Under the partnership, an existing Whitakers’ truffle carton that had 55% plastic has been transformed into a highly recyclable, thin fibre-based alternative
Sun Chemical and Qualvis Packaging to produce sustainable chocolate truffle cartons for Whitakers. (Credit: Clint McKoy on Unsplash)
Sun Chemical has collaborated with Qualvis Packaging to produce sustainable chocolate truffle cartons for New Zealand-based chocolate manufacturer Whitakers.
Under the partnership, an existing Whitakers’ truffle carton that had 55% plastic has been transformed into a highly recyclable, thin fibre-based alternative.
According to Sun Chemical, the new solution is made without a plastic layer of the same dimensions.
The carton’s interior is coated with Sun Chemical’s SunSpec SunStar, a direct-food contact aqueous varnish. The inner side of the package also uses SunPak DirectFood Plus, a highly bio-renewable direct-food contact ink.
The chemical company said that the use of ink and varnish eliminates the need for a plastic extrusion between the ink film and the food product.
The use of ink and varnish will also support the replacement of the prevailing polyethylene terephthalate (PET) double clam shell that houses the truffles with a fibre-based structure.
Sun Chemical said that its inks and varnish maintain a direct food contact safe environment for the truffles along with providing functional resistance and barrier properties to maintain the protection and integrity of the carton structure and its contents.
In total, the functionalities and bio-renewable properties of the inks lower the overall carbon footprint of the product, the chemical firm said.
Sun Chemical Sheetfed Systems product director Jim Buchanan said: “Our R&D team works hard to develop products that comply with exceptional levels of migration testing, and sustainability is a core brand value for us, so it is an honour to be such an integral part of this innovative project.”
The SunCoat aqueous varnish and SunPak FSP EcoPace low migration inks are applied on the front side of the carton to reduce carbon footprint.
Apart from that, Qualvis’ partner and paperboard company Holeman Iggesund will supply the board which is made from an environmentally sourced material.
Both companies have replaced the outer cellophane wrap in the board with a tear strip, which is built into the carton design to retain the lid in its place during transportation and on the retailers’ shelf.
Qualvis sales director Richard Pacey said: “Sun Chemical’s expertise in inks, specifically for food-contact applications, along with their sustainability credentials meant that, together, we were able to seamlessly bring our vision for Whitaker’s premium pack to life.”