It aims to provide plastic-free packaging solutions
Huhtamaki, a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions, has strengthened its manufacturing capabilities in smooth molder fiber. This transformative and technologically advanced material can be used to produce high-precision food packaging and replace rigid plastics.
The company’s site in Alf, Germany, is switching its focus from plastics to smooth molded fiber (SMF) products to meet the growing demand for plastic-free alternatives for food packaging. In 2022, the unit plans to replace more than 2000 tonnes of plastic with fiber. As a result, Huhtamaki’s state-of-the-art automated manufacturing site will have the capacity to manufacture up to 3.5 billion fiber products annually. This represents the first such large scale production capability in Europe.
Some leading food service operators already use Huhtamaki’s smooth molded fiber products. The advanced manufacturing facility at Alf currently delivers fiber lids for various benefits and bespoke products for leading food service and FMCG brands, including an assortment of hot, cold and frozen applications. In contrast to polypropylene products made from fossil fuels, smooth molded fiber products are renewable, compostable and can be recycled. They are a fully sustainable alternative to similar plastic products. In addition, the wood fiber used to produce Huhtamaki’s bespoke and generic designs is sourced from certified, sustainably managed European forests. The products made in Alf have been certified for home composting (‘OK’ certification) and industrial composting (EN13432 standards).
“There is a growing demand for sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging for food. Our high precision advanced manufacturing technology enables us to produce fiber lids, trays and other products with superior performance. These products dramatically reduce plastic consumption, which is mostly fossil fuel-based, whilst providing the same functionality that consumers expect, including hygiene and safety. Our portfolio of fiber products manufactured in Germany and our expertise in material and manufacturing innovation presents a wide range of sustainable packaging products to help customers deliver on their sustainability agenda and goals”, says Eric Le Lay, President of Huhtamaki’s Fiber Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania business segment.
The Covid-19 pandemic led to the country-wide lockdown on 25 March 2020. It will be two years tomorrow as I write this. What have we learned in this time? Maybe the meaning of resilience since small companies like us have had to rely on our resources and the forbearance of our employees as we have struggled to produce our trade platforms.
The print and packaging industries have been fortunate, although the commercial printing industry is still to recover. We have learned more about the digital transformation that affects commercial printing and packaging. Ultimately digital will help print grow in a country where we are still far behind in our paper and print consumption and where digital is a leapfrog technology that will only increase the demand for print in the foreseeable future.
Web analytics show that we now have readership in North America and Europe amongst the 90 countries where our five platforms reach. Our traffic which more than doubled in 2020, has at times gone up by another 50% in 2021. And advertising which had fallen to pieces in 2020 and 2021, has started its return since January 2022.
As the economy approaches real growth with unevenness and shortages a given, we are looking forward to the PrintPack India exhibition in Greater Noida. We are again appointed to produce the Show Daily on all five days of the show from 26 to 30 May 2022.
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