Doypacks are among the most common and flexible packaging concepts for dried sausages and meat, cheese snacks, coffee, tea, spices and sweets. But there is a growing awareness of sustainable alternatives, even in the case of these popular pouch packs with a practical zip. Südpack is about to launch an innovative packaging concept for this product area, namely its new mono-plastic solution. It is polypropylene-based and therefore supports the statutory demand for recyclable packaging – with the same functionality. “In addition to reducing the carbon footprint by substituting aluminum, the principal goal of this development was also to optimize recyclability and improve material efficiency,” says Holger Hoss, Product Manager at Südpack.
The material is extremely rigid and offers all the properties that are necessary for the efficient and safe packaging of food in doypacks. Depending on the products to be packaged, the films can be equipped with different barrier properties. Based on what is needed, the pouches can be aroma proof and guarantee optimal protection against moisture, UV radiation or oxygen. By substituting the aluminum barrier with a coextruded barrier layer, the shelf life of salami sticks could be guaranteed for up to 70 days during a pilot project for the zur Mühlen Group, for example. Thanks to an integrated transparent panel, consumers have a clear view of the product with this packaging. Another important aspect: reducing the film thickness by around ten percent achieved a weight saving of 26 percent compared to conventional packaging, resulting in a reduction in DSD fees.
These high-performance films also boast excellent machinability, which results in a high level of process and packaging reliability. “This wasn’t a foregone conclusion,” says Holger Hoss. Because “Single-material solutions require much more sensitive processing and in most cases, the technical design of current machine peripherals isn’t suitable for such packaging materials.” Due to its wide transparent seal, however, Südpack’s new material can mostly, or with only minor parameter adjustments, be used on existing doypack lines that are actu-ally designed for processing aluminum composites.
At the same time, the structure of the sealing layer ensures the simple and efficient integration of resealing systems, such as zippers, based on polypro-pylene and polyethylene. These are already available on the market for flat pouches and doypacks. In short: Südpack’s new film boasts density and sealing properties for both the folded base and zipper area and is also sustainable.
This effect is further intensified when the packaging film is printed using the new SPQ technology. The benefit: reduced ink and solvent consumption with significantly improved print quality. “The substitution of aluminum with our recyclable mono-material solution, combined with excellent material efficiency and sustainable printing technology, results in an overall improve-ment in the carbon footprint of every single doypack,” summarizes Holger Hoss. In light of the shortage of aluminum on the market, Südpack customers also benefit from improved supply reliability.
The packaging concept will be on display at this year’s Fachpack on the Südpack Stand 224 in Hall 7.
