Sustainable food packaging must fulfil high standards

As the packaging industry’s globally leading trade fair, interpack is the central meeting place for all who develop solutions for the most pressing challenges confronting the food industry. The demands placed on food packaging are high: maximum product protection under minimum use of materials, recyclability in the face of high hygiene requirements, regulatory conformity and rising cost pressure. In the food sector in particular, the right packaging determines shelf life, product safety and transportability – and makes a decisive contribution to reducing food losses along the entire value chain.

Current figures from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) show that there is still a great need for action here: according to the “Food Waste Index Report 2024”, around 1.05 billion tonnes of food are wasted worldwide every year. In addition to economic damage, this has a significant ecological impact – an estimated eight to ten per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to food that is never consumed. Initiatives such as SAVE FOOD, which were launched by interpack together with partners from industry and institutions, have helped to raise awareness of these interrelationships. At interpack today, the focus is on concrete technological answers: sustainable materials, intelligent packaging concepts and automated, resource-saving processes for tomorrow’s food packaging.

Recycling made food-safe

The new EU packaging regulation PPWR stipulates a significant reduction in packaging waste, mandatory recycling quotas and the increased use of recyclates. However, the use of recyclates in contact with food is considered a major challenge. Nevertheless, Europe’s first recycling plant was recently awarded RecyClass certification for sorting food-grade plastics. Its operator Swedish Plastic Recycling currently sorts PET bottles, PET trays and PS packaging from separate household collection – the process is fully traceable, from collection through sorting to processing. The CRISP research project is already working on food-grade processing of PE and PP.

Alongside that, material manufacturers are making targeted investments in certified recyclates. Interpack exhibitor WIS Kunststoffe offers rPE and rPP materials with FDA approval for direct food contact. The materials already fulfil the PPWR requirements for 2030 and are intended to give packaging manufacturers planning security. Mopack takes a different technological approach. The polyolefin fine-shrink films in its eco+35 series contain 35 per cent chemically recycled PCR. This is purified and re-polymerised at molecular level and achieves a high degree of homogeneity – with a clear appearance, neutral odour and stable machinability. The films have been DEKRA-approved for direct food contact since March 2025.

Re-thinking value creation

Sustainability is not only reflected in the material, but also in the design of the packaging itself. GEA demonstrates this with a newly developed multi-chamber packaging for cold cuts. Two separately sealed freshness chambers allow opening in portions and reduce plastic consumption by more than 70 per cent compared to classic blister packs. This is made possible by the stabilising chamber structure and a film thickness of just 50 µm. The packaging is produced on a fully automatic line comprising a GEA PowerPak Thermoformer, MegaSlicer and ShingleLoader.

At the upcoming interpack in the Düsseldorf trade fair halls, machine manufacturers will be showing how they are increasingly gearing their systems towards recyclable materials. Ulma Packaging develops flowpack and traysealer solutions for monomaterials as well as paper and cardboard-based trays. The VTC 800 vertical high-performance machine processes cut salads and vegetable mixes fully automatically – at a high output and using recyclable monomaterials.

Multivac also combines sustainable packaging solutions with a high level of automation. A new traysealer line for ready meals, for example, seals cardboard trays with thin, recyclable film under a protective atmosphere. The line is complemented by AI-supported inspection systems, label checking and cobots for automatic stacking.

Robotics and automation are gaining in importance

With increasing product diversity and rising hygiene standards, automation is moving further into focus. Stäubli Robotics offers a broad portfolio of HE (Humid Environment) robots that are modified to work reliably even in harsh environments. In meat processing, for example, TX2 robots cut products using a water jet. Vision systems also enable gentle, high-speed handling of delicate foods.

With its acquisition of the Swedish company RobotGrader AB, Ishida recently expanded its product range to include robot-assisted weighing, sorting and packaging systems. This benefits processors of meat, poultry and fish, as well as manufacturers of protein products in particular, who can now utilise smart and automated solutions to precisely package their fresh products in trays.

Developing sustainable solutions together

Paper and fibre solutions are driving the transformation in parallel. Sappi Europe has developed two recyclable high-barrier papers with oxygen, grease and water vapour barriers that are suitable for direct food contact. The heat-sealable Guard Pro OHS is suitable for flow wraps, sachets, pillow bags and doypacks, while Guard Pro OMH has been designed for cold-seal applications.

UPM Specialty Papers and Royal Vaassen replace aluminium laminates with a fibre-based barrier paper for the packaging of coffee, broth or chocolate. UPM Solide Lucent packaging paper serves as the backing material for Barryrwrap. It is smooth, dense and at the same time stable, meaning that low coating weights are sufficient. UPM is also testing the barrier paper solutions in new applications, which include fibre-based tub formats for crisps, tea or powdered drinks.

Together with Solenis, Heidelberg has developed a process for barrier coatings on flexible paper packaging that are likewise suitable for foodstuffs. With its Boardmaster, the printing press manufacturer has integrated Solenis technology into roll-to-roll flexographic printing processes. During the process, the barriers are transferred to the paper web exclusively at the necessary points and with register accuracy.

Sustainable bonding

Even seemingly downstream components are emerging as a sustainability factor. Jowat uses energy-efficient hot-melt adhesives to reduce energy requirements in carton sealing in the food and frozen food industries. Thanks to its low melting temperature, one new Jowatherm adhesive is suitable for temperature-sensitive products such as chocolate, while another has been developed for use in the frozen food sector, for example for pizza, ready meals or ice cream packaging. And customers who value sustainable raw materials will find a bio-based Jowatherm alternative that is obtained from by-products of paper production and does not compete with food production.