A true innovation in the sustainable food
packaging sector: Dr. Schär has collaborated with Niederwieser to develop the
world's first gluten-free bread package made with the circular use of certified
plastics. Dr. Schär with its leading brand in the gluten-free bread sector,
Schär, has relied on the expertise of the food packaging specialist to offer
together an innovative and sustainable packaging solution, which maintains the
taste, quality and safety of its own products.
The new sustainable packaging for
gluten-free bread rolls, Schär Panini Rolls, will be launched in Europe at the
end of the year and will be produced with an innovative material obtained from
the advanced recycling of post-consumer mixed plastics.
“We aim to be at the forefront also in
terms of sustainability. And since innovation is at the heart of our company,
we have worked to take this big step - i.e. to offer more sustainable solutions
while at the same time continuing to deliver tasty and safe products",
says the Dr. Schär CEO, Philipp Schoeller. Continuing: "Our partner Niederwieser
shares, with the SABIC and DSM suppliers, the same commitment to sustainability
and they are all working to increase the supply of recycled material. Together
we can be among the first to close the circle.”
The partnership between the two family
companies Dr. Schär and Niederwieser is based on the common vision of a
sustainable future and on the commitment to implement a circular economy. The
use of recycled materials is playing an increasingly important role in food
packaging. Currently, the recycling of plastics in Europe takes place mainly
through mechanical processes. However, the recycled material obtained is not
suitable for use for food packaging since contact with food could cause
contamination, risk to hygiene and affect its performance. This is where
advanced recycling comes in, making even post-consumer or composite materials
recyclable. The quantity of recycled material in this way available today is
very limited, the manufacturing process is more complex, but the quality of the
material is comparable to that of virgin material, which makes it suitable for
sensitive food applications.
Advanced recycling is still in its infancy,
precisely because, although it is suitable for food applications, it is still
not readily available due to the lack of large-scale recycling facilities.
That's why Dr. Schär and Niederwieser are even more proud to launch Schär
Panini Rolls as a pilot product packaged with certified recycled plastic. This
is an important innovation in the green path taken by the company.
Dr. Schär will be a pioneer in the bread
industry, thanks to the innovation of advanced recycling for sensitive food
applications, produced and developed by Niederwieser and by its extrusion
subsidiary, VF Verpackungen GmbH. All three partners, Niederwieser, SABIC and
DSM, are also certified by ISCC for the use of recycled plastic, which is
certified according to a mass balance approach.
"Our efforts are aimed at achieving a
circular economy, by keeping materials in the cycle and by using recycled
material", says Hannes Niederwieser, CEO of Niederwieser. He further
explains: "Our two companies are linked by a long-standing collaboration;
however, we do not want to be mere suppliers, but we know that we can only grow
and achieve our goals together, as partners. What brings us together is a
common mission: a constant and sustainable development while maintaining the
highest quality of our products."
