FROM PLASTIC BLISTER TO
DIRECT-SEAL ALUMINIUM
A European ready-meal producer supplying the retail market wanted to rethink an existing packaging solution and reduce the amount of packaging material used.
The challenge
The customer was already using aluminium trays, but each tray was placed inside an external plastic blister, which was then sealed.
The existing solution worked, but it required a significant amount of plastic around the aluminium tray.
With increasing focus on packaging reduction and future PPWR requirements, the customer wanted to explore whether the plastic blister could be eliminated.
The ambition was clear: seal directly onto the aluminium tray while continuing to use the existing production equipment.
The new solution also needed to deliver reliable sealing performance, the required easy-peel functionality and four customer-specific tray formats.
The solution
Plus Pack supported the transition from a traditional aluminium tray to a Ready2Cook® solution designed for direct sealing.
The solution was developed around the customer’s existing production setup rather than requiring the production line to be adapted around the packaging.
Key elements included:
· Direct sealing on aluminium eliminated the need for the external plastic blister.
· Compatibility with existing equipment allowed the customer to retain its production setup.
· Reliable sealing and easy peel delivered the required performance.
· Four tailored sizes matched the customer’s different product formats.
· On-site technical support helped qualify and implement the solution in production.
By combining packaging development with practical production support, Plus Pack helped turn the customer’s ambition to reduce packaging into a solution that could work in daily production.
The results
The transition to Ready2Cook® allowed the customer to remove the traditional outer plastic blister and significantly reduce the amount of plastic used in the packaging solution.
At the same time, the customer gained a directly sealable aluminium solution with the required easy-peel functionality while continuing to use its existing production equipment.
The project demonstrates how packaging development and technical expertise can help customers:
· Reduce packaging material
· Simplify the packaging structure
· Maintain existing production infrastructure
· Implement new packaging solutions with technical support
· Prepare for evolving packaging requirements
PACKAGING DEVELOPMENT WITH PPWR IN VIEW
and the next steps
PPWR is increasing the focus on packaging minimisation, material use and how packaging solutions are designed for the future.
This project demonstrates the value of reviewing the complete packaging solution, rather than individual components in isolation.
By replacing an aluminium tray combined with an external plastic blister with a directly sealable Ready2Cook® solution, the customer was able to simplify the packaging structure and reduce plastic use.
Plus Pack can also provide relevant supplier information, technical data sheets and food-contact declarations to support customers in assessing their packaging and responding to increasing documentation requirements.
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