Less greenhouse gas emissions through clip closure solutions
The study by the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT for the calculation of the "carbon footprint" of packaging solutions for various sausage packaging clearly shows the saving of greenhouse gas emissions with clip closure solutions. These cut much better in direct comparison to injection cups and thermoformed packaging. Clip fastener solutions generate up to 64% less greenhouse gas emissions than the injection molding cup, and up to 81% less greenhouse gas emissions compared to thermoformed packaging for cold cuts. "We expected our packaging solutions to have environmental benefits. The study will enable us to quantify these for our customers for the first time, "said Mr. Kristian Blomqvist, VP of Sales and Marketing for Poly-clip System.
Environmentally friendly packaging is becoming increasingly popular against the background of the new German Packaging Act, the discussion on marine waste, microplastics and circular economy. The results show that by choosing the packaging CO2Emissions are saved. Life cycle assessments are used to determine the carbon footprint of a product along its life cycle and to provide information about its climate impact. In order to determine how environmentally friendly their packaging solutions are, Poly-clip System commissioned the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT to investigate different packaging of meat products and clip closure solutions with tray and thermoformed packaging as well as injection molded cups for defined meat products to compare with each other.
Method
In order to determine the carbon footprint, the extraction of raw materials (eg oil) up to the finished packaging solution was considered in the ecological analysis including the disposal of the packaging. The packaging solutions were compared based on a comparison unit. For this purpose, the packaging of 150 g sausage was accepted for spread packaging and the packaging of 150 g cold cuts for cold cuts. The calculation was based on weight, materials and manufacturing processes of the packaging solutions. The materials were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy and the manufacturing processes of the packaging plastics were mapped using commercial life cycle assessment databases.
Results
"For cold cuts when using the clip closure solution compared to thermoformed packaging about 0,05 kg CO2Equivalent be saved. Extrapolated to the consumption of cold cuts in Germany, this results in a saving of 22.133 tonnes of CO2Equivalents per year and corresponds to approximately 173.051.863 driven car kilometers, "says Nils Thonemann from the Department of Sustainability and Resource Management at the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT. In the case of string wrappers, when using the clip closure solution, up to 0,04 kg CO2Equivalents per comparison unit and 4.427 tonnes CO2-Equivalents based on the total German consumption of sausage per year saved ".
Up to 64% less greenhouse gas emissions for the clip closure solution compared to the injection cup.
Up to 81% less greenhouse gas emissions for the clip closure solution compared to the thermoformed packaging for cold cuts.
The results are evidence of the environmental friendliness of clip closure solutions compared to the illustrated sausage packaging types. With fewer processing steps, less waste and lower costs, the term "minimalist packaging" is more than true. Consumer behavior is changing. That can be less. More sustainability in sausage packaging with clip closure solutions.
Poly-clip System is the world's leading provider of Clip System Solutions.
