Sustainability
We have to talk - or else:
Welcome to the sustainability jungle!
First things first: there is no such thing as a sustainable label!
Let's be honest: Even if sustainable labels are advertised everywhere, even if it says eco everywhere - they don't exist. The best label is no label!
But why does it fail?
Sustainable means not consuming more than can be regrown or reused. Germany currently consumes more material for paper and plastic packaging than any other European country - more than 200 kg per person per year! Most of this is disposable packaging and non-recyclable material composites that can only be incinerated. Changing this and making it better is in both our hands - that of the consumers and that of the industry.
Put an end to waste!
Our approach has always been to minimise the use of materials and green energy. But that doesn't solve the problem. We have taken the first step. And yet: packaging is waste at some point. We now decide which and how much of it.
Frank was invited as a keynote speaker at HP in Israel in 2023 and was able to present his vision and mission of a world without waste.
Take a look - it's in English:
Paper is not the solution for everything!
It usually takes a lot more energy, water and chemicals to produce paper packaging than some might think. A paper bag looks sustainable, but it can't do everything: barrier, robustness, flavour protection - the paper has to be coated for all of these things. With plastic or aluminium. This makes it unrecyclable.
Design for Recycling – D4R
Which packaging is right for me?
You should consider three aspects when choosing your packaging:
- What raw materials are used for my packaging?
- What does my packaging have to withstand and achieve?
- What happens to my packaging at the end of its useful life?
Reduce und Recycle
Ideally, packaging should consist of as few components and different materials as possible. In order to be recycled, all packaging materials must be sorted and separated at great expense after the consumer has already sorted them into the yellow bin or yellow bag. If packaging consists of an inseparable composite, then sorting is not possible and the packaging can only be sent for "thermal utilisation". In other words, it is incinerated like residual waste. And that's the end of the story. Finito! All the resources used wasted for a bit of heat.
So make your packaging as simple as possible. It may even be possible to help design a second life for your packaging - the keyword here is reuse!
Less is more - Reduce!
A bag size XL consists of only 13.5 g of material. A comparable can for 1000 ml weighs 83.5 g plus lid plus label, possibly even plus folding box.
Can a plastic bag of all things be the right way to go?
A label on a plastic can must be regarded as contamination of the packaging material. In the worst case, this makes the can non-recyclable. So-called near-infrared scanners in the automatic sorting systems recognise the different types of plastic. If the can is made of PET and the label is made of PP, the scanner cannot clearly identify this and the can is rejected.
Hence the next step:
Packaging without a label, i.e. without contamination. A bag made of mono-plastic, certified recyclable! Why plastic? It is ideal for the material cycle, is lightweight, robust, has a food-safe barrier and can be recycled with less energy input than paper. To expand a better material cycle, you need single-origin and optimised packaging so that you hardly need any new plastic and can keep producing new packaging from old. This is exactly what our plastic pouch does!
It doesn't get any better than this!
The recyclability of our plastic stand-up pouch has been awarded 18 points by Interseroh+. A higher score is not possible for a printed product.
What if it has to be a label?
Then of course we can do that too. And with passion! And that's why you can order from us to the exact piece. Our production waste is reduced to a minimum and we need almost no set-up material. This is made possible by smart partial automation - because technology also opens up opportunities in this system change. Our range includes paper and film made from recycled materials, with washable and removable adhesive.
If you are not sure which label suits your packaging, we will be happy to advise you. Just get in touch with us!
What else do we do?
- Only as much is produced as you really need. That was the idea right from the start.
- We produce in a former cowshed right next to an energy farm - we obtain electricity and heat from the biogas plant and the 99+58 kWp photovoltaic systems in Pfaffenreuth. A further 250 kWp PV system provides additional power. And if there isn't enough electricity, certified green electricity is added.
- Our team is now on the road with 15 fully electric cars and 14 e-bikes.
- Anyone visiting us in an electric car can use one of our 8 22 kW charging stations. When the sun is shining, it goes straight into the "tank".
- Paper/foil waste is recycled as much as possible. Some of our furnishing materials are used to sew carrier bags.
- We support the children's initiative "Plant-for-the-Planet".
Thinking from start to finish
Bio-based and renewable raw materials
A plastic can be bio-based, e.g. from plants such as maize and the like. This means that it does not consist of carbon that was brought to the surface from the earth (petroleum-based), but of carbon that was already in the cycle on the earth's surface. The plastic itself therefore does not cause any additional CO2 in the atmosphere - but its production does. Furthermore, in addition to food and animal feed production, arable land, fertilisers and pesticides are used to produce the raw materials. And in the end, this is also disposable packaging with a short useful life, which does not (yet) fit into the recycling cycle and is not composted.
Anyone who has read this far: Hats off!
As you can see, the topic of sustainability is quite a tough one. But we are ready to tackle it. And we're happy to have everyone on board!
But all this is not the end of the story. The market and awareness of sustainable choices are constantly evolving - and we are not standing still. We continue to search for the best solutions: recyclable films made from recycled materials, recycled paper labels with the right adhesive for all situations, etc. And we are delighted to have you on board!