Sustainable Fibrepak, a natural packaging material that uses thermoformed wet pulp, is set to make waves in the food sector after meeting stringent EU regulations.
Following the implementation of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) for food contact packaging, Fibrepak is set to be granted a Declaration of Compliance (DOC) for food contact materials.
The EU’s food contact legislation sets out mandatory requirements that business operators provide a written DOC for some types of food contact materials – including recycled plastics.
Made in Europe from locally-sourced FSC-certified materials that have come from sustainably managed forests, Fibrepak is high quality, thin-walled and smooth sided.
Recyclable Fibrepak has several features that make it ideal for use in the food sector including recyclability with paper, product protection and stackability.
Fibrepak is a sub-brand of leading global thermoformer TEQ, which was acquired a year ago by Sonoco, a global leader which has recently been ranked second in the packaging/containers industry section of FORTUNE’S prestigious World’s Most Admired Companies list.
“We launched Fibrepak in response to a growing demand from customers that were keen to embrace sustainability. Now it has been granted a Declaration of Compliance we expect it to establish itself as a leading player in the food sector industry,” says Anne-Sophie Belamine, European Sales Director at TEQ, which has a UK manufacturing base at Hucknall Industrial Park, near Nottingham.
“The advent of thermoformed fibre gave us a great opportunity to combine this latest technology with our vast experience of thermoforming to deliver bespoke, complex and high-quality packaging for a range of customers, including those in fruit and veg.”
Fibrepak is non-toxic, microwavable, static-free and incredibly shock absorbent. It can also be treated to be moisture resistant for sustained periods.
Unlike rigid cellular plastic foam packaging, there are also plenty of logistics savings to be gained using Fibrepak thanks to its ability to enable product stacking and ‘nesting’.
During manufacture, natural fibres are converted into high tolerance thermoformed pulp products using a unique vacuum technique and ‘cure-in-the-mould’ technology. This uses heat and pressure to press and evaporate fluid from the fibres leaving a completely dry product at the end of the process that is ready for packing.
Fibrepak solutions can be created to a customer’s exact specifications while conforming to ISTA and TUV performance standards. These include clamshells, trays and inserts.