Smurfit Kappa has launched an innovative and sustainable new pack that keeps frozen and chilled foods fresh throughout the supply chain. Made from a 100% paper-based combination of Hexacomb and corrugated, the Thermo Box keeps frozen food, including fish, at temperatures similar to expanded polystyrene (EPS) boxes.
Smurfit Kappa was approached by Patani Global Food BV, a supplier of fresh and frozen foods and non-food products for the catering industry. Patani ships goods from Amsterdam to worldwide locations using EPS boxes. However, a rise in the amount of litter washing up on beaches led to a ban on plastic waste, so the company wanted an alternative solution that would not harm the environment.
While the majority of existing temperature-controlled food packaging solutions use EPS for its insulation properties, Smurfit Kappa’s new Thermo Box is 100% recyclable. The pack also offers greater flexibility than EPS as it can be stored flat, therefore reducing warehouse costs.
Patrick Oostveen, Managing Director at Patani Global Food, said: “Smurfit Kappa undertook an analysis of our supply chain to grasp all the challenges and complexities. We did a series of temperature tests to compare the new pack with the EPS box and the results showed that the Thermo Box is a really excellent product that more than fits the brief. The average temperature was even kept lower for a longer time than when using the EPS boxes.”
Arco Berkenbosch, Smurfit Kappa VP of Innovation and Development, added: “This project was the result of a successful collaborative process between Smurfit Kappa and Patani Global Food BV. Our starting point, as always, was to see how we could provide a completely biodegradable product that would not compromise on any of the required functionality.
“The paper-based Better Planet Packaging solution we came up with draws strength from its corrugated and honeycomb capabilities and offers significant potential for both fresh and frozen goods and, indeed, the eCommerce sector.” The Thermo Box is currently available in a range of countries across Europe.