Sustainable takeaway packaging innovations

Notpla recently secured a listing with wholesale giant Bidfood Catering Supplies to make its seaweed-based takeaway food boxes available to over 45,000 catering and foodservice customers across the UK.

Meanwhile, the municipality of Aarhus, Denmark, announced a collaboration with circularity technology company Tomra to establish a deposit return system for takeaway packaging in the city center.

The trial focuses on takeaway cups with a deposit. The plan is to expand the system to cover all types of takeaway packaging, ensuring a holistic, convenient and sustainable system.

Earlier this year, Stora Enso launched shopping and takeaway bags made from 100% fresh fibers. The CarrEco Brown portfolio boasts high strength and tear resistance properties and is safe for direct food contact.

The paper bag materials are made from a new unbleached and uncoated board that is fully recyclable. Through its three-layer structure, CarrEco Brown offers “exceptional” strength properties suitable for strong shopping bags.

Furthermore, Jokey Group joined a partnership with the Spanish start-up Bumerang to advance the development of reusable packaging. The two companies together want to actively contribute to promoting the circular economy.

But, a study commissioned by McDonald’s warned that a shift to reusable packaging, as proposed in the EU’s upcoming revisions to the packaging and packaging waste directive (PPWD), could have adverse effects on the economy, food safety and the environment if implemented in takeaway consumption formats for the informal eating out sector.

The study projected that 2030 mandatory reuse targets set by PPWR will increase plastic packaging waste by “up to 300%” for dine-in consumption and “up to 1500%” for takeaway.

(Souce: By Radhika Sikaria – packaginginsights.com)