchin says: “We expect to see more mono materials and also an increase in the development and adoption of bio-based barrier materials made from plants rather than fossil-based polymers.”

For over 10 years leading plastics manufacturer Klöckner Pentaplast (KP) has been at the forefront of sustainable packaging with solutions made from 100% post-consumer recycled PET, (rPET)

Dr Helene Roberts, MD of UK and Australia says: “Since 2009, our UK site

in Featherstone has been delivering rPET solutions that can be further recycled, so thereby supporting a circular economy

All the PET used is now from post con-sumer sources By investing in technol-ogy that cleans curbside collected PET material and comply with all the food regs, KP stands now as the top user of recycled plastic within the packaging industry in the UK In 2018 KP used over 140.000 tonnes of PCR globally, support-ing a plastic economy that creates value and keeps plastic away from the oceans.”

❝ It’s likely that we’ll see an increase in the number of

certification labels

on pack ❞

❯ ❯ ❯ 3

AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE GROCER www.thegrocer.co.uk l 16 March 2019 l 5

opment of a container that would fully protect its farm-fresh milk

“Through this partnership, Jersey Girls launched a new light-protected bottle, certified with a Noluma logo The campaign resulted in Jersey Girls’ sales tripling in just two weeks.”

Black plastic is one of the most prob-lematic forms of plastic to recycle The reason for this is that the method used

to colour the plastic means it can’t be rec-ognised by the sorting systems used in most recycling plants

So why is it so difficult to cut down

on the use of black plastic? Coveris explains this is simply due to it being the most efficient, consistent, resilient and cost-effective way to universally frame a product “It requires a broader, more considered, more bespoke, and typically more expensive approach to product and packaging design to deliver equivalent performance,” says Robin-son “It is more important than ever that packaging design is considered at a parallel, concurrent stage in the product development process to enable the level

of consideration required to address the complex issues we face, the use of black plastic being but one.”

Greenpeace are calling on a ban black plastic and other “problem plastics” by the end of 2019 So there are still more challenges on the horizon but this resil-ient and creative sector is more than well-equipped to rise to it The govern-ment’s £60m innovation fund hopes to help develop new forms of packaging and plastic made from farming, food and industrial waste, like sugar beet, wood chippings and food waste – moving away from oil-based plastics There are plans for smart packaging labels – which could tell consumers the right bin to put recycling into and revolutionise the way recycling is sorted in waste plants Live sell-by-date patches are also being discussed – a living sell-by-date which deteriorates at the same rate as produce

to show consumers when their food is going off therefore cutting down on food waste So watch this space as packaging continues to problem solve there will be some fascinating innovations ■

FINDING SOLUTIONS

So instead of talking about the

prob-lems what are the solutions?

Pack-aging is vital and can make or break

a product The laminated paperboard

sandwich pack is a prime example of

packaging driving forward supply-chain

performance and efficiency alongside

consumer preference

Coveris’ Robinson explains: “The pack

helped reposition and premiumise the

food-to-go sandwich market, fuelling

its ongoing growth, this was achieved

in parallel by delivering P+3 shelf life,

supporting supply-chain efficiencies and

reduced food waste This pack format is

currently designated as widely recyclable

and will go through further innovation

to meet revised requirements from the

UK paper recycling sector between now

and 2022.”

Protecting the produce is the primary

purpose of packaging and without find-ing solutions to provide protection can directly effect the success of a product

Noluma’s work with Jersey Girls Dairy,

a dairy farm based in Vermont USA, is a great example of how introducing light-protected packaging not only improves quality for consumers, but can also provide a real boost to sales

Chris Pickles, MD at Ulma Packaging

UK, says: “Jersey Girls was concerned when they found out that the packag-ing transportpackag-ing the milk from farm

to customer was not protecting it from the damage caused by light – both real and artificial Unless light is blocked by purpose-made light-protected packaging,

it can have a significant negative impact

on the taste and nutritional content of milk So the Jersey Girls partnered with Noluma to measure the light-protection

of its packaging and advise on the

devel-Positioned to drive sustainable change, Coveris, one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of both plastic and paper packaging solutions, recently launched its Pack Positive sustainability strategy, in line with its UK Plastics Pact commitments, to deliver four leading industry targets; elimination of problem-atic or unnecessary single-use packaging;

100% recyclable plastic packaging by 2025;

30% recyclate plastic content by 2022; 20%

food waste reduction by 2025

Having launched a first of its kind Pack Positive sustainable development centre and academic partnership with Leeds Beckett University’s Retail Institute, Adam Robinson, Pack Positive centre manager explains how the new facility

is set to deliver the sustainable packag-ing of the future “Through its vertically integrated innovation and manufactur-ing model, Coveris is in a unique indus-try position to drive sustainable change across plastics and paper packaging.”

“Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and eliminating single-use plastics from the supply-chain, Coveris is focused on new and innovative ways to reduce and

‘design out’ unnecessary plastics, sup-porting the use of paper and board alter-natives where there is no compromise to food safety, shelf-life or product protec-tion Having recently worked with M&S

to replace traditional rigid and black plas-tic sushi packs with sustainably sourced board, the packs provide a more widely

COVERIS

PLASTIC AND

PAPER SOLUTIONS

DETAILS

Coveris

UK HQ:

Holland Place

Spalding

Lincolnshire PE11 3ZN

UK@coveris.com

www.coveris.co.uk

KEY CONTACTS

Gary Rehwinkel

UK President

Mark Summers

Film Sales Director

Jo Ormrod

Paper & Board

Sales Director

Adam Robinson

Pack Positive

Centre Manager

KEY BRANDS

PE+ and OPE

recyclable films

Freshlife films

High-performance

functional films

and laminates

Self-adhesive and

linerless labels

Cartonboard and

hybrid laminate board

recyclable solution whilst delivering added-value brand positioning

100% RECYCLABLE PLASTICS Launched across several major retail lines including Co-op prepared vegetables and Tesco organic salads, Coveris’ PE+ films provide a leading alternative to other not yet recyclable UK plastics like OPP Deliv-ering the same protective, functional and shelf-life benefits as existing solutions, the mono film is easily recycled in the same way that you would recycle a car-rier bag in larger stores Supported by ongoing R&D into extrusion and material science, recyclable PE solutions are being developed for more complex materials like laminates and barrier films

30% RECYCLATE CONTENT Operating its own circular production model, Coveris are responsible for recy-cling over 6,000 tonnes of post-manufac-turer and post-processer plastic waste, and 6,500 tonnes of paper by-product waste each year With this being repro-cessed by Coveris for secondary pack-aging reuse, they are also leading the research and development of post-con-sumer recyclate content to meet 2022 legislative requirements

20% FOOD WASTE REDUCTION Despite food waste targets having seem-ingly moved down the ‘sustainable agenda’, this remains key to Coveris’ Pack Positive strategy for a sustainable future Targeting a 20% reduction in line with Courtauld 2025, Coveris have recently been awarded for their work in this field for their Freshlife MAP film for Tesco and Waitrose avocados Scientifically devel-oped in partnership with fruit and vege-table supplier Greencell, the packs deliver

at least +2 days shelf-life and a 25% qual-ity improvement in ripe and ready-to-eat avocados, significantly reducing instore waste, improving consumer satisfaction and product availability ■

❝ Coveris is

in a unique industry position to drive sustainable change across plastics and paper packaging ❞

6 l 16 March 2019 l www.thegrocer.co.uk AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE GROCER

8 l 16 March 2019 l www.thegrocer.co.uk AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE GROCER

DOES MORE THAN LOOK AFTER YOUR PRODUCTS,

IT LOOKS AFTER OUR FORESTS TOO.

Our forests give us many things, including the packaging for some of our favourite products FSC helps look after forests and the people and wildlife who call them home So you can choose paper, board and other forest products while keeping our forests full of life.

Choose FSC.

www.fsc-uk.org

FSC ® F000231

PACKED WITH IDEAS

DETAILS

Forest Stewardship

Council (FSC) UK

The Billiard Room

Town Hall

Llanidloes

Powys

SY18 6BN

01686413916

info@fsc-uk.org

www.fsc-uk.org

KEY CONTACTS

Tallulah Chapman

Communications

Manager

Beth Bennett

Business Development

Manager

The world of packaging is in flux and those in the industry are work-ing hard to rethink and reform their products Testament to this is the record-breaking visitor numbers at the NEC’s Packaging Innovations 2019 The show was buzzing and nowhere more so than

on the stand of the Forest Stewardship Counci (FSC) UK, a UK charity that helps businesses procure and supply products, packaging and other forest-based materi-als from responsible sources

Paper-based packaging can protect goods, provide product information and

be both biodegradable and easily recy-clable

Rosie Teasdale, executive director says:

“However, forest-based materials such as these can also be the product of deforest-ation or poor forestry practices: a threat not only to the world’s forests but also to business and brand reputation

“Through responsible management

of forests, the FSC certification system can help to secure a long-term source of paper and other forest-based products FSC can enable you to demonstrate your commitment to responsible forestry to your customers.”

