BARCODING, LABELLING & PACKAGING
ULMA PACKAGING UK SCALES UP PIONEERING PRODUCE SUPPLIER’S PLASTIC-FREE PACKAGING OPERATIONS
Fresh produce supplier Natoora has always placed sustainability at the forefront of its operations. So, when Natoora experienced growing demand from retail customers, the company required adaptable packaging machinery that could produce its new plastic-free produce packs at scale, without compromising its eco- conscious ethos. With this in mind, Natoora turned to ULMA Packaging UK to supply an innovative machinery solution so that the business could pack even more sustainable fruits and vegetables to stock shelves.
F
ounded in 2004 as the world’s first online farmer’s market, Natoora supplies directly sourced and seasonal produce to restaurants, retailers and consumers through its own stores. The company aims to revolutionise the current food system and improve sustainability by building completely transparent supply chains from farm, to shelf, to plate. With business booming due to more awareness around the benefits of choosing seasonal fruits and vegetables over intensively grown year-round produce, the company decided to further expand its operations in 2019. At the same time as growing the business, it was important to Natoora that its produce should be packed using environmentally friendly materials. Key to this was developing plastic-free packaging. Natoora’s in-house team envisioned a fully recyclable, flow-wrapped punnet, featuring home compostable film from the Israeli flexible packaging provider TIPA. Unlike traditional plastic flow-wrap, the TIPA material is certified as home compostable.
However, identifying a packaging solution was only part of the challenge for Natoora. The company also needed to appropriately package the large quantities of punnets supplied to Natoora’s retail partners. It was therefore clear that investing in new and reliable packaging machinery was key to the business’s continued growth and advancement of its sustainability agenda.
PIONEERING PACKAGING To provide a solution to Natoora’s eco-conscious expansion brief, the search for a pioneering machinery packaging solution began. “We prioritise sustainability in all we do, so when developing a plastic-free packaging solution, we knew it was important to work within our retail partners’ frameworks,” says Jacopo Arpesani, Chief Operating Officer at Natoora. “We knew shoppers were drawn to the convenience of pre-packs, so a solution that could work at scale, eliminate plastic
20 FEBRUARY 2022 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
and work flawlessly within existing distribution systems was a must.”
“Yet in order to meaningfully change the way our customers would receive our produce both online and in-store, we needed machinery that could manufacture large volumes of our new, eco-friendly punnet. This new packaging solution would be key to meeting the growing demand for our produce, so ensuring it was compatible with the compostable TIPA film was also vital.”
Natoora approached a number of packaging machinery suppliers to identify a solution appropriate to their needs for their facility in Bermondsey, London. Specifically, any potential machine would need to address the complex logistics around moving and protecting incredibly ripe, seasonal produce supplied to Natoora’s retail partners. With the exception of hardy storage crops, such as onions and potatoes, softer produce requires more defence against product bruising. The need
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