There are sustainable trends that continue to grow steadily. Eco-friendly packaging, ideally biodegradable, for example, continues to be in great demand on the German and European markets. We spoke to Thomas Däbel, director of the German packaging specialist SERWO LLC, about reducing the use of plastic in fruit and vegetable packaging.

At Fruit Logistica last year, the SERWO team was present at the Dinopol stand.

“For trays, shopping bags and other packaging, cardboard and wood pulp, generally materials that are returned to nature, are gaining more popularity. This is where our focus lies,” says Däbel. "This high demand is creating a capacity bottleneck in the European paper market."

Increasingly, according to Däbel, paper is being used to package fruits and vegetables, particularly in Germany, which is also noticeable in production. «Fortunately, we anticipated this development. We are well connected and can continue to supply our customers without any problems. But in general, we are noticing that delivery times are becoming longer and that there are inevitably price adjustments due to the enormous demand.

Pilot project: sealable wood pulp trays
SERWO will focus in 2021 on sealable wood pulp trays, which are already being tested in several producing companies and retailers food. «We had to do a lot of tests, try different materials and machines, and adapt to the requirements of the retailers. “Processing speed is very important for sealing.”

The final result was a joint effort with the fruit and vegetable company Frutania: "Together with Frutania, we optimized the design of the wood pulp tray and it is now ready for the market."

«Having a partner with this experience in marketing It was very important for us. Red fruits, such as blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, are our test products. In the end, we achieved a sealing speed comparable to PET sealing, thanks to a special film that permanently adheres very well to the wood pulp.” The first tests with organic blueberries in 125 g trays began last year in the first supermarkets, and the sealable wood pulp trays have also been on the shelves of several test points of sale since the end of 2020. are currently evaluating and naturally we hope that the product will be well received by the retailers and consumers.

"The retailers they are joining "

Däbel is confident that it can establish new, more sustainable packaging solutions: “We know that it works and that there is demand. What is needed now is its adoption in supermarkets.

The  retailers They now have the opportunity to be innovative: «We notice that consumers are increasingly aware of their impact on the environment. The entire chain is responding to this development, from producers to retailers«. A major challenge, however, lies in price. “Of course, a tub of wood pulp is a little more expensive, but plastic prices are also skyrocketing. The premium for more sustainable materials is becoming more relative. Ultimately, it is a commitment to change, you just have to take the leap.