Delhaize has made the packaging of its tiramisu more sustainable. As part of their action plan, The Lion’s Footprint, they are launching a number of initiatives to reduce their ecological footprint. Focusing on more recyclable packaging is, of course, part of this.
Until recently, Delhaize’s own brand tiramisu came in a cardboard packaging with a plastic inner layer. Because these two materials could not be separated, the packaging as a whole was not recyclable. That was a shame, because it meant that the materials were lost for the circular economy. The new packaging consists of a plastic pot in a cardboard outer cover. In addition, the PET pot is made of recycled material (r-PET), which means that the tiramisu packaging alone saves 1.5 tonnes of new plastic per year. In this way, Delhaize is protecting our natural resources - in this case oil - because fewer raw materials have to be extracted.
If the empty packaging is then sorted properly again after use, it can be recycled again and the circle is complete. The empty plastic pot can be put in the PMD; the cardboard outer cover goes with the paper-cardboard. Fost Plus then takes care of recycling the materials into secondary raw materials for new products or packaging. Read more here about the new recycling plant for PET packaging, such as this tiramisu pot.
Sustainable ambitions
Delhaize aims to become totally carbon neutral. They are doing this, among other things, by opting for green power and more energy-efficient refrigerators in their stores, but also via their packaging. After all, recycling is always more environmentally friendly than fetching new raw materials, often from far distant countries, thanks to both the recycling process and the reduction in transport. Delhaize has already calculated that opting for r-PET for its fresh juices reduces CO2 emissions by 85 tonnes per year. That corresponds to 42 petrol cars driving around for a year*!
Packaging that is not necessary should, of course, not be used. However, packaging is often essential: for food safety, for transport or to bear important product information. In that case, Fost Plus provides a recycling solution. Designing packaging with a view to better recycling and the use of recyclable and recycled materials, as Delhaize intends to do, are important steps in the creation of a circular economy for household packaging.
*Source: https://www.climateneutralgroup.com/en/news/what-exactly-is-1-tonne-of-co2/