Packaging can carry the FSC label if it

is produced using FSC-certified materials under a valid FSC chain of custody certifi-cate Including the FSC label on packag-ing is a great way to capitalise on one of its key functions: promotion

This is particularly important in packaging and other applications where sustainability can be a key differentiator Brands that use FSC-labelled packaging can be granted authorisation to promote

it using the iconic FSC trademarks under

an FSC trademark licence, thus facilitat-ing online, offline and in-store

❝ Paper packaging protects, provides information, can be biodegradable and easily recyclable ❞

TETRA PAK

THE GROCER GUIDE TO

PACKAGING

JUST Water’s packaging is driven by

sustainability and a desire to do the right

things for our planet The carton is mostly

made from renewable resources, is

WATER IN A

GOOD PACKAGE

WATER IN A

GOOD PACKAGE

If sustainability is on your agenda, consider Tetra Pak cartons as your packaging choice today: www.tetrapak.co.uk

If c

PROTECT WHAT’S GOOD

DETAILS

Tetra Pak

Eagle House

Peregrine Business Park

Gomm Rd

High Wycombe

HP13 7DL

01494 886000

www.tetrapak.

co.uk/goodchoice

KEY CONTACTS

Erik Lindroth

Sustainability Director,

Tetra Pak North Europe

Ben Cutts

Business Development

Director, Tetra Pak

North Europe

KEY BRANDS

Tetra Pak

The problem of plastic pollution has been building up for years, and

is now perhaps a top priority since nature programmes like Blue Planet II Consum-ers, retailers and producers need to think

of the bigger picture when it comes to packaging choices - where the material comes from, what it’s made of and what happens after it’s recycled

Erik Lindroth, sustainability director, Tetra Pak North Europe says: “For us it’s all about ‘protecting what’s good’, hence why cartons are designed to be low in plastic, easily recyclable and have low CO2 impact On average, 75% of our carton

is made from paperboard from trees – a plant-based and renewable material

“Because of this, only a small amount

of plastic needs to be used in beverage cartons and after use, cartons can be recycled in over 90% of local authority areas These recycled materials can then

be made into new products like tubes, cores and containers.”

Tetra Pak cartons can contain 80% less plastic than an equivalent plastic bottle, which is peace of mind for environmen-tally conscious consumers and brands looking for more sustainable packaging options Tetra Pak has also been trialling

a paper straw that is suitable for portion-sized carton packages, as part of a broader programme to help address the issue of plastic straw waste Lindroth says: “You can see the positive impact of choosing cartons first hand through our work with Just Water Just Water chose Tetra Top from Tetra Pak as an alternative to plastic bottles and to reduce the impact

of bottled water on the environment.” The carton is made mostly from paper-board from renewable sources, while the cap is made from renewable plant-based plastic from sugarcane  n

❝ For us it’s all about

‘protecting what’s good’ ❞

09 Tetra.indd 9 11/03/2019 18:47

For over 10 years leading plastics manufacturer Klöckner Pentaplast (KP) has been at the forefront of sustain-able packaging with solutions made from 100% post-consumer recycled PET, (rPET)

Dr Helene Roberts, MD of UK and Australia says: “Since 2009, our UK site

in Featherstone has been delivering rPET solutions that can be further recy-cled, so thereby supporting a circular economy, and all the PET used is from post consumer sources By investing in technology that allows us to clean curb-side collected PET material and comply with all the food contact regulations, KP stands now as the top user of recycled plastic within the packaging industry in the UK In 2018 KP has used over 140,000 tonnes of PCR globally, hence supporting

a plastic economy that creates value and keeps plastic away from the oceans.”

KEY ROLE PLAYER

KP understands the important role that the company can play within its value chain Designing and producing 100%

PCR made products and make sure they can be further recycled is only part of the work

KP

CELEBRATING 10

YEARS OF RPET

DETAILS

Klöckner Pentaplast

4 Kingdom Street

London

W2 6BD

01977 692 111

kpinfo@kpfilms.com

KEY CONTACTS

Maurizio Carano

Marketing

Director EMEA

Helene Roberts

MD UK and Australia

KEY BRANDS

Elite

Ellipse

Jewel

Pentafood

Dr Helene Roberts adds: “Communicat-ing to retailers and consumers on the opportunity presented by recycled plas-tic and our deep involvement with local sorters and recyclers is more and more an integral part of daily life

“KP also has more than six active EU funded projects that aim at pushing these technologies even further.”

Klöckner Pentaplast believes this will ultimately optimise processes involved from end to end of the supply chain and will create a true positive plastics econ-omy Dr Roberts says: “Our journey that started 10 years ago in the UK has now become an integral part of the Klöckner Pentaplast global strategy on materi-als, aiming at further maximising the content of PCR material in our product

❝ KP stands now as the top user of recycled plastic within the packaging industry in the UK ❞

10  l 16 March 2019  l www.thegrocer.co.uk  AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE GROCER

010 Klockner.indd 10 11/03/2019 18:44