German confectionery brand, Cool, has chosen NatureFlex™ compostable cellulose films from Futamura to package its confectionery product Ӧcoologisch Herz Lolli. NatureFlex™, and its big sister brand Cellophane™, have long been used for confectionery packaging due to their excellent technical performance for this market application. They have good barrier, outstanding optical clarity and unrivalled deadfold, a real benefit for traditional twist wrap applications. The films can also be printed and laminated just like conventional plastic films.
Ӧcoologisch Herz Lolli is a range of lollipops including six delicious flavours: strawberry, cherry, orange, lemon, apple, and coke. The individual lollies are wrapped in single-ply NatureFlex and the outer bag is a NatureFlex / biofilm laminate. Both packaging solutions are printed and converted by the Dutch company Bio4Pack.
NatureFlex™ is a range of renewable films made from wood pulp, sourced from responsibly and sustainably managed plantations. Not only do they meet all the global standards for industrial composting (including EN13432), but they are also home compostable and certified by the TŰV Austria OK Compost Home composting standard for backyard composting. In difficult to recycle small format applications such as confectionery, this means that NatureFlex films can go straight into the garden compost bin, diverting waste from landfill.
When asked why they chose NatureFlex, André Richter from Cool said: “we were looking for an ‘environmentally friendly’ variant of this type of packaging and found a suitable price-performance ratio at NatureFlex. Good quality, stability and hold are important. Doing something good for the environment at the same time – what more could you want?” He added, “We have found the machine performance to be good and in no way inferior to other conventional films. We regularly receive good feedback from consumers who feel it is very positive that we care about the environment, often asking if there are other products using these bio films.”
Yasar Tuerkoglu, sales manager at Bio4pack said; “We use NatureFlex films for a number of our customers, either on their own, or as part of bio-laminate. We have found that consumers really care about the environmental impact of their packaging. Composting is a great solution that is part of a growing circular economy. It is particularly important for high-litter risk packs like small format confectionery, such as these lolly wrappers. If they do accidentally end up in the environment, we know the packs will safely break down, not stay around for hundreds of years. Although we would never advocate littering, always composting!”
Ӧcoologisch Herz Lollies are sold throughout Germany, primarily at wholesalers.
