Patani Global Food is seeking a sustainable alternative to its EPS boxes due to a potential ban on plastic waste in the Caribbean

ThermoBox

Patani Global Food to use Smurfit Kappa-designed Thermo Box to ship fresh foods. (Credit: Smurfit Kappa)

Ireland-based corrugated packaging company Smurfit Kappa has teamed up with Patani Global Food, a supplier of fresh and frozen foods, for the development of sustainable paper-based alternative for the latter’s expanded polystyrene (EPS) frozen food packaging.

Patani Global Food uses EPS boxes to supply foods including vegetables, meat and fish and non-food products from Amsterdam, the Netherlands to worldwide locations including to the Antilles Islands in the Caribbean.

However, the frozen food supplier is seeking a sustainable alternative to its EPS boxes due to a future ban on plastic waste in the Caribbean.

To meet the Patani Global Food’s requirements, Smurfit Kappa has developed the fully recyclable Thermo Box to keep frozen and chilled foods at temperatures similar to Patani’s EPS boxes throughout the supply chain.

Patani Global Food managing director Patrick Oostveen said: “Smurfit Kappa undertook an analysis of our supply chain to grasp all the challenges and complexities.

“We did a series of temperature tests to compare the new pack with the EPS box and the results showed that the Thermo Box is a really excellent product that more than fits the brief. The average temperature was even kept lower for a longer time than when using the EPS boxes.”

Thermo Box is made from a combination of Hexacomb and corrugated

The new pack, which is available different sizes, is made from a 100% paper-based combination of Hexacomb and corrugated.

Additionally, the new packaging can be stored flat, thus reducing warehouse costs while its corrugated exterior offers branding opportunities. It is currently made available in countries across Europe.

The new product expands the Smurfit Kappa’s portfolio of Better Planet Packaging, an initiative aimed to reduce packaging waste through design, research and development and industry expertise.

Smurfit Kappa has introduced new Vitop Blue tap for Bag-in-Box cleaning products. The Bag-in-Box packaging is available in different sizes and offers flexibility to use either by the end-consumer or as a refill solution.