A Home Compostable, 100% bio degradable, bio-based solution for ready meal packaging was achieved. Consumer experience and wider reach through amplified testing and product development has produced a commercially viable alternative to plastic for the market. Fresh trays are as functional as CPET trays and are produced from a fully sustainable feedstock with improved environmental and societal benefits.
Scientific and Socio-economic impact
The project has demonstrated experts from four different skilled businesses, can work together and successes can be achieved with common goals. An optimal pulp recipe enhances the trays performance, consumers feedback has given insight into more associated benefits ie Cooler to touch, rigid and sturdy when removed from the oven. Whilst being mindful of the impact in carbon emissions. The partners from Sweden, Holland, and UK have built technology which can be adapted to support other plastic alternative products, whilst Fresh has an improved LCA of over 50%, when compared with the original objectives.
Markets and impact on industry
A primary goal was to drive new market opportunities for Huhtamaki and Sodra, initial focus on the UK ready meal sector. Through dissemination exposure, the market interest has evolved the Fresh technology, with over 40 countries wanting to explore the product and technology as other packaging solutions in over 50 applications.
Fresh is a viable alternative to fossil based plastics and Foil trays which can be recycled and repurposed. It has also contributed to a reduction in products entering the UK landfills as home composting was a key component of the retail and food packers needs.
The technology centre in Holland has moved to bigger premises, allowing further job creation, wider scope of fiber alternative solutions and machine adaption projects to deliver other applications within Europe. Most recently Fiber Lid solutions as an alternative to single use plastics.
Impact, H&S, Inclusion
All partners within the project are committed to health and safety, and equal opportunities, gender balance and inclusion. Fresh had created 25 jobs (Pre Covid 19) in production and engineering sectors. The local community network has allowed us to build a state of the art pilot line in a high care packaging factory. The consorti collaborated with the local councils on building the prototype (Holland), the opening of the production facility (Northern Ireland) with presentations surrounding the EU grant and biobased industries support (Sweden and England).
Project Fresh contributes to the implementation of the following EU policies.
The Bioeconomy strategy by contributing to the production of Biobased trays into the food packaging sector, whilst remaining within ecological boundaries to maintain sustainability through our growth.
Circular Economy Package including the EU strategy for plastics and waste management from the environment.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Across two partners Fresh addresses 13 out of 17 of these goals in total. Huhtamaki has considered the nature of their operations and their impacts, 11 goals .Södra has chosen to focus on 7, those with the greatest impact on society, and where their contribution is most likely to make a difference.
