Carton, Board and Paper
How hundreds of tonnes of plastic packaging is being removed from UK supermarkets every year – and that’s just the beginning
W
hen people think of removing plastic waste in supermarkets, they tend to think of the plastic bag charge which was introduced
back in 2015. This initiative soon became a success, as plastic bag volumes dropped by 98% across major supermarkets and retailers, according to Government fi gures.
What some people might not realise is that there is another key innovation which is helping to reduce hundreds of tonnes of plastic being used every year.
This is the invention of the paper grouping band, which is being rolled out to more products across supermarket shelves to reduce plastic waste. Flexible packaging manufacturer and labelling solutions provider Saica Flex, a division of the Saica Group, will boost production of these bands for bananas alone in 2024. Estimates from the group shows that for every million 40mm x 444mm of these paper bands used, there is a plastic reduction of 3.75 tonnes.
Back in 2019, the Saica Flex team started a new development targeting a paper grouping band to wrap around products. This was part of a project to replace polyethene bags in the grouping of bananas. This paper solution had to live through long exposure times to moisture and water without breaking. This Paper Grouping Band has become the main grouping packaging solution for bananas and other type of products in UK supermarkets in recent years, removing hundreds of tonnes of plastic packaging from the supermarket shelves.
The Saica Flex team is already supplying these paper grouping bands for leeks and celery. They are also working on introducing them for spring onions, beetroot, rhubarb, asparagus, pineapples and other type of products.
They are a sustainable alternative to conventional packaging, using 100% pure virgin paper face stock that is re-pulpable, self-adhesive, and suitable for high moisture environments, including tropical conditions. Products being grouped within bands like these will be an increasingly common sight in supermarkets across the country. Like the decline of plastic bag use, the increasing use of paper grouping bands in supermarkets is a big step towards reducing plastic waste.
This shift highlights a growing
commitment to environmental responsibility within the retail sector as it moves towards more sustainable packaging solutions.
12
June 2024
www.convertermag.com
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