It has been announced that Delipac has won the Ecopack Challenge. The challenge took place at the Packaging Innovations 2017. The products that impressed the judges were the Delipac Cup and Delipac Foodboard. The judges for the Challenge were a panel of experts looking for the most innovative packaging solution. The prize for the challenge was to win the opportunity to develop the packaging idea with Marks & Spencer.

The packaging focused on barrier coating, which is great for the food and drinks industry as it creates simple take-away cartons, however this process means that the used article cannot be recycled but to the polymer coating used as the barrier between the contents and the cardboard.

The Delipac Cup and Delipac Foodboard seems to have solved this problem by developing an eco-barrier packaging board. The product has the same properties as the unsustainable barrier coating, but still reaps the same benefits in terms of handling moisture and grease. This means that the Delipac packaging can be used for hot and cold drinks as well as ice cream and frozen or convenience foods.

At the end of the packaging’s life, the Delipac products are fully recyclable as part of any regular paper waste stream. Also is the cartons end up as litter the product will completely biodegrade within 12 weeks. This means that the products are fully compostable. Products like this and alteration to packaging in general could lead to massive decrease in waste that ends up in landfill as well as improving the sustainability of the packaging industry and cutting down co2 emissions involved in making food and beverage packaging. At the moment, most end of life packaging ends up in landfill so advancements that change that are welcomed.

The panel of judges for the Ecopack Challenge included Jonathan Couper, the Packaging Development Manager at Mars Drinks, Ian Schofield, Packaging Manager at Iceland Foods and Laura Fernandez the technologist at Marks and Spencer.