Marigold Health Foods has collaborated with Sonoco to launch its fully recyclable packaging for a variety of natural, plant-based food products, including stock cubes, sauces, and meat and fish alternatives.

Apparently, the can body is made from 95% paper and primarily sourced from recycled materials, with 60% post-consumer recycled fibre. The remaining 5% of the packaging consists of an inner liner for protecting the product. The new packaging is available in most UK supermarkets and can be recycled in the UK’s paper waste stream. It also includes the latest OPRL recycling logo to help UK consumers recycle their packaging correctly.

The previous packaging, which featured a cardboard body with a metal base, presented recycling challenges. By investing in new machinery, Marigold says it has replaced the metal end with a paper-based alternative developed by Sonoco, resulting in an all-paper body and base which consumers can recycle kerbside after use.

The change is said to improve the packaging’s environmental footprint and meet the requirements for key UK and European packaging and recycling regulations. Marigold’s new packaging is made primarily from paperboard with secondary materials such as an aluminium seal and a plastic LDPE lid.

The EnviroCan Paper Bottom aims to ensure food safety and optimal shelf-life performance by providing an oxygen and moisture barrier. Marigold states the new design has reduced packaging weight by over 20%, leading to a decrease in transport fuel consumption. The company adds the solution has a lower environmental footprint than other rigid packaging types while being produced from sustainably sourced recyclable materials.

Last month, ProAmpac revealed it was commercializing its fibre-based, kerbside recyclable ProActive Recyclable RP-1050 as a replacement for the traditional plastic films used in overwrap packaging for bathroom tissue, paper towels, and feminine care products. Compared to rigid packaging, the flexible packaging is said to consume less energy and fewer natural resources during the production process.

Welton, Bibby & Baron recently announced it was converting Mondi’s thinnest barrier paper into premium bags for pre-packed fresh bread products. The paper is designed to be recycled kerbside once emptied and reportedly provides the necessary strength for higher filling weights while protecting foods against water vapour, grease, and moisture.