Sustainable Cheese Packaging
Recyclable Packaging Solutions for the Cheese Market
The United Kingdom has a proud history of cheese making that stretches back millennia and we now have hundreds of different kinds of cheeses manufactured here. From artisan and traditional cheeses to brand new types and flavours produced in huge manufacturing plants.
From ingredients in home cooked meals to snacks in lunch boxes, it is a pretty safe bet that you will find some kind of cheese in the majority of fridges in the UK.
In 2020, approximately 474 thousand metric tons of cheese were produced in the United Kingdom* with 193k tonnes being exported**. The requirement therefore for durable and efficient cheese packaging to protect the product through more complicated and extended supply chains and prolong shelf life has never been more important. Add to this the desire to move to more sustainable cheese packaging solutions and the cheese industry presents both challenges with regard to material specifications but also opportunities to significantly impact on the volume of more sustainable packaging solutions being bought to market.
*source: www.statista.com **source: https://ahdb.org.uk/
Constantia FFP Cheese Packaging Solutions
Constantia FFP have many years’ experience in producing high quality cheese packaging solutions and will work with you to select the correct films and barriers to meet your products requirements.
The cheese sector encompasses a wide range of products that put very different requirements on their packaging in order to maintain product quality and meet shelf life requirements. From recyclable lidding film for sliced cheese and flow wrap for blocked cheese to resealable pre-made pouches and bags for grated cheese, Constantia FFP has the technical expertise to assist you in identifying the correct packaging to suit your product requirements.
Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility combined with decades of technical experience and expertise enables us to offer our customers world class flexible packaging solutions in a wide range of formats with many different finishing options. Our award winning print and lamination techniques provide outstanding print quality and the option of tactile finishes that perfectly reflect your brand values and bring your products to life.
Grated Cheese
Constantia FFP can offer mono material all PP or all PE laminates with barrier options that can be recycled by returning to store. Available in reel form or as pre-made bags or pouches they offer an ideal solution for grated cheese that run easily on existing machinery.
Go To Product
Sliced cheese
Constantia FFP’s recyclable lidding films are compatible with thermoformed trays and can present an opportunity to downgauge existing reclose lidding film. Classified as ‘Recycle’ by OPRL, they can be collected at kerbside offering a recyclable & resealable packaging solution for sliced cheese.
Go To Product
Block cheese
Constantia FFP’s recyclable all PE or all PP laminates can be provided with a high barrier and supplied in reel form to run at high speed on HFFS machines. They can be recycled by returning to store and provide the perfect packaging solution for blocked cheese and wet cheese such as Mozzarella.
Go To Product
Soft cheese
Constantia FFP can offer a wide range of heat seal lacquered and co-extrusion coated, easy peel aluminium and plastic die cut or reel fed lids tailored to your needs to meet your product and sustainability requirements.
Sustainable Flexible Packaging Solutions
Constantia FFP have wholeheartedly committed to the development of materials and pack formats that can help to reduce any negative impact on the environment. Our technical expertise and manufacturing capability puts us in an optimal position to drive the innovation of more sustainable flexible packaging solutions.
Constantia FFP have developed recyclable cheese packaging solutions that provide sustainable cheese packaging without impacting on shelf life and is available in a range of formats:
Mono Material Recyclable Laminates
Constantia FFP can supply mono material PE or PP laminates that can be recycled with carrier bags at supermarkets, as classified by OPRL and can be supplied as pouches, pre-made bags and film on a reel. They can be provided with high barrier and run efficiently on existing packing lines with no need for capital investment and modifications.
The materials lend themselves perfectly to pouches and bags for grated cheese packaging, flow wrap for blocked cheese and are also suitable for use with wet products, making them an ideal option for cheeses such as Mozzarella.
- Recyclable by returning to store with carrier bags – as classified by OPRL
- PE or PP zip available to offer resealability whilst maintaining recyclability
- High barrier options available
- Outstanding seal integrity
- High print quality and tactile finishes available
- Available as pre-made pouches and bags or film-on-a-reel
- Perform well on packaging lines with no need for costly upgrades and no loss of throughput
- Can be perforated for ‘live’ cheeses
- PE tears with ease without the need to laser score
Recyclable Lidding Film
Constantia FFP have developed a recyclable lidding film that has been classified as ‘Recycle’ by OPRL and allows you to recycle with confidence. The resealable mono material lidding film, available in either PET or PP, has been designed to be used with a tray of the same material. The lidding film is not detached from the tray, allowing the consumer to put the entire pack in their pots, tubs and trays kerbside collection.
Constantia FFP’s recyclable lidding films lend themselves perfectly to the cheese industry as they are resealable, are available with barrier options and can be used on thermoformed and pre-formed trays as a sustainable packaging solution for sliced cheeses. Our PET lidding film can also be provided with more than 30% PCR content
Constantia FFP’s sustainable packaging solutions are already on shelf in major retailers and are having a huge impact in recycling flexible films. They offer an immediate solution that utilises current waste streams and are interchangeable with current packaging formats.
- Classified as ‘Recycle’ by OPRL and collected at kerbside
- Mono material (PET or PP)
- Opening can be tailored to suit product and pack
- High Barrier options available
- Can be reclosed multiple times to help maintain product freshness
- Suitable for use on thermoformed trays
- High speed processing on standard lines
- PET version available with 30% PCR content
Esterseal Weight Saving:
The table below illustrates the weight saving achieved by replacing a mixed laminate reclose lidding film from a pack of 10 Cheddar Slices with Esterseal – a mono material resealable and recyclable lidding film that can be collected for recycling at Kerbside.
| Sliced Cheese Annual Volume 43m | Per Pack | Annual Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Weight of reclose lidding film | 2.77g | 119t |
| Weight of Esterseal | 1.83g | 79t |
| Weight Saving | 0.94g | 40t |
| Total Weight of film removed from landfill | 2.77g | 119t |
Esterseal and the Plastic Tax
In April 2022, the UK government implemented a new Plastic Packaging Tax of £210.82 per metric tonne on all plastic packaging components that do not contain at least 30% recycled material. In the current climate, where brands and retailers are trying to move packaging lines over to recyclable solutions, it can present a significant challenge to also incorporate PCR content into the material.
Esterseal, however, is available with 30% PCR content to mitigate the Plastic Tax and offer a recyclable solution.
Not only can Esterseal mitigate the new plastic tax, it also diverts material from landfill.
Download our eBook
Constantia FFP have many years’ experience in producing high quality packaging for the cheese industry and our award winning sustainable packaging solutions provide cheese producers with the opportunity to move product lines over to a recyclable packaging solution.
To find out more about us, please call us on 01604 798600, drop us an email at mail.ffp@cflex.com or visit our contact page.