Starting from March 2022, the new trays for Piedmontese “ravioli del plin” and “agnolotti” by Pastificio Fontaneto are entirely compostable and recyclable.
Launched at the end of 2019, the project involved the replacement of a traditional plastic multilayer tray with a certified industrially compostable version consisting of a thermoformed tray, heat-sealed film and label.
All this represented a very ambitious goal for an application that must guarantee a number of highly technical performances: from the barrier to oxygen and humidity - necessary for the preservation of pasteurized stuffed fresh pasta for a shelf-life of about 50 days (variable depending on the type of filling) - to the high mechanical resistance of the material under different weather and temperature conditions (freezer, fridge and ambient).
The challenge was won thanks to the collaboration of leading companies in the field of green chemicals and plastic processing: Novamont, Gualapack (manufacturer of flexible packaging), ILIP (food packaging development expert) and Gruppo Poligrafico Tiberino (provider of various services including label concept and application).
This partnership produced a multi-component compostable packaging (fully certified "Ok Compost" by TUV Austria for the TIC - Testing, Inspection & Certification sector), consisting of a 100% biodegradable and compostable bio-plastic tray (made of Mater-Bi by Novamont) produced by ILIP, with a multilayer film containing Mater-Bi produced by Gualapack and, finally, a compostable label made by Gruppo Poligrafico Tiberino.
The sustainability of packaging - especially food packaging - is a main driver in consumer trends and purchasing behaviours, increasingly oriented towards reducing the environmental impact of modern lifestyles. According to the latest edition of the survey “Osservatorio Packaging del Largo Consumo” conducted by Nomisma (a consultancy company), Italian consumers place packaging second (33%) among the four macro aspects that contribute to defining the sustainability of food, immediately after the production method (34%) and before the supply chain and the origin of raw materials (22%) and the ethical and social responsibility (13%).
The new packaging for Pastificio Fontaneto made from renewable raw materials, when separately collected as kitchen waste, will contribute to the production of compost able to restore soil fertility and reduce the release of climate-altering gases into the atmosphere.
Alessandro Ferlito, sales manager at Novamont: "We have won a great challenge, bringing absolute innovation to the food sector. This result shows that the packaging pipeline created by Novamont is able to support companies in the production of packaging capable of guaranteeing maximum technical performance and total post-consumer compostability, thus meeting the requests from consumers increasingly striving towards sustainable lifestyles."
