By Brandon Day
When it comes to integrating sustainability into red meat packaging, there has always been a balancing act between shelf life and environmental impact.
While traditional materials such as plastics, films, and Styrofoam trays adequately protect red meat and deliver on targeted shelf life, they’ve never been environmentally friendly options. On the other end of the spectrum, using sustainable materials to produce a “green” package alternative often came with the threat of premature spoilage.
Fortunately, the need to choose one over the other is disappearing. Sustainable packaging innovations are creating more options today that combine eco-friendly attributes with the desired shelf life required by retailers.
Styrofoam trays are being replaced with PET (polyethylene terephthalate) packaging, a lightweight recycled plastic tray that works well for red meat packaging. Additionally, the plastics used in pre-formed modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and pre-formed vacuum skin packaging (VSP) are giving way to materials such as PP (polypropylene). PP is a fully recyclable, versatile plastic with properties that extend shelf life of red meat packaging. When paired with eco-friendly films, these options provide food manufacturers and retailers with a sustainable alternative for their customers.
Ossid and Reepack machines can run a wide range of sustainable materials, giving customers the flexibility to run multiple SKUs with both sustainable and traditional materials on the same machine.
However, sustainability isn’t just limited to primary packaging. Food manufacturers are taking a closer look at “right-sizing” their cases as well. All too often, oversized cases are used for packaging red meat and other proteins. This excess corrugate is wasted material that counteracts the sustainability goals achieved in primary packaging.
This is where Ossid can tap into the power of ProMach and collaborate with its sister brand, Wexxar Bel. As a manufacturer of case erecting, case sealing, and tray forming machinery, Wexxar Bel can design case erectors that identify the right sized box for specific products. This provides a superior sustainable solution for secondary packaging processes by reducing corrugate, dunnage, and shipping costs.
When you’re ready to add sustainability to your primary and secondary red meat packaging applications, Ossid can guide you toward the options that work best for you and your customers.
Brandon Day is Ossid’s Regional Sales Manager for the South Central United States. He can be reached at Brandon.Day@ProMachBuilt.com.
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