Innovative hybrid packaging with dramatically reduced plastic content

Ebersdorf bei Coburg, 24 June 2019 +++

Schumacher Packaging will launch the innovative and environmentally friendly HALOPACK hybrid packaging for foodstuffs – which was developed in the Netherlands – on the German and Polish market by the end of the year. HALOPACK is an innovation that replaces plastic trays, such as those commonly used in the meat sector, with sturdy cardboard, which is lined on the inside with a thin, fully hygienic, gas-tight plastic film. Halopack reduces plastic use by 70 to 90%, even in the case of MAP protective gas packaging. This hybrid packaging, as eco-friendly as it is effective as a marketing tool, can be very easily separated by end consumers at home - the thin film simply goes in the yellow recycling bin while the cardboard tray is 100% recyclable and goes in with the waste paper. The Schumacher Packaging Group is the first licensee for Halopack production in continental Europe. Start of production in Germany is scheduled for Q4/2019.

An improvement in terms of environmental impact and functionality

Special machines are needed to produce the innovative Halopack hybrid packaging. "In the first stage, we will be able to produce 10 to 30 million trays per year on one or two machines," explains Hendrik Schumacher, who, as a member of the management team at Schumacher Packaging, is responsible for launching Halopack. "We consider Halopack to be an important opportunity to respond to an urgent ecological issue with a solution that is in equal parts innovative and pragmatic," states Schumacher. "HALOPACK reduces the use of plastic in perishable foodstuffs to the absolute minimum without impacting hygiene or shelf life. In fact, the opposite is true: HALOPACK gives foodstuffs even better protection against environmental influences and creates a more reliable barrier against grease and moisture compared to conventional PP-PE or PET trays. Halopack is an ingenious idea from the Netherlands that perfectly aligns with our identity as an environmentally conscious packaging manufacturer," explains Hendrik Schumacher.

Innovation partners working in unison

From the point of view of the Dutch inventors, Schumacher Packaging is the ideal partner as a licensee for Germany and Poland. "Both topics – innovation and environmental awareness – have been central to Schumacher Packaging for some time now," explains Remi de Olde, partner at Halopack N.V. in Almelo. "It's no coincidence that Schumacher Packaging is one of the innovation and technology leaders in the industry. We are convinced that the company's widespread presence in Germany and Poland and its excellent reputation will further boost demand for our innovative HALOPACK solution. The market is ready for this."

Cardboard saves plastic

Halopack is the first fully gas-tight MAP packaging to be produced mainly from cardboard. It not only ensures an outstanding shelf life for foodstuffs; the hybrid packaging can also be used in microwaves or ovens without issue. Likewise, food can be safely frozen directly in its packaging. Halopack will even make resealing possible. "Halopack not only offers major functional advantages, but the marketing impact of this type of environmentally friendly packaging is also huge," states Hendrik Schumacher. "Nowadays, many consumers are environmentally aware and make a conscious effort to choose environmentally friendly packaging. We are also able to print any text or design onto the cardboard tray, even on the inside. This is possible as the thin, transparent film prevents any contact with the food inside. The instructions explaining how simple it is to take apart and dispose of the hybrid packaging are also printed on the tray itself," continues Hendrik Schumacher. "The materials we use span a range of solid board grades, from primary or recycled fibres, coated or uncoated, glossy or matt. A particularly attractive example is, of course, our special eco line. We produce this cardboard box with matt surface in brown, grey or white - using only recycled material."