Paper replaces plastic in frozen food packaging

German food manufacturers FRoSTA and iglo are launching their new frozen foods packaging in 2020. According to statements issued by the companies, they aim to make their packaging even more sustainable and therefore plan to use more paper, save on plastic materials and reduce their carbon footprints in future.

FROSTA DEVELOPS PAPER BAG

At the beginning of 2020, frozen food manufacturer FRoSTA ushered in a new era of packaging by introducing frozen food packaging made out of paper: From now on, the plastic bags previously used for all of the company’s frozen food products are to be replaced by a bag designed especially for FRoSTA that is made out of 100 percent paper. For three years, experts have honed this unique power paper that protects contents without softening, even once the defrosting process sets in. This new frozen food packaging is neither bleached nor coated and is to gradually replace the current plastic bags from January 2020 onwards – around 40 million per year in total.

The greatest challenge the company faced when developing the power paper was ensuring a consistent and high degree of product protection whilst at the same time preventing the paper from softening – no easy feat considering the constant presence of moisture and products that in part contain fats.

The developers achieved this by using a purely physical process on the material mix. A patent has been filed for this unique method of making frozen food bags out of unbleached, FSC‐certified paper, including the printing method that exclusively uses water-based colours.

This frozen food packaging made out of paper, which can be recycled along with other waste paper, is not the first step FRoSTA has taken to become more sustainable. In as early as 2013, the company stopped using aluminium and, three years later, was honoured with the German Packaging Award for its then innovative printing technology for flexible packaging. This technology used water-based colours as well as a 100 percent single-origin and thus recyclable foil made out of the monomaterial PP, which saved around ten percent in plastic compared to conventional bags.

German food company iglo is celebrating its 50th anniversary by exclusively bringing its popular frozen fish to market in a tray that is completely free of PE-composite materials and aluminium. The heat-resistant surface resembles baking parchment and is made out of more than 95 percent cardboard. It can be used to prepare foods in the oven, as usual, as well as in the microwave. In addition, this tray can be disposed of with other waste paper and is completely recyclable, unlike coated versions. According to company statements, switching to these trays means annual savings of around 250 tonnes of aluminium and is the first step in iglo’s sustainability strategy: The company has announced that it aims to ensure that its entire packaging range is based on reusable paper by 2022.