In response to the ever-increasing demand for high-performance, visually appealing, sustainable and weight-reduced packaging, visitors to Europe's most important trade fair can expect a wide range of different packaging materials. From barrier films to pre-made packaging, peelable and resealable lidding films, thermoforming films, recyclable die-cut yoghurt lids and many more.

‘Our top priority is to support our customers in achieving their sustainability goals while staying true to our own ‘No Waste’ vision - against food, packaging and resource waste in general. That's why we offer real innovations for technically sophisticated products - without compromising on quality,’ explains Eric Valette, BU Innovation Director at Coveris.

Reducing food and packaging waste

Traditionally, grated cheese is packaged in nylon laminate bags - one of the most difficult materials to recycle. Thanks to Coveris' unrivalled R&D capabilities in extrusion, films and food science and processing, a unique plastic-reduced, recyclable PE barrier monolaminate has been developed for cheese, marketed under the leading MonoFlexBE brand.

The new cheese packaging is already being used by well-known British retailers such as Tesco and Iceland and offers significant plastic savings per pack. The lightweight packaging is helping Iceland get closer to its goal of becoming the UK's first plastic-neutral supermarket. The new cheese packaging will save a total of 7 tonnes of plastic per year and 41 tonnes of plastic is now more easily recyclable. A similar project was realised with the Tesco supermarkets. Here, the Coveris packaging has contributed to a total weight saving of 32 tonnes of plastic.

‘We are very proud to be the first packaging company to launch grated cheese in fully recyclable and lightweight packaging in the UK. We hope that we will soon see this packaging in the food trade in continental Europe,’ says Katja Killian, Sales Director Food at Coveris.

At FachPack, visitors will be able to see the benefits of Coveris' resealable and peelable standard films for themselves. The PE, PP or PET co-ex films guarantee the same high-quality product protection. Thanks to a bursting peel layer, the packaging is easier to open and can be resealed up to ten times.

The right packaging for every product

Coveris has achieved a breakthrough in better recycling for yoghurt pots with a die-cut polypropylene lidding film. The new lidding film replaces the frequently used aluminium foil and allows the lid to be recycled in the same cycle as the rest of the yoghurt pot for the first time. 

Without losing its barrier properties, the lid is temperature-resistant, can be printed in multiple colours and can be die-cut. The stable lid solution also ensures that pots can be stacked and transported safely and stably. The new recyclable yoghurt lid can be easily opened by the end consumer. The cup can be disposed of in the yellow bag without the lid having to be torn off first, which also offers advantages for recycling plant operators: This is because it makes automated sorting less prone to errors, allowing more material to flow back into the plastic cycle. 

The latest yoghurt lids are produced at the Kufstein site in Tyrol using 100 per cent electricity from renewable energy sources (wind, water, sun, biogas and biomass). In other words, from the energy sources of the future.

The switch from aluminium foil to polypropylene film has no impact on durability or quality, but has many advantages in terms of sustainability.


Strong focus on customer and market needs 

Dairy brands also benefit from in-house R&D centres that offer analysis, testing and on-site development in the areas of film and food safety. All products can be validated for mechanical performance and leak tightness. This helps dairy brands to offer products that are not only attractive and easy to use, but also safe and sustainable.

‘At Coveris, we listen to the needs of our dairy customers and use our many years of experience and unrivalled expertise to develop optimal packaging solutions for the industry,’ concludes Katja Killian, Sales Director Food at Coveris.

To find out more about Coveris' innovations, visit stand no. 232 in hall 7 at FachPack in Nuremberg, Germany. From 27 to 29 September 2022.