PRESS RELEASE
Westpak are delighted to have been announced as winners for the ‘Sustainable Sourcing’ category at the first ever ‘Sustainable Packaging News Awards’. The awards are run by the Sustainable Packaging News website (spnews.com) and look to highlight key commitments and initiatives made to sustainability across the packaging sector. SPNews announced that the response to the awards was “far greater than anticipated” with a large volume of entries submitted from all over the world. The ‘Sustainable Sourcing’ category is detailed as recognising companies that have successfully sourced significantly more sustainable materials or improved materials in order to enhance their overall sustainability.
Westpak’s success in being awarded this title is underlined by a number of key recent achievements:
In 2021, Westpak made a number of additions to their team including the appointment of Lucas Daneluz as the company’s Strategic Sourcing Manager. This appointment aimed to greatly enhance Westpak’s ability to work with new manufacturing partners and source materials and that could drastically enhance packaging innovation and overall sustainability.
A number of landmark sustainably-driven sourcing projects have already taken place at Westpak including the introduction of the company’s new ‘Crave’ foodservice takeaway range as well as card-based heat-seal punnets and trays for use with fresh produce across the grocery industry.
The introduction of the Crave range has provided a high performing foodservice packaging range with a multitude of sustainability benefits. This includes each of the range’s boxes being fully recyclable/’re-pulpable’ and industrially compostable. The containers are also manufactured from lightweight fibres, driving resource efficiency and reducing the volume of raw materials required. In addition, these fibres are derived from paper sourced from FSC-certified, European paper mills. The inner coating replaces traditional PET linings with an innovative emulsion-based coating which is resistant to oils, grease and other sources of moisture while remaining widely accepted in standard recycling systems. Additionally, all ‘window’ options in the range are made from NatureFlex™ by Futamura, a sustainable cellulose film that is home-compostable. Lastly, the range is manufactured in the UK, dramatically reducing its production carbon footprint.
Above: The UK-based manufacturing of Westpak’s ‘Crave’ foodservice packaging range.
Lucas Daneluz has also overseen Westpak’s sourcing and development of an additional open ‘hot-counter tray’ for foodservice applications. This offers a major sustainability advantage over more standardised, plastic-based industry alternatives. Through once again sourcing through exciting and innovative new manufacturing partners, Westpak are developing a compostable, cellulose based options as well as paper-based design.
Over the last year, Westpak have also sourced a range of highly innovative microflute and pressboard based ‘heat-seal’ punnets that offer a far more sustainable alternative to plastic heat-seal punnets that have become commonplace within grocery applications. These newly sourced punnets and trays are both fully recyclable. The larger, 500g microflute option also benefits from being manufactured from recycled content while the smaller, 250g pressboard tray option features a Polyethylene (PE) lining (adhering to OPRL recycling guidelines), as well as being FSC certified.
Lucas Daneluz commented on the latest sustainable sourcing initiatives “Westpak are already a brand that have a highly level of expertise in sustainable and innovative food packaging. However, by sourcing through a range of new, innovative partners, we are able to push that envelope further than ever before and position ourselves at the very forefront of the industry’s latest sustainability innovations; both in regard to material technologies and manufacturing processes. A common thread that runs through each of these newly sourced products is the firm belief in the idea that enhanced sustainability does not have to be achieved at the exposure of practicality and usability. In fact, we believe that true innovation can enable these two vital packaging attributes to work together harmoniously”.
NOTES TO EDITORS
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About Westpak Group Ltd
Westpak Group Ltd are an award-winning supplier of diverse and sustainably-aware packaging solutions to some of the biggest names in the UK’s grocery and foodservice industries. The company’s reputation is built upon over 20 years of experience and is underpinned by its commitment to ‘bold thinking, reliable execution’. Westpak are proud to offer a comprehensive and continually evolving product collection as well providing impartial advice to clients and helping them realise tailored packaging solutions where required.
Westpak Group Ltd contact details
Westpak Group Ltd,
Blackness Lane,
Keston,
Kent,
BR2 6HL
Tel: 0800 298 5844
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.westpakuk.com