Sharpak, a leading innovator in packaging solutions, has collaborated with WB Chambers, a prominent UK Berry grower, to bring Sharpak’s revolutionary and award winning padless technology for delicate berries to retailer shelves, cutting packaging weight by 17% and offering a fully recyclable packaging solution through kerbside collection. This marks a key milestone and demonstrates how collaboration can enhance sustainability across the fresh produce supply chain.
WB Chambers’ commitment to sustainable practices aligns with Sharpak’s drive to develop packaging solutions that are environmentally friendly and can promote a circular economy. Sharpak’s membership to organisations such as WRAP, RECOUP and OPRL, reflects their dedication to aligning product development with the guidance and sustainability strategies of organisations across the value chain.
The SharpTek Technology reflects this dedication and is the culmination of years of meticulous development and rigorous testing by Sharpak to achieve a packaging solution for delicate berries that removes the requirement for glued absorbent pads. This advancement represents a major stride in sustainability, eradicating hundreds of tonnes of packaging from the supply chain and leveraging Sharpak and Groupe Guillin's manufacturing and industry expertise to minimise environmental impact. This achievement was recently recognised with SharpTek winning two bronze awards at The Grocer New Product & Packaging Awards 2024.
Innovative Design and Development
The primary technical challenge was crafting a soft base from highly recyclable mono material PET—a typically rigid material—that could replace the need for absorbent pads. Achieving a consistent, cushioning base that would protect delicate berries, involved significant innovations in tooling design and tray manufacturing processes. The resulting technology is utilised in delicate berry trays to not only meet all functional and recyclable criteria but produce a packaging solution that is 17% lighter than the current equivalent tray with an absorbent pad.
Collaborating for a Greener Future
The strong relationship between Sharpak and WB Chambers has been instrumental in bringing SharpTek to consumers and underscores how different stakeholders in the value chain can work together to push boundaries and challenge expectations to develop solutions that provide a real benefit to the environment and consumers.
Commenting on the partnership, Ben Norman, Commercial Manager at WB Chambers, said:
"We’re thrilled to be involved in the launch of SharpTek. Working with Sharpak to bring their innovation to market has been a fantastic experience and allows us to provide a solution to retailers that reduces packaging weight and offers a fully recyclable product which aligns with both retailer and our own goals.”
As with any new product launch, trials were key to ensuring that the mono material berry tray with SharpTek technology performed to expectations and ran consistently on customer lines without any need for costly modifications and at existing speeds.
Ben continues; “As a grower, our production efficiency is key and any downtime or reduced throughput in our packing operations can have a serious impact. This is why it was key to run extensive trials and we are delighted with the results. We understand the importance of reducing our environmental footprint, and SharpTek aligns perfectly with our sustainability goals, without compromising the quality and freshness of our fruit."
Enhanced Product Quality and Sustainability
The innovative design of SharpTek ensures that juices are held away from the berries, maintaining product quality and helping to reduce food waste. This aligns perfectly with UK retailers' strategies to minimise packaging while preserving product integrity and shelf life. Berry punnets with SharpTek technology are now available on shelves at major retailers, providing consumers with an easy-to-recycle pack that can be collected at kerbside, without additional steps, such as removing glued pads, simplifying the recycling process.
With SharpTek, Sharpak are setting a new standard for the circular economy in fresh produce packaging that integrates seamlessly into existing supply chains providing retailers with a more sustainable packaging option.
SharpTek was developed and is produced from Sharpak’s Aylesham manufacturing site, which holds the prestigious BRCGS AA+ rating assessed by unannounced audit, reflecting the company's continual commitment to manufacturing excellence and product safety.