Greiner Packaging UK & Ireland made a major statement at the Packaging Innovations show at the NEC, parking one of its trucks at the entrance.
“We wanted to ensure that all visitors saw our ‘We love sustainable packaging’ message and understood that Greiner Packaging is your trusted innovative partner in delivering a circular economy,” says GPUK General Manager Paul Millar.
With the theme: “Join the Circular rEVOLUTION”, a surprise guest on the booth helped the company celebrate the 40th anniversary of its K3® sustainable packaging solution.
“Visitors to our booth explored our latest innovative solutions for improving their packaging recyclability, using less material, and incorporating increasing amounts of recycled material – while delivering outstanding on-shelf presence,” says GPUK Sales and Marketing Director Julie Eller. “They could learn more about our wide range of r-PET products and world-class decontamination process, which allows us to take mechanically recycled flakes into a stable, EFSA-certified supply of r-PET material.
“r-PET is currently the most readily available recycled material on the packaging market, and at GPUK our focus is on sustainable r-PET products, made from up to 100 percent post-consumer waste. We have a large range of off-the-shelf products and the ability to custom design to your specific requirements.”
K3® – the original since 1982
K3®, Greiner Packaging’s innovative cardboard-plastic packaging solution was first launched in 1982, and ‘Elvis’ was at the booth the explain how K3® is often imitated, but never equaled.
“Our K3® packaging solution has led the way in sustainability for 40 years,” says Paul Millar. “First developed at the time of an oil crisis, to use less plastic, K3® is now used by thousands of brands worldwide, who love its ever-evolving sustainability credentials and effective and efficient performance.
“The outer wrap features a tear-tab which enables consumers to intuitively separate the cardboard from the plastic to enable recycling, and many brands use the reverse of the wrap for promotions and to tell their sustainability story. But to bring the 40 years up to date, we are proud to now be producing K3® r100.”
K3® r100 the self-separating packaging solution
“Our amazing K3® r100 cup is the highlight of the show,” says GPUK Sustainability and Innovation Manager Rachel Sheldon. “K3® r100 is a product innovation that has made the impossible possible: separating cardboard wraps and plastic packaging from one another during the waste disposal process without the need for human intervention. Unlike all previous K3® packaging solutions, an outstanding level of recyclability can be achieved without having to rely on end consumers to separate the items correctly.”
Certified sustainable
“At the start of the year we were proud to announce that GPUK is the first packaging manufacturer in Northern Ireland to gain the Sustainably Sourced Plastics (SSP) Certification, and the first Greiner Packaging factory in the world to be awarded Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®) Chain of Custody certification,” says Paul Millar. “These certifications came only three months after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approved the decontamination process used at our factory in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, to recycle post‐consumer PET into food contact materials.”
“As a leading packaging producer, we are committed to delivering innovative products. We aim to maximize plastic reduction, introduce reusable systems, incorporate recycling content, and strive for the best recyclability for our products working towards a circular economy.”