Huhtamaki launches food containers made of recycled PET

Huhtamaki is one of the first companies to introduce thermoformed food packaging made of RPET. The first products made of RPET (recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate) are thermoformed salad packs with an ovallike shape making the packs more efficient in terms of shelf space utilization, transportation and warehousing.

These exclusive packs, available in the UK, are designed to be film-sealed and come with a clip lid. The film sealing adds a level of tamper evidency and while the packs are sealed, product freshness and shelf life is enhanced.

RPET is post consumer recycled material (PCR) derived from recycled PET bottles. The thermoformed containers are made from material which contains between 40 and 70% post consumer PET making the packaging more sustainable. Despite the recycled content the performance characteristics include excellent clarity, good crack resistance and excellent gas barrier properties.

The availability of food-grade RPET has improved in the UK recently through organized collection and handling enabling Huhtamaki to start using the material at industrial scale.

The dimensions of the 180g and 300g pots, across the flat sides, are set to enable one additional pot to fit into the same shelf length as five round pots. The new 600 g pot allows five new packs to fit into the space of four round pots.

This extra space utilization reduces transport costs and has an environmental benefit in reducing pollution as reduced lorry journeys. In addition, more products can be stacked on the supermarket shelf. This maximizes sales opportunity by reducing the time shelves are out of stock and also reduces the amount of labor needed to fill shelves.