In today's bustling marketplace, where consumers are championing environmental change, it is even more important to navigate the ever-changing landscape. This could be as simple as avoiding greenwashing claims around packaging, or as complex as understanding recycling legislation across the world.
Standing out is paramount. This is especially true in the food industry where packaging provenance and sustainability are often equal to that of the food within, given that packaging can be the first interaction that a consumer has with a brand on-shelf.
Partner to Leverage Expertise
Colpac has been leading the drive for sustainability in the packaging sector from the introduction of its first compostable lines in the 1990s and has kept pace with legislative change since. Company representatives are also active members of industry, technical, and stakeholder groups and advocate for policy and regulation change to support environmental and ethical goals across the food packaging industry.
Colpac’s customers can access in-depth knowledge through our experts in sustainability, materials, and quality assurance. The team functions as an extension of the customer’s, striving to deliver solutions that represent a brand’s sustainability goals, create on-shelf impact, increase value perception, and drive customers’ sales.
Material Selection & Choice
Central to packaging success is the meticulous selection of materials. Sustainability, durability, and compliance with food safety standards are non-negotiable material characteristics. Colpac delivers added value consultancy on material sourcing and performance, by leveraging sustainably sourced, high-quality materials and conducting rigorous due diligence and testing protocols, helping brands to elevate product quality, and therefore value, whilst aligning with consumer preferences.
Colpac has an established supplier network, meaning its customers have access to a plethora of materials, often those which are new to the market. For example, Colpac’s recent project for Strathmore Foods, a leading ready meal manufacturer in the UK, involved working closely with the board manufacturer to supply material for testing and production. Sustainability was paramount and the board needed to be composted and recycled, as well as certified food safe for use in oven, freezer, microwave, and hot-hold environments.
Educating Consumers to Reduce Packaging Impact
Disposable food packaging has attracted a huge amount of media attention in recent years and has therefore become an area of focus for consumers. According to Pro Carton, 90% of shoppers would like information about the environmental credentials of packaging. Colpac is a UK based food packaging manufacturer, so uses the UK’s On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) guidelines as the basis of its recycling information, and the EN13432 European standard for its composting information.
To enable products to reach the correct waste streams, consumers need to be able to access information about what to do with packaging after use. Colpac’s approach to this is to print stock products with Quick Response (QR) codes and specific recycling instructions, which can be dynamically updated as legislation continues to evolve. The information is available for national recycling schemes in the UK, France, and Italy to date and guidance is displayed in local languages to inform end users of how to best dispose of packaging.
Sustainability packaging legislation is complicated and constantly changing. If you’re looking for a partner to develop packaging which considers sustainability through design, materials, and sourcing, Colpac can help you to create sustainable solutions that function throughout the supply chain.
To find out more about Colpac’s sustainability initiatives visit: https://colpacpackaging.com/sustainable-food-packaging/