It’s no secret that the food service packaging market landscape has evolved, and it has evolved positively. Consumers are acutely aware of the impact that packaging has on the planet, with plastic pollution choking marine life and contaminating our water sources. It’s a collective effort for retail brands, fast-food restaurants, and even frozen food packers to rethink their packaging to meet new plastic-free legislation and capitalize on the sustainably minded consumer.
No longer an afterthought, sustainable packaging has the means to attract and retain customers, and it has become a high-value differentiator which can grow businesses. It has been shown that sustainable-minded consumers are willing to pay for these sustainable packaging options, with their wallet and loyalty. According to a report by McKinsey, nearly 80% of US consumers seek to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, and 60% are willing to pay extra for sustainable packaging to support those choices.
With governments across the globe implementing sustainable legislation, it’s clear that these organizations need an immediate, tested and proven packaging solution that not only delivers the compostable, recyclable, and plastic-free requirements but also performs highly. After all, who wants soggy french fries or greasy take-a-way boxes these days?
This is where Foopak Bio Natura comes in. APP Group, a leading Indonesian pulp and paper manufacturer dedicated to sustainable catering to the global demand for paper, tissue, and packaging products, is determined to transform the packaging sector through its award-winning innovation brand, Foopak Bio Natura.
Foopak Bio Natura, part of APP’s flagship suite of sustainable packaging paper board products, is designed to help quick-service restaurants, takeaway services, and frozen food retailers address the challenges of the new reality of sustainability. Foopak Bio Natura utilizes innovative, sustainable, and revolutionary aqua-dispersion technology, which replaces harmful petroleum and plant-based plastic coatings that are not sustainable for the environment or humans. Foopak Bio Natura’s plastic-free paperboard is certified PFAS-free, FDA-compliant, as well as both REACH and BfR-certified for direct food contact. Most importantly in the sustainability aspect, Foopak Bio Natura is curb-side recyclable and compostable industrially and at home.
The flexibility of the paperboard has now expanded beyond just cups, bowls, trays and frozen food packaging market. Now, Foopak Bio Natura caters to the two biggest types of beverages in the market - hot drinks and beer.
Following a successful showing at the Natural Products Expo West held in March in California, Foopak Bio Natura will also be featured at the upcoming Craft Brewers Conference from 21 to 24 April 2024 in Las Vegas. APP and Charta Global will be partnering with NexGen Packaging to use Foopak Bio Natura’s plastic-free cups to allow alcohol and beer to be served in sustainable packaging. Now, alcoholic beverages sold at large-scale events such as sports events or festivals can be enjoyed sustainably without concerns about excessive plastic waste from traditional plastic beer cups. These eco-friendly beer cups have been tested and can handle drinks with up to 8% alcohol with no barrier breakdown.
These beer cups will also be showcased during the National Restaurant Association Show taking place from 18 to 21 May 2024 in Chicago. The beer cups along with more of Foopak Bio Natura’s plastic-free range will be showcased at the Continental Cup booth #9268 where Continental Cup will be featuring its Game Change 120, a new line-up of sustainable beverage cups leveraging APP’s Foopak Bio Natura paperboard as its base-paper.
Aside from catering to the need for plastic-free beer cups, APP has also launched its first plastic-free lids. These lids, which are recyclable and compostable, will allow businesses to source both plastic-free Foopak Bio Natura lids and cups from a single converter for convenience and a fully sustainable cup from top to bottom.
Businesses will also be able to fully customize their branding with these lids as they will be made with a flat-top design to fit a wide range of cups. In addition, the lids are also leak-resistant, suitable for hot and cold beverages, and will allow for a hole to be made for paper, glass, or metal straws.
By using plastic-free packaging products like Foopak Bio Natura, businesses can align with market demands for sustainable packaging as they no longer have to choose between sustainability and quality. Sustainability should be a given and no longer just a perk, a sentiment which is sure to be well-received by the increasing number of consumers calling for products which complement their sustainable lifestyles.
Foopak Bio Natura and other products within the portfolio are available through Charta Global, APP’s exclusive North American sales channel. For more information visit www.foopak.com.
