Bärenmarke: New packaging saves 50 per cent plastic
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In future, Hochwald Foods GmbH will fill all its fresh milk and mixed milk drinks in Pure-Pak® gable-top cartons from Elopak. Hochwald has thus opted for a filling technology that is as flexible as it is robust and, for the Bärenmarke brand, for a carton that contains around 50 per cent less plastic than the previous packaging.
In addition to Bärenmarke, the changeover also affects the regional brands "Hochwald" and "Tuffi". Four Elopak filling machines have been installed at the Hungen site and the first products in the new packaging are already available in stores.
With the Pure-Pak® carton, Hochwald will in future rely on the most popular fresh milk packaging on the German market for Bärenmarke. The significant reduction in plastic compared to the previous packaging and a ten per cent higher proportion of renewable raw materials will help the company to reduce CO2 emissions and position itself more sustainably. Thanks to the Easy fold line, the Gable Top carton is also easier and more space-saving to dispose of for end consumers. All cartons feature the permanently attached Pure-TwistFlip 34i closure, which is extremely user-friendly when opening, resealing and pouring.
"Consumers perceive packaging with less plastic as more environmentally friendly. The new beverage carton helps consumers to avoid plastic. At the same time, the reduced carbon footprint helps our customers to achieve their climate protection and plastic reduction targets." (Michael Oppenheimer, Manager Market Unit Elopak Germany)
The switch at Hochwald follows an independent consumer survey in which the Pure-Pak® carton from Elopak achieved the highest willingness to buy with 77 per cent.
All fresh milk and mixed milk drinks produced and bottled at Hochwald will benefit from the changeover. For the Bären brand, these are fresh milk in the 1000 ml size in the 1.8% and 3.8% fat levels, fresh cocoa and two fresh iced coffee varieties. In addition, fresh whipped cream and fresh cocoa, which is aimed in particular at the on-the-go market, are filled in 500 ml Pure-Pak® cartons.
"With its many years of experience in the systems business, Elopak is the ideal partner for the relaunch of our fresh produce range in carton packaging. The collaboration is highly professional and we appreciate the project team's strong customer focus. We were looking for a system solution that is not only robust and reliable, but also impresses with its flexibility and intuitive operation. The new packaging also significantly reduces our plastic consumption and helps us to reduce CO2 emissions." (Daniel Birker, Plant Manager Hungen site at Hochwald)
The installed Shikoku machines deliver a line efficiency of 95 per cent, can fill up to 14,000 cartons per hour and enable the use of different sizes and carton variants on one machine. Format changeovers or design changes work at the touch of a button; maintenance, cleaning and servicing cause minimal downtime, which is reflected in high cost efficiency.
