Eco Flexibles develops sustainable packaging for Lantmännen

As sustainable packaging continues to dominate commercial food and drink product development, Lantmännen sought to create fully recyclable packaging to communicate the quality of the product and support its environmental goals.

The Eco Flexibles team developed and supplied a high-performing surface printed monopolymer film, despite the pressures of tight turnaround times and Covid-19 supply challenges. 

Simon Buswell, sales and marketing director at Eco Flexibles, said: ‘Recyclability is front and center for brands today, but flexible packaging has historically been a more complicated case with multiple substrate layers and adhesives. To close the loop, we champion bespoke high-performance monopolymer materials to help brands move away from the ‘take, make, waste’ linear packaging business model. 

‘The Schulstad Bake at Home line is a go-to household name and a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate what our team can achieve and how fundamentally value-adding the right sustainability approach can be. The surface-printed monopolymer film with matt lacquer is eye-catching and looks outstanding on the shelf! The fact our team was able to deliver at the height of the global pandemic is a real testament to our expertise.’

The Schulstad Bake at Home range of packaging was developed and printed with Asahi AWP water washable plates, which eliminate harmful VOC solvent washout from the pre-press process. 

Aiming to dispel sustainable packaging myths, Eco Flexibles seeks to show how sustainable packaging isn’t a compromise or concession – and can be aligned with the performance demands of today’s high-volume packaging.

‘What was fundamental to this project was how Eco Flexibles took the time to really understand our business and our objectives,’ commented Paulina Gorska, marketing manager at Lantmännen. ‘We are always looking at ways to make our business more sustainable, but we also need to bear in mind that security, speed and barrier performance are key. We need to deliver the exemplary quality that our products are known for.

‘What could have been a very challenging period for carrying out a large-scale packaging project was made simple. With a collaborative approach, we have retained the vibrancy and visual impact of our brand identity, and the result really captures attention on the shelf. We are also particularly pleased with the use of water-washable plate technologies, contributing to a CO2 reduction. From start to finish, a very impressive project.’